I suffered an embarrassing and stupid failure today. I was out covering the Gatekeeper announcement at Cedar Point tonight, and managed to not record an interview.
After the official stuff for the crowd, I cornered John, the GM of the park, to ask him a few questions. Just as I started recording, a Toledo TV crew on deadline asked if they could talk to him first, and I agreed since it was not urgent, and I've known John long enough to know he'll help me out when he has a minute. Plus I thought I was scoring karma points.
So after the Q&A, I caught up with him again, and we started to talk, only this time, I apparently double-tapped the record button, and realized when I started to shut down everything that I did not actually record the interview. If that weren't bad enough, of all of the times I've interviewed him, this was easily the best one.
I can't even put into words how angry I am toward myself. I've been shooting professionally, with pro gear, for 22 years, and somehow I did this? I get pissed just thinking about it, especially after helping my fellow man by letting the other crew go when I was already rolling. It's a total amateur, bone-headed move, and I'm ashamed. I felt like Ellen Feiss, defeated by the machine.
I'm trying to cut myself a little bit of slack, because I've never shot anything ENG-style with this camera. That's not really an excuse, it's just a theory on why I wasn't paying attention. On my previous camera, I was like a ninja, in full manual mode, and could even walk and talk while shooting, not bothered by the lack of a grip or someone to hold a bounce card or lighting. Maybe I wish that video cameras made a fake sound of tape spinning up, the way that still cameras make fake shutter noises.
At least it was for me and not for some third-party, paying client. No explaining that away.
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