Fashion and Form

I work in an environment that is pristine. Our Master Control is the showpiece for the building. When someone in management takes people on a tour they never stop and talk in front of a conference room and admire the conference call speakerphone triangle on the table, they don’t admire the sea of cubicles it’s all a blur to them. But Master Control is, as you would expect, a fishbowl. The front wall is covered in monitors the back wall with our logo projected onto acoustical mesh and the sidewalls are floor to ceiling glass panels. Everyone in broadcasting lives under a microscope because in our society TV is as important as a hospital, running nonstop 24/7/365, but Master Control has the edge operators and so we are the last line of defense and as such we get the most scrutiny. The main concern is we have to look good while we do it. If a co-worker from another department has a messy cubicle with post-it notes on the monitor no one cares. Pictures of their family, friends, pets? No problem. Candy dish with some M&Ms? How cute. But my workstation (which shifts daily) must not be personalized, no handy cheat sheets accumulated from past research can be left out in a standard location for easy reference, and obviously no food allowed. If I snag an M&M from my coworkers cube and bring it to the fishbowl I risk my job. I don’t really mean to whine, I do love my job and obviously I look pretty doing it, but it would be nice to do my job without the added stress of appearances.

Jason Troyer
Denver, Co

Dear Santa

As you know I have been very good this year. I learned new things at work and helped my coworkers solve problems every day. I volunteered for overtime, even Thanksgiving day, and have provided an excellent product for my freelance clients. So for Christmas I’m hoping you could have your elves help you bring me some shiny new things. Anything with “Red” in the title would be great either hardware or software.


What is Christmas without music so anything from the Smartsound library would make my heart sing. You can never have too many choices when it comes to soundtracks and since I’m not a musician myself I have to rely on the talents of others when I need the perfect music bed. I've used Smartsound for years and they've never disappointed. From goofy family reunion music to dark and ominous "criminal" music they have a range of choices I've used and loved and with the customized length took it conforms to my wishes so I don't have to change the video to wrap around the audio.

I’d like to look into DSLRs for video so if you could find a Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera laying around you know with two little kiddos running around I would get plenty of use out of it.


I know you get a lot of requests and I don’t mean to sound greedy so whatever you can come up with would be just fine. One last note if other people in the Denver area are requesting videos to be made next year just drop my business card under the tree and I’ll take it from there.

Jason Troyer
Denver, Co

NASA

Truth maybe stranger than fiction but sometimes it can be more awe inspiring. If the video below was made in a computer it would still be cool, but when you know it’s real NASA photos put together by Michael Konig you can really appreciate the majesty of the photos and our planet. Take a minute and watch the lightning storms, Aurora Borealis, and the clusters of humanity that spot the planet.

Just a reminder that since our tax dollars support NASA all their photos and maps are royalty free. So explore nasa.gov and see what you might be able to use in your next production or at least get some cool stuff to add perspective for your demo reel.

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Jason Troyer
Denver, CO

Is DRM a four letter word?

As consumers and producers we are smack dab in the middle of the Digital Rights Management conflict. It’s not like being between a rock and a hard place it’s more of a multi person Christmas hug with one of the people being Cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation. We hardily embrace the fact that DRM allows us to make a living in broadcasting but as consumers if DRM gets in the way of a legitimate backup or time shifting of content it grates on us as it would anyone else. DRM will thankfully and regrettably be with us forever and yes DRM is an unspoken four letter word spoken only by lawyers and politicians (and who wants to listen to them?). Redbox has been used to create a permanent movie library for a dollar a movie with little regard for the crew and talent that produced it. We see the actor’s salary and some notion of Robin Hood slips into the mind of the more noble of us that Hollywood doesn’t need anymore money and so we take. For others no noble rationalization is necessary the odds are you won’t get caught so you take. Free cable from the neighbor to Pirate's Bay, as long as we’ve had thieves we’ve had the need to protect what is valuable. And today people take whatever pittance they can. Youtube users download then re-upload popular videos to siphon off hits from their rightful owner. Viral videos are almost always a one hit wonder so let the right person have their 15 minutes and a little money for entertaining us. In the electronic world in which we live theft is easy, integrity is hard.

Jason Troyer
Denver, Co

Thanks

I’m of course more thankful for family and friends than anything related to broadcasting and production but so many of the tools I use on a daily basis make my life so much easier. These four top my list in my broadcasting and production life.

1. Dameware. Being able to remotely access computers and perform operations without going to other rooms in the complex saves innumerable hours per week.

2. After Effects. NLEs are fine for what they do but AE is simple enough to create quick name key and complex enough for me to recently show a colon irrigation procedure. TMI?

3. Slingbox. Back in my broadcast job I use Slingbox to check to see if stations in different cities and states are on the air so I can rule out certain problems before I escalate the problem up the chain. The program is indispensable.

4. Digital Juice. I’ve followed Digital Juice for years even winning a prize from them at NAB one year, their product line has grown tremendously over the years and I’ve always liked using their products. I’ve used Jump Backs as a staple in my videos and the time savings are great. I also like their educational videos on their website and have used them to share concepts with others.

These are products that have helped me and possibly may help you depending where you’re at in the business. After Effects is the only product that needs education but it’s well worth it when you need the specificity and customization that AE can give you. Where ever you are in the biz be thankful, but be satisfied. Happy Thanksgiving.

Jason Troyer
Denver, CO

Vocabulary is key

If you're trying to work on a production set and you don't know the difference between a mafer clamp and a turtle stand you won't get very far. Broadcasting is like every other industry that looks down their nose at anyone who can't communicate fluidly with their pros.
In broadcasting we have a slight advantage because the tech talk we use creeps into everyone’s vernacular. “Cut to the chase” use to be a director’s way of telling the editor we are out of time for the story just cut to the chase sequence and end the movie. Another phrase common to us today is being jipped meaning not getting the whole thing. This of course was taken from broadcasters who had to miss part of a show so they Joined In Progress or JIP’ed the next show. Tech talk became common speech even if no one realized where it came from. So if you’re new to an industry, piece of software, or job the first thing you should do is learn the vocabulary. While you’re at it wouldn’t hurt to brush up on the English language in general. So many people are at a loss for words so they end up sounding ignorant of their job when in fact they just can’t find the words to articulate the problem. Or they use the wrong words to express themselves and end up sounding worse than if they wouldn’t have said anything at all. Don’t be a neophyte all your life explore words and be convivial at every game of Scrabble.

Love the one you're with.

Doesn’t everyone love their job? Isn’t the phrase, “Thank God it’s Monday!”? We as Americans are spoiled to the point we need to love our job or it becomes the bain of our existence. We dream about the job that is easy yet pays six figures. Of course you work hard, you deserve six figures. I’m sure you’re the only one that’s been overlooked by the boss. Generally people make what they deserve and if you feel slighted, America is still free enough you can look for the next opportunity where the boss will truly see your talent or strike out on your own and offer a product or service directly to the consumer so they can acknowledge and admire your skill. In broadcasting this is more true than ever before. Can anyone give an accurate number of content distribution channels. For goodness sake we have a 24/7 World Fishing Channel on cable, of course I could name a score of equally niche channels that sound ridiculous to most, but fishing sounds about as boring as you can get. Having said that if you’re stuck working at a bait shop and you want to be a videographer the opportunity is there.

How do you leap from day job to dream job? The first thing I always recommend is find someone who completed the process you want to go through and learn from him. He will have learned from the process and can help you go through it faster and less painfully. Jon Acuff wrote a book called Quitter.


In the book he talks about the journey from depressing day job to fulfilling, meaningful, glorious dream job. His dream job is different than my dream job but I, and you, can learn from his transition. He talks about starting slowly and setting out towards a goal, not simply leaping off the end of a pier and hoping the yacht will arrive in time to float under your feet and give you a lifetime of pampering and luxury.

The reason I titled this blog, ”Love the one you’re with” is because the habits you exhibit at your current job will most likely carry over into your dream job. My first full time job in broadcasting was at a country music station in southern Indiana. We didn't pay "Hot Country" like Garth Brooks, we played traditional country like Loretta Lynn. I didn't like the music, but I did like the opportunity to learn and of course the paycheck. To this day on my key chain I have a little cowboy hat trinket the station was giving away. This helps me to remember where I started and that I don't have to like the content in order to work hard and make a living. Habits are made every day. I know you think once you get rid of your boss everything will be peaches and cream and your attitude about work will change but an attitude of criticism is hard to shake. No matter what your dream job is there will be others involved. Clients, distributors, suppliers, etc. and they will at some point rub you the wrong way so use your current job as an exercise in patience with those who aren’t as gifted as you. Maybe, just maybe, an improved attitude at your current job will earn a promotion or raise and make that job more tolerable as you work toward the dream job.

Jason Troyer
Denver, CO

Addicted

Some politicians say we are addicted to foreign oil, well maybe, but one thing I can guarantee that we are addicted to is Television. Since I feed my family with the money broadcasting brings us I’m not complaining too much, but when does a good thing go bad? Since about 2004 the average house in America has more TVs than people and of course that number continues to rise. I have a coworker who lives alone and has a TV in each of the six rooms in his home. At work I sit in a room with fourteen 55” flat screen monitors watching about 83 channels. How much TV can a person take? The addiction is so bad we have Closed Captioning for the deaf and Descriptive Video Service so blind people can watch TV.
There is an ebb and flow to history we as a culture indulge too much in one area and like a remorseful kid who ate too much cake we feel sick about it the next morning. I don’t mind being counter cultural so for years I haven’t had a TV in my home. If I need, I can get a fix at work, but even without a TV I can get a fix from Hulu, Youtube, or Redbox. So please don’t stop your addiction cold turkey, my kids need to eat, but find a balance. Reading this brilliant blog is a good start but there is still radiation pulsating into your head from whatever device you’re reading this from. Find a hobby, read a book or a magazine (not the online version), spend time with other humans talking face to face and slowly detox off of the most addicting thing in your house. If you’re a content producer take heart, the country is full of addicts desperate for a hit of what you got. Some addicts are so hopeless lost in their TV they will indulge in the equivalent of paint sniffing, they’ll watch Jersey Shore.

Jason Troyer
Denver, CO

3D?

Is it fab or fad? Are the glasses the poison dart or the accessory of necessity? By now, all but the Amish have seen the latest iteration of 3D. People want to check out the newest technology that everyone is talking about, but does it have staying power? No. 3D will always be a niche market for 2 or three movies a year. While producers want to incorporate 3D into their movie it’s simply too distracting for the viewer. The last time I saw a 3D movie in the theater I kept wondering when the next character or prop was going to be thrown at me and I pulled myself out of the story over and over again. Movies are simple, just tell a compelling story. Did you ever think Schindler's List was good but if only it were in 3D. Some stories don’t need color and what’s more some stories don’t even need dialogue. What is the only hope for 3D? The NFL and Sports Center. I would put on glasses for 15 minutes of NFL highlights to see a bullet pass fly at me or a John Elway style helicopter touchdown, but that’s about it. I can’t even foresee beer chugging manly men with the silly glasses especially since Bud Light has decided to not air their commercials in 3D due to the injuries during testing.
The only hope 3D has is to lose the glasses and give the viewer the option to turn it off and on like Closed Captioning. Until that happens we should all push for more and better resolution which will give us the realism that 3D tries to mimic.

Jason Troyer
Denver, CO

The Social Network

As the axiom goes, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. This is as true in broadcasting as anywhere else. I worked for a video production house once where the father was the owner, one son was the lead editor, one son (while not drinking) was a half conscious videographer, and the really bad son was the dub monkey at night. Only the editor truly belonged there but the owner put his business at risk by draining his finances (payroll) and not presenting professionalism to his clients. Even given that example the saying is not always bad. My dad taught me that if you show up on time and you work while at work you’ll be ahead of 80% of your coworkers. While that formula may not get you a six-figure salary right away, but someone will notice. Every day at work you’re involved in the social network, you interview over and over for that job and for a promotion. Only about 12% of jobs are actually posted anywhere meaning you have a better chance finding a connection on Eharmony than you do on Monster.

So if you’re not happy where you’re at the answer isn’t raining down resumes like a ticker tape parade its meeting people in your field and getting to know their business and letting them get to know you. If you want to soar like an eagle you can’t hang out with turkeys.

Jason Troyer
Denver, CO

Mr Cool

We all know Waz was the technical brains behind the Mac and Mr. Cool was the marketing powerhouse. But why? While he was there they always went a different way. Not choosing a techy name for the company was only the beginning. While Bill picked Microsoft Mr. Cool chose his favorite fruit, a Macintosh Apple. Even to the end Mr. Cool wasn’t really focused on beating the techs on price or power he sold the experience. In the ad “We believe” for the ipad, that no one asked for but now everyone needs, the philosophy is simple, Magic.
So if you’re a wedding videographer don’t sell your camera or jib arm in your demo, sell love, if your client is a furniture store sell the perfect family on the couch, and lest we not forget the classic sell the sizzle not the steak.

Jason Troyer
Denver, CO