Should You Charge for Exporting? : Episode 66

Hellooooooo? Can anyone hear us?

Oh, wait. Someone’s there? Oh! It’s you! You, dear listener, are there! Did you forget about us?

We know it’s been awhile. It’s been awhile for us too. We, Nick and Josh, haven’t caught up since before the holidays (yeah…that long ago) and in this episode we get into all sorts of post production topics that have been going on in our lives recently.

• We’ll dive into Nick’s film, one that’s been in “post hell,” that Nick has been resurrecting.
• Josh started a new comedy series and had to make a tough choice between starting it in Premiere or Media Composer.
• Nick applied to join a union, the DGC (Director's Guild of Canada)
• Josh got a kettle bell and has been using it for exercise at his desk regularly
• Nick fell in love with the x5 Challenge on fellow post-production podcast, Fitness in Post
• We talk about Black Mirror, Daredevil (again), Six and basically every TV show out there.

We wrap up the episode talking about an important topic for any editor that charges by the hour.

Do you charge when the computer is working and you aren’t? Do you charge for importing/exporting/rendering/uploading/etc.? Our awesome Facebook group gave us plenty of opinions and we each add our own. Don’t miss this part!

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Can You Be Fired for Being Sick?: Episode 55

Can you be fired for being sick?

This started as a Twitter discussion from a question Scott Simmons posed earlier. There were many different opinions shared and it's not a simple yes/no question.

So we're here to discuss it further, what are your rights as a freelancer and how should you balance out the responsibilities of the job and your own health?

So I had an AE, new guy never met, who was to come pickup a drive for assistant work. Called and is sick. Maybe pickup later. Still use him?

— Scott Simmons (@editblog) July 18, 2016

Do you think an assistant can be rightfully fired for calling in sick?

Do you have a story about coming down with a serious illness and having to push through on a deadline? Let us know in the comments about it.

DURING THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING:

[4:30] What have Josh and Nick been working on this week?...

[11:25] Scott Simmons (@EditBlog) asked his Twitter followers if his assistant editor should be replaced because he was sick and didn't show for work. It generated an interesting discussion on Twitter and inspired this week's episode. What is your opinion? Leave it in a comment below and we'll respond to it.

[16:04] The difference between a freelancer and a full-timer when it comes to sick days...

[23:30] LIGHTNING STRIKE!

EDIT: Scott wrote on Pro Video Coalition after this Twitter discussion and included a follow-up to this story with the sick AE and how the rest of the project went. Worth noting is the tail section of the article where he gleans some advice for working for/with someone new for the first time. Check out the full article here for 6 tips for working as an assistant for someone new.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Twitter conversation that started it all. Starting with Scott Simmons original question about whether a sick AE should be fired/replaced.

• ESA - Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ON, Canada)

• FLSA - Fair Labor Standards Act (US)

• An In-Depth Guide for Independent Contractors in Canada
• The Freelancer Files: Sick Days and Freelancing Don't Mix – Or Do They?

Quitting the business! : Cmd+Edit 054

Welcome to Episode 54 of Command+Edit Podcast!

We all inevitably reach a point in our careers when we start to really question if this industry is for you. Let's face it, it's not for everyone. It means long hours, a lot of pressure, making deadlines, unsteady financial status and dealing with a lot of other factors that make your job difficult.

This came about recently when a colorist/editor that we follow, Ben Brainerd, announced on Twitter that he was hanging up his hat and switching careers entirely. You can read all about his decisions, how he arrived at them and his reasons for settling on this new path (and a completely different address!).

Follow Ben Brainerd on Twitter and join us in wishing him well on his journey.

If you have ever reached a point where you seriously considered getting out of the filmmaking business entirely, then we would like to hear your story. Email us (CommandEditPodcast@gmail.com) or tweet us (www.twitter.com/CommandEdit).

Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes,  Stitcher or via RSS.

Codecs, Containers and Compression : Cmd+Edit 052

After the briefest of hiatuses we are BACK! Did you miss us?

This episode Josh and Nick get into the topic of codecs:

• When to use which ones?
• How to optimize your encoding settings for faster exports/higher quality videos.
• How to establish delivery specs with clients early on
• And some other goodie topics for you

As well there a number of links you should click on this week.

• Nick is trying Audio Network's new plugin for Adobe Premiere CC that makes it incredibly easy and fast to find the right music for your edit. It includes a panel right in the Premiere interface so you can search, select and edit with stock music tracks without ever leaving Premiere. They are looking for Beta testers to sign up and try it out.
• Some Premiere editors complain about it's lack of native motion blur...but it's actually in there. Find out how to utilize motion blur for your project's titles and graphics.
• For some additional reading on codecs and compression, find out Everything You Need to Know About Codecs over on Premium Beat.
• As well as a slightly more condensed explanation if you're short on time.

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Keep Your BRAIN Happy and Sharp - Health Episode Part 2 : Cmd+Edit 049

The key is to leave work a little less crazy than when you walked in.

Last week's episode dealt with keeping yourself healthy and fit while working those insane hours in the edit bay. This week we're getting into an ever more neglected area: keeping your mind sharp and healthy.

Are you overworked? Sleep-deprived? Running on the power of coffee alone from day to day? Then listen up.

We editors work INSANE hours and have to put up with huge demands, tight deadlines and having to work under tremendous pressure (arguably more so than most other trades).

So we share a few ways you can train your mind to be healthy, fully functioning and how to take a few quick minutes out of the day to take care of it.

A few things we mention:

• How nutrition can affect your brain
• The difference between GOOD coffee and BAD coffee
• Light therapy
• Work better, not MULTITASKING
• Don't just get MORE sleep, get BETTER sleep
• What is gray matter and why should you have more of it?
• The benefits of mindfulness and meditation each day

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Science Behind Meditation
• Headspace App
• Calm: Meditate & relax with guided mindfulness meditation for stress reduction
• Sleep Hacking to Improve Your Sleep
• f.lux app for changing the colour of your monitors over the course of the day
• 12 Mental Performance Hacks: A Cheat Sheet For Boosting Your Brain Power

Taking the leap into FREELANCING : Cmd+Edit 047

Josh has an announcement to make: he is taking the leap to being a freelance editor!

On this podcast we've discussed the differences between freelance and contract/full-time positions, with Josh and Nick representing both sides of the coin. However now...all that is about to change.

This decision has been long in the making and there has been much thought put into this move. This episode we get to capture what goes on in the mind of an editor as they make this transition. So for editors who are considering going freelance, this will be a great episode to know how to best prepare yourself for it.

Thanks to our listeners!

Be sure to subscribe below and share this episode with your circle of friends.

Because if you're a freelancer then you're probably working at home right now and have a tab open to Facebook right now, right?...

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• 10 Key Tips to Becoming a Successful Video Freelancer
• From Full-Time to Freelance - How to Make the Leap