Be the Norm Abrams (This Old House) of metalworking

I spent about 10 years doing video production for a cable local origination channel (not access). I thought about the same concept a number of times, but never did run into a suitable on-air personality. Another problem is the fact that it would have to be a rather large team project with folks who have a lot of time to dedicate in order to make a weekly series. A huge amount of time just to put together the theme/topics/projects for each program, then time to scout locations since you'd want to visit commercial shops for a lot of it, more time to shoot it, post it, market it to cable companies, etc. Significant investment in time and money to get it off the ground.

Pete C.

"Mike Slowey" wrote: (clip) I'm thinking of doing a metalworking video series along the lines of the New Yankee Workshop except for metalworking (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ In order to do a show that is truly imitative of the Norm Abrams show, you would have to have every high end dedicated power tool known to man. Might be better to do a show patterned after the Roy Underhill show. Has there ever been a metal-working pole lathe? ;-)

Sorta like orange county choppers, but with skill, talent, and brains, eh?

Actually an interesting thought. Try this on for size: don't make it just studio, go out on location and visit with several different HSM types to get a feel for their shops. You can still have a 'local' project but mix in some material from a variety of viewpoints.

Antique machinery

Model making

Small business shops

Casting

Home-build NC stuff

Gunsmithing

Car/motorcycle restoration

etc.

Jim

The OP's idea is too useful and educational for today's TV shows. There used to be some great how-to shows like Norm's NYW and the above mention Roy Underhill's Woodwright's Shop, a show just on router projects and techniques, a furniture show, Modern Masters which on occasions highlight welding/metalworking inspirations and few more others. Its mostly replaced with shows with high drama depicting incompatible personalities under high pressure working conditions and impossible deadlines - i.e., the new reality motorcycle and hot rod fabrication shows.

Its mostly replaced

Thats right. The other night I was giving my son a little lathe lesson making parts for his bicycle, and he kept a running commentary going along the lines on "They've got to get this done tonight or the bike won't be finished in time for the big race etc etc." It took a minute for me to catch on, but then it occurred to me that to him, making parts in a shop always involves crazy deadlines and teetering on the brink stress- just like on TV!! So I stopped and said no, we're going slow and getting it done just right. If we're not finished tonight, oh well...

He was quite interested, though, and he really catches on quick.

BTW - it's Norm Abram (no "s"). I was in Home Depot once and they had signs up announcing a promotional visit by Norm. The signs had been printed as "Abrams" and they all had the "s" crossed off. LOL Bob

--You might want to take this thread to Jesse James' site; he's got money, brains and a network that follows him around. He's just about through with MG; this could be his next project! :-)

jim rozen wrote: : Actually an interesting thought. Try this on for size: don't : make it just studio, go out on location and visit with several different : HSM types to get a feel for their shops. You can still have : a 'local' project but mix in some material from a variety of : viewpoints.

: Antique machinery

: Model making

: Small business shops

: Casting

: Home-build NC stuff

: Gunsmithing

: Car/motorcycle restoration

: etc.

: Jim

: -- : ================================================== : please reply to: : JRR(zero) at pkmfgvm4 (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com : ==================================================

That'd be a great show, especially for newbies like me who's still just getting started rehabbing this old South Bend lathe.

It's tough to do. Back in the early 90s I did a show "That Darned Computer" for local cable origination. It took a huge crew all week just to get a half an hour into the can. We were really too soon though. The syndication route found no one willing to buy into the fact that anyone would watch a computer/tech oriented how-to/news show. That was about 3 years before ZDTV and CNET TV.

Tilman

Video production is a little faster and easier now with non-linear editing being the norm. Even so, to produce a seasons worth of a weekly program would probably take a full time crew of about 20 about six months.

Pete C.

"Pete C." wrote: Video production is a little faster and easier now with non-linear editing being the norm. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ What is non-linear editing?

Linear editing is done tape to tape, so to get to a clip, you have to move forward or backward through the tape. Non-linear editing is possible now because of advances in digital video. With non-linear editing, you can instantly move from one point in video to another in either direction and final output is usually able to be done without generational loss in quality.

Computer Generated graphics are also much easier to integrate thanks to advances in digital technology.

By the way, on That Darned Computer we did employ early linear editing technology. Even so, it still took 12 of us all week (10 hour days) to put the half hour (21 minutes) in the can.

Tillman

Computer based editing where you can randomly access and arrange / preview segments, as opposed to the old tape based editing where you had to work in an essentially linear fashion building the final edit master and also had to sequentially search through your source tapes for the material you needed.

Pete C.

Like a steenbeck table.

One step up from a moviola.

Jim

You mean it doesn't! It sure feels that way to me! :)

cut & paste/drag & drop with video (and associated audio) clips rather than text.

But usually lower resolution. Of course audio is easier to deal with.

Pete C.

It's called humor, Mike. You need to grow a thicker skin if you're going to get along in the world of Usenet.

You're right, I'm sure. It's only a chigger bite. Not worth the effort to scratch.

I stupidly got suckered into responding... And you stupidly got suckered into preaching about it...

Such is life.

To all who gave useful suggestions, thank you.

I don't have a nick name, Snarl is my real, legal, name.

Might throw something, but I doubt it'd be edible .

Lighten up Mike, was just havin' some fun, albeit at your expense... 'tis life in th' fast lane of usenet man. We're *all* fair game in here and if getting a little ribbing once in awhile is too much for ya, perhaps growin' a carapice is in order?

Snarl... like I said before, good luck