Monday, August 31, 2009

BACK ON DRY LAND

A week away on the high seas - a force 9 to 10 at one point! Great fun, new friends and seeing the engine room of a ship. Brilliant. I have been trekking across a glacier and speaking about my life and times. The venue was the Oriana and the journey was to Norway and back. A rich time.

There is a Gary Rhodes restaurant on the Oriana and we went twice. Had to be done. It was 12.45 am when we realised everybody else had left... food and service was superb. Oriana is a lovely ship.

I need a holiday now to recover from our week away:)

Love n

Monday, August 17, 2009

CAVEAT EMPTOR

Had a super weekend filled with friends, new places and faces and great food and drink, exhausting and wonderful. Now back to work...

I am still in STUCKSVILLE re technology. One of my suppliers has suggested I getting a Master Tech helper in for £550 a day to train me in how to do this stuff. Seems funny to be sold it and then have to pay to have someone to teach you to use it!? Hmmm...

But... I suppose I am trying to fast-track my learning?

I long for the day when I have this system working - all the bits enabling fast workflow and production... Until then. Frustration, helpline's, chat rooms and the worst kind of computer stress caused by brick walls of computer programes and codecs not working.

My advice for anyone thinking for buying final cut pro and final cut server pro with xdcam sxs media input and thinking it's not a great upgrade from imovie.... do not believe the marketing - it is a huge jump and it eats time.

There must be millions of people leaning new computer stuf everyday and not producing anything because of that.. crazy.

I need a new strategy here - how to breakthrough being STUCK... and I'm stubborn so I keep reading learning and I'll get it done/ Must be an easier way...

Any suggestions?

Love

N




Friday, August 14, 2009

UPDATED WEBSITE

Revision of nicky slater website uploaded. www.nickyslater.com simple and new logo. See the sarajevo bobsleigh ride. I found it online the other day and remember it well!

n

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

PRIVILEGE...

I was working away yesterday and I suddenly realised how privileged I am. To be able to work on the area that lights you up - to be pursuing a dream supported by family and friends and to have nothing in the way - apart from the technical mountains - and then the performance mountains - and then my own stuff - in creating entertainment magic.... Wow...

I'm learning how to make films... and the integration of servers and codecs and frames per second interlaced or progressive and the relationship of film to tv, NTSC or PAL.... Seems like stepping into the professional world causes a shift in what you have to know, "Media Management is complex..." Final Cut Pro manual. It is though becoming less scary and slowly I am taking things onboard.

As a relief I've been on the Ventura recently - pictures to come soon. I used my tiny camera to catch my new presentation that I wrote on board - it was great fun. Oh yes other news - I was cut in half on Sunday in a field - a s you do. I'll post that soon too.

I spoke to my friend Neil about the project I am developing a long while back and said I thought it would inform and add depth to my 'How to get where you want to go' project. I was right... The challenge is bringing to mind much from my sporting and business life and in what I have learned over the years. All good.

Right now the cork stuck in the bottle concerns the last third of studio creation. Then... well once foundations are in place development will be next and then production. I have been writing lyrics again so the creative juices haven't stopped entirely. An idea for a web series also came up on Sunday on a boat.

Back to putting the nuts and bolts together now about rendering in different codecs? and the eyelet size for the curtains and the.....

Love

N