>I didn't watch or tape this episode, but apparently it was panned and
>scanned so that the text was always shown but then moved into a better
>position when there was no text. This would have to be deliberately
>done, and whomever is responsible chose to keep their mouth(s) shut
>regarding this.

First, understand that you're dealing with different arms of the same octopus.
One arm selects which versions go into the machine. Down the road, a week or a
month later, somebody else loads those transfers and is told to make sure the
things are letterboxed. As it goes through that process, that person notes
that some elements are below frame...so they pan and scan. They do what
they're told with what they have.

>It may not be the sci-fi channels fault, but not checking the remaing
>seasons because season 1 was OK wasn't very smart.

It is, however, pretty standard.

>I think that everyone is a little too quick to pass the blame, when a
>thorough check by the seller(WB) or the (sellee) or by having someone
>that knows the show (fiona?) oversee the transfer. I think those three
>parties as well as the subcontractor need to take some responsibility
>here.

Fiona has nothing to do with video transfers. Has never HAD anything to do with
video transfers. So knock that one out of your list right off the bat.

Should WB have checked? Yes. I imagine SFC did check, and found them correct
initially. They had no more reason to check the rest than I would've had.

And WB is currently fixing the situation. They say that (barring unforeseen
events) they should have the transfers in place in time for S4 airings, and
right thereafter in subsequent runs, and at my request they are going to pay
particular attention to the audio elements.

>I think that everyone is a little too quick to pass the blame

And there are always those a little too quick to *assign* blame to those who
have nothing to do with the problem. See above.

jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2000 by
synthetic worlds, ltd., permission
to reprint specifically denied to
SFX Magazine)

>Will the "corrected" shows be shown on rerun?

Yes, once they have the proper versions, those will be the ones rerun.

>And, if the crew is noticing some elements fall below the frame, does
>this mean the show in question is "not" letterbox? I mean, letterbox
>shouldn't need ANY pan and scan, yes?
>

Let me try this one more time. They loaded up THE WRONG VERSIONS FOR THE
TRANSFERS. In other words, NOT the letterboxed versions. That's why the
transfers were screwed up in the first place.

jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2000 by
synthetic worlds, ltd., permission
to reprint specifically denied to
SFX Magazine)

>I know I'm coming across as a real ass

Yes, you are.

>but I feel pretty damn strongly about this
>particular matter.

I would suggest that you can not care about this any more strongly than I do.

>To elaborate, I wasn't saying that fiona did supervise the transfers. i was
>saying
>that someone who knows the show, like fiona, SHOULD have oversaw the
>transfers.
>For someone that cares about the fans, and has reason to distrust a network
>to do
>the job right, I'm surprised something like that wasn't done.

Can I ask you a question? What color is the sky in the world where you live?

I cannot send someone, nor can I, just barge into a major studio's technical
lab and demand to oversee this process. First off, I didn't know WHEN it was
being done, nobody told me, because they never tell ANYbody.

Second, again, if you think I or anyone can just go barging in there and
oversee this thing on my say-so...you're from Mars. It doesn't work that way.


It's got nothing to do with caring about a show or not caring about a show,
it's got everything to do with what you can and can't do when it comes to
marching into somebody's office in a multi-billion dollar corporation and
telling them their job when (at that point) there had not been any reason shown
to merit this. Saying "I'm here because you guys are just such fuckups that I
*know* you're going to mess this up" would serve only to have security
summoned.

I'm sorry, but neither I nor anyone else involved with Babylonian Prods. can be
held responsible for your erroneous view of how things should be done, which do
not touch reality at any two contiguous points.

jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2000 by
synthetic worlds, ltd., permission
to reprint specifically denied to
SFX Magazine)