Michael Webber

Author: Michael Webber

  • Franconia Color Run 5K – July 2016

    Franconia Color Run 5K – July 2016

    Our family is returning from vacation in Franconia, New Hampshire. No resorts and spas for this group, although we did visit Santa’s Village.

    For the most part, we spent the time hiking with an aim at “bagging” 4,000 footers, cooking on the campfire, and running.

    Franconia Recreation Department holds an annual 4th of July 5K (use to be a 10K), and since I started running, it’s become a highlight of the vacation. The run is your typical small town run, no chips and a small field of runners, but I LOVE THE RUN!

    Franconia Color Run 5K Course
    Franconia Color Run 5K Course

    This winter and spring I was dealing with lingering running injuries (Plantar fasciitis and hip pain) and I’ve been desperately looking forward to some decent, injury free running this summer. Over the past month, I’ve been noticing slow and steady improvements although the pain is not entirely gone the runs are much more enjoyable.

    While I did not beat my previous course time I felt great and came in sixth place overall, not too shabby! My wife did an excellent as well. Did I mention the benefits of a small field of runners?

    Family Photo at Franconia 5K Color Run
    Family Photo at Franconia 5K Color Run

    Small town run also allowed my two boys to get recruited to help throw “color” at the finish line, the whole family had an awesome time. Enjoying the running journey – July 2016

    Enjoying the running journey – July 2016

    Race results, posting here for my own future reference.
    Race results, posting here for my own future reference.

     

     

  • Chicken Marsala with Sauteed Spinach and Garlic

     

  • Video Production Trade News – Week of May 1, 2016

    Each week I share select trade news articles with students enrolled in my New England Tech video production classes. It’s critical in any field to remain current, follow emerging trends, examine best practices, and learn about various challenges that face the industry.

    Below are some articles from the past week that were discussed during class:

    1. In the Blink of an Eye – Walter Murch’s Editing Theory Put to the Test

    Paying attention to actors eyes can be a key into finding the perfect edit point in post production. This video from editor Sven Pape

    2. Happy 60th Birthday to Professional Videotape Recording

    Ampex VR-1000 Advertisement 1956
    Ampex VR-1000 Advertisement 1956 – Broadcasting-Telecasting, October 15, 1956

    The Ampex VR-1000 was a game-changing technology of its time. The First demonstration was on April 14, 1956 at the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters Convention (known today as NAB). Keep in mind before the release of the VR-1000 film was the only viable recording medium available to the TV industry.

    For some of the same reasons Hollywood recently shifted to “digital cinema”, TV broadcasters in 1956 saw an opportunity to cut cost and improve their efficiency. Recording east coast broadcasts and having them ready for rebroadcast on the West Coast just hours later was difficult and expensive. This was one of the driving factors to take advantage of Ampex’s new development. Eliminating film processing and development time:

    By 1954, the networks used more raw film stock for kinescopes than all of the Hollywood film studios combined, spending up to $4,000 per half hour. – Wikipedia

     

     

  • Low Cost Graphics for Blackmagic ATEM Swtichers

    Low Cost Graphics for Blackmagic ATEM Swtichers

    For a while now I’ve been researching low-cost, easy to use Character Generator (CG) system for our Public Access Station’s TV Truck. Today I want to share what I found and outline the solution we’re implementing.

    First, just a little background on what we needed out of the CG system. The station is very active, covering more than a hundred community events each year. Many productions require graphics to be updated and modified on the fly. Especially for sports coverage, it’s is a necessity.

    We also needed a CG that was compatible with our Blackmagic Design ATEM Switcher.

    A quick, but important side note on ATEM switchers. ATEM’s DO NOT have built-in scalers, which means that all incoming video must match exactly what you set in the configuration panel. In our case, we’re using HD 1080i. This is an important note when setting up an external CG.

    Users should also know that ATEM switchers CAN store pre-produced, static graphics. If you’re working on a project where all graphics are known ahead of time, you can simply load your graphics into the switcher, DONE. Photoshop is the best graphics software to accomplish this. There’s also a Photoshop plugin that speeds up the process with some automation, but that’s still not ideal for sports production.

    Once you decide that you need an external CG there are many solutions to look at, here are just a few:

    We first purchased the DataVideo CG350, but found it cumbersome and lacking some basic features we need. Software just felt outdated and difficult to work with, we’ll find a use for the software, but not in our main production truck.

    Other alternatives include Compix Character Generators, which is a great solution. Our station has used their product in the past with our SD systems. We’ve avoided this option, mainly for budget reasons, if you have the budget, Compix is likely one of your best options.

    For our situation, PowerPoint was actually the best solution. A low-cost and user-friendly experience. A system we can deploy in multiple production facilities and deal with failures quickly. For example, if the CG system dies, a quick trip to Best Buy or Amazon.com and we’re back up and running. PowerPoint is a well supported and modern software used by millions, unlike more specialize CG software that has a smaller developer team and only a few hundred users.

    I’m working on a blog post that outlines how to connect PowerPoint to a Blackmagic Design ATEM Switcher. Stay Tuned!

  • Installing TV Truck Microwave

    TV Truck Microwave (funny)

    #lame #tvhumor #ohboy #engineerhumor

  • Ending the day with some geocaching

    from Instagram: http://ift.tt/1SaNzhg

  • Analyzing Lighting & Set Design of Election Coverage


    Hat’s off to Alex McCown (@alexm247) for his latest piece over at AVClub.com, looking at the business of set design and lighting, specifically national election coverage.

    Expending such effort to make a bar look like a TV studio would seem to defeat the purpose of leaving the studio in the first place, but MSNBC is loath to diverge from the familiar template.

    High Definition Television has had a huge impact on modern set design and studio spaces in recent years. From the wide, rectangular 16:9 aspect ratio, to the sharp image detail, to the improved color rendition…expectations are high.

    “They all use the same two designers to build the sets, who make all the stuff at the national level,” Dillon says. “The same designers, the same materials, styling.”

    But why do many of the sets look similar across networks and what’s behind the prevalence of the color blue and red in their design. Check out this article!
    Source: Why every cable news set uses the same two colors · For Our Consideration · The A.V. Club

  • Sunset over Providence

    Sunset Over Providence Rhode Island

    (more…)

  • Old School Bowling date night. I feel guilty watch this guy set my pins…

    from Instagram: http://ift.tt/1QRhbv5

  • Lt. Governor Polito in Foxborough

    from Instagram: http://ift.tt/1PWdzb4