NCAA and NFL same package?

FOX Network's recent foray into college football is surely seen as gutsy. Why? Well, it appears that FOX is keeping the same production package as they have used in the NFL broadcasts. The methods are the same, the gear packages are about the same and the production is run the same as well. At first glace, this sounds great. However, I think that you need some separation of the two.  The college audience is different than the NFL crowd. They have different viewing habits, styles and allegiances.

Signing the PAC-12, Big-10 and C-USA shows they mean business. But, what sort of "business" do they mean? I happen to like the FOX NFL broadcast. I think they do a swell job, but I like having a separate feel to my Saturday viewing.

They must keep up though. With the SEC Network, Big-10 Network and the Longhorns Network, over-the-air networks have to maintain a high level of production. Perhaps, FOX sees the NFL as being so successful, so why not use what is proven?

The Saturday football needs it's own identity. Essentially, they are marketing to audiences that have vast differences in disposable income. This is really what's important. Because the marketing department knows who they are targeting, the rest of the company must follow.

This could be a lifetime game-changer

Imagine acquiring video images in a vector based format. This had been discussed in the early stages of vector development. Michael Phillips, designer of the industry standard Avid Media Composer, told me that benefits were weighed as to pixel to vector conversions would be had. Since Micheal has been a big part of the image conversation, he would know. As well, Alvy Ray Smith, the inventor of digital images, has worked for years trying to improve his product. Alvy was a founding partner of Pixar, and he has expressed to me some thoughts on digital imagery. Both of these people are Academy Award recipients. Their achievements in imagery have changed the motion picture world.

At the recent International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam, a group led by Bath University announced they have obtained patents on a new process. This new process eliminates the problem of pixelezation of images. Think of the effects implications. The ability to zoom images is exponentially increased. The amount of data able to be used is increased, but the gains far outweigh the possible negatives.  Having to depend on bits as the primary image display is erased, or at least altered.  Bit depth will not bog down computers. The computing power needed will likely remain the same, but you can just do much more with much less. With the increase in people capturing images in 4K, this will make all the difference.

I can't imagine how much easier it will be to composite images, or even work with images of "different bit depths." This has the potential to be as big as color TV being introduced. It can't be fully grasped yet, but this is just so big. In the coming 2-5 years, this will revolutionize how images are seen by everyone in every aspect of production and TV viewing. If you think regular 1080p looks great, you have not even scratched the surface of the potential.

Are you prepared?

Being prepared, or not. This seems to be the lesson of the day. When considering the advice from business experts, and I mean those that have actually had a successful business, my one big takeaway is be prepared. In business plans, having it all of the necessary information is being ready.

I somewhat noticed this from another expert I recently met with. A friend of mine was speaking to a group recently. She is a movie executive and deals with business plans of sort. Her sort of business dealings is when a movie is to be made; all logistics have to be planned. This is what she deals with day in and day out.

During this recent gathering, a future professional inquired about having my friend produce her film. I was startled at the question, but it wasn’t unexpected. What was unexpected was the response. The guest gave the audience member an opening. The reply was “what is your movie about?” The extremely lackluster answer (well, I’m not done with the story yet) was deflating to me.  When presented a potential life changing opportunity, the ill-prepared person could offer nothing in return.

This was my lesson, which coincidentally goes with this assignment. Had this person been ready, the opportunity ship could have sailed with the audience member aboard. This is like the business plan that is not complete. How can you expect a reader to judge your plan if it doesn’t paint the picture? The plan is just that, a plan. If the business owner doesn’t have a clear vision of the business, how can they expect anyone else to get one?

You must have a well-defined plan. This plan manifests itself on paper for people to read. A proper idea fleshing out is requisite for any measure of success.

Best practices of business plan writing

While I prepare write my business plan, I have sought the wisdom of those individuals that have mastered the art. I will share two of these people and what I've found to be good advice from well-versed experts.

First, I have looked at Elizabeth Wasserman. Elizabeth has written for Inc. Magazine and since I'm an avid reader, have seen her material. She is the Editor of Inc.'s technology brand. She lives in Washington (many think tanks there) and has over 17 years of experience writing for various publications and in many mediums.

What I took from Elizabeth was essentially that the business plan is your map. If it's a map for your business, it had better be a correct map. This doesn't mean it error free. What it does mean is that your map needs to have north, south, east and west correct and your direction must be defined. She writes about how it must be committed to memory. Memory doesn't need to have everything, but you need to have the vitals at the forefront of your lobe. Knowing your plan and that it constantly changes is the biggest challenge. Also, when you think you're being conservative with your numbers, reduce them again and don't be too optimistic.

The other expert I looked at is Mark Cuban. Mark is the owner of NBA's Dallas Mavericks, an investor on "Shark Tank" the TV show and founder of broadcast.com. Not only does he know computer technology well, he knows a great deal about successful business.

I've read his blog many times over the last handful of years. He is a big proponent of open-source anything. The concept is that many eyes looking at something can only help your business in the long run. With business plans of all types, you must have a clear vision. This vision is only better defined within the plan.

A couple of years ago he invited the public to post their business plans on the Internet via his blog. Then, if you fulfilled certain requirements, he would invest in your company. This is a very scary prospect, but I'm sure it turned out well for some people. Even if he didn't invest, the amount of readers giving feedback on the plans could have proved priceless. Of course, theft of an idea would be the most concerning. All said though, if you think you've got a tight plan, why not go for it? Showing your plan is very well done would be the component needed for investors.

I don't think I would have done the posting, but I certainly admire those that did.

NHK Super Hi-Vision at Olympics

This year, the 2012 London Summer Olympics (starting next week) will be the focus of the world. However, it will also be looked upon as a technical achievement too. NHK out of Tokyo will have a few broadcast sites across the world. The marvel is found in Super Hi-Vision, an 8K broadcast signal. This is significantly larger and has more resolution than HD movie theaters.

I’ve seen tests of this on a huge 100”+ TVs that has the capability of producing such a high end signal. It appears that Washington DCwill have the United States’ feed of this broadcast and will have a demo site set up.  The other sites seem to be in Tokyo and the United Kingdom. It’s likely that these viewing sites will have some sort of hi-res monitors. It’s been reported that a 520-inch screen will be made available as well as a 360-inch one as well.  I’ve never seen anything close to those sizes except the American Idol Experience at Disney Hollywood Studios. Even then, I’ve only seen high definition. This Super Hi-Vision makes HD look like a second step cousin.

This sort of technology won’t really be available for consumer use for many years, if ever. However, it explores the possibilities out there. This 8K resolution will require a tremendous amount of bandwidth. This issue really seems to be the limiting one. There is a finite amount of space, and it can’t be exceeded. Therein lies the challenge, compress it more. However, with compression, you bring upon more nasty looking images. So, the challenge is then, how do you compress a very high-end signal, then uncompress it so it looks like perfect. This is always the dilemma. Since we’ve gotten far with TV, we can really only imagine the possibilities of the future.

Canon EOS c300

The other day I had the opportunity to check out the Canon c300! This cinema camera packs a huge 4K punch. It seems heavy at 3 plus pounds, but still very easy to hold. I handled 2 configurations. The first was a simple setup in sticks with a feed going to a monitor. The second was a handheld ENG style unit with a basic lens and pistol grip attached. I must say that I'd like to see some of the accessories available, as going handheld would not be an option as is.

The beauty of the camera was in it's simplicity. Acquisition can be done in log format, which is very nice. The Suer35mm chip is amazing! The recording is 8-bit MPEG, which is OK, but I'd really like to see 10-bit. We were told though that 10-bit tests showed the camera got so hot, parts started to melt. So, until those issues get resolved, 8-bit it is. Also, the MXF option is terrific! It would be so easy to ingest this footage into an Avid system and begin the edit right away.

Another feature I like is the 2 card slot setup. They can be used as one, or separate, doubling record time.  I'd prefer to use my second slot as a safety though. We all know how temperamental computer gear can be. I certainly don't want to be the one to lose footage because of a simple failure.

The camera can be purchased as a PL mount or a EF one. This way, whatever lenses you have, your camera can use them. Just make sure you buy the right one. At about $20,000, you want to make sure you're buying the right body.

Check out these videos that were shot with the c300. These shorts are from Jameson Whiskey. The adult beverage company sponsored these short films, all of which star Kevin Spacey. Below is my favorite one. However, I'd have to say "The Ventriloquist" is a very close second!

Ad generating revenue?

Check out this video about logo usage and how they can be used. It's not family friendly at all, so don't watch this with your kids. This short film won many awards including an Academy Award.

Although this is not a real campaign, I thought it relevant when sponsorship opportunities arise. Now, when I think of marketing possibilities and corporate partnerships, I think of how often a logo is seen by the intended audience and how it's portrayed. This example was likely not welcomed by the companies here, but it' free marketing in a sense.

When a relationship is formed, there are many considerations. One such team I think about is the Orlando Solar Bears. They are a reborn franchise and are just about to kick off the new season. They have been seeking corporate partners that can get some good exposure right out if the gate. One tactic I noticed was more interaction with players and management. Season ticket holders will potentially be able to visit with them. I know this has worked for the Magic as a friend of mine has 6 floor seat season tickets. She meets with the team regularly and is exposed to many other "treats" as a top tier client.

This sort of fan interaction and activity is exactly what is needed. There has to be some amount of "buy-in" by the every day fan, especially the season ticket holders. This is where the right sponsors come in. Part of the whole experience is these sponsorships. When I go to an event, I need to be intrigued, or at least able to identify who is sponsoring the event. This is not so much for the product itself, but the consumer sees the brands identified together. Nike NFL jerseys or Spaceship Earth presented by Seimans; partners.

Marketing Disaster for Horse Racing

For starters, I’m not a horse-racing fan. The closest I’ve ever been to that is watching Seabiscuit on DVD. However, like many Americans, I became greatly intrigued again this year when the same horse, “I’ll Have Another” was scratched from the final leg of the Triple Crown. This ends his chance to be the first to win the 3 races since the late 70’s. I wonder how ratings and last minute ad revenue will suffer from this horses sudden retirement? I likely would have watched the race today, but now I will not. I believe this is where most people are with this sort of situation.

It goes with most sports really.  How many people watch a regular season of a given sport? Only big fans do this, and the rest of us only watch the big games. This is where I think marketing changes. Take for example the Super Bowl. Now you have the casual fan watching some games during the regular season and playoffs but certainly viewing the Super Bowl. Then, you have the die-hard fan like me. You watch the NFL Network all the time, watch the Chicago news and read blogs on training camp then watch every preseason, regular season and post season game out there.  Then you have the TV viewer that really only watch the Super Bowl, but nothing else.  I think the marketing for the Super Bowl is geared to the first and last people I mentioned.  It only makes sense. If you look at ratings for this show, you’ll see a huge spike in viewership. The difference between the every day fan and the Super Bowl watcher is so great, it becomes the majority. They can’t be ignored. They must be catered to. I don’t see how it works any other way, but it’s my best guess.

Media Credentials for the Super Bowl

When thinking about media credentials, I remember hearing stories about how many in the media request passes for various events. I specifically recall seeing how big the media section of the NBA 2012 Orlando All-Star game was. The media took up a huge chunk of the lower bowl. Then, I thought of how many people are around the sidelines of a Super Bowl game. It astounds me that it takes that many members of the “press” to report a game seen by hundreds of millions on live broadcast.

To me, there are two sides to this. First, we have the various leagues and their desire to have as much press discuss this as possible. Filling 10 rows of seats with paying fans is greatly outweighed by the need to have the press give the event tons of attention. Secondly, we have the year 2012 and although there are many more people “reporting” the event, it’s not needed. The reason I say this is because with so much communication capacity now, we don’t need thousands of reporters retelling the same story.

I’ve worked many press events, so I know how it is. Walt Disney World has hired me many times to shoot video at these press events. When a new ride, show or event happens, they invite media from all over the world to cover it. They treat the media very well and have people like me go with the producer so they can get video for their network or station. The biggest network I was sent with was the BBC. We had to shoot a bunch of material at Epcot and I quickly understood how many people would see the footage I was shooting.

Biggest Issue in Sports Today

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE.)  What is it and why would this be in a sports blog? CTE is a disease that occurs after multiple concussions and it diagnosed after death. There has been a rash of former football and hockey players committing suicide in the last few years due to this.  The most recent was Junior Seau, a perennial NFL Pro-Bowler. Like another NFL player before him, he shot himself in the chest. Dave Duerson killed himself this way and wished for his brain to be studied, as he could no longer deal with his affliction.

The legal aspect of this case is a number of former players are suing the NFL on the basis of a prior knowledge of the potential brain issues and resulting conditions. There are over 1500 former players in the suit and the number keeps growing.


One very interesting part of this argument hasn’t been talked about very much. Follow me here. Gregg Williams, former Defensive Coordinator for the Saints and somewhat current DC for the Rams was suspended recently fir his bounty programs used in the past. While he was in New Orleans, he ran a program that rewarded players for certain types of play. This breaks a big rule in the NFL. There have been more suspensions, but Gregg’s is the longest, indefinite. Now, listen to this clip, which is NOT safe for work, and hear how Gregg Williams clearly calls for hurting players, but more so than just a hard hit. Why does this tape exist? Well, a filmmaker is documenting the very physical nature of football and exploring a former Saints player that now has ALS, Lou Gehrig’s syndrome. He had permission to be there and made this audio available for the public and the NFL. The connection is that the type of play Williams advocates for is what causes some brain diseases. The clip now really comes full circle because it was used to implicate Williams and help get himself suspended, hopefully forever.

http://articles.cnn.com/2012-05-03/worldsport/sport_nfl-lawsuit_1_concussions-deceased-nfl-players-player-safety?_s=PM:WORLDSPORT

http://theusof.com/2012/04/tru-dat-gregg-williams-saints-audio-bountygate-pay-for-pain/

http://www.bu.edu/cste/about/what-is-cte/

Hart v. Electronic Arts

While my business plan incorporates many aspects of production, intellectual property rights aren’t really that much of a concern. We have to cover our basics like logo, motto/slogan, any software or stock footage/music rights and such. However, we don’t need to worry about performance clearances, as the production is responsible for it. However, the story I encountered interests me greatly as it can have a large effect on sports and entertainment industries.

What I found is a recent United States District Court decision to dismiss a claim by a former Rutgers football player. Ryan Hart sued EA Sports claiming that they illegally used his name and likeness in production of a video game. EA Sports said the First Amendment protects them. The judge ruled with EA Sports and the “transformative work” done by EA fulfilled the definition of the term. They changed enough of his likeness to qualify for this exemption. To me, it would be like taking someone’s song they wrote, changing only some of it, then not giving the original artist credit or payment.

As players of professional sports are usually protected by collective bargaining agreements, collegiate athletes are prohibited from earning money from their sports. Therein lies the issue for me. I understand EA walk a line, but they also take advantage of the NCAA rules. They only do this to the students because they can. Just because the law may be on their side doesn’t make it right.

The thing that burns me the most though is the game is made locally. I know people that worked on it, and they have no say is this sort of thing.

ACE Awards last night

Patton Oswalt hosted the 62nd annual ACE Eddy Awards in Beverly Hills. This event is the yearly awards presentation for film and TV editors. Frequently, the winners at the event are also the Emmy and Oscar winners too. The award for Best Feature Film went to Kevin Tent for editing The Descendants. The best one hour non commercial Eddy went to the editor of Homeland. Coincidentally, the writers had their awards last night too and Homeland did very well. I expect this show to have a good Emmy night.

With the event, there were some movers and shakers of the industry present. Clint Eastwood gave a nice talk about editors and their art. The event concluded with a nice party and likely Academy Awards talk too.

Tonight, Sunday the 19th, it the Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards show. I have three friends in attendance having been nominated for an award. They did the sound for a Tim Tebow ESPN special. Tim is in attendance with them. I wish them all the luck, and would be very proud if they came home with awards. The MPSE is also another Academy Awards pre-show. It's likely the films that win there will win the Academy and Emmy awards show upcoming.

It's awards season and the weekends are all showcasing our best projects coming to us on TV and movie theaters. It's quite possible to stay connected, even from Orlando.

The Three Stooges in post

An article about the cutting the new Farrelly Brothers film "The Three Stooges" was refreshing. The workflow I employ is essentially the same. They shoot on 35mm film, transfer to 4:4:4 HDCAM SR and edit offline in Avid DNxHD 36. DNxHD 36 offers a very nice picture with very compressed small files. This format saves a tremendous amount of space. With about 83 hours of footage, they will have to use a Unity Isis setup. With the roughly 40:1 shooting ratio, they have a ton of information to go through. Once this offline is done, they online it and correct it. The color timing is done with Davinci.

Another thing that stuck out about the interview was the talk about editing comedy. It’s very difficult to edit comedy due to the pacing. Pacing is vital to editing this genre. Not only does the editor need time all the humor properly for the sake of the picture, the editor must also consider the audience reaction. The timing must be done with enough room for the audience to stop laughing to move on to the next shot or scene. This is not at all easy. It’s an art unto itself.

The other part I noticed is how the editor, Sam Seig, edits. He stands up as he works. He mentioned has was raised on a Moviola (KEMs too) and that he feels very comfortable cutting this way. Another big editor does the same. He is Walter Murch of course. He feels his rhythm is proper when editing this way. Of course, they don’t mention the physical benefits from doing this as well.

I’m not sure how long this process will continue. With Kodak on the brink of going out of business, the film part could be dead in a few years time. When this happens, the few remaining film shooters will likely start shooting digital. The process doesn’t change very much, other than a film transfer will not be needed and the editor can get the shots immediately, if that’s what they want.

Sir Ken Robinson

I've been a fan of Ken Robinson for some time. I've even heard a talk of his in person. He and his message are such that he could be identified as his own brand. His manner of speaking, his message and his enthusiasm is very recognizable. In the talk, Ken explains how we, as a mostly global society, are trying to mass produce education; and we're failing miserably at it. This sort of TED talk really applies to everyone, no matter the business they're in. What Ken is saying is that future of our children is in jeopardy. This is important because we will need the right workforce to maintain and run our businesses at some point. Also, these people will be our customers, clients and targets of our brands. So, this lesson is two fold. First, it's a lesson about life. Secondly, it's a lesson on branding because Ken does have a certain sense of celebrity, and his brand is at stake whenever he speaks.

Ken comes from the UK where he has been knighted, and is known as a leader in education reformation. He is a very articulate speaker, knows his subject well and is very good at getting people's attention. I invite you to watch this talk, as it's much more than just someone on a stage. This video is animated, illustrating his talk.

American Cinema Editors (ACE)

The American Cinema Editors (ACE,) which was established in 1950, is an honorary group of professional picture editors. Large components of the group are education and furthering the art and science of editing.

As mentioned above, education is a focus of the group. Two of the programs that they employ are internships and a visiting editors program. The internship program allows for 6 weeks of intense learning. Each intern has the opportunity to learn from and work with panels and ACE members who mentor the intern. This program helps further the causes of education and the ACE itself. They also host an editing competition for students. Winning a contest like this would not only garner a prize, but also more importantly, potentially start a career in editing.

The visiting editors program from ACE connects ACE editors and schools. If a school that teaches editing wants to have come and talk, ACE can arrange it. These ACE editors can do some demonstration, put together a presentation, do Q&A and many other things. This outreach also promotes the association.

This group is prestigious amongst the film community members. If you watch the credits of a feature film or episodic television, you may see member of these types of groups. Have you ever seen ACE, CSA, MPSE, BSC or ASC? These are professional groups present in film and TV.

I’ve been slowly working on getting into this association. It’s a long process and it takes patience. I’ve received my invitation to their annual EDDIE awards, the precursor to the Academy Awards. The awards votes come from the membership of ACE. This group is not a union. The Motion Picture Editors Guild is the group that operates as a union. They likely have some of the same membership, both having different causes and purposes.


http://ace-filmeditors.org/about-2/education/
http://ace-filmeditors.org/about-2/http://ace-filmeditors.org/about-2/ace-intern-program/