Think the best job in the world is being a professional photographer? You may be right. Most don't realize, however, the time and energy combined with creative motivation that it takes to work to the top. Commercial and editorial photographers (and now videographers) need a crew of individuals who are just as dedicated and skillful at their crafts to make the photographer succeed. When a position for a studio director/producer opened up at the Corey Rich Productions office (www.coreyrich.com), we jumped at the chance to ask Blaine Deutsch, who recently took a faculty position in printmaking, to explain just what the job entailed, and as he says, "The Job is Available."
BLAINE: "I have spent over 2,000 days working as the Studio Director and Producer for Corey Rich Productions. This has provided over 2,000 different answers to the question, "What does your typical day look like?’ Each day may start with coffee and end with a beer after a bike ride, but for everything in between, there is nothing typical. On a given day, I may be called on to be some combination of the following: estimator, contract negotiator, politician, prop master, travel agent, baggage handler, stylist, location scout, caterer, animal wrangler and meteorologist. I may be applying for a Chinese visa one minute and booking helicopter time in Argentina the next. Ultimately, I need to make certain that all the details, large and small, are in place.
THE STATS ON THE MAKING OF NIKON'S "WHY"
It’s unrealistic to think that any one person can enter into any given project with the needed experience for all potential contingencies. Many skills translate well from one task to the next, but the best asset above all, is to be adaptable, stay alert, and think on the fly. Our recent project "WHY," shot for Nikon to launch the D4, was the surest test of this approach. Only the ability to perform under pressure and a sense of adventure will get you safely and successfully through stats like this:
11 crew members, 3 professional athletes, 2 countries, 3 states, 2 federal permits, 1 National Park, 13 days of travel and shooting, 2 hours of sleep per night, 3 days spent in Mexico (trying to remember the Spanish I learned in high school), 9 flights, 3 TSA pat downs, 22 cases of gear, 6093 miles flown, 6 airports, 8 lost bags, 5 rental cars, 4704 miles driven, 6 cases of Clif Bars, 4 cases of RedBull, 2 trips to the Emergency Room, 1 Helicopter crash, 1 Birthday, 1 Anniversary, 1 Thanksgiving dinner, 3 Police cars, 0 speeding tickets, 3 prototype cameras, 21,342 still frames, 1.5 TB of footage, 19 hours of audio
In the end, all the hard work pays off when the final and most important stat is realized – Over 1.5 million views online. Check out the link below for a look behind the scenes to see how the production played out.
Given the rare opportunity that there is a gap between productions, there is still plenty to do. I take advantage of these times to catch up on my responsibilities as Studio Director. This could be a full time job unto itself, managing a team, archiving over 300,000 still frames a year, thinking about marketing and looking for the next great project. After reading the above, most people are very thankful for the "normal" pace of their daily routine. I know that a rare few have read this and thought, "I want to be a part of that." If you fall into this second category, you’re in luck. This job is available. After many great years working side by side with Corey, it’s time to move on. This was a tough decision to make. This was the best job I’ve ever had, working with the most amazing group of people imaginable."
IS THIS JOB FOR YOU? PRODUCER/STUDIO DIRECTOR AT COREY RICH PRODUCTIONS
"Looking for a passionate, hard working, extremely organized team player to be part of a small but very busy and successful photo/video studio in beautiful South Lake Tahoe, CA. This position often demands long hours in a fast paced environment to meet deadlines, yet is very rewarding. The company mantra is " work hard - play hard". We make frequent use of the kegerator in the office and hold meetings on the back deck overlooking an evergreen forest, from the seats of our mountain bikes or on chairlifts, depending on the season. Come with a desire to live in the mountains and work damn hard!
Primary role of this position is to see shoots through from start to finish - engage with client in early dialogue, estimate fees and expenses, coordinate all scheduling and logistics, oversee crew, manage post production & delivery of final products and all associated billing. Additional responsibilities include the management of internal staff and freelancers, communication with clients and artist's representative, collaboration with the team on marketing strategy and management of the day to day operations in the studio. Required experience: Still and/or video production, client management & communication, marketing/brand development, and office administration. Knowledge of action sports/outdoor adventure and familiarity with Apple systems are a major plus. Position requires occasional travel. Salary is dependent upon experience. Visit https://www.coreyrich.com/ and https://news.coreyrich.com/ to see some of our work and learn a bit more about the studio. Please send your resume and a cover letter explaining why you're the right person for this position to [email protected]. No phone calls please."
RELATED ARTICLES
Ace Kvale Photographing the Himalayan Cataract Project
"Badlands in Bloom" by Guy Tal
Michael Clark Talks Tahiti Surfing Photography