With increasing pressure on budgets and the challenge of getting crews to the scene of breaking news, freelance newsgathering is on the rise. Freelancers, or stringers as they are often referred to, are journalists, photographers, and videographers that contribute news, sports, weather, and live event coverage to broadcasters, and paid for the content they provide.
Dejero sat down with Australian freelancer, Carey Harris, to learn more about how he uses Dejero in his successful freelance career and how the new ‘Find a Provider’ feature accessed from Dejero’s cloud management system helps him promote his services.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
I am on standby 24/7, 365 for any major breaking news stories in my area. My work is not only news, I shoot lots of ‘live crosses’ (live reporting), live broadcasts from remote locations, as well as corporate videos and TV commercials.
For example, recently we had a big court story here in Newcastle, New South Wales. Working for Channel 9 I did three live crosses for early news bulletins on the Today Show from 5:30 am. After shooting the court arrivals and departures, I used my Dejero EnGo to feed this recorded content out quickly. I went on to do four more live crosses starting with the 11 am morning news, then finishing with the flagship 6 pm bulletin. In total, seven live crosses plus the usual feeds during the day to make up the complete content package.
Having an EnGo meant I could feed the voice-over live to the newsroom rather than having to record, then send. Saving even five minutes in the day actually means a lot, especially when it’s the lead story.
Can you walk us through your workflow?
After capturing the content, I send the vision to major networks and they take it from there. I feed the video to the broadcaster via my Dejero EnGo so they can edit. It’s so much faster than ingesting into my laptop, finding best shots, exporting, and then uploading.
What are the biggest challenges you face as a freelancer?
1. Finding out about fast breaking news situations
2. Covering a huge area with some remote coastal and bush locations
3. Working solo in sometimes challenging situations including bushfires, floods, etc.
4. Making split second decisions in difficult circumstances
Why did you select Dejero?
Choosing to go with Dejero was a no-brainer for me, as it’s the industry standard here in Australia. It was easy to get started with my EnGo because I had used a local network’s many times and knew how simple it is to use.
I see guys setting up satellite trucks for a live cross. They spend valuable time setting everything up, checking which way their dish is facing, dialling in etc. I just push a button and the Dejero EnGo is ready to go live with reliable connectivity and lower latency than a satellite truck using their cellular network blending technology.
How has Dejero’s equipment helped you overcome the challenges you had before?
Dejero lets me get my vision out much quicker and easier than ever before. Gone are the days of patching into DVN points at racetracks, for example. A major bonus is the fact that my material is being ingested in real-time, rather than my clients needing to download a large FTP file.
How is Dejero different than other alternatives you’ve tried?
Being a freelancer, I have experience operating the three different brands used in Australia. An on camera unit, the Dejero EnGo is by far best suited to my ‘run-and-gun’ style of work.
“The EnGo is an all-in-one turnkey setup that’s on my shoulder, ready for anything that the situation can throw at me.”
What is your favorite feature of your Dejero EnGo?
Do I have to name just one? My favorite feature of my EnGo is that it’s so portable, but some other key benefits to me include:
● I can feed much quicker at high-quality
● I can tap into my own home broadband to send content
● It’s simple to use
● As little as 0.8 second latency
How has using Dejero equipment and services helped you achieve your business goals?
Purchasing a Dejero EnGo has meant I’m now getting jobs I wouldn’t have been in the running for previously. It’s widely known that there have been some serious cutbacks in Australian media in the past five years but by investing in an EnGo, it has made a huge difference for me. I’m a one-man band so it’s great to be able to future proof myself with this type of technology.
The customer support provided by Dejero makes me confident in my work, knowing that I can call on them 24 hours a day to get instant assistance if needed. The guys there are so friendly and helpful too! Best part is, it’s all part of the service!
What are your thoughts on the new ‘Find a Provider’ service in Dejero Control?
I think it’s an amazing feature and pleased I’m already a member of the global database. It helps me promote my services and expertise as a professional freelancer with Dejero equipment. It’s great that Dejero has set up a platform to help other freelancers promote their services.
The new feature allows newsrooms and event producers to quickly identify and contact freelancers, like myself, with Dejero equipment outside their current network of contacts. My services can be used to cover breaking news stories and live events for any client across the globe.
With the device sharing capability, Dejero has greatly simplified the ability for freelancers to assign their feeds to any broadcaster with a Dejero receiver. Networks can now share receivers too, adding flexibility on how freelancers interact with them.
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