Friday, February 17, 2006

The Edit Suite Crash of 2006

Well just when you thought it couldn't get worse , it did. During the editing session the other night two of our player decks crashed. The SX decks are known for breaking down. I figured it would only be a matter of time before the SX God of the breakdown would show her bitchy hand. Wednesday was that day.
There is much that transpired that I cannot write about.
It appears during these long and arduous shoots there is a finite "wall" the body and mind hits. Call it fatigue, call it what you will, I figured there was one wall an I had hit it some time last week. I was wrong, there are two walls, and I hit the second one Wednesday. I hit it hard. (Photo George from Chicago Murman and George from Toronto, the surgeons that saved the suite)The edit suite crashed and we had to rush to the Crack House to finish the edit. Time was not on our side. I did managet to get the thing done with my last bit of energy. We fed it in and I thought my god how did I not have a stroke in the last few hours. The sad thing is, two days later, I cannot even remember what the item was.
Surely Thursday would be better for us all.
My mission and first priority was to get the edit suite up and running. Luckly that before we left Vancouver, our Chief Engineer had given me contact information for Sony. They have a workshop that they have set up just outside Turin.
I arrived just after 9:10 am and began the process. I was told by our Italian host at Sony they would be able to look at the gear until Saturday. "That will not do" I said. I then met two of the North American Engineers, the Georges. These guys looked right after me. I decieded to go and get a bit of breakfast with Alby our driver. We returned about an hour later. They gave me the bad news. One of the machines would need a drum head assembly and the other a capstan motor. Not good. I got the boys thinking outside the box and convinced them to take the good parts from one machine and transplant them into the other. It worked. They had me up and running within the hour. I left the other machine with them to use as a boat anchor. No seriously we will get an estimate and likely surgery will continue once next of kin in Vancouver have been notified.
The grand total of the first repair, 180 euros. Best 180 euros I have spent so far.

Thursday got better. Annette one of the hard working people here at BC House walked into my edit area and presented me with 4 hockey tickets to Canada and Germany mens hockey. Well we have not had a night off since we got here, what is it now, two months ago ( actually 2 weeks).
We went and fed early and headed to the game. We ment a couple from Vancouver that had just got off the plane. They did not have tickets, but managed to get some from a scalper for less than face value and wouldn't you know it we sat in the same row. (Photo: Just glad to be watchin' some Hockey)
This was a great night. It seemed that we were at the Olympics for the first time. We felt normal. We had fun and it has recharged our batteries, well at least for now.



Murman and Brent, just glad to have survived

Alby at the Game. Earlier in the day he went to his first hockey game ever. We decieded that he should come with us and see a good hockeyteam play.

Brent's moment of Olympic Glory as he carries the Flame as we exited the Hockey Game.

Janis back at the Crack House wrapping herself in the flag after Canada's 4 medal day.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Does Vlad know you let someone play with his equipmnet???? Oh man... Don't let Vlad know.... Oh man... Vlad...