The Only Girl in the Room Gets a Chance

I’m so amazed, transformed that this has changed. At least I truly hope it has.

I was working “on the road”, a 63 person crew, mostly men and me. That lasted for 85% of the events I traveled and worked on. Every so often there where other women there.

As the sole woman, I had to be better, quicker, more knowledgeable than the men, work harder and longer, and way back in 1989 I took the off-color jokes with a “grain of salt”, and a bit of harassment too. It was the “norm”, certainly not from everyone, but it existed, I never complained. I brushed it off, and learned to have – “selective hearing”.

After coming off the road, I worked for the Technical Managers for Studio and Field (I had worked with many in the field and they gave me great training). Now, I was in NYC working at a major network with them, and all levels of studio and field personnel for Sports and News. Wow what a change! It was thrilling.

I was able to goto technical meetings and take notes for Myself, or choose to stay at my desk and answer the phones. No competition there, I grabbed my pen and paper, and took as many notes as I could, and then asked questions later. Another great training ground. Again, I was the only woman in the room though (the sole female technical manager was on leave).

Luckily there were other women in the huge street long broadcasting facility, that had many different control rooms that were used for very different capacities.

One was older, used for presets, and figuring out layouts, but at that time was also a back-up studio. There was the main News “fishbowl” studio, where I could stand a couple flights above and watch the nightly newscast live.

There were break studios that did timings and aired commercials to every time zone for all network programming. There were Edit Control rooms (EC) that aired live and pre-recorded sporting events.

Next there were tape and digital recording and playback rooms. EVS was one of the first truly forward inventions for playback. With 6 servers, we could stop up to 3 of them to playback for the different time zones, doing away with the tape playbacks of short (first 20 minutes of an hour show) and longs (full hour of the show record to sync to the short), and syncing timecode in-time for pb.

It was a new world. I always wanted to learn more, and it was the perfect training ground. So, I would spend my off time learning from the operators.

There were job shifts, promotions, I left the company, and came back to a great job in commercial operations. I helped build the billboard library for shows, kept and aided advertisers with the changing tech specs when new technology evolved. Then, I was given Monday Night Football. It had a book (literally) of rules to follow.

The manager working on the season suddenly went out sick. My manager handed me the rule book (luckily I had worked MNF in-person on and off-site for years early in my career), so I knew the rules of the game. But, the scheduling rules were a different story. I was handed the book on Friday afternoon, and the season started on that coming Monday. Ok! Dig In! And, I did it, all season long, and proud to say without a mistake. I also give great credit to my co-managers and commercial integration managers for all their help and guidance to pull off a flawless season.

Were there “fires” absolutely. Was there doubt, absolutely. Where there commercials, billboards, vignettes coming in late, absolutely. Did I complain, Absolutely Not once! I loved the challenge, I loved making the departments a team, and I even loved being nervous about air – every single game. I wanted it to be clean and perfect, and we did it. Team effort.

So remember there’s always something to learn. Intricacies, broad strokes, complete pivots.

I now work in the digital streaming world in many capacities, cloud workflows, integrating AI. Writing about technology, streaming, engineering in-studio and fully remotely. On prem, cloud production, live and hybrid events from car shows, theatrical shows, music events, and enterprise. It a whole new huge world that has cracked open.

Go Get It for yourself too – it’s a big world out there!

Boosting Confidence in Sports: NLP Techniques and Tips

Confidence is a game-changer in sports, and athletes are constantly seeking ways to enhance their mental edge. By combining the power of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, athletes can unlock their full potential and achieve breakthrough results. In this article, we will explore specific scenarios in sports and provide practical solutions using NLP and NLP to boost confidence.

  1. Scenario: Preparing for a High-Pressure Game Solution:
  • Visualizing Success: Utilize NLP techniques to guide athletes in creating vivid mental imagery of performing at their best, visualizing successful outcomes, and building confidence through positive associations.
  • Anchoring Confidence: Teach athletes how to create physical anchors, such as a specific hand gesture or touch, to trigger a confident state during moments of pressure or challenge.
  • Positive Self-Talk: Introduce NLP techniques to reframe negative self-talk and replace it with empowering affirmations and positive language patterns that reinforce confidence and self-belief.
  1. Scenario: Overcoming Performance Anxiety
    Solution:
  • Reframing Limiting Beliefs: Use NLP techniques to identify and challenge limiting beliefs that contribute to performance anxiety. Help athletes reframe these beliefs into empowering statements that build confidence.
  • Anchoring Calmness: Teach athletes relaxation techniques combined with anchoring to create a physical or mental cue that induces a state of calmness and focus before and during competition.
  • Mental Rehearsal: Guide athletes through NLP techniques such as “future pacing,” where they vividly imagine performing flawlessly and feeling confident in high-pressure situations.
  1. Scenario: Handling Mistakes and Setbacks
    Solution:
  • Reframing Failure: Introduce NLP techniques to help athletes reframe failures and setbacks as learning opportunities rather than personal inadequacies. Encourage them to focus on lessons learned and the potential for growth.
  • Positive Self-Image: Utilize NLP techniques to help athletes build a strong self-image by guiding them to recall past successes and positive experiences, enhancing their self-confidence and resilience.
  • Goal Setting and Action Planning: Support athletes in setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals, breaking them down into actionable steps to regain momentum and confidence after setbacks.
  1. Scenario: Excelling in Media Interviews
    Solution:
  • Building Rapport: Teach athletes rapport-building techniques to establish a positive connection with interviewers, such as mirroring body language and active listening.
  • Language Patterns: Introduce persuasive language patterns from NLP to enable athletes to articulate their thoughts confidently, answer questions effectively, and convey their message with clarity and impact.
  • Visualization and Confidence Anchoring: Use NLP techniques to help athletes visualize successful interviews, anchoring feelings of confidence, poise, and authenticity, allowing them to perform at their best during media interactions.

The combination of NLP and NLP techniques provides athletes with valuable tools to boost confidence and achieve remarkable results in sports. By applying specific solutions in various scenarios, athletes can overcome challenges, master their mindset, and project unwavering confidence. Embracing these techniques empowers athletes to unleash their full potential and excel both on and off the field, contributing to their overall success in sports.

Streamlining Workflow: How AI Enhancements Empower Editors in Adobe and Avid

In the fast-paced world of digital editing, efficiency is key. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the editing landscape, offering intelligent recommendations and automated features that streamline workflows. This article highlights how AI-based technologies, such as Adobe Sensei and Avid’s AI-driven features, empower editors to work more efficiently, make faster editing decisions, and meet tight deadlines with ease.

Automated Scene Detection with Adobe Sensei:
Adobe Sensei, the AI framework behind Adobe’s creative suite, brings forth a range of time-saving features designed to streamline the editing process. One such feature is automated scene detection. By analyzing cuts and transitions in footage, AI algorithms can identify and separate individual scenes automatically. This eliminates the need for manual scene identification, enabling editors to make faster editing decisions and focus on the creative aspects of their projects. With automated scene detection, editors can efficiently navigate through footage and accelerate the editing workflow.

AI-Driven Dialogue Detection in Avid:
Avid, a leading editing software, incorporates AI-driven features that enhance efficiency and simplify content location. Media Composer’s PhraseFind is a prime example of this. Powered by AI, it automatically detects dialogue within clips. This capability eliminates the need for manual transcription or time-consuming manual searching for specific dialogue. Editors can swiftly locate and extract the desired content, saving valuable time and effort. With AI-driven dialogue detection, Avid empowers editors to efficiently manage and access specific content, ensuring a seamless editing workflow.

Efficiency Boosts and Meeting Tight Deadlines:
The integration of AI into editing workflows brings significant efficiency boosts, helping editors meet tight deadlines without compromising on quality. AI-based technologies offer intelligent recommendations that can speed up the decision-making process. For instance, Adobe Sensei’s automated content analysis can suggest suitable edits, cuts, or effects based on the footage’s content. This assists editors in quickly making informed choices, reducing the time spent on manual evaluation and trial-and-error approaches.

Additionally, AI-driven features ensure efficient content organization, making it easier to locate and retrieve specific assets. Avid’s AI algorithms analyze and tag content, allowing editors to find relevant assets swiftly through MediaCentral | Editorial Management. By eliminating the laborious task of manually searching through vast media libraries, AI enhancements enable editors to work more productively and effectively.

The integration of AI-based technologies in editing software like Adobe Premiere and Avid has revolutionized the editing workflow. Through automated scene detection, Adobe Sensei empowers editors to make faster editing decisions by automatically identifying cuts and transitions in footage. Avid’s AI-driven features, such as PhraseFind, simplify content location by automatically detecting dialogue within clips. These AI enhancements not only streamline the editing process but also enable editors to work more efficiently and meet tight deadlines. By harnessing the power of AI, editors can maximize their productivity, focus on creativity, and deliver high-quality content in a timely manner.

Automating Tedious Tasks in Digital Editing: Unleashing Creativity with AI

Digital editing is a complex process that often involves repetitive and time-consuming tasks, which can impede the creative flow of editors. However, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has revolutionized the editing landscape, automating tedious tasks and allowing editors to focus more on their creative vision. This article explores how AI-powered tools, such as Adobe Premiere’s Auto Reframe and Avid’s PhraseFind and ScriptSync, streamline the editing process, saving time and effort while enhancing productivity and creativity.

Automated Resizing and Repositioning with Adobe Premiere’s Auto Reframe:
One of the most time-consuming tasks in digital editing is resizing and repositioning footage to fit various aspect ratios. Adobe Premiere’s AI-powered plugin, Auto Reframe, simplifies this process by automatically analyzing the content and intelligently reframing the footage. By leveraging AI algorithms, Auto Reframe can identify key elements within the frame and dynamically resize and reposition it to maintain visual focus. This automation saves hours of manual adjustment, allowing editors to allocate more time to creative decision-making and storytelling.

Streamlining Dialogue Search and Transcript Syncing with Avid’s AI-Based Tools:
Locating specific dialogue or syncing transcripts is another labor-intensive task in editing. Avid’s AI-based tools, such as PhraseFind and ScriptSync, provide efficient solutions to streamline these processes. PhraseFind utilizes AI algorithms to automatically detect dialogue within clips, eliminating the need for manual transcription or time-consuming manual searching. Editors can quickly search for specific dialogue or keywords, significantly reducing the time spent on content retrieval. Additionally, Avid’s ScriptSync automatically syncs transcripts with the corresponding footage, ensuring accurate alignment and simplifying the editing workflow. These AI-powered tools save valuable time and effort, enabling editors to focus on the creative aspects of their projects.

Enhancing Efficiency and Boosting Productivity:
By automating tedious tasks, AI-powered editing tools enhance efficiency and boost productivity. Editors can allocate more time and energy towards refining their creative vision, experimenting with different storytelling techniques, and achieving the desired visual impact. The automation of tasks like resizing, repositioning, and dialogue search allows professionals to work more efficiently, meeting tight deadlines without compromising on quality.

As AI technology continues to advance, the possibilities for automating tasks in digital editing are limitless, unlocking new avenues for creativity and productivity in the editing realm, ultimately revolutionizing the way professionals approach their craft.

Tips: Adding Graphics in Your Live-stream

Incorporating graphics into your livestream can greatly enhance its visual appeal and provide important information to your viewers. Here is a breakdown of the specific elements you can include and how to integrate them logically:

  1. Lower Thirds:
    Lower thirds are graphical overlays that appear at the lower portion of the screen, typically displaying names, titles, or additional information. To incorporate lower thirds logically:
  • Design: Create visually appealing lower thirds that align with your overall branding. Ensure legibility by using clear fonts, contrasting colors, and appropriate sizing.
  • Software: Use video editing software or dedicated livestreaming tools that offer lower third functionality. This allows you to overlay the graphics onto your livestream in real-time.
  • Timing: Introduce lower thirds when appropriate, such as when introducing guests, providing context, or displaying key information. Avoid cluttering the screen with too many lower thirds simultaneously.
  1. Title Graphics:
    Title graphics are static or animated visuals that introduce segments, topics, or themes within your livestream. Here’s how to incorporate them:
  • Design: Design visually appealing title graphics that reflect the theme or mood of your livestream. Use suitable fonts, colors, and imagery to capture attention.
  • Transitions: Introduce title graphics during transitions between segments or when starting a new topic. This helps bring a sense of structure and professionalism to your livestream.
  • Duration: Display title graphics long enough for viewers to read and understand them, but avoid keeping them on the screen for too long to maintain a smooth flow.
  1. Credits:
    Including credits in your livestream is a great way to acknowledge contributors, sponsors, or collaborators. Here’s how to incorporate them:
  • Design: Design a visually appealing credits sequence that aligns with your branding. Include names, logos, and any relevant information you want to highlight.
  • Placement: Place the credits sequence towards the end of your livestream, after you have finished the main content. This gives credit where it’s due and provides closure to your broadcast.
  • Duration: Display each credit for an appropriate amount of time, ensuring viewers have enough time to read and appreciate the information.
  1. Transitions:
    Transitions are visual effects used to smoothly switch between scenes, segments, or video inserts within your livestream. Here’s how to incorporate them:
  • Software: Use video editing software or dedicated livestreaming tools that offer a variety of transition effects. Examples include fades, dissolves, cuts, or wipes.
  • Style: Choose transition effects that match the tone and style of your livestream. For example, a sleek wipe or a subtle fade can create a professional and polished transition.
  • Timing: Implement transitions during natural breaks or when switching between different components of your livestream, such as changing topics, introducing video inserts, or transitioning to a different scene.

Remember, the key to incorporating graphics logically is to ensure they enhance the viewer experience without becoming overwhelming or distracting. Keep them visually appealing, relevant, and use them at appropriate times to maintain a cohesive and professional livestream.