People in general don’t like the idea of someone knowing more than they do. It irritates them when they have to rely on someone else to do something. That’s a natural feeling. We all want to be in control. And, especially when it comes to creative endeavors, we tend to want to believe we have what it takes. When it comes to “soft skills” such as writing/editing, art, media, music, design, or any other job with the word “creative” in the job description, it’s tempting to think that anyone can do it, because there is a part of each of us that knows we could do it (if we took the time to learn and do it!)
However, even though we know we could do something given the right tools and circumstances, most people don’t put in the time and effort needed to really excel. They don’t put the time into learning their craft the way that dedicated professionals have. They could, but they don’t. Yet, they also cling to their notion that “anyone” could do it. I actually had a Supervisor once who argued that all of these “soft skills” were interchangeable and that anyone could do them. While technically he may have been correct in that we all have the ability to pursue these endeavors, he was completely misguided in that only with time, effort, knowledge and sacrifice will anyone truly be able to do their best work in creative fields. To think otherwise is to belittle the intense dedication that some people devote to their chosen craft.
So when looking at this idea of everyone being able to do something now that previously only few could do because of the new availability of tools, we still have to face the fact that some people are more talented and/or more dedicated than we are. Some people do draw better than we do. Some do sing better, or sculpt better, or write better, or shoot film and video better. It’s art. It’s all somewhat subjective, but skill, experience and talent definitely do play a big part. Those skills can be developed, and talent can be nurtured, but that takes time and effort – two things that software or inexpensive hardware can’t give you.
All of this applies very well to video production and editing, since there has been a huge wave of new hardware and software within reach of the average consumer that will supposedly turn anyone into a media pro with the click of a mouse. These new tools are great for doing all kinds of stuff – and they are wonderful learning tools for kids and amateur filmmakers. But – just because the potential to do great work with the tools exists doesn’t mean the potential is realized. It takes more than just a credit card to develop talent. These tools fool people into thinking they can compete with the pros. They get cocky with their newfound ability to do fades and titles. They forget that professionals have dedicated years to the craft. They overlook that what took them 10 hours to edit could have been done by a professional in an hour. That nine-hour difference is experience, dedication, and knowledge that does not come from a box. It may not matter when shooting or editing Grandma’s 80th birthday footage, but when other professionals and money are part of the equation, it becomes vitally important.
There will be (and already has been) a new crop of talent that has gained notoriety through making video for the web using consumer or “pro-sumer” tools. But, the illusion is that they just bought a camera and a video-editing computer and soon they (or their videos) were Internet stars. The truth is that the overwhelming majority of cases, the producers of these web videos come from traditional media backgrounds, or they have learned the hard way through trial and error and hours and hours of effort – i.e. they paid their dues. They found out the hard way that getting good audio is extremely difficult. They found out the hard way that lighting is an entire art that you could devote years of study to. In other words, they discovered that there is a world of difference between having access to the tools and actually mastering them. Not only that, but the cases studies bear out that even “viral video” success stories are usually complimented by behind-the-scenes marketing firms devoted to getting content to “go viral”. It’s not just Jr. in the basement uploading to YouTube. In rare cases it might be, but most of the time it is definitely not. Many viral clips that look like they were amateur were actually shot professionally to look like an amateur clip.
In short, the sentiment “If you wanna play the Blues, you gotta pay the dues” is appropriate. Anyone can buy a harmonica for $10. To play a blues harmonica in one of the famous Blues clubs in Chicago takes a lifetime of dedication. Or consider also the famous quote “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!” There are no shortcuts to real talent, knowledge, experience, and creativity. Thinking otherwise is selling everyone short who has ever specialized in a particular discipline.
