A Fireside Chat with Emily Ronkar
Aug 5, 2010

We’d now like to take a moment with one of Click Communications’ excellent staffers, Emily Ronkar, to learn a little more about where she came from and how she gets by in the world of Click.  Learning from past mistakes, a fireside chat was much better during the summer when not lit.  Let us begin.

What is your favorite thing about working at Click?
Working at Click has given me even more reason to love movies.  Never in a million years would I have guessed that someone would pay me do what I loved.  My absolute favorite thing about working at Click, though, would have to be the people. Everyone at Click is so unique and nerdy in his or her own way and yet so accepting of everyone else’s unique rhythms. It always provides a fun environment.

What skill has been most valuable to you while working here at Click?
A sense of humor, hands down.  Whether things are going your way or you feel like the whole world is against you (I’m talking to YOU, Mondays), a sense of humor will always make the situation easier.

What would you consider to be your area of specialty?
Professionally, I get to work on a lot of  TV on DVD.  It’s fun to pull scenes while I watch both shows I love as well as shows I normally wouldn’t sit down to view, so my knowledge of TV is extensive.  Due to the sheer amount of material, it also provides a nice wide range of bonus material to satisfy any area of interest.  I also enjoy many of the Jerry Bruckheimer films; the action-focused behind-the-scenes bonus are always fun to watch and make you feel like you’re being let in on all the secrets of film-making.

For fun, I’m a huge fan of British TV and film, so I enjoy really off-kilter shows such as “Spaced,” “Coupling,” “Young Ones” or “The IT Crowd.” I’m also particular to the jovial sarcasm and wit offered in British cinema, most particularly in films such as Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Closer or Trainspotting. And of course, nothing soothes the nerves better than a classic Jane Austen story of bumbling romance; somewhere deep inside, I am still a sappy 13 year old girl.   It will be our secret.

What is the best part of your workday?
The first couple of hours before, and as, people start trickling in and answering e-mails.  It’s so quiet, just my coffee and me.  The day still holds the promise of productivity and my to-do list is at its shortest.

Which work event has been the most fun for you to be involved in?
Can I pick two?  No?  Well I will anyway.

Our annual Click Anniversary party is a lot of fun.  We get to spend some quality time together as a team with our out of town Clickers.  And it’s always fun to meet and spend a little time with our press, whom I don’t normally get to work directly with.

Secondly, Comic-Con.  This year was my second Comic-Con and the experience keeps getting better, and after each one, my plan of attack changes a little.  Yes, it’s crowded, and by the end of the week a bit smelly and apparently stabby (Hall H.  Get it together), but any event that celebrates nerds to the Nth degree is all right by me.  Let your freak flag fly.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
From a friend/former employer: “Just fix it.”  No matter what the problem, standing around with your hands in your pocket picking apart the issue or passing the puck doesn’t solve the problem any faster.   Just fix it.

What are some of your favorite movies?
This list is extensive, but here are a few: Shaun of the Dead, Pirate Radio, Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge, Pride & Prejudice (the six-hour A&E version), Princess Bride and Disney’s Robin Hood.  If you’re looking for a pattern, or favorite genre, let me know how that works out for you.

“As Mr. Sloan always says, there's no 'I' in team, but there is an 'I' in pie. And there's an 'I' in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team...I don't know what he was talking about.”

If I looked in your DVR/BD player, what would I find?
You’d have good odds to assume it’s British.  Most likely Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Persuasion or Pirate Radio.  I’m also a huge fan of TV on DVD, so it’s also possible you’ll find Criminal Minds or Bones.

What book are you currently reading and what else might I find on your shelves?
I’m usually reading three books at a time.  Currently, Killing the Shadows by Val McDermid, The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory, and Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock ‘N’ Roll Generation Saved Hollywood by Peter Biskind.  I recently finished the comic Fables based on Mac’s suggestion, which I loved!  Most of what you’d find on my shelves are murder thrillers and historical fiction with a specific focus on the Tudor family.  Oh, and every bookshelf staple: Harry Potter.

Where in the world is your favorite place to travel or spend a dream vacation?
This one also has two answers:

Favorite place: London.  An amazing city that opens up new doors and wonders every time I visit.  Wonderful, friendly people that make me feel welcome and at home.  Beautiful buildings and architecture and if you ever get tired of the city, you’re just a train ride away from a plethora of small country villages.

Dream vacation: I would love to wine taste my way through Italy.  Definitely on the to-do list of my life.

London Calling

London Calling

Obligatory super power question: What would it be and why?
Flying, no question.  Not only would you get places faster and NOT have to pay extortionate airline prices and sit next to chatty people, but you also gain a whole new perspective of life from above the crowd.  Plus, amazing party trick.

By: Mac McLean

Blu-ray vs. DVD: For your mom
May 18, 2010

Stores are so prepared to blow your mind with all the amazing technical statistics of why Blu-ray is so much more awesome than DVD that they often overlook the one key element in their jargon-filled diatribe of technical word-vomit: their audience.

For most people, hearing about technical specs is about an interesting as reading the phone book.  I think it’s fantastic that the sales kids at Best Buy even know what pixel resolution and frames per second even mean.  However, that doesn’t mean that the average consumer necessarily does.  Here are three key technical differences between Blu-ray and DVD, broken down into layman’s terms (i.e. something I can explain to my mom).

Anamorphic 16×9, 59.94i frame rate, 1920×1080 pixel resolution

Blah, blah, blah–it’s a better picture.

All this tech speak means is a cleaner image and better color, whether you’re watching on a 15 or 50-inch screen.  It’s simple math: A higher number of pixels = denser image = clearer picture.  And those little black bars at the top and bottom of the screen?  Not just there to piss you off.  They actually preserve the way the film was shot and prevent the film from being distorted and stretched.

Want to experience the world altering colors of Pandora in Avatar?  Blu-ray is for you.  Want to see the intimate details of the Mad Hatter’s make-up in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland?  Blu-ray is for you!  Looking forward to experiencing the Lord of the Rings trilogy the way it was MEANT to be seen?  Me too. Ergo, Blu-ray.

Dolby Digital (AC-3), DTS-HD High Resolution Audio

There is essentially one important difference between audio on a Blu-ray and audio on a DVD.  DVD uses “Lossy” sound, which is a euphemistic, albeit weird, way of saying that you’ll get six channels of sound, but will lose some of it digitally.

Blu-ray, on the other hand, includes eight channels of sound in which no digital sound is lost; appropriately named “Lossless.”

So, to recap, partial sound versus full sound.  These are the difficult decisions of our lives.

Single Layer = 25GB,  Dual Layer=50GB

Let’s not lie to ourselves–size DOES matter.  Fewer available gigabytes (GB) per disc simply means there’s less space.  With Blu-ray’s additional space, you get things like better picture, better audio, and more bonus material.  And while there are quite a few people who buy a DVD or Blu-ray because they just like the movie, there is a large part of the film-loving population of über-nerds like me who also make a choice based on bonus materials.  And I’m not just talking about previews and bloopers.  We’re talking J.J. Abrams Star Trek style bonus here.  A dual layered disc is more likely to have every interactive Behind the Scenes featurette the filmmakers and studios can dream up.  From creating the make-up for mystical creatures to a nanny-cam worn around set by a child star to capture those Candid Camera moments.  I dare you not to watch.

We’ve covered the basics, but before I stop bending your ear, let’s answer the ultimate question:

What is “Blu-ray?”

Simply put, the color of the laser that reads and writes on the disc is blue (well, blue-violet).  You cannot trademark an everyday word (let alone a primary color), so in true English language fashion, we drop a letter.  Voila!  Blu-ray.

Now go forth, my friends, and spew your knowledge to the world.  Or even just your mom.

Today’s blog was brought to you today by the color Blue Blu and the letters B and D.

By: Emily Ronkar