Lights, Camera, Inaction...

We were very lucky to have a camera training workshop today. It's not often that I would count myself lucky to work ten to five on a Sunday but this was one such rare occassion.

The merit of this workshop was that it was run by Tony O'Shaughnessy of the BBC i.e. someone who really knows his stuff. As a result I learnt this....

1) To keep the camera still - pans, zooms and jaunty angles belong to naff wedding videos taken by drunken uncles.

2) Not to film everything - watching someone move through a shot is often more effective than running around in circles after them (unless you're a hardened Challenege Anneka fan).

3) To vary the size and angle of shots - variety is the spice of life.

4) PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE BEING FILMED.

Wild....Wales is Calling!

I have a new baby...No no, not the crying, sicking up sort. I have started work on a magazine called Wild with some of my colleagues. It's about getting out and about in Wales and focuses on activities, nature and green issues. We're all really very excited about it.

My role is actually in the online aspect. As Online Content Editor I am learning just how much is involved in an editorial role... Especially when you are starting a brand from scratch. I (with my editor Harry) am having to think of every tiny bit of content we want on the site. I then have to provide a style guide that covers how the writer should present this content. Then there's the commissioning, the chasing people up and the editing. It is a lot of work but I'm enjoying it a lot. I'm glad. It bodes well for the future.

Definitely check out our magazine. It's suited to 18-35 year-olds who are either already into getting out and about or who would like to be but don't really know what to do with themselves. It'll be fun and informative. You'll like it - we promise!

The site itself hasn't launched yet but you can check us out on MySpace!

Hang 'Em High Hopkins

I attended a talk the other day by judge Stephen Hopkins. Fascinating. For some odd reason I had never really thought about the fact that a judge's job is rather harrowing. I guess it is a mark of the sheltered life that I lead that I hadn't realised that court cases involve an intricate study of the details of crimes. So much so that Judge Stephen Hopkins told us that he was delighted when he got through a court case without hearing the word 'vagina'.

Just recently, Judge Hopkins has had to deal with a case in which some little girls were raped by their father, uncle and brother. In addition, he has had to view all of the horrific images off a paedophile's computer to judge how harsh his sentence should be. Finally, he has had to watch a man walk free who confessed to being a paedophile but convinced the jury that he was into little girls so had had nothing to do with the little boys in question in that particular case.

I cannot blame a man who sees that much human depravity on a daily basis for being tough in his sentencing. I can understand why Hopkins would want to Hang 'em High.

The Blog is Back

There has been something of a blog-less interlude in my life. It's not that I don't love my blog it's just that he makes great demands on my time - the possessive type.

Anyway, a highly rewarding work placement at Big Issue Cymru, an exam in Public Adminstration and a membership to The Guild of Motoring Writers down and we're back.

The first thing I just have to note on my return to blog-land is my disgust at the anti Ugly Betty feeling flying around. It seems some are dismayed to see that Ugly Betty is actually quite beautiful in real life. "Why can't we see a really ugly character?" they cry! The thing is, surely that's the irony. She's not a bad looking girl but in the eyes of the fashionistas she's dirt.

Another thing that I thought was worth drawing attention to was a programme I caught on Channel 4 the other day called Homemade. It's basically a TV programme based around YouTube type clips. So it seems that UGC does have a future. But how long will it last?!