ABYSS – North America’s Highest Bouldering
A bouldering documentary about the pleasure of first ascents, keeping places secrets, the things to take in to consideration when speaking about new routes and of course the effects of the weather.
I enjoy to go on walks that last from one to two hours and to explore the area where I live. In doing so I see interesting wildlife. Just yesterday I came across a furry little fox. I didn’t have my proper camera so I had to go home and get it. This is some of the footage I managed to get.
He’s cute isn’t he?
Recently Netflix Switzerland made Mythbusters available on their service. As I watched episode after episode I noticed the camaraderie between those who participate in the show. We see that Adam and Jamie occasionally argue but that overall they are having a lot of fun. We see them laugh, joke, tease each other, and collaborate.
Their show is a science show where fun myths are challenged. They have two goals with each myth, establish whether it is confirmed, plausible, or busted. They then scale up and reproduce the results.
The first two seasons are short and low budget using prosumer cameras and we notice the difference between camera image quality from shot to shot. The first “season” as it is called on Netflix Switzerland must be the pilot episodes.
The first episodes of the season are great because their editing style is good. Every minute of the program covers something new. In later seasons, at least for the broadcast versions and those shared via youtube advertising provisions ruined the watchability of the show. I am speaking of the lead in each segment and the lead out.
Netflix is paid for directly by the customer and there are no ad breaks. As a result of this, I would re-edit content for the 50-minute duration rather than broadcast the TV edit. It allows for the producers of the show to provide more content and information to their audiences.
Netflix content should be reformatted for a longer viewing duration. It should take advantage that there are no commercial breaks to get content to flow without fade to blacks and without repetitions. It should also take in to account binge viewing.
Documentaries will benefit from services such as Netflix and Video on Demand. They will benefit because they can edit content to be seen without commercials and without the constant need for repetition. As a result, rather than have 40 minutes of content and 10 minutes of repetition documentaries will have 50 minutes of content for the viewer.
Two stories or more are usually explored per episode and in the earlier episodes, you have cut from one story to the next no more than two times. As they produce more episodes so the editing goes from Story A to B to A to C to A to B to A again and then to C. This flip-flopping between experiments results in the editor having to summarise what happened before and what they want as a result frequently. This repetition is optimal if people watch just five minutes of a program but ruins the viewing experience for those watching an entire episode. Let’s see if they resolve this issue for Netflix.
This year I have set myself the goal of reading 30 books. I am currently on track to reaching that goal. Most of my reading material comes from two sources. Audible.com and amazon.de. What I like about reading books via Audible.com is the freedom it gives me to do something at the same time as people are telling me stories.
This habit was born from listening to podcasts while I went for hour long walks. Over time podcasts went down in quality and my time was taken up by other activities. As a result of the scarcity of time I moved towards audible books. Audible books provide me with an opportunity to listen to stories and learn whilst I do other things. I can listen to them while I commute, while I go for hikes or while I mow the lawn. As a result of this ability to multitask I have finished many more books than I would finish if I was only reading.
I am an audible platinum member and I pay in advance. This gives me the option to buy 23 books a year. Audio books are not cheap when you buy them individually so buying a subscription makes sense. Below a certain price I buy the books and use credit when the value justifies it. For at least two years I have felt justified in keeping the subscription.
I am lucky because I like to read on electronic devices. I have used iphones, android phones, iPads, iPad Mini, Tablets and a kindle for reading. As a result of this I always have several books with me at all times. I have a tendency to buy many more books than I have the time to read. This is especially true of books when they cost less than an airport coke. Eventually I will get to read them.
Today I took a step which may make conventional book readers envious. I will test Kindle Unlimited for the next month. I can “borrow” up to ten books simultaneously per month. I can be as uncommitted as ever with books. I am working through the James Bond Collection and reading three history volumes at the same time.  I “read” the history volumes as audio books and this allows me to enjoy the nice weather we have had. When I am in a fixed location I can read James Bon books on the kindle.
At the end of the trial month we will see whether I keep using Kindle unlimited.
Linkedin Learning is a video resource for people who would like to learn new skills. These range from writing and painting to sound design, video lighting, project management and more. In following these courses individuals can learn new skills, perfect old ones, and learn new tricks. The point is always to move forward, whether you have five minutes or twenty seven and a half hours.
Taylre Jones Film and Video Colorist – Film from Taylre Jones, Film and Video Colorist by Taylre Jones
For people who are new to Linkedin Learning, you have the opportunity to watch short self-contained videos before committing to courses. These cover a range of subjects and range in duration from three minutes to half an hour or more. All course videos can be watched individually as you would YouTube videos if you wanted to refresh your knowledge of how to do something.
Courses such as The History of Film And Video Editing are made up of videos divided into two chapters The first chapter is about A History of Film Editing and the second part is about The Technology of film and Video editing. Such courses will complement your knowledge and understanding of a topic.
Learning Google Adsense is another example of a course. It covers “Understanding Adsense, Getting started with adsense, configuring ads and more. By studying for one and a half hours you will come away from this course with a good understanding of how Google Adsense works.
When you complete these video courses you get a certificate of completion which can be added to Linkedin Learning, and the relevant PDFs can be included when applying to jobs where these skills are relevant.
The next step up from one and a half hour courses is the Learning Pathway. Learning Pathways are designed to encompass a variety of skills and knowledge that are required to work as professionals within certain industries or professions.
I recently completed my first Learning pathway: Become a Project Manager and the experience was good. I feel that I did come away from this course having learned about project management. I saw how it relates to projects I have also worked on but also how it could contribute to future projects. Video and television production go well with project management.
The advantage of such a course is that it covers such a breadth of courses that you come away with a deep understanding of the topic. If you want to push further you can take each exam and get the NASBA equivalent in the process. As I live in Europe I didn’t push that far as I don’t know whether it would be recognised.
I am happy to come away from the course with a collection of certificates but I wish they had provided a learning pathway to recognise the entirety of the course, to save on paperwork when applying for jobs.
Studying Linkedin Learning Courses will provide you with certificates, skills on your Linkedin Learning and new knowledge but it can also count as credit for a number of other certifications of which a few are listed above. I know that many of the units I completed also provide learning credit towards PMI related courses.
When I looked at courses in French I saw that the certifications were the same and this disappoints me. At this moment in time Linkedin Learning is centered on American learning and could benefit from international certifications. Swiss and French Learning bodies should design and produce courses that people can take in Europe and have recognised. In fact the European Union should work towards this.
We live in an age of constant learning and reskilling and online learning courses are a good method by which to keep our skills, knowledge and understanding up to date. By Europe, the United States, Asia and Africa working on courses that we can study online people who are between contracts could be earning value affordably by following these courses. Learning is constant, and the more variety we have, the better it will be.