Moving From Directing to Shooting

[<Grass_Valley>]

How hard is it to move from Directing to shooting? I was in a low-medium market and have been in broadcast news for 5 years, but I am a Director. If I want to be a photog, and not wait for an opening here, am I going to have to go back down to an entry-level type of market? Or would my experience at least count for something? I should mention that I haven't shot any stories but i do have some (limited) editing experience. I don't make a lot of money here and it would seem wrong to have to go lower and make even LESS!

 

[chroma cranker]

i started off in the biz as a weekend director/weekday photog. they were much more worried about my directing skills than how well i shot. a year later they let me go to fulltime shooting. before that i was offered the main director position. i was able to decide which was best for me. i imagine with your experience you should be able to get a position like the one i had. it may be an easier transition. my advice would be to come in on your days off and ask to shoot vo or vo/sot. maybe you would be able to shoot some pkg's. either way you probably need to get a resume tape together before you go anywhere.

 

[Sore Shoulder]

I started out directing. I was in a smaller (well small) market. The reporters one-man-banded. During my down time I would go out with the reporters to shoot for them. They loved not having to shoot, especially there own stand-ups, and I got more experience. I was able to get enough good stories to put a tape together.
I also helped shoot commercials and promo's.
I do agree with Chroma Cranker, you should put a resume' tape together.
Good luck.

 

[Tippster]

Call me Captain Obvious, but have you ever shot video for news before? Directing doesn't count for anything, it's only periferally related to shooting. It's akin to someone saying "I WATCH Television, so can I have the camera, please?"

 

[FatStinkyPhotog]

Reguardless, you need to take on Sore's idealism. It takes that kind of spunk to learn how to shoot. Impress me and I am a Fountain. Surley all those hours of tape you've actively watched don't spell ground zero.

 

[Icarus112277]

Directing can give you a good eye for tv and can also give you a much better idea of what people want out of their video int he control room.

That being said, why would you want to go from a director to a photog? Obviously I don't have the same love for the job that many of you do, but in my mind the transition is generally the other way around.

 

[pictureperfect]

You should speak with your boss and the chief photog to see if you can shadow a few of the other photographers on your day's off. One of our PA's works with me every Friday and is doing great... our station is all about promoting within. Your best hope is to get the experience from where you're at.

 

[<Grass_Valley>]

Well, all the directing jobs I have seen are paying crap and we use an older switcher and the bigger stations, all they care about is have you ever punched on a Kalypso or similar. So I am thinking of other things to do in this biz other than getting out period. Of course the photog jobs probably pay crap also.

We had a guy (one of the guys on my production crew) who liked to go out for the sports guy and shoot some highlights and he got pretty decent...but then management put the foot down and stopped him. I give the guy credit for trying to diversify his experience but now i am supposed to write him up if he ever goes out with sports again....

 

[Lensmith]

Originally posted by <Grass_Valley>:
How hard is it to move from Directing to shooting?

With all due respect...I think the phrase "the grass is always greener" applies to your query.

If shooting is something you want to do then you'll have to make a serious career change. Can you do it? Probably, but it's not going to be easy. Especially if what's important are short term concerns about the dollar amount in your paycheck.

If it's a change you want to make and you think you'd really like to shoot, go for it!

 

[Lenslinger]

Originally posted by <Grass_Valley>:
Well, all the directing jobs I have seen are paying crap and we use an older switcher.

Substitute the word 'directing' with the word 'photog' and the word 'switcher' with 'camera' -- and you've described the overwhelming majority of shooter positions out there.

I'm not knocking your desire to change jobs, I'm just surprised that you think shooting is a step up. If anything, it's a step over, into a much more labor-intensive side of TV news. As for the pay, it's hard to compare without knowing all the details, but it's safe to say no one's going to throw money at you for learning how to white-balance.

I can't help but think of the directors at my shop. There a great bunch of guys (and gals) who really know how to deliver come showtime. But when the studio lights go down, they're quite accustomed to shuffling off to the smoking patio, where they while away the hours dicussing 'Lord of the Rings' trivia until the next newscast rolls around. The thought of one of them grabbing a camera and hauling balls to breaking news is laughable. Besides, why in the hell would they want to?

I mean no offense to any directors out there. I've boothed enough half hour shows to tape to know how overwhelming all those flashing square buttons can be. These days, when I enter the control room to give a producer super times (better late than never), I keep my mouth shut and my hands to myself, because no matter how clever I think I am, I know I'm way out of my element inside the room with all the monitors on the wall -- much like most directors would be at a triple-homicide gang-bang sat truck convention.

So forgive our skepticism. It's just that in the real world, TV news photojournalism is a sweaty, low-paying, often thankless job that most people wisely want no part of. If you don't get some kind of visceral thrill from framing up a shot, or a headrush from the thrill of the hunt, or just a little kick from leaving the building everyday, then tread cautiously. Otherwise, you may very well find yourself standing by a tripod in the pouring rain / blinding snow / unbearable heat and pining for the cushy confines of the air-conditioned control booth.

Good luck.

 

[Beef]

After a newscast, go get the raw tape from the best stories of the day. Get the edited versions and watch them. Then watch and *listen* to the raw. You'll learn a lot that way.
Later, go out with some crews to watch what they do. THEN ask to shoot some vosots.

 

[<somethingsmellsfunny>]

Originally posted by <Grass_Valley>:
Well, all the directing jobs I have seen are paying crap and we use an older switcher and the bigger stations, all they care about is have you ever punched on a Kalypso or similar. So I am thinking of other things to do in this biz other than getting out period. Of course the photog jobs probably pay crap also.

We had a guy (one of the guys on my production crew) who liked to go out for the sports guy and shoot some highlights and he got pretty decent...but then management put the foot down and stopped him. I give the guy credit for trying to diversify his experience but now i am supposed to write him up if he ever goes out with sports again....

I've never seen anaywhere that the shootermakes more than the director. I've never seen any crew member make mre than the director. maybe smaller markets are different. As for the Kalypso, MVS-8000/9000, or DD-35, if you really know an older switcher like a 250 or 300, learning the newer ones is not that difficult.

Of course in a decent shop if you were directing you would never touch the switcher anyways. But its also rare spot when a shooter makes mroe than the TD.