The new movie, Super 8, is a romp-fest into the past when a coven of young moviemakers shooting a zombie film on location—and on Super 8—witness a horrific train derailment. And a Sci-Fi adventure begins.
Super 8, admits its director, J.J. Abrams, is a bow to the Super 8 camera—using Eastman Kodak’s Super 8 film introduced in 1965. Abrams and his longtime pal, Steven Spielberg, the film’s producer, jump-started their movie-making careers as kids shooting Super 8.
After retired filmmaker and 34-year Eastman veteran Dale Smith and wifeElaine saw Super 8, he wrote: “What a thrilling experience it was to enjoy this work of Spielberg, who cut his teeth making movies with his Super 8 camera as a youngster.”
Dale was involved in running Eastman’s travel film and slide- show series. He said both are gone at Kodak.
Click below to see a short video:
Project Your HD Shows on Roku? Blu-ray?
There has been some discussion on the Chat Line on the best way to project our high def travel films.
Several producers connect their laptop to the projector, others use mini-DV tapes from digital decks, etc. Filmmaker Gray Warriner, however,points out that the National Park Service uses Roku BrightSign machines to show their films—many produced by Gray.
Roku’s BrightSign edition is primarily used in advertising signage. “They also make less expensive home units,* Gray said. “They are reliable, very small and very, very light. Instead of carrying around mini-DV tapes and player, or a bulky DVD or Blu-ray player, you carry around a tiny SD card for each half of your presentation. No moving parts, no failures.”
He adds, “First you have to turn your self-contained Quick Time movie—from Final Cut Pro or other editing programs and run it through Mac’s compressor, or any compressor program using MPEG 2.
“Then all you do is to drag the finished file using a card reader to an SD chip and you are ready to show HD without Titanium Toast or any Blu-ray hassles.”
I’m still a big fan of high def Blu-ray for projection. It’s quite easy to burn Blu-ray on your Mac or PC. The most popular Blu-ray DVD burn program is the Roxio Toast 10 Titanium Pro. It’s simple to use, almost drag and drop.
Blu-ray players should ideally be connected via a HDMI cable. Eschew component and composite hookups if you can. However, you should carry your own BR player because not every auditorium is so equipped. And newest BR players are not much bigger than a Roku BrightSign.
(*The regular non-signage Roku units are mainly used for streaming video (films) into your TV. They have no storage capability.)
Buddy Hatton in Radio Hall of Fame?
Buddy alias You Know Who.
It’s time for San Francisco Bay Area radio listeners to vote for the 2011 Hall of Fame awards. And guess what? Our own Famer, Buddy Hatton, a onetime Bay Area radio announcer, is a candidate
The Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame began dishing out their awards in 2006. Besides announcers, inductees include sportscasters, newscasters, engineers, station owners/managers, etc. Hall of Famers will be announced July 16 at KRE Live.
Buddy is listed on the ballot as Clyde “Buddy” Hatton. Clyde? So we asked him about it and he replied:
Actually they have it wrong. When I got my first big radio gig (KOBY, San Francisco) I had just graduated from high school. The jocks had to use trademark names owned by the station. If your name was Jim you would become Sunny Jim. If you were George you became Pal George etc. I was Clyde Hatton and became Buddy Clyde. I was Buddy Clyde on radio here and in Canada Radio and TV for many years. Even on L.A. Radio I was Buddy Clyde.
When I joined AFTRA and SAG they discovered there was already a Buddy Clyde.’
He was a famous porn star!
My name was legally changed to Buddy Hatton in 1970 for union and professional purposes. I kept the middle initial C to keep my Dad happy. He was Clyde Hatton Sr. My grandfather was from England. He was Bert. He gave his sons very British names. My Dad was the oldest. He was Clyde. Then there was Percy, Earl , Clifford, LaVerne and Kenneth. Thank God I wasn’t born to LaVerne!
Now you know the rest of the story!
Click the ballot below, and if you haven’t yet voted for Buddy, go for it—now.
A Bright New Star Shineth Our Way
World on Film's Karen Shareff (l) and filmmaker Karin Muller.
We were all mesmerized by cinematographer Karin Muller when she showed her film on Japanland to our Laguna Woods Village’s World on Film series headed by another Karen,Karen Shareff.
An author and a regular on the National Geographic and PBS circuits, she has only recently been booked—by the Lewis Williams Agency—for our travelogues, colleges, performing arts centers and corporate dates.
Her fine camera work, coupled with her warm personality made a hit with the audience—one of the theater’s biggest in recent months.
She stayed on stage for a good half-hour after the show to answer questions on Japan—and her personal life. She lives in Southern California’s Ventura County. She will be around for a long time.
To see a short Japanland clip, click below.
Hal McClure’s Birthday Bash
I have been reluctant to publish this story and accompanying video of my birthday bash last March. But I gave in when I was told: “Wouldn’t you publish it had it been about one of your colleague’s birthday?” Of course, I would. (Any excuse for a ride on the Big Ego Express.)
One of my old AP colleagues, Marcus Eliason—now an editor at AP in NY— flew all the way from Manhattan to attend. I first hired him as a young cub reporter, cum messenger, copy boy etc. Another old AP pal and co-worker, Marty Zucker, now a successful SoCal. author, also attended —along with a pride of Presenters: Bruce Spain, Karen Shareff and retirees Charline Brant and Kevin O’Connor—plus a host of other dear friends and family who also brightened the evening—and my life.
The party was hosted at the Laguna Woods Village by my sister, Virginia McClure, and my lady, Jackie Gillette. Video footage was shot by Stan Walsh and Ralph Franklin.
Click below for a short video ride on the Express.
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