New Year’s Reflections

WHAT WERE WE THINKING?

Early Adopter Syndrome

Whenever clients ask us about the latest, greatest, newest computer hardware or software, we always tell them the same thing: “… under no circumstances should you ever, ever, ever be an early adopter!” Why? Because you pay a premium price for the new thing; the new thing has unworked-out bugs; there is little to no consumer feedback (user forums) on which to base a decision; the manufacturer is anxious to please the stockholders at all costs; and, as P.T. Barnum is quoted as saying, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” This report falls into the category of “Do as we say” not, “Do as we did!” In an effort to gain better control of, lower costs, and increase response time we decided to put in our own server this past year. Now those of you who know us know that we spent over 20 years working with P.C.’s and debugging Microsoft O.S. Finally, we moved over to the Mac. And it has been a match made in heaven – until the day we installed Lion Server. It had just been released this past summer, and based upon the performance records of the Leopard Server release, man, this baby was going to be the bee’s knees. It wasn’t long before the user forums started retching. So much of what made Leopard Server a champion turns out to be stripped from Lion. Somedays the server worked, but more often than not some portion failed. One day my $400.00 site certificates were working, the next, my client’s were getting this message: “this sites certificates have been revoked!” We were a pariah on the internet! For three months we worked with support trying out this fix & that. In the end we decided to return to our previous host server. We’d like to go to Leopard Server, but for now, this experience has left the taste of Microsoft in our mouth. I suppose this is our reminder to “Do what we say…”

Season’s Greetings from NLE Media

View NLE Media Videos on YouTube

Follow NLE Media Productions video at two different channels:

http://www.youtube.com/user/gjglucose?feature=mhee

http://www.youtube.com/user/gjgordon000

NLE Media Productions Podcasts Now Available

Well, we’ve gone ahead and done it – added a Podcast series:  You can see the latest by going HERE

And don’t forget, we do business presentations too.

“Small Business Solutions” now offered by NLE Media Productions

In October of 1995 we launched NLE Media Productions, a company “ To provide professional, moral & ethical media projects utilizing state of the art technologies at a price point competitive with market demand, focusing on SB (Small Business) enterprises.” That was then and six years later we have honed our products and services to meet a variety of needs that small businesses require.

While it is true that we still do some retail based services (wedding video, recitals, anniversaries, old video conversions), our main focus and market of choice has always been the small business sector. However, we found it difficult to separate the two, which caused confusion and hesitation in both markets. To end the confusion we launched a website dedicated entirely to the small business model offering discounted services & products. (May – 2011)

This new website is a “members only” site. The price modules are available only to registered businesses and are geared to cover the media needs of modern business. If you go to our regular website, nlemedia.com, you will note at the bottom of the left hand column is a link to our Small Business Solutions Login.

If you have not registered, you will be directed to a registration page. Once you have filled this out, you will be asked to log in. The site will send you an email with a confirmation code link. Clicking on this link will allow you to login and enter our “Welcome” page. This allows you access to all the pages on the site. For future reference, once you have registered you will only need to login to access these pages.

There are 8 business modules to choose from & combine for overall savings:

1. Bulk Email
2. Digital Design
3. CD & DVD Duplication
4. Graphic Design & Printing
5. Search Engine Optimization
6. Social Media
7. Video Production
8. Web Design & Management

The discount rates are based upon the following parameters:

• Minimum 2 modules – 5% overall discount

• Minimum 3 modules – 10% overall discount

• Minimum 4 modules – 15% overall discount

• Minimum 5 modules – 20% overall discount

• Minimum 6 modules – 25% overall discount

• Minimum 7 modules – 30% overall discount

• All 8 modules – 35% overall discount

Over the years we have found that unless you have a dedicated employee handling web updates, SEO, social media updates, client updating through email programs, your online image suffers. Many small business owners opt for DIY websites that are cheap and allow them to make changes as needed. Likewise, they run their own blogs, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. accounts. There is nothing wrong with trying to do this yourself.

The problem is the time it takes to do this while maintaining a public image that is consistent with your company image & message – plus all the other hats you wear in your day to day business activities. The result being infrequently updated and often contradictory/inconsistent information across your entire business online presence. The cost to have a dedicated staff member do this is often the reason you opt to do it yourself.

That is why we have created the “Small Business Solutions” modular program. It is not a cookie cutter approach to image and presence, but a customized solution based upon your specific business needs. It takes our experience at digital & graphic design, videography, web creation, programming and analysis, and applies those resources to your business model. The result is a consistent message and image boosting the relevance of your business.

Initial consultations are free and all quotes are in writing. Once you have registered you can access our online quote initiation page to get the ball started. Our motto remains: “We make you look good in a memorable way.”

NLE Media initiates Small Business Solutions – 6/1/2011

My Most Embarrassing Moment With Actor Sam Elliot

Winter - 1968 The Day I met Sam Elliot

It has been 43 years since I met Sam Elliot.  At the time I was a high school senior with delusions I could act.  In retrospect society has been blessed that these were merely delusions, who knows the damage I could have done if a career had been pursued.

Ramona Reynolds (long since deceased) was my drama teacher and (in my mind only) mentor.  Some six years before my time she had taught a young Sam Elliot who had gone on to Hollywood and was in fact making acting a career.  He was the hero we “thespians” looked up to.  He made it, therefore, so could we!  (Lindsey Wagner – formerly Lindsey Ball was also a graduate of the same high school, but at that time she hadn’t made it to Hollywood – aka: “Bionic Woman”.)

One winter day Mr. Elliot returned to Portland and visited his mentor, Mrs. Reynolds.  She was very proud of Sam and was eager to showcase some of her latest prodigies – moi’ included.  Those of you not familiar with drama classes and such may not be familiar with something we call “cuttings”.  These were usually soliloquies from famous plays that students would take on as projects both for classroom assignments as well as for show at various drama festivals and contests.  The world is a stage and all that stuff…

This was a particularly heady year for Ramona’s drama department.  We had just completed the University of Portland Speech/Arts Festival in January and Ramona’s pet (moi’) had received the prestigious “Men’s Best Actor” award.  She was anxious to parade her pets before her most successful student.  Personally, I was a nervous wreck.  But, the show must go on – and Ramona volunteered me to perform my award-winning “cutting” before Mr. Elliot.

The “cutting” I was about to perform was the final scene in absurdist playwright Eugene Ionesco’s play, “Rhinoceros“. My role was that of  Monsieur Berenger who is the lone holdout in a world that has gone to the rhinos. That is, everyone has become rhinos.  Berenger has remained the lone non-conformist.  He’s a nut job – and the role was type cast for me.  (Through my brief acting career I was routinely cast as the evil scientist, psychopath, nut job, bad guy and homicidal maniac.  What can I say, it comes naturally.)  At the end of this tortured play, Berenger looks in a mirror and sees what he truly is: ALONE.  He grabs a chair and dashes the mirror to pieces. What a scene!  Hot Damn!

Now in the cutting I did, the mirror is pretend.  Only the chair is real. So at the end of my scene I grab the chair and swing it at the imaginary mirror.  (che’ dramatique !!!)  What I failed to realize in my debut before the great Sam Elliot was that the ceiling in our little drama room was quite low.  In addition to that, the quad flourescent fixture holding 4 – 8 foot bulbs was even lower.  Imagine if you will the carnage and debris resulting from hitting this fixture full on with a nice oak school chair. (Oh, the humanity!)

When the lights went out, I don’t remember seeing much.  Maybe that was because the room went pitch black.  Maybe my mind went blank.  In either case the embarrassment  was thorough and heartfelt.  I don’t think I ever shared this with any friends or family until recently when I met up with a couple of classmates of Mr. Elliot’s.  Oh, well.  I suppose it could have been worse had I let the chair fly instead of holding on. . .

This is what I do now – much safer:

Take a few Snapshots & Make a Statement

You take a few photos, set an order and timing for each, then export as a GIF animation file.  Small, quick loading and a great way to sell your image.  Contact us.

NLE Media & AAHA Co-Production of “The Outdoor Show” makes it into National Magazine

The November 2010 issue of “Outside” magazine has a three page article about Donny Adair’s African American Hunting Association “Outdoor Show“.  In the Dropping In article by Michael J. Mooney you’ll read about this local made show.  Donny and I are just tickled to have our show receive this kind of recognition.  Now we just need the locals to see what we produce.  Michael J. Mooney’s work has appeared in the best American Sports Writing.

The November issue is available at newsstands & bookstores now.  The online version will be available soon.  Check us out.

Director and co-Producer: Greg Gordon

It’s easy to forget that I also direct & co-produce a hunting & fishing show for The African American Hunting Association.  People like me have to be kept busy, otherwise we get into mischief…