Which Camera Would You Grab?

Don Bloom · March 14th, 2003, 08:17 PM

Hey Bill,
You couldn't pay me enough to roll up that heavy wet dirty hose. Thank you but I'll just video the guy's and gal's doing it.
I do however love my bunker gear! It really makes me feel well, warm!
Don

Greg Vaughn · March 14th, 2003, 10:13 PM

Hi Scott,
The local news stations in my area usually pay between $50 for one-time usage, to about $175 for exclusive rights. It all depends on the story. The "typical" building fire or car accident normally pays the least, if at all.

One exception was a large fight at our local bar district called Westport. A security guard sprayed pepper spray on a drunk which caused others to jump and beat the security guard breaking his jaw, both collar bones, and several broken ribs. I was the only one to have footage of the fight and I made about $500 from the various stations. The big payoff came when an attorney representing the security guard approached the news station asking to buy the footage. Since the station only had one-time rights to the footage, they referred the attorney to me. The exclusive rights were sold for $1000 and I had to sign over all rights to the footage. I'm not a big fan of lawsuits, but the security guard eventually won an undisclosed settlement.

You probably won't get rich shooting the news as a freelancer but always remember the potential for selling it to insurance companies and lawyers. It might just bring in enough money to buy another camera. My advice is to contact the news director from each of your local stations and let them know you're a freelancer who lives or works in a certain area. Tell them what kind of equipment you have and give your cell phone number asking them to call anytime there's a news event in your area that they can't send a crew to. Also find out what their station's policy is for buying such footage. Due to the economy, a lot of stations are running with minimum crews right now, especially on the weekends.

Hope this helps!
G

Will Fastie · March 15th, 2003, 07:38 AM

I would grab my Sony TRV8 and not the GL2. The TRV8 is always set to automatic everything, never has any attachments attached, is easier to get out of the case, is lighter, is smaller, and, as Greg says, is the cam I'm willing to lose in a pinch. I can be ready to shoot with the TRV8 faster than I can with the GL2.

I'd certainly let the pros do their job if they are around and I'll help if they're not. I'd help first, shoot later. I'd include news people in the pro category -- they need to do their jobs and shoot.

Rick Spilman · March 15th, 2003, 05:33 PM

This happened to me a year and a half ago. It wasn't a Saturday. It was a beautiful Tuesday morning in September. I recieved a slightly hysterical call from my wife. She had been walking through the concourse of the World Trade Center when there was an explosion. Part of the ceiling fell not far from where she was standing. She ran for her life and stopped to call me when she was several blocks away.

I was just on the other side of the Hudson River in New Jersey. I grabbed my camera,a PD150, and went outside to see an an ugly plume of smoke streaming from the north tower. I saw friends out on the street. None of us knew what had happened. I walked toward the river to get a closer look. One friend with a radio said it was a plane. A few seconds later the south tower erupted in a ball of orange flame and black smoke.

The footage I grabbed wasn't the stuff you see on TV. I was farther away. I didn't catch the planes flying in. A friend of mine was shooting with his 8mm camera and caught footage of the building's collapse. Much later when I could stand to look at the footage, I cut together a personal record, a few of the things I saw and heard. Not great video but something that seemed important to keep.

http://spilmanlorentz.homestead.com/files/911.asf

March 14th, 2003, 08:17 PM	#16
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Hey Bill, You couldn't pay me enough to roll up that heavy wet dirty hose. Thank you but I'll just video the guy's and gal's doing it. I do however love my bunker gear! It really makes me feel well, warm! Don

March 14th, 2003, 10:13 PM	#17
Greg Vaughn Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Kansas City Posts: 46	Hi Scott, The local news stations in my area usually pay between $50 for one-time usage, to about $175 for exclusive rights. It all depends on the story. The "typical" building fire or car accident normally pays the least, if at all. One exception was a large fight at our local bar district called Westport. A security guard sprayed pepper spray on a drunk which caused others to jump and beat the security guard breaking his jaw, both collar bones, and several broken ribs. I was the only one to have footage of the fight and I made about $500 from the various stations. The big payoff came when an attorney representing the security guard approached the news station asking to buy the footage. Since the station only had one-time rights to the footage, they referred the attorney to me. The exclusive rights were sold for $1000 and I had to sign over all rights to the footage. I'm not a big fan of lawsuits, but the security guard eventually won an undisclosed settlement. You probably won't get rich shooting the news as a freelancer but always remember the potential for selling it to insurance companies and lawyers. It might just bring in enough money to buy another camera. My advice is to contact the news director from each of your local stations and let them know you're a freelancer who lives or works in a certain area. Tell them what kind of equipment you have and give your cell phone number asking them to call anytime there's a news event in your area that they can't send a crew to. Also find out what their station's policy is for buying such footage. Due to the economy, a lot of stations are running with minimum crews right now, especially on the weekends. Hope this helps! G

March 15th, 2003, 07:38 AM	#18
Will Fastie Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Jarrettsville, MD Posts: 353	I would grab my Sony TRV8 and not the GL2. The TRV8 is always set to automatic everything, never has any attachments attached, is easier to get out of the case, is lighter, is smaller, and, as Greg says, is the cam I'm willing to lose in a pinch. I can be ready to shoot with the TRV8 faster than I can with the GL2. I'd certainly let the pros do their job if they are around and I'll help if they're not. I'd help first, shoot later. I'd include news people in the pro category -- they need to do their jobs and shoot.

March 15th, 2003, 05:33 PM	#19
Rick Spilman Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Jersey City, NJ Posts: 366	This happened to me a year and a half ago. It wasn't a Saturday. It was a beautiful Tuesday morning in September. I recieved a slightly hysterical call from my wife. She had been walking through the concourse of the World Trade Center when there was an explosion. Part of the ceiling fell not far from where she was standing. She ran for her life and stopped to call me when she was several blocks away. I was just on the other side of the Hudson River in New Jersey. I grabbed my camera,a PD150, and went outside to see an an ugly plume of smoke streaming from the north tower. I saw friends out on the street. None of us knew what had happened. I walked toward the river to get a closer look. One friend with a radio said it was a plane. A few seconds later the south tower erupted in a ball of orange flame and black smoke. The footage I grabbed wasn't the stuff you see on TV. I was farther away. I didn't catch the planes flying in. A friend of mine was shooting with his 8mm camera and caught footage of the building's collapse. Much later when I could stand to look at the footage, I cut together a personal record, a few of the things I saw and heard. Not great video but something that seemed important to keep. http://spilmanlorentz.homestead.com/files/911.asf