As a kid growing up in the little town of Salisbury, MD, no single person made me want to be a TV photographer more than Scorchy Tawes. His unique name always stuck in my head, but it was Scorchy’s character stories and moving pictures that I could never forget.

After honorable service in the U.S. Army during World War II, Tawes cultivated a love for photography. In 1975, he joined the staff of WBOC-TV as an “Outdoor Report” photojournalist. As one of the first “VJs,” he shot, wrote and edited his own stories about the lives and characters that make the Delmarva region of the country unique. They were unrushed people stories that let you feel like you were friends with the subject–the type of stories you don’t see on local news anymore.

I had the honor of working with Scorchy in 1993, during my first gig as a TV news photographer at WBOC. By the time I started working there, Scorchy had put down the camera, but he still wrote and produced great stories for “Delmarva Report.” It was an amazing opportunity for a young photog like me to be able to shoot stories with such a storyteller. He taught me how to look and listen. Follow the people and their faces, and you’ll find the story, he explained. I learned a lot from Scorchy, and I am a better photographer and better person for knowing him.

Sadly, Scorchy Tawes passed away on January 29, 2007 at the age of 86. He is survived by four children, nine grandchildren (including Andrew Tawes, who has become an award-winning photojournalist in his own right), eight great-grandchildren, and many a photographer who he coached in the craft that he loved.

Read the WBOC obit for Scorchy.

Read more about Scorchy in The Daily Times.

Sometimes while covering the news, we become the news.

A WDJT-TV (CBS 58, Milwaukee, WI) live truck fell through the ice while working on a story about ice safety on Sunday.

Although no official word has been released from the driver, it looks as if she thought she was driving on a snow-covered road. The truck made it 150 yards onto the lake, but the ice was no match for the weight of the live truck. Sinking 4 to 5 feet to the bottom of the lake channel, the truck still sits there today.

Thankfully, everyone inside the vehicle escaped without injury.

In the TV news business, we are constantly required to cover weather events in which we tell viewers to stay inside or “don’t go out if you don’t have to.” Many years ago, my brand-new blazer was swallowed by the mighty Atlantic Ocean while covering a hurricane, so I realize how easily something like this can happen.

I won’t feed the argument of an insensitive and demanding desk, pushing a crew into dangerous situations. Everyone needs to take responsibility for covering the news well and covering the news safely. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the pressure of a looming deadline. We all need to be alert and we all have to be careful.

That being said, when do the “freeze frame” jokes start?

Today’s TMJ4 and MyFox Milwaukee have more of the story, complete with video.

In my first television job, we had one wireless mic to be shared among all the photographers. It had a huge receiver that was probably meant to be rack-mounted… thus it had to be carried in a backpack. It was cumbersome and heavy and not the slightest bit convenient — and, in the end, the audio sounded awful and was never reliable. But it was a wireless mic, dag gone it, and we used it!

Over the years, I’ve become very spoiled by the new wireless audio products on the market. (We field tested some of the latest from Lectrosonic last year at NAB.) I sometimes feel I am incapable of shooting a story if my wireless doesn’t work. A mic cable coming out of my camera seems so archaic.

As much as I love my wireless mic, and no matter how good the quality gets, there are still limitations. Range and interference will always be an issue, and with the FCC selling off our radio spectrum, there is even less chance for more “elbow room.”

Enter Zaxcom

Zaxcom, the New Jersey based audio company, is working to build a better mouse trap. They’ve designed a true digital wireless microphone system — with a twist. At a recent ITVA-DC meeting, I was able to give it a look and listen.

The standard system looks like any other belt pack and camera-mounted receiver. I don’t have the purest ears when it comes to monitoring sound quality, but the audio was very clean and sounded natural. The advantage of digital transmission is no static or buzzes in your audio. The sound quality doesn’t decline as you reach the end of your range — it just stops at the end of your range. That’s the problem with digital wireless — you get perfect audio or you get NOTHING.

The engineers at Zaxcom thought about this, and having no way to change the laws of physics (is RF considered physics?), they found a different solution.

Back-up Recording

I preface this by saying that this will not help you on a live broadcast — but any pre-taped segment will aways have perfect audio.

Here’s the best explanation my feeble mind can come up with…

The receiver mounted on your camera connects to the time code output of your camera. It transmits this to the receiver attached to your “talent.” As the belt pack transmits audio to the camera, it actually records it digitally on the belt pack itself. Because it’s time-code synced to your camera, if you ever lose your wireless signal, simply import the audio into your Non-Linear Editor, and you have perfect audio again.

The way I think of it, the audio recorded in the camera is only a “reference” track; the audio recorded on the mic itself is pure, clean, digital goodness.

Sound Possibilities

The possibilities of this technology are extensive. The standard reality show can put a mic on every cast member and does not have to monitor or mix the audio “live.” Extra mics that don’t even need to be monitored can be placed to get true surround sound. Your reporter does a stand-up in a car and drives away, and you can have audio no matter how far away they go.

For more information, contact:
Zaxcom at: http://zaxcom.com or their dealer ATS Communications at http://www.atscomms.com

Marty Atias and ATS Communications of Silver Spring, MD, in association with the ITVA’s Washington DC chapter & Interface Video, will present ITVA’s first “First Thursday” meeting (held on the 2nd Thursday this month, January 11) on Direct To Edit Recorders for video & audio.

For Video, we will focus on the work flow involved when using the Firestore Digital Video Recorder for P2 & JVC cameras. Jon
Robertson of Symco (Rep for Focus Enhancements, Firestore’s manufacturer) and Ken Freed (from JVC) will demonstrate the work flow from shoot to edit. In addition, Ken will introduce and discuss JVC’s new GY-HD-110U camera, and Jon will discuss Focus Enhancements‘ Proxys media server.

For Audio, Marty and Glen Sanders (Zaxcom’s President & lead designer) will demonstrate & discuss Zaxcom Digital’s new TRX series of Recording Wireless products, which transmits digital audio from a microphone while recording a time code stamped digital audio file right inside the transmitter. Thus files from each mic, which are RF free, can be transferred and dropped into the video editing time line and also emailed for transcription. This new work flow has many inherent advantages, simplifying and improving the reliability of acquiring audio in the field, and increasing the editing options available in post. It also addresses the issue of disappearing radio spectrum available for wireless mics.

The meeting is open to all, and there will be a networking reception preceding the seminar with appetizers & drinks.

Date: January 11, 2007
Time: 6:30 reception, 7:30 seminar
Place: Interface Video, 1233 20 St NW, Washington DC 20036
Contact: Marty Atias 301-754-2871

ITVA-DC
ATS Communications
Interface Video

from abc7news.com (KGO-TV)

By Heather Ishimaru

Jan. 2 - KGO - There are questions today about how the Golden Gate Bridge District handled a demonstration there yesterday. A confrontation between protesters and police resulted in closure of the walkways to everyone, and in a scuffle between an ABC7 News photographer and a bridge district officer.

Anti-war demonstrators wanted to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge to draw attention to the 3,000 soldiers killed in Iraq. But the bridge district said no because they didn’t have a permit, didn’t follow the rules the last time they did, and the CHP was worried about the march distracting motorists.When an ABC7 News photographer asked to move past police to shoot the crowd, a bridge district officer told him the bridge is private property — and this is what happened next (see video).The pedestrian and bike paths on both sides of the bridge were then closed to everyone. Bridge spokesperson Mary Currie says the bridge is public, not private property, but the district has the authority to close it.There’s now an internal investigation into the entire event.Mary Currie, Golden Gate Bridge: “We want to really look at what happened and why it happened and what we need to do to retrain and redirect, and take any action with our employees that may be appropriate.”The CHP defends its actions and calls a minor injury the ABC7 photographer suffered in that scuffle “regrettable.”Lt. Tom Gunther, CHP: “Everything else went according to any plan in association with the bridge to control protesters.”

Jake McGoldrick, Bridge Director: “Well, I have a sense there may have been a little overreaction over there at the bridge in terms of safety and security. A little excessive paranoia I think.”

San Francisco Supervisor and Bridge Director Jake McGoldrick says in these post 9/11 times security is a priority, but he wants more information, as does Supervisor and Director Tom Ammiano.

Tom Ammiano, Bridge Director: “If there was no violence or disruption intended, then I do have some questions about why there was such a, I don’t want to say over the top, but why there was such a pronounced reaction.”

The board of directors will have to endorse whatever action bridge management might decide to take.

Copyright 2006, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT.

Lighting experts always promote the quality of bounced light. Now you can have your very own mini c-stand reflector and 5K light on your desk. Designed by a Film Gaffer, it’s a great idea… although the price doesn’t reflect it’s MINI stature.

From Hammacher Schlemmer:
The Gaffer’s Bounce Lamp.
Designed by motion picture gaffer Edward Cohen, whose credits include Spider-Man 2 and A Beautiful Mind, and fashioned by fine arts sculptor David Johnson, the bounce light projects a 20-watt floodlight onto a flexible, sanded polycarbonate reflector that redirects a soft, diffuse light. Unlike common lighting that comes from an intense source that can contribute to eyestrain, the bounce light takes powerful, direct light and reflects a gentle illumination without glare, creating a comfortable lighting ambiance. The two included reflectorsone in the shape of a boat sail and the other an oval, provide sufficient illumination for a desktop. The body is made from a zinc alloy metal and the device is powered by a 12-volt adapter. Includes one MR11FTD bulb. 13 1/4″ H x 5 2/3″ W x 12 2/3″ L.
Item 73631 ……………….
$99.95