NASA Confirms Feasibility of 25 Hour Day

You may think I'm kidding about the 25 hour day concept. OK, maybe NASA has more credibility than I do? This is not a new story, but for some reason we still haven't adopted the 25 hour day, so it's worth pointing out (again) that it can be done.

Pecha Kucha Vancouver: Jeff Topham

In this moving presentation, Jeff Topham reflects on his childhood growing up in Liberia through a serious of pictures taken by his dad. He returned there a few years ago to find a country that has been through terrible times and shares his own pictures of that journey. From Pecha Kucha Night Vancouver Volume #5.

Rock 'n' Roll Photo

Using several well-chosen photos of rock 'n' roll stars as a backdrop, Dave Olson finds out from noted Vancouver photographers Bev Davies and Kris Krüg how they are permitted access (or not), how they work with the musicians (or not) and what it takes to get that iconic, memorable photo. From Northern Voice 2009.

It takes a minute or two for the video to settle down. Stick with it, it's worth it!


Technical Notes

The post-production was an edit of four synchronized clips:

• camera A: anamorphic DV camcorder on a tripod, one long clip that ends prematurely when the tape runs out (have I ever mentioned that I hate tape?)
• camera B: handheld digital still camera, two clips with a break in between for a memory card swap
• audio: Olympus WS210s voice recorder just thrown on a table somewhere

Once again the Olympus did an amazing job under difficult conditions. Afer the sound was cleaned up a little and levelated, it was quite usable and much better than the audio recorded by the shotgun mic mounted on camera A.

It's always an interesting challenge to figure out how to best lay out slides with room shots and B-roll footage generally. Particularly when the slides are such a key part of the presentation. After starting to cut back and forth a zillion times I realized it was going to be as painful to watch as it was to edit. In a forehead slapping moment I realized that camera A on the slides was pretty much locked down the whole time and I could just put the video from the two cameras side by side. Camera B footage is dark and rough, but it gives a nice feel for the room without intruding on the photos. And it saved the day when the camera A footage ran out.

Camera A had a lot of trouble with white balance and at one point near the beginning appeared to kick into night vision mode! Once it settled down though I was able to use a constant color correction to get a decent view of the photos.

iPod-compatible video. (Right click to download)

Listen to the audio. (Right click to download)

Pecha Kucha Vancouver: Shawna Cox

"Canadian Film Girl" Shawna Cox talks about juggling multiple film projects including her quest to film the Dakar Rally, and why it is more than "just an event" to her. From Pecha Kucha Night Vancouver, volume #5.

PKVN05: Shawna Cox from Singular Software on Vimeo.

Pecha Kucha Vancouver: Dolly Hopkins

The Public Dreams Society is the producer of two participatory events, Illuminares Lantern Procession and Parade of the Lost Souls, which have been huge successes as seen in the creative artistic expression by a broad range of people. Dolly Hopkins explains the ideas behind them in this presentation at Pecha Kucha Vancouver volume #5.

Pecha Kucha Vancouver: Duane Elverum

Duane Elverum of Emily Carr University talks about radical course experiments to rethink what leadership means in the 21st century. From Pecha Kucha Night Vancouver volume #5.



Listen to the audio. (Right-click to download)

Pecha Kucha Vancouver: Kelly Deck

Kelly Deck tells how her passion for interior design and a philosophy of simplicity and beauty led to the creation of a boutique and design studio, a television series, a newspaper column and most recently a residential design firm. From Pecha Kucha Night Vancouver, volume #5.