VideoFuzzy: February 2017

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Hiya!

I'm a media pack rat.

For the past 30 years I've been archiving media — TV shows, concerts, series and specials, plus a few home videos here and there. At one point I had hundreds of VHS tapes, which I've slowly been converting to more than 2,500 DVDs, of which I've so far cataloged maybe 200 or so. The main graphic draws from one of the only photos ever taken of the collection, which ultimately grew to five shelves sometimes double-stacked with tapes before I started digital transfer.

That is sooo very many hours of video that I've recorded over the past three decades (some likely more memorable and significant than others). I thought it'd be fun to share my discoveries as I catalog what I recorded years ago, and talk some about what I'm recording right now.

I'm calling it Videofuzzy. The name is a bit random, but then so is the project, set to start pretty soon here (I've still got a few tapes left to transfer).

My goal is to post updates on a weekly basis, both to this blog and to a podcast by the same name, sifting this basket of media memories with comments along the way. I look forward to seeing how this project develops. Enjoy!

Featured Categories

My affiliated "Videofuzzy" podcast features a few standard segments, which are:

Fuzzy Feature: After cataloging my Classic Collection, I've generally encountered at least one show I want to lift from the digital mass, watch all the way through and comment on in a little more detail. I feature this in a segment called "Fuzzy Feature."

Cross Connections: Some topics, items and discussions are interrelated across different segments and will be featured here. Also, in "Studio Joss Under Murph," I chart actors and connections in my media collection through "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "Six Feet Under," Ryan Murphy productions and Joss Whedon productions, which have emerged as "mystical centers" in my media collection.

Classic Collection: The collection of some 2,500+ discs I transferred from a collection of hundreds of VHS tapes recorded over the course of three decades, which I'm in the process of cataloging in this blog.

Current Collection: The collection of some 500 discs featuring shows I'm recording directly from my DVR, which I am also in the process of cataloging in this blog.

Occasional Segments:

By the Numbers: Every tenth entry, I include a show-so-far on how this project is progressing.

Corrections: If I discover an error at any point along this process or if one is pointed out to me, I will make a good faith effort to correct it.

Crowdsourcing: I occasionally encounter programming in my collections that I can't track down easily, and have thrown things out to my Facebook friends and followers in an effort to get some help with it (listed below).

Nerd Shows/Samantha Bee/Adult Swim: Subcategory breakouts generally featuring science and technology programs, and lists or other features where I wish to directly cite my source materials.

Old Business: If I've got an update from past topics or episodes, I'll take it up in a segment called Old Business.

Upcoming Shows: In this segment I'll give listeners a heads-up about shows I'm aware of in the lineup to check out or avoid.

Off the Shelf/Streams: Subcategories exploring media accessed through other means, including commercial VHS or DVD release or through online streaming sources.

VideoFuzzy at the Movies: This discussion crosses categories among classic to current and what I've been watching.

Video Outreach: Occasionally this project will have a practical impact or benefit to myself or others, and I'll include these stories and conversations as video outreach segments.

Video Outtakes: With dozens of episodes, I've naturally made the occasional blooper or outtake. Some are worth sharing, so I'll include them under this heading, usually toward the end.

What I've Been Watching: This category is where I comment about shows, plays and other media I consume that don't fit into other categories.