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Well, it is 4:30 in the morning and I just got my new beta testing server up and running. This is the new server to get the new website for BNVN back up and running.This has been a real learning process to get up and running. It is the first time I setup a server on my own and have it up and running.

This is going to be my May project since I’m not liking the weather setup and my gut forecast shows that the gas prices are going to go through the roof as the price of footage for news is worthless as people are giving their stuff away just to get their names on TV. I know, it is pretty insane to give footage away when the networks have a ton of money for footage and are laughing their ass off as people give there footage away just to get their name on tv.

So with the hurricane documentary done and out there for people to beta view and let them review it, I’m pretty bored and looking for something to do now that I’m well on my way with the scripting setup on the beta server. 

I’m just focusing on the site editing and getting that up and running with the beta server. The beta server is going be the home server before I get the new web server up and running. I’m making the beta server script and automate everything for the new setup. Since all the footage catalogs are already made, I just need to time code the footage then trans code. The trans coding is going to be the automated scripting.
So my job now is press enter for the most part and walk away. Bored bored bored but it needs to be done.

Okay it was not a long dive and the water was a little cold but I got in my first dive at Calhoun today. I was able to get down to 49 feet and the visibility was pretty good.

Well, it is not a bust since I woke up this morning to the sounds of the weather alarms going off and busted out west. Right now I’m sitting on the MN and South Dakota boarder area in the Tornado Watch and just waiting to see if this is worth hanging around for. But I was able to come out and shoot some stock footage for another project that I’m working on of some stuff in Western MN so it is not a total bust. As soon as I wrap up this photo and video shoot out here and get back to the chase or looking at the stats, I’ll figure out if I’ll hang around for the rest of the weather or no weather events or go home.

Ok, almost done with the dvd encoding stuff then letting the computer go on auto pilot as I go scuba diving.

Wow, this is a lot of stuff to work with here with Encore.

Well, the coffee is brewing and the Adobe Encore is loaded on the computer and now I have to figure out how to use it.

The DVD project is done for the most part. The editing is done and I just need to work on the credits, dvd layout, paperwork and graphics.

So since the new DVD project is so huge that it has to go on a dual layer DVD and I needed to get my hands on Adobe Encore to be able to work with the massive thing on one disk. Otherwise it would be a 2 disk format.As for the project reviews. This is what is been said so far.”Video Looks like it’s 100% perfect – No problems that I could find!”

But I’m happy to be on a normal schedule again. I woke up this morning at 5am and hope to get this stuff done by noon and then off to the lake to go scuba diving.

Ok, I managed to get everything done with the DVD project and now it is just encoding for the demo for the distro folks to proof.

I got that done while busting my ass to get the other stuff done. Today was a good day. We were busy with a ton of new video coming in. Brian nailed the squall line in Florida and even got video of a boat sinking in Sarasota, FL while Bill was in North Carolina in the outer banks shooting a couple packages for BNVN that was on CNN and TWC.

He got some wicked footage that looked like a tropical storm out on the Cape.

Wow, yesterday was pretty insane with the video from Tony and getting it on the air with CNN in about 2.5 seconds after it happened.

Ok, it was a little longer then 2.5 seconds but it was asap broadcast quality from the field right after it happened. The cool part was that he did not even have to break off the chase to get the footage out and was able to keep chasing and up to BNVN. WTF is up with TWC… Tornado Time, 2:40 footage in the hand time 3:40 and the storms were rolling towards Dallas. Wedge tornado on the ground and they decided to wait for free footage or tower cams but at the same time the CNN desk was like um name your price because were rolling with it since this stuff is heading for Dallas. Wedge Tornado on the ground in Seymour, so you people in Dallas, watch out this is coming your way…

Or a freaking tower cam and “if you catch stuff, send it in for free and we will use it on the air” bull shit. Oh well, TWC is turning into the lifestyle network vs being a real news channel are focusing in on the NEWS when NEWS happens. Oh well, such is the life of a stringer and the stringer network… Today I’m just trying to finish up the corrections to the hurricane project that Chris found. Then it is off to try and catch Dander and Dumpster Juice tonight.

I am now back on a normal schedule. The video project is done, I’m just working on the layout of stuff for it but the editing is FINISHED.

This week has been a strange one.

I was out shooting for some rushed weather video for TWC and shooting some snow video in a pinch to get to them for the evening show.

Well, I’m up late working with Scotty on the Wisconsin weather video that he is out shooting for the Cantore crew. Their live crew is in Milwaukee but it’s not snowing there. So Scott is in Madison shooting snow video for them so they can say “See, It’s Coming This Way…”  

Anyways, I’m up working on the audio balance to wrap up the project and put it to bed.  

Just driving home from a late night run to Iowa. I watched a great light show just south of Mason City Iowa.

The chase gear needed to be modified some. I needed to wear the winter weather gear as the OAT is 42F out.

But it was worth it. One of the first images of 2007 made my season since I have been trying for a while to get this shot.