Media scrum strategy

[Bamboopictures]

With the proliferation of news websites, I notice more and more new cameraman present at media scrums and live events. May be due to lack of experience or youthful exhuberence, their etiquette is sometimes quite bemusing. The result is lose-lose situation when the scrum becomes literally like a rugby scrum and everyone gets into everyone else's shot. Then it becomes a competition who can shove his camera nearer to the spokesperson or who can go higher over everybody else's camera. Occasionally, one old bird who is lucky to be in the inner perimeter will yell at the eager beavers to take a few steps back. But I suspect their voice of reason too often gets drowned out by the noise.

And so until somebody actually gets trampled to death, I'm afraid it will increasingly be every lensmen for himself. For the videographers, a monopod overhead is de rigueur. ditto articulating screen and good IBIS. I'm not sure how to block the strobes from photographers. but gone are the days of CCDs. Smaller cameras are definitely an advantage in such situations, so bring on the RX100s, the QXs and the Gopros. Thank God for WIFI remote.
Habbycam used to make a mini pulley jib that would be great used perfectly vertical. The angle of tilt can be controlled by a handle and a pulley.

But do I really want a bird's eye view in every soundbite? If everyone can just chill...

 

[JacePhoto]

I think scums occur in all genre. The amateur photographers league is full of them. Once they reach an important scene, out comes their tripod so that they get the best shot. No one else can be in their picture while in everyone's picture, you can see their ugly butts.

Perhaps most of the time we laugh at the Japanese for their slow decision making. But theirs is truly a country of ethics. You will hardly see one person sacrificing his personal gains in the expense of others.

How can we improve?

 

[DXNMedia]

I encounter quite a fair bit of scrum scenarios and do realise that the situations have gone quite bad....
The ethics of photographers moving out of the way of video/broadcast guys are gone, and I always wonder why do still photographers have to take like 10fps non-stop continuous shutter releasing of someone standing in front of a mic..... Perhaps they're trying to do stop motion of a talking head.
Then you still have to vie for space with the iPaders, Samsungers & what I call the 'twitter-graphers' who does their live-stream on social media.

As for equipment usage, i do notice that when using smaller rigs/gears, you tend not to be taken seriously by the people in there....
But try a full-size shoulder cam and see if people do move out of your way. Most of the time they do...(sometimes after getting hit by the cam...)

 

[Bamboopictures]

I always wonder why do still photographers have to take like 10fps non-stop continuous shutter releasing of someone standing in front of a mic..... Perhaps they're trying to do stop motion of a talking head.

LOL!! The things that photographers do! I've heard some even stick blinking bicycle taillights on their cameras during media events to get celebs to look their way. What will they think of next?

 

[Deunamist]

what I've noticed, there would be three types of photogs around.

1) The well-mannered seasoned pro who would be extremely aware of their surroundings, and try his best not to get into your shot
2) The new guy who has absolutely zero situational awareness.
3) The third one, whom I really can't stand, is the seasoned pro who'd try to glance at your screen and give you a false opinion of it, hoping you'd "take his advice" and move away so he can steal his angle.

 

[JacePhoto]

Hoho... I never came across Type 3 before. I only came across Type 3 B - a guy who thinks he's damn pro and tells you advice on how you should take your picture. He looks into your LCD at regular intervals. When your angle is good, he takes the same pics.

 

[Deunamist]

LOL similar.

 

[L15ach0ng]

With the proliferation of news websites, I notice more and more new lensmen present at media scrums. May be due to lack of experience or youthful exhuberence, their etiquette is sometimes quite bemusing. The result is lose-lose situation when the scrum becomes literally like a rugby scrum and everyone gets into everyone else's shot. Then it becomes a competition who can shove his camera nearer to the spokesperson or who can go higher over everybody else's camera. Occasionally, one old bird who is lucky to be in the inner perimeter will yell at the eager beavers to take a few steps back. But I suspect their voice of reason too often gets drowned out by the noise.

And so until somebody actually gets trampled to death, I'm afraid it will increasingly be every lensmen for himself. For the videographers, a monopod overhead is de rigueur. ditto articulating screen and good IBIS. I'm not sure how to block the strobes from photographers. but gone are the days of CCDs. Smaller cameras are definitely an advantage in such situations, so bring on the RX100s, the QXs and the Gopros. Thank God for WIFI remote.
Habbycam used to make a mini pulley jib that would be great used perfectly vertical. The angle of tilt can be controlled by a handle and a pulley.

But do I really want a bird's eye view in every soundbite? If everyone can just chill...

Just buy a drone and attach camera to it. If sg don't allow drone then bring your business overseas xD then problem solved