Submitters: Do not submit new episodes before they are aired!
I've had a long standing policy of not taking submissions for new episodes of shows until after they air. I only have a couple of current shows anyway but networks tend to bump schedules so often that it makes a lot more work for me to go back and "fix" everything afterward, using up time I'd be spending on other guides. Or it opens up the door to gaming by the submitter, who after the fact, goes in and submits changes for the incorrect information they submitted before and gets double points for it.
For one particular show, which gets changed by it's network all the time, I don't take submissions ahead of the air date. If I did, I WOULD FILL THEM IN MYSELF! So if I, who have the same information everyone else does, won't pre-fill in the episodes until they air, I'm not going to take your submissions before they air.
So to all the submitters, the rule is, wait until it airs. If I beat you to it, well, I am the editor of the guide. Remember, the form says: "Date airED"!
I'd like to know what other senior editor's policies are concerning premature submissions.
For one particular show, which gets changed by it's network all the time, I don't take submissions ahead of the air date. If I did, I WOULD FILL THEM IN MYSELF! So if I, who have the same information everyone else does, won't pre-fill in the episodes until they air, I'm not going to take your submissions before they air.
So to all the submitters, the rule is, wait until it airs. If I beat you to it, well, I am the editor of the guide. Remember, the form says: "Date airED"!
I'd like to know what other senior editor's policies are concerning premature submissions.
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Digg thisSubmitters: Read The Tv.com TOS and Guidelines...PLEASE!!
I guess there has recently been an influx of new Tv.com members. The reason I think this is because of the rash of submissions I've gotten in the last month or two from those who are Level 1 through Level 10 or so.
What this is causing is a load of rejected submissions because of violations of the Tv.com TOS and/or the guidelines. Here's a sample of the things the newbies are doing:
*) Cut and paste
I've gotten more summaries recently that are directly cut and pasted from other sites. That right away tells you that they haven't read the TOS or guidelines. Copyrighted material from another site can not be used without permission at Tv.com. But just today, I got a word for word summary from an old Tv Guide. If you aren't doing a Google search for the summaries folks are submitting, you should. As editor, you are responsible for what goes in your guides.
*) Notes and Trivia
This is the main issue I'm having. I have one fairly new submitter who is a great writer and is passionate about a show. Only he can't seem to get the definition of what a Note is and what Trivia is. I've sent him the definitions quoted right from the guidelines but he still insists on writing books on theories behind the parallels between this show and some other thing that goes on forever. That's not what a note is. That goes in an episode review. Why people are reluctant to write episode reviews but want to write ten page notes, I don't know. With the "new" focus of Tv.com on opinion and reviews, you would think that would be where most of the activity would be now.
*) Spelling
I am really concerned for the future of this country just based on the number of spelling errors in EVERY submission I get. As is the practice of most senior editors, I reject the submission if there is more than one or two because it means they aren't checking it themselves. And on top of that, the sentence structure and usage is pretty sad. I tell them nicely what they need to do and then ask them to make corrections and to resubmit. Most rarely do.
There are other issues but those are the most consuming my time right now. What is consuming yours?
What this is causing is a load of rejected submissions because of violations of the Tv.com TOS and/or the guidelines. Here's a sample of the things the newbies are doing:
*) Cut and paste
I've gotten more summaries recently that are directly cut and pasted from other sites. That right away tells you that they haven't read the TOS or guidelines. Copyrighted material from another site can not be used without permission at Tv.com. But just today, I got a word for word summary from an old Tv Guide. If you aren't doing a Google search for the summaries folks are submitting, you should. As editor, you are responsible for what goes in your guides.
*) Notes and Trivia
This is the main issue I'm having. I have one fairly new submitter who is a great writer and is passionate about a show. Only he can't seem to get the definition of what a Note is and what Trivia is. I've sent him the definitions quoted right from the guidelines but he still insists on writing books on theories behind the parallels between this show and some other thing that goes on forever. That's not what a note is. That goes in an episode review. Why people are reluctant to write episode reviews but want to write ten page notes, I don't know. With the "new" focus of Tv.com on opinion and reviews, you would think that would be where most of the activity would be now.
*) Spelling
I am really concerned for the future of this country just based on the number of spelling errors in EVERY submission I get. As is the practice of most senior editors, I reject the submission if there is more than one or two because it means they aren't checking it themselves. And on top of that, the sentence structure and usage is pretty sad. I tell them nicely what they need to do and then ask them to make corrections and to resubmit. Most rarely do.
There are other issues but those are the most consuming my time right now. What is consuming yours?
My Opinion On TV.com's New Design, It's Evolution, and Future.
Well, I guess I should chime in here as another old timer from the TvTome days.
First, to Jaxie, I thought YOUR "tome" in the forum was well written and informative. Yes, this is a business venture where TvTome was just a fun website run by a TV enthusiast for TV enthusiasts. Obviously, that is no more. This is about money. So the site must evolve and become competitive with other sites that are doing similar things.
Does this mean that the database will eventually go away? I think, IMHO, that it eventually will. I only hope that before that part of the site goes dark, that someone will archive it, and sell it back to the fans, those of us who would like to see it go back to just a fun database, for tv fans, by tv fans. I'd love to see it become TvTome again, as MovieTome has. All of this gathered data is just too valuable to television fans to one day go away. I would hope that a site like EPguides or EpisodeWorld would start copying the information to a hard drive, instead of just linking to Tv.com's episodes. To lose this information would be a crime.
That may not happen right away, but what is happening right away is the site page design. While the overall appearance of the guide pages looks okay at first glance, the tab/link idea is horrible. I personally like it when everything is on one page and scrollable. The design we had before this was pretty good, even though it did not show all of the actors and crew on one page, you still had to click to see all. But this design is the worse that Tv.com has had since it's inception. Jaxie said in her forum post that they're hearing us loud and clear? I asked if this was LOUD ENOUGH? And what about some lines? Even this page I'm writing on now has soft, light lines around everything. I really can't stand a page that has NO lines on it. Content needs to be separated and just the soft light gray lines like are on this page are all we need. The episode pages have a few horizontal lines, but no vertical lines and it looks very messy just having print floating all over the page, stopping and starting for what appears like no reason.
Having the episode page split into three general sections is okay, Tv Buzz on the left, the Summary in the middle, and the Tv Listing, Also on, and the Contributors on the right. But with a typical short summary in the middle section, now all by itself, looks terribly awkward and very unattractive. When the cast, crew, trivia and notes were there, it gave each page a nice balanced and full look. The page today looks unfinished and downright unprofessional.
So if Jaxie does have the designers ears, they need to tell the owners that the previous design was much better. And to bring back some boxes or at least some vertical gray lines.
I don't mind evolution of design and even purpose, as long as the original purpose is not lost. If that is going to happen, let us have the original site back, and Tv.com can go on with it's evolution and commerce, without me, without us, who just like TV.
...by you, for you - about the TV shows YOU love!
First, to Jaxie, I thought YOUR "tome" in the forum was well written and informative. Yes, this is a business venture where TvTome was just a fun website run by a TV enthusiast for TV enthusiasts. Obviously, that is no more. This is about money. So the site must evolve and become competitive with other sites that are doing similar things.
Does this mean that the database will eventually go away? I think, IMHO, that it eventually will. I only hope that before that part of the site goes dark, that someone will archive it, and sell it back to the fans, those of us who would like to see it go back to just a fun database, for tv fans, by tv fans. I'd love to see it become TvTome again, as MovieTome has. All of this gathered data is just too valuable to television fans to one day go away. I would hope that a site like EPguides or EpisodeWorld would start copying the information to a hard drive, instead of just linking to Tv.com's episodes. To lose this information would be a crime.
That may not happen right away, but what is happening right away is the site page design. While the overall appearance of the guide pages looks okay at first glance, the tab/link idea is horrible. I personally like it when everything is on one page and scrollable. The design we had before this was pretty good, even though it did not show all of the actors and crew on one page, you still had to click to see all. But this design is the worse that Tv.com has had since it's inception. Jaxie said in her forum post that they're hearing us loud and clear? I asked if this was LOUD ENOUGH? And what about some lines? Even this page I'm writing on now has soft, light lines around everything. I really can't stand a page that has NO lines on it. Content needs to be separated and just the soft light gray lines like are on this page are all we need. The episode pages have a few horizontal lines, but no vertical lines and it looks very messy just having print floating all over the page, stopping and starting for what appears like no reason.
Having the episode page split into three general sections is okay, Tv Buzz on the left, the Summary in the middle, and the Tv Listing, Also on, and the Contributors on the right. But with a typical short summary in the middle section, now all by itself, looks terribly awkward and very unattractive. When the cast, crew, trivia and notes were there, it gave each page a nice balanced and full look. The page today looks unfinished and downright unprofessional.
So if Jaxie does have the designers ears, they need to tell the owners that the previous design was much better. And to bring back some boxes or at least some vertical gray lines.
I don't mind evolution of design and even purpose, as long as the original purpose is not lost. If that is going to happen, let us have the original site back, and Tv.com can go on with it's evolution and commerce, without me, without us, who just like TV.
...by you, for you - about the TV shows YOU love!
Look Ma, I'm in pictures!!! Yes, it's me in the new Lights Camera Community!
I was interviewed by a really nice guy named Tim for TV.com's new "Lights, Camera, Community" feature and I was glad to take part.
For the micro-interview, go here:
Lights, Camera, Community
If that link doesn't work, try this:
Lights, Camera, Community
It was hard keeping my answers short, as I, being a writer too, tend to be able to write novels about nothing...lol! But it was fun and it may give youse a bit more information about the mysterious SOUNDDUDE!
And here's a peek at what I usually look like these days, sitting behind a cart (this one was not mine) and recording sound, here for some promos for HBO On Demand at Ft. Desoto Beach in St. Petersburg, Fl, with five pirates, a scuba diver, and a very pretty mermaid!
For the micro-interview, go here:
Lights, Camera, Community
If that link doesn't work, try this:
Lights, Camera, Community
It was hard keeping my answers short, as I, being a writer too, tend to be able to write novels about nothing...lol! But it was fun and it may give youse a bit more information about the mysterious SOUNDDUDE!
And here's a peek at what I usually look like these days, sitting behind a cart (this one was not mine) and recording sound, here for some promos for HBO On Demand at Ft. Desoto Beach in St. Petersburg, Fl, with five pirates, a scuba diver, and a very pretty mermaid!
Retired 7 More Guides
I've been able to close out 7 more guides as much as I could. Some I couldn't complete as there is not reliable information on every episode so I'm releasing them in case that information one day becomes available through either watching the episodes online like at Hulu or on DVD.
Those seven shows are:
Biff Baker USA:
Starring Alan Hale Jr over ten years before Gilligan's Island as a secret agent in the communist block.
Big Hawaii:
The series, set on the Paradise Ranch in Ohana, Hawaii, focuses on the lives of Barrett Fears, a wealthy rancher, and his son Mitch, a rebellious, determined youth.
Black Saddle:
Peter Breck stars as a former gun slinger turned wild west lawyer.
Bold Venture:
An adventurer and his ward live aboard his boat off the shores of Trinidad.
Born Free:
With Gary Collins and Diana Muldaur, tv adaptation of the movie and book.
Captain Z-RO:
Early kids history show with a sci-fi theme.
City Of Angels:
Wayne Rogers plays a 1930s flat foot PI in Los Angeles.
Anyone old enough to remember any of the older shows? I've seen old reruns of some of them.
sd
Those seven shows are:
Biff Baker USA:
Starring Alan Hale Jr over ten years before Gilligan's Island as a secret agent in the communist block.
Big Hawaii:
The series, set on the Paradise Ranch in Ohana, Hawaii, focuses on the lives of Barrett Fears, a wealthy rancher, and his son Mitch, a rebellious, determined youth.
Black Saddle:
Peter Breck stars as a former gun slinger turned wild west lawyer.
Bold Venture:
An adventurer and his ward live aboard his boat off the shores of Trinidad.
Born Free:
With Gary Collins and Diana Muldaur, tv adaptation of the movie and book.
Captain Z-RO:
Early kids history show with a sci-fi theme.
City Of Angels:
Wayne Rogers plays a 1930s flat foot PI in Los Angeles.
Anyone old enough to remember any of the older shows? I've seen old reruns of some of them.
sd
Recent Reviews
Perhaps the most visible and arguably the most influential entertainment entity of the 20th century, The Beatles started out as a local musical combo from Liverpool, England, who took American rock and roll music and sent it back to the states and to the rest of the world in a hip British package. Yeah, yeah, yeah!
posted March 23, 2007 at 07:29:33 PM
Mike Deasy was born in the Los Angeles area just at the right time. He grew up as the southern California area started it's boom and was in his teens when he got called upon to use his extreme talent on guitar for the rising stars of the day who were creating a new genre of music: rock and roll.
He was there in the beginning, backing up notables such as Ricky Nelson, The Everly Brothers, Duane Eddy, Eddie Cochran and Richie Valens. As the 50s melted into the 60s, Mike was drafted into the exploding music studio scene, where he became a first call guitarist to the stars. These musical legends included Elvis, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Simon and Garfunkel, The Jackson 5, Diana Ross, Billy Joel, The Turtles, The Association, The Mamas & The Papas, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra and hundreds more.
But as was the case with too many, fame brought fortune, and money lead to excesses, including drug abuse. Deasy came close to death several times and in his search for help and an answer, found himself going forward when the invitation was given at the 1969 Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles. Though the road was not easy the next few years, he found himself yet again at the forefront of another musical revolution.
During this "Jesus Movement" that was setting the Christian world on fire, those converted now desired music to listen to that reflected their newly discovered spirituality. Most of these new Christians were young and accustomed to listening to the pop and rock artists of the day. So almost overnight, a new genre of music was birthed, with Deasy once again right at it's inception. Originally referred to as Jesus Music, and later industrialized as Contemporary Christian Music, this style of Gospel music took off immediately ammoung the righteous youth and the search for singers and players was on, resulting in such early CCM pioneers as 2nd Chapter of Acts, Barry McGuire, Andrae Crouch and the Disciples, Keith Green, Larry Norman, Janny Grein, Scott Wesley Brown and Phil Driscoll, all of whom Mike recorded with and sometimes toured.
Since then, Mike Deasy has played guitar and sang on, written songs for and produced many Christian albums. He's toured around the world many times with his message of hope, and today, is a pastor of The Rock Church, S.E., in Port Arthur, Texas, where he's still using music to touch the hearts and minds of people like he always has, one at a time.
He was there in the beginning, backing up notables such as Ricky Nelson, The Everly Brothers, Duane Eddy, Eddie Cochran and Richie Valens. As the 50s melted into the 60s, Mike was drafted into the exploding music studio scene, where he became a first call guitarist to the stars. These musical legends included Elvis, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Simon and Garfunkel, The Jackson 5, Diana Ross, Billy Joel, The Turtles, The Association, The Mamas & The Papas, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra and hundreds more.
But as was the case with too many, fame brought fortune, and money lead to excesses, including drug abuse. Deasy came close to death several times and in his search for help and an answer, found himself going forward when the invitation was given at the 1969 Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles. Though the road was not easy the next few years, he found himself yet again at the forefront of another musical revolution.
During this "Jesus Movement" that was setting the Christian world on fire, those converted now desired music to listen to that reflected their newly discovered spirituality. Most of these new Christians were young and accustomed to listening to the pop and rock artists of the day. So almost overnight, a new genre of music was birthed, with Deasy once again right at it's inception. Originally referred to as Jesus Music, and later industrialized as Contemporary Christian Music, this style of Gospel music took off immediately ammoung the righteous youth and the search for singers and players was on, resulting in such early CCM pioneers as 2nd Chapter of Acts, Barry McGuire, Andrae Crouch and the Disciples, Keith Green, Larry Norman, Janny Grein, Scott Wesley Brown and Phil Driscoll, all of whom Mike recorded with and sometimes toured.
Since then, Mike Deasy has played guitar and sang on, written songs for and produced many Christian albums. He's toured around the world many times with his message of hope, and today, is a pastor of The Rock Church, S.E., in Port Arthur, Texas, where he's still using music to touch the hearts and minds of people like he always has, one at a time.
posted January 21, 2006 at 05:08:24 PM
I hold nothing against Amy Grant. She actually stoked the fires of the Contemporary Christian Music industry, forcing it out of the closet, from the cottage classification of Jesus Music, which basically was made up of ex-hippies and 60s rockers, and moved it into the massive business it is today. IF, that's a good thing.
Grant started off as a kinda cute, home-grown church girl who strummed a huge guitar and sang with a timid voice. She eventually, with the help of first husband and then manager, Gary Chapman, would take the Gospel Music world by storm.
But Amy and Gary said that they never actively pursued the stardom of secular fame. To them, when the crossover opportunity presented itself, it was a sign from God and his doing, not theirs. So when that door opened, they walked through it.
All these years later, after a failed marriage and a languishing career, Grant can only wonder if it was the right decision, or if it was just "them" that mishandled the fame and stress and made a mess out of their lives.
Doesn't really matter now, though. Amy's place in Gospel music history is solid. And her music isn't half bad either!
Grant started off as a kinda cute, home-grown church girl who strummed a huge guitar and sang with a timid voice. She eventually, with the help of first husband and then manager, Gary Chapman, would take the Gospel Music world by storm.
But Amy and Gary said that they never actively pursued the stardom of secular fame. To them, when the crossover opportunity presented itself, it was a sign from God and his doing, not theirs. So when that door opened, they walked through it.
All these years later, after a failed marriage and a languishing career, Grant can only wonder if it was the right decision, or if it was just "them" that mishandled the fame and stress and made a mess out of their lives.
Doesn't really matter now, though. Amy's place in Gospel music history is solid. And her music isn't half bad either!
posted January 18, 2006 at 10:42:49 AM
I'm a production sound mixer for the film and television industry. I was fortunate to be one of the location sound mixers for the tv show COPS from 1995 to 2003. COPS was a great show to work on but it was hours, days and sometime weeks of boredom broken up by moments of sheer adrenaline! I've worked for on numerous films listed at FilmSpot.com but because of the change from MovieTome, those listings have been lost or did not transfer. As I have time, I'm trying to update those films. In the past few years, I worked on movies like To Die For, The Profit, Making Waves, The Magic of Flight, and Facing the Giants. But besides working in the industry, I'm a huge fan of television and movies.
