Producing Artefact: One - Problems

If producing an artefact from a period of time you were not alive... to when you were brought into this world is not the easiest work to produce, but it certainly does not help when the equipment is not on your side either...what a nightmare!

The first issue was before filming got under way, and having the use of two VHS player/recorders from university was to test them both. One was working to an acceptable standard, the other would turn on, but if you attempted to play or record onto a VHS tape, would simply not do much...asides from pulling the tape out of the VHS tape.

So to resolve this issue, the VHS player was returned to university and another one was seriously sought after, the university could not provide the help that was required, so I was brought to a standstill. Fortunately after literally ‘ringing around’ all over the city of Nottingham, I was able to locate one very old, unused TV / video recorder combination. This was very quickly brought back to the premises, and tested...issue one was resolved just in the nick of time.

The second and (at the time) earth shattering issue was recording, using the S-VHS camera. Whilst testing the camera, it appeared to play the VHS tape, and record onto the tape without a problem. The first scene was set up, and the pre-production was ready, all that was needed now was to press the record button and start recording. As the finger ventured towards the record button the camera had had enough of the 50 second build up and decided to switch itself off.

Far from being an ideal situation, the camera was unplugged and re-connected, with a scent of worry in the air, the camera was tried again, but alas no luck. The camera had literally had enough of being overtaken in the technology world, and had decided to take its frustrations out of me and my artefact. I proceeded to walk (almost at the pace of a jog) over to Bonnington, camera in hand, looking to seek advice, or more realistically desperate help from one of the very helpful technicians. Being as technical as they are, the camera was taken out of the case, plugged in and worked, simple as that, no need for complications, the camera was just plugged in and WORKED!

Right I thought, thank you very much, and I was off. The camera packed into the case and a brisk walk back to the filming location ensued. With the camera being in much less technical hands, I followed the same procedure as the technician and simply waited for the camera to work. Would the situation ease for me? Had the S-VHS camera simply realised that DVD technology is much more advanced than itself? No chance.

The camera did not work once again, unsurprised and almost at a point otherwise known as stressed, the question was posed “what else can be done?” The answer was to simply unplug the camera and reconnect it and hope for the best. A long wait of 25 minutes had gone by until the camera was re-connected, and VOILÀ the camera worked. The shots were set-up once more and taken, until 3 minutes 52 seconds into the recording when the camera almost inevitably turned off once more.

Panic was not an issue any more, frustration had well and truly taken over. Safe in the knowledge that the camera was at the end of its tether, artefact: one was re-written, into a very short news broadcast article, one that could realistically be achieved in one whole day.

From scene to scene the camera would be very consistent, unfortunately not in the right way. The artefact was finally recorded after much pain, a lot of frustration but ultimately safe in the knowledge that technology has advanced so far that whilst my knowledge of broadcast news from the early 1980’s had improved dramatically...this technology should never be used again, at least by me!!!