Getting the Goods

Our time to film is almost here! 

    So far, my main worry has been the set and getting everything we need in order to make this happen. As I've mentioned before, Kim and I are thinking of using the old equipment in the CBTV inventory, consisting of old cameras, RCA and SDI televisions, and the cables necessary to power all of these things (though I must admit, some cameras don't turn on at all, which is why we will be using them as props only). Here is a picture of me testing out one of the TVs with an old security camera I found in the closet. The quality of the CCTV camera is not the best, but it was cool to see the live feedback on the TV. The security camera was also extremely zoomed in (I couldn't figure out how to change that), but I enjoyed testing it out regardless.

    In order to make sure that everything was up to par and usable, I have been staying in the studio during my privilege hour in order to test everything, make a list of what to check out, and making sure that our advisor is okay with us taking the things we need. So far, this is the list that I have come up with:

    As you can see, this list also includes some actual functioning equipment from the club's equipment closet. This is just some back-up gear as well as some small things that will be used to either facilitate the process or even be used as props. For instance, the diffuser will help us make the lighting from the light kits less harsh, and the AC-90 (an older camera) will be a functioning prop that we could capture even more footage with. 

    Today is an early release day (the last school day before spring break), so after getting approval from the IT guy (he is the one that is in charge of the technology at school), I began piling up all of the equipment in one place that way once school was over, Kim and I could start putting it into my car. It was extremely hot outside and we had some issues with security since they wanted everyone off campus for the break, but we persevered. Here is a picture of all of the props and equipment both in the studio and loaded in my car:

Another thing Kim and I needed to worry about was the huge TV that I have mentioned before. We ended up having to call my mom and her friend from church in order to get a cart that could bring the TV from the studio to her car. It was HEAVY. Thankfully the cart was stable and there was plenty of man-power to get it into the car, but as you can see in the picture below, it was a bit of a struggle to fit inside the car. Luckily, we were able to quickly figure things out and transport everything to my house. Here are some more pictures!

    At around three in the afternoon, everything was at my house and put in a corner near the living room space that we are planning to film in. It was definitely a strange sight to see so much old technology in my house, especially knowing that these will be the props used in the final project. Having everything physically there got me really excited, and got my family quite excited as well (though they are definitely not looking forward to moving the entire living room)... Anyway, this was what I've been seeing every time I walk into my house. What a sight, am I right?

    Honestly, despite all of this hard work, I've enjoyed seeing everything slowly come together. Now that I have all the props at home, I can't wait to start experimenting with some layouts and testing things out with the equipment! Kim and I will be driving to BECON-TV to check out some equipment, so I will definitely update you guys once that's done. Keep your eyes peeled for another post tomorrow!