My first gig setup got ruined by a $20 office chair that collapsed mid-call

I was on a Zoom meeting with a new client from Austin when my chair literally fell apart and I ended up on the floor with the camera still on. I tried to play it cool by saying 'sorry, technical difficulties' while crawling to find a replacement. Has anyone else had gear fail at the worst possible moment during a first job?

3 comments

3 Comments

rowanr8814h ago

Oh man, that's brutal! I had a cheap webcam give out on me during a first consultation with a big name in my industry. The thing just went black, no warning, and the client was watching me fumble with settings for like 5 minutes while I tried to act like I knew what I was doing. I ended up using my phone propped up on a stack of books, which made me look like I was recording a hostage video. Now I always keep a spare webcam and headset within arm's reach, because apparently my gear has a sixth sense for the worst possible timing.

parker_webb18h ago

Wait, so you were on camera the whole time when that happened? That's rough, man. I had a similar thing happen but with a cheap headset that just died in the middle of a pitch. Nothing like scrambling for a backup while your client just stares at you. Makes you think twice about skimping on gear like chairs and cables.

ward.diana15h ago

Oh man, I feel that. Nothing like visibly watching your cheap chair slowly tilt to the side during a call like you're riding a carnival ride.