I was saddened a while back when the program was ended. I guess you could say I grew up with the shuttle program, through it good times and the bad ones. I remember seeing Hubble images for the first time but I also remember the misfortunes. there is so much history in the skies that I feel so inspired by the enthusiasm of NASA even after the space race was a thing of the pass.

A few weeks ago my inner nerd came across the news article informing DC that it would the prime location of a one time only event. the Space Shuttle Discovery would be escorted over downtown DC including the capital build and the National Mall on its way to its final resting place in the National Air and Space Museum in VA. So by the time I finished reading this news I was shaking and probably making some weird fanboy sounds.

So I originally planned to call out of work to meet the shuttle in VA since it is by my house but I isn’t want to leave my office hangin’. Instead I decided to take a very early lunch so that I could go down to the mall and watch it flyover. I think it was a blessing that I went to the mall. I think I got a great view of the flyer… Or should I say flyovers. That’s right, the escort flew over the mall about four times most of them being straight up the mall towards the capital building.

Now I keep on saying “escort” and didn’t really explain what that means. When being transported between missions or in this case to be retired, the shuttle is fitted on the back of a modified 747. How cool is that!? There was also a jet flying with them from what I can only imagine was to take pictures from next to the envoy with the city below.

This whole event just gives me a nice warm feeling inside that makes me feel like I got to witness a piece of history. In my opinion it signifies the end of a great era in the U.S. space program. The sad part is that there is no program in place to directly take the place of the shuttle program. I know there are things in the work but as a fan of space exploration I would have just wanted to see one program end and a new one start up to get people excited all over again.

There is just something magical about space exploration that makes people like nerd out. To be fair I get the same way about ocean exploration but that one is a little more difficult to get excited for. I guess you can chalk that one of to working for NOAA. I drank the Kool-Aid while working there and totally get nerdy with the ocean as well.

Thank you to all my friends who put up with my complete nerd overload over that week.  I think every other post on facebook and twitter was me geeking out over some new piece of information about the festivities.  I am glad I made it and got some pictures but the ones from NASA and some of the other news organizations just make me pause and smile.  I can say “I was there.”

 There can be no thought of finishing for ‘aiming for the stars.’ Both figuratively and literally, it is a task to last the generations. But no matter how much progress one makes, there is always the the thrill of just beginning.
- Robert H. Goddard

Kurtis Parks and the Anthem Shots

A week ago I picked up a gig shooting a AAA Concerts live show for HarvestBloom and wanted to share a few things, including the photos of course. I wanted to lead with how much I LOVE shooting live concerts and the thrill I get out of it. If I were to hit the lotto and could quit my job, I think I would become a freelance music photographer. I have shot a fair amount of bands and musicians in the past few years and I have learned a lot about the craft and how to approach the subject.

The first and most important thing to remember is that there is no show that is too small. Now I mean this in a few ways. The first is that you never know where some of these acts will show up. I treat all musicians the same and that is that, I shoot everyone like that are a rockstar. The second part of this has to do with venues. Not everyone plays arenas or even in clubs. No matter the location you want to make sure to make it look like they are playing a great gig and venue. Bands will love you for it, trust me, no one wants to look like they are playing some dive with no crowd.

Which leads to the next key, make sure to get crowd shots if there is a large crowd and if not, focus on the stage and don’t make it look like no one showed up. This all falls under the approach that the photos being taken can be used for self promotion and even while tring to get contracts. It is in your best interest to make the bands look as awesome and popular as possible. This is where never knowing where act could end up comes in handy.

One thing I also do as a habit is shooting whatever bands are playing that night. I am already there, I already have access to the stage and other parts of the venue, why not take advantage of it? This could also lead to more money or, more importantly, more gigs. Opening acts are also a great way to gauge lighting and locations for the main bands. Knowing where to be and how to set your camera ahead of time is all a part of being prepared. Some of this can be done before the show if you are there early but sometimes you won’t see the lighting setup until the show starts.

Lastly, and this is more of a health concern, always wear protection. Some of you may think im kidding, but im not. Always have earplugs with your photo gig. I keep a ton of them in my photo bag. Let me put it this way, even if its a christian rock show, have hearing protection. Yea, it might be a night of piano, OR it might be Flyleaf… you never know. Never under estimate a venue’s sound system.

I am going to use this post to go over what I have been up to, for those who want to catch up, and some outlook for the new year, you can call it my 2012 resolutions, but I am not. At work I take the review time that come around at the end of the fiscal year to look back at what I did and what I plan on doing in the coming year. This is sort of the same thing only, pertaining to my personal life, and maybe a little work.

Starting with the boring, and less flashy is my new-found love of reading/listening to books. I have never been much of a reader, not because I don’t like to read, but more because it makes me tired and I can’t read fast enough for it to be interesting to me. When I first started working in DC I opened up an account with Audible and started listening to books because my commute was at least two hours each way. This completely changed my outlook on reading. I knocked out a few books the first year around but this past year I really ramped up my reading and It has really taken hold.

A few of the books that stood out this past year were all great in their own way. Ready: Player one, which has turned out to be my favorite fiction of the year, really tapped into my love of 80′s pop culture, tech and games. I suggest that for the nerds in all of you. I thought about writing a review for this one but I think it would ruin the book.

I think my favorite biography was Rob Lowe: Stories I Only Tell My Friends. I never knew al lot about Rob Lowe, other than his role in The West Wing, and some troubles he had in his career. The most fascinating part was definitely his childhood and dealing with being a child actor. I felt that it was a lot of interesting coincidences and a fair amount of inside baseball. I had enough to say about this one to give it its own post.

ESPN: Those Guys Have All The Fun was one that I stumbled into on Audible and wasn’t sure what to expect. It turned out to be a great story of a television icon growing from the ground up. It is also interesting to listen to this book and how the topics seem to be evolving in front of our eyes with things like NFL Network and the soon-to-be NBC Sports channel.

Steve Jobs: A Biography, is a given. I was kind of disappointed in the b
ook but I took it with a grain of salt. My outlook for the book was that Steve was guiding the writing of book as a piece of his legacy that he would be leaving his kids. As I wrote about earlier on the blog, I have a large amount of respect for Steve, I don’t care about his personality as much, but as a visionary for the future, there is no replacement.

Finally, A Little Bit Wicked was the sneaker pick. I picked this one up because of my love for Kristen Chenoweth. This bio gave plenty of insight into her life and the journey to being the famous singer and actor. What was more important to me was the outlook on life that she has. There is a lot of faith involved but seeing how that faith makes a person is just inspiring. I hope that my own faith, as patched together it may be, has had a positive effect on my life. The early section on her adoption was also very powerful and I think is the closest thing to my own opinion I’ve ever read.

I skipped over a few tech books I read about the culture and some of the life altering products of out time. I also did some re-reading of my favorite books which included Stardust and Heavier Than Heaven. I also just finished re-reading the tenth anniversary edition of American Gods. I also am working on the new Steven King 11/22/63. I have really gotten into his work recently and it all started with Full Dark  No Stars. I Read Under The Dome before that, but it was a little too much for me. I have since backtracked to older works just because I am also a movie nerd and hit up IT, Christine, and assorted others.

So you made it through the books I read this year, I guess you really want to see what I did this past year. I may not be living out of my suitcase but I did get out to some cool places this year. All the best trips were for work but when work is something you have fun doing, like teaching people about technology, it’s all good.

Starting from farthest away, I had the opportunity to visit Doha, Qatar. Don’t know where that is? Google Map it. So, this trip is probably the closest thing to visiting the middle east as I will ever be. I say that because I felt that there was a very eastern vibe there. Doha reminded me very much of a mega city being built over top of a very old school town. It was still a very eye-opening cultural experience and I truly regret not taking more photos outside of the conference I was working.

The runner-up trip by distance away from home was San Jose, Costa Rica. This was one of my favorite trips of the year. I was down they’re doing some training on photography and video. I didn’t have much time there, but it was enough to have a great time. It was one of the more entertaining trips I’ve taken thus far. It could be because I experienced my first earthquake, and it could be the late night idea to get higher a driver, buy some six pac
ks (not for the driver, sorry bud), and head to an active volcano with some advisers. BTW: my understanding of Spanish does not get better with alcohol.

Alright, getting closer to the U.S. with this past year’s NAFSA. This conference has pretty much turned into guaranteed travel for me and I was lucky enough for 2011′s to be in Vancouver, BC. Hands down, Vancouver was the most beautiful city I have been to in my entire life. I even set aside time to do some tourist photo stuff. I spent at least a full day in Stanley Park and almost
missed my flight home. My favorite moment had to be the sunset on the beach. Oh, and did I mention that it was during the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

Chronologically the first trip of 2011 was San Francisco, CA. unfortunately I spent most of my time in Moscone West for MacWorld. Which I shouldn’t complain about at all, the conference was awesome! I learned a ton of new stuff and met many of the tech community people I basically listen to year around like Leo Laporte and Sarah Lane. Had a brief conversation with Cali Lewis, Merlin Mann and Paul Thurrott. One day I was able to get out to walk the piers with my camera and even got out to Alcatraz which was probably the best part of the trip.

My last trip for the year was Phoenix, Arizona for AIGA: Pivot. The conference was probably the most inspirational think I did all year. I think I need to do more events like this for my own sanity and for building my skills. Working as a one-man in-house design shop is that you don’t have other creatives around to bounce ideas or even back you up. I opened up a new can of worms on Data Visualization and some more personal development for me as a designer. There were a lot of great talks and plenty of things to follow-up on this coming year.

I was lucky enough to have time to get out to the Grand Canyon before I went back home. I missed out on the Grand Canyon two years ago but this time around I was determined not to miss it. Although I feel that I rushed it a lot, for joining up on a bus tour for a day, I think my photos came out ok. I think next year I am going to make sure to take a good vacation and go on a photo tour of somewhere interesting. I really think I have a long way to go with landscape photography.

So, a couple of life events included Snowcoming 2011 at Albright for my five-year, which made me feel old, especially after going up to Phi Mu and seeing how young everyone is. I think that was the last homecoming I will be attending until my next reunion. The fun part was the 6-8 inches of snow that we got on the day of homecoming. Beer ball in the snow is definitely entertaining to watch.

Some DC notes would also be in order I guess. The most shocking was the Earthquake which was just as close to work as it was to my house. Luckily a few months earlier I experienced an earthquake in Costa Rica as I mentioned before. Unlucky for me, the first one I was in a basement and the one in DC I was on the 6th floor of my building. Let me tell you, it makes a huge difference in how it feels. Mainly rumble vs. sway.

Ok, now here is my (hopefully brief) Occupy movement. The camp at McPherson Square is a block away from my work and they have been growing in numbers since October. I decided to go out with them one Friday after work to march and got some nice photos but it was very mild and the crowd was pretty small. Since then they marched a few other times and I really didn’t enough to go. A few weeks ago we even has a soft lockdown as they shut down 14th street outside my building. It was more a hassle to everyday people than anything else. I know one thing, the Revolution March a few years back was much more vocal and the people were very passionate. I don’t get that with this group.

I really don’t know what I think about the protest anymore. I think there is a lot of mixed messaging and I really don’t know if a lot of these people truly know what they are protesting for or against. There are a few that do, but all in all, there is a lot of angst caused by the upper crust of our society. I guess I might feel differently if I didn’t bust my ass to get what I have now and I have a suspicion that many of the protesters are the ones that can’t figure out why no one is helping them, when they don’t help themselves (I also know that there are people who are holding several jobs to make it by, that’s not the group I am talking about, although some also need to learn to live within their means.) OK, I’m done with that, I could go on a rant but I will stop it there. I almost gave the topic its own post, but didn’t think it was appropriate.

My last group of updates are techno ones. There have been two new additions to my house including an iPad 2 (purchased on launch day, my first apple line experience) and my iPhone 4s which I preordered and had mailed to the hotel I was staying at in AZ, since that were I was when It was launched. I also have taking a strong liking to Google+ for my photography and think it will be a larger part of my photography outreach in the future.

You made it to the future outlook! Good for you! I don’t know what made you read though all of this but you must have a lot of time on your hands. The first main outlook is my commitment to myself to build in more volunteer time into my schedule. I feel that it is something that I did a lot up through college and it has fallen off in the past few years since moving to VA. There is more on that in my last post here.

I also want to actively look for more photo gigs around DC, mainly events like concerts or shows. I feel that it is something I am good at and I just don’t get that much time to do it because without asking around, I don’t get that many offers for that kind of work. In general I always want to expand my photography and like I said earlier, I want to really go all out on a photo trip in the coming year.

I also want to take more advantage of work trips that take me to new places. Maybe take a few days before or after events to explore and do some sightseeing even. I expect there to be at least a few chances for that and tend to make the best of them.

Now the things I want to do in the coming year take up more of my time. You may be asking yourself, where is that time coming from? Well, it is coming from thin air. I will also continue to modify the way I manage my time at work. I have cut down on the extra time I spend in the office when it is not busy. The first two years in DC I have been putting in long hours and not all of them needed to be. I guess it is the way I am, but I hate leaving things undone.

This coming year I intend to manage that time better and put in less extra time while still getting the same amount of work done. I really burnt myself out this past year and it has taken until last month to really recover from it, if I’m not still recovering. I don’t intend to burn out again. I have made some real progress in laying foundations to build upon each year and in turn, each year should get easier.

Well, thanks for reading all of this. To call this an eventful year would probably be an understatement, but I intent to top it next year.

Pro bono publico (for the public good) means what it says. It is work for the public good, kind of like volunteer work for a non profit. Some of the blame can be attributed to the deterioration of the English language and the meaning of words. That aside, people have decided that it is a fall back for when they can’t afford a skilled trade.

Anyone that has looked at posting for the film industried it comes in the form of “I have an idea for a film I need a full cast and crew, but I can’t pay you. It’s pro bono.” *headdesk* Is it some life altering project that will affect the world in some way? “YES, its a penniless writer…” STOP. NO.

That is what I was very happy to hear about the idea from AIGA. Design for Good at it’s core is an initiative asking it’s members (which I am one) to contribute 5% of my time to work on a TRUE pro bono publico idea. I had heard some things here and there about the idea, but now my DC chapter is organizing to become a stronger part of this. It’s one of those types of moments that make me proud to be a member.

Since I graduated college, I have fallen off on my donating of time. At some points I think I was donating my time as much as 5-10 hours a week. I feel like I have let myself down in this aspect of the past few years, but it is something that I can definitely change.

It doesn’t hurt to also be a part of two other great nationally recognized organizations in college, especially Alpha Phi Omega. I feel like they got me through college and contributed to the person I am today. I also can link many of my best friends to A Phi O. It seemed a good transition from Mount Saint Joseph High School where I, in many ways became the man I am today.

I see Design for Good as the next step in my philanthropy. I may not be Bill Gates, but look at it this way, I am giving more (in percentage of wealth) then him. This is my “I want to change the world” moment. I am lucky enough to have a full time job where I already have some of that feeling but I think I have settled in enough to raise the bar.

Here is an interview with the ED of AIGA about the project (among other things) and a link if you are interested in more information

There are a few shows that I am “That Guy” about and one of them is The West Wing. So it interested me when I found out that Sam Seaborn wrote a book! Ok, maybe Sam didn’t but Rob Lowe did. Why is this interesting you may be asking yourself? I am a child of the 80′s and even more of a child of the 90′s and Rob Lowe just so happened to be a part of the pop culture that I soaked up through my life.

I have always been a sucker for Bios and this book is one of the main reasons why. The story of Rob’s life seems rocky when at home but it very strongly contrasted by being around people who would grow up to be some of the major Hollywood power houses of the 90′s and even today.

We tend to hear all these stories of childhood stars who crash and burn or fade away. I found this book facinating as it guides up through his childhood, teenage years and transitions into being an adult. It also is a plus that there are a lot of stories that pull back the curtain on parts of Hollywood.

I consider this one a must read for anyone interested in entertainment and the industry.

I know I promised a bunch of other posts on the blog that I really didn’t get around to writing. Why you may ask? Well, because they were reviews on books I finished reading and to tell the truth it was more of a writing exercise for me then for mass consumption. I really am not entirely secure with my writing on thing that I don’t consider myself proficient in. So for now, unless otherwise inspired to write, it will be more photo and technology updates. But hey, I might get in a writing moon over thanksgiving break in Baltimore, who knows.

On that note I finally got out to a shoot for the first time in forever. In conjunction with Stratatek Studios I shot photography during the music video shoot for a band called HarvestBloom. I have to say, it was one of the simpler setups but it helped me work on using single and/or directed light sources. I found myself digging myself into difficult situations with poor focusing due to having the open up the lens and more noise because of having the crank up the ISO.

I knew going into this shoot that I would snap off a lot of photos and discard a good number of them because of blur, focus and composition problems. I blow the most photos on drummers because there are only a few angles I can get (especially since I didn’t bring my ladder) and they are moving faster then the rest of the band. Drummers also come in two kinds, one that lacks expression because they are not used to people being able to see them, and the other is the overly active drummer that tries their damnedest to be seen.

I think I ended up shooting around 1,400 photos and keeping under a hundred. Yea… you read that correctly.

]]> http://newrevmedia.tv/2011/11/harvest-bloom-music-video-shoot/feed/ 0 http://newrevmedia.tv/2011/11/go-west/ http://newrevmedia.tv/2011/11/go-west/#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:21:49 +0000 admin http://newrevmedia.tv/?p=580 LINK TO GALLERY

While on my recent trip to Phoenix, Arizona I had the privilege of having a little free time at the end of the conference week to head out to see the Grand Canyon. I don’t think the location was ever on my “must see” list but looking back on it should have been. I was close to visiting almost two years ago while doing adviser training out in Flagstaff but missed the field trip with the advisers and got in the day after. Ever since then I have been looking for an opportunity and that time had finally come.

The day trip required a very early wake up call and working around AIGA town hall meetings but I made it happen. At the beginning of the trip there was a brief stop in Sedona (where I would retire to in an instant) where I got to see the red rock formations. Moving on from there we had a pit stop in Indian country to see the little Colorado river that runs through the reserve. To be quite honest it was the most disconcerting part of the trip. The “gift shop” on the reservation was like any other in AZ and I refused to buy anything that was mass produced. It was really a letdown but I am sure if I went on a tour that was more directed towards the Native Americans I would have had a different experience. I guess I really never had any direct contact with the state of the Natives and it really makes me sad to see the result of what our nation is capable of in all of it’s glory and shame.

OK, sorry… ADD i guess. Back on track to the Grand Canyon. There were three stops along the southern rim of the canyons. The first and second were very limited and it really looked like most of those stops were limited in what you could get to. I feel like I got some ok shots but not many that I was really blown away by. I really went in cold without any approaches to being with. Landscapes really are not my thing, if anything I can get around an urban scene but these wide open spaces are really difficult to deal with. I think the thing I have the most trouble with is haze or really visibility towards the farther parts of the scene. I think at some point I want to go on a vacation/workshop somewhere scenic.

The last part of the trip was the main viewpoint from the south which was more of a village. There was also access to the Bright Angel Trail which I decided to take a hike down. From previous experiences (Wandering around SF / Alcatraz and getting lost in Stanley Park / Vancouver, BC) I knew to pace myself and not bite too much off. Unlike my previous adventures the hike back would be a hell of a lot steeper navigating the switchbacks. I went down about between a half to a full mile down the trail and then headed back.

During my hike there were plenty of opportunities for me to sit and take it all in, and that I did. I really wish I had more time there and relax. For what few hours I did have I felt like it was the closest to meditating I’ve ever been. I found myself just looking out into the canyon and clearing my head. I need more of that, A LOT more of that. I need some more time off when it comes around because I DO NOT want to burn out again when there is so much coming up. Come February the madness starts up all over again.

PHOTO GALLERY LINK

At the office I seem to be one of the lucky ones that get to leave the office for some personal development. Also lucky for me I chose a profession that has some amazing gatherings of creative people. I dug up a conference that I had heard about through one of my design organizations AIGA. In any other situations I would have returned to the HOWdesign conference which I attended a few years ago. Problem with that is the timing, it conflicts with a work conference every year which is a shame. Interesting enough I could make it this coming year but it would leave only a few days between the two events.

To start with I have not had the opportunity to go to a conference like this in a long time, last year I went to MacWorld instead which was good but was more driven by learning programs and seeing new releases and less about the designer’s frame of mind. It was a great opportunity for me to be around people that thought like me and help me expand my thinking. I tend to refer to my frame of mind as being a “creative” and that I feel like I am the only one at work. This event was a strong representation of “creatives.”

One of the main tracks I decided to follow had to do with data visualization. Man, was I in for it. I thought it was going to be how to make shiny charts and graphs that people like. The sessions turned out to be very enlightening and not only talked about rethinking information and even how some of the more advance visualizations were made. I think it was a great track for me, I feel like we are always fighting to make our content engaging while still teaching people something. That is a hell of a balancing act but I think it really game me a base to work with while making my stands on how we can leverage what I learned.

I really enjoyed the main sessions and I think they were more inspiration and eye opening. But there were a few that really stood out. I really channeled my inner rebel while listening to Dondeena Bradley from Pepsico talk about design and health within the company. I used to believe that the only way to change “the man” was from the inside. Now, years later, I have found proof that I am not the only person with that thinking. Many around me were not as sold on the idea of working for a large company like that but I knew where I stood. Another mind bender was Stuart Candy who fed into my beliefs that there were no limits to what a person can do, I mean, he is like a psychic that uses sociology and anthropology to predict how people will evolve.

Now all of the speakers weren’t design minds, but some were artists. Is there a difference? Yes and no, that is a whole discussion in itself. One being Sadik Kwaish Alfraji who game a very quiet but moving talk about his most recent work and how it related to his life. The second artist, who pretty much made my week, was Chip Kidd. Chip, a native Reading, PA artist, designs book covers. Seems trivial, I know, but his charisma and sense of humor really cemented my through of doing what you love to do. If there was a unified message in what I read and people I follow, this is it. Oh, and did I mention that he was working on a new Batman Graphic Novel? AND coined a new word?! (DOUCHEBOOB)

I continue to think about the people I had the privilege to listen to and the ones I met. My head is still spinning over the ideas and frame of mind I gained from being around all of those amazing people. I think starting off with a Alina Wheeler session on selling yourself was the best possible thing I could do. It turned into a HUGE ego boost which I think I needed at the time. It really helped me find meaning in what I do and why I do it. I think over that week I moved up a level in that category and it may take longer for me to fill into the shoes I am making for myself.

All in all, the trip was a huge success but it turned out to me more for my mind then for my technique at work. Both are equally important and I think my largest gift is design sense. Not fashion design, but designing plans, graphics, work flows, and just coming up with new ideas. I think the trip refueled that part of my brain or soul, depending on your beliefs. I need more time like this, or maybe I just need to get involved more locally in the design circles, god knows there are plenty of groups in DC.

Did I forget to mention that there was also a Maker Faire going on?! Fire, robots and other cool stuff to see. Kind of over priced for what all was there but still fun none the less.

Ok, now why was this important enough for me to write up a whole post on this, especially since everyone and their mother will write about it at some point? I mean, I am, by no stretch of the imagination, related or connected in any way to Steve Jobs (other then being a bit of a fanboy, ok, a LOT of a fanboy, but there is a reason). There was a wonderfully dark part of my young career when I was unemployed out of college and after being very fortunate to land two AMAZING jobs in a row. The first was with the State of Maryland’s Department of Legislative Services and then the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a contractor.  A year into the NOAA job my services were no longer needed and I was dropped in the worst unemployment trend since the great depression.

The year I spent unemployed was probably the best and worst year of my life. In the process I did a lot of unpaid work and met a lot of very talented people. In addition to the search for a job I also began looking for sources of inspiration. Along with taking a very strong liking to Sir Ken Robinson, I became very familiar with the speech given by Steve Jobs at the 2005 Stanford Commencement. I still believe that is one of the many reasons for my work ethic and demeanor. That year of unemployment turned into me having the privilege of working on a Sci-Fi pilot, and a feature that I also was exec. producer on and really dug into my photography.

This single speech began to eat at me and the events that he described, although on a higher level, were a lot like my own situation at the time.  The idea of finding what you love, and not settling resinated very deep with me. I could go on retelling his story, but I suggest you just watch the video. So I found my passion while unemployed and had nothing to loose. That is not all I gained over that year, I also became a lot more optimistic and the idea of always churning away and not settling became a strong reason to keep on working to get better and push what I am capable of. I try to live by this, learning new trades, getting involved, and making new connections. There is no doubt that this speech changed my life. Hands Down.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

-Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

This sounds like it is something so simple and should be easy to do, but let me be the first to tell you, it usually is not that easy.  Most conversion software is not cheap and doesn’t always work.  Now, I’m not saying this will be your save all, but it’s free and works for most situations.

Before this there were things like Video Monkey that tended to crash my machine and one thing that I still use to this day is VisualHub which is no longer supported.  If you need to convert files for a podcast or convert a video to edit I suggest trying this out first before paying for software.

One thing that this also supports is downloading videos from the web that are on youtube or other flash players.  Now, by no means do I promote using this to steal video that you do not have rights to use or distribute, but there are certainly situations that this is very helpful in a pinch.