"No time to discuss this with your committee!"
"I am NOT a committee!"
--Han Solo and Princess Leia
Committees suck. Too many cooks spoil the pot. And too many agency people and clients screw up a commercial shoot.
Working on commercials has started to really make me disillusioned with production. Don't get me wrong, I love being on set. I love the teamwork that goes into making sure a production runs smoothly. I love having a lunch with a huge group of people, rubbing elbows with the gaffers and grips, the guys who work harder than anyone else by setting up lights, hauling C-stands, sandbags, and lighting equipment all over the set. They set up all the lights, flags, and screens according to what the director or DP wants, then they have to take them all down and rearrange them as the Creative Types change their fickle minds.
See, this is how commercials work. The Client (say a bank) hires an Agency to come up with a commercial idea. Then the Agency hires the production team, the Director and Producer, to create said commercial.
Now, you'd think once you get on set, the Director would be the creative voice behind the camera, the one running the show.
But no. The Client has to send at least 5 people over to make sure their product is properly represented. And then the Agency has to send all 6 people who worked to create the Ad.
And EVERYONE thinks they know how to make a film. You might hear this from the Agency or the Client:
"Don't you think you need a closer angle?"
"Can he do that line over again?"
"Can we do this shot at least fifteen more times the exact same way?"
It gets to the point where I wonder, why even bother hiring a director to run this shoot?
Today I had to watch as NASCAR driver Tony Stewart deliver three different lines (some variety for the same scene, and later they'll determine which line works best) at least 15 times each.
Once you think you're finished with one line, someone from the Agency runs to the Client and brings back a message that the Client isn't happy with the last take and now wants Tony to say the word "Yeah" before he delivers his lines and to nod right after.
But of course, Tony has to leave for a PLANE FLIGHT in an hour, and we still have to move to another set for a few more shots. But of course, the client doesn't understand this, bc the client doesn't really know how film works. So everyone, the director, the producer, the Agency, who were alllll happy with the past 23 takes, now breathe this large sigh. Because we have to do the take again. And Tony pretty much delivers it the same way each time.
And so it feels like a waste of time. It feels like a waste of the director's talents, because he has to constantly turn around and ask the Client and the Agency if that take was "good enough", and he has to defer to them when they have "ideas" about how to make the commercial better.
Maybe I'm just tired from working a 13 hour day. Maybe what I've just described to you sounds normal.
Here's what I'm used to with STV: I come up with storyboards, we take our cameras and lights to a location, we shoot according to what I drew. But we also play with other options, we accept ideas from the cast and crew, we experiment. I guess I was spoiled.
Unfortunately with film, you don't have the freedom to experiment and try new things. But at least with film and with music videos, you don't have ten people peering over your shoulder and voicing their concerns with how well you're NOT doing your job.
I mean damn. The Agency and Clients waste so much time in changing their minds on problems (problems they've created, mind you, with all their debates and bickering) about how close they want a shot, to what kind of dress they want the actress to wear. They set back production so many times because at the last minute they decided on something else.
This caused the storyboard artist to have to redraw the boards in which a character was moved to the right HALF AN INCH. It also made the wardrobe assistant leave in the middle of the shoot to go shopping to buy another dress.
Oi. I'm just tired. That's all. Tired of seeing the creative voice of a director stifled and silenced. Commercials are NOT the way to go it seems, unless you're the creator of the idea.
Ugh. Anyway, I'm leaving for Edenton this weekend. My dad has sold his house, the deal closes on the 29th. Friday I'll be moving all of my stuff out and into either storage or my mom's place. After that, I'll be gone for a month and a a half, and unfortunately my father has to clean the rest of the house out himself. I'm sure he'll find some help.
So bookmark the page, folks. I'll try and update from the set. And if I'm lucky, when I return in September I can get work on that new Will Ferrel movie that's coming to town.
A Hollywood movie where the ones you worry about are the Suits.
--Cbake
--Han Solo and Princess Leia
Committees suck. Too many cooks spoil the pot. And too many agency people and clients screw up a commercial shoot.
Working on commercials has started to really make me disillusioned with production. Don't get me wrong, I love being on set. I love the teamwork that goes into making sure a production runs smoothly. I love having a lunch with a huge group of people, rubbing elbows with the gaffers and grips, the guys who work harder than anyone else by setting up lights, hauling C-stands, sandbags, and lighting equipment all over the set. They set up all the lights, flags, and screens according to what the director or DP wants, then they have to take them all down and rearrange them as the Creative Types change their fickle minds.
See, this is how commercials work. The Client (say a bank) hires an Agency to come up with a commercial idea. Then the Agency hires the production team, the Director and Producer, to create said commercial.
Now, you'd think once you get on set, the Director would be the creative voice behind the camera, the one running the show.
But no. The Client has to send at least 5 people over to make sure their product is properly represented. And then the Agency has to send all 6 people who worked to create the Ad.
And EVERYONE thinks they know how to make a film. You might hear this from the Agency or the Client:
"Don't you think you need a closer angle?"
"Can he do that line over again?"
"Can we do this shot at least fifteen more times the exact same way?"
It gets to the point where I wonder, why even bother hiring a director to run this shoot?
Today I had to watch as NASCAR driver Tony Stewart deliver three different lines (some variety for the same scene, and later they'll determine which line works best) at least 15 times each.
Once you think you're finished with one line, someone from the Agency runs to the Client and brings back a message that the Client isn't happy with the last take and now wants Tony to say the word "Yeah" before he delivers his lines and to nod right after.
But of course, Tony has to leave for a PLANE FLIGHT in an hour, and we still have to move to another set for a few more shots. But of course, the client doesn't understand this, bc the client doesn't really know how film works. So everyone, the director, the producer, the Agency, who were alllll happy with the past 23 takes, now breathe this large sigh. Because we have to do the take again. And Tony pretty much delivers it the same way each time.
And so it feels like a waste of time. It feels like a waste of the director's talents, because he has to constantly turn around and ask the Client and the Agency if that take was "good enough", and he has to defer to them when they have "ideas" about how to make the commercial better.
Maybe I'm just tired from working a 13 hour day. Maybe what I've just described to you sounds normal.
Here's what I'm used to with STV: I come up with storyboards, we take our cameras and lights to a location, we shoot according to what I drew. But we also play with other options, we accept ideas from the cast and crew, we experiment. I guess I was spoiled.
Unfortunately with film, you don't have the freedom to experiment and try new things. But at least with film and with music videos, you don't have ten people peering over your shoulder and voicing their concerns with how well you're NOT doing your job.
I mean damn. The Agency and Clients waste so much time in changing their minds on problems (problems they've created, mind you, with all their debates and bickering) about how close they want a shot, to what kind of dress they want the actress to wear. They set back production so many times because at the last minute they decided on something else.
This caused the storyboard artist to have to redraw the boards in which a character was moved to the right HALF AN INCH. It also made the wardrobe assistant leave in the middle of the shoot to go shopping to buy another dress.
Oi. I'm just tired. That's all. Tired of seeing the creative voice of a director stifled and silenced. Commercials are NOT the way to go it seems, unless you're the creator of the idea.
Ugh. Anyway, I'm leaving for Edenton this weekend. My dad has sold his house, the deal closes on the 29th. Friday I'll be moving all of my stuff out and into either storage or my mom's place. After that, I'll be gone for a month and a a half, and unfortunately my father has to clean the rest of the house out himself. I'm sure he'll find some help.
So bookmark the page, folks. I'll try and update from the set. And if I'm lucky, when I return in September I can get work on that new Will Ferrel movie that's coming to town.
A Hollywood movie where the ones you worry about are the Suits.
--Cbake
posted by Cbake at 11:29 PM
3 Comments:
Welcome to the real world...
CBake,
You are moving to Edenton this summer.
That is teh weird.
Jenn
I'd hurry up with the Will Ferrell movie..they're already getting people. A lady that I work with at WTVI had to turn down the job because the hours were too long.
Glad you've finally found some work though!
-Angel
Post a Comment
<< Home