video

Rushes: high winds in Manchester (video)

Admin | Thursday 18 January 2007

Download: MP4

Posts that begin with the word ‘rushes’ contain unedited footage, tests, bloopers and experiments. In this case the footage is pretty much unedited with some captions added. It runs for 9 mins, which may be too long unless you have a particular interest in this subject!

Britain was hit by high winds today and here in the north-west they reached 100 miles per hour. I’ve lived on the 8th floor for more than seven years and have never felt the building shake in the wind the way it did today.

Sadly we lost six more mature trees in the park close to where I live. Some of them forty years old. Four appeared to have gone down like dominos.

In the city centre various streets had been closed off due to falling debris.

BBC VideoTape Department Christmas Tape

Admin | Saturday 13 January 2007

In the 1970’s the BBC’s VT department produced an annual tape of out-takes and specially recorded items by the stars of the day. It was intended exclusively for BBC staff at the time. But now, inevitably, a number of them have got out onto YouTube. Warning: strong language! Christmas Eve On BBC One Legs & … BBC VideoTape Department Christmas Tape

Christmas in Albert Square, Manchester, 2006

Admin | Friday 15 December 2006

Timeslip

Admin | Sunday 3 December 2006

In 1970, Britain was suffering power cuts across the country, caused by industrial action. The days and times of the cuts varied each week. I remember having to do my homework by candlelight.

50th anniversary of the first videotape broadcast

Admin | Thursday 30 November 2006

On 30th November 1956 the first video recording was broadcast from CBS Television City, in Hollywood. It was a tape of Douglas Edwards reading the news and was recorded and played on an Ampex Mark IV Video Tape Recorder.

Bargain Hunters: Big Brother Special

Admin | Friday 24 November 2006

This episode has a Big Brother theme (Channel 4 not Tony Blair via George Orwell). We filmed it on 1st June. Hilariously, considering the theme, during the making of this we were told that filming in Piccadilly Station is no longer allowed as it’s a ‘terror threat’.

The Power of Nightmares

Admin | Friday 17 November 2006

If you haven’t seen this fascinating three-part BBC documentary series, you can download it from the Internet Archive:

Part1 | Part2 | Part3

It explores ‘the origins in the 1940s and 50s of Islamic Fundamentalism in the Middle East, and Neoconservatism in America, parallels between these movements, and their effect on the world today.’ And it shows how politicians have used the terror threat to restore their power and authority in a disillusioned age.

It’s a brilliant use of archive film of all kinds, combined with interviews. Give it a look even if you don’t usually watch this kind of subject, because it’s interesting to see how Adam Curtis the producer combines such diverse visual material.

If you have problems playing MP4 files, just grab the free VideoLan player.

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