Completed creating the DVD today using DVDit! from Sonic. This program works but doesn't have much in the way of troubleshooting built in. It would have been fairly simple to place some helpful hints into the DVD production process, but they have assumed that you will know what to do, and even though I am very competent in using Windows based applications, this program has created hours of unnecessary research, analysis, and errors during the production of my first couple of DVD's. I think I have it down now, but they get a "D" on help and intuitive design. The NewLife Promo I just mailed yesterday, was going to SteeleHouse Productions in Tulsa, OK, and it is going to be included in the Elevate 2004 program schedule. I feel really good about this, and am delighted that God made a way for me to use my talents to contribute to such a good cause. A little background... NewLife Industries has been doing what it does, Christian Apparel, for more than 25 years and they are very good at it. Of course being good at something isn't sufficient to ensure that you will survive. You have to move forward and follow trends and keep up with the world or you will be extinct. With the advancement of our Internet Commerce plans we have at least begun the process of stabilizing the future growth of NewLife Industries. As Technical Director for I have done my part in encourage change in the company and even given a 45 minute presentation to the board and key supervisors in a critical meeting in April of 2003. I believe that was a major catalyst for change in the company and with WisdomTEK Media Services God's great assistance it will help NewLife to prosper and grow well into the future. More background... WisdomTEK grew out of a need for us to have a way to share our capabilities with NewLife's customer base, which consists of many Christian organizations and churches. These groups don't always have the finances to pay large media companies to produce things like websites, logos, 3d animations, and videos but we believe we can do quality work on a lower budget. Having the resources to do this in Somerset, KY is unusual. Right now WisdomTEK consists of Me - Tom Roe - as Technical Director, Cindy Smith - as assistant, she is learning how to edit websites and content, including artwork. She's very quick and I think she will be able to handle most things within a few more months of on the job training. This time of training her has shown me that you don't really need a background in Information Technology to do this job, just a desperate desire to learn, and an sincere interest in what computers can do for us. She is most competent on Macromedia Fireworks and is learning to use Dreamweaver for editing websites. Tony Poynter is a competent artist/musician, and can handle most of the projects that are thrown at him. Tony is very technically astute and works mostly with Photoshop - In Design - and other Adobe tools. He is also getting pretty good with Macromedia Flash and Dreamweaver. He dabbles in 3D Studio MAX on his PC at home. I complete the team as Technical Director. There really isn't anything I can't do. This is not ego, just acknowledgment of what God has given me. If I come across something that is beyond my skills I am quick to figure out what I need to do the job and get the hardware, software and knowledge necessary to do it. I use the following tools on a regular basis... Macromedia * Dreamweaver MX - Web Development * Fireworks MX - Artwork production and optimization for video and the web * Flash MX - 2D animation for the web - Also 2d GIF animation FW * Director 8.5 - Web gadgets and interactive game content Adobe * Premiere 6.5 - Video editing software * I have used Photoshop, but my needs are for video and Fireworks does it all Matrox * Digisuite MAX/DTV - Video editing hardware

Today I created a new commercial for the Elevate 2004 Conference in Dallas, TX and Charlotte, NC - This is a great opportunity for WisdomTEK Media Services - NewLife Industries - and Me, Tom Roe - Your humble artist. NewLifeShopper is featured in the ad which is a minute and 5 seconds long. This is our first commercial so I spent a lot of time getting it right. The first DVD we sent was almost done but I finished editing version two today, Thursday, January 8th, 2004. Elevate is something that... "was initially in the mind and heart of Bob Reccord, president of the North American Mission Board. As a result of his vision, courage, and leadership a team of people filled with passion and armed with a long list of credentials began to piece together Elevate. Under the direction of NAMB, OnCore was retained to provide a turnkey conference." {Excerpt from their website} I created this commercial on a 2 GHz Dual P4 Xeon computer with one Gig of RAM which I built myself using parts from www.micropro.com and a DigiSuite MAX/DTV board array installed. The Chassis and Motherboard were from Super Micro I think. It's been well over a years since I built this. I use Adobe Premiere 6.5 to edit and create 3d animation and models with Lightwave 7.5 from NewTek. I will be posting a streaming version of this commercial at WisdomTEK Media Services - The company created by Richard Humble (President of NewLife Industries) and myself in November 2002. This conference is an awesome idea. It was produced by the North American Mission Board - NAMB - which is a Southern Baptist organization. I've never seen anything quite like this. They seem to be looking outward more, and having grown up in the Baptist church this seems to be quite a deviation from the norm. I like this trend. The more we can abandon our ritualistically organized religions and think outside of that box the better we will be able to meet the needs of others and expand the Kingdom of God.

Now I've done it! I've created a monster. This Blog will now have to be fed and maintained on a regular basis. I hope you enjoy what happens here. The worst case scenario is that it will just be a place for me to vent. If that's all it is then that's a good enough reason. So it begins...