Promo video

I've just managed to capture the first few frames of a new promotional video. I'm very excited about this but feel quite worn out. I have even managed to extract a still image from the new video footage. From this, you will see that I have one collar sticking out on one side whereas on the other it is tucked in. Never mind. This is a trait I often display at work and at home. I suppose it shows that it's the real me. I think I'll probably have to re-shoot it all again, but it's a lot better than my previous efforts.

That would we won't happen tonight because the battery on my Sony Handycam is nearly flat. And I feel like I need recharging, too.

The quality of the lighting and sound is better. When I tried this before, there were all sorts of problems. The biggest (literal) hiccup was that of dropped frames. My images didn't jerk around like some mad thing but I exhibited clear tendencies towards Splicer's Syndrome. Because my computer wasn't fast enough, it dropped some of the movie frames during capture and this is why I appeared to be grabbed by a new idea before I’d properly finished my words and sentences. Before, if I remember correctly, there were over 250 dropped frames, which in such a short length of footage was not good enough. After a vast investment in new IT, I have this evening prevented any frames from being dropped, hence tonight's tremendous sense of achievement.

Spurred on by this minor but significant success, I have deleted my promotional video from YouTube. It's been annoying me for months and now it's gone so you can't see it any more. But over the next few days I'll get to grips with my new editing software and a new version will rise phoenix-like from the ashes that I've just scattered on YouTube.

One of the things I noticed from my first effort was that I leant noticeably to the left. I never knew I did this. I tried to rectify this and re-shot my promo video while making a conscious effort not to lean to the left. However, I got my left and right mixed up. I couldn’t remember if it was my left when looking at the camera or my left looking at me when on the camera. Consequently, I leant even more in the same direction and the resulting footage just looked ridiculous.

Best of three, I thought but managed on that occasion to move the lights so that my spectacles caught the reflections. I looked like I’d sprayed them brilliant white.

Tonight, after a supreme effort, I managed to sit up straight and with my contact lenses in look reasonably normal. Please do not adjust your sets I really am this good-looking.

All I need now is to practice getting my collar under control. That’s tomorrow’s learning objective.