Yesterday was one of those days when being a paparazzi is good to be working for yourself. I say that only in the sense of being able to sell photos to who you want, and in what order you want. I will explain all of this a little later in more detail, but here’s a brief synopsis.
While working on the George Clooney arrest at the Sudan Embassy that every media in Washington was also doing, I looked for a different angel of selling my photos and video of the event. And yes it was an event. All the professional media who always look down on paparazzi where on their “A” game when it came to the pushing and shoving, basically acting like savages. Now that I said that, I feel good! You just don’t know how these stuck up journalist out here in D.C. turn there noses up when I come through with my camera or video. Anyways, I did what I do and came away with a splendid photo of Clooney getting the hand cuffs placed on him by a Capitol Police officer, but I got a killer video of his Mom Nina Clooney talking to me.
I actually spotted her out in the crowd watching her Son speak and I threw down my camera and popped open the video and got her to talk. The reason this ended up being good was because it’s very rare that you see a Superstar’s Mom, (Clooney’s Mom, and yes he’s a Superstar) and then to get them to talk about their child is even harder. Needless to say, I got good video while all those other journalist where pushing & shoving each other over George Clooney, I was getting the exclusive video of his Mom.
Now here’s the part of being able to work for yourself and build relationships with other major networks that benefited me. Knowing I had a money maker with Mrs. Clooney, I chose not to send that video to my agency and rather shop it around to the highest bidder. I ended up selling it to one network Exclusively for a good amount ($$$) and at the same time pissing off my agency who kept telling me they could sell it for more, but of course not mentioning that they would be taking their percentage. Being in the business for a long time, you know when to sell individually or have the agency sell for you. In this case I chose to sell it myself.
I would show you guys the video on Mrs. Clooney, but I sold it outright, and now that baby belongs to someone else which is cool with me because in the regular news world, that story is dead within the next 3 days. Now if it was a story strictly on a big celebrity scandal, I don’t think I would have sold it Exclusively outright. By the way when I say outright, that means I no longer own the video or have rights to it.
Back to my agency, after a whole lot of texts and angry phone calls, they said it was no hard feelings. With me, I’ve learned a long time ago that business is business, and when it comes to companies, no matter how much they like your work, astute business decisions come first.
