Hopefully I'll continue getting the small jobs and that those jobs will turn into something big. By the way, I took the advice from another post on this forum. The advice said call your crewer and see if they would be willing to train. So I called one of my favorite crewers. They have several trucks which all use the Kalypso. She informed me that she will try to get me up there to train sometime in Janurary when things slow down for them. I tell people "all I need is the chance and I'll take it from there". I'll continue working hard and will be reading all of your guys' advice....I'll keep you posted through the years how things go for me. By the way, thanks for the replies. Troy

My "magic spell" is to try to give people a break if I think they have potential and the progam is within their capabilities. This gives "experience" which can influence others to employ them (giving more experience). It's often hard to do, since so many jobs [i]are[/i] complex, but I try to take a "bigger picture" view and look ahead to the time when I might need just one more freelance TD in the pool.

Brad you threw me exactly what I was looking for... Thanks. You also nailed it with the statment "no experience so no work + no work so no experience". I've learned that this is a funny and very tough business regardless if you shooting, shading or switching. So if you have the magic spell to break that cycle of death please share. :) I'll keep learning but you guys keep throwing advice out there. Us "new guys" will be soaking in what ever you put on our plates.

I sometimes need to hire TDs, sometimes for complex jobs and sometimes for simple ones. If it's complex, I'd want to be certain I was hiring someone who wouldn't make mistakes. If it's a simple job, I'm more likely to give someone a go who lacks experience but could convince me of their enthusiasm and intelligence. Either way, I don't want someone who misrepresents the level of their experience. You're in that perennial problem zone: no experience so no work + no work so no experience. 1) Don't [i]"not[/i] have a clue" - learn what you can, and learn what it is that you actually know. 2) Find out what equipment they have: If you've used it before, you'll know some of the questions to ask. If you haven't, tell them you haven't used it and ask if they think that's a problem. Find out how many "outputs" you'll need (main, monitor feeds, switched ISOs). Find out what auxiliary equipment you'll have: DVEs, Stills, Disk Recorders, CGs, PCs, Telestrators, etc. This can give an idea of how involved the program is. Ask if the show is already set up on a disk or in a memory (if it's not a one-off). This can produce a response that "it doesn't need to be", which will suggest it's not complicated. If there are memories, try to work out what they're doing, in order to broaden your skill when it comes to Macros and Timelines. Read up on Macros and Timelines for the equipment you expect to be using, and play with them at the first opportunity, even when you don't need them on this particular show. If possible, arrive early to get some extra play time. If possible, save memories or effects to disk or nerdstick or something, as it may come in handy later (or even during the show, if there's a power failure!) 3) I'm reluctant to ask for help about the operation of the switcher, but have no problems asking about things external to the switcher, or about switcher configuration. For example, "which VTRs will provide certain replays", or "is there a standard setup file for this kind of show". If there's a fault or problem, talk to the EIC or equivalent. Have a good rapport with the director. 4) You're competent when the compliments you get to your face are the same as the comments made about you behind your back. Unfortunately, you don't hear both of them unless you have a mole on the inside. Even "competent" TDs don't always know their equipment inside and out, but they often know where to look for the answers. And having a logical though process for tracing problems is a big help. Don't neglect the basic concepts ... they're the same on all switchers. The variable is how you go about achieving the end result. Best of luck! brad