Josh Paul: Entertainment

NDA'd

Thu, 20 May 2004 01:20:58 GMT

I am now under so many Non-Disclosure Agreements, I don't think I'm allowed to even talk to myself.

Lead, follow, or get out of the way...

Mon, 19 Apr 2004 19:27:16 GMT

Looking back at this entry, I placed myself in my current situation. The current project is an experiment and if it's successful, television as we currently know it is going to change. It will be our job, as producers, to make sure we maintain the entertainment value.

Convergence Rears it's head, in the real world.

Tue, 30 Mar 2004 04:21:17 GMT

Although I am not allowed to go into it in-depth, the convergence of advertising and television is well under way. From my view, the current project I am on is approaching the entertainment value correctly. The show is slated to begin airing this summer. I'm curious to see how it's accepted (or not). I'm also beginning to see an interesting phenomenon. Television people are beginning, and I stress beginning, to learn more about technology; specifically learning programming languages. Additionally, I'm beginning to see people whose jobs have been "outsourced" making their way onto (into?) production teams. There is definite cross-pollination going on. Beyond all of that, I had a meeting over the weekend with a very forward thinking individual...television show patents are next, especially when they blend with technology. Get ready for a new round...

Really?

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 23:45:09 GMT

As of 3:45p PST, no one has bid on this item:
Helene & Aaron Diamond Ring Package

and I sincerely hope no one does...

Akimbo

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 22:05:59 GMT

Akimbo is a new "Video on Demand service." I wouldn't go so far as to say it's "On Demand," as you have to first download the content,, but it's is a warning sign for the Networks. It's only a matter of time until the distribution system changes; just look at the record industry. Our budgets are going to get continually smaller. Ugh.

Who didn't see this one coming?

Fri, 13 Feb 2004 16:06:24 GMT

As I mentioned in this entry, I thought the "leaked" movies were coming out of a duplication house. This morning I read this article which states four people from Lighning Media, formerly Lightning Dubs, had been a source of leaks as well. (I won't get into the fact their site requires Flash.) Although I don't know the details, I feel that it's pretty obvious what'll happen if you put a 19 year old kid, working a graveyard shift for near-minimum wage, around a popular movie...and then provide him with all the equipment he needs to duplicate the movie. Hmm. I think my 5 year old niece could figure it out.

The long, slow death of the Networks

Wed, 11 Feb 2004 23:09:26 GMT

So, if TiVo and the rest DVR group manages to penetrate into the living room, what exactly is the point of the Networks (ABC, NBC, etc.) ? I understand the distribution mechanism, but by using TiVo I'll be able to essentially create my own network (with my choice of programming). This isn't really a new idea, I'm just publicly contemplating it. Why does it matter that "24" is on at a certain time? To be honest, I don't even know what time it's on; I do know it airs on Tuesday evenings. TiVo just grabs 24 for me and my wife and I watch it at our convenience. Extrapolate that out and it doesn't matter what Network my programming airs on nor what time it airs. Why can't I, as a producer, approach a sponsor and create my own programming? I can buy time fairly cheaply (relative to Prime Time commercial time) and air the programming in select markets. Yes, the programs would be sponsored, but hopefully I can do my job without insulting my audience. I'd provide content the audience would enjoy and the sponsor(s) would have their logos/products displayed to their potential consumers. Put another way...I'd produce "sponsored programming" (not an informercial!) and buy time on some no-name cable network at 3a. So long as I could get TiVo to find the program and relate it to other programs, it would be recorded for a target market. For example: (Yes, it commercialized, but we're heading that way now anyway. I don't see a way out, other than HBO.)

I'll produce a new cooking show about BBQ. Some BBQ grill company will sponsor the show, so the show can actually get made. Other minor sponsors, like a BBQ sauce company, would provide additional money in exchange for product placement/use.
The program, done just like other cooking shows (minus the commercials), will air at 3a in the top 10 markets on cable station WXYZ.
TiVo owners who happen to like cooking programs and accept "Recommendations" from TiVo would discover the program the next day in their list of shows on disk.

The BBQ grill company has reached it's target audience. The audience has received programming it prefers. Win/Win. Plus, the audience hasn't skipped the commercial, so the company's investment hasn't been lost. Think of it like Amazon's and iTunes related links. My partner and I have 37 shows in development. Of those, a good portion could be made in this manner. Cooking shows are the tip of the iceberg. Do you, as a viewer, care that we use A1 Steak Sauce? Or Heinz 57? You're intelligent enough to know that the recipe calls for A1, but you can use something else...right? Am I off the mark here?

Lowering the Bar

Sat, 07 Feb 2004 02:24:58 GMT

Wow. After reading this article I wonder how much lower the bar can go.

Thu, 29 Jan 2004 16:12:48 GMT

The market is changing. According to an article in Fortune magazine, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is now charging for product placement. Infomercial.

Infomercial.

Infomercial.

It works for QE. How we adapt, both as viewers and producers, is going to be interesting (to me at least).

Mon, 26 Jan 2004 19:29:12 GMT

Okay, I'll bite. Mark Paschal is an undergraduate student at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is majoring in Computer Science. He's chosen to comment on my "Verified Viewing" post. A little response... The most prominent feature of the DVR is time shifting. However, the VCR enabled us to do so as well. Time shifting is nothing new. Been there. Done that. I believe skipping advertising with a DVR is an entirely different experience than skipping them with a VCR. To me, the digital skipping is the most prominent feature. That is what people I show TiVo to "ooh" and "aahh" over. (Then come Season Passes, Suggestions, etc.) ReplayTV got blasted for the 30-second auto-skip feature. That is the most prominent feature and that is what got the television industry's attention. I know TiVO has the feature hidden and I've even played with it. DVR manufacturer's deserve a technical Emmy, but many people in the industry play politics. The DVR's are a threat to our current business model. I wouldn't bet on any manufacturers being awarded for their innovation any time soon. I agree that as a Producer, it is my job to produce entertainment. However, if what I produce doesn't generate enough eyeballs, I'm unemployed. If the network can't sell advertising, they can't pay me. Plain and simple. I have one foot in both worlds. I work as a Producer and I write software. I know the "ins-and-outs" of both well enough to make an honest living. If we don't have advertising, how do we pay our staff and crew? Subscription services, like HBO, obviously work. What are our other options? "Verified Viewing" is my proposal. I'm excited to see more. So, Mark Paschal, if you're willing to fire across my bow (by stating that I don't know what I'm talking about), why don't you propose a solution of your own?

Fri, 23 Jan 2004 14:31:43 GMT

An arrest! This Hollywood Reporter article stated that an arrest has been made in the screener case... "The FBI arrested a Chicago-area man (Russell William Sprague) Thursday on charges of criminal copyright infringement and illegal interception of a satellite signal as a result of the bureau's ongoing investigation into pirated Academy screeners." Wow! When I read that sentence, I thought Sprague had intercepted the satellite signals of the screeners; possibly being sent from NY to LA. But, alas, he was stealing DirecTV signals and had a few "spare" boxes and decryption cards laying around. The FBI happened to find the DirecTV stuff, while searching for VHS/DVD screeners (which they found along with duplicating equipment). So, how'd he get the screeners? As it turns out, an Academy member, Carmine Caridi, had been sending the screeners to Sprague, thinking he was a film buff. Sadly, I believe Cardi, who'll probably be expelled from the Academy. I tend to read the legal agreements I sign. Cardi signed an agreement stating he would not let the screeners leave his home or office. He has admitted he violated his agreement. That's as black-and-white as it gets.
a = signed agreement
v = violation of agreement
e = expulsion

a & b -> e

Thu, 15 Jan 2004 12:43:52 GMT

According to this Hollywood Reporter article, the "Screener Ban" debate is heating up again. Before anyone gets "expelled" from The Academy, the accusers better have solid proof (or a confession) the movie(s) in question were leaked from Academy members. I think it's quite possible someone responsible for duplicating the VHS/DVD copies "leaked" a digital copy onto the 'net. The type of access we have in Post-Production to material is unlike any other aspect of production. Will we follow in the footsteps of the RIAA? Will we go one step further and continue suing each other? Or will we realize our industry is about to change...and embrace the change?

Fri, 02 Jan 2004 16:57:47 GMT

In the last ten years "business as usual" has been anything but. Industries have changed and market dominators have tumbled. At the core of this change has been the Internet. It seems as though every industry has had to adapt to a new way of doing business. From bookstores to Wall Street brokers, businesses have changed dramatically due to the adoption of the Internet. Yet, these changes have not always been embraced. When Amazon.com first launched its website, people laughed. The idea of selling books online would never catch on...or so people thought, especially bookstore owners. I guarantee the bookstore owners, both big and small, are no longer laughing. What should be readily apparent is our industry is next. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) essentially shouted this fact from the rooftops just a couple of months ago with the decision to ban screener copies of films under awards consideration. Despite the fact that piracy is copyright infringement and a federal offense, the MPAA's action led to an outcry from members of the Academy and many other industry organizations. Ultimately, a lawsuit filed by smaller production companies has, at this writing, succeeded in stopping the ban. Inevitably, technology brings changes, but instead of banding together and attempting to embrace this change, we have somehow resorted to suing each other. We, as an industry, should be watching and learning from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), as the music industry has been the latest industry to be changed by the Internet. The "music revolution," as it's been called, was initiated by the growing popularity of peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. Napster was the first of these networks, and while its progeny may not have achieved the same level of brand recognition, they continue to refine its piracy-enabling model of file sharing. On September 8, 2003 the RIAA filed lawsuits against 261 individuals who were using P2P networks. Given that there are roughly 60,000,000 individuals using P2P networks at any given time, it should be obvious to anyone, except possibly a lawyer, that lawsuits are not going to solve the problem. Even as I'm writing this article, the legal landscape has changed. Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned a lower court ruling that required Verizon Communications to turn over the names of its P2P users. The latest ruling is a huge blow to the RIAA lawsuit campaign and further demonstrates that lawsuits are not the solution. So, how can we combat piracy? Whether you look to black-market DVD sales on a downtown street or people illegally sharing copyrighted files on P2P networks, piracy is very real. In fact, according to New York Magazine, our industry lost $3.5 billion last year. The people pirating movies aren't just the stereotypical street thugs, but industry "insiders" and even students sneaking camcorders into theaters, as well. One thing to bear in mind: piracy has been around far longer than our current technology has. Well before P2P networks, before the Internet and before computers were commonplace, pirated movies and bootlegged music circulated throughout the world. The piracy problem is not technological. The piracy problem is behavioral. I think the solution is both technological and behavioral. First, let me emphatically comment: I do not believe it is possible to protect digital content. Period. Some may call this point of view pessimistic; I consider it simple pragmatism. The admittedly brief history of this technology suggests that every mechanism used to protect digital content can and will be broken. If you choose to accept this belief, then you implicitly understand that we need to alter our production and distribution process. Ultimately, the entire business model for entertainment will have to change. Other industries have been forced to deal with the Information Age; we haven't. We are lucky. Since our medium of moving pictures consumes a lot of "digital space," the material can't be pushed around the Internet quickly. However, this is rapidly changing. Jack Valenti, President of the MPAA, estimates in three years people will be commonly downloading movies. When a person accesses the Internet, the access can occur at different speeds. The higher the speed, the faster a person can move data. Since most people don't have a Broadband, or high speed, Internet connection, the piracy of movies and television shows has not been of great concern. However, as more people obtain broadband connections, and as those connections become faster, the threat of motion picture piracy will grow exponentially. In addition to the Internet, Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) are beginning to reach critical mass. DVRs are much like digital VCRs; the most well-known is TiVo. Since they are digital, the features of the systems are more advanced. The most prominent feature allows viewers to easily skip through commercials. According to James Marsh, a Wall Street analyst, if only 15% of viewers use a DVR and they skip 60% of the commercials, there will be a $6.6 billion drop in ad revenue by 2006. If you think our budgets are small now, they will most likely be even smaller in two years. Essentially, our medium has given us a "stay of execution." As producers it is our responsibility to embrace and understand this change, so we can continue to bring our visions to life. Whether we like it or not, P2P networks and DVR technologies will change both production and distribution, and a lot sooner than you think. The business models for television and movie production vary. Television shows are distributed for free, as they are supported by ad revenue through commercial breaks. There are also subscription services like HBO and Showtime, which distribute programming for a monthly service fee. Movies are supported through theatrical release, pay-per-view and VHS/DVD rentals and sales. There are a number of hurdles for us to overcome in each outlet, but any solution will have to be effective for all of them. The biggest hurdle I foresee is people are used to viewing entertainment for free. Just as people are used to listening to music for free on the radio, they are accustomed to viewing programming on television. We will therefore face the same mindset that has brought mayhem to the music industry. The solution is to integrate advertising within our content. Sponsorships and product placement are our advantage over music. Unless every song were to contain something like "...I was sitting around drinking my [insert drink of choice here]...", I don't see how else the music industry can incorporate advertising. We have already seen a growth in sponsorships and product placement and I think this trend will continue. Through the use of existing technologies, we can actually verify when an advertisement has been viewed. I refer to this process as "Verified Viewing." The advertising integration process would require two steps. The first step would require the physical integration of a product into a scene, for example having a character driving a certain brand of vehicle. The second process would require an implementation similar to closed-caption encoding. Verified Viewing will prove exceptionally useful in dealing with both P2P networks and DVR technologies. By simply encoding a unique identifier for each sponsored scene, for example Kiefer Sutherland's character "Jack Bauer" driving a Ford F-150, the advertiser can know how often the scene has been viewed. Technically, we would encode this information into line 21 of the vertical interval time code (VITC) and use the DVR to account for how many times the image has been viewed. Upon the DVR's synchronizing of its schedule, which it does often, the DVR could upload the viewing information. The distributor of the program could then bill the advertiser accordingly. Much, if not all, of this can be accomplished by following the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) DDE-1 standard. We can also apply Verified Viewing to the desktop computing world as well. By using the same approach, but applying different techniques, digital files can also be Verified Viewing-enabled. Since both the distributor and the advertiser are able to receive very accurate viewing metrics, the P2P network becomes an ally instead of an adversary. A television show or movie with integrated advertising can be freely distributed without the fear of piracy. Our visual medium is our most obvious advantage. We are already responsible for garnering "eyeballs" on both television and on screen. As producers, in the future, we will be responsible for integrating advertising into our programming, while trying to maintain our project's integrity. By implementing Verified Viewing, both distributors and advertisers could gain ground in the digital age. Although privacy concerns may be raised about Verified Viewing, the current legal climate protects P2P user's privacy. Additionally, the information recorded can simply be the number of times an specific advertisement has been viewed and nothing more. I would not be surprised to read Nielsen Ratings began tracking P2P file popularity in the near future. Ultimately, advertisers will want to know how many times an advertisement has been viewed, not just how popular a file is in the P2P network. Verified Viewing will provide such metrics in the future distribution system. One current problem for P2P network users is that the shared files are not always technically sound, not to mention legal. But if the distribution company willingly releases a technically sound, and legal, Verified Viewing-enabled copy of their motion picture file, it would likely become a preferred and widely distributed file. I foresee companies regularly releasing technically sound files into P2P networks, as they will have a financial incentive for widespread distribution and viewing. If I were to search a P2P network for "ESPN" I would receive back a fairly consistent set of sports-related material. Branding will thus take on increasing importance; the music industry missed this opportunity and it will never be given a second chance. The branding opportunity could very easily be seized by production companies who currently provide programming to the networks. Given this scenario, I wouldn't be surprised to see companies like Harpo Productions and Dick Clark Productions become major P2P distributors of Verified Viewing content. The Verified Viewing model presents a challenge to our current distribution networks, but would in no way threaten the production companies themselves. In fact, the most likely victim will be the local television stations. All of the players in these scenarios - the artists, the production companies and the distributors - should be able to adapt and survive the upcoming change (whatever it might be). The local stations, however, do not have content to distribute. Additionally, they rely heavily on local advertising. Unless a method is created to integrate localized advertising "on the fly," I cannot foresee how the stations will adapt. If Verified Viewing is not adopted, the new distribution system will probably mimic the Apple Music Store. A viewer may simply be able to locate "Apocalypse Now" and choose to view a streaming version for $4.99, download it for $9.99 or view a stream and have a DVD shipped for $19.99. Viewers will be able to access television shows and movies for a low price, on demand. Should our industry follow the same path as the music industry, I feel the Movie Store outcome is inevitable. I also feel it is only a stopgap solution, as file sharing would continue with no recurring revenue stream for the distributor. The Internet culture often leans toward the saying "Information wants to be free." If we expect our industry to adapt to the coming "movie revolution," we need to understand our consumers. Finally, there is the increasingly popular practice of simultaneous release. By simultaneously releasing content, whether music, television shows or movies, the opportunity for piracy is reduced, while increasing initial revenues. The December release of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" was a worldwide event. If the reason people pirate content is because they want it and it is not available to them, by providing them what they want, we can reduce the demand for pirated content. Until the next solution is implemented, I think simultaneous release of content will become typical. As an exercise, I asked people I whether they owned any pirated software programs. Since software is essentially composed of digital files, I felt it most closely resembled what motion pictures will be in the near future. The trend was overwhelmingly in favor of pirated software. In fact, according to the Business Software Alliance, the global software piracy rate in 2002 was 39%. If consumers consider digital movie files to be equivalent to software, it's safe to predict motion picture piracy will grow exponentially. We must embrace the coming change and help to create our new industry now. Ray Kurzweil, an emerging technologies specialist, recently stated "Inventions need to make sense in the world where you finish a project, not the world in which you start the project." We need to start now. We have three years to finish.

Fri, 14 Nov 2003 00:20:47 GMT

When I began my career in the entertainment industry, I was fortunate to have a Producer recognize my affinity for computers. This talented and Emmy-nominated Proucer gave me a position in Post-Production where I was exposed to the latest technology. At that time, Avid was in the process of becoming the standard and the web was still in its infancy. As I moved from job to job, I created databases using various programs (primarily FileMaker Pro) to manage information, including simple tape libraries and tracking online edit costs. Eventually, I used the databases to streamline the flow of information for both Production and Post-Production departments. Although every production was unique, I found they all shared common similarities. Tired of reinventing the same wheel for each production, I built templates based on the similarities I found. I used these templates when starting a new job and doing so made my work-life much easier. Soon I found myself integrating the databases with databases other people had created, allowing us all to "be on the same page." Through this process I began to understand why large companies make large investments on databases and technology. It saves time and money. Personally, I like to know both the how and why certain things are done. I understood "why" companies invest in technology. However, I did not quite understand the "how." How does a company decide to use product X instead of product Y? Cost? Performance? Reputation? Ease of use? The answers I discovered during my research opened my eyes to how the internet affects media production. I access the web on a daily basis and I also conduct a large portion of my work via email. I will go so far to say the majority of us now deem access to the internet as a requirement both in our professional and personal lives. Yes, a requirement. Writers send scripts...PA's find driving directions... anf Travel Coordinators check flight information. All in seconds. Since we already do so much work using the web, why shouldn't we be able to access the latest Staff List, check the status of a Location Lgreement, or search our Lape Library using a simple web browser? Large companies including Disney and Universal employ Information Technology (IT) departments. Many of these IT departments have already networked their companies' databases (or are in the process of doing so). Sharing information between departments is a daily necessity for these companies and their employees expect information to be available upon request. Our production companies however, whether producing a Feature Film or Cable TV Show, rarely have an IT department. Instead we are left with two options. One is to rely on the staff to cobble together databases, forms, spreadsheets and networks, with the hope that the staff responsible for the work will do so skillfully and not duplicate each other's work. The other option is to hire an outside contractor, one who most likely has no experience in our industry. Because I was intrigued with the "how", I began to experiment... I found FileMaker Pro databases did not complement the web. Performance, even with a "broadband" connection, lacked. I also discovered security was a great concern. I found my databases worked well in certain situations, however, they had large limitations - especially in a networked environment. The more I searched for the answers, the more I understood the limitations. Financially, if the company I worked for chose to "serve" my databases, even only on the office intranet, it had to purchase a Server version of FileMaker. Additionally, each person who required access to my database (or someone else's) also required to have a Desktop license to FileMaker Pro. At $1,000 for the Server and $300 for each Desktop license, the costs added up quickly. For a company of 50 employees the expense just for the FileMaker Pro software would be more than $16,000. Add in the cost of hardware and the company is looking at an expense of $20,000 or more. Most productions I have worked for did not have a line item in the budget for software, much less one for $20,000. This discovery sealed my decision and I began to look elsewhere for database solutions. After months of research, I made a decision on which technology to use...WebObjects. Over the past 3 years I have moved all of the databases to this new web-enabled system. The technology behind WebObjects, primarily the Enterprise Objects Framework, has allowed me to jump from database vendor X to database vendor Y (and even back again) with little hassle. EOF is truly a beautiful technology and the performance has been outstanding. Recently the television shows Paradise Hotel, Mr. Personality and Beauty Secrets have all successfully used (a portion of) the system. I have collected information from colleagues from all facets of production and assembled what I could into an integrated system. The system as a whole is now accessible from any computer with a network connection. The performance is absolutely amazing. I can now access the Production Schedule, search for a Staff member's phone number, or download the latest version of the Script from home. I recently installed the whole system as the "central hub" on project. Our Deal Memos were created using the system, our Segments were tracked, and our Tape Library was reliable. In all, we had access to more than 100 forms including Run Requests, Purchases Orders, and Location Agreements. All of the information can be searched or created using any computer with a web-browser. Since most people know how to access a web browser, our staff had had no difficulties learning the system. What's more, within the next six months they will be able to access information from their cell phones.

Sat, 01 Nov 2003 16:32:03 GMT

Well done...Penguins.

Thu, 23 Oct 2003 06:02:18 GMT

I just finished watching this week's The West Wing... they've ruined a great show. That's all I had to say.

Mon, 20 Oct 2003 00:23:12 GMT

My wife just told me that the LA Film Critic's Association has cancelled their annual awards due to the MPAA's banning of "screeners." Screeners are copies of movies, on VHS or DVD, which are sent out to critics and entertainment industry people. I enjoy being able to watch the movies in my home, especially those that had a limited release. I'm sure most other people do as well. What has really changed since last year? Sure, the P2P community is uber-popular (not as much as when Napster was new), but there hasn't been any HUGE change in piracy since last year. What do they plan to gain with this move? The MPAA was fine with sending out screeners last year. Is the P2P community really that scary? Come on! I'm glad to see the critics taking a stand. I also read that many DGA members are taking a stand as well. I'm curious to see if SAG, the WGA and the PGA take a stand. Isn't the MPAA supposed to represent the entertainment industry's interests? If the Guilds all oppose the banning of screeners, what's going to happen? Waiting to see...

Wed, 13 Nov 2002 00:23:32 GMT

Sometimes an editor just needs to get creative. Thanks for the laughs Jax. Crazy

Thu, 07 Nov 2002 20:00:56 GMT

And I wasn't invited?

Sun, 27 Oct 2002 18:02:27 GMT

I finally got around to posting some code/projects to the Overhyped website. They're located under the Developers section. I've been improving various areas of the mFactory service on an almost daily basis. Being both a consumer and a producer of the service is insightful (and I think helps improve it). We've been putting in long hours in order to deliver the shows a week earlier than scheduled. Houman put in a 22 hour day on Thursday. After most of us had burned the candle at both ends, we received a call on Friday informing us we would be delivering according to our old schedule (therefore putting us a week AHEAD of schedule). Ugh. I've started an opensource project at SourceForge to integrate Apache's FOP with Apple's WebObjects. Although I haven't released any files, I plan on getting it running in the next couple of weeks. Now I'm off to watch football...

Tue, 08 Oct 2002 04:14:10 GMT

Has it really been 5 days since my last log? We have a meeting with BGE tomorrow to see how the mFactory service can fit into their business. Carrie (my wife) and I had dinner last night with the Altoons, a friend of theirs Greg, Jen, and Julia Alanen (who I haven't seen for over 12 years!). It was really great getting reacquainted and catching up. I found an article by her at LAFLA. (Wow a good amount of my friends became lawyers. I don't know what that says about my friends or society. It's just an insight.) Police Videos is moving along and we've got the server up and running. We have an editor working off-site and all of the writers are off-site. Welcome to the world of Bit and Baud Production. Our service will only enable this to flourish...

Thu, 03 Oct 2002 00:55:06 GMT

Okay, where to begin? Police Videos is now up and running. We're in the process of "cranking up the machine". Most of the workflow is coming back to me and we haven't hit many bumps. I hope it stays this way. Houman's hours have been pretty hectic (he was here until 4:30a the other night) and mine have been pretty late as well (about 12a). However, we'd rather put in the time now than later, as later in the season there's more pressure and less organization. I had lunch with Sean W. from BGE yesterday and demoed the mFactory service to him. He seemed somewhat intrigued and is planning on setting up another more formal meeting with Tony C. (the VP). Today we met with NBC and demoed the service to three IT/Promotions people. They seemed quite interested as well and will hopefully set up another meeting for us to show some additional people. The good thing is they are in the market for software. :-) I haven't heard back from the GameShow Network, but I know we should have a meeting within the next couple of weeks.

Thu, 26 Sep 2002 03:08:20 GMT

Well folks, FOX's Police Videos is rearing it's head again. I got a call last night and, sure enough, a few episodes will air in November. Ramp up. Ramp down. Short and sweet. Over the past couple of days, we've (Houman and I) been trying to get some information off of a couple of hard drives gone bad. (Sounds like a bad FOX special: "When Good Drives Go Bad"). The drives are from an NT server that was in storage for Police Videos. When we brought it out, it wouldn't boot. We've tried mounting the drives from various Windows boxen and now we're on OS X, hoping we can somehow "sneak in". Digging through the man pages, I came across mount_msdos and the like. Unfortunately, none of the commands have been succesful. I came across msdos.util using apropos, but for some reason it's not available.