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Death by Meetings

Death by Meeting is a book that I never read, but really like the title. (Maybe I’ll write a review on it and compare it with my own thoughts)

As I am quickly approaching my 100 day as Creative Arts Director of Newsong Church, I am starting to realize one thing. With greater responsibilities comes a greater quantity of meetings. And if you are not to careful, you can find your self stuck in a strangle hold by the “meeting”. Here are some insights I learned the hard way.

1. Space out the meeting: Avoid back to back meetings. Create some space to unwind.
2. Make it as quick as it needs to be: Value each others’ time.
3. Clarity: Make sure you know what the meeting is focused on before you start.
4. End the meeting: Sometimes I feel a meeting never comes to an end. Be bold and ask, “Are we done?”
5. If leading, please make it interesting!: I personally am more willing to stick through a meeting if it is interesting and fun.

This is my simple attempt to share insights I learned along the way. This are not rules but more like items to think about as you deal with meetings.

 

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The Green Room – January 17, 2009

There is a great one-day conference coming up in San Diego, CA. It’s called “The Green Room, A Place Where Artist Gather”. It’s associated with the Willow Creek Arts Conference. I got to attend the last one they had at Rock Harbor Church. It was a simple, yet wonderful time to worship and refresh ourselves with great talks from Nancy Beach, Author of “An Hour on Sunday.”

One thing I remembered from last year was the sensation of actually worshiping without thinking about the production. It was a weird feeling. I highly recommend this for those who do serve on Sundays.

http://www.towardwonder.com/events_greenroom.asp

 

Blue Ray is DEAD!

The battle between HD-DVD and Blue Ray was pretty much settled last year at the CES with Warner Bros crossing the DMZ. But now, it looks like Blue Ray is dying or fuzzy as New York Times Article states it. The article still gives it hope, but I predict that it won’t last more than a couple of years.

iTUNES, HULU, VUDU, YOUTUBE, etc…

With internet speeds increasing, video codecs creating  better but smaller HD files, iTunes offering HD movies as well as Vudu, Blue Ray is going to have a short shelf life. But it’s not just the technology but also the mindset of consumers that is driving this. The success Youtube, Hulu, Vudu, Slingbox, Bit Torrent, DVRs and iTunes are showing us that the viewing audience is ok with mediocre image quality as long as we can get it when we want and it’s free or cheap.

TVs are no longer tvs, but computer monitors. With the cost of the LCD Flat Screen HDTVs dropping and with the DTV signal change in February, why wouldn’t you get one. Viewers are also learning to hook up their computer to it and play their movies through the computer.

CONTENT OVER QUALITY:

I also noticed that viewers will always choose to watch something that is interesting and engaging rather than something with no story but technically amazing. (I can list a lot of movies/shows here, but I will refrain for time sake). If the story is great, it doesn’t matter how it was shot and displayed. I watched videos on my computer, on my iphone, on people blogs, facebook, websites. As long as the content was fascinating, I watched.

DISCLAIMER:

There is no replacing the telling of a great story using great technology that is used purposefully. I personally would love a Blue-Ray DVD player and a HDTV. I love going to the theaters and watching a film. Have you seen an IMAX film. (not the ones that they blow up a regular 35mm movie, but the ones they shot with 70mm film) Amazing. It is hard for me to watch football games not on a highdef television. (GO CHARGERS!)

But this entry is more about the business of Home Entertainment formats.

HOPE FOR BLUERAY: Here are some reasons why they might survive.

1. Prices are dropping: With the economy today, they have to drop.
2. Additional great content that you can only get on Blue Ray: But they are also starting to be available at the websites associated with film
3. Early Adopters or as I call them, Easy Money: It’s no longer the latest technology and about to be old news
4. I don’t know what I’m talking about: But I do.

 

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For the next few days, it will be a series of pics from this wedding I shot in 2006 @ Temecula Creek Inn. I am a photographer for Harvard Photography.

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One Heart Event @ UCI, Friday 1/9/2009

Hey guys,

There is a great event coming up next Friday! You can’t miss it. It is in partnership with all these organization wanting to fight the injustice of Human Trafficking. Another example of someone deciding to take action and doing it! Shana Fu and her team has been working diligently in making this happen. There are great films, music and art that will be expressed to bring awareness to Human Trafficking. I’ll see you all there!

PLEASE NOTE: The location has changed to the Social Sciences building. You can find more parking information here: http://www.parking.uci.edu/wayfinding/

Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force in conjunction with UCI Chi Alpha, Talent 1 Media, and East West Event Productions present:

ONEHEART OC – an evening of art, poetry, film, and music benefiting victims of human trafficking in Orange County.

Join local community and student organizations for a time of education, entertainment, and empowerment surrounding the important issue of human trafficking.

There are an estimated 27 million slaves living in our world TODAY even in our own backyard. Proceeds from this event will benefit victims of trafficking here in Orange County.