4 replies to this topic

[seagrant]

Just thought you all might be interested to know that my underwater video was all over this news segment on CBS Thursday am. That's a bit of an accomplishment but of course when no credit is given its a bummer. Actually the whole story as I told it to a member on this forum "The Video Nightmare From Hell...". And it shows how full-of-themselves some people can be about their own equipment, knowledge, status, abilities (or lack thereof), etc. I've learned for myself that photographers who are very "self-important" and cause a lot of turmoil during the shoot are not the best photographers by a long-shot - no matter what they may think of themselves. Plus it shows that news crews might think they have great equipment and know how to use it but......... well read on if you video guys want a laugh.....

Still the underwater video benefits Winter the dolphin and her cause and all the people who work so hard at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Hanger Prosthetics, etc. so I don't have a problem with the footage being aired. Unfortunately the clips they chose where some of the first times she has her tail on and it was purposely put on very loose so it doesn't represent the point to which she is at with the prosthetic tail at this point.

Also CBS news didn't ask me if they could use the clips. I'm sure they used an intimidation tactic (again details below) to get the footage - they ripped it off a DVD I gave to CMA previously (it did have my copyright). I'm not upset with CMA at all - I'm intrigued at to what length news photographers/videographers will go with complaints and negative tactics. Again for a laugh read on.......... This is a national news crew we're talking about here and what they consider is great underwater video equipment!!

I was asked by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to come in on Thursday November 1st and get some more photos/video of Winter for a special presentation at a conference. No problem, my agreement with CMA is I let them use some photos/video for Winter's promotion and education and I keep all my photo/video rights also to do what I want to with the items. I've pretty much got the only underwater photos (at least good ones anyway) and video of Winter. This is because Winter knows me and is comfortable with me in the water even during times when her prosthetic is being attached. She is not comfortable in general with other u/w photo/video people that have been tried.

When I came in on Thursday the ED of CMA asked me to take down a video camera from CBS news and get a little underwater footage of Winter swimming with her tail on. I guess the guy from CBS news, the main cameraman has been asking the ED of CMA and telling him he was going to bring CBS news underwater video. I don't know what got lost in translation but Winter wouldn't be comfortable in the water with a new video person - especially a man. Winter learned early on that guys are to "rough-house" with so I don't know what information/planning got crossed. But the guy from CBS is very aggressive so who knows what went on. Anyway lucky I was there for my own video/photo shoot because David asked me to take down this camera for the CBS news.

I thought, great, what will it be? Will I know how to work all the controls? Will it be Light and Motion or Gates? Even Ikelite is OK as those are pretty easy...... It took aggressive/self-important cameraman from CBS ages to put the video together - it delayed the start big time (the dolphin has a schedule too you know....). I then got a peek at the video - EGADS it looks like a plastic bag!!!!! Oh my god, it is one of those Ewa zip lock bags!!!!! And to make it even worse it has "Property of CBS News" written all over it in black marker (like they are really proud of it......?? ) Then to make this the video experience from hell the guy wouldn't even let me touch it or turn it on. (Like it was so valuable - my gosh it was some Sony DV cam not even HD).

OK, I know what you are thinking....... But hey it is worth it to me to help Winter and be with Winter and I'll put up with almost anything to have quality time with her - you could say we are sort of "pals" (I've helped rehab her since she was first caught in the crab trap in Dec 2005).

So the "cameraman" (I'll just refer to him in quotes like that so you get my drift)......, seals this thing up in the Ewa bag with about 4 lbs of extra buoyancy. I tell him that isn't the way it is done, but he gets more antagonistic and everyone around is fed up with him. So I put extra weight on my belt and made the best of it. He told me (no lie video guys - get this how uninformed can you be - I think it is the feeling of "know it all" that makes people the most stupid). Anyway I can't see through the viewfinder. I've never used a Ewa but I think after you vacuum it you should till be able to get an image but of course this thing has 4 lbs of air in it so? I don't know but the "national news cameraman" says, "You won't be able to see through it, just point it at her 3 feet away......".

Did I say this was the video nightmare from hell?

All I can say is I saved Winter any stress from being closer to this guy than she had to. What did he think that he was getting in the water with her? Not a chance Winter would have told/shown him where to "stick it"...... Frankly the head dolphin people would have never let him in the water with her. They take excellent care of Winter.

I tried lots of things with the "valuable CBS news underwater video setup" (ha!) but not knowing how wide the lens it and his not putting the lens in the center of the Ewa "housing" (ha!), made it pretty impossible. Everyone told me from topside I looked good in the water and looked like I got some good footage. I knew it would be a crap shoot. Previously I showed him my Ikelite that I get my video footage with. Since I have an expensive DSLR setup I can't afford an expensive DV/HDV setup too so I use my Fuji F810 along with a 105 wide angle lens. After I put it through video software to clean it up it is not half-bad. Not DV or HDV but it is all I have. Of course the CBS "cameraman" scoffed at my equipment (I showed him my Subal/d200) also.

Upshot is I didn't get much if any useable video with the CBS "cameraman's" Ewa video setup. What a joke. That guy brought lights on stands that probably cost $2,000 each and risked electrocution on the wet grating but felt that a $350 plastic bag - not properly set up was "great equipment". I said I'd give you video guys a laugh......

I had to get home to assist the dolphin caretakers into putting together a decent presentation on Winter for a conference but as I left the antagonistic CBS "cameraman" said "thanks for your help", "didn't get anything, you pointed it up too much".

I think I'll create a new syndrome (disease) and call it VNFHD - 'Video Nightmare from Hell Disorder'.

After I left I'm sure the aggressive "cameraman" from CBS used intimidation tactics against the ED from CMA (like he didn't let the guy go down with the video and I didn't get useable footage so??); I'm sure that resulted in the ED of CMA giving him a DVD I gave CMA of different phases of Winter swimming underwater with her prosthetic tail - just to get rid of him and shut him up. Did I mention the CBS "cameraman" was a "know-it-all" nightmare?

They then ripped the footage off my DVD and used it on the CBS News Morning Show as the "exclusive, first underwater footage" of her swimming with her tail. No credit to me but that figures. And it is not even true cause I've shown and CMA has already shown that same footage I got to lots of other people and organizations so it wasn't exclusive for CBS at all.

Again I'm not upset with CMA and anything to help Winter and disseminate her marvelous survival and ability to thrive - story is great.

But I learned what a nightmare some of the news media can be. I hadn't much experience with that in the past.

Oh, here is the link if you want to watch it - again if I had decent equipment I could do a whole lot better in the video department (of course my photos of her are of excellent quality - but I can't afford high-priced video also). But I'm not apologizing any more for my u/w video footage - not after seeing the absolute joke that CBS news thinks is great underwater video equipment!!

Thanks for listening - it was a cathartic process and I feel better now - Go Winter!!! B) Carol

Video Link:
http://www.cbsnews.c...amp;id=3472771n

Edited by seagrant, 10 November 2007 - 11:49 AM.

[WaterWorks]

Media - mmmmmmmmm.......

post Tsunami (two days after) I got a call from Phuket asking to speed over to join an American news crew... no other than the aforementioned CBS!!!

Their mission was to highlight that - contrary to the reports coming out of the region - the reefs were actually relatively intact and looking as sexy as ever (in most areas)....

Suffice to say, I was totally tied up with more important matters! So gave a phone number of a guy I knew at the time.... (Sorry Nick, i didn't know you back then! )

Anyhows - they get the speedboat which takes them out to the Ocean Rover....

Cameraman is briefed and in he goes - finishes up with loadsa beautiful shots of undamaged Andaman reefs, interspersed with the odd little smidgen of broken gorgonians and upturned table corals etc....

TV crew got back to shore and edited up a "before and after" story.... "before" being the - post tsunami! - shots of the stunning undamaged reefs and "after" being the few short clips of damaged corals that were present in small localised areas!!!!

the TV crew were literally chased / kicked off Phuket the next day - apparently they headed off to Banda Aceh for some more shock-tactic headline-grabbing stories to lead their shows with....

point is that there is a vast section of the media (not all, of course!) who are truly a bunch of savage "*&%£$&%£$" and will go to any lengths in order to grab the headlines and gain more viewing figures than their competitor.... tread carefully when dealing with them and even consider certain terms in a contract detailing exactly HOW your shots can be used and in what context......

thanks for your lovely story, Carol, I'm sure everyone's got at least one story to tell of similarly ignorant / arrogant / jumped-up crews they have previously had the "pleasure" of working with....

and no-doubt, there'll be plenty more in future!

Chris

[seagrant]

Yes, thanks Christopher. Wow, "after" tsunami footage edited into "before and after".......!!!!

That's an interesting tactic and I think is widespread in the news media in general - Come to a conclusion to the story....., then get the footage, pics, quotes, whatever - even alter - to prove it.

But as you mentioned not every news crew is horrible. I've met some too that are real people you can reason with. But what a crazy profession to be in!

At least the footage is good for Winter and advances in prosthetics, etc. So it isn't like a bad thing came from all of this and at least it wasn't a "bad news" story like what you recounted with the "after tsunami" thing.

And yes I'll be more careful with the media in the future for sure.

Best & Thanks for your reply, Carol

[SimonSpear]

I'm really sorry to hear your story Carol, but unfortunately it's not uncommon. Media companies often think that they can do what the hell they want because 99.9% of the time they get away with it. Many people have been in similar situations including myself.

If CBS didn't have permission to use the footage from the copyright holder (you), then they not only should pay for the footage used, but you'd also be well within your rights to charge anything from x2 to x10 the broadcast rate for its unauthorised use. An invoice with covering letter should normally make them jump through hoops. If that doesn't work then merely the implied threat of legal action should work as they will know that they are 100% in the wrong.

That would probably make a nice donation for Winter eh?

Cheers, Simon

[CamDiver]

Hi Carol,
Your professional integrity has been questioned by this action. You are within your rights as author and copyright owner to submit an invoice for the unlicensed use of your footage. As Simon said I would submit an invoice with a covering letter outlining your case.

If they refute that then a polite letter from your attorney will enforce the fact that you are not to be swept under the mat as 'just another videographer'.

I wish you all the best in your actions.

Cheers,
Mark.