Hockey, Hockey, Hockey....

I hate to say it, oh, I can't say it. I'm Canadian. I can not say I'm sick of hockey. I am suppose to love hockey. It's our sport. But I am thankful the Canucks are now on the road.
Wednesday night was their last night in GM Place til March 13th. I worked on the
FOX Midwest show for the St. Louis Blues. They are another awesome crew to work with.
Phil the director is quite funny with his singing. He makes me laugh. He is also a good
director. Tim the producer is very laid back and very nice. He is also quite funny with his singing. Danny is the nicest guy to be sitting next you in that font coordinating chair.
But, it was a long a draining day. Half hour pre-game show, the game, and half hour post game show. It was a noon crew call. Thank god, the FOX hockey plugin worked, the stats inc worked, and all I had to do was typed my little fingers off. By the time 4pm our lunch break, we had pre game graphics built, game and post game in the bag. As per usual, right at 7 Tim said he forgot one graphic, USA forward team board, not a big deal, Danny and I whipped it up. All in all, good game from chyron. Not a bad way to go into a break. You're only as good a you're last show. Back at CTV plant yesterday, I was building more hockey

graphics. Like the night before, and 3 past FOX games, a graphic on the Canucks upcoming road trip. 14 games, the longest in NHL history.

And what do I do on my dinner break, watch more hockey.

The Sharks vs Blackhawks, 2 best teams in the Western Conference. My friend was doing font for that game, so we were textin g each other all night. It turned out to be a great game. Hawks win 4-3 in OT!...maybe that's why I just can't give up hockey.

It's just a good game..and it's Canada's game!

Working 9-5, this ain't

I applaud all those working mothers who work in television. I am amazed how they have the energy to manage the kids, then come to work. How are they not tired?! What do they take to have all that "Get Go". I, being a single woman, working a full time job & freelance, am dead tired at the end of the day. This weekend I did chyron for the Chicago Comcast broadcast. Great crew to work for. Dave my font producer is awesome at his job, a bit intense, but knows his shit. We had built a lot of graphics, which for the most part made it to air. It was a good game for me, no screaming from Dave, and he didn't seem preturbed. But in the end, I just didn't want to be there. It was a long week, training Monday and Tuesday, 12 hour days. When there is training available, I will not say no, even if the station doesn't want to pay me the OT or give days in lieu. Training is valuable. Added to the week, was a friend from out of town visiting. Just trying fit the friend, the training, the freelance, in one week, I am exhausted. I am so glad that today, my game for MSG Buffalo is canceled, and I actually get a real weekend with 2 days off. Today, is my 9-5 day, doing laundry, grocery shopping, and maybe a movie, it time permits.

Insriber, I think you and I can be friends

Like any friendship, it takes time to nurture. And like any new kid on the block you're a bit hesitant of them. Same goes for font machines. Being a chyron op for many years, I was hesitant to accept the Inscriber. I am a loyal friend to chyron. But, with that being said, I am curious about people and font machines. The last 2 days I have had more training on the Inscriber G7, & I now have an understanding of it. Just like people, machines, have a different way of thinking. There is no right, or no wrong way. Just a different way. I do appreciate their way, and the people of Harris, for the extra time spent on my concerns of the G7. I am not saying that I am in love with Inscriber, because I am truly in love with chyron. But, I think Inscriber and I can become friends, and like any good friendship, there will be disagreements. And in the end, true friends will always work through differences.

Hockey Night in Canada

Since I can remember, Saturday nights in Canada translates "hockey night". My siblings would start the night by watching the pregame show, translation... Bugs Bunny hour, then the intermission, would follow with burger and fries. If we were lucky, my mom would make home made fries. Then at 7pm that familiar theme song, that every Canadian knows, The CBC Hockey Night in Canada song. It is tradition. Back then, the only teams to watch were either Montreal or Toronto. I was a Montreal Canadiens fan. Ken Dryden was my all time favourite. Tonight, it is the Vancouver Canucks, and the Sedin twins.

I'm just getting home from working the game for FSN Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh crew is an awesome crew to work with, and Becky the font producer is wonderfully nice. It wasn't a busy font show, persay, but became somewhat crazy in the second period. 3 Vancouver goals in a span of 3:34. 5 goals total in the 2nd. We didn't type up a period summary page as 4 of the goals were for Vancouver. Whew!, got out of that typing. The game ended on a good note, Vancouver winning 6-2. No overtime, no shootouts. All is good in chyron land. End of the game, I went for drinks with my font friends, one who works for the Canucks in-house, and one who works on Hockey Night in Canada. Being tv people we sit and chat about how each other's game went.

No wrong graphics went to air, no machines crashed, and no one died. Translation...a good night. And next Saturday night we will all do it again when one of the six original teams is in town. The Chicago Blackhawks. Comcast sports for some, (me), Hockey Night in Canada for others. Check your local listings, as the tradition continues.

Do You Believe?.....

I received my accreditation today for the olympics. I guess there is no getting out . 6 of my colleagues from the station are working for the CTV Consortium. Mauricio, the graphic artist I share space with, and who is subject to my daily cursing is also apart of this experience. He and I are headed down to the IBC (international broadcast centre) tomorrow to officially sign in.

In 1987 when I started at CTV, the Calgary games where just around the corner and many on the production team were apart of it. Being new to television, I didn't understand what the big fuss was all about. Now 20+ years later, I will be able to have my own olympic experience.

Imagine that!

1 Month to Go, Chaos in the Controlroom

1 month to go, or 3o days, as it reads on our CTV graphic. 3 years ago we started using the countdown clock for our 6 pm newscast to remind the viewers just how many days til the start of the olympics. When did 3 years roll into 30 days? The newsroom has had 3 years to prepare for this BIG day, so why all the commotion in the controlroom? Beats me, we in the graphics depart. are in another room and are left out of the loop. Today, my biggest worries was trying figuring out how to effect 3 graphic pages on air with the Inscriber. But at 5:59:00, the craziness and yelling started...apparently there were changes for this show, and apparently some important people were left out of the loop. The very important people would be the playback operator, the technical director, and audio operator. Okay, you can do without audio, but you do need video. After all, isn't tv all about the pictures? So now I get ready for the 11:30pm newscast and I am hopeful it will be smooth sailing!

Monday Night Football, oops I mean Hockey

Home from another day at GM Place. Today I was font coordinating for
FS Tennessee, and the font operator was the lovely and talented Linda P.
Font coordinating is not hard, if you know numbers and stats. I don't know
stats that well, that's why I am an operator. I managed to get through
the notes, and get some useful stats to air. Like, Vancouver hadn't lost
a game in regulation time since Dec. 20th, when they lost to St. Louis.
Their record was 7-0-2. Not a bad stat...but I will stick to fonting, and will
be back at it on Saturday for FOX Pittsburgh. oh ya, by the way, Vancouver
lost tonight, when Shea Weber scored at 15;46 of the third period...

1 Month, 1 Day to the Olympic Games

Yesterday, while commuting on Skytrain to Metro Town, my friend suggested that I blog
my Olympic experience. She said, you are working on the most exciting, and probably most watched Olympic event. I am working on Men's Olympic Hockey at GM Place, now renamed Canada Hockey Place. Most friends, and people I talk to are wowed by the fact that I am working that event. Some ask "why you?'' and are susprised I am working on it. Get real people, I work on FOX hockey, I know hockey. Some are just excited that I will be there.
I am not there yet. I am just concerned that I am working on the Inscriber G7 and hoping that I can get through the day with very little yelling from the director. Working on the G7 should be a challenge. Until then, I worry about tomorrow's Canucks/Predators game for FOX Sports.