Film / TV / Media Crew - Technical, employment opportunities and ranting

^that is a neat-looking bit of kit.

Finally bought a FX6 setup, if anyone needs a Camera op or dry hire in Glasgow gimme a shout.

I have more than this but seems like the 6 is more in demand than any other kit I have.

Update on the zeeprompt. It's very neat. Assembles in literally seconds which is amazing. Super light, good quality glass, monitor isn't wildly bright but plenty good for text indoors and even out. Might struggle to see shadows if using as an eye direct-style rig.

About 1800 all in inc VAT and the optional hard case / spare d-taps etc.

Obviously the client has just emailed "hope you're well, job's off"🙃

Are there any other props/scenery monkeys on here?
I work alone in our workshop most of the week(I very rarely need to go out on set these days) but fuck me I have no motivation at the moment.
Plenty to be getting on with but given zero fucks for over a week now.

I’m usually proactive/paranoid so def an unusual one.
Anyone else ever suffer similarly?

Knowledge required.

Partner is going to work at an event in Spain. Big festival doing photo/video work. As she's a freelance contractor, it's been requested that she has Personal liability Insurance.
Is it possible to get temporary insurance for doing work such as this?

Bectu Media Freelancer insurance can be tailored to specific needs, I recently paid under £200 for a year of professional indemnity / public liability & equipment cover. I work in post though so relatively low risk on all fronts I guess.

https://www.bectuinsurance.com/iau_live/b2c/hencilla-bectu-main.html

Try Williamson Carson and Co.
I use them for my photographic equipment/professional indemnity/public liability etc and have used them for short term insurance in stately homes, Multi million pound car/watch collections and trips abroad etc.
They are used to doing short term film/location insurance etc.

We use Performance. But basically all production related insurance seems to underwritten by Hiscox in the UK (in my experience etc). Include dates of travel and consider production indemnity. I wouldn't usually but for something one off like a festival, the extra 50 quid may be worth it.

Amazing. Thanks all. We’ve started looking into them and seeing what they offer. This is exciting but at the same time quite daunting in terms of T&C’s

Anyone looking for anything?

Had two largish projects cancelled this month at short notice (but long enough not to have to pay anything substantive towards them) and a huge one pushed to September.

Am currently on the chasing overdue invoices game, which is as fruitless as ever.

What sort of work are you after? I've had a potential 6 month contract editing a series 'decommissioned' last week. The industry is in a bit of a mess.

Production (corporate and commercial) preferred, esp if we can supply kit. Am a producer/director and sometime DOP/Gaffer with an awful lot of clobber. But I edit to a not terrible standard and have done a lot more editing-only jobs this past 18 months which I'm not hating.

Just heard back from one of the late invoices who has said it'll be sorted today so that takes some of the sting out of this month (assuming not full of shit).

Chasing the September job to see if they can sort an early deposit.

How's it looking out there? Not seeing many ads on the talent manager lately...

Seems quiet, my friend who’s a director is sweating

I keep hearing this but honestly I'm as busy this month as I've been in years. Quadruple booked so making hay while it shines by working through the nights. Shattered but should have a relaxed autumn. I've got several mid sized corporates, one decent commercial, a load of training shoots and some very high end corporate editing.

Obviously only a couple of months ago I had everything fall out at once and had nothing for the foreseeable but then it all fell together. So who knows what's going on.

Fwiw I don't use talent manager/other and all my stuff is basically repeat clients.

Seems really quiet for editing, one job this year, ends soon and nothing booked

Quiet for me, and for a lot of directors out there.
Had a word with company that reps me and the exec said the same. Lots of quotes on things with the budget getting squeezed so much it isn’t worth it from there end. He’s hoping things pick up later in the year.
Working on personal projects and applying for perm roles, I’m only 70% suited for.
Lots of jobs asking you to be three things in one, or roles which are mislabelled as creative but are actually technical…
Hoping stuff picks up after summer..

Speaking from the more corporate side of TV; it feels to me like the industry is contracting, the wider industry is consolidating, bigger groups are taking less risks & commissioners whilst still spending a lot, are being more conservative where they spend it. I've seen several smaller companies that would have been given another chance have the plug pulled, so it's not surprising this similar pattern is being seen further along the chain.

Hopefully if the cost of living issues come down (freeing up household spend), advertising revenues will go back up and the money will start flowing again!

I'm an editor for TV ads and online campaigns for big brands. Everyone went mental during covid, media spends were through the roof, everything has contracted this year and everyone's being conservative.

Everything is starting to pick up a bit now as Christmas jobs are being shot, a few of my clients have busy post schedules from September but compared to the last few years it's a bit shit.

14hr shift at Wembley today. One of the most chill builds I’ve been on in years. Barely had any arguments at all(but heard plenty kicking off on the radio).
This is my ‘12hrs in with no break’ face…

1 Attachment

.

1 Attachment

missus has nabbed the hp 24in monitor I was using as a second monitor (she got it from work for me, as she's using the home office and I'm out on the dining table, and the 2nd hand apple cinema display she was using as a second screen has gone kaput intermittently - trying to fix but not holding out hope), so on the lookout for a replacement, 24in monitor, probably around £300, would like it to be usb-c or thunderbolt, with speakers, and with a decent stand.
If there are secondhand apple monitors I should be looking at let me know, though I think most of those ae 27" which is a bit big for my current adhoc set up.
Should also say I do some video editing for work - not finishing/online - but enough so any monitor which is suitable would be higher up the purchase list.

Been looking on wirecutter nyt and they recommend:
this asus
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08TX3F74X?a­scsubtag=AwEAAAAAAAAAAlh3&linkCode=gs4&t­ag=thewire04-21

this dell
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-U2421E-Ult­raSharp-USB-C-1920x1200/dp/B08KP4GFXW/re­f=sr_1_3?crid=3F9CAC4E5OK82&keywords=del­l+u2421e&qid=1690374334&s=computers&spre­fix=dell+u2421%2Ccomputers%2C69&sr=1-3

this hp (slightly out of price 2k resolution)
https://www.hp.com/gb-en/shop/product.as­px?id=4Q8N9E9&opt=ABU&sel=MTO

Just added a half set of Orions (Set A - 40,65,100) and a full set of the new Laowa Pro2bes to the list. Both in PL but will pick up the EF mount for the Orions at some stage. Fully booked for rest of August and Sept. Various edits booked for Oct but could fit some shoots in if anyone needs kit hire or dir/dop/gaff.

Any London based cam owner ops with 2 or more cameras? Have a small event an agency client wants covering on 19th September near London bridge but I'm booked along with all my usual go-to crew. Just waiting to hear back from a couple in Brighton but thought I'd ask here if it falls through. Don't imagine mega budget but not people per hour money either. Event is 4pm-7pm. Feel free to PM or respond here if you prefer with asking rate and what cameras you have. May need to pull sound from an audio desk (supplied by venue) or may need a couple of wireless lavs).

.