[Mark Suszko]

I do find it annoying that for some reason our FCP system’s external video output settings always seem to default to “none”, all by themselves, at irregular intervals. Why the heck they wrote the software that way beats me but this often drives us nuts. Its an editing application: I’m pretty sure most of us usually WANT to see all frames at all times. Yet our system always seems to default to “none”, and somtimes we forget to check this setting while torubleshooting, because it seems so unintuitive. if somebody has a permanent fix for this I’d love a link.

My other peeve remains: get the $%#^$% BluRay funtionality going on FCP and FCP>DVDSP already! It is an insult to have to buy an Adobe program just to burn my stuff to BluRay.

[Mark Suszko]

I think there’s a market for companies that ingest all your old analog legacy materials and unify your archives into one compressed format with a searchable database. Right now we’re trying to do that job in-house, on shoestring resources, and I predict that with the manpower and equipment we can throw at it, the realtime playback of analog tapes, and considering the archive has fresh tapes added every day, it is going to take about 2 years of 5-day weeks to catch up. If we could find a trustworthy and competent service that would make this process faster, more reliable and cost-effective, we’d probably jump on it. We can’t be the only outfit that could use such a service.

There’s also currently a service gap in bluRay production; a market space between the expensive, fully-licensed mass-replication and the private, small-time setup that’s using a stack of burners.

[Mark Suszko]

Are you familiar with the Porta-Brace “Smuggler” bag? You unplug and unscrew the viewfinder and lens from your full-size camera, this bag lets you fit everything compactly enough to pass thru the sizing limits at the airport for carry-on bags, and fits under seats or in overhead compartments. When you get off the plane, re-assemble the lens and VF, and zip open the special seams of the Smuggler: it now expands to fit the full-sized, assembled and ready-to-shoot camera. Its like “Transformers”:-)

[Mark Suszko]

I was researching rates at the WGA site and my impression was that Guild minimums are for the most part pretty close to what non-union people already charge as their lowest rate. Your mileage may vary, of course.

[Mark Suszko]

Why did you buy the domain name they wanted? I bet that if you had put the portfolio material on any other domain, say, your own personal web site, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

[Mark Suszko]

Here’s a place that not only makes the tamper-revealing tape, they can probably make it with your logo… they also show something I forgot about: the tiny wired seals crimped with special pliers that emboss the lead or plastic… to use these you’d only need the tiniest of holes in the case corners, pass the wire thru, trim it very short, and crimp the seal on. Similar to how cable TV linemen mark multiple cables at apartment complexes and the like. This company is Italian, but a deeper google should get you something closer to home.

https://www.leghorn-suppliers.com/menuintphoto.htm

[Mark Suszko]

This is my life at work.

[Mark Suszko]

You’re welcome. Markertek has these:

https://www.markertek.com/SearchProduct.asp?item=TRVL&off=133&sort=prod&skuonly=0&search=Label&pagesize=10000

I love Markertek; they are like the J.C. Whitney’s or Warshowski’s of video gear.

“Oh, you wanted to RECORD that?”

[Mark Suszko]

Maybe one of the antitheft cable systems used for laptops could work? Would require a little custom drilling of the holes and etc. Or replace a couple of the screws with anti-theft TORX type ones. Regular phillips heads can’t work on them, nor bondhus ball driver heads, but the special screws cost quite a bit, and you can still pick up a kit of various drivers at some place like harbor Freight.

But if this was me needing to do this, I’d use a couple of the security screws (just to slow them down and make them think twice) plus tape across the joints… the same kind of tape you see used for warranty stickers, that shows tampering if removed… used to have a lot of that used for rental VHS tapes at the local stores… maybe Markertek still has it?

You might also consider using disposable stick-on “g-shock meters” to expensive gear like decks. These are often used in shipping, and are calibrated in various amounts of shock. Putting one in a visible spot is like parking a spare police car along the road where speeders travel: it makes people a little more careful.

If I were sneaky, I’d have a second one hidden inside the casing, rated to a higher g-limit, to help prove who was careful and who wasn’t. Extra clause in the rental paperwork says if the g-shock is busted, you’re paying extra for a maintenance check and re-alignment, plus any damage.

[Mark Suszko]

I thought this cell phone popcorn thing was one of the dumber viral campaigns I’ve ever seen.
The connection to the product is weak, and the health risk connotations partially transfer to the product being sold as well, IMO.

Examples of better ones that I liked include the Geico “caveman’s crib” interactive web sites, for maintaining brand in top-of-mind, while being very entertaining, and the “accidentally released” Ford “KA” spec spots where the car shows an evil personality and emnity for cats and birds. The pigeon one was excellent, the cat one was disturbing, but I think they both hit their target market pretty well.