This week I started watching 3 different prestige cable dramas- all limited series, one and done. This isn't a review for the content of the shows, as next week I will likely embark on 3 more journeys and never revisit this week's shows again. With the amount of attention I'm actually able to afford these shows, the networks could play an 8s loop of a dog scratching himself and I'd probably watch at least the first two episodes (one must give it time to get good). They are not loops however, in fact, they are better than every TV show that was ever made before. If you don't believe me, rewatch literally any show from your childhood. If your first thought isn't "how did I even sit through this?" I will mail you $5 (send me your address). Nowadays, every fledgling cable network is working on their own version of the Wire. Are we even sure the Wire is good, or was its magic solely in contrast to a hellish tv landscape that spawned According to Jim? 

Some might attribute the rise of prestige television to the decline of cinema culture, but they are more closely related than it seems. Blockbuster movies have grown to dominate the industry. If you don't particularly like comic books there isn't a lot at the theater anymore. These behemoth scale movies can theoretically make a lot of money, and even if the movie doesn't work there is a built in diehard audience. This is not new information for anyone. What's more interesting to watch is advertisers lose grip on content creation. Modern cinema has gone the way of television of the previous decades, afraid to take chances, afraid to lose money. 

In TV land, the opposite is true. DVR and streaming have largely robbed advertisers of their power. HBO cultivated its anything goes attitude by utilizing a subscription model, Netflix now plays by the same rules. Whereas previously a few complaints could make an advertiser pull support for a show, we are now under majority rule. People want blood? More vampire & zombie shows for everyone. When the content doesn't have to be broadcast, there's no reason for your grandma to get on the horn and tell Tide she won't buy their products because there was a man's butt preceding it. As cable channels are already part of a subscription service, they were never liable to the whims of the FCC. Fast forward to now, every USA network fancies itself an HBO junior and we are all reaping the benefits.

Podcasts were recently cited as an ideal audience for advertisers. There is a loyalty and attention unmatched by other forms of media. I wouldn't watch a movie with one character talking for two and a half hours, the TV adaptation doesn't sound any more appealing. Yet I am here, four hours in listening to a semi-intellectual discussion about consciousness that one might also overhear at a dive bar. So do I skip the ad? Usually not, I tend to root for the podcaster. Whatever I can do so that the show stays on the air.

When someone says "there's too much content" they may be correct, but I've never been so entertained.

One of the first times my wife and I hung out, we went to see Avatar. About an hour into the movie I leaned over and whispered "this is AWFUL". To my delight, she was equally bored. I couldn't tell if she was enjoying it because the mandatory 3D glasses put up a poker face of sorts. Aside from the 3D nonsense, I can't hang with extended CGI sequences. There was that forsaken half hour of Peter Jackson's King Kong that was like a cut scene from a PS2 game (sans skip button). At a certain point my brain loses the ability to suspend disbelief. What was I talking about again? Oh yeah, practical effects!

I was asked to create a spec ad for a giveaway, and I felt the mono color scheme alone wasn't quite hitting hard enough. There are easier ways to create smoke/vapor than using dry ice, but sometimes one must make do with what's available. 

A few years ago I laughed at drone enthusiasts, what with their spinning blades chopping into the frame. I can't get the .gif of the DJI phantom crashing into that wedding couple out of my head. All ridiculousness aside, I can't believe aerial photography is now accessible to us, the lowly regulars. It's still ripe for overuse, but at least the technology has caught up enough that its not blatantly obvious when you cut in some prosumer quality drone footage into an edit. Its a powerful way to shoot landscapes and achieve any possible perspective on a shoot.

My wife and I drove down the Pacific Coast Highway as our honeymoon trip. I took a ton of pictures, but in Big Sur I spotted a remote pilot buzzing over the coastline and peaking over the tops of redwoods. He had this pseudo-psychotic permagrin on his face, a lot like that old Soundgarden video. I understand why, as now I am aching to revisit the PCH from above. 

I used to bring quite a bit of equipment with me when traveling, but the biggest problem I ran into was that it just wasn't fun enough to use. The weight dragged me down, plus the added anxiety of having your life's work contained in a backpack that can be misplaced or stolen. I spent more time worrying than shooting. I can count on zero hands the amount of times I woke up early enough to catch a sunrise. In the past week alone, I've caught 3 and am more cognizant of the weather and sun / cloud cover than ever before. The amount of ground one can cover in a short 20~min flight is astounding.

The biggest lesson I learned from flying (aside from the pilot/HAM radio alphabet) is to stop worrying so much and find a method to work that brings you joy. It's impossible to argue with the result. 

I grew up playing sports (basketball and baseball) and I've followed both at the professional level intermittently. I am mostly an eye-test fan, eschewing averages and stats over the pure entertainment factor. My all time favorite Houston Rocket is Ron Artest. I had a similar affinity for Carlos Gomez's tumultuous tenure in center field-- I'm in it for the characters! Honestly, I can barely wrap my head around what an adjusted +/- stat actually means.  In order to better understand the game(s) itself, I recently dipped a toe into the toxic mudslide that is sports media. Wow, what a regrettable decision! I would place sports journalism realm (aka men's gossip) well below the spineless muckraking of TMZ. 

It shouldn't be surprising that facts don't matter in sports journalism. The players themselves cling to athletics' answer to rosary beads, Livestrong wristbands with magical powers instilled to the wearer via hologram technology. If you find this strain of pseudo-science tough to swallow, wash it all down with some ionically infused alkaline battery water. Tom Brady recommends the use of brain exercises, and also plays on after sustaining a concussion. Whatever it takes to win!

After the game, the locker room reporters don't ask real questions; "Talk about the fourth quarter". That's not a question! The reporter is then free to speculate wildly about how the answer reflects a lack of work ethic and disloyalty to the always innocuous fanbase. After the next game, the reporter will ask how the athlete responded (in game) to outside criticism by the media. "Talk about how what I say outside of this room about you affects your performance" (also not a question).

Call me crazy but I can't listen to two adults argue about Michael Jordan's legacy for two hours on a weekday. Just give us what we want. MIC. THE. PLAYERS.