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The Real Deal


robdisner

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Has anybody watched his videos?

 

http://realitysoundschool.com/make-6-figures-in-audio/

 

Although the info is a bit general in nature (probably gets more specific in the paid videos), and I know from personal experience that I never even came close to making six figures in LA as a full time union boom op and mixer, I think he does a fairly decent job here of covering the basics.

 

Won't be sending him my cash any time soon, but he seems like an OK guy. Anybody know him personally or have any thoughts about his videos? 

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I would seriously doubt that ANYONE knows who this guy is. I don't doubt that he may have made some good money working as an "audio engineer" (a pretty generic title chosen specifically to try and reach the widest audience), but that's no big deal. Structurally, his whole pitch reads exactly like hundreds of sites that claim to have "the secret" that everyone else in their field doesn't know (and they always say their colleagues don't want you to know). The pitch takes the all too common approach that all these financial-investment sites take: "I've made so much money with this secret, discovery, method, etc., and I want to share it with YOU for FREE! The thing that I always think is, if they've made so much money and they are such a generous person, why not share the wealth with a charitable organization, or do something to combat world hunger --- or, if you're not such a generous person, just go on making all this money with your "secret" and don't bother to share. I wouldn't give this guy a moment of my time ---

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Well I was trying to take the diplomatic approach in case he was on this board! Yes, I can see that this resembles any one of a dozen infomercials that I worked on back in the day (except my sound was better). But for someone looking to get into (or back into) the business, there aren't a lot of options out there besides film school, or just working your way up as a PA as I did, and bugging David Yaffe and about a dozen other guys 'til they let you coil cables for them on the side. Hard to even find a book that covers anything but the basics of production sound, or if it does, they are talking about equipment that we haven't used in at least a dozen years.

 

Would be nice to have a resource that covered wireless in depth, camera hops, time code options, interfacing with the various video cameras out there, and working with the popular digital recorders in the field today. Doubt this guy discusses any of this in his videos either since he doesn't even own the gear, but I wish someone did! Gonna have to pick everyone's brain this weekend while y'all are sucking on your crawfish!

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Check out his credits (if they are real). He has done a bit more than Real Housewives! Doesn't make any sense not owning the gear if he is really working as much as IMDB says that he is. Gotta be tough to make six figures if you are kicking half of it back to the rental house!

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From LinkedIn:

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairhalver

 

Blair Halver

Capitalist

Greater Atlanta Area Entertainment
 
Summary

Production Sound Mixer and Audio Supervisor for TV and Film. Primary focus in reality and documentary formats, long-form dramatic as well.

Specialties:Sound for television, film. Leadership, management. Training, teaching.

 

 

Publications

Your Marketing Cheat Sheet(Link) CreateSpace/Amazon July 23, 2010
A Professional Marketing Consultant's Blueprint for Business Growth. This book condenses a lifetime of marketing books into a single "reader's digest" collection of the marketing information that has helped thousands of businesses succeed. 

 

=====

 

Or…..he's my Personal Hero of Movie Sound:  Brice Carrington!

 

Brice! Blair could learn a lot from him. Uh, if Brice is out of jail now...

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I think the quote posted here:

pretty much sums it up for me:

 

"who’s the guy that’s usually working the LEAST out of everybody? The audio guy"

"just for showing up, putting mics on a few people, turning some knobs, pushing some buttons, and then we go home."

 

Alienating your own profession as a way of advertising your self as a teacher of that profession seems counterintuitave at the least, especially since he brags about how much money can be made.  If it's so easy, and you need to know so little, people wouldn't be willing to pay for the knowledge and experience.  Ridiculous.

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I've been following his business closely, have read all his forums, and watched all his public videos. I've exchanged a few emails with him. He's an entrepreneur. He also has a good t-shirt silk-screening business. (which fits in quite nicely, if you think about it)

 

He's primarily targeting folks who are in music, or another field of sound.   Blair's marketing efforts are strong, consistent & personable.  

 

There are thousands of music refugees, production desperadoes, "sound design" college graduates out there, dying to find a way to make a living with audio.  Reality production is highly error tolerant, full of young, entry-level workers, and the demand- there's no end in sight.  I'm quite sure Blair met his target numbers for the first class of students, and I'm guessing they're paying him about  $5000 each.  Blair also has integrity. He will make damn sure every one gets their money's worth. 

 

I think online videos have limitations for what he's trying to teach. But I don't know for sure if there's an "in-person" component included. Blair already has a few previous graduates that he's taught in person.   

 

 

In Blair's Q&A forums, none other than alien rocket scientist Jim Tannenbaum congratulates him at length.  Has anyone ever received a gratuitous compliment from Tannenbaum?

 

Pete Verrando

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I'm quite sure Blair met his target numbers for the first class of students, and I'm guessing they're paying him about  $5000 each.  Blair also has integrity. He will make damn sure every one gets their money's worth. 

 

Won't their money's worth be the six-figure income that Halver promotes on his site?

 

Perhaps in a few months we can see how his student's feel about all this. Then we won't need to speculate one way or the other.

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That story about sitting there and pushing a few buttons: It's what we hear all the time on set.

Maybe he's just being ironic?

 

OT:


Would be nice to have a resource that covered wireless in depth, camera hops, time code options, interfacing with the various video cameras out there, and working with the popular digital recorders in the field today.

 

There's a great online resource for this, and it's FREE!

You can also find info about how sound was done a few years ago (or a few more years ago) there.

 

 

/OT

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If it's so easy to get to that 6 figure amount, and it's so easy, why would one waste ones time teaching?

I know teaching would make me nowhere near the amount of money I make as a re-recording mixer.

And I certainly don't have time to do it the side.

I think for the majority that's the case.

If he was THAT good, he'd be doing more than reality TV.

Instead of running an online class.

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It's reality tv. Nobody has to be "that good."

Selling the stuff to the people, that's the best money in any business.

That's why there's better money in teaching people to sell real estate, rather than just selling real estate. Same with reality tv,  Same with dental hygienist's school.

Same with location sound equipment... 

The best money in sound is in making/providing/selling the gear.  That's a secret a lot of folks here don't want you to know.  All Blair Halver needs to be really "good at" is selling his product to eager and willing kids with credit cards or daddy's money.  He knows the secret that Full Sail, Media Institute and SCAD have known for years. 

 

Pete Verrando

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Exactly, the point is not that he is making training/teaching people with videos and otherwise, it's that he is belittling this profession to get a few more sign-on's

Tough sh**! People belittle our profession almost every day on set. It's part of our job to deal with that. Still no need to get personal, is it?

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