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With all due respect Nino but in this case, why sacrifice on the gear budget????Originally posted by Nino:
Given certain unavoidable budget limitations as in the Doctors series, the least that can be done in order to make the show viewable, is to use high quality people
For $3500 a week, Michael could have hired some top-notch cinematographer and even with the limitation of the equipment, those shows could have been deserving of the old NG instead of long boring news reports.
With Michael's budget you could use "BOTH" high quality people and high quality gear. I'm not implying that a 13 week series can have those enormous budgets of the old National Geographic days but...
You do not need to send 43 Video journalists to the field, this is ridiculous.
I wish Michael would be "straight" with us on the budget details. He said and I quote
Some good VJs command up to $3500K per week... they all get housing and airfare and meals. And insurance.
Michael, are you implying that all 43 VJs got paid $3500K per week plus ALL expenses?
$451,500 + airfare + accommodations + meals. + post production costs.
If Michael is being totally honest here then I have to say one could produce a reasonable show from the above budget. Granted, it would have to be shot on video and not film but you could use real beta crews with that budget. You do not need 43 people all armed with cameras spraying at nothingness -- in my opinion THREE REAL CREWS would of been more efficient. But if planned right you could pull it off with one FIVE MEN CREW>
You can and you will get good deals on real beta crews if you have a proven plan - especially a plan that focuses on some kind of charity work like Doctors without Borders. In fact if Michael shares the REAL work budget with us and if the real budget is anything close to paying 43 VJs $3,500 each per week + expenses including airfare, housing & meals + the budget for the main producers (Michael and his wife) then I myself will come out with a working plan and post it here on B-ROLL. I won't even cut into Michael & wife budget since it's their idea and their project.
Planning out the airfares and accommodations for less people would save enough money to use beta gear. Having the producer produce, the DP plan the shots, the sound tech concentrating on sound would save TONS of money. A lot less wasted time, more efficient production.
That's one way of cutting the fat. And it certainly will be a hell of a lot more profesional looking FINAL PRODUCT.
For Post & EDITING - not having to wade through countless hours of 43 cameras home video will save costs enough to edit and post on digi-beta or IMX gear. Remember Michael the game plan is "QUALITY & EFFICIENCY" not "HOARDS of LOW QUALITY QUANTITY"
That's another way to cut the fat.
Sending 43 VJs to the field is ridiculous - how the hell can you plan anything with so many cameras???? --- Without having some organized pre-plan??? You can't!!!! You just end up spraying everything - wasting money.
In fact I bet I could pay a couple of "FULL" crews "FULL" wages for beta gear, DP, sound-tech and producer, Even a correspondent. I could fly in all this gear and even hire local extra hands to help with minding & carrying gear and I would still be under Michael's "claimed" budget. Granted this would NOT be like an old FILM NG production but it would look close to most NETWORK docu shows produced today...
Remember --- Just the savings on the EXTRA AIRFARE, HOUSING, & INSURANCE would probably pay for the BETA GEAR including SUPPORT GEAR.
My point to Nino is "You don't have to sacrifice GEAR quality if you pre-plan everything the right way.
My point to Michael is "You don't need to have millions of cameras rolling off at the same time --
It is very important to have the DP concentrating on photography, have the sound tech concentrating on sound, have the producer concentrating on producing etc. Michael this is a PROVEN way to do things in a very efficient way --- all you need is a pre-plan and the right people.
But I'm afraid Nino is right about one thing.
Michael’s objective is not the quality of the show as much as being able to show that his own VJs can produce programs for a well-respected name like NG and therefore help to jump start his VJ program that right now is stranded somewhere off the US shores
But I guess we all have a couple of hundred channels on the dial for a reason - so each and everyone of us can choose what to watch and what NOT to watch - only time will tell what will happen with beta crews and what will happen with VJs.... I know what I watch...