spoken for

Last Thursday, I met with our director-guy, B, the SM and the AP. We went to Fenton to a place called Modern Communications. From the little I know about them, I know this place specializes in selling video/editing equipment to whoever needs it, installing it, offering training, and technical support. These are the guys who, when we have a major bad problem, we call in.

As some of you are aware, our editing equipment is old. Some of it is 22 years or more old, in fact!

So we are in the market for brand new, non-linear, editing equipment! FYI: linear editing is basically done on tape, you tape as you edit and that’s what we’ve got now. Non-linear is all done on a computer and the final information is then layed off on to tape (or whatever media you need).

So we spent three hours at Modern Communications (MC) being shown the Avid editing system and having a conference call with the guy in charge of the tv station we air on, to see what media they’ll be moving to soon, etc. At first, I felt out of place because I felt like the MC guy didn’t think I knew what I was diong and was just there for the ride – I am the youngest, the only female, but I am also second in experience. It was only after he left and then came back and heard me asking questions and explaining some stuff to the guys (haha) that I felt like I got more respect. I’m sure he’s a very nice guy, he probably just didn’t know me, that’s all. But when the woman leading the presentation on Avid asked if any of us had any experience with one, I was the only one who knew what she was talking about. When I worked at the tv station, I was there when they got one and the head guy there showed me and the other girl things about it one day. I never got to actually use it (never took the 2nd tv production class) but I at least understood all about it… and it’s not like I’m a stranger to computers to begin with, aye?

So we spent lots of time there going over things, then having the conference call, then having a time where we let them know our needs. They had already quoted us a price in the $15,000 range, but it did not include some of the things we would need. We want to get a fourth camera for going out “on the field” and we have added another fancy deck for DVC-Pro because I made it clear that we want our live-to-tape feed to go right into the computer instead of having to wait another hour and a half while it lays in afterwards. That just takes too much time. As it is, B is there from about 7.30am until we finish editing anywhere from 1.00 to 1.30pm. We’ve been faster lately, getting out around 1 instead of 2 when I first started, etc. The lady didn’t really like that idea, so the fancy deck would also recieve the feed onto DVC-Pro for archival and in case something happens to our feed going into the computer or we need something later, etc. We’ve also discussed the idea of having it go on to VHS while we’re at it. We currently make a VHS of the whole thing and if someone wants to see something, it’s on there, and they borrow it.

We also would need several outputs. The tv stations still currently takes 3/4″ VTR tapes but they might switch to DVD, we need web formats, etc. So after getting this expensive router, we could output to as many as 16 different things at the same time. So, after editing, we could output to the two VTRs, a VCR, a DVD, a DVC-Pro, etc. We only cannot do the web formats at the same time, that would have to be done separately.

Overall, the meeting was great, very informative – we learned a lot. I was afraid at first that B might be nervous about changing editing methods after 22 years, but I think he’ll be just fine, he is quite ready to change all the equipment out. We are ready to make lots of changes – a new opening, new closing, better graphics and transitions, etc. I told him that I have plenty of stuff to practice on. ;-)

But anyway, doing some figuring in my head, I’m thinking our new total is going to be somewhere around $30,000. Though labor costs may be higher than what I am thinking. We have to wait on the head guy to get us another quote for everything then we will bring it before everyone else at a business meeting for voting. I know that we have somewhere between $12,000-13,000 set aside already for repairs, new equipment, etc., so hopefully this won’t be such a big deal. But since business meeting for this month is tomorrow, it will have to wait until at least next month.

So, anyway, needless to say, we’re all pretty excited about this.

Ooooh wow, the lime kiln just blasted their customary 2.45pm blast. Musta been right under us today… felt like an earthquake!