CHICAGO (AP): In what appears to be one of the largest hoaxes ever uncovered, it is alleged that software companies, video and still camera manufacturers, and Apple have teamed up to drive a Chicago woman crazy.
Dawn Dall, a Lincoln Square resident who plans to apply for what's been called The Best Job in the World, is at her wit's end with "this whole video fiasco." The job, located on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, has few responsibilities but many perks. A 6-month stint targeted to increase tourism on the reef, the job pays 150,000 Australian dollars and requires only that the successful applicant snorkel, explore the island, perform a few minor tasks, and blog about the experience on the tourism website.
To apply, a 60-second video application must be uploaded to the job website, http://www.islandreefjob.com/. However, this is proving to be more difficult than Dall had imagined. She reportedly borrowed a new Sony Handycam from a friend to record footage of her volunteer experience, diving at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. After purchasing the required 8-cm DVD-Rs from a local electronics store, taking a few quick videos at home to learn how to use the camera, and arranging taping with another friend, she obtained some good shots to use in the application.
More filming at home produced an introduction and the basic audio track, describing why Dall feels that she is perfect for the job. Joselito Seldera, a friend attending film school in California, offered to edit the video, adding photos of Dall's related experiences. With filming complete, Dall set to going through the files on the DVD-Rs but found that they were invisible to her computer.
After installing the camera's software on her PC, the files were viewable but in an unheard-of format. Seldera said he worked best in imovie, Apple's editing software, so she set about finding a file converter. Turns out the Handycam-bundled software would convert the files to MPEG-2 format, more recognizable but still relatively useless since a few Google inquiries later indicated that imovie doesn't work well with MPEG-2 files, if at all.
Another suggestion by Seldera sent Dall to the home of another Mac user, David White, to determine if newer versions of imovie could convert either the original or converted MPEG files to quicktime. "Dave asked me how to use the 8-cm discs, and I told him there's an adapter in the CD tray that it fits into perfectly. He said 'Mine doesn't have a tray but I bet it'll figure out that it's a small disc and adjust for it...it's pretty smart.'"
Turns out, the Mac wasn't as smart as they thought. White slid the disc into the drive, and when nothing happened, they got worried. Another quick Google search told them that Macs are not equipped to handle the diminutive discs, and to get it out, the drive would have to be removed and disassembled. Frantically searching the fedora-strewn apartment for a pair of tweezers, White had what can only be described as a MacGyver moment. "We need something skinny, with a hook on one end, to reach in there and grab it by the hole in the middle," he said.
A few minutes later, reshaped paper clip in hand, White was able to excise the disc from the drive harmlessly, and both breathed a little easier. The task at hand, though, was no nearer completion. Without the ability to read the mini DVDs, there was no way to convert the files. Dall headed home, feeling defeated and nearly hopeless.
A thought came to her while sitting in traffic - her Canon Powershot could record short movie clips, long enough for the application video. What file type would they be? With a Toys for Tots Parade video on her camera, this was easy to determine: .avi. Yet another Google search turned up the same result: imovie doesn't like this file type either, and conversions were often problematic.
At her wit's end, Dall is almost ready to give up, record a crappy video on the Canon, and call it a day. "Why are there so many file types? Why don't any of mine work with imovie? Who makes cameras that DO work with imovie? Why does Sony make it so hard to edit videos taken with their cameras? How are all these other applicants making cool-looking movies?"
The answer to these questions may never be known. It is clear that Sony, Canon, Apple, and the other 10,000-plus applicants who know what they're doing are in cahoots to prevent Dall from applying to the job. "They must be really worried," Dall says. "I'm perfect for the job that they all want."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment