[quote="Mike Cumbo"]Mark, I understand that the producer and director are being watched but there was the game I mentioned where a producer did not know his own graphics disk and the client complained about the Duet op. Heck, they (local hire graphics co-ord and Duet op) were struggling to find things because the producer didn't have a clue. That isn't fair. The local vendor should not have had to defend the crew in that case.[/quote] That's how some people have gotten where they are. We've all seen them. It's a sad fact of life in this business these days.

Mark, I understand that the producer and director are being watched but there was the game I mentioned where a producer did not know his own graphics disk and the client complained about the Duet op. Heck, they (local hire graphics co-ord and Duet op) were struggling to find things because the producer didn't have a clue. That isn't fair. The local vendor should not have had to defend the crew in that case.

Believe me, producers and directors are being graded as well, but from above. That's pretty much the way it works in any business. I think, in general (and notwithstanding Mike's comments about lack of preparation) that production works under so many weird handicaps and in such a political world that most of the crew folks don't really know a lot of the reasons that we do some of the seemingly crazy things we do. I am not a big fan of being put in a position where I have to comment on everyone's performance on every show, because I know everyone has good and bad days, and I've seen enough of both to feel that a snapshot review is often inaccurate. My preference over the years has been to have a private conversation when I feel an individual is really creating a problem. And the number of people I absolutely refuse to have on my crews, considering my rather advanced age, is remarkably small. Most of those are based on attitude, rather than performance.

Speaking of crews, I was having a beverage with some old friends over the holidays and we were wondering if John Gonzalez and Brad White are still working in sportstv.

[quote="EricG"][quote="Mike Cumbo"]Why can't we grade them??[/quote] You can. But nobody will care. Know why? Because you're not signing their paycheck.[/quote] Eric, so production is infallible and all errors are the result of an incompetent crew? Even when say a director was so sure that a baseball game was going to be called (rain) that he told camera ops to strike the low cameras and the game wasn't... Or like the game I mentioned before where the producer didn't know his own graphics format and a sponsored element ended up getting put in by me, after I rebuilt a few e-mems and a macro or two on the fly. On another note, Eric, thanks for covering for me in DC.

eric, always straight to the point.

[quote="Mike Cumbo"]Why can't we grade them??[/quote] You can. But nobody will care. Know why? Because you're not signing their paycheck.

I heard about this the first time I ran cam for an ERT show back in the late 90's and assumed that the producer was always sending in a grade for the crew's performance. I'm not sure I'd be happy about it as a TD because there are a few times others make mistakes, but because you are the last in line, you get the blame for not cleaning up the mess. The director and producer *should* catch it, but often they don't unless it's the same show week in and week out where they know the format, gfx, FF moves, etc...

So the client will now be giving us grades? What are they grading? Last Question is there a scale, do you get bonus points for covering the good old ready 4 - take 6? I don't have much experience but have worked with some people who were not prepared at all, and I agree with you on that mike.