TV News Cameraman Blamed For Everything.

I know I'm a little late blogging about this this story but, hell, it took me the two days to actually get over the crassness of this particular reporters way of going about his job to tell a story. Flooding in parts of India have killed and misplaced thousands, ruining already fragile lives and reducing many from poverty, to abject poverty. This story has since gone viral, but here's my view.

A little to the left... left... and... keep still.

Now we all know that the media industry is full of people who will actually climb over the shoulders of colleagues in the race to the top of the pole, but to climb on the shoulders of a poor, half drowned victim of flooding is taking it way too far in the pursuit of a good piece to camera. When caught out, he then blames the entire incident on his TV cameraman who was meant to frame out the unfortunate, wobbling man on whom sat this insensitive, ocean going prat.

Apparently, according to this post, the reporter has now been sacked by the TV news station that employed him, but I can't help think of the cameraman who let this happen in the first place, although I am unaware of the full circumstances of how this monumental balls up occurred at this time. It certainly wouldn't have got past me. I think the conversation with my journalist would have been something like this...

Journo: "There's no way I'm getting my new brogues wet, fetch me a poor flood victim upon whom I can perch..."

Me: "I'm sorry... What..?"

Journo: "a poor man... Perch... Shoes... My piece to camera awaits."

Me: "Perhaps we can use the bodies as stepping stones you utter twat, or take the only food they have... It's nearly lunchtime after all.."

Journo: "What are you trying to say..?"

Me: "I'm sorry, perhaps you are a little tired. Here, take this man's last vestiges of clothing to make a comfortable seat for your over privileged arse..."

I think he would have got the point that in no way whatsoever, would I be filming him sat upon a flood victims shoulders. Anyway, what news team goes into a flood hit area without the correct means of protecting themselves against the elements? A good pair of wellies would have been the very least he should have had and would have stopped all this stupidity.

Forgetting the snorkel equipment, my news field producer did the decent thing...

So I leave you with this picture of me filming our very own flooding in the South of England last year... We really needed to get close to film a good piece to camera. I know it looks shallow, but i am actually standing in about 7 foot deep flood water, and my field producer was a very kind fellow... We never saw him again.

You can watch the video here. ( TV station following up with copyright claims, so it might not last.)

Paul Martin is @ukcameraman on Twitter.

www.media-attention.co.uk

DSLR Cameraman with Chamois Leather Trumps Robot.

Here we go again. Now this time i'm not talking about the merits of this or that DSLR, smartphone or TV Camera. I've talked about that before and will probably do so again. No, this time i want to draw your attention to the use of robotic cameras, you know, cameras without a cameraman. NO CAMERAMAN..! Christ on a bike, we are all up shit creek without a paddle.

Earlier today, my attention was drawn to this article in petapixel.com, about Reuters and the innovative use of robotic cameras for this years Olympic Games in London. That's London, England... You know, the land of eternal sunshine. Now being a cameraman, i like technology, gadgets, and things that go ping... but have Reuters really thought this through...? I was reminded by my good friend and colleague Les Colyer of Razor Television of the TV debacle that was this years Jubilee, where robotic TV cameras were used... In the rain. I don't think they produced one single usable picture from the whole day, although the pictures had to be broadcast because they had no other choice. They were bad... really bad.

Go on... leave your camera out in the rain and then film or take a picture without cleaning the lens. Then take it to your boss and see what he thinks. It would look something like this...

And the winner of the men's 100 metre final is.... Oh fuck.

 Just imagine, the 100 metres men's final, London... in the rain. Or any other event outside... in the rain. I'm not saying it is going to rain, it may, it may not. But this is the UK, so it probably will, even in the summer. Those flesh and blood photographers and cameramen have a good chance to get good clear usable shots with the help of a chamois leather and other assorted lens wiping aides... sleeves, snot rags or a handy Olympic logo'd McDonalds serviette with ketchup on it. The robots though, well they will just have to sit there and hope it doesn't piss down like it has for the past 3 or 4 months in record quantities. Or a spider doesn't spin its web overnight revealing a spiders arsehole to the world when you switch it on in the morning.

I will wait with bated breath for the Olympics to start, and hope that the weather is on our side. The cameramen's side that is... Not the robots, the job stealing shitbags.

Paul Martin is @ukcameraman on Twitter.

www.media-attention.co.uk

   

Floating Turds 2... The Revenge.

A few years back, during the flooding in the town of Lewes, i did my bit and filmed for the TV News. I have good memories of those few days when trickling rivers turned into raging torrents and nature decided to reclaim long forgotten natural floodplains. I even got some good feedback from the head honchos at the BBC. I guess they remembered, for today i found myself up to my knees in flood water again in West Sussex where heavy rain has swollen the rivers, saturated the rural areas and overloaded the drainage systems.

A floating turd hunt. June 2012.

My guess is that we will have more of this to come in the next few years if the climate change mob are to be believed. Or were they claiming drought and water shortages..? i can never remember. Anyway, i again found myself balls deep in flood water and sewage overflow from the good people of the South of England, avoiding floating turds and other detritus from households who suddenly found water seeping up through the floorboards and in through their doors. As much as i try to put a little humour into this blog post, i find myself unable to put aside the misery and upset that nature can throw at people by washing away their valuables, memories and sofa. I feel for the victims, i really do.

Mobile home... sorry, Houseboat for sale... £100.00 or nearest offer.

Not only do they have to deal with the calamity of having next doors belongings floating through the living room, they also have to put up with the likes of me and my reporter knocking on their door to ask how they feel right now. Some people we spoke to at the mobile home park are now homeless, with much of what they own ruined.

"How the blinking buggery do you think i feel..." would be my answer.

We were however, welcomed. We were offered cups of tea, shown around and treated with kindness from those who had spent the past 24 hours struggling to keep their lives and properties together. That's the British for you. When the turd of life floats through their letterbox and the god of the sewer pipe relocates their dining room table to the next town via the high street, they will always smile at you and offer a cup of tea.

Just check the chocolate brownie on the side before eating... ok...?

You can see what i saw on my youtube channel... Here

Paul Martin is @ukcameraman on Twitter.

www,media-attention.co.uk