WWYD - What Would You Do?

[UFORocks]

Rsmacker: While I'd love to film a porno, I'm deathly afraid of being great at it - "what would the family say", and all that

Come on now, who doesn't want to be a camera man for bang bros

[Cygnus X1]

Get in touch with a company that is already doing safety or training videos, and see if they can do the dirty work for you. Our corporation has been using MTS, who come to our various steel mills and film on site, then edit in their facilities. They also film at other mills, so we're not the only ones. If management is serious about the video safety training, it might be worth a shot to outsource the work.
I was on our Safety Council since inception, eventually becoming the unpaid leader for the roll mill. I spent a lot of time on housekeeping tours, paperwork, accident investigations, meeting minutes, conducting the meetings, giving talks, attending safety conferences, etc. It came to the point where everyone relied on me to do the tasks I brought upon myself. I
had several discussions with the Safety Director and the roll mill manager
on how to get the other guys to "step up", but it would never happen unless I stepped down. So I resigned, and was promptly contacted by the plant manager, who asked me not to. He then appointed three "Safety Coordinators", which relieved me back to regular safety council duties. But then, after about 6 months, he then assigned these three to "production/maintenance coodrdinators", and left the Safety Council hanging. Guess who ended up in the same boat...
So I hunted around for a willing participant, and named him to replace me.
They made me "active reserve" LOL, to help out, but I simply stopped going to the meetings. I stop by and see what's going on, but the council has done just fine.
We have the best safety record in the steel industry, that reports to the SMA, and it's something we're all very proud of. So, it has paid off, and it's
good so see what we started take off in new hands.
Two of our best now are full time trainers, in our plants, and competitors.
The safety record of the entire steel sector has improved significantly in the last 5 years.
So, depending on the size of your company, you may be able to expand it to a corporate level, if you desire, or freelance out to other press operations on your own. You can minimize your travel time and shooting by contacting potential cunstomers in advance, and shoot in one day.
Also, the MTS guys pick up natural "actors" in the plant. They will identify a natural ham and use that person to perform the tasks they want to film. They also will leave faces out, when it applies.
My hat is off to you, I appreciate your effort, and hope it pays off. It wasn't too long ago when the attitude in the mills was "It's a steel Mill, people sometimes get hurt"...Now it's "the quickest way to get it done is the safest way...safety first."

[missionguitars1]

The one thing I take away from this isn't the talent you have shown (which is considerable), but the self-initiative to create on your own. Have you ever considered starting your own company, and then shopping out your services to others? I'm thinking what you are offering would be a pretty nice option to hiring people to create the same thing...

Just my $.02, as I suffered from the same problem, but when the couple hundred thousand that was "supposed" to come my way was kept by upper management when we got bought out, I bailed and joined another guy that was also getting screwed by his employer to offer investment advice on a sub-advised basis (ie, we do the research, and get paid a fraction of a percent based on funds under management).

We're making enough to pay the bills, but the best part is being your own boss...I wouldn't trade it for anything! Ok...maybe to play play baseball professionally...but...you get the idea... :ROTF:

[Newc]

Thanks for the input, guys. Definitely some things to chew on for a while.

I do intend to keep my job, since it buys the stuff and pays the bills.


I'm not the guy that makes the call on outsourcing, and I've already started work on it. It's not really a difficult project, I just have to sort out the design, subject matter (level of detail, etc), and at the same time keep an ideal running time between "forgettable soundbyte" and "wake me when it's over".


As for the Porn thing - since I don't make enough friends to get wedding invites, I certainly don't get the good invites

Maybe I will chase down some of the screw-happy kids (18+ and up - no kiddies for me) around here and see if they want something better than YouTube, like a DVD they can sell online

Maybe an ad in the paper? "Want those hot nights immortalized on DVD? Call me!"

But then I'd get all the fattys

Honestly, the way cel phones are advancing, you can get decent-quality footage on them. It won't be long before you can get a 3CCD camera phone

[MikeStrat]

Matt - You said early on in your story that you are a press operator. How in the world do you have time to do all this other stuff if you are a press operator? I ask because I used run a press a long time ago and I couldn't get off that thing to take a piss let alone do other projects.

If it were me and I had a unique idea or skill that others could use, I would shop myself. I guess it also depends what the demand is in your area.

[Shawn Lutz]

Newc you need to get some formal training in the field to be taken seriously. You can do some freelance stuff but a 'real" production house to hire you you have to not only know Adobe and Avid, you have ot have experience as well.

Also remember with window based editing its getting to be where anyone and their brother can do slick shit in web based video. I've seen some impressive stuff from snot nosed kids with nothng but time on their hands

I worked in the traditional broadcast world for 11 years, web based broadcast world since 98.

[Soap]

Myself, being a multi press operator but mostly extrusion over the years.
I can relate to most that you've mentioned and I'm surprised I read all of it.

As you put it, "your a big fish in a little pond."
You definitely have many options here to choose from, some taking you in famaliar directions (industrial environments), some not so famaliar terroritories. What I'm getting at, don't rush it but exam all your option and select one and run with it and see where it will take you. Based on the info you've provided you will be an asset to whomever wherever you go and choose to do.

Granted, this sort of thing does require some thought, but, my interpretation of all that you've provided. You've set yourself up to do anything you like at this point. You've worked hard to get where you are and its paid off to your advantage. You've earned this. In my eyes thats where you are right now. Go fishing (metaphor) and see how many bites you get. Because of your impeccable work ethics, this is whatever you want it to be my friend, you've earned this moment, this time.

Remember and never forget, corporate people are not the same kind of people as those out on the floor. Completely two different people altogether. You will have to do some major butt kissing and make yourself look like a fool and sell your soul if you will, do things you never thought of doing to whoo corporate.
Good luck with that.
Corporate are back stabbing, compulsive liars, thieves, greedy, spineless,
a necessary evil.

[Newc]

Soap - Yeah, I know how Corporate types are. One thing I do understand is Business. The ladder of success is built with the knives we stab each other in the back with

Most of the Corporate/Management types I've dealt with also understand the logic that I'm there for the money, same as the Company. I have no delusions about them being here to support the local community - they're here because of tax breaks, low wage work force, and other economic indicators. They're here because it benefits them financially. That's why I work there. They understand and agree when I tell them that, so for the most part, they're easy to relate to. I don't pretend I care about the company for the company's sake. I let them know up front it's all about the green for me, same as it is for them. Any sort of workplace improvements like safety and training makes it better for the company - less expense in training new people, less worker's comp payouts, etc etc. They get it and they like it.


Shawn - Agreed. I need to get my hands on as much video equipment as I can - NLEs, Pro-level software, most likely a Mac. Field work is great training, but I'm a bit old to be shlepping a gear bag for anyone other than myself. I'm either going to be behind the camera or behind a board, not doing gruntwork. I also know how difficult it is to train someone on the job while everything's rolling at full speed, so if I know the systems inside and out and can prove myself on them on Day 1, it goes easier for everyone. That's the basic premise for the Operator training videos I'm doing.

I couldn't believe the software that came with the company's new video camera - Cyberlink PowerDirector Express - it has things built into it that cost extra in Pinnacle Studio 9, which is what I had bought and had been using before.
Since I was short of time and didn't have time to load Studio onto my laptop, I did my OSHA video in PowerDirector. The 3D transitions that were built into the program looked slick on a projector
Unfortunately, there's only a handful that I found useful, and each one had its own "reverse effect", and there was no way to edit the effects other than duration.

The only problem with anyone and their mother being able to turn out slick productions on modern apps is they'll all look the same and cliche. The transitions I used in the video I did for the OSHA inspection were slick, but they were presets that came with the app. It's safe to assume that if everyone's using the same app, with the same presets, they all look the same. Fortunately I know a bit about filters and such so I can "dress up" video to make it not look so home-made.


Mike - What kind of press did you run? Ours are automated. Once they're running, they're running. If I have a straight run (thousands of the same part #) I can go and do just about anything. All I have to do is change the dies, load a new coil of steel, or do minor tooling changes most of the time. Since our dies are modular, and many of our parts have identical pierce patterns but different fittings (Metric, Standard, etc etc), most of the time we can run 4 different part #s just by changing the stamp in the die.
Plus I keep my laptop near the press so I can squeeze in as much work as possible on the small runs.

[Newc]

Well, this keeps getting interesting.

When I was first handed this safety video project, I was only given a one-page checkoff sheet of topics (one of those sheets where you check next to a line that begins "I certify that I have received training in the subject of......")

The safety coordinator who has all the detailed information never gave me any more information, and quite frankly I couldn't think of a way to bring it up that would not be insulting or cost me my job - all I could come up with whenever she asked what sort of help she could give is "well, what do you want in it?"

It's a common sense question to me, but the phrasing would have been condescending. It's not something I can control

So after about a month of Googling all the topics, I'm almost done. I've got one more subject left to do before I turn it in, and they're panicking.

As I said before, normally they would want to review it for a week, then bring it back and change this or that. I was informed Tueday night when I went in that we had 17 days to get it done to comply with the VPP certification.

Admittedly, 17 days is plenty of time to do minor changes (add a few lines here and there, add a bit more video, etc), so I'm not worried.

However, I did let it slip to the Human Resources director when she asked that I was not given any more info than the one page (which I showed her), and that I could not think of a non-sarcastic way to respond to the question of "what info do you need for the video?"

She was aghast, to say the least.

So I let her see what I had done so far, and she was impressed. I also let the nightshift supervisor see it, and she was impressed.

The HR chick said she'd let the Safety chick know that it was coming along. No word yet on whether she got bawled out for being a dumbass and not knowing that whatever she wanted in the video should have been handed to me in the first place, but whatever.

This afternoon I get an email from Safety chick (since I'm off today) askign if the video will be ready so she can start training with it next week?

Now, here's where it gets interesting:

As I understood it, we needed to improve training for temps, not everyone, since we basically give them the 50-cent tour and then dump them at a workstation, then go over the details if they miraculously stay long enough to actually get full-time.

The email I got today seems to indicate that this is going to be used to for both temp and full-time training.

There is a large Safety book that has very detailed info on the subjects that the video covers, but it takes an hour to speed through. I know. I've used it myself to train new-hires.

So my response to her email today was "I was under the impression this was going to be used for the temps, not the full-time, since that was the area the VPP inspectors expressed concern. Are you saying this is going to be used to train the full-time?"

If after she reviews the video and indicates in any way that it should have been the Big Book O' Safety on DVD, I'm probably not going to be able to contain the derisiveness and condescension in my reply "Well, don't you think you should have told me that in the beginning, and given me the book rather than a one-page 12-item list? Did you not know that I do not carry the Safety Coordinator's Library with me, and that if I did, I would be the Safety Coordinator?"

Should be an interesting weekend. Look for a very large unemployment-driven sale

[SouthPlatteDemon]

HR is involved because your ass is getting fired. They have given you this project because they can't figure out where they can put you that you don't spend all your time on the JCF.

Just kidding.

[Rsmacker]

"The HR Chick" and the "Safety Chick"????

Now, I'm no politically correct brown-noser, but even I wouldn't call them chicks, even behind their backs, you might slip up and say it to the office fag, erm, homo, who might grass you up.









The correct term is "Budgie". As in, sit there love, look pretty and make nice twittering noises.

Don't panic too much, it sounds like you have your story straight enough, if you had to present it to the Big Boss or an employment tribunal, it's obvious you are going above and beyond the call of duty and your actual job at the behest of some inferior fuckwits. And those fuckwits know it too.

Incidentally, the porn idea is more serious than you think. I know someone who has just bought a nice place in Spain from the profits of his web-site, and yes, he did put an ad in the local paper for willing stars. It's amazing how many people have no fucking clue of what to do with a camera, and evidently there's quite an art to getting an interesting angle whilst keeping distinguishing tattoos, background family portraits etc out of the shot, whilst all the time avoiding "friendly fire".
Once upon a time he would put the camera down when things got wild and dive in himself, but I knew he was lost when he became totally focussed on getting the perfect footage and wouldn't take his eye away from the viewfinder. It did cross my mind that his sex life had improved no end when his mrs decided to set up the site and he had loads of gorgeous women round to share with her, but he became obsessed with the camera work rather than emptying his sac over their faces once the novelty wore off. I can't wait to go out and stay in his place in Spain though!!!

[slash-ed]

Could you arrange a group trip for the JCF?

[Cygnus X1]

Could you arrange a group trip for the JCF?

....Yet another successful hijacking by our Brit Brother.

Newc, I'm afraid you're walking on eggshells.
I previously posted my activity in our Safety Council,
but was always very careful about how much activity
I participated in. Liability can become an ugly issue,
and the "HR chick", by nature of the position, is probably
very aware of this, perhaps much more than "safety director chick".

I would be vary wary of signing off on anything, and making sure
all finished product is the result of the efforts of the safety/hr/management team. Dump the product in their laps as soon as possible, and document
in emails the exact chain of approval. Such as "here is my draft of the training materials, and is ready for further appraisal by blah blah, name name, etc."

[Spivonious]

I'd shop myself around. You have tons of initiative and everything you've posted would be great material for a cover letter and your resume. See what you're "worth", get some offers, and then bring it to your boss. Only two things can happen. #1 You get a large raise and get to stay put. #2 You get a new job that might better fit your interests and get a larger salary. That's win-win in my mind.

Oh, and I would never have shelled out cash on my own. If they want me to do a video, they're buying the equipment.

[Newc]

Well, the press operator training video was actually all my idea - it made no sense to me to have someone sit through 12 hours of video training and then put them on the floor only to have to train them on the details - which means the training videos were absolutely useless for anything other than "official" terminology (which we rarely use anyway, unless it's a switch or button that is clearly marked with the official terminology).

In order to do those videos, I had to use my own camera. To edit them, I needed to use my own computer and software, which needed to be upgraded to handle the large video files. I did all that to myself

However, I did get a reply to the last email - the video IS for the temps, but we have temps here now who will have to go through the video.


BUT.......a while back my desktop stopped recognizing my DVD-drive (a nice Dual-Layer jobby). The system says it works just fine, but it doesn't recognize anything I put in it - DVD, CD, blank, etc. Can't figure that out.

Sooo, I'm having to use my laptop to record the DVD (which is really no problem since the same laptop is what I'm using to edit the video).

The problem now is that out of 5 different video editing programs capable of burning DVDs (Pinnacle Studio 9, Adobe Premiere Elements 2, Cyberlink Power Director 6, Nero, Windows DVD Maker), the ONLY program that will acknowledge that I even HAVE a DVD-recorder on my laptop is Windows DVD Maker.
But it can't do creative/custom DVD menus. There's limited customization, but I was really hoping to use the layout I designed in one of the other, better apps.

Can't say what the trouble is - I just burned some CDs on it not too long ago (data and music), and Windows DVD Maker is burning one just fine. Premiere says I have no burner. Nero says I have no DVD burner. Studio 9 says I have no burner.

What a f'kn riot this is turning out to be.