Exaggerating your credits

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opus
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Exaggerating your credits

Post by opus » Sun Jul 27, 2014 3:27 pm

Here is a "how corny is this?" poll...

It's came to my attention that a few engineers / producers I know exaggerate their credits quite often. Some really seem dishonest.
Here's my question: I know of an assistant that got to simply be in the room BRIEFLY for the recording of a few songs of a well known artist. He LITERALLY contributed nothing to the session at all, yet he gets an assistant credit with 30 other assistants on the record. The record goes platinum. He pays to have an official plaque made up of his accomplishment. :/ Takes pictures with it and walks around calling himself an engineer on the record like somehow he is a Grammy worthy engineer or something.
IS THIS NOT SOOOO CORNY!!? And completely misleading to the potential clients he markets himself to??? On top of that he's extremely arrogant.
Thoughts?

RoyMatthews
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Post by RoyMatthews » Sun Jul 27, 2014 3:42 pm

Yeah, that's corny. I wouldn't have a plaque made even if I was the sole assistant. Maaaaybe on some super project where, yeah, I was the only assistant but I knocked it out of the park as the assistant. And it would say assistant on the plaque. If he's labeling himself as an engineer then that's misleading. I would figure the studio he assists at would like to know what he's doing.

I'm bad with credits though. I never keep too much track of that stuff. I know I have assistant credits on records by big artists but so what? I wouldn't tell people that. At least not to brag but just to tell some stories.

I do think assistant engineers get the short end of the stick. I heard of one guy who just wanted to be a pro-assistant engineer and I thought that was pretty cool. A good assistant is a god-send these days. A great one would be invaluable.

I had an issue with the studio I used to work with. They would put anyone who came through the door on the client list. It was embarrassing when some one would say "so and so worked here?" I'd have to be real diplomatic about it. What's weird is that the studio had some decent names already with out all of the BS.

All I can say is it's tough because this is a networking business as much as anything. I don't have that hustle mentality that that guy has and it's sad to know that less qualified people get the session because they have a better handshake or whatever. Though, it goes both ways as I've gotten sessions started by way better engineers just because they were too chatty and pushy and the artist like my demeanor better.

Sorry I'm not of much of a help. It just inspired me to rant. I guess that means I know where you're coming from. It sucks but you can't change other people. All you can do focus on yourself have a good attitude and do good work.
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kslight
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Post by kslight » Sun Jul 27, 2014 3:49 pm

Its pretty lame, but you'll find this in almost any field, with applicants exaggerating (or downright lying) about their experience just to get the gig. That's why we call references!

Certainly we've all stretched the truth at some point in our careers to get the job in a desperate situation (or you just really want that job)?and then cramming the night before studying or whatever when you got hired?? I'm not talking about claiming to have a PHD or something when you only have a GED?but perhaps a much smaller half-truth?like "oh yes I've used that piece of equipment before" when you've only used something similar but can most likely figure this thing out without much trouble.

If they aren't skilled it will certainly become apparent when they're actually on the job?



To play devil's advocate, if you were credited as an assistant on said platinum release?knowing that you literally "contributed nothing" to the record, would you not take the credit anyway (assuming you didn't have other platinum records to your credit already)? I probably wouldn't take it as far as get a plaque made?but if you got credited as an assistant why not say you were an assistant? I don't know about you?but in my time I've done well on some major projects that I simply was not formally credited on (did not find out until they were released!), and despite not receiving printed credit?I absolutely still will tell people that I worked on the project (and anyone that doubts my level of contribution that can get on the phone with the producer if it comes down to it).

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Post by RoyMatthews » Sun Jul 27, 2014 4:08 pm

kslight wrote:
To play devil's advocate, if you were credited as an assistant on said platinum release?knowing that you literally "contributed nothing" to the record, would you not take the credit anyway (assuming you didn't have other platinum records to your credit already)? I probably wouldn't take it as far as get a plaque made?but if you got credited as an assistant why not say you were an assistant? I don't know about you?but in my time I've done well on some major projects that I simply was not formally credited on (did not find out until they were released!), and despite not receiving printed credit?I absolutely still will tell people that I worked on the project (and anyone that doubts my level of contribution that can get on the phone with the producer if it comes down to it).
Speaking for myself, I wouldn't really say much about it if I did "nothing". Even if I was the engineer. I'm sure I have credits on some big pop records whereI may have recorded a shaker overdub. I got paid as an engineer and got credit as an engineer but I'm not going to say I worked with X. I may say I did X on a record but that 's about it.

I mean I have assisting credit on a Rod Stewart album. I set up (and essentially got sounds for) bass and drums on a song or two. Rod wasn't at the session or anything and I never say to people I worked on a Rod Stewart album because I feel like it's somewhat deceptive. I recorded a demo with a bother fairly big artist back when she was in college but I never really put her down as an engineering credit. I only feel justified by the amount of work I've put in I suppose. I know assistants who've worked way harder on albums I did some minor engineering on. Heck, at times there are sessions I've assisted on that broke my back. I kicked ass as an assistant and then got engineer credit for recording an overdub and I was like "fuck, I wanted that assisting cred. I earned that."

I dunno. Maybe I'm too far in the other direction when it comes to credits.

EDIT: Sorry, am I hijacking this thread? I had a wine cooler and I am buzzed off my hinder.
"If there's one ironclad rule of pop history, it's this: The monkey types Hamlet only once."

opus
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Post by opus » Sun Jul 27, 2014 4:37 pm

Yeah it's just so incredibly lame to me I can't get over it. I've assisted on some big things I'd never claim because I wasn't the "dude". I just can't believe he got a credit let alone how far he's taken it. It's just so fake and I feel bad for the people he squeezes a little more $ out of because he pretends to be what he's not.. I've been doing this professionally over 10 years and this industry is hard enough with out these fakes that cloud up the already small market. End rant.

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Post by RoyMatthews » Sun Jul 27, 2014 5:29 pm

You're perfectly entitled to rant. It's lame and it sucks. While I think some liars excel in this business "the proof is in the pudding". My grandma said she came up with that saying. I hope she wasn't lying?.
"If there's one ironclad rule of pop history, it's this: The monkey types Hamlet only once."

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Post by Gregg Juke » Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:18 pm

I think it's perfectly valid in some of the situations you guys have described to say "I worked on X's record," or "I engineered for a few tracks on X's record," or "I engineered/produced some of the very early demos for X; that was a great experience," and even to use the credit(s) on a resume or website if you can. After all, that is often why we take the low-ball or no pay jobs we do, right? The chance to work with so-and-so, be on so-and-so's record, meet so-and-so, etc., etc. I think those (real) assistant or engineering credits are fair game.

Then again, don't be a weenie. It's not cool to outright lie, exaggerate to the point of stretching credulity, or say that you did such-and-such when you never did; I would not try to get a plaque (!) or a credit for being in a room at the same time as someone else (famous), or after seeing them on TV or looking at a picture of them in a book. You kind of have to have some real contribution to back it up.

In the end, it's about knowing your own strengths, weaknesses, and character and integrity. To Thine Own Self Be True, and all that. If you start to believe your own self-generated faux press, you may need to start imagining yourself seeing a therapist... And then actualize said visits. The ability to tell reality from self-made myth is important to successful living, not just in the audio world or the entertainment industry...

GJ
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Post by vvv » Mon Jul 28, 2014 3:52 am

Well, right after I handed Bruce the SM7 I suggested he use on Thriller ...

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MoreSpaceEcho
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Post by MoreSpaceEcho » Tue Jul 29, 2014 6:43 am

i have worked on a lot of really, really big records.






by 'worked on' i mean 'cleaned my weed on the jackets back in high school'

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Post by ott0bot » Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:22 am

MoreSpaceEcho wrote:i have worked on a lot of really, really big records.






by 'worked on' i mean 'cleaned my weed on the jackets back in high school'
I knew you had the magic touch

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Gregg Juke
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Post by Gregg Juke » Tue Jul 29, 2014 8:54 am

MAN! That was really small.

I had to copy and paste into Microsoft Word and enlarge the font!

GJ
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analogika
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Post by analogika » Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:47 am

Just zoom in on your Magic Trackpad. :)

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Post by MoreSpaceEcho » Tue Jul 29, 2014 10:52 am

Gregg Juke wrote:MAN! That was really small.
thatswhatshesaid.

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Post by T-rex » Tue Jul 29, 2014 10:54 am

Nice. . .
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Post by Gregg Juke » Tue Jul 29, 2014 1:12 pm

>>>>Just zoom in on your Magic Trackpad.<<<<

Wish I had one...

++++thatswhatshesaid++++

Not to me, brother...

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