I think I might have mentioned once that when I order ground transportation for crew and gear, I’ve learned not to order any kind of minivan. Rather, I’m sure to specify a minimum 8-passenger van. We use 1CARES while in Europe as they go all-out to meet our expectations – even to the extent of providing this (for a trip from Krefeld Germany to Amsterdam) just to be sure we had the room we needed.
ACTION ITEM: It’s hard to overestimate your needs when ordering transport for people and gear
My daughter sat next to a guy who peeled the wire out of the barf bag’s enclosure and proceeded to pick his teeth with it. For two hours. What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever witnessed?
ACTION ITEM: Upgrade when you can.
Singularity Effect vs. Psychic Numbing. Really interesting Vox article about our collective inability to feel empathy for addressing a problem when the number of characters in the story grows from one to two to 20 million. Make the numbers big and you lose a significant amount of engagement. Choose to communicate data or an anecdote – probably best to avoid trying both.
ACTION ITEM: Can you break your story, such as a use case, down into more relatable numbers, perhaps a personal anecdote told from the perspective of an individual? Or can you offer the solution to a smaller subset of a larger challenge so it seems more relatable – and achievable?
Very fun animated GIF – I was a bit skeptical when it started but totally sold by its conclusion. Watch, learn, and make better graphs
ACTION ITEM: Make your graphs as clean and simple as possible – this goes for any PowerPoint slide as well – remove as much as you can, then toss out half of what’s left
Some (I hope) helpful advice if you ever rent a car while traveling for work or play
ACTION ITEM: Bring some way to use your phone’s GPS when you arrive on location
I was on a three-location whirlwind shoot-a-thon this past week creating a lifestyle series for our local newspaper The Union, working title: “Off The Beaten Path”. First stop is The Dew Drop Inn where we interviewed new owner and gracious host Lori Godfrey. Producer was Emily Rolland, Andy Rolland directed and will be editing, and Carson Hall ably served as Camera Operator. I was there for steady leadership and charm 😉 We brought, I think, three different camera platforms but the one we used in the dark environment of the barroom was the Sony a7S. I like this camera for its inconspicuous footprint; but also for its ability to reduce noise (that graininess you see in an image under low-light conditions), even at an ultra-high ISO of 16,000. Here’s what our two speakers looked like:
ACTION ITEM: Choose the right camera for the job
This is the second shot I’ve posted of – what I think is – one of the most photogenic city in the world (from this past spring):
Okay, here’s my rule about being a tourist and taking photos: don’t waste your time taking photos that someone’s already taken and likely done a way better job than you can ever hope to. Like shots of the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon. Concentrate on the faces of the people you’re with and reminders of the many small moments you want to remember most – like the swirly design in your cappuccino made by that zany barista in Crown Heights.
ACTION ITEM: Get your vaycay glamour shots on Google Images.
I always make sure an interview subject has a bottle of water nearby to battle “dry mouth”. But an experienced special event producer friend, Stephanie Nix, offers her speakers this stuff.
It’s a squirt of gel, minty fresh, to lube up your speaker’s mouth parts with a shot of moisture. Gonna try this out.
ACTION ITEM: Try it, let me know what you think
Here’s a quick travel tip, since these seem to be most popular posts here: before I fly I place a bottle of water in the console of my car so when I return (usually way dehydrated from flying) it’s within reach for a rapid rehydration. It really cuts down on the headaches and tiredness I sometimes feel after a flight, long or short… plus makes me sweeter to be around once I get home 😉
ACTION ITEM: Leave a bottle of water next to the driver’s seat before your departure
I was out having keys made when my eyes caught a blur of color in the dry grass.
I looked closer and there they were.
It’s amazing how much of life happens when we’re too busy to notice. There’s a saying in photography to “move your feet”, meaning find a new perspective on the image you’re capturing – go higher, lower, from behind a tree – move your feet.
ACTION ITEM: Look closer today. Move your feet.
Rolland Video Blog 