Cold Calling 3: Rise of the Machine

Even though this is my second post about cold calling, today was my third time out. There was a difference today, I did not go to production companies. Instead I headed out to dance studios and ninja schools around Wake Forest.

To be honest I got a better reception from most. One ninja school did quite understand what I was doing. He kept say he has someone who takes pictures, I finally gave up with that guy. I didn't get any work out today, but there seemed to be at least a chance they might think about calling to see if they want to think about using me.

Do I want to be that guy at recitals who seems out of place, if it brings me money... yeah! Hopefully I can get at least one of these places to call me back. At least that would be a start. Also I bought a website and hopefully I can get this thing off the ground in the next couple of days.

Cold Calling

Tuesday it was decided that I would trudge out into the world and attempt to find gainful employment via one of the worst methods ever... the cold call.

I looked up production companies in the Raleigh area and just went around the city handing out resumes. Everything went as I thought it would... I got a job. If you believed that I have some swamp land you can buy. Every where I went it was the same answer, "We are not hiring right now." A few were nice enough to give me a few suggestions and even said they would keep me on file. A few places seemed annoyed that I was there and one place no one even came to the front desk when I came in. I just laid my resume and reel on the scanner at the front desk.

The one thing I had about doing this is the fact that 99.9% of the people are not looking for someone to hire. I'm just hoping that I can get lucky, but my track record has shown that luck is not on my side.

On Thursday I am trying the Cary, Morrisville, Apex and Chapel Hill areas. Hopefully I will not be in the minivan of doom by them.

Craigslist

Since my demise from news I have used craigslist the most to find jobs. Monster and Careerbuilder do not really have any TV jobs and TVjobs.com usually doesn't have too many decent market listings for photojournalists and I don't feel like paying for it. Most of the listings are not the best work in the world, but sometimes you find one that is not that bad, like this one;

Seeking reliable, enthusiastic, motivated, people wanting to work as sports
videographer for The ReelAthletes.com.

The ReelAthletes.com is a full service media production company that
provides professional video taping services for all sports.

Videographer needed must have 3ccd camera mini dv format and tripods please
detail your experience and equipment. Hourly earnings $15-$25 per hour Please
send contact information to set up interviews in Raleigh NC if interested.

Not a lot of money, but after looking at the website I could do this. I may only make $50 a gig, but it appears to be easy work. I apply and as usual I have not heard anything back.

That's not the main reason I'm posting. It's more of the idiots that post something insulting to the original poster:

Are you serious? You expect someone to provide their own equipment for $25
per hour, with no minimum guarantee? So a person is supposed to tie up their
entire day even if the event is two hours - meaning you will only make maximum
$50?????? You are NUTS!!!!!! Nothing professional about your organization
as anyone in the business knows a good videographer with equipment costs minimum
$300 per day. GET A LIFE and quit looking for slave labor!!!!!!! Craigslist is
becoming nothing more then bottom feeders using the high unemployment for their
gain!!!!!!

I did not change a thing from either post, the response guy needs to shut up in my opinion. While working in news I did not make $25 an hour. If he would have actually gone to the website he would have seen they are not looking for high end. I'm getting tired of the two extremes of craigslist; the guys who want you to work for nothing and the self righteous jerks that think every job should cost a minimum of $300 an hour/day/minute. I would love to make $50 for two hours of work that I can do in my sleep. I get three of those a week that's an electric bill. If one school has a couple of kids, and bang them out all at once then you have a car payment for The Wife.

I love the fact that $15 an hour is slave labor, last time I checked that's about 2.5 times minimum wage. I can't make that working at Kohl's... trust me I tried. I love how people throw that phrase around in situations like this. Would I like to make $300 a day... YEAH, but I'm going to take whatever I can that will not cost us more in the long run. Response guy needs to find out how good a $300 dollar a day job is and leave the one who are struggling to decide whether or not 15-25 and hour is good enough.

One of the Signs I Have Too Much Time

This week has picked up a little; the church had a few projects, I helped a couple of teachers make a video for the amazing race, posting new videos to Pond 5 for sale and I'm doing a video for a family that has a gymnist. Yet today I started a new experiment with Lucy.

For Christmas The Wife got one of those "easy buttons," but instead of saying that was easy we hear Whoomp there it is. I looked at the button, looked at Lucy, back at the button and I am now trying Pavlov's theory. I hit the button and give Lucy a treat. The above video is my fourth test of the day. She's not getting it yet, but it's day one and she was at the park earlier and is tired.

I so need more work outside of the house.