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Jacob, my youngest, has just turned 1 and has recently taken a few steps on his own. I wanted to get a little video camera that I could whip out and crack off some shots and share them online fairly easily. I ended up getting a Flip Mino HD. This tiny little camera shoots in high definition (very compressed, but still) and has a USB connector right on board to plug into the Macbook Pro and start editing. I got it airbrushed with the logo of our Tricities website, thev3h.com, and shipped out, all for around $300.

Here’s an example of what can be done with a $300 camera and a copy of iMovie ‘09. Due to the lightness of the camera some of the shots are a little shaky, but overall it’s pretty neat.

On Saturday, we welcomed a new member to the upNext Media family.

Our project editor Colin McQuillan’s lovely wife Jackie gave birth to a beautiful 7 lb, 11 oz baby girl. Mom and baby are doing great.

Congratulations!

I’m going to break rule number 1 about writing a new blog post… man, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted something here! What a graveyard this blog has been! Great to be back!

Now that that’s out of the way, here’s what I’ve been up to over the past couple of months…

I’ve taken a full time job with Global Television in Burnaby. It’s really a continuation of the work I’ve been doing there over the past year. I’m doing a lot of the graphics automation work for the Digital Newsroom project. Essentially Global Television went from having full control rooms in every station across Canada to having 4 production supercentres in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Toronto. So at our station in Vancouver, we handle the technical requirements of getting the shows to air in Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Kelowna, Victoria, as well as the shows in Vancouver. The local reporters and anchors are still in the local markets, we just have the cameras, stories, and everything fed back to Vancouver, and all the control room functions happen in one of our three control rooms in Vancouver. In order for this to work, the graphics systems have to tie into the scripting systems so all the names you see on the screen can be entered in Montreal or wherever, and show up on a computer in Vancouver to be inserted into the show. Since Victoria, Kelowna, and Global National all have different graphics looks than the local Global look, we have to be able to take the graphics data and have it seamlessly show up in the look of the show you happen to be doing without retyping all the names.

Suffice it to say that this is a technical challenge that hasn’t really been attempted previously, and was too juicy for me to pass up. It’s not everyday that you get the chance to be a part of something that complex and interesting at the broadcast level. I’ve learned a ton about not only news workflow, but writing code and really getting deep into the workings of the Avid Deko character generator, and how to make it do what we needed it to do.

That being said, upNext Media continues in a different form. I closed the office at the end of January, as it wasn’t being used, and moved back to being a home-based business. While continuing to support the ongoing projects that we are a part of, I will have an announcement soon about a new endevour we are taking on.

In the meantime, great to be back!

One thing you can say about 2008 is that it was never boring. Now with everyone all worried about impending economic collapse, this holiday season promises to be a little more subdued. It will probably be good for all of us, as we can now remember the true meaning of the season (it’s dark… let’s eat!).

For many of us, our businesses tend to go into a little hibernation until 2009. So here are 5 things you can do in your business while the phone is quiet.

1. Show your partners, customers, and employees a little appreciation

Now that the year is over, take some time to thank those who work with you. Life is a lot better when you have a good team, so make sure your team and your valued customers knows how appreciated they are. A little gift, a phone call, a nice email are all appreciated. This is something we should all be doing on a regular basis anyways.

2. Reflect on the year that was

Take a look at 2008. Often in business we end up dealing with the problems that are right in front of our face instead of working on the longer term projects that will take our business in the direction we want to go. The new year is a good time to reflect on how you used your time over the past year.

3. Plan for the year ahead

It seems that everyone is predicting that 2009 is going to be a terrible year before it even starts. With a big recession being predicted, many businesses are throwing their hands up before we even get going. While 2009 may not be a year with cash flowing through the streets, there is no reason that your business can’t succeed in the coming year. Businesses that do well in a recession tend to focus on saving people money, the more you can demonstrate how your clients will be better off in the long run if they continue to do business with you, the better off you’ll be.

Also, with everyone in the market scared off, a recession is a great time to retrench and build value. There’s less competition for everything from office space to employees, so businesses can be built much cheaper. Many great businesses like Google were built in the down market. Be ready to reap the benefits when the market turns around.

There’s something one must always remember when doom and gloom is all around, especially on the news. Media sources are very good at telling people what has happened, but are very bad at predicting the future. When the media is saying that things are truly bad, it most likely has already happened. Be greedy when others are fearful, that’s when fortunes are made.

4. Skip the Christmas Cards

That’s right, skip the Christmas Cards. Everyone expects Christmas cards, and they are fun to get, but they very easily get lost in the shuffle. Why not send out cards to all your wonderful customers when they aren’t expecting it? Send out valentines, or Halloween cards, or pick a bizarre holiday (Talk Like A Pirate Day is a great one). Make your business remarkable by doing something different.

5. Get to know your family again

Running a business is not the easiest thing in the world. There are many demands on your time, and often it is your family that gets short changed. This Christmas, I’m taking two weeks off to slow down and spend some time with my loved ones.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and all the best from everyone at upNext Media.

Tonight will be a first for upNext Media, as we are going to have a booth at the fabulous Taste of the Tricities. This event is put on by the Society for Community Development and the Tricities Chamber of Commerce.

When: Tonight, September 16th. 5:30pm – 9pm
Where: The Red Robinson Show Theatre at the Boulevard Casino in Coquitlam.

We’ll have a booth there to talk to people about using video and new media to market their business or organization. Enter our business card draw, and you could win a brand-new iPod Nano.

We’ll see you there!