Camera Coach

Of course, that was a line from what 1978 film? Answer at the bottom of this post.

Maybe you will come across a situation in TV where you feel like you’re in a no-win situation. Recently, I posed this question to the TV Camera Operator Group on LinkedIn –

” We’ve all worked on shoots where the client demands more than they deserve. Do you give them what they want anyway? Or, give them that look and say NO!? Any advice for new operators?  

(NOTE; It is free to join TV Camera Operator Group - just sign up for Linked in)

Often times, we all get asked to work projects because a client knows we’ll do whatever it takes for their project to be a success; no meal, wearing too many hats at the same time, long hours, expected to do something that does not fit the job description and so on. It’s pretty much a given that we’d all agree that it’s always important to remember that once you say yes to a gig then you need to perform it at your best level at all times. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but in general, if you want to play in the big leagues, you better develop thick skin. We all work in certain circles with certain expectations. That being said, there are different rules in these separate circles; studios, concerts, corporate events, remotes, ENG, documentaries, etc.  

I think all of the answers I received in the Linked in poll were good perspectives for new folks in the business and I want to thank everyone who played along. That being said, here are some excerpts from that group poll;

Tim Delarm • This question doesn’t come w/a simple answer. Depends on many factors but the short is don’t we all want our clients to leave happy feeling we over delivered. Your client relationship, tenure in the biz, needs for work and interest in building business all plays a part. New operators should do everything possible build their credibility and client list, even if it means occasionally tossing in some extras.

Terry Simpson • OK, I’ll bite….
We talking demands for
1) more work for less money?
2) better work for the same money,
3) something else?

Recently I was talking to a bunch of folks grousing about clients/producers/whatever trying to squeeze more and more out of smaller and smaller crews. And someone stopped us dead with the following: “Work begets work” If someone calls you up and has work and you ain’t working that day, you should take it. He followed it with a story about how it took him 10 years to get back to his day rate (as a first AD) of 20 years ago after selling his grip business. And that he did it by taking whatever came up whenever he wasn’t already working. (Cynics in the crowd thought it might have only taken him 5 years if he hadn’t sold himself so cheap). Therein lies the quandary.

It’s always good to check ourselves when our eyes start to roll. Many times the client may not know what impact a request might have on the time it could take to comply. And if we approach it as collaboration, we can find out their thinking or what kind of issue they are trying to solve and offer alternatives that might be more effective/cheaper. Although, I gotta say: sometimes rolling your eyes is more fun…

And for new operators: Do whatever the person who writes your check asks… until you have enough experience to KNOW there is a better way to do it, and have the savvy to figure out how to get them to think it is their idea to do it that way. Don’t rush it–you have a lifetime to become an old curmudgeon…

Steven Hampton • We work together in a fairly tight community. Word travels fast and there’s lots of competition. Ultimately, if the client is paying the bill, he or she should expect full and complete cooperation. If a client is being unreasonable, it is best to communicate with them clearly and early in the conflict so that they can clarify their expectations and you can clarify what your assignment is. When serving as a labor coordinator/contractor, we back up our techs while urging them to cooperate. We fight the battles for them. Going into the call, we clearly define things so conflicts are anticipated and easy to redress should we need to. The customer is always right except when he or she is wrong. We resolve all conflicts for our techs and try to satisfy the client. We also walk away from shows we know or sense are going to produce these kinds of conflict. The beauty is we don’t have to take every gig.

There will always be difficult clients who wring more out of the dollar then the job calls for. But we also have a chance to produce excellent results in a reasonable fashion.

Paul Thompson • I feel that you always give them what they want as long as it will not cost you any more. This is to build trust and confidence and then your opinion will have a lot more credibility. If the cost goes up then they need to foot the bill.

Donna Quante • My feeling is give them what they want and do the best job you can. When they call again, you’ll know to be more specific in what the job requires and adjust your rate accordingly.

Danny Dodge • Without having read the other comments I would say “I agree with you (the client), that would definitely take this project up to the next level. Great idea. I don’t want to go over on your project, so let me take a look at how much that would increase the budget first, and I’ll get back to you so you can make a decision on how to proceed.”

We just have to give the client ownership of their decision to ask for more….. after we give them a little boost to their ego

Steven Baker • I’m tracking with what everyone is saying here- I think it’s all good advice. I really like how Danny phrased it about making it the client’s idea and waiting to see if they figure out there are cost repercussions to decisions- good, bad, indifferent. If it’s going to be a relationship, as opposed to a one night stand, I think it’s important to make certain when you do those little “extras” that everyone understands that it is a gift. Giving something away without making certain everyone understands EXACTLY the value of these gifts, you train your customers/clients to let you accept all responsibility without any repercussions. In “A Mighty Wind”, the client asks the Director in the truck, “Wouldn’t it be great if we had one of those booms, and the camera could fly in here and …” and the Director just smiles, nods, and says, “yeah, that would be great.” He doesn’t flinch, or roll his eyes, or argue. Just smiles, agrees, and keeps doing what he was doing.

Well, there you have it – some answers from veterans in the business. And a great variety of veteran’s too. From producer to shooters to labor contractor, some of everything. The truth is, the perfect job, with the perfect budget comes by very rarely – especially these days, right? Of course, there are limits – legal, safety, moral, etc., but remember you are trying to establish yourself as part of a team. Also, clients generally want to do more business with you so hopefully will not abuse your situation too much or they will find themselves with weak crews – only the people who don’t know about them yet, or people who just want to get the job. Be careful in your choice. Think about it. Ask around, if there is that possibility, and jump in. If you do your best job you will probably walk away with something positive for your career.

Coming from a live, network TV background, I’ve had it drilled into my head that no matter what, the show must go on. Period. If compensation is needed, then compensation will be delivered. If I do my best to that end, then hopefully I don’t have to worry about being somebody’s story. I don’t shoot network sports anymore – now, if I have a client that goes beyond even what I will tolerate, then I have the ability to talk to them about the situation and then say no thank you on the next project. That’s the beauty of Free-lance work – you can always say you’re booked, right? (It might be mowing the lawn) I agree though that you need to be established before you push back too much, if at all. You may be branded as dangerous and not invited to the next rodeo. It’s not an easy road and there are no hard and fast rules, but I too would say to ask as many questions as possible when booking the project. I know I wish I always would have. I was usually just thrilled to get the call.

ANSWER – 1978′s Animal House

Questions, comments, tirades, observations? Felel free to comment here in the official form or send me an email at ZoomIT.cam@craigjkelly.com.

Tell your pals, associates, friends and  others that might be interested in tips from veteran camera peoples to check this outr too.