mccordia

Also keep in mind that DV (although it looks great) has some limitations when it comes to color. The information is stored in 4:1:1 format, which basicly means that the b/w info is saved on the full resolution, but the color info is only saved every 4th pixel. In NTSC that would mean you have 640x480 b/w (which gives a sharp/clear picture) But the color info would only be 320x240 (watch the red/blue colors, they usualy fringe/bleed over the edges, showing small blocky artifacts) If you have commercial work in mind, they usualy prefer footage that was shot on video in 4:4:4 or 4:2:2 format. Betacam/Betacam SP (huge tapes and even bigger recorders:) and DV CAM/DV CAM pro are the format of your choise (or even better 16 mm, but that's WAY expensive:) Only downside to all these great formats are the cost, and (with betacam and such) the size of the camera's.. Anyone...just for those intrested :) Greetz, Jarno

If my memory serves me well, in Holland you need a C-licence to jump camera, and need a special permit/registration at the KNVvL (Dutch regulation bureau for all air-sports) Can you just strap a camera to your butt in the US or do you also need at least B or C licence?? JC

I had this incredibly wierd dream two nights ago. I forgot about it when I woke up, but later during the day it came back to me, and I couldn't figure out if I'd dreamt it, or if I had really seen it on TV. I'm a computer animator (animating silly figures/dinosaurs and making a lot of buildings in 3D) My dream was basicly one of those 'making-off' documentaries you always see on TV/TV when a movie comes out with a lot of complex Visual Effects. It involved two people on snow/sky-boards, doing a lot of fun movements. Then they went headdown (together with the camera) and where, falling upward (still towards the earth) but their direction slowly changed, and when they almost reached ground level, they made a roll and started skimming over the earth (Back to the Future Hooverboards style) They go across the earth at 10 to 30 ft of hight, and go through and over forrests and waterfalls..basicly the most beautifull sights of nature, and then suddenly rocket up into the clear blue sky....and all of this in 1 big incredible long shot (the whole thing lasting about 5 or 6 minutes...) My dream then went on and on, on how the whole things was made. Showing skydiving footedge, and a lot of 3D animation (wireframes, previz renders) and a lot of post/compositing effects...The dream was pretty long and incredibly detailed, and the wierdest thing was, that I forgot about it, and later remembered, but couldn't figure out if it was real or not (had I seen it on discovery???) I think this dream is just a mixed result of my love for skydiving (and seeing a lot of films/docu's) and my love for 3D animation and visual effects (and seeing way too many 'behind the scenes' footedge of VFX) Hows that for obsessed and wierd :) Cya, Jarno

It's kinda of an old commercial, don't know if it's airing in the US, but it a guy falling through loops of the AXE (aftershave/deo) logo (and hitting it with a big WHACK!!) The guy (for only one or two shots) has a perfect freefly/head-down posture....Looks kinda realistic, don't know if any skydivers where involved in the planing/making/thinking off this commercial, but it struck me as kinda cool.... Just noticed..wondered if anyone else had seen this.. greetz, Jarno

They want to have photo's of you having sex in freefall...why say no.. It's just a combination rodeo nude dive. I'm sure a magazine like Cosmopolitan isn't really after raunchy close-ups. Just do a nude dive, cling onto each other, and win that space-trip... Yelling "DOOR!!" at 100.000 ft would certainly scare a few ppl btw :) But again...why not fake it..(ehm..)

Thanx everyone.. Carying my inhaler is something I already always do, but taking it along for the plane ride and jump hadn't occered to me...(stupid eh?) I'm also going to try and do more endurence training in the sports I practice (Kung-fu and running) to try and gain more long-capacity (something my trainer suggested). I still hope to overcome it someday, but since I'm past 20 there's not that big a chance that I will 'grow over it' All I can do is try and do as much active sports as possible.. It might sound like i'm neurotic or something, but my Astma can sometimes be really restrictive...next to a lot of allergies to animals (being an animal lover..:) and dust/flowers/grass I have a lot of problems after just running or something intensive..I've spent quite some time hospitalized, and had quite a few astma-attacks that had my worried about chocking (spelled correctly?) The last two or three years have been a bit better, but still every once in a while it resurfaces and causes a lot of trouble.. It's also the reason I haven't been able to jump for the last 2 months....next week I'm finaly gonna give it a try again...:) If I'm not happy with the amount of air I'm getting I will surely 'sit it out' cause everything beats waking up underneath a reserve with a fired cypress/fxc (hopefully:) For now I'll stick to 'low' jumps, but around March/April (when I hope to have my A licence:) I'm going to try an observer-ride to 12.000 ft, and after that, hopefully keep jumping from that altitude :) Thanx for all the advice.. Jarno Cordia (Netherlands) http://www.3dluvr.com/mccordia/

That's my problem. The doktor doesn't know. I asked, and she simply shrugged..."I have no idea" She could only tell me it could be a problem, but then again..maybe not...ask someone with Astma in the sport..." I'll just take a passenger-ride up and down (strange concept..landing in a plane:) to find out...

I'm still a relativly new jumper. Been doing it for a year now, and I have 33 jumps (staticline progression), just slowly crawling towards my A-licence. Most jumps I only need to practice one or two things, so most times I just go to 6.000 to 9.000 ft. About a months ago I went to 10.000 ft for the first time (the only time so far) and the last 1000 ft or so I started getting blue lips. I wasn't dizzy, numb or sleepy or anything, and it was verry much below zero (could that perhaps cause blue lips?), but still I'm a bit worried it might have been early signs of hypoxia. I have Astma, and have had severe problems with it the last few months (just recovered from phneumonia) It's no problem for now just going to 9.000 ft, but I'm really wondering what will happen should I go to 12.000 ft. I'm thinking about just taking a passenger ride up to 12.000 before I ever go there with the intention to jump, just to see what happens, and for now, I can just keep doing small happy jumps from 9.000 and lower, but my question is, are there any people in here who have Astma, and if so...does it give you any trouble when going up high... Jarno www.3dluvr.com/mccordia/

It was actualy the Dutch (original) version of Big Brother. The most fun where the few days after the 'incident' The Big Brother ppl got all these psych. people who started talking how 'emotionaly stressing' the whole event was for the folks in the BB house, and how it affects their feeling of 'security' and so on... Martijn, I always wondered, did you get into any legal trouble after the whole thing? The sure made a lot of hoopla on your little stunt :) Martijn van Dam Rulez.

Okay...where not there yet, but when officials are convinced about how cool the sport is, who knows.... FAI Press release : PARACHUTING TAKES AN OLYMPIC LEAP Leading IOC official Kit McConnell took a leap into the Olympic future when he made a tandem parachute jump, courtesy of instructors from the Para-Club Valais. The jumps took place at Yverdon airfield, some 30km from Lausanne, seat of the International Olympic Committee, last Sunday afternoon 30 September, 2001. Accompanying him on his intrepid adventure were the top Lausanne sports officials, Municipal Councillor Bernard Métraux and Sabrina Tramparulo. They were carried aloft to a height of about 4 000 metres (12 500ft) in a Pilatus of Air Glacier, and fell free for almost a minute, strapped tightly to their instructors, before their canopies opened. All three were thrilled by their first free-fall parachute jumps. Back on the ground, the air was full of exclamations of excitement : " It was just wonderful. A fantastic experience ! Unbelievable ! " Understandable initial anxiety had quickly given way to unbridled enthusiasm. The jumps were organised by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the world governing body for all air sports, which has had its headquarters in Avenue Mon-Repos Lausanne since 1998. The FAI is campaigning for sky-diving to feature on the programme for the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. McConnell had been fired up with enthusiasm for making a jump when he visited the parachuting event at the World Games in Akita, Japan, in August this year. At this event, parachuting proved to be the most popular with the spectators of all the IOC-recognised sports that are not yet on the Olympic programme. Well over 20 000 people came to see the parachutists perform at close quarters, and the sport featured prominently in the World Games Opening Ceremony. Three events were featured : formation sky-diving ; freestyle (acrobatics in free-fall) ; and accuracy landing. Max Bishop, FAI's Secretary General, said: " Parachuting is a sport for the new millenium. It is exciting to watch, highly competitive, colourful and very appealing to young sports-women as well as men. There are events for individuals and for teams. And it costs no more than skiing or similar sports. We are convinced it's the TV sport of the future." Kit McConnell's Olympic leap will be followed soon with jumps by other leading officials from the World Games and Olympic Movements. For further information contact: Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Avenue Mon-Repos 24 CH 1005 LAUSANNE Switzerland Tel: +(41) 21 345 1070 Fax: +(41) 21 345 1077 Email: [email protected] Website : http://www.fai.org/

>thanks for the info.. i have to go up there before i >leave..might try and talk somepoeple to go with me since i >don't want to drive my motorcyle all the way up there in the >cold weather we have now, i should of went durring the >summer.....thanks again... Also an avid biker like me...? I went there a few weeks ago, also on my motorcycle (Virago 750) I haven't been on the boards that much the past few months, so I didn't realy follow where you where going. Are you completely leaving Germany, or just going on a lenghty holiday? >p.s. nice video, what is the name of that song? Thanx...the song I used is a modified version of the Offspring - a Perfect day (or something like that) The original song is only 1,5 minutes (so I looped it a few times) >p.p.s. your little sister is cute! If everything works out (read: her mother gives here an okay and signs the weaver, she's only 17) she'll start jumping next year... >p.p.p.s. i just looked it up..that's just outside of duseldorf. >that's like a 4 hour drive for me... i could make it to >amsterdam in less time!!! oh well There's a lot of talk on the Dutch boards at parachute.nl about organizing a "Holland Boogie" Trying to get the whole Dutch jumping community organized to partcipate in one huge jump-fest. Would be fun to make that the second euro-dz.com boogie and get more dz.commers to come there (current date is 'sometime 2002/2003'...they're still organizing) Anyways..I'll post some more info when there is..well...more info... Cya JC

Another thought I had... Maybe a nice piece of poetry you've written, where I can make beautifull animated images to accompany the spoken text? I know some of you have written beaitifull things.... JC (sorry...I'll stop bugging you with this now)

I gues nobody has a nice idea involving skydiving? It doesn't have to be a fun/parody of skydiving, it would also love to make something about the beauty of skydiving...but what I need is a good story. I'm having a bit of a creative dip at the moment, trying to come up with a nice (short) story to tell, but if anyone can think of anything...I'd be verry happy.. If not, I'll just let it rest and just find a different subject. But I thought I'd be fun, becuase there arent that many skydiving animation out there (except a few educational ones)

Hi, Next to my recent addiction called skydiving, I'm also totaly mad about animation. I earn a decent living making 3D animations, and have a lot of fun doing so. Next to the stuff I do at work, I like to work on projects of my own. Tons of fun Video-editing and animation experiments mainly.. A few months ago I made an animated short (drama:) about 2 webcams falling in love...(if you're interested, it's on my website at http://www.3dluvr.com/mccordia/ in the animation section) and got a new job because that (better payd=more money for skydiving) and recieved a lot of good comments from folks that liked it. I want to start working on my next more serious attempt at an animated short (to enter in festivals and perhaps even try applying to a company like pixar, even though they'll probably turn me down:) but I'm kinda out of idea's at the moment. Been banging my head on my desk the past few days, trying to come up with an idea... What I want to do is make a 3D animated short, with practical humor like the WB roadrunner short (I love those) but don't want to play copycat and just rip an existing cartoon. I've been toying with the idea of making a fun skydiving related animation (or perhaps something completely different...just don't know) Part of the problem is that there already are quite a few things on skydiving (Fandango) So why I'm posting here..? I was hoping some of you might have a funny idea about skydiving (or maybe something else, as long as it will make a funny animated short) A situation that would be fun to see for a wuffo, and could have as much funny gags as possible. You'll get full story credits ofcource, a nice pat on the back (it's all non-profit stuff) and I'll be your eternal slave ofcource (depending on looks and gender:) And next to that you'll have a nice short animated film to view that will hopefully be funny.. Help me out here dudes and dudettes.. Jarno

Hey Wingnut, The tunnel is in Huckelhoven, about 30 km past MunchenGladback (did I write that correct?) It costs 90 DM for the first time (with instruction) and 45 DM for every time you go after that.You get 10 minutes per session. Because of some miscommunication (my knowledge of the german language aint that good:) there was only one instructor there when we went, and he had to controll the 'fan' so we just had to play for ourselves. It took a few triest, but we managed quite okay for a first time, and I definately want to go there again sometime (when I have enough money:) Anyways, they have an internetsite at www.air-power-arena.de Just give em a call and you'll get the friendly owner on the phone, so you can make an appointment.. Have fun..

Last month my nephew and I went to Huckelhoven Germany, and had a lot of fun in the windtunnel there (the weather sucked, and we wanted to do something skydive related) There was supposed to be coaching, but there was only 1 man personel there, and he had to controll 'the fan' so we just had to play and find out for ourselves. We had a lot of fun, took a lot of (nasty) nose-dives, and looked like complete idiots in those baggy clothes :) We took turns in filming each other, and got some great stuff on tape. I edited the whole thing together with my father and my younger sisters' tandem jumps, and a staticline jump from my brother, and a few exits and a first video of me in freefall, and put the whole thing online at the great skydiving-movies ftp. It's a 9 MB DivX .avi www.skydivingmovies.com/misc/skydive_mccordia_divx.avi Hope you like it.. Jarno p.s. I only have about 6 mins. of freefall time on S/L progression, so I'n not winning any beauty-prizes for my freefall-form yet...I know :)

I'm always wondering why all these equasions and prophesy's always get explained after disasters. Why is there never anyone (besides religious freaks that wait for UFO's to pick em up) that says, preferably a few days in advance; "Guys...you know..I was counting letters, and geezz...you're not gonna believe what's going to happen tomorrow.." I think it's just sad that people make up these lame things. The whole event is serious enough as it is...nobody is waiting for the whole '11, you're number's up' thing...let alone the countless Nostradamus hoaxes. But I had a good laugh at a few friends of mine who treat all this like it's actualy serious "DUDE...ELEVEN!!...don't you see it?"

These all sounded quite akward to me the first time..:) "After you jumped her, you need to pick her up with care, otherwise it's such a mess to clean up when you get back" "Just put the nose between your legs and hold it there" "Just roll your whole body over there and squeeze all the air out" "open 'the bag' and stuff it in"

SInce where talking about video's anyway (and I don't want to waist a whole new thread) I have a small video-related question. I'm looking for a song I've heard on quite a few video's a few lines from the song are.. "Down in mississippi where the sun came down from the sky....blablabla and My daddy was a rolling..rolling stone...Whooohoo....He rolled away one day and he never came home...blablablaba" What's the name of the song...? Anyone...Anyone..? Thanx, Jarno

Went to a windtunnel in huckelhoven germany a few weeks ago (bad weather, had to do something skydive related) and had a lot of fun, but MAN was it difficult. Should have a nice video from the whole thing online anytime soon. And Fonzy and Fab, you're not the only Dutchies around here :)

Whoa, dude! Just got promoted from Newbie to enthousiast. Wait till I tell my boss, family and girlfriend this....errr...on second thought....lets not..

Thanx freeflir29, didn't have the url here at work. Browsed through the dir. of movies for the excact url's ftp://129.2.156.19/from TV/hist.mpg ftp://129.2.156.19/from TV/hist2.mpg Hope this helps... Cya, JC p.s. Got a new, better payd job (hope to start there next month) I'll finaly have some more money to spend on skydiving. Now all I need is co-operating weather...damn holland sux..:(

On the skydiving movies FTP (don't have the excact adres here, but someone will probably be friendly anough to post it:) there is a documentary from the Discovery channel about the history of skydiving (and army uses and how it evolved into a hobby for a lot of persons) It's in the /fromTV/ directory.. Maybe it's of some help.. Cya, JC

You might want to check out some of the sports-stores. The sometimes have cheep-ass soccer gloves for the goaly/keeper. Those gloves have rubber/ribbed stuff on the fingers and inside of palms that makes grabing onto balls real easy (not ment as dirty as that just sounded:) and should also help you in giving those risers a slight pull without them slipping from your hands..

Yea..upload the picture so a few of us can take a stab at it. I've done stuff like that before (restoring old photographs with folds and pieces missing) Just scan it as high-res as possible (and post it as a good quality jpg) Go to http://www.vi2.com/maxForumFiles/ to upload it (the pic will stay online a few days, and then dissapear) and post the link here,,, Greetz, JC http://www.3dluvr.com/mccordia (some skydiving stuff in the video section..soon to be expanded:)