Electronics + Maria = Disaster

I’m a smart girl. Give me a computer or small electronic device, and I can usually noodle around with it enough to figure out how it functions. So, when I found out I needed to make a DVD for the summer orchestra audition, I thought…no sweat!

I obviously sought out help when it came to the actual recording process (I am comfortable with the fact that I don’t know much about microphones!), but knew I could handle the actual editing part. I’ve made videos before…and even took a “technology in Music” class at Eastman and learned all about the video editing process on a Mac computer.

Regardless of my knowledge, this process has become such a headache! Yesterday, I borrowed a video camera (that came with the attachments) from our school’s service center and arranged to borrow my friend’s Mac in the evening. I planned all my practicing earlier in the day to be able to spend the night editing and getting some other work done.

But, after an hour of pushing buttons and searching various tech-help websites, I realized that I didn’t have the correct cord to link the camera to the computer. They only gave me a USB. Wonderful. Then after some complaining and searching for help via Facebook, I found out that a friend had a firewire cable I could use (Johann, the same guy who let me borrow his computer)

I thought we had it figured out…but, nope. This cable didn’t work either. The whole process what really making me upset, so I decided to drink a glass of wine and watch the lasted episode of “Grey’s Anatomy”. I was still frustrated, but at least then I was a little tipsy and entertained.

I went back into the service center today. I asked for a cable to use with a PC, but they didn’t have one, so I took one that is compatible with a Mac, and hoped that I could borrow Johann’s laptop again.

This evening I was busy until 10:30pm, and luckily Johann was home to help me. I went up to his place and we tried to import the video onto his computer. After about 20 minutes of fiddling with it…no luck. The computer was now recognizing the camera itself, but was only uploading a blank screen.

It’s days like this that I really miss my brother, who is amazing at this kind of stuff. And, it also reminds me to add “is good with all things electronic” to the list of traits that must exist in my future husband. :)

Tomorrow morning I’ll have march into the service center, flirt a little, and hopefully get this whole mess figured out!