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Jim Hyslop

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Everything posted by Jim Hyslop

  1. What do you want the logo to convey? The square one on the left kind of looks like film, and the rounded one looks like a row of TV sets. I'm not sure what the top & bottom cutouts are supposed to represent. What's your goal with the logo? What kind of ideas do you want it to convey? -- Jim
  2. I don't have a personal preference one way or another, I was just relaying his response. Usually, of course, the overriding rule (which CB usually points out as well) is: wrap the cable the way the owner wants it wrapped. So if I'm working on your truck, I'll only mate the connectors if the cable's bad. If I'm working for CB, I'll mate the connectors (if possible). -- Jim
  3. You need to find a way to get your mom on side with your career goals. I never had to tell my mom "this is what I want to do, so butt out", so I'm afraid I can't offer any suggestions there. Actually, your mom may be half right. HALF right. Maybe it is time to try something else - for now. Taking a job in a different industry while you sort yourself out is not giving up. It's a time-out, a break between rounds. Hell, I took a fifteen year detour - I started out in film and theatre, then drifted into IT as a programmer. I got fired in 2005, realized film was where I really wanted to be, took some night classes at Ryerson to update and upgrade my film training, am now getting back into film production. -- Jim
  4. I sent an email to the "host" of the video, Chris "CB" Babbie, basically as a courtesy to let him know. I'm posting his reply below:
  5. This video demonstrates the technique quite nicely.
  6. Wow. There is so much in here that resonates with me. Pretty much every point you made, I was thinking "yeah, been there, done that." I'm just going to pick a few specific points to reply to. For many years, I gave hand-made candles for Christmas. Everybody loved them. The people you care about know the situation you're in. If they don't appreciate whatever you give them, even if it's something as simple as a hand-made tree decoration, then maybe it's time to start caring about other people. Just because your film wasn't accepted does NOT mean the film is no good, or that you have no talent. It also doesn't necessarily mean the films that were accepted were better than yours. I think the general rule of thumb for acceptances to festivals is about one in twenty - for every twenty festivals you submit to, one will accept you. It's a numbers game, mostly. They have a limited number of slots, and hundreds if not thousands of submissions for those spots. I have never been a festival programmer, but I imagine it's quite a bit like casting. You may have a fabulous actress read for the leading lady, but when paired with the man you really want as your leading man, the two just don't quite mesh, so you go with the slightly less fabulous actress who plays well opposite your leading man. It doesn't mean the first actress is untalented. You'd be surprised. Just relax and let what happens happen. You will likely meet someone when you least expect it. Yeah, it sounds like a cliche, but that's what happened to me :-) -- Jim
  7. The light bounces off the front of the UV filter, then off the back of the promist filter then into the lens. If you only have one filter on, then the light bouncing off the front of the filter doesn't have any effect - it just dissipates into the room. -- Jim
  8. Well, I generally don't post unless I have something to actually contribute - doesn't mean I'm not concerned, though! For the benefit of anyone who may search the archives in the future for similar problems (not to mention those of us who are merely curious), would you mind sharing how you fixed it? -- Jim
  9. One way you can make sure he knows it's the "friend rate" is to send him an invoice with the full amount, with the discount shown so the net amount comes out to the agreed-upon amount. -- Jim
  10. DISCLAIMER I am not a lawyer. What follows is my expanding but still very incomplete understanding of a very complex topic. For proper advice and to properly protect yourself, you MUST consult a lawyer. Most likely you will need permission. If you don't get permission, then one or both of these may happen: some festivals will refuse to screen your film. The bigger and more important festivals (in other words, the ones you really want to get into) are the most likely to decline your submission if you cannot prove consent. the company will sue you. The first one is the killer - your film may fall squarely and totally within "fair use" provisions (in your opinion - see next paragraph), but the festivals aren't about to take that chance. They will want evidence that you have obtained permission to use the product and all clips in the film. The problem is, determining whether or not something falls under the fair use provisions isn't a cut-and-dried proposition. Even an expert lawyer isn't going to give you a straight yes or no answer. Fair use decisions are determined on a case-by-case basis, as the result of lawsuits brought by the copyright holder. And even if you and your lawyer are both convinced that you are invoking fair use, if the jury agrees with the company's lawyers, then too bad for you. Unfortunately, many legal decisions are not based on "right" or "wrong" but rather on "which side's lawyer was more skillful at manipulating the jury's emotions?" And generally, the more expensive the lawyer, the more skillful they are. Who's gonna be able to afford the more expensive lawyer, you or the company? The easiest path will be to get the company on-side with the project. Make sure your pitch to them is polished, well-presented and enthusiastic. Make sure you research why the product failed - that may play a key role in their decision, and may suggest the best angle to approach the company with. If it failed because of poor planning or execution on their part, they may want nothing to do with it. On the other hand, if it failed because of external factors beyond their control (e.g. a sudden economic downturn made it impractical, or it just faded away after a brief, glorious period, or the competition did something underhanded) then they may be more willing. Who knows - if they are enthusiastic enough, they may even be willing to help acquire permission to the film clips you want. If you can't get their permission, it's likely going to be an uphill battle all the way, even with a lawyer's help to guide you through the minefield you'd be about to enter. I wouldn't try to pursue the project without the company's support, unless I was really passionate about the product. But then again, I'm not you! :=) -- Jim
  11. At the risk of sounding like a cliche, right now you need to just take life one day at a time. You've just been hit with a terrible blow, and you're still feeling the effects of the initial shock. It will take some time to recover. I can't predict how long - it all depends on the individual. In the meanwhile, do as Hal suggested - make sure you exercise every day. The fixed routine, along with the exercise, will give you a basis on which to rebuild your life routine. Also, it's been clinically proven that exercise helps fight depression. I was fired from my job several years back, and looking back on it, the routine DID help. After the initial shock has worn off, that's when you start working on fixing it. For recapturing the passion, maybe a trick my wife and I learned from a marriage counselor will help. Think back, and figure out what first attracted you to the industry. Why do you like doing this? Then start doing those things that you liked. You have indicated that you believe your work isn't as good as others' work. As Scott said, that's an important first step. The next step is to analyze your work and determine exactly how your own work can be improved to match - or exceed - the others. So, take a step back, catch your breath, take stock of your situation, figure out where you want to go, then go for it! -- Jim
  12. This is kind of neat. It seems chicken heads have built-in stabilization: http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1891562 -- Jim
  13. The old Vaseline-on-the-lens trick, maybe? Or added in post? The shot at 1:23 looks like the blur is shaped to the image. -- Jim
  14. My personal take is that independent contractor vs. employee debates should only be relevant when dealing with The Tax Man. I was astounded to read your earlier statements about OSHA not applying to contractors. I couldn't believe it, but I had a quick look at the OSHA and it appears you are right. I much prefer Ontario's approach (H&S issues are regulated at the provincial level in Canada, not the Federal level). Ontario's Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) defines an employer as anyone who employs others, or who engages the services of a contractor, at which point the contractor also becomes an employer. The employer's responsibility is to provide a safe workplace for everyone, not just for "employees". There's another subtle result of Ontario's approach - it puts the onus on everyone to provide safe workplaces, whereas the U.S. approach seems to end up encouraging those in power to do their best to shift the onus onto someone else. -- Jim
  15. Do these same people complain when the director calls "Cut"? I mean, nobody actually cuts anything any more, it's all digital. Oh, sorry, maybe I'm being too logical :-) -- Jim
  16. That's good enough for me! I'm keeping the BPAV folders! My workflow is to copy the entire card to an external hard drive (via my Macbook Pro), duplicate the entire BPAV folder onto a dual-layer DVD (and onto a second DVD for extra redundancy, if time permits). I have 8GB cards which fit very nicely on a dual-layer DVD. -- Jim
  17. (I hit "Add Reply" when I meant to hit "Preview") Since the u-ground plugs can only handle 15 amps, DO NOT connect them directly to the dryer or stove plug. You MUST protect them with a 15 amp breaker. The easiest way to do this is to get a small distribution panel, connect the supply cord to it, and put 15 amp breakers in it. If you are not 100%, absolutely certain you know how to hook this up, enlist help, preferably from a licensed electrician. Back to the balanced load for a moment. The reason you want to balance the load is because the neutral line in the dryer/stove cable may be slightly smaller than the load lines. That's because in a well-balanced system, the neutral line (the white one) will carry little or no current. In a perfectly balanced system, you could (theoretically) remove the neutral altogether and the system would function normally. So, if one leg carries a lot of power and the other leg doesn't, then the neutral conductor could end up carrying a heavier load than what it was designed for. If there is a likelihood of moisture, you may want to consider adding GFCI protection. Actually, that raises a question - do HMI lamps play well together with GFCI? -- Jim
  18. Pick up a copy of the "Simplified Electrical Code" at your local Home Depot or Rona - it has a lot of information in it, and is a very useful reference. The Ontario version has a bright yellow colour (I think different provinces have different colours). Dryers are typically 30 amps and stoves are typically 40 amps. I'm reasonably sure that's standard, and may even be the code requirement. Each leg of the split phase will be able to supply the same amperage (30 for a dryer, 40 for a stove). U-Ground (aka Edison) plugs are rated at either 15 amps or 20 amps - depends if they have the horizontal tab on them. This is a 20 amp plug, and this is a 15 amp plug. When plugging in everything, make sure you distribute the load evenly between both legs. This is all in theory. In practice, you may not be able to draw the full capacity, especially if you use both a dryer and a stove receptacle. You have to account for all other loads in the home as well (does it have an electric water heater?) Any home more than 20 years old may only have a 60 amp service. Even older homes may have only 40 amps - stay away from them, as they will likely have knob-and-tube wiring. Oh, and before you go in - make sure the house actually has an electric stove or electric dryer. If it uses gas, you won't have the power available to you. -- Jim
  19. Bulbs explode. I'm not about to put my hand in close proximity to an explosion hazard. If someone on a set doesn't know what the term "striking" or "sparking" means, then they have no business being on-set without an escort, just as someone who doesn't know what "heads" means has no business being on a stage. -- Jim
  20. Ah, it's amazing how "wisdom" lingers on long after the truth has changed. Kind of like the "memory effect" of NiCd batteries - it was really only an issue for the first couple of years (they were introduced, what, 30 years ago?), and even then only if you discharged and recharged the battery to precisely the same levels each time. -- Jim
  21. That should work. You may need to get extra plug-ins for your NLE. Final Cut, for example, doesn't support TC directly, but there is a plug-in available (I'm referring to Final Cut Studio 2, I don't know if that's changed for FCS 3). -- Jim
  22. You mentioned earlier a still photography background. Assuming you meant with film, then it's exactly like shooting multiple shots with a motor drive (can you tell I'm old enough that my first SLR was manually advanced? :-) - the film advances, stops, the shutter opens then closes, the film advances, etc. etc. -- Jim
  23. Then just use the link provided by Chris Keth and print out the resulting chart. Or download David Auner's spreadsheet and print it out. -- Jim
  24. Another good reason to put the soft side on the matte box - for those of us in colder climates, at least - is that the hard side tends to grab onto any woolen objects like scarves, mitts, etc. I'd hate to walk away from a camera and drag it with me just because the velcro attached itself to my scarf! -- Jim
  25. I haven't used it myself, but I understand that Cinema Tools, included in the FCP 2 Suite, will do all the work for you. -- Jim
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