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Yet another "FT News to Freelance" advice thread

1 reply [Last post]
Mon, 05/18/2009 - 01:38
angryviking
User offline. Last seen 14 years 18 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 18 Dec 2006

Hi all. I'm sorry; I know this question has been asked a million times, but it seems to always be asked by someone starting from scratch or coming from a significantly bigger market where they don't use anything more than 10 years old.

As far as my experience and equipment knowledge, I have been working in TV for about 10 years, I am considered the "A" TD at my station, and I am the main guy for all of the control room equipment aside from the audio mixer, but that's not saying much in the bigger part of a mostly consolidated split-market of 100+. We still route analog outside of MC. Only 2 years ago did we finally upgrade from a 300-2 (sic) to a 3000-3 (sic) at my urging (yeah I missed the bit about _composite_ SDI and I am ashamed of it daily). We still use a 2 channel ADO setup, and when I say ADO I'm not using a brand name as a generic like Kleenex; I mean Ampex ADO. Perhaps sometime we'll get to hook up a couple of DME7000s...we've had them in house for a year but our Engineering dept. doesn't do anything they don't feel like, and they don't feel like it. We still use tapes and have no clip player unless you count having an iMac running Final Cut to play standard animations. I don't get to do any device communications; no GPI, no CPL, no PBus...again Engineering isn't in the mood to run the cable, won't let me do it, and there's not much for the switcher to talk to anyway. Also with all the cuts we've made, our shows have become so simple I could do everything with 1 M/E if I wanted to.

So what advice might be given to someone in such a ridiculous situation? I'm great with the antiques, but I've never even touched anything one would use in a real production, aside from the 3000. And of course it's all been studio, so no setup, no FAXing, no teardown, none of the extra duties a TD has on a live production. One of our old photogs suggested starting on conventions and other small non-sports events, but I still feel like my experience so far has left me completely unprepared for any work outside of my market and I would just get my ass handed to me wherever I went. I apologize if I'm whining/ranting, but where should someone like me start?

Erik

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Fri, 05/22/2009 - 02:01
#1
Big O
User offline. Last seen 14 years 24 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 18 Aug 2005
Your station sounds ripe for automation. It provides a way to cut a bunch of jobs and upgrade equipment at the same time. When that time comes, you'll be in a good position to learn it. Since automation is the way of the future (at least for news), once you get some experience you can move up to stations in higher markets that are automated or are looking to hire someone to help them automate. Otherwise, I'd be careful going to stations with traditional crewing (meaning no automation). Sooner or later they will all be pressured to automate and when jobs are being cut it's bad to be the low man on the totem pole. As far as freelance, if you can find a local crewer and TD that would be willing to let you observe, start there. If it overwhelms you, try doing other positions first and then work your way up. You can do this while you have your current job with pay and benefits. Conventions and other small non-sports events are good to get your name out and long term beneficial, but might be difficult to learn all the stuff you will need for sports. Good luck.
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