Archive for the ‘Opinions’ Category
27
Mar
Posted by docsandtv in Opinions. Tagged: Dan Pink, Hannah Brncher, ideas in action, Kornerstone Productions, Maz Jobrani, moreloveletters.com, motivation, Ted Talks, Ted.com. Leave a Comment
I am addicted to the Ted Talks series on Ted.com. “Series” is not quite the right word. Their tagline is “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Ted.com seeks out the best and the brightest thinkers on everything from science to comedy and beyond to give a 5-to-20 minute “speech of their lives.” The speech, delivered in front of a live-audience, is taped and put on the web. Ted.com is the mothership but TedX events around the globe allow local communities to arrange and tape their own big thinkers. My friends at Kornerstone Productions had the pleasure of working on one of the local Washington, DC events.
A couple of my favorite speeches are from comedian Maz Jobrani who offers a humorous look at the challenges of being a Middle Eastern American. I also found Dan Pink’s speech on motivation very… well motivational, to the point that I booked him as a guest on a television series I was producing called Ideas In Action. But Hannah Brencher’s 5-minute speech titled “Love Letters To Strangers” really changed my life. In the three months since watching it, I have dropped at least 100 anonymous love letters in places like coffee shops, dressing rooms and the library. Some of them have been found and posted on Hannah’s website MoreLoveLetters.com.
Ted Talks is video at its best – simple, varied and inspiring. There is something for everyone. I challenge anyone to scroll through the selection and not find something to watch. And if you can’t get enough of the hundreds of topics presented in the videos, you can join one of the online discussions or start one of your own.
As a producer, I am hoping to use the Ted.com model for more streamlined topics. In that way, the very website has inspired me.
For more opinions, visit the Opinion category.
2
Nov
Posted by docsandtv in Opinions. Tagged: election coverage, FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver, news, obama, presidential, Romney, Sensational. Leave a Comment
There is no doubt that the 2012 United States presidential race between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney will be hard fought. Is this an election that requires close scrutiny and a careful combing through the facts? Absolutely. However, it doesn’t take a lot of time looking at the statics and state polls to figure out that the election is not as close at the American news media would have us believe.
I am currently working on a documentary series that explains the American election process for Al Hurra viewers in the Middle East. I have had the opportunity to interview politicians, voters, pollsters and various other political pundits. The vast majority of these people say that the numbers favor President Obama no matter how you slice them and have since this summer.
But let’s face it. A story in which Obama looks to be leading continuously just isn’t that sexy. Where’s the tension? Where’s the drama? Where does that leave the bottom line for the news outlets? The conventional wisdom in news seems to be that drama sells better than truth. Newspapers and news shows are ultimately about turning a profit. With the inundation of outlets in print, broadcast 24 hours a day on cable channels and available all the time online, journalists and their bosses work extra hard to entice news consumers to spend time (and money) in their camp.
Visit statistic star Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight.com political forecast where he calculates that President Obama currently (as of November 2) has a 79% chance of winning. At no point since June has Romney led. Serious gamblers are betting big bucks based on Silver’s number crunching. Why? In the 2008 elections, he correctly predicted how 49 out of 50 states would vote in the presidential races. He nailed all of the senate race calculations. Princeton Election Consortium gives Obama a 90% change to win. I see no reason to disagree with Silver or the other statisticians out there.
The candidates also benefit from faux close polls because they can both claim a slight edge (read “join us, the winning team”). A close race gives supporters on both sides hope but not so much hope as to keep them from voting on Election Day.
And the closeness of the race is not the only element of the presidential elections that is being sensationalized. News outlets comb through every single thing the candidates or anyone remotely connected to them say and so. While I agree that the electorate does need to know enough about the candidate to understand their character as well as their thoughts on policy, we do not need to hear countless news reports on who wore their American flag on their lapel or not.
The American public loses out when elections are sensationalized for the sake of news. The horserace ends up taking center stage forcing candidates to rely on on-line jabs to cut through the clutter. Three months of back-and-forth zingers do nothing to expand the political dialogue or educate voters on the actual stances of those running. Because the candidates don’t have to articulate their policy stances, they are less likely to take a clear path when it comes time to lead.
During this last week before elections, I now read, watch and listen to the news with my hand ready to turn the page or change the station at the first mention of the elections. Perhaps the very valuable undecided voters find the hype of the election informative somehow. I don’t. But then again, I’m not undecided. As a producer, I’m sure glad I got out of the news business a long time ago.
For more opinions, visit the Opinion category.
19
Jan
Posted by docsandtv in Opinions, Television Production, What's Showing. Tagged: dropout, education, Grace Creek, ideas in action, Jim Glassman, middle school, principal, Sydnye White. Leave a Comment
How often do we as producers get to work on a meaningful project AND get the chance to redo it in an additional version? I am lucky to have the opportunity to produce a two-part look (each one a half-hour long) for the public television series Ideas In Action with Jim Glassman exploring how targeted middle school intervention and effective school leadership is curbing the high school dropout crisis in America.
I also have the opportunity to turn the content into a 1-hour special that I am working on now. This will allow me to add even more great content that I found it hard to part with during the initial cuts. Here is a promo for the one-hour version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rISY_IAPgcc
As a mother, I’ve learned so much about how to help usher my children through their educational experiences. As an American, I am hopeful about our ability to educate all children regardless of their backgrounds. As a producer, I am thankful for the opportunity to share stories that may make a difference in someone’s life.
4
Aug
Posted by docsandtv in Opinions, Television Production. Tagged: blue, camera complimentary, colors, looks good, primary, television, TV. Leave a Comment
As long as I have worked in television production, it has been a given that blue looks good on TV as a wardrobe and set color. People just look better in blue. I never stopped to ask “why?” until recently. There seems to be no definitive answer. So far, I have found two schools of thought.
1). The blue portion of the color wheel is directly across from the flesh tones (180-degrees). So the colors are complimentary. No matter you completion, there is a blue for you!
2). Blue is in the mid-range of the”primary television” colors red, blue and green. Therefore it doesn’t have to fight against other colors for attention and the camera likes it.
Perhaps blue looks so good on TV for both of these reasons. What have you heard?
22
Jun
Posted by docsandtv in Opinions. Tagged: animation, changing education paradigms, cognitive media, drawing, Manufactures and Commerce, Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts, RSA, RSAnimate, short, video. Leave a Comment
I love these RSAanimate videos from theRSA.com. The invite guests to speak at their institution and then get cognitivemedia to make a video of a hand drawing out what the presenter is saying as he/she says it. My favorite so far is Changing Education Paradigms but I still have a lot to watch. In case you are wondering, RSA stands for the Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and their motto is ”ideas and actions for a 21st century enlightenment.”
16
Jun
Posted by docsandtv in How To's, Opinions, Television Production. Tagged: audio, cameras, clap, clapboard, clapstick, documentary, film, iPad app, movie, production, scene, shoot, slate board, sound, sound stick, sync, take, time code, video. Leave a Comment
The clapboard is also known as a clapstick, sound stick or slate board. I’ve been on two television shoots recently for national, professional productions where the crew did not use the clapboard properly.
There are many types of clapboards. Some are made of blackboard material, some are wipe boards and some are digital. The iPad has a clapboard app that I don’t like very much. Most of them have a place where you can write in information about the production or takes. It is common to see spaces that allow the user to add the name of the project, the take number, the scene name and some crew names. I particularly like the digital ones that allow you to jam sync time code to each camera.
By far, the most important role of the clapboard is to allow the footage from each camera on a multi-camera shoot to be easily synced up in the edit room. The loud “clap” sound that is made when the stick slams against the board creates a visual waveform on the audio line of the editing system. This allows the editor to easily line up all of the footage saving both time and money. In order for this to really work, ALL CAMERAS must simultaneously shoot the clapboard when it makes the “clap.” If you find yourself without a clapboard, you can just clap your hands together or slap a clipboard loudly. As long as it makes a loud, sharp noise and all of the cameras are rolling on it at the same time, it will work. If you need to “slate” the shot, in other words, share the written information on the clip board, you can verbally say whatever information needs to go with the take.
One common mistake are just showing one camera the clapboard. Although each camera can hear the “clap” sound, seeing the visual of the stick hit the board on each piece of footage can really speed things up in edit. Another mistake is clapping the board to each camera individually. I’m not sure what that is supposed to accomplish. I supposed if the clapboard has digital time code, it could help line up the footage but you will still miss that synchronized “clap.” Either way, you end up frustrating your editor more than anything. A frustrated editor is not creative nor very fun.
A word about the iPad clapboard app. It doesn’t work very well for two reasons. One, to make the clap sound, you have to push a little button. By doing so, you cover up the iPad screen which takes away your visual. Two, the clap just isn’t that loud. Sometime there can be too much technology. An old-fashioned hand clap works better.
In some instances when the cameras are in shooting position, they are unable to see the clapboard at the same time. For instance, one camera may be shooting an arrival from outside a house and one from inside the house. In that case, bring the cameras together, start rolling and “clap” the clapboard. Then move back into position while the cameras are still rolling. When all else fails, do the best you can.
For more production insights, visit the How To category.
14
Jun
Posted by docsandtv in Documentary & Television Reviews, Opinions. Tagged: Ahmed Ahmed, Angelo Tsarouchas, Arab, Canada, comedians, comedy, comic, documentary, Dubai, Egypt, female, film, Jewish, Just Like Us, Lebanon, Maz Jobrani, Middle East, movie, muslim, New York, Omid Djalili, review, Saudi Arabia, Tommy Davidson, Whiney Cummings. Leave a Comment
It turns out that everyone likes to laugh – even in the Arab world. Egyptian-American comic Ahmed Ahmed has been working as a successful stand-up comedian for many years. When I interviewed him 10-years ago, he talked about having a dream to bring comedy to the Middle East as a way to open hearts and minds. 10 years may seem like a long time to realize a dream but the documentary “Just Like Us” following Ahmed’s comedy review tour of Dubai, Lebanon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Egypt shows that it was well worth the wait.
Although ”Just Like Us” is Ahmed Ahmed journey to help bring Western style stand-up to a new part of the world, he is joined by a merry band of ethnically diverse comedians who, for the most part, are not sure what to expect from their sold out audiences. Ahmed, who had been banned from Dubai a year before for making religious jokes, does not keep his fellow comedians on a short leash. When Omid Djalili slips into making dick jokes and Whitney Cummings talks about men’s balls, they both sheepishly apologize back stage. Ahmed reassures them that the crowd loved it and that if they are banned, they are in good company.
The journey is peppered with man-on-the -street interviews in America – many of whom wonder if American comedy will translate in the Middle East. Some of the comics wondered the same thing as did I. But when Tommy Davidson jokes about African-American leaders and Angelo Tsarouchas talks about his Greek upbringing in Canada, you begin to realize that comedy, much like music, has few boundaries.
It takes guts to be a stand-up comedian. But it takes balls to crack jokes to a crowd in Saudi Arabia knowing that the culture police may crack down on you at any time. And it takes heart to bring local comedians to the stage in order to help them get a start in a career that many people in their countries have never heard of. “What, you want to be a clown?”
In between the laughs are poignant moments that were captured, effectively, to highlight our shared humanity. A Female comic from Egypt talks about telling her grandchildren about performing with Ahmed and Maz Jobrani. Ahmed’s uncle hugs him goodbye as if he can’t bear to let him go. Ahmed brings the film full circle by stopping in New York where he meets an out-of-work Egyptian trying to give his family a better life. After the show, Ahmed tells the man how much he reminds Ahmed of his own father who moved to Los Angeles. He tells the man to keep it up; it will all work out. My eyes welled up – the last thing that I would expect from a comedy documentary.
Ahmed Ahmed is not the only American comic to do stand up in the Middle East. Nor is this his first Middle Eastern tour. In the past, has brought Arab and Jewish comedians together on stage both in the States and in the Middle East. In that way, one can view Ahmed as a sort of global activist. Even with it’s kumbaya and softer moments, it must be said that the comedy is funny in “Just Like Us.” And, the message was on point. The shooting was a little bit more rough than I would have liked. I am not one who subscribes to the idea that a gritty look adds to an edgy feel. But the movie left me wanting more in a good way. Did any of the comedians get banned from Dubai? Has the out-of-work Dad found work? I also wonder if this tour would have been possible had it been shot after the Arab Spring. Are people in the countries rocked by the struggle for freedom in the mood to sit down and laugh? If they can’t now, I sure hope they will be to soon.
For other reviews, visit the Reviews category.
13
Jun
Posted by docsandtv in Opinions. Tagged: Anthony Weiner, Bill Maher, consituents, coverage, HBO, Joel Stein, media, Monica Hesse, news, penis, private parts, Time Magazine, Washington Post, Weinergate, wife. Leave a Comment
I am well aware that the ongoing saga of Anthony Weiner’s sexting has been over-covered by every type of news and entertainment media imaginable. I figure that my two cents can’t hurt.
As of this writing, Weiner has not done anything illegal so all of the coverage is mostly a big waste of time. However, there has been one good thing to come out of Weinergate and I hope that men are paying close attention.
Women do not, I repeat DO NOT, want to see your private parts. There is a reason that they are called “private parts.” I am pleasantly surprised by how many media outlets have written in-depth articles on that point particularly after Weinergate. The likes of Joel Stein of Time Magazine, Monica Hesse of the Washington Post and Bill Maher of HBO have reporters that have spent time trying to explain this to the plethora of men around the world who need to be enlightened.
What happens to Weiner at this point his between him and his wife; and him and his constituents. I only hope that his plight has in some way curbed the number of unwanted and unrequested penis pictures sent through cyber pace.
23
May
Posted by docsandtv in Opinions, Television Freelancing, Television Production. Tagged: documentary, editing, editor, film, final cut, Jenny Gebhardt, notes, screen sharing, Sydnye White, television, video production, working from home. Leave a Comment
I’ve always fantasized about hiring an entire production staff that could work from home. It doesn’t work for everyone, but I work much better in the comforts of my own house (and backyard). While is it possible, many supervisors remain resistant. One reason it is often easier to communicate edit ideas with editors as they edit. This has never been a big hinderance for me personally because I don’t mind being sent, emailed or FTPed a program and then writing up edit notes to send back. Sometimes I feel that I need to sit with the editor for morale sake because they have to go into the office.
Recently, I had the eye-opening experience of working with my editor friend Jenny Gebhardt. I was at work sitting at the Final Cut Pro editing station. She was at home editing on her Final Cut, and; because of screen sharing, I was able to see everything that she was doing. It as a little freaky at first to see the cursor and timeline seemingly moving on their own. One of my colleagues thought I was talking to myself while I was giving Jenny instructions through the computer microphone. Perhaps I am late to the game, but this totally blew my mind! Who needs the overhead when everyone can work remotely? It may be some while before working from home is the norm. But I’ve been ready for it for a while now.
13
May
Posted by docsandtv in How To's, Opinions, Television Production, Tools and Resources. Tagged: audio, Dallas Real Estate Staging, documentary, film, Holly Bellomy, interview, produciton, props, real estate, set, stager, television, video. Leave a Comment
From my desk in Annapolis, I recently coordinated an interview in Dallas with a well-known and respected figure at a museum that donated the use of an empty room. Although I was not directing this shoot, I was responsible for making sure that the interview looked worthy of this guest. An empty room wasn’t going to cut it. Whatever the solution, it needed to be quick, affordable and nice.
Everything was falling into place. Our favorite crew members were available. The weather forecast called for a beautiful day. And, the room we were given was large enough to accommodate a three-camera shoot. There was just one problem. The room was an empty echo chamber. In order to pull off a broadcast quality shoot, we would need a rug (to keep the sound from bouncing all over the place), chairs that were not the squeaky leather kind that make fart noises when the sitter moves in them, and background props that would give some depth and dimension to the backdrops. Lastly, all of the furniture and props had to go with the deep red color of the walls.
The museum didn’t have what we needed and neither did the sponsoring organization. I googled theatrical prop houses but didn’t find much that looked helpful. Somewhere along the way, the thought occurred to me to try a real estate staging company. I had worked on a home sale series about six months prior and remembered home owners renting furniture to make their homes show better and sell faster.
I googled real estate stagers in Dallas and found a couple of websites that were easy to follow and featured pictures of some of their work. I went with Holly Bellomy of Dallas Real Estate Staging. The process was simple. We spoke on the phone and then I emailed her a list of our needs, a photo of the interview room and a video link of past interviews set ups that we liked. Within an hour, she emailed me some chair options and by the end of the day we had a contract in place. For a very reasonable price, she brought chairs, a rug, a coffee table, side table, lamps and other side table accessories. Holly and a staff member stayed for the duration of the set up period to make sure everything looked just right.
Interview Set Up
The report from the crew was that the shoot went well; and, that Holly and her team were great to work with. When I got a chance to view the footage the next day, I was equally pleased. The host and guest were seated in a warm, elegant environment during their conversation. If the need arises, I’d work with Holly again. And if I get the chance to work with other real estate stagers in other cities for set props, I’ll gladly do so.
