The theology of iCloud

The title of this article from macworld.com by Andy Ihnatko not unsurprisingly grabbed me and I thought I would post a few excerpts from it.

Technology, when done ambitiously, is a form of art and as with painting, it’s always interesting to see how three different artists have approached the same subject. All art is autobiographical in nature, or so I heard in between naps during my Art History classes. It’s hard for me not to look at iCloud and the other new cloud services offered by Google and Amazon and think of them as emblematic of the companies’ views on the world. 

As someone who spends most of my time straddling the worlds of technology and creativity I can definitely buy into this point from Andy, but the core of this article is embedded in the last sentence which he goes onto explore in more detail....

In a sense, these three companies’ cloud services do represent three different concepts of God. Google is an Old Testament, theist-style cloud all the way: He through whom all blessings and punishments come, who must be praised and supplicated; without the Cloud, you are nothing and have nothing. iCloud represents more of a Deist ideal. The Cloud exists, but its presence is more to be felt than seen; if it does its job right, iCloud will instill great doubt that it even exists, or that it takes any notice of us at all.
Amazon is a form of agnosticism. You don’t know if you really believe in it or not, but you do know that on the third weekend of every month this pointy building near the center of town throws a really great bake sale. The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced I’m on to something with these ideas about God and iCloud. Some atheists derisively describe God as “Your magic friend who lives in the clouds,” after all. I’m perfectly fine with that concept, if this new magical friend makes sure I’ll never again find myself 3000 miles from home with a hard drive that’s making crunchy noises instead of retrieving the Keynote files I’ll need for the four hours of talks I traveled there to deliver.

An interesting analogy which has generated a wide variety of comments.

Shedtown - The finale on Radio 4 - The Storm

The shed, wooden icon of escape and isolation. Barry and Jimmy, friends since school days, find themselves slipping inexorably and almost unconsciously into middle age. Wednesday night saw the last episode of Shedtown.

Real storm clouds over Robin Hood Bay whilst we were recording

The Storm

A layer-cake of disaster threatens the creosoted community. And where’s Colin?
Cast:
Barry …… Tony Pitts
Jimmy & Johnny …… Kevin Eldon
Colin ……. Johnny Vegas
Diane …… Suranne Jones
Dave ……. Shaun Dooley
Eleanor …… Ronni Ancona
Deborah Dearden …… Emma Fryer
William ……. Adrian Manfredi
Carly …… Jessica Knappett
Father Michael …… James Quinn
Wes ……Warren Brown
Petshop Owner …… Caron May
Narrator…Maxine Peake
Music……Paul Heaton
Written and created by Tony Pitts
Sound Design by Mike Thornton
Directed by Jim Poyser
Producer: Sally Harrison
A Woolyback Production for BBC Radio 4.

The closing scene where the council send in bulldozers to demolish Shedtown was fun to create for radio. First a building storm through the episode then the arrival of the bulldozers, all normal stuff for a radio drama but then add the ice cream van pushing a shed into its hole and finally the storm rolling the bulldozer over and over with the council official Deborah Dearden inside was fun to create. Needless to say lots of layers in there but the break through sound was the sound of a steel rolling mill which gave me heavy rhythmic clanking as the steel went back and forth through the rollers. I then processed Emma’s screams so they span round and round.

Being buried alive on radio!

However there is another scene that is worthy of a little reveal into the magic of radio drama. It is where Dave and Diane are playing with their latest toy a ‘metal detective’ and they decide to bury Dave in sand using a snokel so he can breathe. The plan is that Diane will be able to find him because “there is metal in his fillings and foil in his cigarette packet”. Being radio of course we don’t actually need to bury Shaun, but some seroius acting was called for from them both as you can see from the pictures….

Stand back, serious acting taking place.

BBC anounce applications for new apprenticeship scheme

BBC North has announced its new apprenticeship scheme. From their web site...

BBC North is delighted to launch our new entry-level apprenticeships. If you’re aged 16 and over, live in the Greater Manchester area and have left formal education and not gained A Levels or equivalent qualifications, then our new Apprenticeships provide you with the ideal route of entry into the BBC.

Running for 12-18 months, Apprenticeships at the BBC combine college learning with full time paid jobs. You’ll find all that you need to apply on this webpage, so check through all the information on how to apply below, and head to the right side of the page to read the job descriptions for exciting new apprenticeships at BBC Learning, BBC Marketing & Audiences, BBC Technology Operations, BBC Head Quarters North and BBC Children's (roles at BBC Children's are only open to those who are 18 years of age and over.)

You will be based at our new location at Salford Quays. When you've completed your apprenticeship, you'll not only have had valuable work experience to help you get started in your career, but you'll also have a chance to apply for a permanent position at the BBC.

This will be a specific job in a specific department and will be day release to college. It is being run in conjunction with Manchester College and will be overseen by David Longworth who is now working for the BBC. Also please note the salary scales £8K per annum for 16-17 yrs old, £11.1K per annum for 18 + yrs old which works out at around £154 per week for 16 to 17 year ols and £212 for 18 plus. 

The closing dates for applications for all posts is on 8th July at midnight.

More info, including job specs here

Shedtown review in Daily Telegraph

Gillian Reynolds Has written a lovely little review in The Daily Telegraph

We’re half way through Tony Pitts’s blackly comic series, about a strange seaside place where odd people live. At three in the morning someone is screaming. It’s the kind of thing that happens in Shedtown down by the bay, where dogs arrive as parcels in the post. It’s a bit like Under Milk Wood with touches of Father Ted. And it’s curiously addictive, the vivid, dreamlike script given life by a marvellous cast, including Suranne Jones, Ronni Ancona and Johnny Vegas as Colin (a thoughtful melancholic). Tonight: a puppet show about 9/11. 

Wow, "a bit like Under Milk Wood" praise indeed. This episode certainly had some sound design challenges, not least creating the unwrapping of a dog sent through the post in a parcel!! And the night screams were fun to record on the beach, we certainly got some very strange looks from passers by. All great fun.

Jim Poyser (Director) and James Quinn (Father Michael) at the end of the rainbow on the beach just after the puppet show scene

Another series of The Choice on BBC Radio 4

Radio 4 are running another series of The Choice which must be the 7th series on the trot that I have edited, the last 4 of which have been with producer Dawn Bryan. It is a series featuring people who have made life-altering decisions and exploring the whole process, from the original dilemma to living with the consequences.

This series has four episodes and the first 3 are available on iPlayer...

Episode 1 - Mikey Walsh

He grew up in the closed world of the Romany gypsies. Rarely at school, he seldom mixed with anyone outside his community with its colourful characters and strict family code. And despite its violence and hardships, it was the life that Mikey loved. Eventually he was faced with the agonising decision of whether to turn his back on everyone and everything he knew .....and face an alien world with no education and support... knowing he would never be able to return.

This programme really brought home to me both the strong community the Romany gypsies have, that is partially controlled by fear. But also the deliberate plans by some gypsies to take advantage and rip people off.

Episode 2 - Di Franks

When Di Franks asked her doctor about donating her kidney, she wasn't sure she would be taken seriously. Because Di wasn't giving her healthy organ to a sick and needy relative.. she wanted to donate it to a complete stranger. Five years ago it was illegal to give a kidney to someone you didn't know in this country.  When it was made legal, inspired by a friend in the US who had themselves donated a kidney, Di was faced with the extraordinary choice. Should she undergo a major operation to remove a vital organ to help someone she would probably never know ? Not only was she was risking her own life, the choice could have consequences for her son and the rest of her family if they ever needed her organ...

A powerful story of someone who wanted to help others but in a very different way.

Episode 3 - Joe Glenton

Joe Glenton was a bright young soldier, destined for leadership and intent on helping the local people, when he made his first trip to Afghanistan in 2006.  But what he experienced there led him to make the hardest choice of his life.. to honour his commitment to his colleagues and the people of Afghanistan or abandon his men, break his promise and run away to the other side of the world.

Joe's story made me even more aware of what war and killing does to individuals.

Episocde 4 - Professor Kevin Warwick

There will be more details on this rogramme on the Radio 4 web site next week.

But it is RIP The Choice after this. It is one of the changes Gwyneth Williams, the new controller of BBC Radio 4 has decided to make.

Shedtown - episode 2 on BBC Radio 4

Last night Radio 4 broadcast the 2nd episode of Shedtown, a 4 part comedy starring Johnny Vegas.

"Foundations" written by Kevin Eldon in which, Colin (Johnny Vegas) is all at sea as the foundations of Jimmy's dream take shape on the beach. Wes and Father Michael witness the profits of some not-so-spiritual meat.

Script conference on the beach

As you my remember I recorded this comedy drama on location in Robin Hood Bay last September and one of the challenges was to find a shed to record all the 'shed actoring' in. Sally Harrison, the producer had done some research and found 2 possible candidates. One was a small shed in the village itself, and the second was the score board hut at the local cricket club. Both had their merits so we decided to use them both for different scenes. The one in the village we used when Barry gets kicked out of the house and decides to live in the shed in the garden with his dog. But because it was in the village and it was full of visitors we had the fun of getting a complete take in without too many people in the background. We decided to use the cricket club shed for the sheds that become "Shedtown" on the beach. However part way through recording the shed scenes a local farmer decided to plough a field close to the cricket club so we had to time the 'takes' when he was at the far end of his field. However we were loosing too much time, so we abandoned the session and went and recorded some other scenes. The next time we returned to the cricket club, the farmer had gone but instead, not long after after starting again, we had a pitch invasion! A number of young people had been tasked to tidy up the ground and they had to do it that date. So we then had to search for yet another shed! We found one that belonged to the ice cream seller on the beach and he kindly cleared it out and so his shed enabled us to complete all the shed scenes for the series in one session and helped us get back on track.

Shedtown reviewed in The Observer

Miranda Sawyer in The Observer at the weekend has reviewed Shedtown. She wrote...

Shedtown, a new programme from Johnny Vegas's production company, was far from ranty: a strange drama/comedy/soundscape, narrated by Maxine Peake, it took advantage of its 11pm slot to offer something much more dreamy and hilarious than the usual wait-for-the-laughter Radio 4 fare. It's about the final works trip for the staff of a failed museum. They go to the seaside. The jokes came in under the radar: "What can I get you?" asked the barmaid. "Peace of mind," said Barry. "I want a pint, me," said Dave. The barmaid talked them through the new menu, which included chicken catch-a-Tory.

I am proud that she used 'soundscape' in her description of Shedtown as I worked hard to provide an aural wash of sound to support the narrative. More about the next episode soon....