Mic Flags

[miss hap]

Placing an order for my newsroom - need to know which is better: the triangle or the square. And where's a good place to buy them?

I'm public radio, we normally don't venture into the mic flag world but the boss man wants us to have them so ....

Thanks,
Hap

[Twitch]

For flags w/ logo printed on it:

http://www.grafix-usa.com/

http://www.impactpbs.com/

Or get blank ones here:

http://www.markertek.com/SearchProduct.asp?item=MF%2DBW&off=4&sort=prod

As for size... probably depends on the shape of your station's logo.

[ December 13, 2006, 01:50 PM: Message edited by: Frequent Flyer Miles ]

[Max Schumacher]

I gotta sound off...
Mic flags suck. Their purpose is to be in someone else's shot. We have graphics to put our logo on everything...hell, that's why "bugs" were invented.
Radio stations use them because they don't have any other visual representation. They want their logo in the newspaper photos and on TV.
Television stations should ban them forever.

[/rant]

[Max Schumacher]

BTW, Mis Hap...I recognize you're talking about public radio. My rant is separate from your radio concerns.

[CleanBreeze]

Add websites to the people that want their logos on TV. I bought a mic flag for my website. The free advertising is nice.

[CKMD]

We don't use them. We have other ways to remind people who we are.

[k2]

It's a great drinking game...every time someone else's flag appears on your air, down a shot!

[Mr G]

I hate radio reporters who make an interview eat the mic...and flags just make it worse. tell your reporters not to be one of them. keep the mic and flag down at a normal level(so TV cams can keep it out of the shot) I swear the mic will just as well.

[AutoTranz]

Originally posted by Can't Keep Me Down:
We don't use them. We have other ways to remind people who we are.Is it just me, or are the stations with the most logos in any-given-shot ANNOYING AS ALL HECK?!

[overthehill]

My previous station had a consultant--a pretty good one actually--who looked an aircheck of one of our stories and saw five (5) logos on air in one shot--FIVE!!! (Mike flag, bug, CG, reporter wore a station coat and one I forgot)

We asked--"Isn't that overkill?"

His reponse--"Heck no," he says, "the viewer's just beginning to notice which channel he's watching!."

Mike flags are a necessary evil. Live with them, don't worry 'bout them so danged much. The viewer doesn't "see" them as much as we do--EVERYDAY, several TIMES a DAY. That's why the consultant wanted more, more, more logos.

[Clever Login Name]

Originally posted by Mr G:
I hate radio reporters who make an interview eat the mic...and flags just make it worse. tell your reporters not to be one of them. keep the mic and flag down at a normal level(so TV cams can keep it out of the shot) I swear the mic will just as well.Here's the rub ... and maybe miss hap can enlighten us as to why she's being told to order mic flags for her radio station: radio reporters routinely force their mics so damn close in a gang-bang interview because they're under orders to do so from management (I've had several direct confirmations of this over the years) ... simply for the free advertising value of getting their mic flag on someone's newscast. One of my former stations had an ongoing feud with the local news-radio station which had enormous mike flags (six-inch triangular shape) that they would set up on large mic stands that would directly block the interviewee's face during a news conference. We had to halt several news conferences in progress in order to embarass them into moving them down and out of the way.

I hope I haven't given miss hap any ideas. There are enough radio clowns out there already.

[Fake Post]

I can't wait until sites like goldenpalace.com figure out that placing a prop mike with their website address at a big press conference will give them additional free publicity.

[ December 14, 2006, 07:25 AM: Message edited by: Fake Post ]

[any1outthere]

I have no problem with radio folks having a mic flag, as long as I can say my station's call letters once every five seconds while their story airs on the radio.

[CKMD]

Originally posted by Auto Tranz Hates Christmas:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Can't Keep Me Down:
We don't use them. We have other ways to remind people who we are.Is it just me, or are the stations with the most logos in any-given-shot ANNOYING AS ALL HECK?!</font>[/QUOTE]The argument is people don't know who they are watching. So, putting logos all over means they will. I say BS.
People can't remember the lead story by the middle of the A-block.
This is why Neilsen Books are ludicrous and all markets should be metered.
But, that's another thread.

[Produce man]

Back to the original question, I prefer triangles.

As far as whether to use them or not, I look at it this way. The competition is kind enough to let our viewers see their flags, the least I can do is return the favor.

[sportzchick]

I like the square ones.

And it is kind of funny to see the mic flag joust.
You know the one where people are constantly bumping other mic flags to get a better position.

When I worked in mainstream TV the fact that radio had mic flags drove me crazy ... as they always seemed to shove the mic in the mouth of the speaker.
Plus they always seemed to be 2x larger than TV mic flags.
I know why they have them... but they still drove me crazy.

[Steve Scott]

Originally posted by Mr G:
I hate radio reporters who make an interview eat the mic...and flags just make it worse. tell your reporters not to be one of them. keep the mic and flag down at a normal level(so TV cams can keep it out of the shot) I swear the mic will just as well.And, I hate watching TV news reports with almost inaudible interview sound, because the mic was lazily held four feet from the speaker... graemlins/face_banghead.gif

[The Thrill]

In the future, mics will double as lightsabers, and your mic flag will determine whether you're Jedi or Sith.

And in Soviet Russia, mic flag hates YOU! :D

[CKMD]

Originally posted by Produce man:
The competition is kind enough to let our viewers see their flags, the least I can do is return the favor.You assume the viewers care. Show me any marketing that proves they do.
Mic flags are pointless.

[Roy Hobbs]

I always enjoy a broadcast where at the same time during a stand-up you can see the logo:

1) On the reporter's cap

2)On the reporter's polo shirt or jacket

3) On a violator

4) On the crawl

5) on the live truck parked in view

6)on the bug in the lower righthand corner

7) on the anchor's lapel in the two-shot

8)on the studio wall behind the anchor in the two shot

9) on the rotating whoosh to take the reporter live

10) on the mic flag the live reporter is holding

current record I've noticed is Five logos in the same screen image but I'm sure that record will be broken by insultants and ND mis-working hand in hand graemlins/face_banghead.gif graemlins/face_banghead.gif

[Michigan J. Frog]

Originally posted by Steve Scott:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Mr G:
I hate radio reporters who make an interview eat the mic...and flags just make it worse. tell your reporters not to be one of them. keep the mic and flag down at a normal level(so TV cams can keep it out of the shot) I swear the mic will just as well.And, I hate watching TV news reports with almost inaudible interview sound, because the mic was lazily held four feet from the speaker... graemlins/face_banghead.gif </font>[/QUOTE]Okay, if you'll get your whole digital (or minicassette) recorder out of the subject's face so we can see him, we'll work on that.

[Michigan J. Frog]

Originally posted by overthehill:
Mike flags are a necessary evil. Show me evidence--ANY evidence--that they work (and define "work").

[amp]

Originally posted by Roy Hobbs:


3) On a violator

What's a "violator" when it relates to news? Are you talking about a criminal walk shot and the guy has an old logo polo shirt from your station that he got at good will? Or are you talking about the PA in the background of the newsroom shot who always hits on the new PA who are just barely legal?

[Tripe Face]

Originally posted by overthehill:
My previous station had a consultant--a pretty good one actually--who looked an aircheck of one of our stories and saw five (5) logos on air in one shot--FIVE!!! (Mike flag, bug, CG, reporter wore a station coat and one I forgot)

We asked--"Isn't that overkill?"

His reponse--"Heck no," he says, "the viewer's just beginning to notice which channel he's watching!."

Mike flags are a necessary evil. Live with them, don't worry 'bout them so danged much. The viewer doesn't "see" them as much as we do--EVERYDAY, several TIMES a DAY. That's why the consultant wanted more, more, more logos.In this day of people meters what does MATTER whether the viewer knows which news he's watching? The computer in his set box knows and tells Neilsen.

To the OP... be original... get the foam rubber mic cover with your logo on it. (they are all the rage in Iran and Saudi Arabia) Your station will REALLY stand out then.

[Produce man]

Originally posted by Can't Keep Me Down:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Produce man:
The competition is kind enough to let our viewers see their flags, the least I can do is return the favor.You assume the viewers care. Show me any marketing that proves they do.
Mic flags are pointless.</font>[/QUOTE]Sorry, I'm not in marketing.

No, I don't think the viewers care at all.

My point, Barbie, was that if I have to see their flags in our show, then I'm damn well going to make sure our flag is in theirs.

Got it, now?

[ December 15, 2006, 01:12 PM: Message edited by: Produce man ]

[miss hap]

Where to begin ...

First of all, I'm so public radio crunchy that if there's a gang bang I often hold the mics for the local television people who have to one-man-band it.

Secondly, I have one of those big, loong shotgun mics - so there's no need to get right up in someone's face.

Thirdly, I think the GM wants us to have mic flags for the coverage - instead of leaving it up to television viewers and newspaper readers to figure it out for themselves that the woman holding all those microphones with that really big, loong one must be that public radio person.

Now, on to my original question ... I hear that triangle mic flags slide less on tilted lecturns. True?

[SamG]

What is your logo? If it's a square, get a "cube" mic flag. If it's a rectangle, get a "triangle". If it's a circle, you can do either.

If you try to take a square logo and build a triangle mic flag, your logo will have to be HUGE to be wide enough for three of them to fit around the mic.

If you try to take a rectangle logo and make it into a cube flag, it will either be too small to read or HUGE again.

[miss hap]

Thanks Sam.

[Steve Scott]

Originally posted by Michigan J. Frog:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Steve Scott:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Mr G:
I hate radio reporters who make an interview eat the mic...and flags just make it worse. tell your reporters not to be one of them. keep the mic and flag down at a normal level(so TV cams can keep it out of the shot) I swear the mic will just as well.And, I hate watching TV news reports with almost inaudible interview sound, because the mic was lazily held four feet from the speaker... graemlins/face_banghead.gif </font>[/QUOTE]Okay, if you'll get your whole digital (or minicassette) recorder out of the subject's face so we can see him, we'll work on that.</font>[/QUOTE]Actually, I agree with you. Any one who does that is A.) making it tough for other reporters...and, B.) probably getting over-mod audio.

I can't imagine an experienced radio reporter doing that. If they do, you have every right to politely move it a bit.

I'm guessing tenured reporters - the people you run into in the field every day - will be happy to accomodate you. I'm like a previous poster - I'll hold your mic for you if you get blocked, even if you're a competitor. Done it dozens of times.

ss

[Another side]

Viewers may not care about the flags ... but they'll notice them whether they want to or not. Sort of like billboard advertising.

[TVMattNYC]

Originally posted by any1outthere:
I have no problem with radio folks having a mic flag, as long as I can say my station's call letters once every five seconds while their story airs on the radio.As long as YOU actually USE your call letters on your air, instead of disguising yourself behind your network's ID (CBS 2, ABC 7, NBC 12, etc.)

[ December 16, 2006, 01:25 PM: Message edited by: TVMattNYC ]