How do deal with the question "can you just record the gig for
us?"
More often than not, someone at every gig will
ask you "hey are you recording this?". What you answer will depend who is
asking, when they are asking, and why they are asking...
As a general rule, I recommend recording all gig
mixes to tape for your own private viewing afterwards. It's a great way to
learn, and it can also be very encouraging to see that things went better than
you thought.
However if you are approached about recording the mix by others, then that's a whole different thing.
Here is some guidelines on how to respond:
1. If, prior to the gig, the organisers of the gig are asking you to record the gig
You need to set the right expectations - explain to them that you are doing IMAG, and not recording. if they want a recording of the gig then they need to pay more for the extra gear and crew that will be required.
Also alert them to the need to get artist permissions. Check what they plan to do with the tape and who will have ownership of it.
If the organisers explicitly DON'T want you to record it, then you can ask to do a no-sound recording. There are very few people, other than the vision mixers who would actually bother to watch a silent tape of a gig, so it makes it 'unsellable'
2. If, during the gig, the artists ask if you are recording this.
The best answer is probably 'no', but if you want to be completely honest say 'yes but just for our own reference'. if they then say, 'can i get a copy?' it is usually polite to say 'let me check', unless you know from the organisers that they don't want this.
3. If, just before the gig the organisers ask you, 'oh, by the way, can you record this'
The answer should always be 'we'll try, but we can't guarantee anything' even if you KNOW you can record it, its still safer to allow for problems and set the right expectations.
4. If a member of the public, or the crew, or general hangers-on ask, at any stage, if you are recording the show
The answer is always 'No'.
This is the safest way to avoid any pleading for bootleg copies, promises to check with artists etc. It's just not worth getting into this hole.
However if you are approached about recording the mix by others, then that's a whole different thing.
Here is some guidelines on how to respond:
1. If, prior to the gig, the organisers of the gig are asking you to record the gig
You need to set the right expectations - explain to them that you are doing IMAG, and not recording. if they want a recording of the gig then they need to pay more for the extra gear and crew that will be required.
Also alert them to the need to get artist permissions. Check what they plan to do with the tape and who will have ownership of it.
If the organisers explicitly DON'T want you to record it, then you can ask to do a no-sound recording. There are very few people, other than the vision mixers who would actually bother to watch a silent tape of a gig, so it makes it 'unsellable'
2. If, during the gig, the artists ask if you are recording this.
The best answer is probably 'no', but if you want to be completely honest say 'yes but just for our own reference'. if they then say, 'can i get a copy?' it is usually polite to say 'let me check', unless you know from the organisers that they don't want this.
3. If, just before the gig the organisers ask you, 'oh, by the way, can you record this'
The answer should always be 'we'll try, but we can't guarantee anything' even if you KNOW you can record it, its still safer to allow for problems and set the right expectations.
4. If a member of the public, or the crew, or general hangers-on ask, at any stage, if you are recording the show
The answer is always 'No'.
This is the safest way to avoid any pleading for bootleg copies, promises to check with artists etc. It's just not worth getting into this hole.
Posted: Mon - July 19, 2004 at 06:16 AM |
Quick Links
About this site
This site contains my personal views, ideas, tips, tricks and rants about doing live video, IMAG or graphics at live events on a very low budget. They are published as I get time, in a style closely approximating a weblog. Dave C.
Categories
Links
XML/RSS Feed
Archives
About me
My name is Dave Chalmers and I live in Edinburgh in Scotland, UK. My background is in Electronics, but for 10 years I have been helping to put on live video at events in central Scotland in my spare time. Through the course of these events, nearly all on very constrained budgets, I have learned a few things about what works and what doesn't. While I would not claim to be able to give you all the answers, I can at least help you avoid some of the mistakes.
Disclaimer
Except where otherwise stated, all content on this site is either my own views and opinions, or is collated from my own experience or research. Feel free to use the ideas, but please do not rip off the content without permission. No liability is accepted for it all going horribly wrong if you follow any of this advice!
Counter
Comments powered by
Licencing
Donations
There are costs involved in hosting this site. If you found anything helpful here, please consider making a small donation to allow me to keep this site going. You don't even need to have a Paypal account - you can pay by credit card. Thanks
Statistics
Total entries in this blog:
Total entries in this category: 12
Published On: Jul 06, 2006 11:37 PM
Total entries in this category: 12
Published On: Jul 06, 2006 11:37 PM