Colossal Snafu

Sam Shore · May 20th, 2006, 08:45 AM

I am totally embarrassed to admit that I have not once, but twice, recently gotten into a total freaking reversal of "Standby" and "On," thinking I was shooting, not shooting, when actually I was not shooting, shooting. Has anyone else ever done this? I feel like such a power dweeb. In one case, the reversal lasted about 5 minutes and I blew several shots that I had to reschedule and restage with my client (in makeup and elaborate costume!) another day, and in the second case my idiot failure lasted the length of the final pass of four during AERIAL shooting!!! In both cases, I didn't realize my mistake until I was back at home.

Maybe I should turn the audible cue back on; I turned it off bec I prefer that folks aren't exactly certain when I'm recording and bec the noise can be a nuisance in some settings.

I recently bought my first pair of reading glasses because I noticed that things in the LCD screen were a little fuzzy. On my first on/off reversal screw up, I had forgotten to bring them with me.

Anyway, I bet some of you have a mnemonic or some clever trick to help you remember to check all your settings, even the most basic one of power on. Duh. Care to share?

Don Bloom · May 20th, 2006, 09:04 AM

I think anyone who has been in the business more than a few years has done it at least once. Maybe won't admit it but still.... I have done it so I joined a program to help me thru it.
Hi, my name is Don and I'm RECORD BUTTON junky. (group) HI Don!

Seriously though, I just keep looking thru the viewfinder or LCD and look for the tell tale RED record lite OR the word REC to make sure. More embarassing is the hit record when I don't mean too and I get lots of nice floor shots and even the occassional belly shots. Oh well -better to overshoot than not shoot enough ;-)

Don

Philip Williams · May 20th, 2006, 09:30 AM

I turn into a paranoid obsessive maniac when recording a wedding and that seems to help. I'm glued to the LCD looking for the record icon and time remaining and - while I'm on tripod - I keep a discreet ear piece to monitor audio (I'm always afraid I'll leave the mic turned off or something silly). If available, I leave the mic levels on-screen so that I can see the levels moving. I haven't shot too many weddings, but I've never missed a beat yet (yet!). The downside is that I'm a wreck by the end of the day.

Rick Steele · May 20th, 2006, 09:38 AM

Been there. It happened just last month - but only for a few minutes until I realized it. It's easy to lose track of what action followed the most recent pressing of the record button especially if your going for short bursts.

Of course, you feel like an idiot when you do this.

Maybe they need to put that little red light on "our" side of the cam. :)

Mike F Smith · May 20th, 2006, 09:49 AM

I keep the tape counter on at all times. Then keep a constant mental protocal of always wathing it rolling out of the corner of my eye.

Mike

Sam Shore · May 20th, 2006, 09:53 AM

Thanks Guys... misery loves company!

I know what you mean Philip about being a wreck at the end of the day... I've noticed that as variables and distractions increase (as in aerial shooting and having people and animals around behaving chaotically) the likelihood for oversight increases and so does my sweat level.

I just came up with a mnemonic: FEAR -- Focus, Exposure, Audio, Record. That may be my new mantra while shooting till I come up with something better. I may need a modified one for other situations like using a tripod, something that incorporates Level.

I think it would also help me to come up with some pat explanation of why I can't chat while working. Have you noticed that people don't really get that what we do is "work"?

Philip Williams · May 20th, 2006, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Shore

<snip>Have you noticed that people don't really get that what we do is "work"?

Only every time I see people that happily fork over 3-5 grand to a photographer but wonder why the wedding video quote is more than 900 bucks.

Ok, that might be a slight exageration, but its not THAT far off...

Rick Steele · May 20th, 2006, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philip Williams

Only every time I see people that happily fork over 3-5 grand to a photographer but wonder why the wedding video quote is more than 900 bucks.

Ok, that might be a slight exageration, but its not THAT far off...

I have a theory about that...

If we gathered the entire wedding party, made them do silly poses for 2 hours AND we personally fluffed up bridal dresses... it would be different. :)

Jeremy Rochefort · May 21st, 2006, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Shore

Thanks Guys... misery loves company!

I just came up with a mnemonic: FEAR -- Focus, Exposure, Audio, Record. That may be my new mantra while shooting till I come up with something better. I may need a modified one for other situations like using a tripod, something that incorporates Level.

Now I like that mnemonic - has a true ring to it.

I've done it twice in my lifetime. Once I couild cover my tracks with a different angle on another cam, the other time I just had to swallow it

John Harmon · May 23rd, 2006, 10:03 PM

I screwed up the first wedding I ever shot. I was using my first cam, the JVC 1-chip wonder, and everything had been going well. Well, when the time came for the B & G's first dance, I turned on the camera and hit the red button, as it turned out, too soon. I was more concerned with keeping them in the shot than whether the camera was actually recording, so I didn't notice it until the camera automatically powered down (it does so after 5 min. in standby). I wanted to throw up right there on the dance floor.

I decided my best course of action would be to keep my mouth shut and pray that I could catch them slow dancing alone later in the night, then I could mate that footage to their special song. Well, it did happen that way, so I took their footage of them dancing late in the evening to Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful," dubbed Lonestar's "Amazed" over it, and congratulated myself for dodging a bullet...

...or so I thought. Got a call from them several months later, and there was one little detail I didn't notice at the time...the groom was wearing his tux jacket for the real first dance, and had removed it by the time I shot the "replacement" footage. I had to come clean then, and I'll just say that it wasn't pretty...

Wayne Starick · May 24th, 2006, 04:30 AM

Guilty as charged here!

Maybe this might be useful next time it happens to anyone :o)

http://www.mediacollege.com/misc/hum...ing-video.html

Wayne

May 20th, 2006, 08:45 AM	#1
Sam Shore Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 58	Colossal Snafu - Reversing Standby/On I am totally embarrassed to admit that I have not once, but twice, recently gotten into a total freaking reversal of "Standby" and "On," thinking I was shooting, not shooting, when actually I was not shooting, shooting. Has anyone else ever done this? I feel like such a power dweeb. In one case, the reversal lasted about 5 minutes and I blew several shots that I had to reschedule and restage with my client (in makeup and elaborate costume!) another day, and in the second case my idiot failure lasted the length of the final pass of four during AERIAL shooting!!! In both cases, I didn't realize my mistake until I was back at home. Maybe I should turn the audible cue back on; I turned it off bec I prefer that folks aren't exactly certain when I'm recording and bec the noise can be a nuisance in some settings. I recently bought my first pair of reading glasses because I noticed that things in the LCD screen were a little fuzzy. On my first on/off reversal screw up, I had forgotten to bring them with me. Anyway, I bet some of you have a mnemonic or some clever trick to help you remember to check all your settings, even the most basic one of power on. Duh. Care to share?

May 24th, 2006, 04:30 AM	#11
Wayne Starick Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Australia Posts: 66	Guilty as charged here! Maybe this might be useful next time it happens to anyone :o) http://www.mediacollege.com/misc/hum...ing-video.html Wayne __________________ Wayne If there's no Internet in Heaven, I'm not going!

May 20th, 2006, 09:04 AM	#2
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	I think anyone who has been in the business more than a few years has done it at least once. Maybe won't admit it but still.... I have done it so I joined a program to help me thru it. Hi, my name is Don and I'm RECORD BUTTON junky. (group) HI Don! Seriously though, I just keep looking thru the viewfinder or LCD and look for the tell tale RED record lite OR the word REC to make sure. More embarassing is the hit record when I don't mean too and I get lots of nice floor shots and even the occassional belly shots. Oh well -better to overshoot than not shoot enough ;-) Don

May 20th, 2006, 09:30 AM	#3
Philip Williams Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Snellville, Georgia Posts: 614	I turn into a paranoid obsessive maniac when recording a wedding and that seems to help. I'm glued to the LCD looking for the record icon and time remaining and - while I'm on tripod - I keep a discreet ear piece to monitor audio (I'm always afraid I'll leave the mic turned off or something silly). If available, I leave the mic levels on-screen so that I can see the levels moving. I haven't shot too many weddings, but I've never missed a beat yet (yet!). The downside is that I'm a wreck by the end of the day.

May 20th, 2006, 09:38 AM	#4
Rick Steele Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Denver, Colorado USA Posts: 654	Been there. It happened just last month - but only for a few minutes until I realized it. It's easy to lose track of what action followed the most recent pressing of the record button especially if your going for short bursts. Of course, you feel like an idiot when you do this. Maybe they need to put that little red light on "our" side of the cam. :)

May 20th, 2006, 09:49 AM	#5
Mike F Smith Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 156	I keep the tape counter on at all times. Then keep a constant mental protocal of always wathing it rolling out of the corner of my eye. Mike

May 20th, 2006, 09:53 AM	#6
Sam Shore Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 58	Thanks Guys... misery loves company! I know what you mean Philip about being a wreck at the end of the day... I've noticed that as variables and distractions increase (as in aerial shooting and having people and animals around behaving chaotically) the likelihood for oversight increases and so does my sweat level. I just came up with a mnemonic: FEAR -- Focus, Exposure, Audio, Record. That may be my new mantra while shooting till I come up with something better. I may need a modified one for other situations like using a tripod, something that incorporates Level. I think it would also help me to come up with some pat explanation of why I can't chat while working. Have you noticed that people don't really get that what we do is "work"?

May 23rd, 2006, 10:03 PM	#10
John Harmon Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Warren, Michigan, USA Posts: 96	I screwed up the first wedding I ever shot. I was using my first cam, the JVC 1-chip wonder, and everything had been going well. Well, when the time came for the B & G's first dance, I turned on the camera and hit the red button, as it turned out, too soon. I was more concerned with keeping them in the shot than whether the camera was actually recording, so I didn't notice it until the camera automatically powered down (it does so after 5 min. in standby). I wanted to throw up right there on the dance floor. I decided my best course of action would be to keep my mouth shut and pray that I could catch them slow dancing alone later in the night, then I could mate that footage to their special song. Well, it did happen that way, so I took their footage of them dancing late in the evening to Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful," dubbed Lonestar's "Amazed" over it, and congratulated myself for dodging a bullet... ...or so I thought. Got a call from them several months later, and there was one little detail I didn't notice at the time...the groom was wearing his tux jacket for the real first dance, and had removed it by the time I shot the "replacement" footage. I had to come clean then, and I'll just say that it wasn't pretty...