The good news is you have delirium

I’ve known my friend Craig now for about 20 years. For most of those years, Craig struggled with his weight.

He tried numerous diets, some that actually resulted in significant weight loss, but he always seemed to gain it back eventually.

We hung out one day last spring and I could see he had lost a fair amount of weight. This was probably the thinnest I had seen him since, jeez, grade 7 maybe?

Clearly whatever he was doing was working.

A few months later, I was at Best Buy looking for something when this guy with a toque waved at me. I kind of nodded and smiled, but I had no idea who this person was. The next time I looked up, this person was much closer, like 15 feet away, and I was completely shocked.

It was Craig.

I don’t think I had ever seen him this lean. Ever!

Craig attributes his success to the LA Weight Loss Centers.

He recently told me about a contest that LA Weight Loss Centers is having. Basically, they are looking for video testimonials about personal weight loss achievements. Craig has lost around 220 pounds, so I think his story not only qualifies, but should almost be a slam dunk for a finalist.

I’ve had my green screen since February, but never used it. I thought this would be a great opportunity to try it out. So we filmed last week, I worked my magic, and handed him the master video yesterday. Click here to view it.

I believe the winners are going to be announced in early November, so we won’t have to wait long to see if he’s won.

No, I’ve got a long ways to go before retirement. I’m heading to Florida for WEVA Expo 2008.

The Expo is an annual convention put on by the folks from WEVA (Wedding & Event Videographers Association). It’s basically a series of workshops on how to improve one’s videography skills.

Last year, the event was held in Las Vegas. That was my first WEVA Expo and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There were presenters from around the world sharing their knowledge and techniques. After learning about new camera techniques, editing effects, and general business sense, I was very eager to return home and practice all that I had learned.

Now I know what to expect so I can’t wait to get this show on the road.

The 2008 WEVA Expo runs this Monday through Thursday at the Grande Lakes Resort in sunny Orlando, Florida.

My follow-up post on the Steadicam Merlin will likely have to wait until I return on the weekend.

So my Steadicam Merlin arrived yesterday from B & H, and I was very eager to get it out of the box. Here are my first impressions.

As you can see in the photos (taken with my iPhone so they’re not super crisp, sorry), the Merlin comes in a very nice, foam padded case, which would have been just fine on its own, but it also comes with a travel bag. The travel bag is also padded with foam inside and has small handle straps as well as a shoulder strap. One could certainly remove the foam from the travel bag and use it for other gear, or maybe use it to horde some food from a wedding reception, your call.

I read the manual and watched the instructional DVD, and as I played with all the different knobs and sliders, I started to understand how to adjust it for my needs.

I mounted my camera, the HVX200A, and I’d love to tell you that it just balanced perfectly, but that just didn’t happen. I kept fiddling with it until I was really close, only to realize I had yet to insert my battery.

Ugh!

That’s a fairly hefty accessory that greatly changes the weight distribution of the camera, especially since the HVX200A comes with a large battery. 

I kept plugging away for a while but it just wasn’t in the cards last night, so I packed it up and figured I’d try again the next day.

I also thought I’d try removing some things to lighten the load.

When I make my second attempt tonight, I’m going to remove the lens hood, the XLR caps, even the screws for the mic holder, and I’ll only use one P2 card instead of two. I will keep my UV filter on because I never take it off, as it protects my precious Leica lens.

I will write another post detailing the efforts of my second attempt.

Note that the Merlin can work great with the HVX200A, but this camera is definitely at the limits of the stabilizer, and if you NEED to attach other accessories (lights, mics. lenses), you’ll have to go with a different product.

The Merlin is also something that takes time to master. Remember that setting the proper balance for a flat, level shot is only the beginning. If you plan to film while going up or down stairs, you’ll need the camera tilted up or down, which requires adjusting, referred to in the manual as “trimming.” So you’ll need to learn how to trim on the run.

The Merlin retails for $799 US and can be upgraded with the arm and vest package for an additional $1749.

Now that Blu-ray has won the battle against HD DVD, I’m sure Blu-ray players are going to be one of the hotter items this year. And probably no Blu-ray player will be more popular than Sony’s Playstation 3 (PS3) gaming console.

The average Blu-ray player is around $400. For that very price, you can get a 40GB PS3 system, which of course, also plays Blu-ray media.

I’m not into video games as much as I used to be, but one thing I have heard is that the PS3 can receive Blu-ray firmware updates via the Internet. This is technology other Blu-ray players are currently lacking, so that seems reason enough to choose the PS3 over other regular set top units.

If you are a local Mac user and would like to meet other local Mac users, you may want to check out the Windsor Mac User Group, Apple Spice.

A typical Apple Spice meeting includes a briefing of Apple’s latest news, as well as hints, tricks, and tutorials for various Mac programs, and also a draw for a door prize.

Not from Windsor? No problem! To find a Mac User group in your area, click here.

Hello, and welcome to the first of what I’m sure will be many posts on this new blog.

My name is Derek Kovacevic and I am the owner and creative director for Delirium Media, a video production company in Windsor, Ontario. For more about me and my interests, click on the about page.

This blog will cover a variety of topics, including video production and technology, stories of my personal travels and experiences, and general topics of interest I may find on a day-to-day basis. You will soon discover I like to share a laugh or two, so the aim of this blog will be to inform, educate, and entertain, and do it all with a dash of wit and humour.

The bad news is you can’t trust every source out there on the Internet, but the good news is you have delirium.