Journal Entries
The death of subtlety?
Posted Nov 23, 2010
Or perhaps the general absence of wit in entertainment and culture. Too much democracy in culture and the absence of a kind of regency or reward for intelligent comedy or drama or entertainment. A dumbing down if you will, the lowest common denominator that must be obvious and provable. Almost a scientific or statistical approach to culture, something that runs with II, III and IV versions of something that worked once instead of original ideas that resonate with those who have to think about it. What makes me like Tom Lehrer? The fact that every line has meaning and is relevant years after it was written, or that he was a mathematician who revealed the ridiculousness of the culture of his time with wit and subtlety both?
Oscar Levant said that those with wit only need to make a handful of pithy remarks to be remembered. I agree, so where is this generation's crop of those who have wit and subtlety?
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Latest reply: Nov 23, 2010
Hootoo sentences
Posted Nov 5, 2010
I've noticed this before, but the line up of conversation titles on my PS very often makes a sentence. Today (after the site announcement)-
Seriously? This decision has been made because it contains content that is potentially libelous or defamatory. When did "Ask the h2g2 Community" get renamed "Ask H2G2"? Should Chief Gordon Lightfoot reinstate the Saskatchewan Rhinoceros hunt? If you're having a bonfire.. Can you recommend me some music? Now be Honest. What can we blame 2legs for? The Freedom Of Speech Conundrum.
OK, mostly a series of questions but there is an interesting thread there (well, interesting to me).
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Latest reply: Nov 5, 2010
A dubious honour
Posted Oct 31, 2010
My picture is in the Vancouver Sun newspaper today. Twice. Yes, the Vancouver Sun to which Hunter S. Thompson wrote a relatively famous letter of application for a job.
All I had to do was be part of a company that is celebrating it's 40th anniversary (and third owner) today.
Rah, rah.
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Latest reply: Oct 31, 2010
Transition
Posted Sep 27, 2010
The company I work for is making the final transition to High Definition. I made the transition two years ago and have been waiting for them to catch up!
All the things I have been warning them about (lack of background footage in HD, the fact that you look better not worse on HD cameras, digital media is not physical, there are lots of excellent options for upconverting, etc.) are now revealing themselves yet I still get blank looks when I talk about anything technical. Once again I wonder what *Management* is when some of them have an extremely narrow field of knowledge when it comes to the nuts and bolts of what we do.
I always enjoy working with engineering staff, if I don't actually learn something from them it's an off day but at least I know they know what I'm talking about. Sales people, managers, office employees, even some technicians- they all seem to think that everything changed over night- and it change beyond their comprehension!
When I started in this business I was still in school, at 16 I was helping produce a local cable company half hour program. It was in black and white, then I went to university, then technical school and it was colour. Cameras were big, bulky and needed very large recording medium. Then came the minicams, followed by smaller media. Digital came next and now HD. I'm sure that before I'm finished there will be another leap-
http://www.afterdawn.com/news/article.cfm/2008/01/14/japanese_government_plans_ultra_high-definition_tv_standard_for_2015
..and I'll be operating equipment I can only imagine now. I remember an article in Zerb-
http://www.gtc.org.uk/publications/zerb.aspx
in the late 70's (back when it was printed) that talked about such ultra high definition. It envisioned a camera that statically shot an entire football pitch, with an operator that used just the area around a moveable cursor to broadcast. I can see it happening, if just for labour savings! 
Anyway, am I the only person around who sees all this as part of a process rather than a quantum leap?
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Latest reply: Sep 27, 2010
Virtually virtual
Posted Aug 31, 2010
The company I work for is close to achieving 90% virtual sets- with remote operation, in HD.
http://www.fullmentaljacket.com/projects/global-local/
This doesn't really affect me much since I'm not part of news, news gathering or news broadcast but it has had an interesting side line for me. In order for the set to have *windows*, HD footage of local urban views have to be recorded. Sooo... I have to go out and lock off shots that are not too long or too short and that don't have a potentially repetitive action in them (the cycle of the shot is about 5 to 10 minutes and can't for instance a bus that goes through it since that will be repeated every 5 to 10 minutes).
Sounds simple, doesn't it? Try a dozen or so views framed roughly the same at dawn, mid day, evening and night. Now add weather variations.
I expect to be busy since I will be out standing in my field (or park). 
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Latest reply: Aug 31, 2010
clzoomer- a bit woobly
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