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| Being a Jack of all Trades is a matter of survival. |
These days a successful video editor must know all of the tools and must be able to jump from one system to the next without hesitation. This doesn't mean just being proficient in Adobe Premeire Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro and Avid Media Composer, it means being a whiz in the supporting applications such as Adobe After Effects, Adobe Audition and Sorenson Squeeze.
A number of years back, when I decided to start my own video production company, it was because I was constantly being asked by former colleagues if I was doing video projects for corporations. When my company started rolling, my clients began to ask if I could deliver their productions in some other way than just on tape. I evolved and began to deploy videos on interactive CD-ROM, DVD and the web.
In a perfect world (when the budget exists), I love working with a crew of people who specialize in their specific craft, but for a client who is watching every penny, this can be a more expensive proposition. In order to keep the client happy, and their budget at a manageable level, I have had to become a one-person shop. All roles in the production played by one person - me. This has been necessary to maintain clients, if the client can't afford the production, then there is no production.
It's all about evolving and learning new tricks if you want to survive in the video industry - especially the corporate video production market. As a video professional, you need to be able to adapt to what the market needs and in a lot of cases, that means becoming a one-person production house. More and more in order to survive, it's no longer "Jack of all trades", but it is necessary to become "Master of all trades".
Nice article. I wrote a similar one a few years back called: Don't pigeon-hole yourself. Here's the link. http://www.creativeplanetnetwork.com/dcp/news/dont-let-yourself-be-pigeonholed/46050
ReplyDeleteThanks Bill, I just read your article and enjoyed it. These days more and more facilities have the expectation of one person who can do everything.
DeleteHey Bill , I am in agreement with you that if you are a one stop shop, you will need to be a master of all trades, but I am not convinced its possible. Given that all the technologies and systems are constantly changing you have to keep up with the changes, this alone will take most of you time in a day. The expression Jack of all trades and master of none exists because in reality it's true, something has to give ! Just like the expression " cheap Fast and Good " you can only have two, something or someone will suffer. I am also concerned what this attitude will mean in a wider context, facility houses will want young editors to do it all and for cheap !! I would rather be the true Master of one and be across the others to keep me competitive
ReplyDeleteDen, I agree with Bill as well, but I also believe it is possible to be a master of all the trades that you perform on a regular basis. If you perform a task (or tasks) repetitively, you will eventually master it. I don't believe mastering another trade, has adverse effects on the trade you started out with. As an editor, when I have work with shooters who also edit, I get better footage because they understand what makes a better edit.
DeleteHI Bill
ReplyDeleteAgree with this. I studied web design and did a photography module at University. I became a web designer and worked in a charity doing that for 4 years. Then I moved into Video production instead. The two are linked not just because of the technical aspects, but because video is the production end and the web is now the delivery end. If we only know one end we're not much use to our clients. I just wrote on piece on trying to persuade clients to consider adword budget when commissioning video for general web audiences. It's another aspect that we have to cross over into - i believe > http://campaignfilm.com/index.php/funny-campaign-videos/
Hi Bill,
ReplyDeleteThe key word everyone seems to use is “Adapt”. It’s about adaptability towards multiple media disciplines. We have to keep learning about the different Medias – not so much to be able to perform each at a high level of skill – but to better understand how it will enhance a project, a client and our portfolio. By being aware of the different skill sets necessary to fulfill a clients request makes us better negotiators on pricing the project and sub contracting with others. Instead of pricing on an hourly rate for “this or that”, maybe we should be pricing on our ability to guide the client through the mazes of media. After all that’s really want they want.
Very interesting article. When I started out in the music biz I played piano. However, as things progressed I became a reasonable drummer and even played bass, guitar and flute for a while. I'm missing a finger on my left hand so guitar is frustrating. As my music career moved into composing for film I realized that I would have to learn about video production as well. Now, I love the process of creating my videos and then at the end placing my own music productions under the timeline. That's when it all comes together. None of this has hurt me in any way. It's merely expressing art with a variety of new tools. I wish I had time to learn Adobe and all the other platforms. For now, FCP X, Compressor and Logic 9 are my instruments.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dwayne, it's all about evolving. Either evolving to survive in business or evolving to find the best way to express yourself artistically.
DeleteOne of the best guitarists I know started out as a drummer and moved to guitar. He uses his knowledge as a drummer to be a better guitarist. It's all about using whatever you can (tool, knowledge, etc.) to produce the best product or art.
Andy said it all , Actually Video production (Specially who are into Corporate videos) in between process of end result (that is posting it on the web) I consider if someone wants a good career in Video Production in current situation it just not enough to tell your clients that a video is good way to do seo but it is time to take responsibility and confirm your reliability by providing him these services as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm a still photographer just getting into video due to my clients wants. As a photographer for 35 years I've gone from having an ad in the yellow book and just taking pictures to also being a webmaster, retouch artist, and online marketing guru. Sure, I'd like to have a staff to fullfill some of these tasks but I'm a one-man operation facing the same thing. It's just the evolution of the craft and technology I guess. Now with video I'm seeing how much there is to learn also, whew!
ReplyDeleteBut I don't see it as being a Jack-of-all-trades. I've tried jobing out some of my work but then the quality goes down. So does the profit. We must keep up with technology and it just isn't easy but compared to what? Just doing what was a simple task to becoming an expert. What's wrong with that? My finished product is sure a lot better than it was before the digital revolution. This also gives me a way to beat the competition. The photographers with less ability fail and the ones with more win. Before it was just pretty much about price. Now it's about being a one-stop operation and quality.
I found this article a bit late but I still have a comment: this model also brings to mind the old maxim, "Good, Fast, Cheap, pick any two." I just finished a production that had a hard deadline due to the fact that it was being presented at a live event held by the client. As that deadline approached, the client (a large entity with several layers of decision-makers) began making last-minute changes at a rate that would have made delivery impossible if we hadn't involved additional personnel. As a one-man-band I certainly could have done everything they wanted, but not on that schedule. So while the ability to function as a sole practitioner is important, being able to expand at the drop of a hat can rescue a project from disaster.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Peter, the key is being able to adapt. Although it may be necessary to work as a one-person-shop on some projects, it's important to have a working relationship with others in the field, so that you can call them in when a project calls for it.
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