Production Manager: Craig Johnston

Creative Thinking On the Fly
Television is certainly a creative medium, though most everybody who's worked in it has found it's less than 10 percent imagination and 90 percent-plus perspiration.

Reacting Quickly To Correct a Mistake
Bill Gates was on Donny Deutsch's CNBC "The Big Idea" show recently, and I was interested in Gates' answer to Deutsch's question about what kind of mistakes he's made.

What to Do When Your Job is on the Line
I have a friend whose boss told her recently she's one the edge of losing her job. She's not in the broadcast field. The reason she may lose her job is very much related to getting along with a client, a very important client. And she's baffled.

This Device Has to Be Able Talk to That One
Lack of communication is a frequently mentioned issue when employees are evaluating their managers, and vice versa.

It's Time for HD Commercials
I was pleased to read the other day that in this year's Super Bowl broadcast, slightly more than half of the spots were in high definition. I might not be all that pleased except that a friend of mine is cranky. In fact, maybe I'm not all that pleased after all.

More Isn't Always Better With Sports Graphics
I have a friend who has a particular discipline when it comes to dress ties--he always owns the same number of them, never more, never less. When he buys a tie for himself, or receives one as a gift, he gives one to Goodwill.It seems to me that those commissioning sports coverage graphics could use a little of that kind of discipline themselves. There are enough graphics on most sports telecasts, so if you're going to add one, throw an old one away.

Pitfalls of Producing On a Collision Course
Any manager worth his salt is making course corrections all along with his budget.

One Solution Does
There ought to be a disclaimer from people selling approaches for the transition from an analog to an IT infrastructure. It should say something like "one solution doesn't fit all."

Developing a Tapeless Workflow
I recently talked with a number of stations that are transitioning to tapeless video acquisition in their news departments. The removable hard drive, optical disc and memory card technologies these stations are moving to are very different. In each case, the change is monumental.

Lights, Camera... Ouch!
There's no time like the present to start experimenting with what it's going to take to make good high-definition pictures of your talent in the studio.

Prioritize and Plan When It's Calm
A great deal of the success television people have making it through emergency periods depends on how they've prepared during the calm ones.

We're Not All 16:9 Yet!
My voice, from yelling at the TV, will probably not return until midweek. But I can still type.

Constructing Instructions
It turns out there is an instruction manual for an employee. It's inside the employee himself. It's your job to access it.

Don't Skimp on Audio
When you've got a production problem on a show, it's usually audio.

Avoiding a Train Wreck
When I read a story in "The New York Times" about operating problems the Union Pacific had getting freight trains through its system, I looked for comparisons with the kinds of problems a television station can have.

Think Like A CFO
You may find there's some of that CFO logic that will help you make better purchases.

Get Your Money's Worth Out of Your Time
One of my fondest memories of working in television news (or maybe it's one of my most haunting nightmares) is the race every day to get the story or stories done and on the air.

Your Interns Don't Have To Be Like Dell's
The reputation that interns in the workplace enjoy today ranges from invaluable, at one end, all the way down to whatever you would term those interns in the current Dell Computer commercials.

Smaller Isn't Always Better
I can remember breaking into the TV business when news photographers still shot film carrying a Bach Auricon 400-foot film-magnetic conversion camera. It came with a separate amplifier for adding sound on a magnetic strip down the side of the film. With a separate battery for mobile operation, we shouldered about 40 pounds.

All You Need is Cash
I just read Bob Woodward's new book "Bush at War." I was struck by how much you can get done with cash.

A Wider Look Can Be A Better Look
Anybody who has spent much time around cameras knows that shooting a person's face with too wide a lens risks a ghoulish result. There's a fine line.

Future Needs: Cable Trays and Cooling
Although that "what to build" dilemma was new to the dotcommers (while they lasted), it's been a problem for television and video producers for as far back as anyone can remember.

Hiring a New Cameraman, Part II
In my last column I talked about screening applicants for television field photographer positions, using their resume tapes to create a first impression. My point was that because you're hiring them to shoot visuals, the quality of the visuals they shot for their previous and present employers is a good indicator of the quality they're going to shoot for you.

Pictures Make TV: Tips For Hiring a Cameraman
TV picture-takers need to be good picture-takers. Television continues to be a visual medium, and it follows that some of the most important hires in television are the employees who capture those visuals.

Doubling Budgets and Budget Doublespeak
When I moved into my first production manager position, my predecessor had the reputation for being able to predict almost exactly what a particular project would cost. Since we were good friends, I asked him how he did it. "Take the most you think it could possibly cost, and double it," he said. What can I say? He was unbelievably accurate.

To Negotiate, You Need Choices
The economy is in the dumps, advertising sales are down and budgets have been slashed. That's the bad news. The good news is that times are tough for broadcast equipment makers too and there are bargains to be had.