Its usually a good reminder as to why I left (mentally, slowly physically). You know, positive reinforcement.
who is going to the convention this year?
by drew sagan 15 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
aSphereisnotaCircle
2. I've seen may people video tape the conventions before. Just find a nice place to sit where the videocamera is out of the way, put it on a tripod and go to town. Nobody is going to ask any questions and if they do...
Drew, seriously they allow the dubs to do that where your from?
I haven't been to an assembly in over 14 years, so maybe things have changed, but in my area any kind of recording device was strictly forbidden and the attendants would put a stop to it. In the seventies and earlier you could do it, but they stopped allowing it in the eighties.
-
stillajwexelder
I refuse to go Friday but I am going Saturday and Sunday
-
drew sagan
I only ever attended conventions in Cleveland Ohio during the late 90's through mid 2000's. Many people recorded audio, and from time to time you would see people taking video. I remember one guy that would video the entier thing so he could give copies to older people who wern't able to attend. Many people would bring out camcorders during the drama. A special announcement would be made that if you were going to film the drama you should keep your camera out of the way and not plug it into any wall outlets (I remember hearing this every year).
So yeah, they were pretty lax about it. Not to many people actually wanted to record the entire session so it never was a big deal. If you were to sit up higher nobody would pay attention to you at all (at least at the conventions I was at). As I think about it I believe some of the people who liked to record took their cameras up there because it gave them lots of room to set up. I also remember a few people sitting in the front row with cameras on the empty floor space in front of them (it was shaped like a basketball arena and the area where the court would go usually had big large spaces, sometimes a few folding chairs.)
-
WTWizard
Use a small device. They are less likely to hound you about it if the device is quite tiny, especially if you can get a lens that fits in an eyeglass frame--connected to a device that looks like a mini disc recorder or a iPod (yes, it should be simple to record if you have a iPod that allows recording from the radio). As for getting video, that is a bit more complex--that device will have to fit in a suit pocket and store the video footage on memory sticks (which come in sizes up to about 8 GB). Of course, you are going to have to spend some money to get reasonable quality.
What they will hound you for is a video setup that is obtrusive (especially if it blocks others' view or has flashing lights that can be seen from the platform), anything that is plugged in (they are that cheap with their electricity that, while they can donate $120,000 to the Worldwide Pedophile Defense Fund, they cannot "afford" the $2 or so for extra electricity for recordings), or if it is noisy enough to disrupt. Plus, some of the hounders will create problems where none existed, hunting for anything that looks like a recording device.
If that is the case, getting audio will have to suffice. Get a device that allows recording off FM radio and set it to the correct frequency (just tell them that you need it or you will probably fall asleep in the middle of the program). These can record onto various storage devices such as mini discs, an internal hard drive, or flash memory sticks. At the end of the session, stop recording (it is not necessary to record the songs at the beginning or end, but taping the announcements can provide additional insight). It works best if you count on one storage device per day (mini discs will store 5 hours on one disc, so bring two per day), and then process it into clips as they will fit onto your account.
-
Shepherd Book
I attended conventions in Minnesota through the 1990s and up until 2006. I recorded a few things.
One year, I recorded the baptism talk & then got close to the pool and recorded the baptism. No one said anything; in fact, one lady came over to me and asked for a copy of the recording (her son was getting baptized).
Another year, I arrived late & so my wife and I had to sit up closer than we would've liked. We had our tripod with us &, when it came time for the talk we wanted to record, we set up the tripod right in front of my chair (I had to sit campfire-style) & began recording. One guy sitting a few chairs down from me gave me an odd look, as if so say "what's with all the commotion?" But once he saw I planned on recording, he smiled.
The only time anyone said anything remotely negative was in 2006 when I plugged my camera into a nearby wall outlet. Even then, no big deal, an attendant just asked what I was doing.
So, after bringing a video camera to ten conventions/assemblies (at least), I think I can safely say you will not be harrassed unless:
1) You giggling about it the whole time,
2) You look out of place (guys: wear a tie, ladies: wear a skirt)
3) You are totally blocking an aisle, or someone's view, or making an insane amount of noise, or using their power source.
With regards item #3, I don't blame them - they want everyone there to be able to watch & hear the whole program, if you're in the way, then it's totally reasonable that someone would say something. Even then, though, they won't say "Get that camera out of here!", they'll probably just say: "Excuse me brother/sister, but you're making it difficult for some of the friends to pay attention. Could I encourage you to move your equipment to the back of the auditorium?"