Pop Star Michael Jackson On Photojournalist's Minds At Hollywood Entertainment Publicists Professional Society (EPPS) Media Workshop on Digital Images and Photo Publicity

MAYO Communications Offers Photography Publicity Secrets in this month's "Eye On PR" at wwww.MayoCommunications.com "PR Tips."

(PRWEB) December 5, 2003 --
When it comes to publicity a picture is really worth a thousand words.

More than 100 people packed into an unusual media workshop recently (Nov. 20, 2003) sponsored by the Entertainment Publicists Professional Society (EPPS) and PR Newswire to learn the secrets of photo publicity at the Wyndham Bel Age Hotel in Hollywood. Questions surfaced about the relationship between A.P and CBS studios, which cancelled his show, on the day Pop Star Michael Jackson was arrested. There were no anchors, reporters, editors or writers. Only people who handle photography.

The panelists were: Alan Berliner, Berliner Photo Agency ; Francis Cavanaugh, V.P., West Coast Photography, CBS; Tracy Gitnick, Associate Photo Editor, Associated Press; Herb Hemming, Bureau Chief, Wire Image; Roxanne Motamedi, Entertainment Managing Editor, Getty Images; Steve Newman, Photo Editor, 20th Century Fox and the moderator was Eric Hollreiser, senior. V.P., Media Relations, ABC Cable Network Group.

We have photographers all over the world and we are totally digital," said Roxanne Motamedi, entertainment managing editor, Getty Images. Most of our photographers shoot the pictures and have wireless Internet connections onsite. And a lot of editors have access to our website, where photos can be downloaded or we transmit directly to publications and magazines." Motamedis job is to make sure that all of the events are covered in the U.S. from entertainment news to everything else. She can be reached at 210.998.2739.

About 99 percent of what we shoot and what we do is digital and Wire Image was one of the few that saw the potential of delivery of images via the Internet and the digital technology," said Hemming, bureau chief, Wire Image. Our company was started by five or six photographers specializing in different areas and had access to the Internet. We now able to deliver in real time at the shows. Digital also allows you to do an event and get approval anywhere in the world, which enables us to get images to publications and meet deadlines." Hemming oversees sports news and West Coast assignments for Wire Image. My job is to keep up with Roxanne at Getty Images." Hemming can be reached at 323.988.1414 or Herb@wireimage.com.

I started out as a publicist in still photography many years ago and things have changed dramatically," said Newman, who handles the still photography at 20th Century Fox. Four years ago the way we conducted business changed so dramatically its startling. I considered myself to be one of the old fashioned people, because my photography dated back to the early 80s, and when I started at Fox there was no digital photography taken at all. It was all wet processing and there were servicing materials the old fashion way, dubbed slides and we were still making black and white prints. Since then we developed an online press site, and were producing materials on disc and we finding more and more that our unit photographers are exploring digital.

I have not work with a photographer, yet, that has asked to shoot with all digital cameras. We constantly comparing the look of the material and shooting 50 percent digital or 50 percent film as try to figure out if we the like the grain that adds artistically to the image and we dont want to lose. The advertising department would like to go all digital now, but it has not been an issue of fast breaking, because with photography shot on our movies we have the luxury of time. The ability to retouch and manipulate images that I thought was a lost art in the old fashion sense has been sort of reborn as a digital art form giving us the ability to do such amazing things such as getting lines out from peoples eyes to swapping heads." Newman can be reached at: Steve.Newman@Fox.com.

We in the process of going digital," said Cavanah handle all of the photo coverage that gets done on the CBS and UPN shows. His phone number is 323.575.2797. We have also found that for every good thing, there are other elements to take into account. The labs for example. Before photographers would shoot 20 rolls of film and just drop it off at the lab and move on to the next assignment. Today they shoot 400-500 images, but now he has to download the images, do a general edit, format it and all of a sudden it becomes little more murkier as to where the images start off and end up. We shoot all episodes and studio work on entirely digital when we do the big galleries to launch the shows in the fall, then we still stick with medium format film as well as digital. Part of the digital work hinges on who needs what and when. CBS has the luxury of not having to turn material around right away."

Digital photography is an ongoing costs," said Berliner, who does agency and studio work is celebrating his 30th anniversary in Hollywood at Berliner Photo Agency and B.E. Images. We used to shoot the film, bring it back and take it to a developing lab or whatever. Now, its on site with either on site editors or editors back at the studio or agency. That has definitely raised the cost. Luckily the magazine sales have increased, so the cost to do that has increased, but the customer base is larger. In other words there are more people to deliver it to who pay for it, than there were a few years ago." Berliner can be reached at 323.857.1282.

We cover a lot of entertainment, but were still a new organization so the image needs to have a news hook," said Gitnick oversees A.P.s photo coverage in Southern California. She can be reached at tgitnick@ap.org. Something that is relevant to the magazine or newspaper that is going to come out tomorrow or this week. Our goal is speed and were digital. We get things out quickly and we want to be able to go to an event, shoot something and transmit it so that someone can use it tomorrow. It might be a celebrity, who is top tier such as the awards shows. It might be a nonshow awards event, because usually I chatted with the publicist, who talked to me about who is going to be there, what we would have access to. Access is usually the big issue. Often theyll want us to shoot their red carpet and only have one or two celebrities before the event and there is only so much you can do with the red carpet. We prefer to be inside, where there is something casual happening and more spontaneous. It shows someone in the Midwest what its like to be a celebrity in Hollywood when they read the newspaper. Thats the larger audience you get from us in a lot of ways outside of Hollywood."

Gitnick, whos pager went off every few minutes from the AP Bureau in Los Angeles, had the entire room curious for updates on the whereabouts of Michael Jackson in Santa Barbara, CA.
The room got a little quite when a publicist ask how does AP and CBS work together when you have a situation like CBS pulling the Michael Jackson show off the air and everyone wants photos.

For us the coverage right now is not on whether is special is airing on CBS, but on the news angle on where Michael Jackson is going to turn himself and where is he going to get arrested,"
explained Gitnick. Were friendly when we work together, it needs to happen, but he (Francis Cavanaugh at CBS photography) is right now trying to avoid publicity on Michael Jackson. Im focusing on the guy."

When that mug shot of Michael Jackson is taken, it will be the image everywhere unfortunately," said Hemming, Bureau Chief, Wire Image.

It will be similar to the Kobe Bryant coverage the shot everyone will want to have," said Cavanah. With the Reagans TV series that was a scenario from the CBS point of view, once we have an air date for a project, material goes up on the media site, which all major magazines and newspapers have access to. That material was downloaded and stored away in archives. 50 images were made available, until CBS decided to not show and allow it to go to Showtime.

Most of the panelist said the professional entertainment photo sites usually require membership, and A.P.s Gitnick said having a photo page on your company website is the best idea. However, she said do not send heavy attachments or files to A.P. She said its better to alert A.P. with an Internet link that youve posted images, which allows faster editing under deadlines.

Editor's note: For images of panelists and more tips in business to improve your media placement
go to www.MayoCommunications.com and click "PR Tips."

For five years MAYO has been offering marketing, PR and B2B tips on its website: The award-winning "Eye On PR" features everything from tricks of the trade to getting on the radar of industry analysts to making your company newsworthy.

Nationally recognized and award-winning writer and photographer George McQuade reports on the PR and Publicists industry. MAYO also features guest writers. If you'd like to share your media experience please let us know, or feel free to comment on our column.

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Happy Holidays To All!
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By George S. Mc Quade III, West Coast Correspondent, www.Odwyerpr.com Publications