Friday 27 February 2009

Down by Murphy's law.

It's not often that a day's events get to me, but today has well and truely taken the proverbial biscuit.

First, I forgot my memory key - I realised it was missing just as I got to Culverhouse cross outside Cardiff. This would not normally be a problem, but it had the news title sequence for the day's live broadcast on it

Hurried phone calls and 2 train trips later and I've got it back again. and arrive back in uni to be told that I need not have bothered making the trip - and indeed Ulrich's talents in composing the music were in vain. Someone else had already made a title sting. Marvellous!

I'll put the one which I made up online so you can see it. it's only 15 seconds long, but I like it!

The one highlight of the day was running the small insert studio for a live news feed. This sounds simple, but all the VT inserts were being played in from another studio in a different part of the building - and worse, I couldn't see or hear them! It took a lot of communication and lots of saying "Cue" to make sure the presenter got his lines in on time. That went really well.

Unfortunately the communication flew away for the last section - I had no idea where on the script we were because I couldn't hear or see the program, no one told me anything - untill about 10 seconds before I had to do it. The resulting effect was that the presenter was thrown into the "newsroom" which suddenly came alive, and then he found his voice! For a first attempt, not bad, but a lot of work needs doing.

I hope tomorrow will be a better day.

Monday 23 February 2009

Wanted

Okay, I have discovered very quickly that running a studio takes more than 2 people. In fact it takes closer to 8. Minimum.

This is a bit of a problem when you've got a plan to make a TV show in a studio, and, err 2 people.

Whilst I have to use current students to actually do the technical bits, which whittles down the options somewhat, the choice of presenter is a bit freer. So If you're in the Cardiff area, don't mind doing work for absolutely nothing but experience, and you want to be, or are, a TV presenter, preferably with an interest in British Motorsport, please get in touch!

I can't give too many details about the program away. Well more accurately I won't give too many details away. It's mine, and I'd like to keep it that way, so I'll use my favourite phrase.

Watch this space.

Friday 13 February 2009

Transmission Break

For anyone who tried to log on earlier this week, and found the main site down, then I'm very sorry to hear about the problems. I've tracked the problem down to Plus Net who had some server difficulties on Sunday and Monday, so the blackout was probably caused by one of them. Do not adjust your brain, normal service has now been resumed. I hope.

Wednesday 4 February 2009

The results of the Time Lapse Experiment.



I think with hindsight, The concept of timelapse is sound, but could do with a bit more work - for a start making sure the computer doesn't shut off [hence why there's a big of a jump in time]. Rather more alarming, the car moves after it's been parked. I didn't move it, so why did it move... somewhat unnerving.

I had thought about getting the dogcam out for a snowy drive, but all the snow has gone now, so I can't.

Tuesday was the most snow we've had for some time, certainly. you've probably seen it on the news, and if you're one of my European based friends, had a good laugh at how pathetic we Brits are when it comes to snow. It was probably the daftest thing I've ever done, but I chose to go into uni for my weekly Studio session. Well one of them anyway. I do enjoy these sessions. Studio work up till now has definately been lacking from my life - and I seem to be settling into two distinct roles. Sound mixing and floor managing [haven't done vision mixing yet though].

We'd got the set and lighting planned, the script was being written, and then Andy our lecturer walks in and explains it's snowing quite heavily, so if any of us had to go any great distance, it might be an idea to go now.

I call home, and yes, it's snowing quite heavily. Best to head back then.

30 minutes after I left, Uni was closed, so I missed nothing. about 5 minutes before I arrived back [surviving a slightly slippery moment on a nearby roundabout] It stopped snowing completely, and about 10 minutes afterwards me and Dad went for a lovely walk in the sunshine. I even had my sunglasses out!

They do say there'll be more snow on Thursday. I'm not missing Friday's studio session for anything! Last week we had a mock Police news conference. Which went from our technical view, very well indeed. Well other than one of hte 2 radio boom microphones dying on us, and the talkback system failing. The Journos also enjoyed it. finding holes in the police students stories, picking at them, hammering wedges into them, then going for the kill. I don't have any video to show you, but suffice to say my music technology degree is working wonders. People listen to me when I say what needs to happen on the sound. Joy.

Oh yes, and I'm still blanking out those number plates.

Monday 2 February 2009

Crikey! Snow!

What with it being snowing and all that, ['s funny, it's just stopped] I'm trying out something a bit new. Time Lapse. I've got a software called Gawker, and I'm trying to get it to take a photo every 5 minutes so I can strng them together afterwards. I wonder what will happen...?

In case you're wondering, I'm still editing all those number plates from last week! And I've had a press conference in the TV studio at Uni, which went well. I also appear to have found that sound mixing and floor managing are roles that seem to suit me. Wonder why.

The results of the time lapse will follow.