There's No Fool Like An Old Fool …

As my age continues to increase and my ability to learn new tricks declines, today I was given a much-needed shot in the arm by a piece of technology.

Ordinarily, I would set about editing TV news footage on two machines; a recorder and a player. Simple cut-cut editing. Tape out of the camera and get bashing. Nothing flashy but, my word, I am lightning quick. The idea of using this new non-linear computer stuff and my face would just twist into the 'I’ve just swallowed a pint of freshly squeezed lemon juice' face.

Editing by computer has one major draw-back; unlike tape-to-tape, it is impossible to haul a cassette out of a camera and get going, you have to download all the footage into the computer first, which takes time.

Once a few minutes of tape from a recent press conference was captured onto the laptop (you see, I've got the lingo already), I opened up a 'bin' and started pulling shots about. Without the luxury of a 'how-to' manual, after one hour I had the basics figured out and was editing sequences together.

I feel as though I have discovered part of a dark continent and am feeling more than a little pleased with myself.

We'll see how long that lasts …

Stu