Production Times for May 2014

Production Times May 2014

Sharing audio/video production from across the country sprinkled with
a bit of news, humor and other tid-bits.

May Day! Mayday!

7 questions with...

The seven questions segment features (you guessed it) 7 questions and answers regarding this industry from various perspectives.

This months guest is
Steve Johnson, aka - Steve the Video Guy, independent producer out of Odessa, TX.

How long have you been in the business?

In the BIZ for over 25 years and eight years of that with my own business.

What got you into the business?

Went to college and became an electrician, then through no fault of my own found out it was a very dangerous business. (shocked one too many times because of some else's mistake, LOL) Then had a friend of mine get me into the TV business at a local TV station in '88 and I was hooked. After years of news and production at local television stations and the R.E.A.C.H program for Texas Universities I became the production manager for Cox Media for a number of years, and when they sold out to Suddenlink Media, Suddenlink decided to close all of their production houses except for about 4 nationwide, so I was left with a big decision in my life, which in West Texas it's either the oilfield or take a chance and I took that chance and so far so good thanks be to GOD!

What do you think are some of the challenges and rewards of being independent?

Managing finances to get ahead and save for future purchases because I'm not a fan of loans. The ultimate reward is FAMILY TIME!

So many children don't really know their dad or mom due to demanding work schedules so I feel really blessed to do so.

One of the nice things about working in an office environment can be the camaraderie enjoyed by people working towards the same goals. As an independent, where do you get your inspiration, motivation and edge on new trends?

My inspiration is the fact that I truly love what I do and I'm a technology nut! So the motivation is always there.

Featured Videos

Every issue I will feature a couple of pieces of production from my clients across the country. Who knows, maybe someone from the other side of the nation may turn you on to a new trick or twist.

If you have a piece that you would like to share, let me know and I will feature it in an upcoming newsletter!

HD GTN News Saying Goodbye 30 1
May is also the month for Mothers Day.
Did you forget?
Above is a news tease I voiced for GTN.
Thanks Matt Abramson- this turned out great!

AZTEC March 4&6

Here is one of an ongoing promo set for live shows at the Aztec Theatre in San Antonio. Nice work Fred Fechter; a great musician who also happens to produce TV stuff!

And Finally...

May is for Memorial Day.

Thank You to the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice and for those who continue to believe that
"Freedom is Not Free"

May Day, Mother May I Mayday?

May, the fifth month of the calendar year and a time of a few traditional celebrations, the first of which is May Day. There are actually a few different reasons that people historically celebrated May 1st -
For Romans, a way of honoring their flower and fertility goddess Flora.
Celtic Druids observed it as Beltane with bonfire rituals to ward off bad luck , disease and witchcraft.
Early Christians celebrated May Day with the May pole and the festival was associated with the Italian Earth Goddess Maia, but by the middle ages, "Maia was well-blended with Maid Marian. Robin Hood and his forest-dwelling bandits would also show up to bolster the merriment."
After 1886, May Day was adopted by socialists and labor organizations to commemorate the riots in Chicago that eventually led to the 8 hour work day!
Post WWII," the United States counteracted Soviet-influenced May Day rallies by designating May 1st as Loyalty Day, a day during which all Americans, even disgruntled workers, are to remember their vows to the Nation."

MAYDAY! as a distress call- no it doesn't have anything to do with overindulging in some pagan ritual and asking for assistance to get ready for work the next day- it is actually attributed to a possible shortening of the French phrase "venez m'aider", meaning "come help me", the last two syllables of which sound similar to "Mayday".

May has two zodiac symbols- if you're into that- Taurus and Gemini- I am a Gemini, which means I have a birthday fast approaching- no gifts please... thanks.

And do you remember playing the game "Mother May I?" In which "mother" stands with her back to the group as each player takes turns asking "Mother may I______? You asked to take baby steps or giant steps in differing directions, or asked to hop like a frog 2 steps forward. Mother may then say "No you may not, but you MAY do _____" Ah simpler times.....

By the way- do you know who is in the picture at the top of this article? If you do, you either have children who played Pokemon- or, well... the alternative is too horrifying to think about-
her name is May and she uses her Combusken's Fire Spin and her Squirtle's Bubble to create a combination of fire and water. WOW.

(Hat tip to David Clark for some of the info on May Day.)

7 Questions continued

If you could make your "dream" piece of production, describe it (interesting location, actors, product etc.) and why?

I would just like to be a part of any major movie production.

If you routinely deal with AE's who cause extra work for you (late with copy, poor directions, last minute changes, not letting client know what to expect, etc.) how do you try to deal with them?

I like to make sure that I'm a part of the whole process, so much so that the AE's I deal with usually make contact then they allow me to handle the rest, which helps eliminate most of that or at least keeps it at a minimum.

Are you going/have you gone to the NAB show- what did you get out of it (or hope to ) If you went, what was the overall mood of the event?

Yes I have been to NAB and what I look for is what the industry has done to make it easier, faster and more affordable for my field. To me it's a great event, you get to see and learn a little more on what's out there and what's to come in the future.

Given your career, do you find yourself dissecting the commercials you see on tv or movies that you watch and critique the choices that the producers made? How does this effect your enjoyment of media?

I love dissecting commercials and movies; it's one of the many ways you learn.

If you were to go to a different market to work in the same field - where would it be and why?

El Paso or San Antonio because they are very large markets that are still growing.

Is there any special equipment, software or services that you have just discovered that really help your productivity/creativity?

In this field there is so much out there for the professionals and even more so the consumer. As a shooter and producer, equipment and software are a major part of what makes it happen, but at the same time, it all depends on your budget. To me its way more than equipment and software, you have to have what I call "THE CREATIVE EYE" which is the vision to make it happen even without the bells and whistles of equipment and software. So I make the most out of what I can afford and let the creative eye do the rest.

Thanks to Steve for taking the time to share.

If there are any questions you would like to see answered in the 7 questions segment, feel free to drop me a line.

Let me know what you think of this newsletter.
I would appreciate any feedback or any thoughts about content.

Until next time, happy producing!
Jon Goffena

audio vectors | | jon@audiovectors.com |
Allow me to help you with promo/imaging, character voices, narration and commercial reads
on a per project or retainer basis.