Procrastinicity

I didn’t know this the last time I renewed my passport – about 6 months ago – but a bunch of countries won’t accept passports scheduled to expire within 6 months of your initial date of entry. For Shengen countries – we’re talking Europe here – it’s a mere three months. So check your passport – if it’s expiring this year or early next, get it renewed now.

Behind the scenes at ANCA in Melbourne, Australia

Working earlier this year with a delightful client in Melbourne to create one in a series of use case videos. Their customer, ANCA Pty. Ltd., captured these clips and posted them to Instagram. That’s me in the highly fashionable “high viz” vest. Enjoy!

 https://www.instagram.com/p/BRpQFZPhKU3/?taken-by=ancacncmachines

When Her Pickup Runs Over Your Dog

I’ve never encountered this before, so I really could use some guidance. I have a project coming up soon where the person I’m interviewing on camera may not be completely thrilled about some of the issues we’ll be covering, ranging from the slightly awkward (showing up wearing the same novelty t-shirt) to possibly litigious (her pickup ran over your dog). Any tips or tricks for keeping the speaker on track even when they may not be totally happy about where the conversation’s going?

New Gear I Got, Part The First: Kessler® Second Shooter

This is the first of six brief videos showing some of the new gear I’ve acquired since the end of last year; this first one is all about the Kessler Second Shooter device. The video runs a little long (still less than 3 minutes), for which I am deeply and truly sorry, but I’ve made up for it by including an insanely helpful tip at the end about making “Cheat Sheets” for complex equipment you may use only infrequently. Check it.

 

Turn Clothes Hangers into a Sleep Aid

You probably already know that you’ll generally sleep better in a room that’s quiet, dark, and cool. There are a lot of tricks I use while traveling to make my room as dark as possible, which helps as I almost always seem to get the second-floor room with the mercury-vapor lamp three feet from the window. I use those trouser hangers, the ones with the clips, to hold the drapes securely closed. Like this:

Get Me An Apple Box

Last autumn I got an iPhone 7 to replace my ancient and creaky 5, which reminded me of a story: was on a job last year for a Japanese-based company, where the client spoke little english. I was trying to elevate the camera on a tabletop for a better view, and mumbled to myself that I needed an “apple box” – these are wooden boxes that come in varying sizes for use on video and film shoots. They look like this:

The client disappeared for a few moments, then returned with an Apple box:

 

Chris Fenwick on Working With Bill Rolland

Talented and experienced Editor/Director of SL/CE Editorial describes his appreciation for Bill Rolland’s ability to structure corporate videos as compelling narratives – complete with drama, sympathetic characters, and that all-important Third Act.

 

Out Of Ham

Not what you want to see. Ever.

It’s vs. Its

Ever not completely sure when to use “it’s” versus “its”? I feel the same way when driving on a one-lane road, going up or down, and someone else pops up ahead. If I’m going up, and I supposed to go back down? Or am I supposed to back up? (spoiler alert: the vehicle facing downhill must yield the right-of-way by backing up until the vehicle going uphill can pass) The trick I use is the one who must back up, backs UP. Get it? Yeah, pretty awesome. Here’s my “its” “it’s” memory device: the word “it’s” is short for “it is” or “it has” – the apostrophe is doing the work of a letter or two. If you’re not replacing one or two letters, you don’t need the apostrophe.

Welcome Home

Returned recently from a job in New Zealand, landed around 6:00 am on a Sunday at SFO. I drove over the Bay Bridge toward home, paused a moment on Treasure Island, snapped this pic of the San Francisco skyline.