Anticipation...is making me wait!

Well, friends, family and fans I think we touched on this topic about 6 weeks or so ago, but it is again a relevant topic of conversation.

It looks like the drought is over, the semi-retirement is at an end and by this time on Monday, I should be employed.

Granted, it isn't official yet, but the background checks are happening and the references are being called. That unto itself I am taking as a good sign, a sign from the gods or a sign that things are again right with the world.

((Me at the Masters in 2006//Thanks Mark Harmon))

Assuming there aren't any skeletons out there that I'm not aware of or any of my long time friends and associates don't make me out to be the world's biggest liar, I'm going to get a job offer.

Yes, it is with the TV Station that I've been talking to on and off for the past...well pretty much since I've been here in Cincinnati. Yes, they have totally dragged things out, but this time it is serious. I spent almost an hour with them on Thursday and they asked me every question my little brain could have imagined. Surprisingly, though I have been on the proverbial beach since September, I seemed to actually have the right answers. OK, I think I did.

The irony here is that it looks like my days as a Video Photographer may be behind me. I'm not sure that I'll miss them...or carrying around the rock on my shoulder. Yes, it was a lot of fun and I had some unbelievable experiences...for those who haven't kept up, you'd be amazed at some of the big-time national stories, events and games over the past 21 years that yours truly has been at and a part of.

It's been in the makings even before I left Atlanta. My shoulder had started going south and my interest had too. I had been trying...up until the freaks took over...to remake myself as a Producer in Atlanta and almost was successful, but I got the opportunity to do a lot of things before they got in place. Everything from helping the Chief with hiring and equipment and running things to revamping the editing department in 2003 and running the Sports Department in 2005. All of that helped me get where I am about to head.

I did what I would tell anyone to do...if they can in any job: Do as many different things as you can at your job. The more you can do, the more valuable you can be and the more opportunity you'll have. It's true.

I know that TLB (The Lovely Bride) will get on me for jumping the gun and announcing this, but I am very confident that it will happen. I was told..."Assuming you check out, we're going to do this, we just need to decide if it will be full-time or part-time". They also, after I asked...said that "We should have done this 2 weeks ago".

No, I haven't said what I'm going to be doing yet...that would spoil the surprise...wouldn't it? Let's just say that I won't be in the field much any more. I'll be doing some of the things that I had begun getting very good at in Atlanta before the rug was pulled away. It isn't in Sports. I was asked though "If you had to pick which you could do, would it be News or Sports?". I was honest...I said "Sports", but added "I realize that isn't available, I've been in News, done News and am very good at it" "News is a part of Sports and vice-versa, I get that". I'm pretty sure that was the right answer.

Anyway, it is going to be a long, anxious weekend. I was told I would be called on Monday and fully anticipate that I will. I won't get into what happened the rest of the day, it is another story for another day...but it made for a really crazy Thursday afternoon.

For those of you who have been there and supportive, I genuinely thank you from the bottom of my heart, you have helped me get through a very tough time in my life. I promise that on Monday I will report on what I am going to be doing...I can't wait!

In the meantime...here is the most appropriate song I could think of: Anticipation by Carly Simon. Thanks Carlysimon.com and You Tube:

Learning is sometimes a Slow Process

Funny thing about being my age (44 as of the time I write this), the technology involved to do things that just say, oh, 10 years ago has morphed like you'd never believe. There isn't anyone both in the Video business or at home who ever thought that things would change like this.

Those who have known me for the past oh...22 years or so know that my chosen profession is the TV-Video business. I have over the years shot, edited, written and produced stories and full TV shows both by myself and with help and it amazes me as I sit here, just how technically involved it has all become.

((The crew at a UGA Football game (me, Scott Christenberry, Eric Hager, Dwayne Harden and Tony Light in back))

22 years ago, I started working in TV in Lynchburg, Virginia. I shot, edited and produced the Sports at WSET-TV. As a Photographer, I carried in no particular order; a 35lb Ikegami 730 TV Camera which had 3 Tubes in it, a Sony 110 Tape Deck (which felt like a cinder block), a light belt that weighed about 10lbs, cables, mics, tapes and accessories. We shot on Video Tape, 3/4 inch video tape to be exact. A rather large cassette format and tape was scarce enough that we were each given 4 tapes a day for 5 days to shoot on. We edited with 2 rather large editing machines that were linked together by a huge mass of cables.

By the year 2000, I was in Atlanta working for the CBS station, where I was originally given a Sony 300A Camcorder that shot on Beta tapes (yes, similar to THAT Betamax thing from the late 70's). We had rather large Anton Bauer "Brick" batteries that weighed as much as the camera did. However the total weight was down under 20lbs. And we still edited on rather large tape decks.

Forward 5 years. Same station, different equipment. Panasonic DVC-Pro camera (910), the tapes were the size of a small cellphone. The accesories, much smaller, most could be carried in a small equipment pouch. At this point, we are loading the videotapes into a computer, an AVID and airing it out of a server.

Last year...2009, right before I left Atlanta. Carrying a Panasonic P2 Camera with no tape rather 5 memory cards. However, it is about 10lbs heavier. We take the cards and pop them into a reader and they show up on the computer.

What I am getting to is this. I'm now sitting at my desktop computer at home where I just loaded a story that I had on a DVD to You Tube. I popped it into my computer and with some software that I had purchased, loaded the story to a hard drive. I then uploaded it to my YouTube channel (OSGPhil) and there it sits for whoever wants to see it.

If I sound like I am amazed at the process...and progress of the technology, I am. It just never dawned on me when I started this back in 1988 that it would be where it is now. Nothing is done the "Old" way. Everything is on the computer. I basically, could program my channel on YouTube from home...in essence my own TV Channel. I'd have to figure out a way for it to be found, but it's there...much like this blog, for whomever stumbles across it. And oh...it's linked to my Facebook page and Twitter page too.

Maybe I'm just sounding old, but it amazes me that this can be done. I had to learn how to do it, because if I want to stay in my chosen profession, I need to know how to do these things. Sure it makes my head spin sometimes and I am not always doing it the right way. But eventually, I figure it out...sometimes quickly...but most of the time slowly...Yes...Learning can be a VERY slow process.

In the meantime...enjoy this video from the You Tube...it doesn't relate to any of this...I just thought it was funny...and yes, it amazes me that you can find this and take it and post it to a story on the computer.

As a bonus video...enjoy some clips from one of the Greatest Movies Ever...the top 10 quotes from Airplane:

Google is your friend (Not in a Facebook Kind of Way)

It's true. Google may be the answer...or at least the provider of all the answers that you will ever need. Amazing as it is...and quite honestly for those who are hip and up and technology, you already know this...you can find out just about anything you want by doing a Google search.

I had used the search engine on occasion, mostly for stuff relating to Onlinesportsguys.com, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. Really, if you know the right combinations of keywords, it's amazing what is out there.

Most of my searching...at least the job search related ones have been using derivatives of keywords that would work for my profession. For example: Video Photographer or Video Editor. You can be even more specific: Television Video Photographer or Final Cut Pro Video Editor...be specific if you can because adding one word will make a huge difference as to what will come up in your search.

The other thing that I've learned is this; while your search will call up umpteen million hits, you probably don't need to go past the first 5 pages or so. After that, the links become pretty repetitive and often times are older and out of date.

This search method works in other places as well. One of the cool things that you can do on Indeed.com is type in Keywords like you do in Google. In fact it will list jobs only rather than some of the excess crap that Google spits back

So far, I've found some useful stuff on these searches. I've found a couple of production companies that keep a crew database for available freelance help and I'm now on their lists. I've also found some local production houses who may or may not be looking for help, but they at least have an e-mail and my resume'. Yeah, they could delete them...or they may not act on them...but they are there.

I've also had a bit of luck with one of the local TV Stations. I went to there website and found a job listing for a Fill-in Producer, something I have some experience at...at least in doing Sports shows. I applied at their corporate site and got a call 4 hours later from the Assistant News Director who saw my resume' and wanted to talk. 20 minutes later he said "I just wanted to talk to you and see where you were at" "If this position doesn't work out, I'll probably have some others, with your resume' it looks like you can do a lot". Maybe that will work out and maybe it won't, but...it keeps me hungry and interested because I got feedback and probably the biggest thing I've learned with this job search is this: "Any response is a good response, it keeps you going and motivated to do more". It also validates that the search does work, if not this time...eventually.

If you are interested, here is a brief tutorial that I found on the You Tube:


object width="425" height="344">