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meggen
Joined: 30 Sep 2004
Posts: 25
Location: TORONTO
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 Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Maurice Ali wrote: | This weekend is nothing but working on the editor. I spent a few hours on the TWENTY6HUNDRED show and got it down to about five hours and forty five minutes. This has to be compressed to thirty minutes and then we start to look at it..... Yikes.....
This year marks the year where the FOF way of doing things will be evaluated. We did things the usual way with our musicians and quite frankly got nowhere. I have the figures, first is that the actual numbers that listened to the individual artists could never support any real measure of sales or downloads. That is a no-brainer to me, but I tried with my "fresh eyes....." Mostly much of my end was vanities for everyone and some learning experience for myself. Any other company doing this would have been bankrupted and emotionally crippled by now. I pat myself on the back that we are not in this camp, and actually are garnering interest in the business community. The shows will tell the tale, that is where the audience is and that is only where we can really build on, given the number or artists and like logistics. Simply trying to hock CDs to make money will kill your spirit, any salesman will tell you this. It was interesting to see the retail segment implode this year, actually it was quite sad as I dealt with many managers in the field. FOF and it's other supporting companies are real retailers and I pay bucks to park our GST and credit accounts each month. Entry into this club really requires a "minimum" of thirty to forty thousand dollars of sales to even be bothered to deal with the government. So now you guys know why I was so easy with credit sales this year. We take the hard line next year as we are now on the radar scope.....
Remember that I see things from a different light as I am not a performer, things are quite matter of fact here. What the hell, back to the editor. It is fun though, to see people disappointed that I am still alive and kicking with the FOF and possibilities opening up. I am sure there are a few Maurice Ali voodoo dolls with pins stuck in them. Human nature is what it is..... |
 do you Realllllly think people have to time to make voodoo dolls of you to stick pins in,you have a vivid imagination maurice, I am sure there is no one envious or grudge the work you put into FOF  |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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| meggen wrote: | | Maurice Ali wrote: | This weekend is nothing but working on the editor. I spent a few hours on the TWENTY6HUNDRED show and got it down to about five hours and forty five minutes. This has to be compressed to thirty minutes and then we start to look at it..... Yikes.....
This year marks the year where the FOF way of doing things will be evaluated. We did things the usual way with our musicians and quite frankly got nowhere. I have the figures, first is that the actual numbers that listened to the individual artists could never support any real measure of sales or downloads. That is a no-brainer to me, but I tried with my "fresh eyes....." Mostly much of my end was vanities for everyone and some learning experience for myself. Any other company doing this would have been bankrupted and emotionally crippled by now. I pat myself on the back that we are not in this camp, and actually are garnering interest in the business community. The shows will tell the tale, that is where the audience is and that is only where we can really build on, given the number or artists and like logistics. Simply trying to hock CDs to make money will kill your spirit, any salesman will tell you this. It was interesting to see the retail segment implode this year, actually it was quite sad as I dealt with many managers in the field. FOF and it's other supporting companies are real retailers and I pay bucks to park our GST and credit accounts each month. Entry into this club really requires a "minimum" of thirty to forty thousand dollars of sales to even be bothered to deal with the government. So now you guys know why I was so easy with credit sales this year. We take the hard line next year as we are now on the radar scope.....
Remember that I see things from a different light as I am not a performer, things are quite matter of fact here. What the hell, back to the editor. It is fun though, to see people disappointed that I am still alive and kicking with the FOF and possibilities opening up. I am sure there are a few Maurice Ali voodoo dolls with pins stuck in them. Human nature is what it is..... |
do you Realllllly think people have to time to make voodoo dolls of you to stick pins in,you have a vivid imagination maurice, I am sure there is no one envious or grudge the work you put into FOF |
Well it would explain the aches and pains I have had lately..... Have a happy new year!
I will be on the editor tonight to bring in the new year and all day tomorrow, I find this stuff more fun than anything else right now. I am really happy and pumped, all the shows are now a reality and after four years and unspeakable amounts of money, this crazy plan may have a future, sorry to sound like a broken record folks.....but I can't help but feel like I may accomplish something here......
Then again it could all go bad, but honestly I feel we really have a chance, we were brave enough to walk over to the start/finish line of this race and we are actually in it - anything can happen and at my age it is incredibly refreshing and invigorating.....
I will, however check past posts and see what happened to change my sadness to this. I am a pretty flat emotional guy so mood swings are of interest to me. Maybe it was just the Holiday season blahs..... Things are still against us, but we have been given a chance by the fates..... Now that sounds more like me..... |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 8:27 am Post subject: |
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| On the editor all day today..... Push, Push - Push..... |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 3:59 am Post subject: |
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It is DONE!
I am archiving the one hour REAL LIFE TV show to tape as I write this.....
I will make the formal annoncement later.
Tonight I'm gonna party like its 2007..... |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 12:51 am Post subject: |
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What a day!
Mass mailings and more overtures for distribution. I even gave a tour of the office to some people. Real Life - the TV show - is being sent to members for closer scrutiny. Contacted SOCAN about some of our applications and such. MORE VISION's first ad seems ready for final approval. It goes on and.....but getting all of this stuff out of my "things to do" and thus out of my head - releases much of the stress and it works.
Time for bed. |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:58 pm Post subject: |
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Real Life TV Show Finishes Production!
By Maurice Ali, President and CEO: FOF Inc./IAIJ Inc./MORE VISION/IAIJ
Studio setup for the interview with Shane. The microphones (too many here) and cameras are not aimed as this was taken when we
finished but this was the actual setup; also note the ZOOM H4 recorder on the boxes on the chair near the artist
(a large amount of redundancy).
The Fortress Of Freedom Corporation is pleased to announce that the one hour TV documentary titled "Real Life," has finished production. One big thank you to all involved in this project which actually spans many years. This was one of the most people intensive projects and my thanks will go to all those listed in the following credits:
Real Life Crew!
Screen Credits - REAL LIFE TV Show
Directed By: Maurice Ali
Technical Director: Michael Atkinson
Edited By: Maurice Ali
Sound: Shane Murphy
Cameraman: Maurice Ali
Key Grip: Shane Murphy
Gaffer: Ryan Robichaud
Narration: Maurice Ali
Administration: Ainsley W.
Musical Artists:
Shane Murphy (Shane)
Jon Chuck (Gritz)
Shaun Kelly (Shaun Kelly)
Performers:
Sabrina S. (As The Prositute)
Charles Thompson (Is The Panhandler)
Real Life Crew:
Ryan Robichaud
Jermain Green
Luck Lynch
Damian Campbell
Perter Spiliopoulos
Charles Mainville
Julie R.
Sound Track:
Real Life: Shane Murphy (Shane)
Produced By Fortress Of Freedom Inc.
Sub-Conscius Tip: Shane Murphy (Shane)
Produced By Fortress Of Freedom Inc.
Product Of My Environment: Jon Chuck (Gritz)
Featuring J Dogg
Produced By Fortress Of Freedom Inc.
Hyperventilation: Shaun Kelly (Shaun Kelly)
Produced By Fortress Of Freedom Inc.
Special thanks to Metalworks Recording Studios Limited - Toronto
Videotaped in DVCAM and HDV digital video.
Filmed on location in Toronto and at Fortress Of Freedom Studios in Toronto.
Edited on AVID editing solutions.
Logistical help via Fortressoffreedom.com company and the MORE VISION company.
Produced By: Fortress Of Freedom Inc.
Copyright 2008 By Fortress Of Freedom Inc.
Shameless picture of director on set.....
FORTRESS OF FREEDOM: BRINGING THE MASS MEDIA TO THE MASSES! |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:29 am Post subject: |
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I really got a lot done this week and puts me in a really relaxed state of mind. I was looking over the Fortress Variety Show and was kind of amazed at how "indie" looking it is, but it is great. Gianna is just stunningly beautiful and totally animated. In the future I am just going to kick everyone off the set and just work with these types of people individually as all kinds of incredible antics were unusable because of background noise from the crew and friends - all kinds of ad-lib stuff that you can never script.....
It is a learning experience..... |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:01 pm Post subject: |
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On the editor again. The TWENTY6HUNDRED show is up next. If I can cut this up this weekend I will be on top of things again.....
I also bought another microphone, the Rode NT3 for indoor use. I will actually use this in a little while for some voiceover work. I swore I would not buy anymore equipment but this one makes sense. |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 7:01 am Post subject: |
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I was gong to post a lonely bitchin whine last night but I held off.
Still working on the 2600 story and what a hard one. Not the band's fault but all the dark night club shots that have to broadcast quality..... Horrible background noise and volumes that constantly push the limiters of the camera. We are lucky that I have the best camera in the world for this stuff - the PD170. If this camera can't do it, no camera can.....simple as that..... The new Sony cam may start to replace this babe but not quite yet.
Back into the action..... |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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The 2600 Show is now a reality and the Variety Show is an archived reality too.
Bam!
The defining moment is when I get nervous about not archiving the show to tape, and that happenned today, that really is the acid test.....
It is a nice kind of nervousness as now I see the momentum and our projects and equipment now exceed our debt..... Your guess is as good as mine.... I can actually put a price on the stock now. What a moment! Having said that the moment is fleeting and we still have the odds against us. But there is hope.....
What a holiday season. I really had my head swimming with all the work ahead of me just a few weeks ago, now it is much simpler. I am taking the rest of this day off..... |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:40 am Post subject: |
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Today actually marks the start of the new year for me and today the very heavy hand of the finace officer makes itself known. That studio microphone was a necessary purchase brought on by some problems with my voice recording some of Shane's show last week. That is about it for these larger equipment purchases. We have everything we need to do the job properly now.
Now I really become the businessman. |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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I was previewing the 2600 show on a big screen TV as these always show up iffy video footage. I know where my first cuts will be.....
BTW, as much as you thinbk I love doing this, I will admit that I would not mind the company of a beautiful woman, just a thought on these moments here in my little universe.....
Look folks, I am really tired - goonight..... |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:02 am Post subject: |
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I threw the girl thing in there just incase some of you guys thought I was some sort of robot. No I can't keep this up, I need things like anyone else. You have to feel it, the time spent, the dreams of others and the money, there should be more pressure in what I do here. I have reached some level of competency where I can see all our faults in shooting and lately the audio, some of it is simply the fact we have to make due with entry level pro equipment, most is just screw-ups. Yet we have to attain the highest levels of excellence and still tell the story to get on the air. I have to do everything a production house or network can do with all their staff and equipment - by myself, if I am to be in there.
That is scary stuff with all this on the line. I really wonder how I put myself into this position. But I am here and in it up to my neck. I just have to keep at it. What a moment in my life. The glamour, what glamour.... Sure there is a pretty face around here every now and then, but nothing that makes all this other stuff worth it. Your personal life will be no different than it was before, and you will only get out what is in the project itself. Oddly, the people in this project benefit from the FOF experience, but what of the man behind it all...... I support a concept and philosophy which may need the organization or not, but it is here in these times of change just in case.....
Sorry for this rant, but I do wonder about all this from time to time. Life can be heartless and miserable and crappy and all the rest. I should be selfish and say to hell with the rest of the world, what did it ever do for me..... Anyway, I am following instructions from a younger me, a guy who had more ideals than the older guy he turned into..... Sometimes I wonder.......
Goodnight whoever reads this..... |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:26 am Post subject: |
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My.....my, I have been busy at the computer last night. I am up here still fooling around with things. Most on my mind is the production values, and I won't get into them here but I have to extract the highest bit of perfomance from my equipment to compete on big screen TV. Man, even the blocking on the background on Shane's interview bothers me even though the dude is properly shot. I will not ask him to endure that interview again, we will go with what we have. A few years ago this would be a non-issue, but today it has to look good on a four foot screen..... Blocking on a back lite solid backround, what BS.....
Hey, if anyone from Ryerson Business School who knew me back in the day is reading this - See what happenend to me! Yes I did make it to President and CEO of a conglomerate of companies that actually do things and have employees and a network of people that work with us. And yet this was never what I expected..... Where is the money and offices on the 70th floor..... Hah - don't ask for something as you may get it. Or we will give you what you want.....just not the way you wanted it.....
Well this is the start of a new day and another comedy of moments in The Fortress Experiment..... |
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Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7699
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 6:06 am Post subject: |
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These are the "dog days" at Fortress Of Freedom.....
I wasted yesterday just sleeping but my motto to prevent stress is sleep if it comes on you.....so..... These are boring days as it is all about paperwork and editing and stuff that is not very glamour orientated. But that is the stuff that makes it into the "big leagues" as oppossed to true amateurism. Worrying about the quality of the shot and especially the audio (the reason for all the audio equipment in the past few months) is needed to get the series out there. I have a hard enough time with the problems of 4:3 and the difficulty getting it to 16:9 or wide screen to make it more sellable, let alone HD..... For crying out loud - HD did not exist when we started the Fortress Experiment, but we are starting to shoot it when it does not compromise the beauty and constency of the imagery. I took a hit in the pocket book for that placation to HD, oh well at least we have the capability.....
But the audio is the real killer when trying to get on a network or quality cable channel. In film it is the audio that determines the quality of the film and not the video, post production of all that strange audio will drive me nuts. I had a pro do it on the first show - 95 percent audio and 5 percent video. We can not afford that kind of expertise now and there is simply too much video to pay those guys. We have all the pro tools (like that statement) to do the job, we or "I" just have to learn to do it right. That is why all the microphones lately, it is easier if you have the right tool for the situation, I use a mix of hyper and supercardioid microphones for indoor and outdoor shots and the results lately speak for themselves.....
I shall try again to be more productive today.
BTW, we are shooting: "The Free Press" the segment on the newspaper, journalism organization and the book publishing business. Shoud be an interesting thirty minutes.....
http://fortressoffreedom.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1959 |
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