Author: Henry Villadiego

Henry Villadiego

Passing 👉 the mic 🎤

Handing over this week's edition to my high school friend, now a Dr at University of Connecticut

I was once told by a very good friend of mine that I “wasn’t really black” because I was “smart”, “kind” in premed classes and I liked the Beatles and REM…

but I was “black enough” to be stopped by police officers because I fit the description, a laughable photocopy of a black face which looked just like me because I had eyes and a nose and ears and of course a black face. They were looking for a rapist and I, all 13 years of me, in my Catholic school shirt and tie “ fit the description”

I was “black enough” to be called a nigger randomly as I walked home one evening.

I was “black enough” to have white women step out of the elevator whenever I walked in

I am just “black enough” to be seen with suspicion and fear.

I was “scary Dr. Alerte” until I painted a smile on my face and donned the elbow padded tweed jacket uniform of the academic. The safe academic who probably won’t attack you or rob you or assault you. I wear a shirt and tie everywhere because a hoodie just might get me killed.

I named my son Atticus after Atticus Finch and I find myself secretly, quietly, happy that due to his genetics he is just “white enough” to “pass” so hopefully he won’t have to walk the road I’ve had to and hopefully I won’t be standing over his grave.

I am so very, very tired of the understood and accepted world I find myself in.

Henry Villadiego

Virtual Experience 📹 There’s Still Time 🕙 to Build Better 💻

Earlier in the month several articles started popping up talking about people suffering from Quarantine fatigue, after a considerable amount of time asked to #StayAtHome.  With Memorial Day just around the corner, these theories will certainly be put to the test, as the Greater NYC metro area is still shy of hitting all the NY Forward re-opening metrics.  I had firsthand experience with this last weekend, with the weather obliging many more cars and walkers were visible.  A week later and the metrics continuing to improve should only add to that.  My hopes is that it is a moderated and safe break from quarantine.

I mainly bring this up because the fatigue appears to be setting into the schedule of virtual networking events.  Have we hit a Zoom Wall?  Part of it, I suspect, is resources being shifted to opening business back up.  At the same time, I have noticed a drop off in

  • attendance at events
  • participation within events
  • availability of events

Are we saving our energy to dust off professional attire and finding alternates to public transportation.  Or has the novelty of video conferencing genuinely worn off and it needs to go back on the shelf, behind a glass pane “Break in case of emergency”?  

Virtual Experience Improvements IRL

My perspective continues to be that the quality of these meetings needs to improve.  “Yes”, the tools are freely available.  “Yes”, everyone has a different schedule. And “Yes,” everyone has their own domestic situation.  However, whether you are a team manager running regular status meeting, a moderator of a panel with diverse experts scattered nationally, or president of a community board, you should:

  • take the time to get familiar with the software, get to know as many of the “ins and outs” as you can.  You never know when they’ll come in handy.
  • publish best practices for a conferencing setup to all your participants.  Microphones, cameras, camera height/placement, background acoustics/visuals, etc. (Check out Epiphan’s Tuesday session, below)
  • Moderate the participants.  Mute and un-mute only speakers when it is their turns, leave time for questions, and get as many involved as possible.  Just like IRL.

Again, I know everyone has a different level of expertise, comfort, etc.  If you can’t dedicate the time to be a master of all of these, ask for help.  From what I remember about the workplace, there was usually one or two folks that would thrive when given responsibility and ownership of a task.  I’d like to think that still exists.  Fatigue or no fatigue.

Stay healthy and stream on!

Henry Villadiego

🏦 Small Business 👔 💼 Got Every Reason to Live 📈

The White House Guidelines for Opening Up America have been released. Also out of Washington, D.C. this week were several statements from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, pertaining to small businesses.  Let’s dive into what was published.

Every business owner, and employees as well, should carefully read the gating and phased guidelines presented to state officials for Opening Again published on April 16th, 2020.   There are specific types of employers, such as bars, gyms, and restaurants, that have stricter criteria, but in general the phases unroll similar to how some states recommended increasing workplace density, albeit in reverse.  The reality for most reading this email, however, is that we are at least 14 days, if not more, away from entering Phase I here in the Northeast Corridor.  We need to prepare, but also manage until business reopens and begins to pick up.

This is where the U.S. Chamber of Commerce comes in.  Many of us applied for the Paycheck Protection Program only to see it run dry, leaving many on the sidelines with no chance to get into the game.  Immediately after that news broke, the CoC issued its third plea asking Congress to replenish CARES Act funds designated to small business, freelancers, and independent contractors.  Keep your application up to date or submit one if you have not already, anticipating new funds becoming available.  While we wait for Congress, CoC had already sought help from the private sector and secured contributions from a number of corporate entities.  From the “Save Small Business” Initiative press release:

Funded by contributions from corporate and philanthropic partners, the Foundation will provide $5,000 supplemental grants to small employers in economically vulnerable communities

U.S. Chamber website

Now, before you flood the Save Small Business website, applications can be submitted starting on April 20th,2020 at noon PT.  Requirements include:

  • employ more than 3 people
  • employ less than 20 people
  • operate in an economically vulnerable community

Best of luck with your application! In the meantime, here’s Mark Cuban’s take on opening up the economy and other topics. Stay healthy and keep streaming!

P.S. It may not be clear to all, but this post’s title is to be sung to Randy Newman’s “Short People”

Henry Villadiego

After past Friday the 13th, “Superstition ain’t the way”

Hello friends,

The impact of COVID-19 is rippling through the worlds of business, sports, personal lives, and certainly this week’s newsletter.  Here in NYC, congregations over 500 people are now prohibited, but events large and small, urban and suburban are being postponed, suspended, and cancelled.

I am happy to see local municipalities banding together in the effort to keep businesses, small, medium, and large, running.  For example, the Queens Chamber of Commerce will be continuing outreach with a daily email and are actively seeking businesses in distress that they may support in one form or another.

Last Friday I received my first invitation to an online event, to subsidize the lack of in person gatherings.  I fully expect more of these type of events to pop up in the coming weeks.  As they reach a critical mass, I will return to curating networking opportunities for us all and sharing across this medium.

I’m sure you have no shortage of emails stating CDC and WHO guidelines, so I will not regurgitate them here.  What I can’t stress enough is to surround yourself with information from reputable sources.  To paraphrase NY Gov Cuomo from his daily update, the anxiety surrounding the calamity can at times be worse than the calamity.  There is no need to spread false facts or worse: fear monger, let alone give into it.  And as Stevie Wonder wrote:

“When you believe in things
That you don’t understand,
Then you suffer,”

Keep yourselves knowledgeable on the situation and how to take proper action when the time calls for it.  Thank you for reading and I’ll see you out there networking, soon!

Henry

Henry Villadiego

New Video Assist Records to USB -C media

Want to record to USB -C media? BlackMagic Design announced Video Assist 12G, a feature packed update to its professional level family of combination video camera monitor and recorders, at IBC 2019

There are two models, with each model including an innovative touch screen user interface with deck controls, as well as a large screen to view recordings. 

Blackmagic Design Announces New Blackmagic Video Assist 12G

In addition to state of the art 12G-SDI inputs and a brighter, high dynamic range (HDR) screen, some key features to allowing for uninterrupted, long form recording include:

  • Dual, hot-swap capable Sony L- series battery slots
  • Dual, hot-swap capable SD card slots
  • USB‑C external disk recording

While it’s not on our gear list (yet), if you are considering shooting in RAW or archiving a live event and need help setting up monitors, video, or audio recorders, contact us about getting one up and running on your production.

Below is a studio produced IBC lead-in video. It’s queued up to jump ahead and begins at the 9:50 mark, right as they dive into to listen to all the new Video Assist highlight. Stream On

Henry Villadiego

Select best on camera Mic < Video Gear | RØDE Microphones

If you want to step up the audio recording in your video or aren’t sure where to begin, RØDE Microphones  just published two new entries in their Audio For Film 101 video series.

The team covers the whole product line, from plug-powered to micro XLR stereo, and recording situations where each one shines. Highlights include, overviews of all their popular mono models:

  • VideoMic
  • VideoMicro
  • VideoMic Pro

In an earlier episode they detail stereo versus mono.  All three are informative and worth watching.  After watching, whether you are ready to roll or still have questions, contact us to get recording your next with with great audio!  The VIdeoMic Pro is on our gear list, but we can accommodate any of your audio requirements.

Check out the playlist below and View On:

Henry Villadiego

Ask yourself these 9 Questions Before Live Streaming

Streaming Media has put together a nice checklist for you to review before your next live stream.

Creating a live stream for an event has gotten easier, but doing it right still requires advanced planning. Here’s a roadmap for the first-timers.

Source: The 9 Starter Questions to Answer Before Creating a Live Stream – Streaming Media Magazine

Stumped by any of these steps or the process entirely? Contact us for help with streaming your next event live!

Henry Villadiego

RODE Introduces new VideoMicPro+< Gear | RODE

Great video needs good visuals and just as importantly good audio.  RODE Microphone continues to build on their flagship mic series with this season’s plus (+) editions.  The newest entry is an update to the popular VideoMicPro (VMP).

Pro-audio brand RØDE Microphones is announcing an new addition to its best-in-market on-camera category – The VideoMic Pro+.

Source: Introducing the VideoMicPro+

Among VMP+’s new features are:

  • Auto Power function via plug-in power over Detachable TRS cable
  • Three power options: new Rechargable battery, micro USB, and standard AA batteries
  • Digital Switching interface, including new stages of high pass filtering, high frequency boost, and safety channel.  Goodbye clipping!

For more details, check out the playlist below and View On:

Henry Villadiego

So Long, and thanks for all the Flash < Tools  | Adobe

For the past five years (or more), pundits have been heralding, some going as far as declaring the end of Flash media player, an undisputed pioneer in the web player landscape.  Well, the day, or at least the announcement of a day, has finally arrived.

in collaboration with several of our technology partners – including Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla – Adobe is planning to end-of-life Flash. Specifically, we will stop updating and distributing the Flash Player at the end of 2020 and encourage content creators to migrate any existing Flash content to these new open formats.

Source: Flash & The Future of Interactive Content | Adobe

Thank you Flash player, without you we would never have been able to View On.