So.. Daybreak hit your Telly after months of preparation.

There were mixed reviews, lots of comments about the new line up, whos doing what and what we are featuring on the programme.

But It cannot be denied we have one of the best views in London and after the madness of setting it all up I was fortunate enough to spend two mornings reflecting, whilst sitting on the roof to do the pretty shots for the advert breaks and opt outs.

And remember its much better that they're talking about you than not at all......

Nearly There....

Its a week to go to the launch of Daybreak...
there are a few odds and sods to tidy up ( ! ) before we are ready,
but I'm ALWAYS up for a challenge.

I've got a feeling that its gonna be a long FUN week !
I love Telly....

T W 3

That was the week that was !
Am I showing my age ?
If you immediately thought the top line of this post when I called it TW3 then I'm not alone ;-)

Had a couple of weeks on the contrasting island of Lesvos, hired a little car and spent the time racing around various sights, towns and resorts. Interspersed with lazy times by the swimming pools ( all 7 of them !) and having long chats with the very sensible hotel owner's young adult kids whospoke great english and who have decided on great careers.

But back to work for both of us and although the texts and emails didnt stop whilst we were away, things have really stepped up a gear at the London Studios.
The Smart Glass has been fitted in the studio, the majority of the electronics have been installed and final tests and tweas are being made, at the same time as we are still outputting GMTV for the final few weeks.

I wont post any photos until we are on air, but I want to write an article for The Guild of TV Cameramen towards Christmas so I have been taking plenty of pictures.
After long days all week my final job yesterday was to hang a time lapse camera in the ceiling of the studio to see the set going in this weekend !

Here goes , heads down for a mad rush to the end of GMTV and the Start of ITV Daybreak !

Slowly but Surely but Heavily :-)

We have Bought a GlideCam at Work, A variant on the Steadicam made in Hollywood and I and a couple of the other camera operators have been playing with it in order to try and get to grips with it...for use on air by September.

Although we do need some proper training I have now become quite familiar with it and on friday I went fo a long walk around the building clocking up 20 minutes....It turns out I'vereally got to work a back muscle for extra endurance it seems, although Pip seems quite at home with it !

New Telly.....Old Tellies !

Finally bought an LCD HD TV this week, Confused the guys at Comet by taking a Broadcast Camera into the store and asking if they would mind me trudging round the sets I liked the look of, then Plugging it in and setting up the pictures on Bars, and finally standing back and critically looking at what I knew to be a decent image. I took five attempts to find one I liked, and funnily enough not one I would have chosen, a 37 Inch LG !

So onto the old Tellies, We had Justin Bieber on the show yesterday and Erron the Director had an idea for an Unplugged look for the performance.....So it was off to the 4th floor on a scavenger hunt, as I amassed a pile of old Broadcast CRT Monitors of Various sizes to pile up around him.

It seems everyone was very happy with the Music and the look, Funny to think that that mottley collection of monitors, in their day were the top of the pile at many thousands of pounds and now just at the bottom of a heap awaiting scrapping , whilst the young Justin Bieber is at the Bottom of the pile about to embark on a meteoric rise :-)

A Great Week in Breakfast Telly

Had a good week this week.

The show was extremely busy and we had all 7 cameras out and about the studio or behind the scenes for most of it.

We were advised to stay in town on thursday because of the prospect of deep snow at home ( and they were right, as I sit here posting this there's a good foot of snow outside the door !)

But that meant I was free to attend a retirement party for Peter McHugh our top man at GMTV, and I was surrounded by former and present colleagues from 17 years...It was the best do I have been to for a long time, simply just to catch up with all those super people was great.....

Then on Friday after 3 hours sleep we had a mad morning with Westlife and a prerecord for Fluffy Club before embarking on the Camera Dept Christmas Curry and Drinks.

Once again a good time was had by all and we managed to get together and enjoy good food and company.

However all the trains were delayed out of town and I got two very slow ones back, and then upon arrival at Gillingham decided to walk back home 4 1/2 miles in the snow...Up and down Hills I did it in 50 mins ( I think the booze kept me going !)

Now off for a week to prepare or Christmas !

GMTV is now ITV

I've worked for reuters tv ( for gmtv news/obs ) for 4 years

I've worked for GMTV proper for 13 years

I guess I now work for ITV Daytime and Factual........

75% there on the Nativity Dvd Front.

Only One more saturday shooting for the Frogs modern take on the Christmas Nativity Story.

Not only has it some unusual twists on the Characters of the Story we all know of old, but it, like many of the best productions, has been beset by wind, rain, tempest, bell ringing and choir practice !
The edit is well underway and all we have to do now is the very start, and of course the happy ending ( which will be even happier as it is all to be shot indoors ! )

Find out about Frogs Here

21st Sept Off We GO !

Lets have another attempt at starting off this Blog Thingy...

What have I been up to over the last few days, I hear you say ?
Well, At work we had Michael Bolton in on the show and we have just recorded two Mica numbers which were quite fun. We're getting ready to pack some bits and pieces up for the Party Conferences over the next two weeks, and Hopefully it will all come back again unlike the last few times I've sent gear out and about.....we seem to have lost a fair few bits, either on jobs, lives or at airports, which can be a bit of a pain....In fact I am still missing a camera light that dissappeared on the Talented Family OBs a few Months ago.

Plans are afoot for the Sunday Club Christmas Film, I think we will have to plan it with military precision, and were looking forward to the Official Launch of Rochester Cathedral Interpretation Project on Saturday 26th at 10am. Its been hard work for quite a few people and althought the New Cathedral West and North Glass Doors arent in yet, it will be great to try out the Hand Held Guides which will be up and running in three different versions.
This Sunday is Cake Sale Day and we have a devious plan to withold the Biscuits during coffee so that everyone has to buy a cake instead hahahaha :-)

SO that's it for today Unbeleiveably whilst Ive been writing this blog, and popping off for a bit of dinner in the meantime we have had 3 calls and visits from people trying to sell Gas, Electricity and St Johns Ambulance ( ! ) Either someone has sold our details or Companies out there are starting to get desperate....thats all for now !