Back to High School

Last week I got the chance to speak to three classes of high school students about production and post-production and the television business in general. What struck me initially was how young these kids were. We never think we are young and goofy once we reach a certain age, but some of us never really grow up and that's probably especially true in the television industry.
The technology continues to race onward and what took an entire facility to produce in the mid '80's is now sitting in one computer, audio processing, editing, special effects. The tools available for these kids is amazing.
Back in the day when I was dreaming of being a Rodriguez, Tarantino, or Wells, it required a lot of other people to complete the dream. Well my dream is re-awakened and I plan to use both the tools I have AND the experience of the last 20 years... that's truly the only advantage I have over the youth of today!

The All Encompassing Aspect of Editing

There are times when editing overtakes my life. I will eat, sleep, and work with the singleminded purpose of making a deadline for a viewing and everything else fades away.
The last ten days have been like that. I've been working to finish a 14-minute show and have done little else other than work. It hurts my head.
I write this as the producer and staff are watching my cut so I have...you guessed it, fourteen minutes to kill. My friends have been hassling me about getting another Stain Boy club CD out, whether or not I'll be attending an editing conference in New Orleans in March, and other non-job related stuff.
If the next twelve minutes go well, I'll take the afternoon off and enjoy myself for just a bit.
I also want to cook more meals at home... three weeks ago I cooked Mexican salmon. Red pepper, jalepenos, onion... the colors of the Mexican flag.

Here's to an evening at home away from After Effects, editing, or thinking in general!

It's Been A Good Year For The Balls

Every year about this time, the Rockets management throws us a party to thank us for working the previous year, and to get us excited about the upcoming year. It's always an enjoyable time to hang out with the crew on a social level and be thankful that we are all still around.
I believe this would be the fifth or sixth year but who is counting.
During the party, there are raffle prizes and the evening culminates with handing out a couple of team signed balls. As with most contests, the best prizes are at the end and in the previous years, if my number was called it was called early. While I never expect anything, it's a nice bonus.
This year my number came up last!

It is nice to know that Jabulani won't be lonely and as homesick for South Africa now!

Now That's A Tomato!!

I think being out of Africa got me away from writing on a regular basis but since there haven't been a lot of comments, you may not have noticed.

This past weekend I worked the 16th Annual SPCA telethon in Houston. I think I've worked the last six or seven years and it's always an enjoyable weekend although the five hours on the air without any commercial breaks is tough.

For some reason this year, I got it in my mind that I wanted to get a photo with one of the sponsors' mascots, so I told folks this and sure enough my dreams came true. It may be a little silly, but it sure was fun. 

I make all the vegetables laugh!!!

Violation of Terms

It's been a busy couple of weeks since I got back from South Africa. I worked 10 events in the first two weeks back, mostly the 2010 version of Superliga along with a couple of Astros games. What has happened to that team?
One of my rules for the blog was to never talk about the Astros or Rockets, thus the title "Outside of the Loop" since both of those stadiums are inside the Houston 610 Loop.
I worked an event on Monday night at the Toyota Center that has to be mentioned. As is the rule a lot of times in our business, we get offered a corporate event, the pay is good and the work is usually easier than a regular game. I showed up on Monday to do a two camera, screens job, not knowing any details. After I got there, they told me it was a classic rock concert.
Yes I can now say that I've worked the World Classic Rockers show in the summer of 2010. It was an "All-Star" band comprised of former members of Toto, Steppenwolf, Santana, Journey, Boston, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Wow! Of course these were members that replaced original members of the band after they had already made their names.
At best it was comical, at worst it was tragic.
As Toto said, "Love doesn't always come on time!".
www.wcr.com
I saw Foghat in college and loved that show. In the early '90's, they were playing in Houston and I spent $6 or $8 to see them at a club. When I walked in, all the members but the drummer where roughly my age. It was confusing because I'm pretty sure that Foghat didn't form when all the members were 10 years old. Aging rock is tough. All the members of the WCR were at least their well into their 60's!

Home At Last

     In the 70's, Steely Dan wrote a song based on the "Odyssey" called "Home at Last". The lines that came to mind this morning after sleeping seven hours in my own bed without my feet sticking off the edge were...

Well the danger on the rocks is surely past
Still I remain tied to the mast
Could it be that I have found my home at last
Home at last

     I think it's appropriate for the day since I'll be going in a few hours to start my work on Super Liga! Seven more games in seven days between Houston and Chicago. The rolling caravan of sports television production doesn't end just because you finish one job, you get up the next day and start all over again.
     What does change is the addition of experiences, and by far, the World Cup is an experience all of it's own. After unpacking all the trinkets, CDs, vuvuzelas, and gifts I brought back, I realize that the most wonderful gift I have was sharing the time with new friends.
     All of the producers, editors, engineers, and technical staff brought together to accomplish the many hours of programming were excellent in their own right. These new friends are what I'll miss the most, and given the opportunity to do it again, I'll look forward to Brazil if that happens to be in the future in 2014! My congratulations also to Univision for what was truly a heroic effort that produced great successes!
     I didn't predict the winner of the World Cup but I've already made amends to the Spanish supporters before I left South Africa.

     Alba was the loudest of all the fans during the game and I congratulate her and her devotion to what ended up being a very good match to close out the competition.

     Monica was not as loud but was as happy in her Spain hat and scarf after the victory.
     Now let's see if the Dynamo can actually win the Super Liga this year!
     For those of you that have followed the blog, I thank you for reading and giving me an audience to share with. I won't be posting on a daily basis anymore but as always, you are more than welcome to drop by, add your comments, and share whenever you'd like!

6 Minutes to Game Time

     Yep, the last game is here and I forgot to post earlier! Holland wins it's first World Cup tonight I think. We've all be waiting for this day, I cannot believe it's here. The fountain at the IBC which has not been running was finally on yesterday. Today it was off again. I got so excited I took a picture.
     It should be a wonderful ending to a very long trip and there will be some wrap-up posts to follow up. Besides, next week, I'm in Chicago working Super Liga!

     Mandela was here for both opening and closing!

Three To Go

     It's come down to three days, 72 hours, 4320 minutes... not that we are counting. Once again I took two days off of the blog and they were very enjoyable. On Thursday I went with a group to Bruma and finished my shopping for the trip.
     On Friday morning, I got up and went to the Apartheid Museum and spent several hours there. It was very similar to the Houston Holocaust Museum or the D-Day Museum in New Orleans. Visiting the sins of the past are always difficult, but because the time of apartheid was so very near in proximity, the museum was especially interesting.
     There was a wealth of video from the 80's and that particularly was gripping in a way that black and white film footage from World War II doesn't quite portray the immediacy of the time. I bought an interesting book on Steven Biko from his student writings and am looking forward to reading some of it on the flight back.

     It was curious that I was classified as a non-white to enter the museum.
     After resting for a few hours, it was back to the IBC to work on Contacto and a nice meal afterwards.
     I haven't totaled up my win/loss record on picking games but was disappointed that Germany didn't make it to the finals.
     For that reason, I will pick Alemania (Germany in spanish) to win today. I think if I spent another week here, I would probably be talking in Spanish exclusively. Something for Sean to look forward to when I get home.

One More Today, Two More and We're Outta Here

     We got in at noon today and several of us went and got egg, bacon, and cheese sandwiches and enjoyed the sunshine out in the courtyard. It's now five hours later and the clouds have returned but it is still not as cold as it has been.
     I was surprised that most folks like myself are pretty much down to one meal on these work days. We get into the office, check and make sure things are working, and then walk over to the cafeteria and have a meal.
     Once the day get's later, things get busier and you may have a bag of chips or as I've been doing just a few times, a dessert. So while sitting around the table today, I found out pretty much everyone's clothes are a lot more loose.
     Fernando has walked in while I was composing today's blog so I asked him if he had any insights on Africa. He says the most interesting aspect is the honesty and friendly nature of the people even though some of them live in extreme poverty. He mentioned a story from one of the very first days when he was videotaping one of the hotel workers, and the gentlemen started dancing and explaining a wedding custom we did not know. He says the people are very open and not afraid to share their emotions.

Here's a shot of Fernando and Michelle on the bus ride to the IBC just this morning.

Everyone is starting to smile more knowing that the days here are coming to an end.
Bob and Erick are excited to not be crammed into one of the vans in the morning.

So the last bit of news we need to discuss is whether or not the German machine keeps rolling against Spain tonight.
I've explained that I have several German friends and just a few Spanish (from Spain) friends although I love Cervantes.
German makes it to the finals I'm convinced!

And Then There Were Four, And Seven Makes One Week!

     I'm sure that those of you following the blog have noticed my absence the last two days. Rest days are not just for the teams! We actually had a nice Sunday at the African Arts markets and I recorded a little bit of two groups that were entertaining the shoppers.
     The fourth of July came and went without much fanfare as a BBQ (braii) that was scheduled got canceled due to lack of interest.
     Yesterday was another short day with a leisurely lunch up the hill from the hotel where I had a ham and cheese sandwich! Yummy!
     I've spent a little portion of the afternoon today watching the Tour de France over the cobblestones and will look forward to keeping track of that during the rest of the month. Old habits are hard to break!

     I thought I'd talk today a little about the less positive things we've seen while in the country. It's been my rule to highlight the positive aspects, but now that my departure is nearing, I don't want to forget some of the things I've seen.

     April Strong had warned me that I'd see barbwire around every house and for the most part, that is the rule. The first couple of days we were here, there was a tent encampment on the way to Soccer City. A few days before the opening match, it seemed to have disappeared. The BBC had reported about similar things happening in Cape Town.                                                               

     On the way to the national park and Sun City, we passed a platinum mine, the new gold for South Africa.
We were told that the miners make about 2500 rand a month which is roughly $380. The photo is of a village very near the mine.This is still a third world country with third world problems.
     On the other hand, the ordinary people - drivers, maids, food service workers - have been genuinely wonderful, cheerful, and a delight to be around.
It is truly a land of contrasts...
     There are four teams left and seven days to go. I am going to cheer for the Netherlands tonight because in Spanish they are known as Hollandia. I still can't figure out why the nation of Holland isn't around and why in this language it's sometimes called Paises Bajo, lower lands. So Go Holland, Netherlands,  or even better yet - The Mechanical Orange!

The Brazillians And April Are Not Happy!

Rather than dwell on the fact the Brazil exited the 2010 World Cup earlier than expected, we will move forward and talk about happier things today. For some reason, I kept thinking of April Strong in her Brazil jacket yesterday. Join me now April and get on the German bandwagon!
Everyday, at least three or four times a day, Frank the camera operator, makes Cuban coffee. There is an old Turkish proverb that states, "Coffee should be dark as night and sweet as love,". This would describe Frank's special mixture to a tee.

It may be the one thing I miss most about being here. Like most of the best things in life, it is prepared with care and a passion and will certainly kick-start your day or make the 11:00 PM show recordings much more civilized.
Tomorrow marks another day of shopping so if you have any requests, get them in soon. There is limited space unfortunately for vuvuzelas!!!
I'm going against reason and picking Spain in support of Alba, and in the other match, due to knowing more Germans than Argentinians, I pick Germany.
The things I do for Ramona and Falk! I do actually believe that Germany may win it all.
One last shot of coffee, it's off to work, and have a great weekend.

Welcome to the Quarters

Hello again, oddly enough I don't have a lot to say today. I had a nice blue cheese steak last night and it came with fries and a kind of sweet potato that looks like an avocado.
I figure that when I don't have any news, I can always talk about food. Today marks the next to last Friday in South Africa. The days are getting shorter!

Here is a shot of the safari buffet. There's some califlower, a creamed spinach serving, some fries, a little cheese and bread, and in the upper left some octopus. Yummy!
So it's time to pick today's winners... getting tougher now that it's down to eight but I'm going with Brazil and my upset Ghana.
You know if they lose, they'll be Gone-A.
As long as I'm using bad puns, do you know which teams' uniforms cost the most in the World Cup?
The answer is Italy... all the players were wearing Italian shoes!
Go Go Ghana!

I Did Play Sun City!

After almost thirty days of 12 plus hours a day, we sort of had a day off. Univision arranged a trip to Pilanesberg National Park (and game reserve), a fantastic lunch, and a few hours at Sun City.
It was a struggle to get up at 7:30 AM to make the bus but all of us on the late shift did and were really treated to an unbelievable experience.
The scenery driving to the park is not unlike a lot of West Texas in the mountainous region.
Once there we board 12 or 20 person vehicles with guides that took us through the park to see the animals.
Fifteen minutes in this is what we saw!

It's incredible to see these animals in their natural habitat. I was also very happy with my Cannon Sure Shoot, although not an expensive camera, it captured the scenes very well.
In all we saw monkeys, giraffes, hippos (though not very well), a herd of elephants from a distance, a pair of lions, and various caribou and wildebeasts.
Afterwards, we drove and had a really nice lunch buffet at the edge of the park in a hotel/resort place.
Another 30 minute drive dropped us off at Sun City and we saw the "palace" an wandered around for an hour or so.
This was a shot of a fountain at Sun City.

After that the Contacto crew headed back to the IBC to record last nights' show and we were back to the hotel by 1:00 AM.
Today is a short day but the games begin tomorrow so it's back into the old routine.
I'm very glad I had this opportunity to get out of the city and see a little more that is the splendor of South Africa.
Now if Capetown were just a little more accessible!

The Round of 16 Ends Today

Well after today, it's down to the final 8 teams competing for the World Cup. There has been a ton of controversy during the matches and here at Univision, to keep the fans up on all the news, a special graphic was created to demonstrate the goal line during the England-Germany game.

It clearly shows that England did not score as has been widely reported in replays.
Also, I saw this morning in the paper that the stadium showed the replay and got the fans in the stadium upset.
Looks like Mark and I might have a future in the 2014 games in Brazil.
Instant replay in the future... I'll leave that up to you.
To make matters worse, apparently the hotel staff where the English players were staying stole money, jerseys and underwear. It was reported that the hotel workers homes were searched and all the items were recovered.
The guilty received 3 years in prison and an $800 fine. Welcome to the mean streets of Pretoria.
Most of the crew is looking forward to either a day off or a short day tomorrow. The studio crew has to come in to work Contacto Deportivo so no safaris for us but we won't have to be in until 5PM so my hope is a trip to Mandela Square or somewhere interesting tomorrow.
I mentioned the spontaneous photo taking yesterday in the studio. Here's a few of the snapshots that were taken. Art demonstrates Hollands' offense against Stig's Slovakian defense.

There's always a bit of time for clowning about! Today my picks include Paraquay over Japan and in the evening match, I've got 10 rand riding on the fact that Ronaldo will lead Portugal over Spain. Viva Ronaldo!!
If that does indeed happen, tomorrow I will post the picture that I took with Ronaldo!

Round of Sixteen, Repeat Again

Repetition, recurrence, reiteration, and reproduction. Let's do it again today.  There's nothing new about today, it's a return to yesterday and the day before, and the day before.
The round of sixteen gets cut to eight after tomorrow night, and although each match is do or die for the teams, for us, it's another two games, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.
The repetition has become routine. 
The weather has changed into a cloudy, brisk morning and I'm sure it will be very cold this evening. One morning before the warm days were upon us, there was ice in the fountain in front of the IBC.
Main decisions are do we have the stir fry beef or stay with the chicken today. I've taken to drinking hot tea in the morning instead of coffee.
There was an outbreak of photo taking in the studio today and everyone seems a little more relaxed since a short day is just one more day away. More on that in the next few posts. 
A personal note of thanks to Kevin for providing me with his "Crosscut" CD which I got to listen to in it's entirety this morning.

Here's a random shot of the satellite farm on the edge of the compound. I guess it could be worse spending six or more weeks out by your satellite dish.
Today's picks have the Netherlands beating Slovakia just because I like that all of their fans wear orange and that reminds me of the Dynamo.
The evening game pits Brazil against Chile. Unfortunately Brazil will win this game but because the Chile flag looks almost identical to the Texas flag, I'm rooting for Chile. Let me be clear, Brazil wins. Dang!

Out and About! The Sunday Market!

A group of us got up this morning and went to the Sunday market at Roseland, a suburb north of downtown Johannesberg. Although I would have rather slept the extra two hours, it's was great to get up and go.
After a leisurely breakfast at McDonalds, yes one of the official restuarants of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the six of us headed to the market. Go team Egg McMuffin!
The flea market was located on a parking level of the Roseland mall, and because we had two hours or so, I spent half my time at the market and got to wander through the mall as well.
There was a lot of beaded crafts, several artists with original canvases, picture frames, and the lists goes on.
My favorite store in the mall was the Jeep store. It's a clothing store with the Jeep logo we associate with the automotive company. I was able to get a few things for the nieces and a little something for Sean.
Mostly it was great just to get away from the hotel for a bit.

I was happy to be on the bus.








There is still a lot of disappointment about the US lose last night but hope that Mexico can somehow pull out a win against Argentina.
I'll have to go with Germany and Argentina today. That is what my mind tells me so those are my picks of record. My heart wants exactly the opposite.

Does the USA Soccer Team Continue It's Winning Streak?

I'll keep it short today. I slept seven hours last night and woke up tired but refreshed. Now we are just waiting to see what magic Landon has in store for the evening. There's a sense of electricity in the air.
I say they go on! Uruguay plays earlier today and get a win also.
The days of splits are over, each game is win or go home. I need to work on my bracket and I hope to go to a flea market in the morning.
Enjoy your Saturday everyone!

The End of Splits

Today marks the end of split feeds, one out of the main control room and one out of the mini. Only two days a game after today. There is great rejoicing in the tape room
Rather than think about that, I thought it'd be nice to talk about technology. It's odd to know that I knew Landon Donovan had scored his goal exactly seven seconds before those of you watching at home did.
Considering that there are roughly 10,000 miles between us right now, that's not much of a delay. We of course were yelling on headsets, and back in Miami where the signals are received, they complained because we ruined the surprise for them.
Last night I got to talk to Sean and Lily and Josie and Woody on the Skype. The delay is even less which is remarkable. So being this far from home, how do you find something that you can connect with that has no delay?
It's the moon! Now, being the romantic that I am, I know the moon has had much significance in movies and literature, but I know that if I look up at night and Sean looks up, we are looking at the same object at exactly the same time. There is comfort in that!
I've been paying a lot of attention to the moon. Just as the days are sunny and clear, the night sky intrigues me because I don't recognize the constellations. I have spotted the Southern Cross.
Also the moon going through its' phases means that time IS moving. A visible change. I could have torn pages from a daily calendar, but the moon is my friend and as it gets larger or smaller, I know that it's doing exactly the same thing in Texas!

Okay enough of my silly ramblings, meet Zamile Tiwani or better known as Zama to his friends. He has been one of our escorts and is much like most of the people we have met here, happy, gracious, full of life, and generous.
If you look closely, you'll notice he has a Texas flag lapel pin on his jacket. He sometimes tells people now that he is also from Texas.
Today's picks are Brazil, Chile, Ivory Coast, and Switzerland as winners!

Another Day in Zululand

Well I called the USA win correctly, who would have thought that it would take 91 minutes for them to score and eventually end up in first place in their group.
This is one interesting aspect of the way the tournament functions. The US had to win to advance to the next round or England had to lose or tie. For the last two days, and the next two days, there are four games and they run at the same time, 4:00 and 8:30 PM. We are airing one game on Univision and one on Telefutura, the sister network.
I of course worked the England game but the way the mini-control room is set, we could see a monitor that had the USA game on it through a window.
We were cheering trying our best to get Slovenia to at least score. They had been leading the group going into yesterday.

When the US finally scored, there was a roar from the big bullpen room outside our door and the US team went from being out of it to leading the group. It was a lot of fun. I'm sure all of the American networks, Univision and ESPN are glad as there will be another big match in a few days. After all, ratings, ratings, ratings! So two more days of the splits and then we are on easy street.

Don't let his casual appearance fool you, engineer Mike was very interested in the England game.
As most of the engineering staff is split between Australia and Britian, having England advance sustains the harmony in that department!
Today's picks are Italy, Paraguay, the Netherlands, and Denmark as winners. Sorry Japan, you go out today.

Good Morning IBC

Scott sez, "There's a light at the end of the tunnel,". Always. But remember, don't go into the light Carol Ann.
We are all starting to cope and have reached the halfway mark. A few days ago, I mentioned having things around you that make you feel comfortable. There's also the aspect of a routine that can help you. I clean up my hotel room in the morning so that when I finally roll in, everything is in it's place.
Today at the IBC, I saw a little group of ours having coffee and enjoying the sunshine before the seven or eight hours in the control room. We all need a little more vitamin D I suspect.
I figure that being here in the "winter" is a little like San Diego. It's blue skies and sunshine and hasn't rained since we've been here. Okay, it's not like San Diego at all.
I talked with a janitor last night and he was upset that the South African team was eliminated but had high hopes for Ghana. We do tend to stay with our continent when it comes to favorites.
One other thing is that editors tend to like editors. There is a language to cutting and when we get together and start talking, it usually drifts to techniques and tricks.
There are a number of editors on site here and they are doing some incredible work. I get to see the features they are cutting about South Africa and some of them are great.
Editing is just editing and although there are three suites that are enclosed, there is one suite situated in a main office with lots of desks.

She just works away all day with the headphones on making the magic behind the pixels.
Bravo!
Today's picks include the USA over Algeria, England ties Slovenia, Serbia gives Australia another lost, and Germany wins against Ghana. Poor, poor Ghana.

Predictions for June 21, 2010

I almost to get my predictions in before kickoff...

The great Ronaldo leads Portugal over North Korea, Spain take the victory over Hondurus, and in the toughest one to call... Spain over the Swiss, although I could predict a draw on this one. Go Spain!

Monday Again?

I forgot to use an analogy I had for working a job like this the other day. I think my long distance cycling over the years, prepared me for the work. The same would be true if I ran marathons.
There is a mental toughness you have to develop to live in a hotel for the length we do, be away from all the things you care about, and essentially do the same thing day after day.
When I was on the bike for seven days in a row, after the first 20 miles on day three, you had to just keep moving forward.
Little things like an iPod, or your favorite movie on your hard drive makes the free time you do have more comfortable.
In 2002, when I was in El Salvador for a month, I found an escape in a couple of albums by Incubus. I'll always connect that band with that trip. I've yet to connect any one band on this trip yet, but Dave Mathews is running in first place right now, partly because I believe he's from here.
Today is the last day we have three games in three different time slots. Tomorrow moves to four games a day with two running at the same time. After eight more days, there's a couple of rest days for the tournament, but we will still be working on the evening show and preparing for the quarter finals.
The teams should be playing more all out soccer and that should be more entertaining as well.

There's no doubt that this is a world-wide event. Here's a shot of the Master Control room that distributes the signals from the remotes to the International Broadcast Center (IBC).
Oddly enough, the girl in the foreground was watching an Angelina Jolie movie on her laptop.
I understand, I understand.

Father's Day 2010

It's a beautiful morning here in Johannesburg, the sun is shining and it's not too windy.  The pre-game has started and the announcers are showing pictures of their kids.
Several people have asked me if I have kids, it's odd for me because I usually don't get that question. I'm sure because today is Father's Day and I'm with a lot of people that don't know me that well, it's a reasonable question.
I think I'll talk about my Dad today! I am fortunate enough to be in South Africa today probably because of the lessons my father taught me. Always an extremely hard worker, he taught me the value and merits of doing your best and that the rewards would come.
Treat people fair and most likely, they will return the favor. And probably the most important lesson he gave me was, when you are faced with challenges, look at them as opportunities to better yourself.
As an orphan, he came from the school of hard knocks and overcame his disadvantages to become a great man and role model.
I thank you for the lessons and am very proud of you! Enjoy the day!
On a more serious note: Paraguay over Slovakia, Italy beats  New Zealand, and Brazil wins over Ivory Coast.

Some days are diamonds, some days the audio board isn't happy.

Time Compression

Today marks the third Saturday in South Africa. When you are working like we are here, time really has no meaning. You lose track of what day it is, and time seems to just flow, sometimes faster, most of the time slower.
Luckily, now the routine is set. Eat, work, sleep. Last night was Friday night and seemed like something to look forward to. But, when you are working Saturday and Sunday, and have a heavier schedule with additional programming on the network during the weekend, the day's just another day.
I watched most of "Alpha Dogs" last night at the hotel. I didn't mean to stay up watching a movie, but it caught my eye and I certainly didn't want to watch the replay of the England game.
So just as when I got booked to work the World Cup in January of 2009 and it seemed like such a long time away, I know as we near July 13, my day to start traveling home, it will approach with increasing speed.
The key is to enjoy the time and the experience while you are in the moment. It's hard to do sometimes but I know eventually, I'll look back fondly for having been here.
Today's picks are the Netherlands over Japan, Ghana over Australia, and Cameroon over Denmark.

The streets are fairly empty at 1:20 AM on the way home.

Las Differencias

Considering the differences between the United States and other places, it really comes down to two things. Shoes and blue jeans.
Without a doubt, Levi Strauss makes the best blue jeans in the world. You may or may not remember after the fall of the Berlin Wall, that jeans where going for around $100 a pair or more. At one point you could even sell your old jeans to be recycled.
Shoes are a little bit different. It mostly has to do with style and as Nike and Adidas are global brands, there aren't that many differences in tennis shoes.
It's the other class, the casual shoe, that there are a vast variety of styles and shapes. Maybe I have too much time to consider these things on the road, but I check out German and Brazilian shoes and I'm a little bit envious. Maybe I can order a pair online.
This morning the van got stopped for a "safety" check. It's a random roadblock where the police talk to the driver, documents are either produced or not, and you either get on your way or not.
It was about 3 minutes in total but I mention it only as an aside to how things are different here.
Easy picks for the teams today: Germany over Serbia, United States over Slovenia, and England over Algeria. My hope is that the U.S. can do what the Mexicans did and create a little more excitement within the studio.
Lastly, you may ask, "How do you get 23 people in a 22 person van?". It's simple, put the little people on the floor.

Meet Alba from Dublin, Ireland, who provides the scenics look on the set. Cheerful, happy, and a Spain supporter all the way!

The Scorecard After the First Round of Games

So I finally took some time to tally up my scorecard over the first 16 games of the World Cup.
My scoring philosophy is that if the game is tied, there is no winner or loser so I don't get penalized for picking a team that ties.
Through the first round, I'm 7 wins and 3 loses. There were 6 ties in the first round. The teams that let me down were Spain (who'd have thought the Swiss would win that one), Cameroon (an African sentimental pick), and Algeria.
I'll keep you up to date as group play continues for another nine days!

A Good Night's Rest!

It's amazing what a good night's rest can do for you especially when you have to be in to work a little earlier than normal.
Today is the last early game at Soccer City! There will continue to be matches at the stadium just down the road from us but they will be in the late afternoon or evening. Why is this important? Because we have to get here early on match days just to avoid the traffic and gridlock.
Typically, on a no game day, we get to the IBC in around 17 minutes. Today we left two hours earlier than normal and it took roughly 35 minutes. The joys of travel!
There was a birthday party at the hotel last night and the studio crew arrived at the hotel around 1:30 AM. I went straight to bed after I discovered the internet wasn't functioning (no checking email when the wireless is down).
It was great! A full night's sleep and I'm ready to go.

I even had a little time this morning to go on a safari with the camera crew. Meet Vince, Frank, and Amy! Cameradistas that are the best!
Picks for today include: Argentina beats Korea, Nigeria over Greece, and Mexico wins over France!!

Eating and Transportation

I seem to have several themes that run through the blog and eating is one of them. I wasn't really sure what I was expecting before I got here, but the fact that you eat lunch and dinner in the same place for over a month, and breakfast in the hotel for over a month, makes eating pretty boring.
I'm not snacking a lot between meals, so I think I'm losing weight. Not a bad side effect of being bored with the selections.
Today though, I spied something I think Sean would love and I may just have to try it. Tomato flavored Fritos. Who knew they made such a thing!

Another interesting situation is moving people back and forth everyday from the hotel to the IBC. There are also field units staying at the hotel and they have their own armada of vans, along with crews working a second location called Melrose Arch somewhere downtown.
Logistically a nightmare, there are scheduled bus runs for the media and they are spot on. The mornings are pretty good, leaving at the end of the night is more difficult. The buses have stopped running by then and you are trying to get the entire studio crew in a few vans. The vans were having to make multiple runs back and forth but things have settled down and gotten much better.
On one of these nights, I got to ride in the Mercedes SUV with the producer, Fernando. He was very excited not to be in the van.
Today's picks are simple: Chile over Honduras because the Chile flag looks a lot like the Texas flag, Spain over Switzerland, and Uruguay over South Africa. Although I'd love for Bafana Bafana to prevail, South America, not ZA, is the soccer powerhouse.

Chilly at Last

So the weather has finally changed and I got to get my big coat out today. It's been in the 60's during the day and quite comfortable but last night a front blew in and this morning it's in the low 40's.
The week finally caught up with me and there were several times yesterday when I was struggling to stay awake during the day.
We got out a little early last night and didn't have to be in until 11AM this morning but I still find myself waking up around 8AM.
The big news on Skynews out of London is that there is pressure to ban the vuvelas (the horns the fans blow) because it's annoying both the players, fans, and viewers of the matches. If you've watched at home, there's a underlying noise that sounds like a hornet's nest, a constant blaring.
Of course the British also put a spin about the health risks as a lot of spit eventually comes out the other end. This will certainly be on the top of my list to follow. I figure I should go ahead and buy a few before they become collector's items.
I'll be tallying my score card later this afternoon and have a reporting of my World Cup picks to this point.
Today is an easy one...Slovakia over New Zealand, Brazil over North Korea, and Portugal over the Ivory Coast. I've learned that being sentimental to the African teams, i.e. Ivory Coast, is not going to get me many victories.

Oh No! I'm Acclimating...

I finally got a little rest last night after an extremely long day. As I might have mentioned in an earlier post, I'm trying to learn a little Zulu as most of the hotel staff, and other people we interact with around the IBC, speak something other than English.
Of course, native South Africans sort of have an English accent and certain words and phrases can have different connotations. Take care for instance really means watch out. It's more of a warning.
Yesterday, I spend the day in the studio for all of the segments for all three games. That's seven or eight hours. In visiting with the makeup guy, we talked about the city, places and things to do. We may have some time towards the end of the month to spend a few hours in the city.
This morning when I walked in he said, "Howsit". I had read about this greeting, but it's the first time anyone has used it. I'm in the inner circle now!
Today's picks are Netherlands over Denmark, Cameroon over Japan, and Italy over Paraguay. One hour to pregame!

Hey look, it's grafico operator fantastico Jenilee with Zakumi and Stig.

Please Pass on the Left

Good afternoon from Johannesburg! I'm a little late posting today because we've had a busy morning but my picks today include Algeria, Ghana, and Germany.
Since we drive on the right side of the road and most of the rest of the world drives on the left, interesting things happen when you meet people in the hall.
We tend to slide to the right, everyone else slides to the left, you end up doing the jig back and forth. Just an interesting aside from the bottom of the world.
We are now falling into a routine, day in and day out, and I made the mistake of looking at the calender and remembering I only have five more weeks! We will end this week (working all seven days) with about 104 hours. Divide by seven, you get the idea.
In the morning I'll give you a little more info on how my picks are going.

Predictions for June 12, 2010

After a 16.5 hour day yesterday... I don't have a lot to say, not just yet. But a quick note for todays predictions....
South Korea beats Greece
Argentina beats Nigeria
and in a repeat of the 1950 miracle.... the United States wins over England 3-2

More to follow later in the day! Plus pictures....

Game 2 France vs. Uruguay

Just to keep my predictions on the record, I will pick France to win this game.
Fernando doesn't care, Zach is going Uruguay, and Scott's with me picking the home of Le Tour.

Low Pressure Weather on a High Pressure Day

Let the games begin!! We've been waiting for this day, some for four years, me for a year and a half. The weather is crisp, dare I say, slightly chilly and overcast. It will now be nice to go into the second phase of the job, having three games a day for the next ten days after the first two kickoff this afternoon. 

A regular routine is welcomed. 

Last night after the concert, it took us about forty-five minutes to get back to the hotel. Transportation as the late crew is always a challenge. 

On the sports side, we have Mexico going against host South Africa, France against Uruguay. The tape guys have picked Mexico 3-1 or 2-1, I'm going with the upset and picking South Africa. What I know that they don't is that the referee is calling his first international match at this level. The pressure should have him call the game in favor of the 92,000 fan from home.

Nevertheless, Viva la Mexico!!!!

Wait! You're Telling Me It's Winter

Good afternoon from Johannesburg! What had been a week of sunshine and warm temperatures changed overnight to cooler weather with a little wind.
We completed a week in the country and are left with five to go. I think it's going to be easier to count down weeks instead of days.
Tonight is concert night and then the games begin. It will be nice to get into a routine that will be fairly full each day.
Starting tomorrow morning, there will also be within the blog, a section which has our predictions on the upcoming games. If you aren't interested, don't waste your time reading but I'll title the entries so you know which ones those are.

I leave you today with the downtown skyline of Johannesburg taken from the bus. Notice the Nike "Write The Future" ad on the whole side of the building.

Tape Guys Are Nice People...Sometimes

We are tribal in nature, television people. Moving from city to city and job to job, we go where we are needed. It's currently day seven already!
The tape room here at the IBC is nice, has a bit of room to move around, and the crack team of Zach, Scott, and Fernando to keep things in check.
When I need a little pick me up, I head to the tape room. A new joke, an old horror story, all can be found in the tape room.
We are still in rehearsals, but the games start in just a few days. I will try to provide analysis as the tournament progresses.
This photo above was taken from the crew bus on the way to the IBC. Because of a traffic jam, we actually got to ride around the outskirts of Soweto. It is a third world city and you can see a very small tent city on the way to work everyday. We will find out very shortly what traffic will be like when there is a game at Soccer City. I have the feeling we will not be pleased.

Another Beautiful Day in Johannesburg

Greetings from the bottom of the world... well close enough. It's amazing what a full night of sleep will do for you. Yesterday I made my first visit to the IBC and it's amazing. A lot of media is represented in a compressed space...don't worry, there will be more about that in the next few days.
I got my credentials, went to an extended safety meeting, and then began working setting up two switchers along with Mike, the other technical director. One Kayak and one Kalypso for those of you in the biz.
Rehearsals and blocking start today so things are moving slowly but surely.
A short update but I'm writing right before the bus leaves so I best be on my way. Pictures tomorrow I promise.
By the way... the USA won a friendly match yesterday against Australia 2 - 1. That makes my morning brighter!!

Welcome Home, Well at least for 42 Days

Hello from South Africa! After a very long flight through London, I landed last night at 9:00 PM and got to the hotel around midnight.

I’ve got a schedule for the first week and it looks like we will be very busy with rehearsals and technical sessions including a practice game. More on that to follow in the upcoming days.

The maxi-shower lived up to it’s billing and I may spend long sessions in a hot shower. Also, my first Skype went through to Sean. I will be glad that we can talk on a daily basis as I didn’t get everything taken care of before I left.

So it’s off to the IBC (International Broadcast Center) which is right next to Soccer City, the stadium hosting the first and final games of the 2010 World Cup.

There will be a more entertaining and coherent post this evening after I get a little more sleep!

A Few Words About The Trophy Tour

I went to see the World Cup. I had built it up in my mind as being something maybe more than it is. It's a trophy for winning the world's greatest sporting event but....it's a trophy. My feelings were, I'm going to spend a lot of time working in South Africa, all of the matches, so I felt that it was important to see this "holy grail" and possibly catch the fever for the cup or at least a little respect for the athletes competing.
Did I mention it's a trophy?
Sean and I headed over to the University of Houston where the Tour event took place, we stood in line for almost an hour to get into the grounds and then almost two an a half hours to actually get into the tent where the trophy was.
You were supposed to get your picture taken with it, but the organizers (Coca Cola) were so overwhelmed by the turnout, by the time we were in, no pictures were being taken and they pretty much just shoved you past the display.
We did get to see Zumaki although he was being rushed around the grounds as well.

So in retrospect, I say, "Enjoy your World Cup, and enjoy it with a Pepsi!!!".

The Magic Is Behind The Boards

I got the opportunity last Friday to work a position with the Astros that I never have in 15 years between the Astrodome and Minute Maid. Underneath the Crawford boxes in left field is a manual scoreboard, one of only a few in the major leagues.

I decided to fill in at the last minute and am so thankful for the experience because it was truly a blast!

Since it was a Friday night, there were quite a few games going on all around the league, and the job of running the scoreboards is to keep all the games up to date. While this wouldn't seem like such a big task, since there are only three of us working, covering 12 games can get pretty hectic at times.

We essentially had one guy calling out the changes in scores, while the other two of us updated the numbers. Remember that everything is backwards from your point of view so the first inning is on the right and the ninth inning is on the left. 

I'm proud to say because of excellent training and being very concerned about putting the wrong number in the wrong place, I had a perfect game with no mistakes. I even asked if the nine was actually an upsidedown six when I couldn't find the nines...

I want to give a shout out to Justin on the left and DeShaun on the right for entertaining me along the way. They do their job well and with a cheerfulness that is always nice to be around.

Another scene behind the scenes that makes the magic happen!

You Gotta Eat Something

      As a technical director, I have worked through more than one lunch or dinner break due to some problem that couldn't be resolved without my help, but when traveling all around this great country of ours, I get to stop every now and then to grab a bite to eat somewhere special.
     Most of the time, after a game, it's the fast food solution on the way back to the hotel if I have enough energy left to do that. Certain venues like Robertson Stadium in Houston have the every present Subway, Wendy's, and Burger King within walking distance from the truck. I've stopped going to the Shipley's Donuts.
     There are the rare occasions when you are presented a dinner beyond belief as pictured above. At the 2010 Editor's Retreat in Miami, we were treated to an authentic Cuban buffet with pork, plantains, mushrooms, black beans, and rice. It was definitely a night to remember as we were served the exact same meal in 2007 and I loved it then.
     Some locations aren't nearly as food friendly to the production crews. In December, I worked a Rice basketball game. The director and I spent the better part of an hour walking around the campus looking for anything to eat.
     It didn't help that the school was on Christmas break, that it was a Saturday night, any number of reasons. The story doesn't ever change - just the location and you end up going into your backpack to find the Southwest Airlines peanuts from two months ago.
There are exceptions to the rule and one is here.
                 http://www.1808grille.com

     I don't remember how I found out about this place or the first time I went to the 1808, but whenever I'm in Nashville, I try to make it by.
     Pictured above, I have found a new discovery but I haven't gotten to eat there yet.
     They were closed... maybe the next time I'm in El Paso!

Which waterfall is known as the largest single sheet of water in the world?

This and other interesting tidbits will be coming your way here "Outside of The Loop" as I prepare to cover the World Cup for Univision this summer.

Of course our summer is their winter so... nevermind.

Over the last couple of years, I've gotten to work a lot of Dynamo games, a couple of Superligas, and the occasional international match. This has given me an appreciation for soccer and athletes like Brian Ching and Francisco Ochoa.

Getting to see the best of the world, on the world's largest stage, is one of the best things about my job. I feel very fortunate to have been asked to go!

I'll be working as a technical and assistant director in Johannesburg and will have one run of twenty three days in a row. Even with the workload, I'm looking forward to it and realized that it's a mere four months away. The countdown has officially started!

By the way, the answer is Victoria Falls.

One of the Good Guys

Working sports or entertainment by necessity means we spend a lot of time at the job when the fans are available. Usually that means evenings and weekends and unfortunately, the Houston Rockets have a standing New Year's Eve game every year.

For the last five or six years, I've had the distinct pleasure of getting to work that night and bring in the New Year with others that would probably rather be somewhere else having fun instead of working.

This past year was no exception and when I got to the production truck I saw that Andy Benz was mixing audio. I've known Andy for quite a few years and he is truly one of the good guys that works hard and enjoys himself along the way.

We got the show ready to go and were waiting to start so we could finish and get home by midnight to celebrate - the mood was kind of ho-hum.

So, as we were waiting to get started, Andy started playing Lyle Lovett's "Church" which is a rousing, gospel-styled, ditty that instantly put a smile on my face and made everyone in the truck feel a little better at least until the Rockets stopped playing well. As it all worked out, the Rockets did beat the Mavericks that night and we had a good day thanks to Andy.

If you are at a Baylor Bears, Rockets, Spurs, or Mavericks game, there's a good chance that Andy may be working behind the scenes. He has the I-35 corridor down. You'll never see him, but the producer and director are happy because of it.

Is The Fog Machine On?

It seems so simple. Four cameras, four stages. Bus 11,000 kids in and let them hear from a real American hero, the first black astronaut in space...simple.

It's never that simple but, a timely rehearsal, better luck, and a not out of control fog machine can make for a great show, especially on a very early morning.

Strike one is that the crew call is 5:30 AM. I really don't know too many people that are at their best that early in the morning. Not a problem though because there are donuts and coffee.

This particular morning, when 11,000 kids are being brought into the arena, there is a very heavy fog that is causing traffic delays all over the metropolitan area...the buses are now running late. Nothing you can do about that but push the start time later and later. Of course the kiddos that got there at 8:30 AM when the doors opened have now been sitting in their seats for well over an hour. Hey so a few hundred kids are inconvenienced, big deal.

Okay, if the fog machine works, everything is okay. The air handlers within the arena are causing the "misters" not to work so well so the lasers aren't as cool as they could be, but if we pump enough fog from behind the curtain backstage, the kids will be impressed.

Oooops! So much fog, the cameras can't see the volunteers or the astronaut on stage.

Once the lights came on, we all saw the fog! Rock 'n' Roll!