The Alaska Intermittent Tribune

I spent nearly the entire day at the Wild Berry Theater in Anchorage today geeking out over amazing high end video cameras. It was also a great time to visit with some great people from around the state and those who are now making Alaska their new filmmaking home. Below are a few snapshots from the Alaska Filmmakers Clinic that included a great presentation by Ted Schilowitz of RED camera and other great presentations by Apple (ProRes), Sony cameras and Fujinon lenses.

The attendance was very strong and I believe this event ignited the “real” filmmaking industry in Alaska. Time will be the judge, but it really felt like Alaska may be breaking into the what-was-once-only-Hollywood kind of productions.

After the Clinic, hands-on with the cameras (including the amazingly Transformer-looking 3D rig) and presentations, many more people crowded into the theater to catch the “premiere” of Evergreen Film’s release of ICY KILLERS. This great movie about Alaska’s salmon sharks can be seen on National Geographic channel, check it out.

There’s lots more to say, but I wanted to share the photos right away while the rest of the experience sinks in. I’m personally grateful for the Alaska Film Office, Alaska Film Group, RED, Sony, Fujinon, Evergreen Films, AlaskaUSA (my credit union, yay!) and all the rest who made the event possible. Truly inspiring, thank you!

(Plug: We use Apple and Final Cut Studio for all our editing and are extremely grateful for the support that MacHaus has shown us over the last year. Seriously, if you are in Alaska and want help with your Apple and Mac products, you really need to visit MacHaus. They’re in Anchorage, Wasilla and Fairbanks. Thanks, Ben!)

Just a few weeks ago, my sister-in-law finally traded up from a dying Toshiba (Windows XP) laptop after about a year of cajoling and incessant praise for the Apple computers that we have in our home/office. Fast forward to the day she takes home her shiny new Apple Macbook (unibody) – everything is as beautiful and flawless as expected, until later that night. (more…)

The Alaska online classifieds world has been divided yet again with the introduction of AlaskasList.com. According to the founders and the catch phrase on the website,

“That guy in California has his list. Now Alaskans have their own…”

I suppose the real question is do we need another classified ad service in Alaska? We already have Craigslist, local newspapers and one of my personal favorites: Oodle.com  

With the ever withering newspaper decline, I’ve often wondered why they haven’t picked up on how easy it would be to build a free online classifieds service to keep their readers coming back?  There are a few reasons why Alaska’s List could be a better option for Alaskans. (more…)

As the economics of decline take hold, I’m sure many are looking at their technology spending very closely. I’ve personally been treading water for more than three years as a small business owner/entrepreneur and can tell you from first hand experience that some things are worth buying!  I’m not a Mac fanboy, but I’d like to explain my reasons for making the leap to Apple and Mac OS X. (more…)

3G is available throughout Alaska Update: 12 June 2010
Many people ask whether or not their iPhone, Blackberry or Android phones will work in Alaska. The short answer is YES, there is AT&T service most towns around the state of Alaska. AT&T 3G service is available in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Wasilla. For Verizon or Sprint customers, you’ll most likely be able to get access via ACS service. (more…)

AT&T quietly rolled the announcement on their homepage recently that WiMax is now available in the Anchorage area. Reading the fine print, it’s obvious they’re not reaching everywhere in town yet.  The $19.95 price point looks attractive at first, but you can quickly deduct they are trying to rope you in on the low end bundle deal with local and long-distance plans then tacking on the less-than-interesting 384K Internet option.  As much as I am really excited about WiMax, this really stinks. (more…)