Were you Primary Editor on a Discovery Project?

[Eric Lian]

I have researched this so much that Google is starting to charge me a per-search fee, and I still don't have any solid answers...

I am looking for feedback from any editors (freelance or production company) that were the primary editors on any project shown on the Discovery Channel; Wings, Health, Science, Times, etc.

Specifically, I am interested in what constitutes a ready for television production?

Will the type of editing software I use matter down the road somewhere?

What is the real length of 30 minute production with respect to commercials that will ultimately be interjected?

What is the real length of an hour long production with respect to commercials that will ultimately be interjected?

Does the timing of intros, scenes, and credits directly coincide with cuts to commercials?

As a one-man shooting, script writing, narrating, music producing, editing band, how much can I realistically expect to do on my own before I have to give it up to the "inner circle"?

Where can I find documents that describe the necessary standards required by Discovery when they receive the final submissions?

I probably have another 4,826 questions.

Thanks for any input or direction pointing you're able to provide.

[Ed Smith]

Now I am not from discovery or a freelance/ tv production company. I make my own little corporate productions for various small people as a hobby. Fulll time I work as a broadcast support engineer - helping out editors with problems.

After a 5 minute search on Discovery's web site I found this:

http://producers.discovery.com/

I expect this might help your situation.

Editing software will not matter as long as you can perform edits/ and import/ export footage at the resolution they want. Obviously if you want to do more complex stuff then I suggest you use a program like Premiere, Vegas or final cut pro. If you do have to source your work out (on the editing side) then you will find that most people are using Avid (express etc), some people use a progam called Incite, others use Premiere or Final cut Pro.

cheers,

Ed

[Rob Lohman]

Some people seemed to have done something for Discovery:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=18335
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...&threadid=9723
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...&threadid=6234

[Eric Lian]

Ed and Rob,

Thanks for the info. I was aware of the Discovery Channel page as well as all of the posts. Nothing that specifically answers my immediate questions though.

Most of the experience in this forum seems to be from shooters, which, of course, makes perfect sense. This is a DV shooters forum, and although there is an editing section I'm sure we're all in the same boat - shooters who are also forced to edit because they want to, like to, or have to. We're all crabs in the same pot trying make a break for it.

Ed I will see if I can get any more info from that Discovery page. It's changed a bit since I ignored it last.

Thanks again!

[Jeff Donald]

Eric, on the Discovery page Ed references you'll see on the right hand side information on submitting ideas and reviewing submission guidelines. Submission guidelines will have the answers to all of your questions concerning total run time, number of commercials, formats accepted etc. Request a copy of their submission guidelines and you're all set.

[Eric Lian]

Jeff,

I've been to the Discovery page, registered, and have an account, but for some reason it still won't let me access the production guide. If I'm reading it correctly, only contracted producers can obtain this guide.

When I enter my user name and password to access the guide, my username and password work, but I get the following message.

=====
If you are an eSubmissions registered user and cannot access the PMD Production Guide, please contact your DCI Production Manager.
=====

Since I'm not contracted, I don't have a DCI Production Manager.

Another caveat to my specific situation is that Discovery Wings, the branch I am interested in submitting my material to, is no longer accepting unsolicited story ideas or pitches. They are now only dealing with "aquisitions" and want you to send in a 30 or 60 minute VHS tape with your story.

It seems you can only become a contracted producer if your pitch has been accepted by Discovery. I can't pitch because they won't accept a pitch for Wings. It's a bitter, but humorous circle.

I'm not sure why a production guide is such a big secret.

If anyone already has the proprietary production guide and would like to [describe] its contents to me via email, I would be interested in [hearing] some of the details that would help me move forward with my production...

Life... ya gotta laff.