[Grinner Hester]

lemme know if you have a retirement shindig. I have to tell you about my recient trip to texas. Freakin awesome, man.

I first hit Denison, TX., my birth place and where I was raised until I was 11. I drove into town knowing I would be able to drive directly to my old elementary school. I did just that. It was emotional because there was really no way for me to know how to get there. I rode in back in ’80 and wasn’t lookin’ where we were goin anyway. Still, I drove to Lane Elementary and had a flood of memories I shared on camera. As I drove off, I mentioned to the camera how I’d love to be able to stumble upon the old baseball diamond Dad use to coach us at. I turned a corner while still saying that and there it was. Ever giggle cried? I was doing just that as I walked up and began visually running bases. Dad gave me the steal sign and I totally impressed him. I called my brother, Hotrod and put him on speaker phone and we told stories together into the camera.
As I left, full of emotion, I saw a little boy playing on the monkey bars just off of the baseball diamond. He looked like my youngest son. I rolled along slowly and he and I made eye contact. I felt like I was that little boy in 1977. At that very moment, I swear I had a memory of sitting in that very swing, looking at a dude in a blue Nova thinking that that was me later in life.
I went by Granny’s house that was one block away. On the way to my old house, I stopped by our old church. I video taped each stop.

That evening found me in Arlington where I crashed with my old college roomate, Burk. Dude hasn’t changed at all but is a cop in Irving and when he suited up, well, it felt like there was a cop in the room. lol
I hadn’t seen him in a long time and it was good to hang again.

Austin, TX was my next stop. I met my buddy Mark the first day of college. We are complete opposites in every way of life and have always been entertained by each other. I talked with him all night and had to split early the next day. He asked me to swing by his mom’s place, if I could, and grab some footage of his momma. I told him I would.

I headed off to Big Spring, TX. I got off way too late this day. My plan was to get there early enough to go dirt-biking. I have very fond memories of Big Spring. I lived there from ’81-83. If I wasn’t in school, I was on the trails. I went to my old house and the trails are still there. It ain’t like Big Spring has grown since shuttin’ off the pumps. Of all places to visit in a town, I went to all the entrances and exits of trails I use to ride. I told stories to the camera of how I use to ditch cops and try to get em to chase me up into the trails. Sometimes I’d get one to and I’d get to watch from afar as a crane pulled em out later. I saw the place where I had my first kiss. I went to my old school and saw the place where I had my first break up. The roller rink was gone and the Honda shop was gone. Both had liquor stores in their place.

I took off that very night to Lubbock. I lived there from ’83 to ’92. I hit my old high school, KAMC channel 28, the first TV job I ever had, the window tint shop I use to work at because tv didnt pay the bills and I stayed with an old buddy I use to cheat death with back in the day. Brandon hasn’t changed at all. Big kid with a big grin all the time. We laughed about old times till the sun came up.
twice, actually. Spent the next day eating at all my favorite eating places and we did the exact same thing all night the next night… sat, talked and laughed.
The next morning, I had to start headin back home. I promised Mark I’d go see his mom, Mary in Lubbock while there. I so love this lady. I was wild and reckless back in the day and she repeatedly allowed me to take her son into the unknown. She loved me from day one. God bless her.
I wrapped on the door and this 81 year old ray of sunshine comes to the door in a bathrobe all yellin at me to turn off the camera. I did and she allowed me in. She was in a hurry, having to split to go to Austin. I didn’t announce my visit and was intruding. Still, I knew that what Mark had asked me to do was to get some last words from his mom on tape before it was too late. I have so much respect for this lady so my decision to do what I did was tough. I asked to see some of Mark’s artwork before I left and I held the camera at my side as if I were not recording. By now, she had cloths on so don’t think I’m morbid. Anyway, in between works of art by Mark and accomplishments by Jimmie, Marks brother, I was throwin’ in questions like “so how’d ya meet Brian? (her late husband and a man I miss and admire). She told me stories of how she married, Mark’s birth, her happiest moments and her saddest. Against her very wishes, I have that on tape for him. Still not sure how I feel about that. She’d skin me alive.

I then had a good long drive home to soak it all in. 2,200 miles I believe I put on Lil Suzy at a record-breaking average of 24mpg. Never did I speed. I kept it slow and low, man. I had the window down and was crankin some sweet tunes. I learned a lot. I documented it all and can relearn it again when needed.

Retravelling life’s avenues sure is good for a brother. I walk a little slower and smile a little more often. Worth the gas, man.

[Grinner Hester]

I miss Avid.
The question “why Avid” ten years ago was quickly answered by most with a “to stay in business.” Competing with somone with “an Avid” whithout “an Avid” was a tough job in the 90’s.
What changed? Well, from the outside looking in, I’d say sales managers becoming product managers. I don’t know how many people are working on Adrenaline. I do know it’s not enough. Xpress? Man, I dunno. It looked like they made the new Media Composer from it but now I think they just removed some features from MC and called it Xpress. Upgrades in Avid land are now just bug fixes while Adobe, Apple and everyone else actually grows to meet market demands.
So today… why Avid? I cant give a single good arguement for it. Today I couldn’t bring myself to wroye another check to Avid.

[Grinner Hester]

your best bang for the buck will be to custom build one.
The higher the better, for me. Ergonimics are imprtant when spending a lot of time in the chair. I like the console high sol I can lean back, tuck under it and rest my mouse arm on it.

[Grinner Hester]

hardball.
I am a very laid back dude. If ya can’t get along with me, ya prolly don’t get along with many. I’m pretty old school when it comes to money though. It in no way (to me) is mean to tell somone you’ll be by in ten minutes to collect the full amount they owe ya. Wouldnt even be mean to charge em for gas to come get it. I have waitin in lobbies having to ask their clientele if they are there for money as well before. I make my living doing this stuff. Deadbeats would take food from my children if I let ethem and it’s simply up to me not to let them.
Hardball means they wont cvome back. It also means they wouldnt have anyway. You have absolutly nothing to lose by being firm.

[Grinner Hester]

Banks go by numbers cuz thets what they do. The benefit of the doubt is expensive, man. That’s all I can say. If it’s worth it in the name of building credit, go for it but I’d build it the old fashioned way. I don’t like banks either but tote the note shops are nop solution.

[Grinner Hester]

thanks much, Bob. Spot on, sir.
As more and more interns became producers, dude it became harder and harder to oppease. While the ole “what if we did a page turn here and made the “chyron” red?” use to pull a very diplomatic response, it began to pull responses like a short chuckle as if I thought they were kidding.
In my last 10 years of editing, I have literally only edited for one producer that I can remember. The rest were shcedulers, interns, assistants or wannabes who were in over their heads, knew it and depended on me to bail em out. I guess the lack of passion, commitment, experience and vision for a finished project had me starving for really caring about the piece. The only thing I have created in the last decade that I am proud of is the very project I am diving into full time now.

[Grinner Hester]

man, thanks alot.
My family is part of Moddin’ Art, the show I have been creating for the last 3 years or so. They not only travel with me and are on camera in this quazi-reality show, they literally help. My kids run camera for me, Nancy offers ideas and creativity (and offers craft services) and my doughter has her own segment on the show called “That’s Cheezy with Tera Star”. She writes it, directs it and of course, stars in it. I’ve not had a better time with a project than this one. It’s my calling and I am finally answering.

[Grinner Hester]

depends again on what ya get. The baby unity is cheaper but only likes DV25. I don’t see it as a viable option but many networks do. Seems odd to me tho. Spending so much money, much for the ability to do uncompressed video and then spit out miniDV quality in the end.

[Grinner Hester]

I have good luck with fluid motion most of the time. Every now and again, it pops a frame it’s trying to morph but it’s always easy to fix. Slow renders but a good opportunity to surf the cow on the clock.

[Grinner Hester]

I keep a reel of old film scratches online for this. Helps alot and greatly speeds things up.
In addition to glows, blurs and brightness changes, I add flickers by using reposition effects here and there. Ya dont even have to keyframe em most of the time. Just pop em in and out and maybe add some glows to help those transitions out a bit.