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| 5.31.2006 |
| Transitions |
"I'm just a simple man, trying to make my way through the universe." - Jango Fett
Tran-si-tion : A passage from one form, state, style or place to another.
Sometimes a transition will give me problems while I'm editing. A lot of the times it's just me nit-picking, but the wrong transition can wreck havok on your spot. The Webster's definition of a transition is above, but I'm refering to a edit-transition used in puting together a :15 spot or a movie. It's the vehicle that moves you from one scene or action to the next. There are lots of various types of transitions.
There's the really lame and corney ones...which are generally refered to as wipes. That's the old page turn effect, shapes like stars filling the screen to transition you to the next scene or that spinning cube...I really hate that one. In some cases they work, but most of the times they are overly used.
Then there's the dissolves. Sometime one image or scene will simply dissolve into the next, giving you a very soft and smooth transition, and occasionally you even miss the fact that you've been transitioned because it was so smooth. You can also dissolve to a color then back to a scene. Your watching a scene then it slowly goes to white then dissolves back into another scene. It causes you to pause for a second, giving you a breath before the next scene. Each of these effects bring with it a sort of emotional wieght if you will. The way it's used can help maintain a feel to a scene. It can help speed it up or slow it down, it has just as much emotional impact as does the score.
There is one more transition style. It's called a 'hard -edit' or a 'jump-cut'. Basically there is no transition. One scene ends abruptly and another begins. There's no chessy effect, no soft dissolve, no fade to color...just and abrupt end and a quick beginning. These generally make you feel uneasy or unbalanced, which is the point. These are used alot in action sequences and movies...especially horror.
Now that you're all educated in the art of edit-transition I'll get to my point. I was intending to post a picture of my new office today. Today was the "Move-In" day for everyone at VTN to move to their new offices. I had been sharing a room with two other producers and the production guy. "The Quad" we called it. It was fun, but distracting at times. Anyway, I spent the morning yesterday cleaning my old space. Packing everything into a couple of boxes and getting ready for my move.
I never made it to my new office.
I was moving a stand into it when my boss waved me to follow her. So I did. I ended up in her office sitting across the table from the stations General Manager. I didn't need my Jedi sense to tell me that this wasn't good. I won't go into the details because I'm not here to question anyone or start playing that bitter blame game. That's not who I am. Basically it came down to creative differences. VTN was heading to one path with one vision and I was seeking another. That's it in a nutshell.
That was my hard-edit or jump-cut. Before lunch I was an employee of VTN...after lunch I wasn't.
I can't say that I'm really surprised. I've butted heads alot with my opinions of what we should actually be doing. I most certainly didn't fall in line with their conformity nor did I attempt to jump through any hoops. I was simply being me. Saying what I feel, doing what I did. If I had to do it all again....I wouldn't change a thing. I'd do the same thing, shoot if I did it again, I may even push harder the second time. Who knows.
Here's my thing. I don't hold to any form of political correctness, nor do a play office politics, (which is why I'm not nor ever will be involved in corporate america) and I can't for the life of me really get into anything that I'm not passionate about. Like my yard...lol. My viewpoint of christian TV is this. It's in a bubble and it will always be in a bubble as long as it is run by and catered to the 'bubble' people. The concept of christian TV is a good concept and the underlying message and theme is good as well, but the execution of it and the way it is handled is subpar to most other networks. I'm not talking about just VTN...I'm talking about ALL of the christian channels...Family Net, TBN, INSP, DayStar...you name it. Except for a handfull of original shows, they all have the EXACT content. The people that would truly benefit from a christian pesprective or presence on TV are the ones that are not even remotely interested in it, because there's nothing there that interst them. It' not relevant to them in anyway and that's just sad. It's no one person's fault. The networks can only air shows that are available and quite frankly there's nothing available. And if there is something that is out-of-the-box it's either poorly done or shunned by the 'bubble' society.
I think that's why I love Rock Creek so much. It's not 'Church'....it's LIFE! It's not confined or restricted to anyone's preconcieved values or codes. It simple is. It's a place where everyone is truely welcomed and no idea is too outragous. They'll try anything that will further their ability to reach people where they are at; and the will of the church will not be controlled by a couple of loud mouth controlling individuals, which is the case in alot of churches. They're going into the world...not into the bubble.
I see christian TV as in it's current state to be increasingly irrelevant to the people that truely need it in the future. There are few in my and younger generation that buy into the current trend of Christian TV and basically, the main audience is dying out. Once they're gone. It's done. If they don't start building a younger broader audience now...it's not gonna happen later. They (christian TV) tries to hard to set itself apart to the extent that people outside the bubble looking in are confused and turned off by what they see. I don't have all the answers. No one does, but I know this is not my path...this is not my destiny...God did not put me on this earth to conform or follow the status quo...He told me to "Transform". That's what I intend on doing.
As I said before, I hold no one at fault. Nor do I hold any resentment. It just simply wasn't a good fit anymore. I had come to a place where I just quite trying to be creative because I could see the futileness of it. I couldn't see the usefullness of it. I didn't want to continue maintaining the status quo. I was out the door a long time ago.
I've never been one to keep in line with the crowd just because that's what everyone is doing. I like to challenge authority, challenge the status quo...ask the question "WHY?" Now, I'm not disrespectful of authority...don't get me wrong. I've done my military time and I know how it works, at the same time I refuse to conform to anything that does not go in-line with who I am and what I believe. Not happening. And I thank God that I have a wife that understands that and supports me in that endevour. She's been very encouraging to me. She actually told me she was proud of me. Just so you know that's not the typical response from a wife when her husband meets her at the door and informs her that he's unemployeed. God bless my wife. She told me that she love's who I am and that's why she married me. She loves my loud mouth and unconformist ways. "You always say what everyone is thinking anyway." She said. We both had a good talk and we're very excited about what's ahead. I'm looking forward to spreading my creative wings in a place without restrictions. I wasn't happy there. I knew it. They knew it. And there you go.
I appreciate your time and letting me share my feelings. I look forward to posting a pic of my new office soon, where ever that is. And I also look forward to wearing jeans to work ( I hate slacks). |
posted by G. @ 6:04 AM   |
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| 5.04.2006 |
| The Balance Has Been Restored |
"Did you hear that?" - C3P0 (first line in ANH)
Yep! I heard it. Did you?
THE ORIGINAL THEATRICAL VERSION OF THE STAR WARS TRILOGY IS COMING TO DVD
Here's the story:
The original theatrical versions of the three earliest "Star Wars" films are finally coming to DVD Sept. 12, two years after diehard fans blasted Lucasfilm Ltd. for releasing only the digitally modified "Special Edition" versions of the celebrated trilogy in a boxed collection.
This time, the three films will be available individually and appear on DVD exactly as they did in their initial theatrical runs - Star Wars in 1977, The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and Return of the Jedi in 1983.
Each release, distributed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, will be a two-disc set that also includes the digitally tweaked 2004 edition. The DVDs will only be available through Dec. 31.
Lucasfilm said the decision to revisit the trilogy came about "in response to overwhelming demand."
"See the title crawl to Star Wars before it was known as Episode IV - A New Hope; see the pioneering, if dated, motion-control model work on the attack on the Death Star; groove to Lapti Nek or the Ewok Celebration song like you did when you were a kid; and, yes, see Han Solo shoot first," according to Lucasfilm.
The most publicized change is the notorious cantina shootout between Han Solo and Greedo in 1977's Star Wars.
In the new DVD, Han Solo will be shown shooting first, just as he did in the original theatrical edit. He quietly unholsters his gun under the table while Greedo threatens him, shooting him dead.
When George Lucas tweaked the film for a new theatrical run in 1997, marking its 20th anniversary, he extended the scene to show Greedo firing first and missing.
Fans objected, so for the film's 2004 DVD debut Lucas tinkered with the scene yet again, this time making it appear Solo and Greedo fired simultaneously.
Jim Ward, president of LucasArts and SVP of Lucasfilm, said over the years, "a truly countless number of fans have told us that they would love to see and own the original version that they remember experiencing in theaters. We turned to the Lucasfilm Archives to search exhaustively for source material that could be presented on DVD."
Sources said the transfers won,t be as clean or vivid as the digitally modified versions.
Geoff Kleinman, editor in chief of the Web zine DVDtalk.com, expects strong sales from fans who have been waiting for years for the original theatrical versions to come out on DVD.
Lucas, he said, "seems to be able to put his fans through pain and misery and have them come out the other end buying more product. There's only one Star Wars, and anytime that appears on a shiny disc there will be people who will buy it."
Author: THOMAS K. ARNOLD |
| posted by G. @ 10:22 AM |
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| 5.03.2006 |
| Debit, Credit or Bag? |
Han Solo: "I call it Luck."
Obi-Wan: "In my experience, there is no such thing as luck."
Ok. So I just got back from Wal-Mart. I had to go to the pharmacy to pick up my insulin & needles. I walk up to the lady behind the counter as I have on so many other days, I feel like a practically know everyone there. She goes and gets my supplies brings them to the counter and I pull out my wallet and reach for the plastic. You know the drill -swipe card- hit debit - enter pin - done. Well, the machine and my card weren't getting along. We stood there for a couple of minutes trying to figure out what the deal was and finally I said, "Let me just go to the registers out front and pay for it."
- "Wait. Let me have your card."
-- "What? Why?"
- "Just go with me for a second." (as she grabs a plastic bag) She then procedes to place the card into the bag and pulls the bag tight against the card.
--"What are you doing?"
-"I know it's wierd, but it works." She swipes the card and then "Card reader error" Well Duh. "Hold on." She readjust the bag and swipes again.....SHAZAM! It works! I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it.
Now which is weirder? The fact that it worked or the fact that someone actually figured that out.
Weird. |
| posted by G. @ 6:57 PM |
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| 5.01.2006 |
| Oooow! |
"I have a bad feeling about this." - Han Solo
Hmm. Must be one of those kamikaze pinquins. Or he's just having a really bad day.
That's pretty much how I feel at this point. This ear is driving me crazy....
I haven't had a full nights rest since my surgery
My head is in constant pain
I have fluid ooozing out from my stitched area behind my ear (apparently my Dr. left a gap in the stitching to allow the fluid to flow out when the pressure was got too high) Yuck!
It can't flow out of my ear because it's PACKED with FOAM
I still can't turn my neck hardly
It hurts to smile
It really hurts to laugh
I can't open my mouth very wide at all.
I'm still sleeping in my recliner. (too painful to sleep in the bed)
SLEEP? What the heck is that?
I haven't picked up and held me kids since the surgery
ARARJNNGHGGH!
My computer at work is giving me a major headache
I'm tired - I'm at my witt's end
Lord help the unfortunate one who places that last straw on my back - cause he's gonna get it.
Sorry for the ranting...I don't do it much. I'm generally a pleasant, care free guy. I'm just physically, emotionally and everythingelse(ly) exhausted.
Looking at the little pinguin makes me feel better. Helps me put things in perspective. Yep. Sure I'm a walking zombie with an exploding head that's running on empty - but atleast I'm not about to be a killer whale's lunch.
Yep. It's all about perspective. |
| posted by G. @ 7:32 PM |
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| About Me |
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Name: G.
Home: Arkansas, United States
About Me: I have a beautiful wife, Jennifer, who has blessed me with two children. Haven Dawn & Xander Thomas. I'm a Producer/Editor for UAMS (Univ. of Arkansas for Medical Sciences). Go Cowboys!
See my complete profile
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