By Royal Appointment

Sometimes you get to film ordinary people. Sometimes you have to dodge the security services and film someone a bit more interesting...

The chap with the gold belt is HRH the Duke of Glouster. The others are RAF/ATC officers and cadets... except of course for me and the bald chap in the bad suit... Air cadets are easier to film than dukes... they don't have bodyguards!

Overdrive : The Trailer

With apologies if you have already seen the trailer on the Overdrive blog, but here is the latest video to hit YouTube, along with the pilot programme. Overdrive is a personal project of mine that I am hoping to produce through next year with a 6 part monthly series - That is, if I can attract funding for it. I shall write more in depth about it when I'm more awake! In the meantime, comments always welcome!

Snow! where's my skis?

You may have noticed that there has been some snow lately.

With that in mind, here's some photos  of my street and car in the snow today - an enforced day off beckoned. Now the downside is that I've just prepared 2 videos for the air cadets who meet tonight, and I doubt strongly that I'll get there to show them now.



And because it's snow... here's what happens when a dogcam, a racing driver, 2 skis, 1 snowboard, and Tamworth come together with some appropriate music

The Perils of LP mode

With any luck someone else has experienced this problem and can suggest a solution, because I've never come across it and it's weird.

A friend of mine asked me to transfer video of their granddaughter's nativity play on to DVD. Fine, no problems - just run it through Final Cut Express, grab the out put and put it onto a Disc. Easy.

Errm... No.

It was filmed in LP mode, and although I've used the camera that they used to film it to capture it, I've had all sorts of problems sorting it out.

My Final Cut Express set up is usually optimised for working with the Sony Z1/5 or PD150 cameras. So I had to change a lot of settings to suit the little JVC camcorder that was used. Only 12bit sound first, which caused a bit of a surprise when you're used to everything being in 16bit at least. No problem, quick setting change and off we go again.

Now it's out of sync! Nearly a whole second out with the image in front of the soundtrack. No problem there either, just cut the offending difference off the front of the vision clip and shuffle it forward until it matches the sound. Great. Hit Render.

And it comes out Green. Not just green tint, but Green. Solid Green. Green and nothing else. I like Green, but the video shouldn't look like that!!

Fiddle with settings, now I've got random visuals. The same still keeps appearing and rapidly flashing with another one like bad stop motion.

I've got no idea at all what's going on with this. Usually when I capture something there are none of these problems! I'm sure it's something to do with the LP mode but I've no idea what. Any suggestions, Cyberspace?

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Update : Managed to re-capture it using the DV-Convert setting but it still came out out of sync. I've never known this sort of problem to happen before, so suggestions very welcome.

New Showreel...

Grief! Over a month since my last post! Been really busy of late. I promise to do another posting soon... once a 9th day in the week has been discovered!

Meantime, enjoy the latest Showreel!



Showreel 2010 from Kevin McMullin on Vimeo.

Bang!

Unless you've only just discovered my site, you will probably have worked out that I'm a bit of a petrol head, and love cars. I particularly like filming them, and contrary to popular belief also have an interest in alternative energy supplies - particularly electric vehicles and hybrids. However this new energy supply does seem to be somewhat... um... drastic.



Still, good on them for giving it a go - Bang goes the Theory certainly seems to be a big success for the BBC and the Open University in bringing science and engineering to the masses. and stunts like this will only help to reinforce that position... Won't be converting my Peugeot or Polo to coffee power yet though...

More information

Utterly Ages ago I was asking about aircraft hangers next to Llandow Circuit. Well the answer has now come forth : They are for sale. Price unknown.

I wonder how much they cost, but selling the area as development land will almost certainly mean the end of a pair of WWII Hangers that at one point were full of Spitfires. And that would be a shame when you consider just what you can do with a great big hanger full of nothingness...

I'd love to use that area as a studio come exhibition centre come autotesting venue... but I think it's probably out of my price range somehow, and they do need a bit of work.

Anyone want to buy a pair of aircraft hangers? My birthday is coming up, would make a nice present!

That was a joke. Hah Hah. Fat Chance.

A design on the future?

Over to the left there is, or should be at any rate, a sneak preview of what the new website will look like. There's only one small problem : Now I've got it designed, what do I do with it!?

I know about HTML. That is straight forward enough, but what I'm not sure about is how you take a picture made with photoshop and make it work as a website. This project is going to run a bit I think.

Also as part of the new design you can see the new logo, which shouldn't really be a surprise to anyone. and there's fewer buttons. About Me is going to be a pretty simple profile about yours truely, Services is what I can do for your video production [it occurs to me that I've never actually said on my website what it is I can do or that I'm available to do it!], Portfolio is going to take over the numerous pages with the videos on and hopefully be a lot easier to mainatain, the Blog is not changing, and M&W will be all the stuff me and Ulrich have done over the last few years. It should be pretty good once it's all worked out and in place. I've got a seperate design for the M&W website so watch this space.

Some production news for you. On BBC 2 (once they've sorted out the digital switchover around here, there will be a programme which I worked on broadcast on the 20th of March (Saturday) at 11:30am called "My Life : Children of Prisoners". I spent a couple of weeks logging rushes for this programme with Boomerang in Cardiff, and I'm quite looking forward to seeing how the finished programme looks after it's all been edited. Oh yes, and it'll be nice to see my name on the end credits for the first time on broadcast! Other productions are currently rather thin on the ground, but there will be a new showreel going up soon once the new music is attached to it, and there's a couple of small test videos in the pipeline once I get a few moments to myself. There may even be some flying with the Air Cadets to show you, meaning that once again my DogCam gets called into action. Aviating Dogcams... whodathunkit?
And of course there will be some motorsport filmed this year, that's inevitable. I'm keen to hone my skills of filming on board cars and tracking. Prehaps I can use the Peugeot for that? Hmm...

Motorsport diary wise, it's a busy year for me and my orange romper suit. All kicks off later this month at Pembrey, then I spend my Birthday at Gurston Down hillclimb. Both Goodwoods are on the menu too, which is great, and I've even got a date at Donington. That is, if it's all been put back together after lots of well documented problems this year.

As Ever, Watch this space...

Quietness... explained.

yes, I know, once again I've neglected the blog. Hopefully you've been keeping up with my tweets (see the twitter tweeter on the right of this entry) so you'll know that I haven't been not been completely inactive.

Yesterday was interesting. Vision mixing for Glam TV's live coverage of the Chinese new year celebration. Whilst there were a few problems (not least with the computer that does the streaming failing to spot the vision mixer that had been hooked up to it all morning and that had worked faultlessly up to an hour before we were due to go live.) In the event, the whole thing went very well.

Today was Pembrey for the first time this year... it's shaping up to be a great year of motorsport in the UK, and also the international series keep me interested. Other projects have included writing WRC previews for USF1 Journal, so keep an eye out for those.

And I'm still looking around for work. Someone has suggested specialising in vehicle mounted camera systems, and it's a possibility, but I'd like to keep my options as open as possible. I've got Job applications in already, and plenty of programme ideas to develop, so we shall see what happens with them.

Meanwhile, I'm glued to the Winter Olympics. I love my winter sports, and I hope that the UK can bring back something shiny!

Bye for now.

P.s. Got a surprise today in my e-mail box from the latest twitter follower...

From:   twitter

Subject: Sir Stirling Moss  is now following you on Twitter!

Crikey! If you're reading this Sir Stirling, I shall see you at Goodwood no doubt.

How long have I been doing this?

I missed something, I've now been doing this blog for a year! woo! *blows ridiculous party hooter thingy*

That is all.

Plans

Or lack of them, at the moment. Having just applied for one job, I seem to be left with time on my hands. Again.

At least I've got a whole year of teaching air cadets, and even better is the year of motorsport I've got lined up, Including a 24 hour race. I'm quite looking forward to that.

More plans - well I'm currently working on some programme ideas (again) and there's the 3 minute wonders to work out. Hopefully they'll go somewhere nice.

Other than that, trying to figure out where all my website visitors come from (some from twitter, lots from USF1 Journal and some who just seem to turn up, welcome to you all!) Things are rather quiet.

I therefore leave you with the last of the time lapse experiments.




The irony was that a week afterwards we got a LOT of snow, and I was out when it started! Bother!

Happy new year!

A happy new year to you all! I'm writing this in the midst of a big freeze as the news stations are insisting on calling it - The only problems I've got is the sheet ice preventing me moving my car (nothing some grit won't solve), and urchins throwing snowballs!

Over Christmas I made a mistake, and took part time night work at Sainsbury's. This was a mistake because working in the night proved to be able to drive me insane. I don't mind hard work, but hard work which goes unappreciated and accompanied by a system of bullying is enough to really drive me nuts.

But enough about that. Christmas was great with some interesting presents (you'll see one of them in a moment), and for once was white. Before Christmas I may have mentioned I was on work experience... I was logging rushes for a company called Boomerang, and their programme called "Children of Prisoners". It's on from Feburary 10th, and I should be very grateful if you watch the series, and look out for a familiar name on the credits. I've still got some work to do on that, so once again, watch this space.

Now, there's snow around, so that means it's time for the timelapse experiments again... Attempt one was set up in the hope of snow, and is 24 hours around here, Unfortunately, Autofocus in the dark is not a good idea...

Then snow finally turned up - right when I wasn't expecting it to - so turn on the timelapse camera quick! Caught 12 hours of snow melting.

There's a third part to this, and I'll show you that later.

So, to 2010. One of my Christmas presents was a new car - a VW Polo to replace my reliable, but aging Peugeot 106. I took it down to Southerndown (bad wolf bay, for you Dr Who fanatics) for some pictures and to enjoy the drive and mangaged to get this shot of the sunset. I wonder where these wheels will take me over the next year, and are there better times over that horizon*? We'll see

*actually over that horizon is Devon.

Originally intended for facebook

To those who are in the group "save Top Gear" I would say that as a TG fan and a telly person that although it's a great thing, sooner or later they will run out of ideas and the whole thing will die a slow death. Already they are beginning to struggle to be fresh and entertaining. It will end one day - don't think that this is nasty BBC taking away what you guys like, it's more the producers running out of steam - This is why Dr Who took a year off with only 4 specials this year. In other words a campaign to save a TV programme, wether public owned or not, is futile I'm afraid.

Wonder why it did that...

Not for the first time, Livestream baffles me somewhat. The player on the front page wasn't working earlier, yet it works now. How odd. I haven't done anything to it to make it work or not work.


Stopped off in a radio studio earlier and managed to avoid getting on the air myself, but it's something that I may be doing more of in the near future, particularly with the addition of a couple of cameras to the studio


I've actually been in Cardiff today in a production office logging rushes, after 45hours of working in a supermarket, it's a relief to be back doing a proper job, albeit for no money! I feel as if I've got two jobs at the moment, One I like but doesn't pay me, the other I hate but it does pay me... the conundrum is that I can't get rid of the one I hate. I know I haven't actually told you where my unpaid work is yet: All in good time though.


A fantastic Christmas present would be something a little bit more permanent though.


So, sorry for the confusion earlier. Carry on!

Transmissions will resume

One of the many difficulties of writing a blog about working in the Telly industry (or attempting to) is that there's a lot that I can't tell you about until it's released. I can't really tell you about the work experience placement I'm on at the moment, and I probably can't tell you that it's with a large Cardiff based production company. Or that I've been logging cards for the last two weeks.

Oops.

I certainly can't tell you that my part time job in Sainsbury's is driving everyone mad because of a refit at the store, but I think I probably can get away with telling you that the shop is shut this week. Not that that makes any difference to working there. Apparently though, I can't tell you about the brand new ******* or even the new ******** because if I do, this post will probably be censored.

But I can tell you that the work's very hard, it's very pressurised, and that now my knee has packed up completely, so when dressed in a leather jacket, according to mum I walk and look rather like Herr Flick of the Gestapo.

Don't ask.

My life has gone crazy.

Argh! What happened? Someone look at me and think (rightly) that I wasn't busy? I've had an offer of employment from Sainsburys (accepted despite it being night work), a phone call today asking would I like some work experience next week at a ... um ... well established Cardiff production house (I won't tell you which one though!), an invitation to visit Hubbub again, an appointment with the bank (what on earth do they want now?)

Setting that up, then also add a remembrance Sunday parade to sort out radios for, attempt to do something on the subject of air cadet motorsport, find myself making 3D models of aircraft hangers on a whim (maybe it'll come in useful? I still want one of those hangers!) and try and keep my Grandfather mobile.

And I still find time to get to see a bit of Ice Hockey (first game in 3 years!). Devils were on top form last Sunday, although Belfast had the audacity to turn up 2 hours late then take the first goal!

Also, I've been thinking of experimenting with 3D... suggestions for subjects please.

Anyway, life is now crazy. Help!

New projects, New Directions?

About time for an update. Even though once again I find myself heading for work in Sainsbury's over christmas I'm still trying to get into the television business. It's just that I may have to find new and interesting ways of doing it.

So, Having been to a roadshow with the BBC's commissioning editor speaking, I am now working on 2 new documentary style programmes and updating R.S.T-UK with a new look and title. That's the idea anyway, hopefully someone will like them!

It occurs to me that I've never actually put any services that I can offer on this site. Prehaps it's time that I did!

Incidentally for any Motorsport website editors or broadcasters reading this, I have worked out how much it costs to offer a video news reporting service from all the rounds of the WRC to include interviews from mid day service, the end of day press conference, coverage of the ceremonial starts and finish, and anything else I can point a camera at.

We can dream, can't we?

Cars, Cameras, and plans

I said I'd write more about that camera, Well. it's a hefty brute of a thing. I was using it on a short film called "Message" which will hopefully be on the festival circuit later in the year. It's great to get experience with new kit now and again in the hope that when the revolution comes and I actually get a job, or at least a project that I'm being paid for, I'll know what I'm doing. I think it may well be a little bit too heavy for me though, after 10 minutes or so my back and shoulders ached a lot. I think I need to work out!

In the pipeline for me, are several programme ideas to develop, actually get some kit for the cadets, and a few other things.

Ah, the cadets. Muggins here suggests that they might like to try Autotesting (as seen on RST!) The commanding officer thinks that this is a great idea. Puts it forward to the wing (a kind of squadron of squadrons), They liked it too! So this time next year we should be just about to hold a big youth motorsport event somewhere which should be fun. And I can always film it and see if anyone's interested in broadcasting I suppose.

It's a pity that at the moment, I'm not feeling well, and neither are any of my family. It's distracting me from my job hunt, and the weather has turned cold and decidedly wet. In short, It's all very depressing. My car has also heard of news of an impending new arrival, and has decided to revolt against me. A rattling noise I assumed to be a loose silencer turned out to be a broken silencer, then an oil check revealed that most of the oil had gone missing. Here's a tip cash concious motorists. Never, ever, ever ever, Miss a service. If you do it yourself, great, but do it! I wonder what it's going to do next.

Anyway, it's Rally GB time again here in lovely Wet South Wales, so what follows is a preview of the event. I'm not much of a journalist, but hopefully in the future some more media assignments will turn up. Watch this space.

I'm saying that a lot lately.

Why give up now?

Last night, I got very depressed. This happens.

For some daft reason I've got lots of work on the go, and not being paid for any of it! I got chatting to a camera man last night [at a radio concert ??] and he basically confirmed that yes, there's plenty of companies doing things out there... and no, they're not taking on.

Add to that applying for a placement that I knew that I could do, but being turned down for not having the right degree. I've never even heard of a BA in Interactive Digital Media, so good luck to that company if they're trying to get someone with one of those to do high definition web based videos for them : Something I've been doing for ages.

Anyway, got back from the concert, which was fantastic, as usual and well worth a listen when it comes onto BBC Radio 3, and sulked for a bit. Wondered what my next move was... considered giving up on television and video altogether. Watched a few silly videos on youtube (Alex Budovsky's animations are great if you're in need of a giggle, look them up), then realised that I needed to prepare a video for the Cadets tonight. So fired up Final Cut, and found the autotesting video that was part of RST. Set to work, and by the end of it all (01:30 this morning) wondered why I ever considered giving up something that I do enjoy, paid or not, and today I'm working on some new treatments to send off. Hopefully one of them will turn up trumps. Onwards!
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Quick question for any Mac Users reading this... Has your browser started acting funny? I think the latest version of Flash is causing some problems with it, as whenever I visit a site using flash (or try to upload something), it crashes on me. I thought it was just a safari problem, but firefox is also doing the same thing. Is it just me?

Rant

A message to Red Bull. Don't advertise a live stream of an event in the UK if you have no intention of broadcasting it here. I was really looking forward to watching it today, as a British Pilot (Paul Bonhomme, who flew the mustang at Goodwood) was in a position to win it. Turn on the live stream that you organised, and nothing except a message saying : "In respect to our broadcast partners the stream will not be available in Spain, UK, Germany, New Zealand, Taiwan, Malta and Australia." - a Message that I had not previously notice during the run up to the event.

What Broadcast partners? I haven't seen the air race on any UK station all year. It used to have a terrible programme on Channel 4 (well, I say terrible, but in fact very good for a commercial station). And that wasn't live. If you want a decent programme first get the BBC interested then M&W productions will be happy to produce live coverage for you for broadcast in the UK, at a competitive price too.

You were building up the live stream on Youtube, on your own website, on the pilots websites, and you go and stick the knife in the back by suddenly announcing the lack of UK coverage hours or so before.

If you don't care about the UK, I would suggest you don't bother coming back.