Friday, February 20, 2015

Success!!!!

It was not easy tonight. I arrived at the studio later than I ever did fearing that I would not be able to tolerate the cold. It turned out that the temperature was not the biggest problem. I set up and Ellen could not get sound out of either of the two microphones. I was prepared to pack it in once again. Finally after at least ten minutes of fiddling around with the controls and my saying "testing, testing, testing" about a hundred times, she finally said, "ok I got it." We both echoed the same "whew" as we began with the introductory slideshow. "Wait, there's another problem," she suddenly indicated, "Stop the slideshow." I did and we began again. This time it seemed to work and off we went. This was the show which wraps up the Cinque Terre area where we spent three days in May. So, now the only remaining material I have for broadcasts that we acquired from the trip we took in May/June 2014 are the amazing Tuscan towns that we went to alone and Lidia took us to, namely Lucca, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Eglio-Sassi, Montecarlo, Seravalle, San Miniato, and Vinci.

I began the show by discussing the trials of public access television, and the concepts of determination, commitment, and challenge as the bywords to putting out a broadcast on live television. I used the story Bart Friedman and Tobe Carey had related to me when I interviewed them a few years ago on one of my shows in which they told me that when they began broadcasting from the town of Lanesville, not far from here, they had to bring a cable up the side of a mountain to find the highest point for the best reception. That's it. Public access television is exactly like climbing a mountain. It is not for the faint hearted and any attempt at broadcasting must be undertaken with the understanding that it will be a very difficult challenge filled with disappointment and failure. However, when it works, it is a wonderful feeling, and I feel privileged to have now broadcasted 105 shows on Italy.

We try again two weeks from this evening.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Another Milestone - Alan's Italy, 20,000 Youtube Views

Yes, amazing to me as that is, Alan's Italy has just gone over 20,000 views. When I began to upload DVD's of the live broadcasts in early 2012, it was meant only to have a place to "park" my productions. I had no idea I would eventually have 71 subscribers and over 20,000 views. To everyone who has viewed at least part of a show, thank you. I also would like to thank Youtube for doing such a great job, my engineer, the tech genius at the studio, the Town of Woodstock, and everyone who has participated in some way especially my wife who is the videographer, photographer, editor and my traveling companion. Also thanks to my wonderful friends in Italy who have enhanced the total experience.

Now, on to 25,000!!!

Anticipation

After several fits and starts, finally, Ellen, my engineer assures me that I will be able to host my TV show live tomorrow at the usual broadcast time of 5 PM on Woodstock Public Access Television. I am a bit dubious, but today the technical associate was at the studio making sure everything was working. He is a genius, and I trust his opinion on this matter, I am ready!!!! I am eager to give WPAT another chance before I contemplate trying something else. I had even started pricing video cameras, tripods, etc. for me to actually tape my own version in my living room. Then I realized that would compromise the very concept and nature of public access. I resolved to be patient and fight it out until something good happened. I hope it finally has!

Ellen thought I would be doing that same show that was messed up two weeks ago, Show # 104: Monterosso al Mare, Part 2 - New Town, but since I already uploaded the version I did at Panda Studio in Tivoli, I will be going on to the next show, # 105 - Portovenere. This is a town just a few miles south of Cinque Terre also on the Ligurian Coast. The story of why we went there, how we got there, and what we found when we disembarked is the subject of this broadcast. I have some amazingly spectacular and beautiful photos of this really, really charming town. Please tune in to my Youtube Channel. But before that, please cross your fingers for me!!!

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Continued Woes and Perhaps a Big Change

Arrived at the makeshift studio last evening to very cold and uncomfortable circumstances mixed with the lack of bathroom facilities, my goal was to get in and get out as quickly as possible. Even driving into the parking area was a challenge as the way was blocked off.  We nonetheless got off pretty well and I went through the same Show # 104 that I had previously performed at Panda TV a few weeks earlier. Everything appeared to go off without a hitch, but when I got home, after a three hour interlude when I met a friend for dinner, I discovered that there was no sound on the DVD. I tried everything I usually do, but could not get sound. After contemplating what to do and getting rapidly very frustrated and irritated, I called Ellen and told her that the situation was too intolerable and stressful for me to continue attempting to broadcast at Woodstock Public Access. I went to bed thinking that Alan's Italy was now a merely a memory and that this blog would be my last one ever.

Laura had suggested before I went to sleep that I work with the Panda TV people to better synchronize the voice with the images during their editing process. I literally slept on the idea, and determined to contact Danielle at Panda Studio to ask her if we could do another show. I sent her an email indicating that I could do a show and personally supervise the meshing together of the images with the voice. I am awaiting a response, but I believe that is the way we will go for the immediate future.

My goal will be to put together the next show # 105 on the remarkable Ligurian town of Portovenere. In the meantime # 104, the second half of the show on Monterosso was uploaded to Youtube last night with all its blemishes, so please forgive me. It is nonetheless better than nothing for the moment, and in the meantime I will work to make a better production for the next upload, whenever that shall be.

The other news is that my friend Franco Sala, who owns the best restaurant in the amazing town of Civita di Bagnoregio in Alto Lazio, will be visiting NYC this week. I will take him and his partner Nina to a snack before their scheduled show they will be seeing on Tuesday. We will discuss my idea of doing a two part show on Civita with part 1 being his personal guided tour of the town and part 2 focusing on his wonderful restaurant Antica Forno.