Post here if you have received your convention DVD!
- Thread starter alsplacebartender
- Start date
Effective Immediately
In response to the libelous e-mail sent to the membership by Lisa Montalbano, the following members are no longer welcome on Al's Place Forums:
- Lisa Montalbano
- Barbara Pilnick
- Carol Cartwright
- Maryse Worallo
- Helene Kaplan
- Emma Fee
- Nancy Cotter
- Donna Dickenson
After 8 months of evasion, backroom dealings, treachery, deceit, and plenty of their own violations of bylaws, and to then produce an extremely low quality DVD, this was just the inevitable conclusion.
For Lisa to commit such brazen libel in this e-mail opens the door wide to legal ramifications.
Sorry, my bad again.
I'm sure I'd read that the DVD was going to be region 1 only - I think it was in the questionnaire section we were asked if we'd still buy it even though it was region 1 only, to which I said yes.
So I just assumed that it was indeed set to region 1.
I've still not had time to watch it as such, but I put it into my portable player, and it didn't throw it out like it did with a r1 movie [Mercy Mission - with Scott Bakula!] I got for Xmas.
My apologies. I'm never afraid to admit when I'm wrong - daren't be, it happens too often! :b
I'm still waiting for my copy. 
And I'm about to go on a road trip for a few weeks (driving from Sydney to Perth and back again), Bexter I hope you ordered a copy and get it before I get to your place. I might wait one more time for the postman tomorrow before I leave. Fingers-crossed.
And I'm about to go on a road trip for a few weeks (driving from Sydney to Perth and back again), Bexter I hope you ordered a copy and get it before I get to your place. I might wait one more time for the postman tomorrow before I leave. Fingers-crossed.
I received my copy today. Will watch it when I get the chance... though having read the reviews I'm not expecting much.
HOLA ! FELIZ AÑO NUEVO !!
Hello ! Happy New Year !! :hurray:
From Island of Tenerife, Canary Islands... Europe !
On 2nd January, my birthday :roflmao:, I received my DVDs....
I can watch it very well on the computer and on TV.
I have not problems with Region 1-2 or ....
But... where are the subtitles??? !!
It is a joke... :wacko
Thank you for recording the Convention... now, at home, calmly, I can understand, what the guests said...
I hope to know a bit more English at next convention...
(Brian, sorry... problems about committee...
all the good things...)
Marianela, :wavey
Hello ! Happy New Year !! :hurray:
From Island of Tenerife, Canary Islands... Europe !
On 2nd January, my birthday :roflmao:, I received my DVDs....
I can watch it very well on the computer and on TV.
I have not problems with Region 1-2 or ....
But... where are the subtitles??? !!
It is a joke... :wacko
Thank you for recording the Convention... now, at home, calmly, I can understand, what the guests said...
I hope to know a bit more English at next convention...
(Brian, sorry... problems about committee...
all the good things...)
Marianela, :wavey
Hi! So glad you got it and I was really sorry it didn't work out for you to come to the convention. I know we had spoken a few times along the way and it's always been nice talking to you!
I got my DVD today (I had my mail on hold for while I was out of town for the holidays). The case and everything looks in perfect shape. Not sure when I'll get around to watching it... I've got plenty of other things to watch first (the new Hamlet, various other David Tennant appearances, Doctor Who: The End of Time again, etc.).
Joy
Joy
Hope you don't mind, I translocated the Doctor Who discussion.
http://www.quantumleap-alsplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5849
http://www.quantumleap-alsplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5849
I received my DVD last week. Overall, I'm not overly disappointed. The screen caps that were shown were bad, but it was somewhat better than I was expecting. I did find the menus a little underwhelming and the lopping of the same track (and the copyright notice saying duplication is stealing from sick kids) was a little much.
The quality of the production, though, was unforgiving. On several of the panels the camera would stay focused on one member for five minutes, which would be fine if he or she was the one talking, and the jerking motions of the camera during the panning...when I was filming musicals in high school I understood to loosen the retaining bolt on the tripod.
The other thing that irked me was the transitions. At points during the discussions, it's clear that tapes are being switched out. I fully understand the need for this, I don't expect every panel to fit on a single 60/80 minute mini DV casette, but with three cameras, it could easily have been avoided (assuming the recording start times were scattered).
I think that the best thing though is the audio quality. At least that was feed in directly from the sound board, except during the switchover to the other camera during the Scott/Don discussion. Should a fan-produced DVD be made, I suspect this would be a problem, unless someone filters the audio to reduce the bass frequencies. (I have software to do this myself and would be willing to attempt some clean-up should it be deemed necessary).
Overall though, I'm content with the DVD. It was nice to be able to see the panel discussions, since I missed so many of them, running up and down the the autograph queue trying to make the wait seem shorter (or longer, depending on your perception).
For those of you who missed what I did at the convention, which would be all of you less 10 or 12, you may see it here: http://streetofcards.tv/view/852/leap-back-2009-magic-show/
Also, I would be happy to allow this to be put on the fan-produced DVD.
The quality of the production, though, was unforgiving. On several of the panels the camera would stay focused on one member for five minutes, which would be fine if he or she was the one talking, and the jerking motions of the camera during the panning...when I was filming musicals in high school I understood to loosen the retaining bolt on the tripod.
The other thing that irked me was the transitions. At points during the discussions, it's clear that tapes are being switched out. I fully understand the need for this, I don't expect every panel to fit on a single 60/80 minute mini DV casette, but with three cameras, it could easily have been avoided (assuming the recording start times were scattered).
I think that the best thing though is the audio quality. At least that was feed in directly from the sound board, except during the switchover to the other camera during the Scott/Don discussion. Should a fan-produced DVD be made, I suspect this would be a problem, unless someone filters the audio to reduce the bass frequencies. (I have software to do this myself and would be willing to attempt some clean-up should it be deemed necessary).
Overall though, I'm content with the DVD. It was nice to be able to see the panel discussions, since I missed so many of them, running up and down the the autograph queue trying to make the wait seem shorter (or longer, depending on your perception).
For those of you who missed what I did at the convention, which would be all of you less 10 or 12, you may see it here: http://streetofcards.tv/view/852/leap-back-2009-magic-show/
Also, I would be happy to allow this to be put on the fan-produced DVD.
Barbara fought every attempt to include other footage on the DVD, even footage from others who were "official videographers". She also fought any attempt by Brian to review the footage to make sure it was of a high quality that would raise the largest possible amount of money for the charity. She also fought his attempts to get 500 copies sold instead of 300.
Barbara went out of her way to sabotage any chance of this being a great DVD. She stopped other people from recording video when Scott and Don were on stage.
Hours and hours of video in High Definition video were recorded (I've seen it, the footage is beautiful). And several other fans with expensive cameras recorded as well, who I am sure before all of the animosity and public drama, would have been happy to contribute to this project.
Ultimately, my issue is that a company was HIRED to shoot the video. And another company was supposedly HIRED to produce the DVD (although the name of the production company has remained a closely-guarded secret). Yet, this looks like a high school visual arts project.
Again I'm not just talking out of my butt. I offered to produce the DVD of this event. And High Definition cameras start at $350. Well within the budget.
Even provided with just the original flawed footage, I could have removed all the "rainbow blocks" using After Effects and a traveling garbage matte without negatively affecting the video. The rainbow blocks are so distracting, it really takes away my enjoyment of watching.
All along, this was hyped as "the best DVD we could expect". Now, we are all paying the price for Barbara's ego.
Barbara went out of her way to sabotage any chance of this being a great DVD. She stopped other people from recording video when Scott and Don were on stage.
Hours and hours of video in High Definition video were recorded (I've seen it, the footage is beautiful). And several other fans with expensive cameras recorded as well, who I am sure before all of the animosity and public drama, would have been happy to contribute to this project.
Ultimately, my issue is that a company was HIRED to shoot the video. And another company was supposedly HIRED to produce the DVD (although the name of the production company has remained a closely-guarded secret). Yet, this looks like a high school visual arts project.
Again I'm not just talking out of my butt. I offered to produce the DVD of this event. And High Definition cameras start at $350. Well within the budget.
Even provided with just the original flawed footage, I could have removed all the "rainbow blocks" using After Effects and a traveling garbage matte without negatively affecting the video. The rainbow blocks are so distracting, it really takes away my enjoyment of watching.
All along, this was hyped as "the best DVD we could expect". Now, we are all paying the price for Barbara's ego.
I'm finally home from visiting Bexter (drove a total of 9895kms or 6148 miles) and my DVD was waiting for me. Haven't watched my copy yet as when I got to Bec's house her copy arrived the same day and I have watched most of hers.
It is very amatuerish but it does trigger lots of very good memories which are priceless. I'm glad I got to experience this event and now I have a home movie of it and I didn't have to spend months putting it together.
It is very amatuerish but it does trigger lots of very good memories which are priceless. I'm glad I got to experience this event and now I have a home movie of it and I didn't have to spend months putting it together.