Digital Cinema

Friday night I went to see “One Night with the King” for the second time. Though the theaters were practically empty both times, it would seem good news that it was still playing for a third Friday. The first time I saw it was at the premium facility at Disney's Pleasure Island. One goes there expecting the very best cinema experience possible. The 35mm print was good without scratches but I had a hard time understanding some of the dialog, which I thought was a problem with the sound mix. Last night was at a theater in Columbia, South Carolina at a facility that is not the best in town. The projector was a DLP technology digital cinema unit. These are the devices that promise to revolutionize the way movies are distributed, but the cost of refitting all the theaters is daunting. This type of projector is way higher resolution than what we think of now as hi-res.

Anyway, the doubt has been for a long time whether any video projector would be able to duplicate the big screen experience of a 35mm print. After such a direct comparison, for me the answer is that it is much better. The picture is not discernibly different except that it is flawless. There is never a scratch from the first showing to the last. And it doesn't wander out of focus. The ads and previews that ran before the feature, which are often completely beat up on film, were all pristine.

But the biggest difference is the sound. The audio from the digital medium is much clearer than from the 35mm film print. In really old theaters the sound is often bad, but in the Disney room, the pride of Disney World in the movie-going department, the equipment is the very best available. But what I heard in the po-dunk room in little old Columbia last night was far superior. I could make out every word. It wasn't a problem with the mix at all.

Oh, and btw, go see “One Night with the King” on the big screen while you still can. I enjoyed it the second time. It's really quite good. That Tiffany Dupont who plays Esther is really something. The producers found her just weeks after she landed in Los Angeles. I think that little gal is going to be going places. The film is dialog heavy which places a great burden on the acting and the actors deliver.

Before the movie started, a promo for FoxFaith films ran. It was a montage with music and included scenes from “End of the Spear.” Hollywood is finally making room to serve up the kind of faith-based films that Christians have been vocally bemoaning the lack of for years. This is a huge opportunity for speaking truth into our culture. Vote early and vote often. Go buy tickets and see these movies.

Low Res Sailing

on a Hi Res day. I had high hopes for these pictures. Dave's brother Dan and family were visiting from Australia and were out in the speedboat at the same time I was sailing. I saw him take a photo of me and the boat in fine form in perfect wind on a great day and tried several times to get his images finally connecting with him last night. Unfortunately he was shooting in video mode (except for the bottom shot). I got a couple of frame grabs from the Quicktime file but they are low res, of course.

So, when something is obviously flawed, you try an effect and pretend it was meant to be that way. Or as we say in the video biz, "If you can't fix it, feature it!"

Furled and heading home:
Besides being able to make video, Dan's new little shirt pocket Olympus is also waterproof to ten feet or so. Later that night at a restaraunt, he stuck it in his glass of water and snapped this shot:

Golf Shoot

I promised some pictures of this when I shared my new found expertise earlier.

The Monkey Fist Productions crew: Chris, Arte, Les, Andy, Me. Been doing stuff every week with these guys.

Hurrying up and waiting.

This number shares the same meaning in production lingo and that of several other professions. Let's just say that we were thinking that this golf cart was somehow appropriate.

More Improvements

I've been spending a good bit more time on the production trailer finishing up the planned upgrades. It's cleaner and neater than ever. We discovered that there was actually carpet under the pile of cables that had accumulated.

I fixed the tripod rack I had built by adding some steel corner brackets so it actually holds together now.

I installed a junction box (a breaker box scrounged for $15 from Skycraft, our wonderful local electronics salvage store) that allows all the cable runs to the trailer to be connected externally.

There are chasis plugs for four power circuits, three triax camera jacks, six audio jacks, two intercom jacks, and room for much more. And my favorite, a little light that comes on with the other lights inside. (look in the upper right of the box)

The original power wiring was minimal and not thought out very well. It's all redone. The four chasis jacks go through duplex recepticals on the side of the junction box on their way to the left side outlets, right side outlets, front air conditioner, and rear air conditioner. The four circuits can be cross energized by patching between these outlets. The lights are all patched to any circuit using these outlets. This is convenient as the number of circuits supplying the rig can vary from job to job. Sometimes everything needs discrete circuits. Or it might just have one for overnight or whatever and you may want one AC unit running and lights and one set of outlets. Now it's easy to configure it for whatever you need.

On the inside the connections on the back of all the jacks are shielded by a guard. The black plastic panel slides up in a set of grooves in the wood sides to allow access. (the triax jacks are really deep so the camera cables stick out and have to be undone to slide the panel up)

A work light behind the racks is a little thing but experience has taught what a pain it is to have to trace a wire or patch something with a flashlight.

And it's so easy to take for granted a simple thing like a door latch. The former ill-conceived non-solution required either locking out everyone outside, or locking in everyone inside, or having the door hang open letting all the cool air out - a terrible choice for a doorway where multiple people must go in and out often. Installing a lock set in a trailer door is a good bit harder than it seems it should be. It is assumed that one only wants to lock stuff in it, not that one might be inside wanting to get out. There are a good many things different from a house door. But, with some time and ingenuity and determination we now have a proper door knob that works the way God intended - from the outside or the inside.

Home Sweet Home

I find myself in a living situation I never considered would happen. For the immediate future and an indefinite period into the rest of it, I am renting a room in a house from a friend. It's a pretty good deal. Way less than renting an apartment would be. And my friend also has a condo at the beach where he likes to spend most of his time when he's not working. And a girlfriend who's house he also spends time at. So, more often than not, he's not here at all. So I pretty much have the whole house to myself a good bit of the time. Well, not completely. He has two cats. Didn't think a thing about that but with age I have developed some alergy problems I never had before. And I think the cats are getting to me. Something is. I've stopped touching them and letting them in my lap. And I keep them out of my space. Hopefully it will be workable. Anyway, on to my point.

I've been bouncing around a lot the last six months. Staying here and there. A guest. A vagabond. A stint sleeping in a spare room in a downtown office where I cobbled together a make-shift shower in the bathroom. All in all an extended period, the longest of my life, of a feeling of homelessness. In fact, one night when I was staying downtown, after a long day of working outside in the heat, my old grubby clothes filthy and sweaty, I was walking down the street in an area full of night clubs, expensive cars, and trendy people dressed up for a night of partying. It is also an area where lots of street people like to panhandle. The dichotomy of humanity is striking. So, I'm walking along, feeling like myself, and happened to have a few chance interactions when suddenly I realized I was being perceived as a homeless person. It was strange. And then I thought, "Wait a minute. I AM homeless!" So, anyway, on to my point.

I finally have pretty much settled into my 10'x11' space. I got back a bed/desk from semi-permanent loan (like for eight years) to a friend. I had built it for my son who used it for a number of years. Again, I never dreamed I'd ever sleep on it myself, but it's my bed now. And I got myself a little love-seat and a nice office chair. And bought some lumber and built some simple storage solutions. And a few lights. The dark walls of the room really soak up light.

Okay, so FINALLY, here is my point: I finally feel a little bit settled. Like I have a little space that is my own. It's a very good feeling. As humans we seem to have this need to have a little place of our own. I think guys are less likely to admit what is obvious about women, but we have a nesting instict as well. We just don't feel right until we know where our toothbrush is going to be when we wake up and where our stuff will be safely stowed when we go out for the day. And a place to sit or lie down and be comfortable when we're tired. It just seems to be a basic need. But it is something Jesus didn't have. At least not during his recorded ministry years. It is another way our High Priest is able to feel our pain. The knawing when we are unsettled. It's amazing the many seemingly insignificant things that are recorded about Jesus' human experience that prove his ability to "be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." -Hebrews 4:15

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." - Matthew 8:20

Do those wings look familiar?

Hey!, Look at Me!

I read this morning that Chad Hurley and Steven Chen, the founders of the "YouTube" website, have sold it to Google for $1.5 billion. That's one and one half billion, as in 1,500 times one million, US dollars. That is insane. A couple of computer geeks with an idea for packaging and presenting other peoples' content are now each 750 million dollars richer (less taxes) for their little invention. It hit me like never before that the most valuable comodity in our information overloaded culture is attention. Do anything to get it from enough people and you have found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And this is the antithisis of God's most valued comodity: humility - the opposite of pride.

Kwik Kerb

Last Saturday I helped my friend Robert do a job with his Kwik Kerb business. It's an interesting process. You can make something really nice out of concrete with it. But I wouldn't say it's exactly quick. It was an all day deal to lay about 100 feet of the stuff. And it's hard work. The machine (made in Australia, btw), which extrudes concrete into curbs of various cross sections, works quite well and can follow curves. But there is a lot of shoveling and mixing and wheel barrowing that goes into feeding the thing. And the prep work is a big part of it, like many jobs.

The basic concrete curb is covered with a slurry that can be many different colors. The stuff we were using was the exact color and texture and thickness of a Wendy's Frosty. I was wanting one all day. When this stuff sets up a bit it can have texture added to it and various stamps that look like branding irons can make it look like brick in various patterns. The texture and stamps are dipped in a powder that after being sprayed with a sealer with some other chemicals in it gains it's strong coloring and contrasts with the slurry color. In a few hours the whole thing starts to harden up and cures completely in a month. Once cured, the base concrete and the slurry are hardened together. Like I said, it's an interesting process and a very nice product, but doing it is not something I think I want to do every day.

Crew Meals

Sometimes on a high end deal

the gig provides a great crew meal

Corporate money makes it zing

and you're eating like a king

Five star food is mighty tasty

although chow time might be hasty

The crew eats like a bunch of hogs

At home it's back to just hot dogs

Video Shoot

Stressed director
shots to make
That was perfect!,
one more take!
Move the camera
set again
tweak the light
and focus lens
Roll tape! Action!
Cut and print!
All day long
stay sharp as flint
Standby ready
can't be late
Got to hurry up
and wait
Most important
have a hunch?
Always mindful
when is lunch?

Golf Expert

So, last Thursday I shot a golf training/comedy show. (I'll put some pictures here when I get them from another guy) Twelve hours in the sun (and I forgot sunscreen) without a break. A few larger trees on the course got some special watering by the crew. Anyway, I am now an expert on golf. Here, for your edification and enjoyment, I give you my short course with all you need to know about the game:

How To Play Golf

1) Pay pile of money
2) Hit little white ball
3) Chase little white ball
4) Repeat steps 2-3
5) Repeat step 4
6) Repeat step 5 a bunch of times
7) Hit little white ball
8) Curse loudly
9) Look for little white ball
10) Put down new little white ball
11) Repeat step 6
12) Curse more loudly
13) Go to top, repeat all steps ad infinitum
14) Try to figure out why anyone would do this

note: The experience is not entirely boring. It is fun to drive the golf carts.

Solo at Sonny's

Last time here I wrote a poem
as I ate my pork alone
Today, again, I'm on my own
Remote conversing chance is blown
or even boring dial tone
This morning I forgot my phone

Visitation

Let me see your smiling face
full of beauty, full of grace
When we have to bear a frown
it never fails to get me down
Miss the joy when we're together
from the sun to stormy weather
and the sweetness in my ear
when your voice is drawing near

Fatherless

It's been 12 years today.
I miss you Dad.

Poetry Attack

been thinking in poems
mind they swarmed
like bursts of light
complete mini tomes
fully formed
in the mid of night

Tired

rest my aching back
drink some coffee black
open a book a crack
give a tune a whack
playing like a hack
try to keep on track
pray for what I lack
floss out some dental plaque
then maybe hit the sack

High Tech Camp Out

drive across town
in the middle of the night
to turn right around
and return at first light

wasted gas
too little rest
time is past
to be a guest

give some thought
it starts to suck
why be distraught?
just sleep in the truck

Nourishment

eating alone
is only beat in loneliness
by going to bed alone
so to set a better tone
and try to treat the ugliness
I'll sit and write a poem

Savory

smell of smoke
I can't wait
sip a Coke
how will it rate?
worth the hike
start to chew
boy do I like
bar-b-q

Sheet Metal

cut and grind
bend and drill
holes in old
new for fill
ideas tried
done it stands
smile of pride
and cut up hands

First Breath

I moved over the weekend. Again. I'm starting the settling in process. Again. I have more stuff than space to put it. Again. One would think that after so many times I would get used to it but there's no way around the stress and discomfort. I got to thinking about some other things I'm trying to get started in after long thought. Things I want to do badly but they scare me. And then I thought back to swimming lessons when I was a kid and about learning to scuba dive.

At seven or eight years old, when my family was living in a small apartment in downtown Chicago, I had the opportunity to take swimming lessons at the pool belonging to the school my father was attending. I wanted to get in that water and swim so badly but the lessons scared me to death. It was the strangest mix of desire and fear and I can still feel the oddness of that combination.

Many years later I was in another swimming pool. By then being in water was completely familiar and totally comfortable. I had wanted to get scuba certified since the first time I saw Lloyd Bridges in “Sea Hunt,” just like every other boy in America. The opportunity finally came along. But scuba requires going through one particular threshold that is so unnatural that everything in your body screams “DON'T DO IT!!!!” You learn all about how the equipment works. You see and know that it does. But at some point, with a regulator in your mouth, you have to put your head under water and breathe in. It is insanely unnatural. No matter what you know in your head, there is intense emotional and overwhelming physical revulsion against doing this. Some people just can't. It's one of those mind-over-matter situations. But if you can somehow gin up the courage to take that first breath and force another two or three amid all the adrenaline shooting around in your chest, the terror quickly passes. You settle into regular breathing which feels very normal and in no time the sights and sensations you are experiencing are so delightful you forget all about the breathing.

Ironically, scuba diving can be one of the most peaceful and relaxing activities imaginable. But dealing with those first breaths and with equipment that weighs a ton out of the water, you might never believe it to be possible. Transition is almost always very uncomfortable. But there is no other way to get to the good things on the other side.