Tag: work

Categories
Life Technology Work

Technical terminology

One of the good things about the job I do is you can learn a lot from working on educational projects. I can now probably outclass most medical students on my knowledge of the examination procedure for the cranial nerves and I’m more than aware how to not to do a technical presentation.

Of course, at the start of the project, I’m just about as clueless as anyone about whatever it is I’m working on. Take my current project, for instance. I’m working on a series of short podcasts for dentistry students, which involves a lot of shots of torture devices medical equipment with peculiar names.

This ultimately caused trouble when naming the clips in Final Cut Pro. Not knowing what the hell most of the stuff was, I had to resort to slightly less ‘official’ names:

It got worse when I then started reading the script in order to actually complete the edit, as I found that the script made use of the more traditional names. I had to just hope that the things in the script were the things on the screen. The client viewed the videos this morning without any complaints, however, so I guess I’m in the clear. Which also means that a ‘pokey stick’ is in fact an interdental brush.

I should also mention that working on these podcasts finally taught me the correct method for brushing my teeth. I guess you’re never too late to learn.

Categories
Fail Life Work

Health and Safety at Work

This should keep those health and safety types happy, shouldn’t it?

Don’t look at me. I didn’t do it.

Related: Oh Dear

Categories
Work

Planning is Key

I received a video recording request at work yesterday. This in itself is not unusual, nor is the fact that they wanted to record a talk in our studio and add in some PowerPoint slides, nor the fact it has to be in Germany in a couple of weeks. We’ve done this sort of thing at this sort of notice before.

What I am finding hard to fathom, however, is the reasoning behind why we have only a little over a week to complete this project.

We have often been called upon to film a lecture to be sent to a conference elsewhere, usually because the lecturer concerned finds themself unable to travel due to unexpected weather conditions, prior engagements or the likes. This, as I said, is not unusual, and we often find we have little time to prepare when the unexpected happens and people are unable to travel.

Unfortunately, the reason why our current client finds herself unable to travel is because she seems to have unexpectedly become eight and a half months pregnant.

Now, I know conference speakers are often booked long in advance. I fully understand that this sort of thing may not have even been on her radar when she signed up for the job. But surely, there comes a point when planning around this sort of thing needs to be considered? This woman is so ready to drop that we might have to take a break from recording her talk to film the birth. Perhaps she should have considered she would be unable to make the trip slightly more than 14 days ahead of time?

I wish this woman the best of luck for her baby. Because if she’s this disorganised about the rest of its arrival I doubt she has anywhere to put it.