Category Archives: Production Notes

WHY CAN’T A VIDEO CAMERA BE MORE LIKE A VIOLIN?

AND LESS LIKE A WARTIME CAR? Consider the violin: it rests on the shoulder, steadied by the chin. One hand works the bow, while the other supports the far end of the instrument and fingers the strings. It’s light and … Continue reading

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HOW TO FIND WORK

There’s an interesting post on the DV Forum from Starman: Okay, so I have been counting the days that I have been booked the last month doing, camera or audio, I worked 8 days this month. Is that slow? Or, … Continue reading

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MONDO NAB – THE SHOCKUMENTARY

Births, Deaths, Flagellation, Public Suicide, Ritual Killings, The Kiss of Life, Human Vivisection – it’s all here Many moons ago, three Italian producers made Mondo Cane (A Dog’s Life). If you haven’t seen it, you should. It’s instant view on … Continue reading

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MY SECRET NAB

It all happens off the show floor… If you think the NAB Show action is in the exhibitors’ booths, think again. Since all of the players in the following stories are either retired old fogies, or, better still, stone-cold-dead, I’ll … Continue reading

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A LEGEND IN MY OWN LUNCHTIME…

WHO NEEDS DINNER WHEN YOU’RE ON LOCATION? SYDNEY, 1963 I’m shooting American singer Damita Jo. Channel 9 has bought in top London based director Kenneth Carter. Fly in both the talent and director from overseas… yes, it’s a great Aussie … Continue reading

Posted in 2010, Production Notes | Comments Off on A LEGEND IN MY OWN LUNCHTIME…

WHERE’D MY WEBSITE GO?

MEET DA BIG BLACK HOLE! By Stefan Sargent Excitement. Roger and Vicki are coming to stay overnight. Roger worked in my London video facilities company, 30 years ago. That’s where they met. He dumped Miss-Almost-Right for Victoria.  She was producing … Continue reading

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BOKEH ARROW

Photo by Andrey Gorlov, using a Canon 550D. Whenever I discover that what I like and admire is rejected — or, even worse, when what I dislike is liked and praised by others — I stand back and wonder: Can … Continue reading

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WHISKERS ON ROSES – August 11, 2010

My favorite things from The Slime of Mucus — not cameras, tripods or lights but the interesting, nitty-gritty things that never get any glory. In no particular order, here we go: NORAZZA CD & DVD DESTROYER The video jobs I … Continue reading

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HAVE CAMERA, WILL LAPTOP – July 14 10

Updating, it’s a drag. The solution is IIWDFI. Who needs that upgrade? Not me… Microsoft Office 2004 suits me fine. I make my Web sites with obsolete Adobe GoLive CS2 and still use Visual Hub even though it’s a dead … Continue reading

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COME ON BABY, LIGHT MY RIG – June 2010

Way back in June 1982, I opened four new edit suites at Molinare. The cost? About a million each with Grass Valley and ADO digital effects. All four suites looked like this but with different paintings. We charged $600 an … Continue reading

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