FBI Visits ISI? A little bit of Boston in Vancouver
Gastown’s a pretty popular area to find lights and sets of tv shows and movies shooting in Vancouver.
This morning I noticed more cars than usual parked outside the ISI building.
I snapped some photos with Jennifer in the afternoon of some props and vehicles for I assume a shoot for the tv show Fringe.
Long drive, eh?
Nothing says undercover like a large dark van with the FBI logo on it...
Jennifer inspecting FBI vehicle
Lenspen: 5,900 views and counting…
Almost 6,000… keep on climbing Lenspen!
I’ve been busy for the past couple months delivering the final edits of the Lenspen Sensor Cleaning and Lens Cleaning promotional videos for Metrotown Media Productions. I’m really excited because this is my first multilingual editing production I have been a part of, and the HD uploads to Youtube look super “crispy”!
It took a lot of time to listen to each language voice-over to get the timing right for each video, because I’m not familiar with all the different languages and dialects.
Lenspen Sensor Cleaning
In Hungarian >
In Russian >
In Japanese >
In Mandarin >
In Cantonese >
With Mandarin subtitles >
With Cantonese subtitles >
Lenspen Lens Cleaning
In Hungarian >
In Russian >
In Mandarin >
In Cantonese >
With Mandarin subtitles >
With Cantonese subtitles >
Let me know what you think by commenting on the videos on Youtube.
Does each language sound pretty accurate in timing with the visuals?
Convergence at MoMoVan 02-09-2009
- My Convergence (of) notes, MoMoVan 02-09-2009
Tonight was a gathering of various individuals and professionals of the local web 2.0 and mobile community.
Cathy and I thanked Kurt Shuster, of Noomii.com, for letting us come along with him to MomoVan Mobile Monday Vancouver tonight at Workspace in Gastown.
Being aware of Vancouver’s many content and technology industries, Kurt was very surprised to learn that I am interested local web development community because he first met me as tester for Noomii.com
Yes, the majority of my work is digital video editing and image retouching.
However, I am familiar with various industries and their operations.
For many years as I was independently editing videos, I was always for other creative professional opportunities. I talked to many professionals that worked amongst the gaming, animation, and television industries over that period of time, and currently still do today.
I took part-time television production courses, because I wanted to go through the full-time television production program at BCIT a few years ago. At the time, I was finding that there were (and probably still are) more graduates than jobs available in television production. I became more attracted to the independent, creative and collaborative vibe of the web development community, thus I switched over to study full-time with New Media Design and Development program.
A panel discussion touched upon how different our major content and technology industries are in Vancouver. There are web design and development, film and television, animation, gaming and mobile industries that make up the the content and technology sectors of business in the Vancouver area.
There was a comment made about why it’s so difficult to have all these communities come together by using the latest social web and mobile technology to connect.
Why is it so hard?
I agreed with Rochelle Grayson, of Work at Play, who said that it’s because the people involved in the other industries can be “intimidated” by new social and web technology. The idea of giving away content (IP, or as known as Intellectual property) away for free does not settle well with many. Businesses in TV, film, and animation industries do not like the fact that there has not been a new monetizing business model for the web that generates a lot of revenue that “really works” at this moment in time.
Plus, being involved within a particular industry means one is comfortable with its language or as I call it, industry jargon.
At times, some clients approach her with a great idea for an application, game, or campaign for the mobile phone. When she asks, “Which mobile device do you want us to develop it for?”
Most of the clients reply, “What do you mean?”
We all laughed, because in truth there are thousands of different phones on the market and of course, are not built the same way. Which means to develop a product for the Blackberry, it won’t work on an iPhone, or any other device because it will have to be developed for that particular phone.
When I was younger, I always got the look and comments of disbelief from elder Asian strangers when I did not respond to their comments in Chinese. At times, I did feel shameful that I did not speak Mandarin or Cantonese fluently as my family did. I tried to learn “proper” Mandarin during after-school classes in elementary school. How can anyone really expect someone to pick up a language if there is no immediate need, yearning or positive reinforcement to learn the language?
The majority of the business world communicates in English.
Today, I have mastered (or at least understand) the non-traditional “languages” amongst the web development, television, film production, digital video, and animation industries.
- Success, Live and Carpe Diem on my keychain
Back to our goodbye to Kurt Shuster-
Kurt wished that “back when he was our age” that he knew about these different opportunities and be able to go out to different networking events such as tonight’s MoMoVan. I said it’s probably the fact that information these days is very accessible so anyone could find almost information on anything they wanted compared to a few years ago.
After we said goodbye, I thought about an acquaintance, who was in her early 30s, who I chatted with at our friend’s birthday party last year. She asked me what did I do for a living, and I said “mostly video editing but I also do image retouching and some web design.”
“Wow, you do so much and you’re so young! I wish I was like that when I was younger…
It’s funny how my mother was doing office work for 25 years, and right now she’s basically doing similar things like you. She’s 54 now, and she has been coding websites for the past couple years. She picked up on that real fast.”
I believe why let age be an excuse?
If you set your mind to it, there’s no stopping you from accomplishing anything you want.
Cable and earbud management
The Youtube example showcased tying earbuds around the first gen of the iPod shuffle. I tried it myself, and it’s a practical saver.
Finally I can avoid those embarrassing moments of taking forever to untangle my iPod earbuds while trying to stay balanced on the bus.
At home I don’t have as many hard-drives as the large amount at work.
Under my desk at work, I’ve accidentally knocked out my internet connection because the hub is loosely sitting on the floor….
While I’m figuring out which cheap “cable-management” system I should implement in the office, in the meanwhile check out ways you can de-clutter your cables in your workspace.
Vancouver Camera Show & Swap Meet- April 20, 2008
Swap and check out the Vancouver Camera Show & Swap Meet.
April 20th, 2008
Early admission- $15
Regular admission- $5
CAMERON RECREATION CENTRE at 9523 Cameron Street
View Larger Map
Original Craigslist posting here >
http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/pho/595222908.html
Freelancing vocabulary
I’ve been settling back into my regular routine of work and relaxing.
It’s been really strange to actually have weekends to myself again.
For the past few weeks, I’ve tried to “completely veg out”.
It was fun for awhile, but I’m always itching to keep busy as much as possible.
So I’vee been practicing shooting with my D20- recent outing was at Hinamatsuri at the Japanese Language Centre just last week. I just wanted so warm-up for “event shooting” for this wedding season.
Freelanceswitch.com is a great resource for freelancers.
They’re on my very large list of my Yahoo RSS subscriptions.
I’m currently guilty of including number 3, 4, 10 in my conversations from the “10 Phrases every freelancer should kick out of their vocabulary.”
I’ll try to eliminate those next time I meet up with new clients. 
My portfolio is live and running!
I guess “Your portfolio is running, you’d better go catch it.” doesn’t sound good as “Your fridge is running.”
It’s been a long time coming- my portfolio done in Flash is up!!!
I kept my portfolio exclusive to itself and anything else about me external- like my blog and my bio so visitors can see the other side of me that’s not about “work”. Eventually, probably when I reorganize and redesign my site in the future, I’ll be including my blog and my bio on my website.
Give me a shout- email or leave a comment here and let me know how the site is. I appreciate any constructive feedback to make the experience even better!
Thanks all my classmates and instructors for all your help!
Those darn hard-drives
Back-ups are a crucial part of anyone’s life.
Especially when it comes to those who rely on their computers to do their work.
I’d never thought hard-drives can be so dysfunctional.
Today I encountered a very strange situation- how does one explain 5 external hard-drives that cannot mount upon a variety of 4 different Macs in one office?
I returned one 500GB Porsche designed hard-drive from LaCie to Future Shop.
I still yet had to face an “emergency room” of un-mounting external hard-drives.
They were all LaCie drives- there was a 1TB, 320GB, and two other 500GB Porsche hard-drives.
Plugging all of these drives in my MacBook, I was really surprised none of them had mounted.
I thought- “Hmm. Could it just be the drivers? Maybe I need an update and restart.”
Nope, no luck.
Luckily they were all back-up drives.
I’m just really disappointed about today.
I have footage from a couple weddings I am undergoing editing for. My functioning D2, 320GB drive has the footage that I have logged and captured. I still currently shoot with DV tapes, so I always have the master tapes I can always recapture if my drive suddenly goes blip.
Yet what if I was working with PS2 cards? Those cards are not cheap, on average they cost over $50/GB, depending on what size of card you need, and quality of footage you are shooting.
When that Panasonic HD camera came out there was always that debate of , “How do you archive your footage properly?” Original shot footage has always been on tape, which gets copied, and the original master gets locked up in an archive so no one touches it. (for reasons of tape “degradation” if it gets handled often). The tape has always been a reliable “hard-copy” of the footage.
P2 Cards- there must be a reliable solution to this archiving blunder. These cards are like camera-thumb drives- footage shot, thrown on computer and used again for another shoot. Knowing that external hard-drives (depending on usage and storage) on average can stop working after a couple years, it can be daunting if all that footage shot disappears off the hard-drive.
I did some research on other storage options.
Steve Krueger suggested NAS.
NAS?
Not the rapper- Network Attached Storage.
Yahoo Tech had a great article about NAS here.
Big plus for NAS was the price factor for every GB of storage.
I’m thinking about a RAID or NAS system in the near future. I’m tired of the time-consuming task of burning my archive footage on optical DVDs and having the need to bring them out if I need something in particular.
Photoshop Las Vegas 2007
Wow.
I made it back. 6 days and 5 nights on my own in Las Vegas. That was a blast.
I’ve learned a lot from my first trip out and first Photoshop Conference.
I have to admit though, it was a pinch disappointing. This year’s conference was really targeted toward photographers. The classes that I was interested in and attended were at beginner level. I did pick up some tips, but I have to admit I sat in some sessions thinking- “I learned THAT last term in my program.
Next time, I’m going to take time on the first day to plan my conference experience. Another Photoshop World attendee and I thought that they should’ve labeled the classes- begginner, intermediate, advanced…
On the bright side, I got to sit at a podcast taping of Photoshop User TV in the Peachpit/Kelby Training area on the Expo room floor.
Mis-communication is global- about a dozen of us sat at the Microsoft Theatre wondering why the Photoshop Guys weren’t setting up. I guess with all the frantic panic of set-up time, nobody contemplated on putting a sign pointing to the other set- “Photoshop User TV taping changed to Kelby Training stage”.
I’m really not complaining about my experience- I just had really really high expectations before attending this conference.
Signs EVERYWHERE would’ve helped a great deal- no signs at front end of the hotel. Please, don’t advertise “Mandalay Resort & Casino” when it actually happened at “Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino- Convention Centre.” I’ve learned from the many “usability” lessons from my New Media Program- we’re thinking less these days, please make directions or signs “OBVIOUS” to everyone. Save me some walking, I had to travel from the North end of the strip to get here, I’d rather save my energy listening to instructors.
I felt really lost on the first day- I followed other attendees from the front of the hotel, walking past the main lobby, the many slot machines, restaurants, a long hall toward the South Convention area, to a Photoshop World Information Booth, redirected to the escalators, went up a floor and finally ended up standing in line to get my pass.
Internet access was ridiculous- $750/day?!
What?!
Setting up wi-fi networks are easy and I had expected access to it to be as easy, fast, and low-cost/free.
I waited until the last day of my trip to plant my bum beside the Fashion Show catwalk that was in front of the Apple Store at Fashion Show Mall.
Overall- Photoshop World was an “okay” experience.
I loved Las Vegas, just not Photoshop World as much. I came here mostly on my own dime. Without the student award for the pass, the likely chance of myself travelling outside my country to attend a convention would be slim unless I was going to represent a company who was covering my expenses.
Las Vegas, I can’t wait to see you again.
Just sometime in a different season where it isn’t so sweltering for me.
Barenaked Ladies, Matt Dusk, Michael Buble, Harry Connick Jr, and Jamie Cullum are pricks?
Well to be absolutely correct,
they’re actually lil’ prickies!
http://www.prickie.com/index.htm?artist=j40
I’ve made some of my work available as little pin- buttons for anyone to adorn their bodies with.
Who doesn’t want Michael Buble all over them?
Or any of the other my favorite fab artists?
I’d do illustrative interpretation of any artist or subject if you as me.
Or you can put up your own work upon www.prickie.com as little badges too.
Happy button badging!
Christmas at Celebrities
What’s Christmas without Christmas parties?
Mimi and I went to Celebrities Nightclub on a cold day in December to their annual Christmas Party.
Honestly, I wasn’t a real keener on bringing my camera to tape part of this event because Mimi wanted to interview various people of the nightclub. I was expecting the audio captured from these interviewees to be totally unusable because logically, we were going to a really really bouncing club with really really loud music.
Surprisingly, as I reviewed the tapes before handing them to the editors of Imagica, the comments from the interviewees were audible. Maybe I need my own ears checked.
Greeted by a chocolate fondue fountain with great finger foods laid out, I couldn’t wait for my other invited friends to arrive so we could shake to the groovy funk on the dance floor.
But first, Mimi and I scouted the slightly illuminated area behind the DJs. Mimi set up a couple of chairs by the bright red lounge area, with a strong beaming light.
Mimi ran off into the dance floor as I set up the camera (Santa needs to bring me a tripod for Christmas, oi my back). She brought in a few waiters and other night-goers. After an hour of interviewing, we raided the chocolate fondue table and waited for the featured act to start.
Jackie Beat was awesome. She did dirty parodies of various pop songs and Christmas carols- things that would make anyone blush.
She even admitted- hey even though you paid for the ticket, you’d expect me to learn the lyrics of these songs,” as she pulled out her black binder of songs.
I loved her version of Let it snow- it was do some blow.
It was great, especially when she went upon the audience, picking on people.
I was getting different angled shots of her performance, and she had yelled at me onstage when I was getting a low angle shot of her singing.
“Hey, I didn’t sign any release forms. That doesn’t matter, publicity is publicity- but I don’t want to see my three chins when you’re shooting from the ground!”
I froze, but she yelled at me to get up to get her from a different angle.
Embarrassing at that moment, but I do admit she did had a point.
End of the night- the bartenders got on top of their bars and started to dance. Dancing men are fun to film, especially good-looking ones.
Too bad the night ended early, I could’ve boogied all night.
Telephoto Party
It’s another end of a live racing season at Hastings Racecourse. And to go out with a bang, the Telephoto crew held their annual Christmas Party at the Days Inn near King George Station in Surrey.
I arrived late, (what a surprise, eh?) when everyone had already filled their plates with yummy hot steamy food from the laid out mouth-watering buffet tables. I grabbed a plate and I quickly joined other Telephoto crew members from Fraser Downs in Cloverdale at their table.
At buffets, I’m not the biggeset filler on salads and vegetables- obviously this big-sugar tooth always creates an heart-attack special mountain of slices of cakes, pies and sugary-goodness! I don’t know why people steer away from the English Pudding, but it tastes good. First time trying it, I like the custard sauce all over the raisin-filled cream coloured cake.
The best part of the night is the $20 gift exchange held after everyone has filled up their tummies full of Christmas joy. This year I packed something for the guys- I found one of those huge 1L ‘unbreakable’ bottles that was a mini golf kit minus the golf balls. Packed inside the shiny new blue bottle was a windbreaker, and other little golf accessories and a threw in a pack of Tim Hortons gift certificates. How the gift exchange works is that everyone is given a ticket with a number at the beginning of the party. At the hour of the drawing, the first number is drawn and the person with this number has to go to the table full of gifts everyone had brought for the exchange. Diane, the Upper Pan camera person, was up first and she unwrapped a mini bar set. It was the same barset that I unwrapped last year! The twist is, the next person drawn, he or she can either choose to steal an already unwrapped gift, or go up to the table to unwrap a new one. From the moment Diane unwrapped that barset, I knew when it was my year to get it back. Last year, I picked the barset, but when it was Jan’s turn, he took it from me! Everyone was laughing- “Yumi, you’re too young to mix drinks together… this is for the grown-ups.”
This year, the gift that went around was a bottle of Jack Daniels, everyone’s favorite poison after a tough day at the track. I came home with a new barset, and as a door prize- a tic tac toe drinking game.
As I was leaving, my director and manager chuckled, “Yumi, we better not see you as a newly born alcoholic after tonight!”
I have different plans. I need to visit liquor store for some basic supplies, and catching up on lost podcast episodes of www.bartenderweekly.com
Snowed out Vancouver
I knew that this was going to happen again. Once the snow hits Vancouver, chaos breaks loose. Us Vancouverites can’t handle the white fluffy wonder from the sky.
The flakes came a month too early, November 25th. If the weather gods had just waited a little bit, maybe just another 30 days, Vancouver could’ve greeted a White Christmas this year. Oh well, maybe it’ll snow again during that week. The rain always makes all the snow on the ground slushy anyways, then eventually washes it back into the city drains.
I looked forward to finishing the last live race day of 2006 at Hastings Racecourse. Forgetting that 20cm of snow was forecasted (Who really relies on the weather reports? They’re wrong half the time anyways.), I woke up at the usual time, took my shower and headed out the door. Because I missed the shuttle bus to the racecourse, I thought I was able to catch a ride to work on ‘reliable’ transit. Usually waiting at the bus-stop for a few minutes, I ended up standing around for a half-hour, soaked in slush from motorists. I was late, but I managed to jump on the the Hastings shuttle bus anyways.
What are we, cursed? Last year, the last live weekend in November, we were fogged in, thus the race card was cancelled for that day. The missed races on the second last day were added on the final day of racing, squeezing as much horses as Hastings can. This year, we ran ONE race, then the stewards decided to cancell the rest of the scheduled race card.
Topping it all off, the Hastings staff Christmas party was also cancelled on Sunday. I was looking forward to wishing everyone else in other departments Happy Holidays before we head back to our free weekends unfilled with Hastings race days.
Our TV crew has their own Christmas party later in December, at least I can wish my crew members a Merry Christmas!
Workload blues
Oi.
My eyes itch and burn and I’m feeling an early case of carpal tunnel syndrome after sitting uncomfortably in my chair in front of my laptop while editing a wedding reel that I had shot a couple months ago. Two jobs plus a full-time schedule at school. What was I thinking? Yes, I am a self-confessed work-aholic and my friends warned me about burning out…
No. I’m not quite at the “snapping-at-my-co-workers-and-family-stage” just yet, but lately everyone’s been noticing I’m much more frequent with my poking-sarcastic remarks. I’m just wondering why does everything have to happen at once.
Just a couple months ago, while everyone was complaining about going back to school, I was so stoked on starting my program at BCIT. I was proud at the fact I worked myself during the spring and summer in order to fully save up for first term. It was a relaxing couple of months, but I’m not used to that state of inactivity. I like to keep busy, but at times I think I just overpile on the work and activities. Like a pile of bricks, everyone wanted my attention once my program started… What happened to my balance of my fun and work? I wish I knew I was going to edit this wedding project at the beginning, so I could have started work on it before school started.
I hope I can find a way to crunch my 7day work to week into a four day work week… 3 days of bliss on the weekend can be spent with family and friends.
For now- welcome back the coffee, you caffeine-feine.
