Remind Me Not To Do This Again…

I’ve just finished two days of staring for long stretches at the computer screen, reviewing all my footage for the films, (see also here) making careful notes about which takes I like, which I don’t, which are salvageable, which are a total mess, suggestions for cut away shots, transitions, other edits, etc, etc, etc… These notes are for my film editor, who will now take the hard drive of all the footage to begin cutting the first rough versions of the films.

It was a time-consuming process, with the additional complication from the fact that the Industry is in some disarray when it comes to high definition (HD) formats. Largely due to the explosion of technology, the move to, and the demand for the format from the consumer TV world, there is no universal standard for how different camera manufacturers (and even the different models of a given manufacturer) save the files they make, and for how to get those files safely and reliably off the camera and on to your computer in a way that allows you to view them. Different flavours of editing software have different capabilities for reading and manipulating the different HD formats too, and it is all a total mess. One shooting day we used a Sony xdcam EX, and on the other shooting days, for various reasons we used a type of Canon HD camera which is basically a hard drive equipped with fancy optics. Each has its advantages, depending upon my needs as director, and the needs and tastes of my DP (director of photography). Anyway, this led to a lot of time wasted figuring out format issues, and how to deliver the whole project database to the editor in a form that he can best work with and so forth.

With all that and the tedium of reviewing lots of footage, there’s a feeling of exhaustion creeping in. Sigh. Remind me not to make films again, ok? (Well, I say that, even titled the post with it, but truthfully, it is a fascinating and fun process as well. I’ve learned so much about the language, details, and means of expression in this powerful medium that will be of great use later on. This has been a large point of the exercise, of course. See my numerous extra posts on the issue of science communication in this and related media.) Sure, half my week has been eaten up with the above grundge work, but I think I’m done now. It has is 9:00pm on a Friday night and I think it is time to eat dinner, freshen up, and go out and play.

Workwise, it is time to change gears and do some physics for a long stretch. The semester is over, and I’ve two research projects to complete very soon and write up with two of my students, and one or two more to push forward.

Physics, here I come. Well… a day of gardening on Saturday first. Then Physics, for a long stretch. Ahhh.. re-immersion…

-cvj