Grey

Job offer

So lastnite I checked my uni mail and there it was:
An email from the student television assoc passing on a job offer.

A new firm was starting up and they were asking for a 'student who is familiar with editing and film production/camera work' to assist with filming.

Position type: Study related
Start Date: ASAP
Location: Hallett Cove
Essential Skills: Filming and editing skills

Sounds perfect for me doesn't it?
Close, immediate start, in the field I'm trying to break into.

I call the guy straightaway and leave a message on his answering machine and within 10minutes he calls me back and we chat a bit. He seems genuinely impressed with what I've told him I can do and we arrange for me to come in 'for an interview' this afternoon at four.

So today I got to sleep in for the first time in a couple days and then I slowly begin cleaning up the place for tomorrow night 'cos I'm having some friends over while the house is empty.
At three o'clock I jump in the shower and get dressed into some smart attire. I collect 3 DVDs of my work and put them into a case. Another look at the street directory and off I go.

I find the place easily, and arrive on 4pm exactly. I knock on the door and this middle-aged guy opens it.
We shake hands and he gives me his business card.
I step inside and reach into my bag to get my discs when he darts off into his study to show me his setup.
I follow.

In this room is a large desk with papers and cords everywhere, a laptop, and a modem; also a hatstand, a guitar stand, a wooden chair and a tripod in one corner. When I fetch the chair to sit beside him at the desk I notice that the tripod is a really thin and flimsy one like those anyone can buy for $20.
I make a mental note that my tripod isn't all that bad after all.

He shows me his 'setup'.
It consists of Adobe Photoshop 6 and Windows Movie Maker on his laptop.
He opens Movie Maker and plays the current project fullscreen. I watch a few seconds of shaky footage taken in the next room of a dog on the couch doing nothing.

He asks me what I use, I tell him Photoshop 7 and Premiere Pro 1.5 amongst others- he seems quite interested when I describe the apparently foreign concept of multiple video and audio tracks to him.

Ooookay...

We look at my discs and he talks about his plans to do weddings - filming and photography and making DVDs etc - and that he wants someone to work with him and they'll split it 50-50.
I tell him about being contracted through Healthy Cities Noarlunga and the local council and the work I've done for them and the work I'm booked for this year.
He seems impressed - I smile politely trying to continue giving him the benefit of the doubt but it's getting hard.

He asks me about the music playing through Will and Angela's wedding DVD:
"It's the song that played in the ceremony. I thought it'd be nice to use the same song and I had it on CD so..."
"Oh, you can transfer music from a CD and use it?"

You're joking right?

It is about this time I feel my patience and tolerance slipping. Evidently this guy has no idea what the hell he's doing and I make up my mind that this is busted.

He hands me a chunky stack of more business cards that he fetches from his car saying that I probably know more people than him so I should give these out and try and land a gig with someone, and then we can work together and go halves in it.

I take his cards and shake his hand half-heartedly saying 'sure' and thinking
not bloody likely
and get into my car, once inside saying aloud that he was a wanker for wasting my time.

Before starting the engine I contemplate going back and asking for my discs back...

As I drive home I go over in my head what I would say if he ever called me sometime down the line asking why I've never gotten back in touch with him.

It'd go something like
Sorry, but to be honest with you, you didn't exactly impress me.
And rather than handing out your cards and your name and doing a crap job with you for 50%, I'd prefer to hand out my cards and my name and do a great job for 100%.

Call me crazy, but that sounds a better plan doesn't it?

Perhaps I shall continue with my goal of devoting 2006 to get a business properly up and running. That whole experience has inspired me.

At least the day wasn't a complete waste of time; I cleaned up the house, bought a jacket, got petrol cheap... and I took a large bunch of my "competition's" business cards out of circulation.
Hehehe

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