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The first project in a new medium should have its setbacks, admittedly. But that a seven minute movie would stretch over six months (eerily, to the day) is an affront to all that is holy. Maybe if I had things like oh, my own computer, things would have gone more smoothly, but if I had just followed my own philosophy of using appropriate technology I would have had my first camcorded-and-VCR-edited-video in the can a lot faster. And maybe hearing the word "convergence" wouldn't make me nauseous. This log is dedicated to the patient souls who lent me the computers that I cursed at so vehemently. Believe me, my friends, it was no reflection on you. June 20th: Write >interactive June 24th: Send out >interactive script for feedback June 30th: Rob tells me about DivX (;, touted as the MP3 of Video July 20th: Ask Patricio to be "involved"; tragically for him, he accepts July 24th: Terry says he's got a DV camera that I can use August 3rd: The camera is in use; we can only rent one that takes High8 tapes August 5th: The shoot; fun and relaxed October 12th: The High8 footage is transferred to MiniDV October 14th: Borrow firewire card to try on Patricio's computer October 15th: After an afternoon trying to get it to work on Patricio's computer, we go over to his friend's place; his G4 does the trick, and we leave with four CDs worth of raw footage October 23rd: Editing November 1st: Attempted compression to AVI fails November 2nd: Attempted compression to MOV succeeds November 5th: Difficulty with 800Meg file -- finally segment it onto two CDs on a Mac November 8th: Connecting the segments on a PC proves difficult; three Zip compression programs later, one works (WinZip) November 9th: Attempt for the final time to get Flask to work -- decide to go with a 320x240 resolution MPEG instead of the seemingly unattainable 640x480 DivX file November 10th: 11th hour save when Virtual Dub puts out a 640x480 DivX that's about 20 megs lighter than the lowrez MPEG. Digitally induced ecstasy ensues November 13th: CD master is made on a Mac but should be readable on PC as well -- but isn't December 27th: Transfer MOV file back from Mac to camera via firewire proves problematic January 10th: Transfer back from PC to camera via firewire -- once it's converted to the DV-Stream format -- is successful January 13th: The DV camera is hooked up to the VCR and 10 VHS tapes are made of the movie, but it's discovered immediately after that the second scene has no audio January 20th: After it is discovered that the mono second scene tapes properly with one of the RCA cables removed, the VHS tapes are made February 1st: Since the DivX file plays so poorly on non-PC platforms, a 45MB MPEG file is made on a computer with no cable access or CD burner -- it will take 7 hours to upload it to the server. Several attempts later, it works February 6th: The MPEG file does not play on a Mac, and is believed to be corrupt. The original MPEG file is again agonizingly uploaded, but still refuses to work February 25th: The MPEG file is abandoned, and the original MOV file is converted to a smaller MOV file on a PC, but the file has trouble uploading February 27th: After a day or two of attempts, the file is uploaded and works on a Mac
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