Dear Avid Community and Avid Media Composer users,

I am a motion graphic designer in a national television, working since 2005.

The design department is in conflict with the editing deparmtment ;

It started with the editors who, overwhelmed by some jobs, sometimes come to us (the design team) to help them with lower thirds, we write the text and render one frame or the whole animation and they import it to finish the job on time.

The editors no longer want to write text over their media or over the lower thirds we provide, and now they say it's our job to write any text demanded by the journalist, put it on the lower third and render it (TGA+Alpha), they even ask for text on transparent without any graphic.

No matter how much I try to explain to them that it is not the designer job to write the text, they still insist.
I ask why did Avid bother and develop the title and text tool inside Media Composer ?
Why did Avid provide Text animation presets ? That doesn't work on a rendered image text, right ?
Why did Avid provide lower thirds templates ?

As long as it is not me, I don't really care who has the job to write the text that the editor will use. Because it is really not my job, I tell them : Imagine I create an intro and the director wants some text in it, can I tell him : no, no.. am a designer,  I don't write text ! of course no, i do my job.

Some of them tell me they don't know how to, some say it takes a lot of time to render... but WHY IS IT my problem ?

Unfortunately the design team has been writing text on transparent for the last 5 or 6 years and my boss is not listening (she was an editor before becoming my boss).

Please guys help me out, am I wrong or are the editors wrong ?
I know the process may differ for you but someone should explain to me what went wrong and how should I solve this.

Thank you a million time.

PS : We work on a salary basis, so wether there is a job or not, we get paid. This created some sort of laziness for both teams.

Just think of how many lower thirds you could have typed in the time it took you to write this post!

-- signed

an editor. 

Hahahaha good one.
But really... I seek your honest opinion. Does it really matter if I can do it or not ? I also have MSWord, and I can write fast, should I then type in administration documents !!!?

Where I've worked it's always been a negotiated deal.  Editors ususally handle simple things like lower thirds, more sophistictaed stuff went to designers.  Everybody hates typing blocks of text.  Union rules look like they can be argued either way.

I know, not too helpful.

Sounds about right. I've always suggested that someone in the production office spell-checks names and so on and types it all up as plain text. This can then be passed either to the graphics person or editor who can copy and paste.

WTF... Seriously this is what you are bitching about? I worked for a Major Network for 12 years its a great job you should bet thrilled you have it and help out where ever you are needed It is a creative colleberation as you said Ya'll are getting paid.... Discusted rant over ...

Tom Pearson:

WTF... Seriously this is what you are bitching about? I worked for a Major Network for 12 years its a great job you should bet thrilled you have it and help out where ever you are needed It is a creative colleberation as you said Ya'll are getting paid.... Discusted rant over ...

 

Tom Pearson:

WTF... Seriously this is what you are bitching about? I worked for a Major Network for 12 years its a great job you should bet thrilled you have it and help out where ever you are needed It is a creative colleberation as you said Ya'll are getting paid.... Discusted rant over ...

 

This is the usual attitude I get from my " collaborators ", I intentionaly asked editors for their opinion but you never answered my questions.

Since I am paid, then I should help ! what the heck !! Editors should do their work on their own without relying on designers to do the simplest thing which is PASTE a text over a lower third. Some are lazy enough to ask the designer to do that for them... THAT is disgusting.

I don't care if a tierce person type in the text but editors should at least handle the rest.
Editors who rely on designers think they know more that the ones who created the software ! There is the title tool for a reason.

Don't be emotional, be professional.

Let's all remember to keep discussions professional.

I moved this from MC|Firs to the General Discussion & Off-Topic. Just a friendly reminder let's all remember the USER CONDUCT GUIDELINES.

 Stay safe everyone.

Thanks,

RalphC

I'm guessing coming to a forum full of editors to complain about editors is probably not gonna get you the answer you were looking for...

If you think helping out the editors is beneath you then maybe you've lost sight of what it's all about. You're free to complain about things or cause a fuss to members of your team or company, but I bet you that that will not do you any favours career-wise.

Maybe one day you'll be freelance or looking for another staff job at another company. And maybe someone you used to work with is there now. And maybe that someone is asked about hiring you by an exec. And that person then says "oh yeah, I remember that guy, he used to complain about adding text to lower thirds to help save us time." Bye-bye to that gig.

This business is about relationships, if you get known for being difficult or hard to work with, or a complainer you will find your opportunities dry up fast. Instead of shooting yourself in the foot, why not be the guy that when someone asks "should we hire him" the reply is "oh yeah, that guy is super healpful and professional, give him a call". 

Over the years I've been asked to do many things that were absolutely nothing to do with my official job, but I did it because I wanted to be part of a team and if one person is failing then we all are to some extent. So if I could help I did. And when I see other, younger people coming up and showing a similar attitude, then those are the people who I will recommend when someone asks me for my opinion.

Feel free to disregard everything I've said but it's food for thought and I can say for certain that I have spoken my mind in the past about whether someone should be hired, so you never know when someone you're complaining about now is going to hold that power over you. 

Andi

Hello Hassan,

I agree with Tom in that the editing and media process is that of collaboration.  Surely,  Tom could have worded that a bit differently and provided more structure from his experiences with Editors and graphics designers.

With that said, collaboration means everyone works to get the job done.  everyone has a vested interest in the end result so if you are asked to help out then I would.  If you run across situations where the editors appear to be taking advantage, then you always have avenue with HR in your company to discuss.  

At Avid i do a ton of things that arent in my wheelhouse or in my job description....  I dont always like it but I do it for the greater good.  but if someone doesnt appear to appreciate those actions or tasks that are done to help out, then i make it know professionally that it is not my responsibility.  

There are a lot of ways to handle it but you have to find yours......

Best of luck

Marianna

Marianna:

At Avid i do a ton of things that arent in my wheelhouse or in my job description....  I dont always like it but I do it for the greater good. 

Not a fair comparison, Marianna.  You're a saint.

ripvanmarlowe:

I'm guessing coming to a forum full of editors to complain about editors is probably not gonna get you the answer you were looking for...

If you think helping out the editors is beneath you then maybe you've lost sight of what it's all about. You're free to complain about things or cause a fuss to members of your team or company, but I bet you that that will not do you any favours career-wise.

Maybe one day you'll be freelance or looking for another staff job at another company. And maybe someone you used to work with is there now. And maybe that someone is asked about hiring you by an exec. And that person then says "oh yeah, I remember that guy, he used to complain about adding text to lower thirds to help save us time." Bye-bye to that gig.

This business is about relationships, if you get known for being difficult or hard to work with, or a complainer you will find your opportunities dry up fast. Instead of shooting yourself in the foot, why not be the guy that when someone asks "should we hire him" the reply is "oh yeah, that guy is super healpful and professional, give him a call". 

Over the years I've been asked to do many things that were absolutely nothing to do with my official job, but I did it because I wanted to be part of a team and if one person is failing then we all are to some extent. So if I could help I did. And when I see other, younger people coming up and showing a similar attitude, then those are the people who I will recommend when someone asks me for my opinion.

Feel free to disregard everything I've said but it's food for thought and I can say for certain that I have spoken my mind in the past about whether someone should be hired, so you never know when someone you're complaining about now is going to hold that power over you. 

Andi

What you said is completely true and I agree with 100%
I came to editors forum because I always seek truth regardless of who's right or wrong. You can read in my first post that I am asking if I am wrong.

In my 16 years at the station, I edited complete programs, helped with virtual studios and real studio design, helped with shooting, I even developped two websites. I got paid extra money few times in big programs like the elections or summit but I never took extra money for thousands of extra work hours... and I was and still happy for my job.

My only problem with editors is that they took our help for granted and turned it into internal rule or something, typing text has officially became the design job ! I believe this is wrong and I came here to seek your opinion. And actually show the conversation to my boss and both teams. That's all.

And I thank you for your valuable answer.

Marianna:

Hello Hassan,

I agree with Tom in that the editing and media process is that of collaboration.  Surely,  Tom could have worded that a bit differently and provided more structure from his experiences with Editors and graphics designers.

With that said, collaboration means everyone works to get the job done.  everyone has a vested interest in the end result so if you are asked to help out then I would.  If you run across situations where the editors appear to be taking advantage, then you always have avenue with HR in your company to discuss.  

At Avid i do a ton of things that arent in my wheelhouse or in my job description....  I dont always like it but I do it for the greater good.  but if someone doesnt appear to appreciate those actions or tasks that are done to help out, then i make it know professionally that it is not my responsibility.  

There are a lot of ways to handle it but you have to find yours......

Best of luck

Marianna

Thanks for you answer, I completely understand your perspective and agree with it but in my case, unfortunately it's been many years that we are forced to type the text,my boss  does not listen, the HR does not care. I can't figure out a way get back to the old process where we were really helping each others.