F.R. “Fritz” Nordengren (beta)

New Year’s Resolutons for New Media Producers

It’s the time of year when we all lie to ourselves:
Lose (random integer here) pounds
Run a mile in less time than it takes to process a roll of C41
Bench press the ISO rating of my favorite film
Visit a homeless shelter, no, wait÷. Volunteer at, no, wait….
Build a homeless shelter
Get my columns to my editor on time

But, kidding aside, there is something about the new year that brings the “potential” for change to our lives. And if you are ready for some change, here is my list of suggested resolutions you can add to your list:

1) Enough is enough. I will stop buying software upgrades just because they are released.
This isn’t meant as a slap to the industry. I believe in worthwhile upgrades. But, I’ve fallen victim to automatically upgrading software because it was released, not because it works in my projects. Premiere 5.0 is one example. A great product, a great company. I saw it at NAB and upgraded. While I edit primarily on AVID, Premiere does some things easier than other tools I have on my shelf–like make QuickTime movies and easy export to Real Video. That was April of ‘98. Now version 5.1 is released and they still don’t support the Truevision DTX video board.(soon they say, soon). My point is, just because it’s released doesn’t mean it works for me.
2) I will help someone who is not on the Internet discover the world of online communication.

It’s time to be a new media evangelist. I’ll give you an example. My sister is 50+ years old and retired at age 50. She’s traveled much of the world, and is an avid movie buff. She used computers in her job. Of all the people I know, she would really enjoy the online experience÷. But, my sister is still off-line. She says she doesn’t want anything to do with computers now that she’s retired. Maybe this is the year I send her Web TV. (It’s not a computer, its TV.)

2a) I will help someone who is on the Internet rediscover the real world outside.

The real world is bigger than 640 x 480.

Ignoring all the pop psyche studies about whether spending too much time on the Internet makes depressed people more depressed, or brings people together ala “You’ve Got Mail.” It’s time to get out of the chair and into the world more. I chose a life as an independent producer to get away from tyrannical bosses and ridiculous schedules.

My email has become one of the tyrannical bosses. Hell, I even give some folks the email address of my digital phone-I can be emailed when I’m in the car! (What was I thinkin’?)
3) As a producer, I’ll make sure the people working with me have the tools necessary to do their jobs.

This is the opposite of #1 above. In my role as producer, I need to understand what tools are necessary for doing the work in my shop. Look at the tools your competitors (or associates) are using and make sure that yours are up to speed.
4) Just for kicks, I’ll try to put together a package using low cost consumer tools.

I think at times, we have so many tools, effects and gizmos available that we forget how to tell a story–simply. So try this some weekend: put together a project using simple consumer tools. Shoot with a VHS C or 8mm camcorder. Edit with an inexpensive edit package like Avid Cinema ($99). Tell a story. Use good light. Listen to the nat sound audio. Edit in camera as much as possible.

I have a Sharp Viewcam we use for home movies. Frankly, I always have fun shooting with this camera. It’s a simple, 8mm format and the quality is not “broadcast quality,” but it does produce a nice image for home movies. It’s a camera you can turn on and pass around the room.
5) I will give someone a “break” into the business.

You remember what it felt like when you got yours.
6) When I see someone’s work I really like, I will let them know.

I will send them an email (see #2 above)–or–I will send them a hand written note (see #2a above).
7) I will learn the difference between editing and spell checking, and do both in my written work.

If your projects use a displayed word–we can’t limit our thinking to “printed” anymore–it’s time to remember the basics. We need to spell check (I’m guilty of this one) and edit. That includes some basic things like lead writing and copyfitting.

Writing for the computer screen includes editing so that the words are easy to read, that line breaks make sense, and the display works well on little screens as well as big screens. If you are doing Web stuff, the “standard” monitor size is reduced to a display area of 600 x 300 pixels after you account for the browser navigation buttons. Web TV is 544 x 378, and a Palm Pilot is 160 x 120. If you are delivering text content to folks on those platforms, editing for the screen is going to be crucial. (We’re blessed at The Digital Journalist with a good editor. Self-editing is much harder.)
9) I will keep a “list” of projects I want to do on my desk at all times.

This is my creative fuel. These are the projects I would do if I had no obstacles. I think Robert Schuller calls it–what would you do if you could not fail. I have a list of 7 to 10 projects I keep in front of me, and every so often I connect with someone who can help take one of them to the next step.

Here are two from my list, anyone interested?

“Seven Rivers - Seven Years” - Interactive & video documentary of life along: The Nile, Ganges, Mekong, Mississippi, Amazon, Chang (Yangtze), Volga

“So Now What do We Do? Ashes to Ashes - Dust to Dust” - Interactive & video documentary describing death and post death ceremony and practice.

9a) And while I’m at it, I’ll keep short proposals for pitches on my hard drive so I can send one out at a moment’s notice. It’s amazing, with the ease of desktop publishing, layout, and mail-merge (or search and replace) how quick it can be to print out (or email) a custom proposal to the sponsor, producer, or client. After all, isn’t that what I bought a computer for?
10) Work less, play more.

My office used to be across the street from a cemetery. In all the time I walked through it, I never saw a tombstone with the epitaph “I wish I spent more time at the office.”

There you have it. From my chair, 1999 looks like a great time to be a storyteller.

Living to tell the story

I watched with great interest the TBS Superstation documentary “Dying to Tell the Story.” This is an amazing combination of personal insight and objectivity about the profession of photojournalism. Shortly after it aired, I began to receive e-mail questions from students asking how to become a “war photojournalist.”

The Dan Eldon story is fascinating. It gives real insight into the mind of someone who is burning to tell great and important stories. Not surprisingly, this dramatic and perhaps romantic side of photojournalism attracts publishers and documentary filmmakers.

But, there is another side of photojournalism that gets overlooked too often.

Community photojournalists are shooting against tight deadlines every day, in towns from New York and Orlando, to Racine and Barstow. Beyond deadlines, these storytellers seek out the important images and stories to balance the necessary (but dreaded) “head shots” and “real estate” often used in the news hole.

I’ve had the privilege of working with a group of community photojournalists this year on a Web project called “Behind the Viewfinder”(http://www.digitalstoryteller.com/YITL), and what I have learned about this group amazes me everyday.

The job is telling the story. The community photojournalist lives in a community where they work. They learn the subtle context and nuances of their beat. They are the other side of photojournalism; they are, living to tell the story.

Dick Kraus, staff photographer of Newsday, explains that often, in daily work, you need to find the images that go beyond the obvious.

 ”If you are standing on a street corner, with camera in hand, waiting to photograph yet another “man in the street” interview, and armed guards come running out of a bank, shooting at some bad guys holding money bags, and the activity causes a bus to swerve and crash into a truck, and both vehicles end up crashing through a storefront plate glass window leaving carnage everywhere, you are one of the lucky ones. It’s not hard to aim your camera anywhere and come up with great pictures.

“But, not all of us are so lucky. We have to generate our own luck. And it usually comes in the least suspected places. Most of the daily grind that we find ourselves shooting most days are usually little slices of life in the communities in which we serve. “

That’s not to say community photojournalists don’t see their share of death, despair and human suffering too. Lara Hartley, photojournalist for the Desert Dispatch in Barstow, California, points out the grim vision after a traffic accident.

“The reporter and I hit the deck running I think. Going over the best and quickest route in my head, driving carefully but fast, teaching her how to change lenses on the Nikon. Adrenaline pumping through tired veins, we sped north. We arrived on scene to find a wrecked RV and two other vehicles. And three bodies under tarps and a quilt with more injured being tended to by rescue workers.

“Once again I am reminded of the preciousness of life and how suddenly it can end. I hear others talk about the philosophy of life and death, how death is natural and part of nature’s cycle and not to be feared.

“Maybe so, but a buttercup yellow tarp with only blue feet showing is not natural. This is not how it should end.”

The lines between garage and home become blurred as debris lays scattered after a tornado. © 1998 Mark Lent

Mark Lent, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, describes the “rush” of spot news: “Someone has just been robbed and shot at the convenience store just down the road. You get into your car and as fast as you can, get to the scene where chaos abounds. The robbery happened near a shift change and the replacement clerk is sobbing hysterically, near the now murdered body. Police officers spot you and sternly ask you to move back away from the crime scene—you oblige by moving into the road, and shoot the scene with a 300mm lens rather than the 85 you had been using.”

“This gets you to thinking that if it weren’t for that freelance work you’ve been doing, it would be tough to make ends meet. You think about the clients that you’ve worked for over the years, and the list is getting longer and longer. It should too. You’re a good photographer, and give your very best work each and every time that you pick up your camera.”

Lent says the lifestyle often forces photojournalists to question their choice, not unlike the questions Eldon would write in his journals.  “At one time, I worked three jobs simply to pay for my school, food, camera equipment and the roof over my head. It’s not fun and you have to sit and wonder to yourself if it’s really worth all of the effort that you put into it.”

Paul LeRose kisses Deanna Meyers whom he  married Tuesday September 8 at the Racine County Jail, after Judge Michael Gibbs sentenced him to five years in prison on theft charges, Thursday September 10, 1998 in Walworth County Circuit Court in Elkhorn, Wis. LeRose was accused of overbilling the state for his work as a public defender. He was also ordered to make $58,000  restitution to the state. His brother, Jim,  looks on, and a Racine County sheriff’s  deputy waits to take him back to the Racine County Jail. Photo by Mark Hertzberg - Racine Journal Times ©1998

Mark Hertzberg, director of photography for the Racine Journal Times, explains local news coverage this way: “It makes no sense to give people the same news they probably saw on TV the night before, and that they can read in the other papers. While we do report significant wire stories, we recognize that local news is the bread and butter of our franchise. Local news does not mean presentations and check passings to us…it means solid coverage of the issues that interest and affect our readers.”

Hertzberg described covering a recent sentencing hearing for a criminal. “I rushed to the hallway after the sentencing to get a picture of LeRose being led past his family, shackled. I saw him stop to kiss his new wife, and fired off some pictures. I took one more as he passed by his father and his brothers in the hallway. He turned and looked at me, and then came the confrontation I had expected since the first time I took his picture in court. ‘How many more do you need, you goddamn vulture?’ he yelled. I said nothing. His father told him to be quiet.”

Hertzberg selected two photos to run in the paper and didn’t think anymore about the case until he checked his phone messages later in the day.

A woman’s voice on the recording said, “This message is for Mark Hertzberg. It’s [Paul's mother]. I want to thank you for those pictures. They made me cry, but they did show that he is not a monster. Thank you.”

Hertzberg points out that often times, even when the story is about a far off land, the more important photo is what’s happening at home.

U.S. Army Reserve Spec. David Danner hugs two of his children, Brandon, 5, right, and Samantha, 6, left, as he prepares to board an airplane Sunday, Jan. 18, 1998 at Gen. Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wis. Danner’s reserve unit, the Sturtevant-based 336th Engineer Platoon will join about 8,000 other U.S. peace keeping troops in Bosnia. The unit could be stationed in the war ravaged country for up to nine months. (Photo © 1998 Racine Journal Times, Jim Slosiarek, used by permission)

“An 83-year-old reader called me this morning, in tears, telling me how moved he was by (staff photographer) Jim Slosiarek’s photo of a local Army reservist saying good-bye to his family before leaving for a nine-month tour of duty in Bosnia,” Hertzberg begins.

“The assignment posed a dilemma for us. Some of the leaders of the reserve unit would not tell us where or when the flight was leaving because they wanted the soldiers to be able to say their farewells without cameras around. Part of me understood that and wanted to respect that desire.”

As photo editor, and as journalist, Hertzberg said he felt he had to do what he could to get a photographer to the departure gate.

“I felt that a photo—like the one Jim gave our readers—was an important part of an important story in our community. Our readers needed to see a departure photo as they read the story about the troops’ departure. One reservist gave me the information when we agreed that only the Journal Times, the local newspaper, and no television media, would be there.”

Roy Scheider looks the part while filming the HBO movie “Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture” in Orlando. © Tom Burton/The Orlando Sentinel

Traveling to a distant place, or risking your life may seem thrilling, but Tom Burton, senior staff photographer for the Orlando Sentinel, sees it a different way.“Truth is, it’s pretty easy to look like a photographer. Buy some Nikons or Canon cameras, put on a photo vest (or even an old fishing vest, if you’re on a budget), get a hat, hang a plastic credential holder around your neck and Bingo! Ya look like a pro. “For a lot of people, just being there and pointing a camera at the action is enough to be a photographer.” Burton says that photographers have to be storytellers - not just thrill seekers.

“But the best photographers are more than ‘be there.’ They are storytellers. They have a knowledge and a passion for the medium, understanding the methods of composition, and lighting, and timing and the visual language that is used to make good photos. They know that the subject is the most important element. They are diplomats. They can make good photos from the quiet stories, and great photos from the dramatic events. They work hard. The true measure is the quality of their photos.”

The quality of photos is often balanced with the quality of the content. Susan Markisz, a freelancer for the New York Times and Riverdale Press, has the desire to do more within the focus of the community.

“There’s nothing really wrong with feature photography. It’s a mainstay of community journalism, along with coverage of local issues.” She explains that her photo layouts generally amount to a page of either pictures from a dance performance, or an event that merited multiple pics.

She continues reviewing her own work: “There were no in-depth picture stories, which shouldn’t surprise me because that’s not been something the paper has pursued. With the varying perceptions of the meaning of photojournalism v. newspaper photography v. portrait photography v. feature photography.

“I suppose I fit neatly into the latter two categories, which is bothersome because I would like to think I’m capable of working on an in-depth project, not one in which there’s only an hour or less to get a picture. I don’t think they adequately reflect the pulse of our community; a moment in a day in the life, perhaps, but as a mirror of what people’s lives are about? Probably not.”

Joey Costello, 3, suffered a seizure last year after being diagnosed with leukemia 1 1/2 years ago. He has trouble standing up by himself. © 1998 Susan B.Markisz/The Riverdale Press

Markisz actively pursues her own individual projects, and often takes time on sensitive features that enables her to get closer to the subject. She describes a recent assignment to photograph a woman and her 3 and 1/2-year-old son, both of whom have leukemia, as not being about a war on another continent but rather “a silent one being fought here…and in just about every corner of the world.“‘Swallowing hard’ is how I would describe the feeling of walking into their lives to take their picture,” Markisz said.

Tom Burton also sees the dichotomy of work in community coverage as both subject matter and financial reward.

“Each generation of photojournalists has to face the conflicting demands of making a living and making good photos. It is frustrating, painful and depressing to realize that the pictures we consider to be important aren’t valuable in the marketplace. The photographers I admire seem to always find a way to survive this quandary. They find a way to make cash on the ‘easy’ assignments. Then those resources can be used to fund their personal work, which is always the work that is the most interesting but harder to publish.

“This mind-set applies even to staff photographers. Each week, I have plenty of mindless, no-brainer assignments that do nothing to further the goals of photojournalism. For whatever reason, the editors want these photos to fill in formatted sections that appeal to specific reader demographics. The photos aren’t interesting or enlightening, but are instead informational and functional.” Burton said.

“Because there are only so many hours in the day, each ‘empty’ assignment takes away from time that could be spent on something more journalistic. Knowing this can sap your enthusiasm for this profession. It can be the poison that kills a career.”

Burton explains his ability to rationalize the choices. “I face this peculiar kind of depression, but have been able to temper it by shifting my perspective. In my mind, I collect my paycheck for each and every one of the painfully boring house photos, mug shots, or pointless product shots I make each week. That money, along with the resources of cameras and film, gives me the chance to pursue my own ideas in the time I steal in between assignments.”

Burton sums up what the others have shared by describing the way he lives to tell a story.

“This Jekyll and Hyde approach can be stressful but it is the only method I’ve found to be able to continue my work in photojournalism, going into mid-career. The only other options I can think of are to find an editor who wants to run ‘pictures Tom thinks are cool,’ or to give up altogether. I can dream about the former, but can’t face the possibility of the latter.”

The Platypus in the Middle of the World

The Platypus in the Middle of the World.

Mitad Del Mundo is Spanish for the middle of the world. Just north of Quito, Ecuador, this monument was erected to celebrate the French scientists who determined the exact equatorial line in 1735.

It’s here, and about 200 km south of here, that I have just finished two weeks of platypus style storytelling: documenting the work of two non-profit medical organizations. My experience greatly enhanced my ability to think, compose and create on my feet.

The art of factual storytelling with video and still cameras are two different processes. Yes, there is a similarity of some of the basics: light, composition, exposure.

But video has its rules: Shoot wide, shoot medium, shoot tight, shoot and move. And think sequence, sequence, sequence.

Still imagery requires that you capture the definitive moment. In still photography, sequences are a luxury.

But within these two groups of rules, I’ve found it is possible and practical to capture events and document stories using two media as a solo operator. In the role of the platypus, you need to accept that at times you’ll wish you were using still instead of video and vice versa. But rather than be limited by this, use it as an opportunity strengthen your storytelling.

So if you’re shooting with two cameras, how do you get all your gear to where you’re going and make it usable and work? In my most recent trip, I was shooting video as a “one man band” I also shot still — both for print and for web use.

My video set up is Panasonic’s AJD-200 - a DVCPRO format, shoulder mounted camera. For stills, I used a Canon A2 and, because of weight and space, I carried only the 28 - 85 f/3.5 lens.

Getting to where you’re going:

Panasonic likes to package it’s cameras with accessories. The 200 camera XL package includes a soft case, an ATA case and Anton Bauer digital batteries. The price of the package is a good value, but the cases have limited use. The soft case, which is great for around town in the car, but it too big for airline carry on is not protective enough to be checked baggage. The ATA shipping case is rock solid for shipping, but won’t be fun to lug around all day. And most videographers seem to prefer having their camera with them and not risking it being lost in transit.

After talking with several shooters, the Porta Brace Carry On II case led the consensus as to the best way to get the camera and some gear from point a to point b. After this two weeks, it’s proven itself.

I packed my mics, wireless transmitter / receiver, my battery charger and one of my AB batteries in the Carry On. I used a small day pack for my film and still camera.

Daily Shooting:

With a full size shoulder cam, it looks a little geeky and is awkward to sling a still camera over the opposite shoulder. However, if you’re in a situation where you have to switch between media quickly, then consider adding a strap to the VIDEO camera (Porta Brace makes some for example). You can then sling the video camera without worrying about it walking off as you shoot still. This isn’t all that comfortable, but it is workable.

Most days, I could slip the still camera inside the big outside pocket of the Carry On case in place of the battery charger and have both cameras and accessories that I would use for the day within easy reach.

Needed accessories

While everyone has their list of “must haves” I’ve found that working solo creates some challenges and the trade off is deciding what you need versus what you are willing to to carry.

A reflector: this is easier and more natural than a light kit or a camera mounted light. I use a Photoflex 32″ soft gold / white and can generally enlist the help of a bystander to bounce light as needed. Yes, this limits your ability to shoot, but it also challenges you to find compelling images in natural light.

Mic holder: The Panasonic camera ships from the factory with a “button” mic, but I strongly recommend you order their front mic holder ($150 ). This lets you add a better shotgun mic up front (Senn MK66 for example).

Also, consider a quick release mount in the mic mount as well as a short curly cord from the mic to the mount. Makes dealing with the cables easy and the QR mount lets you get the mic to the sound easily.

Audio monitoring: The Panasonic camera has a small speaker on the left side ear where your ear rests during shooting, this lets you know approximately how the sound is coming across. For interview segments or times when audio is crutial, bring along headphones, or a small earphone to monitor the sound.

Tripods: you need one. . . Unless you are really into the shaky cam look of “NYPD Blue”, the shoulder can only offer so much support.

Important modifications:

The AJ-D200, like many pro cameras, includes a zebra stripe in the viewfinder to tell you about exposure values. The default from the factory is set at about 85% (more or less) which makes is similar to the correct exposure for Caucasian skin.

I’ve had mine tweaked to activate the zebra stripes at 100% — this lets me know what areas are at 100% white — essential in a digital format because unlike analog, anything above 100% is clipped.

I run my audio from the shotgun to channel 1 and my wireless feed to channel 2. I mic my wireless with a Tram TR 50.

User observations.

Lugging a shoulder cam all day can get tiring, especially if you are in an environment where you can’t afford to set the camera down out of your site (busy market, public transportation).

This means you need to be prepared for the fatigue difference. Be sure to drink plenty of “bottled” water to avoid temporary dehydration.

Also, keep in mind the climate and altitude of your destination. Quito is at 2850 meters (almost 10000 feet). If you suddenly need to take the stairs for 5 or 6 flights (like I did at a local hospital), plan on resting at the top as you catch your breath. Otherwise your audio sounds like an obscene phone call as you struggle to breath in the thin air.

The Platypus Producer Part Two

In Part One of the Platypus Producer, we discussed how roles are changing and the marketplace is beginning to see value in the use of a Platypus. But if you’re the Platypus who’s just spent a minor fortune on all this new gear, what’s more important is how you are going pay for it and make money in this venture.

So where are the clients for this Platypus work? While many publications are making an advance into web based publishing and distribution, I think the more immediate market is corporate journalism.

Any major corporation who is currently publishing print newsletters, reports, or marking pieces is a candidate for Platypus creativity. Consider the very competitive health care market of HMOs,  PPOs, hospitals, clinics, and specialists. While they spend big money for print pieces, the reality of web marketing is just beginning to be understood and the usefulness of the Platypus producer is astounding.

Take, for example, a hospital offering a residency program in a practice specialty. They have some straightforward communication goals:

-Publicize the program to the public
-Provide information about the program to prospective medical residents
-Relay information about the community

A Platypus producer can hire a freelance writer or using the hospital’s PR department as the writing resource, and develop a web-based newsletter, which includes:

-The core information about the program (text)
-Updated features about current residents (video/audio/still)
-Features about patient care (video/audio/still)

÷ and all of this can be delivered via the web for a fraction of the distribution costs of a booklet or video.

As producer, we’ve added value.  And our role as Platypus producer is a gaping hole in the current technology explosion.  That’s why, with a little understanding and learning, we can fill a need and significantly profit from our learning and skills.

We have three kinds of people trying to fill this niche:

1) The “tennis shoe and pony tail” set.  These are the true computer geeks who’ve hand built computers and run operating systems most of us have never heard of (Linux). Because they originally discovered the usefulness of the Internet and web, they have controlled things like server access, bandwidth decisions, TCP/IP subnets and a whole lot of other geek speak.

2) The “suits” — PR /Communication specialists. These are the folks who do everything from spin doctoring to ordering embroidered golf visors for the CEO’s annual summer outing.

3) Content providers and technicians. These are photographers and layout artists, working in one medium that they understand and do best.

What’s missing? The Platypus producer. The person who understands the issues and needs of each of the above players, and can integrate the limits and opportunities to tell a story.

When I meet with prospective clients and talk about new web technologies, I get one of a few standard responses:

Some people, whose firms are not technological savvy, just don’t get it.  I can recognize these when we ask to play a CD-ROM demo of our capabilities and the company exec calls in the computer “guy” and asks him to turn on the computer.  More often than not, the computer is a PC compatible 286 with 5 þ inch drives.  This is not going to be a good prospect for services.

Other clients have seen ads for “free” web pages or “$29.95 web sites” and think that’s the cost and value of a site.  Again, not a good prospect.

But after eliminating those folks, you find the corporate clients who recognize the need for web-based  communication and marketing, and understand that sites can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 to develop.  The advantage of these clients is that also have each of the above mentioned players trying to tell them how to run the website and develop it. And, more often that not, it’s these clients who turn to us, as Platypus producers, and ask that we make sense of it all and make it work.

Whoa!  $5,000 - $50, 000 a job.  How do I make that kind of money?

Setting a price can be a difficult task.  Often, new producers get involved in thinking about the fee for services as a price for “me”, instead of a larger, and less personal, “the project”. It’s easy to fall into a trap and think, “I’m not worth $2000 a day!”– and that can make it hard to close big projects.  But if you shift your attitude to thinking in terms of what the project is worth, the project IS worth $2,000 a day.  Or more÷

As a producer, you have additional responsibilities for the project. Remembering that you, alone, are responsible for your story, realize that you are entitled to earn more for shouldering these tasks.

As a photographer working on an assignment, someone else has made the choice of medium to tell the story. As a Platypus producer, you are now going to take responsibility for making medium choices.  As you analyze the story components, you’ll make decisions about what can be captured as a decisive moment in a still image.  As you record video talking heads, you make realize that as video, this is boring stuff, but as audio, it has power, especially combined with 2 or three stills. Finally, you may see a process or sequence that lends itself to a short video segment.

Think about what alternative the client has for achieving his goal. LetÌs imagine that you are working on a corporate journalism project for a health care organization. In addition to shooting photos for their newsletter and newspaper supplement, suppose they now approach you to develop content for their website.

Aha!  A Platypus is being called!

What are the traditional options?

Acquisition:
- Beta Cam SP: Typical camera and shooter will run $1000 - $1500 a day
- Camera rental alone: $650 a day for the high end and $350 a day for the middle of the road
- DV and DVCAM DVCPRO cameras rent around $200 - $250 a day with higher end cameras in the $650 range.

Tape: An hour of tape in Beta SP could run nearly $100. The DV formats will be half of that or less.

Editing : Offline edit suites often cost $100 per hour.  Broadcast quality on-line suites can run $250 - $280 per hour.  A day in one of these suites can be $1000 to $2800.

Compression for the web

We could spend a whole article on the decisions and processes necessary to develop video for the web, but plan on significant additional time to compress the video to a size and data rate reasonable for the web or CD-ROM distribution. The compression process is not symmetric.  By that, while video de-compresses in real time it takes a second to show a second, the compressing process can take as much as 60 x real time, one hour for each minute of video (your mileage may vary).

All of this needs to be entered into your formula for establishing a fee.

Consider the value of your equipment and how fast you want to recover your financial investment.  While a still camera may last 3, 5 or 20 years, the technology curve of the new Platypus gear is going to be much shorter.

My personal choice is to be very conservative with gear and lifecycles. When I budget for new equipment, I need it to pay for itself in 1 year. My assumption being that it is out of date that fast, but if I get any usefulness out of it beyond a year, it’s an added bonus.

So let’s play some financial games:

Suppose you buy a DV camera in the $3000 range. You also purchase a reasonably fast computer (PC or Mac) for $5000. Let’s add a medium end video capture card $5000.

You have $13,000 in hardware invested.

Let’s also assume that you can work 75 days as a Platypus producer.  This leaves 175 “unpaid” days for marketing, lost jobs, and other administrative tasks. In order for your equipment to pay for itself in the first year, you need to make $13,000 over 75 days, or approximately $180 a day.

Your overhead, insurance, phones, paper, supplies may add an equal amount ($180).

Finally, if on a gross level, you want to equal the ‘average’ producer salary based on surveys in AV Video Multimedia Producer magazine ($50,000), you’ll need to make $50,000 over 15 days, or about $670 a day.

This gives us a grand total of $1,030 a day.

This begins to make up your base rate. Looking at the alternatives in the marketplace and other costs to you to perform the job will help you move towards a final figure.

These numbers are representative. There are many resources for helping identify your true costs and what to charge for your work.

There is a real void that needs to be filled by Platypus producers who understand how to integrate the geeks, the suits, and the content providers.

The value of the project determines your fee more than the value of “you”.

This is a great time to be a storyteller.

The Platypus Producer

Dirck Halstead concluded the Platypus Papers with this statement:

“As time and practice continues, you will become more expert at integrating these practices. But the key is a thought process.”

     It is “I alone am responsible for my story”.

Most of the time, working in a collaborative environment always makes better results.  In news video, in documentaries, in traditional photo journalism, having a second set of eyes, ears and creative vision can bring life and depth to an otherwise myopic project.

But the Platypus, and the possibilities it holds, can make working alone not only possible, but also better.

When you cross the lines into Platypism your role shifts.  You are no longer “just a shooter” or “just a photographer”.  You become a producer.  The newer cameras, software and hardware tools we talk about here make it possible to do this affordably and with minimal overhead.

Two examples and a daydream÷

To share some personal experiences, I must first warn you that I do some unique and odd-ball projects.  My documentary work focuses on non-profits in health care, and their work in developing and emerging counties.  My other work — the work that has paid the bills over the last decade — has been consulting in the litigation area, helping trial lawyers present information to juries using media.

While much of this is charts, graphs, and document enlargements, there have been a number of videos that fall into the documentary style.  These project are referred to in the legal industry as “Day in the Life” films and they document for a jury the day-to-day care needs of injured people.

For example, someone who has been injured as the result of a drunk driver may have daily therapy.  In severe cases, they may not be able to feed, bathe or dress themselves.  Lawyers will have a “Day in the Life” video produced to show the jury, in 20 minutes - 60 minutes, all the daily care and treatment the client/patient receives.  These have to be fair, accurate, and while not necessarily balanced (the opposing side provides the “balance”) they can not be inflammatory or over exaggerate a patient’s condition.  (As an example, zooming in, while a patient is in pain, would probably be excluded by a judge as inflammatory.)

This isn’t a difficult technical production to shoot, but a few years ago, this required:  A camera person, a sound person, a director or  production assistant, depending on my role, and the producer (me).

And then afterwards: An off line editor and maybe an online editor.

And, because legal projects are subject to revisions based on objections from the opposing attorney, the edit might have been done two or three times, from beginning to end, because we were editing in a linear edit suite.

The reality of these projects is they are made under fairly tight budgets. As a result, no one made a lot of money and the changes would drive people nuts.

Today, as a producer I know this job can be done as a platypus project.  One person can shoot and grab the audio for this project. Because we’re now one or two people instead of 3 or 4, the process is less stressful to the patient/client and we’re able to get a more personal and real look at the environment.

That same platypus can then do the edit in a nonlinear editing suite, making last minute changes simple.  The budget for this project is the same.  So now, instead of 6 people trying to squeeze into one very tight budget, two people can earn a very reasonable wage for the few days of work.  In a pinch, I can act as my own platypus and deliver the project as well.

In this case, rather than drive the price of the project down because one person does the job of many, the value of the project remains constant. The actual wage returned to the platypus and producer increases.

Example two÷

We’re seeing the same kind of progress in our CD-ROM magazine and training projects.  For one of my clients, I oversaw the production of two “issues” of an interactive CD-ROM - magazine during 1997.  Both issues used still photographs and full motion video.

During the first issue, the client wanted to use a traditional approach. The video segments were contracted from an “out source” perspective.  Professional 3 person crews were hired in several cities; some really poor quality amature video was provided by article subjects, and then, the entire project was edited at one of three edit houses. Finally, it was turned into QuickTime movies in the client’s facility.

The development / production time began in March and we struggled to meet a release date of June 30.

In comparison, issue two was approached as a platypus project.  One of my producers traveled to our story locations and instead of hiring a crew, hired a platypus.  With his vision, he was able to acquire the video, audio and stills (since we were outputting to the web and CD-ROM video still frames worked very well).  He did this in a little under a week.  When he returned, we used the client’s new Media 100 editing system to create VHS windows burns, developed the story, and did the edit and conversion to QuickTime movies all in house.  The total production time on this project was 3 weeks.

A daydream÷

In 1993, the great Midwestern floods rolled through Iowa before slurping farther south.  Des Moines’ water plant lay in the flood plain and as a result, the city was without running water for 3 weeks.  If the same flood happened this year, it would be very simple and affordable, using platypus gear, a web server, and a video streaming server like Real Video, to become the “official” information source for the flood.  As a solo platypus, you could shoot, capture audio, create short movie clips, and create a web site of value and importance that could rival that of any major news organization.

Sure, the networks have helicopters, satellite trucks, and dozens of assistants.  But one platypus, on the ground, (or water, I guess) can talk to people and let them tell their stories.  And with no set deadline parameters, the event can unfold naturally as it happens and be published to the web in real time.

And remember,since you are now the publisher, too, Dirck’s observation:  “You, alone, are responsible for your story.”

And while this is a great idea, sooner or later the question becomes, how am I going to make money with all this gear?  While some sources see the value in platypus coverage, the outlets are more limited than traditional photography.

In part two, we’ll talk about the role of platypus / producer.  Finding money from sponsors, and how to price/package/ and sell your work.  One thought remains clear to me.  Even as all this changes around us, this is a great time to be a storyteller.