Fox Sports moves from Chyron to Vizrt on NewscastStudio Blog

Fox Sports moves from Chyron to Vizrt on NewscastStudio Blog

High Maintenance is for Movie Stars...

...not local tv reporters.  This week, the fill in managing editor was running in and out of the graphics room, like a chicken without a head.   He made a comment referring to the reporters as being high maintenance.  Uum...yeah...

the newsroom

Welcome to graphics!  We deal with these reporters everyday, and their crazy cock-i-maney ideas.

the control room crew

Everyday, there is something.  They really have no idea how we create a graphic, ..nor do they care... or should. It should not be their concern.  But when they have these ideas, and suggest how we create them, then throw a so called high maintenance tantrum-because we say it won't work......well, it becomes somewhat frustrating to deal with.  I think sometimes they are worse than 2 year olds  throwing a fit.  Yes,  I  know their faces are on the big tube, but really,???  when it comes down to it, it's their job... they chose that profession. A profession to report the story. 
I don't get being a reporter, or understand what it's like to be a reporter, or the stresses that they are under.  But then again, the reporter has no idea, what stresses we are under trying to get their graphic to air.  Most of them think it takes 5 minutes to build a graphic, in reality, it takes a bit longer. Average graphic takes about 15 minutes, and if they want those fancy so called "grow" graphics...animated in graphics term.  It could take up to a hour.  No need to explain to them, because they are like deers looking into headlights. That blank stare, means they have no idea what the hell you just said.
It's all about team work. Each one of us has a job to do to get that story to air. It's a production line, from a managing editor, to graphics, to editors, to the controlroom. No one is any more important than the other.  In the scheme of things, we are ALL just a number in a big corporation, A BIG corporation who has to answer to it's shareholders.   So unless you are a shareholder, or  J Lo, no need to throw that diva act.

Dog Days of Summer...

..are just about fading to black.  Where did those so called lazy days go?  In Canada it is a slow few months, unless you live in the eastern part of the country, there's hardly any work out west. A couple of football games, but that will only buy you, MAYBE a nice pair of Louboutins. But in the summer, all you need are flip flops.

Fonting AB Days Live from Winnipeg

My summer has been quiet. The only work I had was a summer solstice concert in Winnipeg for APTN.  I've been working this concert for the last three years. I love working on this gig.  The people at APTN are so nice to work with, the locations are an experience and the talent exceptional. This year being in Winnipeg was a chance for me to be back home.
See some friends, family, and enjoy being with friendly Manitobans. It was long 18 hour days, but so worth it.  I hope next year I get the call, I'd be there in a heart beat.
Now that the hot days are windling down, and the cold ones approach, so does the work. I received my hockey schedule a few weeks ago. The schedule is busy, and busy is good. I get to be back in an element I love being in...stressed and rushed...but it gets my blood flowing, and that mean your heart is pumping your passion.  Now as Vancouver braces a heatwave, I really should enjoy them as training camp for the Canucks starts in a couple weeks. Oh the cold days of winter!

ps...I'm off to Amsterdam for IBC for my summer vacation.!!
http://www.ibc.org/

Do or Die

Well, the Canucks did it! Won tonight's game to stave off elimination. It's up a bumpy ride for thhe Canucks, bad penalities, bad penalty kill, and Luongo, well, he's hot and cold.
Tuesday will be an another do or die game. I will be at GM Place in the Chicago Comcast truck.

CBC will be there, and so will Versus.  I think it will be an exciting but nerving game. Though, like game 3, I didn't really see much of it.  I was typing my little fingers off. Comcast Chicago is a busy game for the font op.  They do pretty much everything.  The bug box op, pretty much just does the score going to commercial break.  All stats comes from the duet op.  I don;t mind, I have a very good font coord sitting beside me.  Though, I think at times, I frustrate him. Hopefully, Tuesday, I won't be too hard on his nerves, and we can have a good show. My last show of the season, but one can hope not the Canucks!

Me and Scott,(Versus EVS op) Game 3 @ GM Place

Font Friends

It's funny what font op talk about to each other.  My friend, who is a font op with CBC, were comparing notes on each other's notes.  She is working the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the next truck to me. I am working the playoffs for FOX Sports.  She had posted her pics from round 1 on facebook.  It's funny, because some of the pics I had posted from my first round with FOX, were very similiar in manner.  So at 1 in the morning, we were having facebook conversations about our cheat sheets, our producers, and our treats. Every font op I know, always have treats laying beside their machines.  It's because you may not get a lunch break, or you just may need that extra sugar to get you through the game.  For me it's a box of altoids, it's my sugar crack.

When round 1 of the playoffs began, I was at the arena at 10:30 in the morning, copying and building graphics for the show.  Billboards, 8 new downloads, team promos, had to be created, and team elevator, which is like another sponsporship.  Not to mention, I had to build graphics for the open, intermissions, and postgame.  I had finished building everything by 5pm. All the stuff that was required,...done!  I was happy to get a 1 hour lunch break.  But,only to realize, upon my return, I would be typing like a mad woman to try and get some fancy stat graphics that Todd and the producer wanted...  game 1, some bumps along the way, but

for the most part, all the sponsorhip crap was there, and the producer was happy..And in the end, that's all that matters...and the fact that I still had some font crack left to chew on.

Round 2

That catch phrase "Where does time fly"  comes to my mind when I see the calendar staring at me May 1
The last few months have flown by.  February was just a blur. So many long hours, so many friends I haven't seen, and so little time.  For me working the Olympics at Canada Hockey Place meant getting ready to start work at 9am and working til 12:30am. 3 hockey games a day, alot of hockey graphics, and some tears, and laughter in between.  For some people, they were sad to see the game end, me, I was happy. No more 14 hour days, and finally, I got to enjoy the last day of the olympics.  My olympic experience was a good one, I was at Canada Hockey Place, I worked on the broadcast with the largest viewership ever. 22 Million people saw my graphics, and no mistakes.  Wheeww...thank god.  And in the end, my friends and I celebrated with Tretiak, the Russian goaltender, Mike Babcock, and Stevie Y. 
And another catch phrase "life goes on" and it did. March was filled with more hockey. MSG, Fox, Comcast.  April came in like a lamb, just one Pay Per View game, managed a trip to Vegas for NAB, and
round 1 of West Conference Quarter Finals vs Los Angeles.  3 Games, 3 good graphic games, considering they didn't fly their coord.  Todd, who is the Sportsnet coord, he and I managed to pull off some pretty good stuff.  At times, I think we got on each other nerves, but in the end, we prevailed to create some good stuff.
Let's hope that good font karma will be with me for Round 2, when the Canucks play the Chicago Blackhawks, and Comcast is in town.  Time will tell, just as it flies.

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!