Posted by Blinky the Shark on 11/28/07 07:26

Ed Mullen wrote:
> Blinky the Shark wrote:
>> Bone Ur wrote:
>>> Well bust mah britches and call me cheeky, on Tue, 27 Nov 2007
>>> 21:48:04 GMT Blinky the Shark scribed:
>>>
>>>> Bone Ur wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> So, as a TV cameraman, do you willingly bear your share of
>>>>> responsibility for the crap that's on TV?
>>>> I do my craft; I earn my pay; I cash my check. You're welcome to
>>>> your opinions on what you like and don't like, but they don't
>>>> interest me.
>>> Er, too close to home, eh? Okay, I'll lay off.
>>
>> I know plenty of TV haters. That's okay. :)
>>
>> But let me ask this. As a camera op here in Hollywood, I consider
>> myself a blue collar worker. I'm a member of the International
>> Cinematographer's Guild. My grandfather was a tool and die maker; I
>> consider my camera the equivalent of his tools. Different era,
>> different product, different unions. Both skilled craftsmen. So. If
>> you hated all cars, would you honestly feel that their design were the
>> fault of the guys on those assembly lines?
>>
>>
>
> I know what you mean. I worked in broadcast TV in the 70s for almost
> ten years (floor manager, camera op, lighting, crew chief, audio
> engineer, associate producer, etc.). I worked on a lot of shows I'm
> still proud of. And a whole bunch of crap, week after week ...

I did all that stuff in the late 70s, too, and more -- back in the small
midwest market where I got into the biz. Those were fun days, and
having various roles made it so every day wasn't quite the same old
thing.

> "Farm, Home and Garden" might have been pretty low-brow fare but,
> dammit! I framed those shots just great! ;-)

:) My first paid day in TV was as a Master Control Director for a PBS
affiliate, being in at six AM or something, on some days, which was
horrible in winter. I've seen more Sesame Street than you and four of
your friends combined, because I put them on the air. :)

> There are lots of very adeptly produced products on the market that do
> not interest me. I may find some of them insipid, some annoying, some a
> tad risque, some even disgusting for one reason or another. But they
> are well produced nonetheless. So, I can, at the same time, shake my

The highest production values are often found in the commercials.

> head at the "marketing man run amok" (and I was one) who conceived of it

That's a role I avoided. I just liked the studio and being part of
putting stuff together there. One of my favorite roles was directing
the late - 1 AM - news (I worked at the PBS station and a commercial
affiliate at the same time).

> and got it marketed, while still giving a nod to the talented folks who
> built it. Different ethos involved for each group. I can admire one
> while disdaining the other. No conflict.
>
> The only responsibility the camera op has is how well the shots coming
> from his camera look. Period. Hey, The Jerry Springer Show is pretty
> dumb (I think I was just kind there). But those camera ops follow the
> action pretty well.

Aye.


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