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Had an amazing time - except, someone was deliberately sabotaging my cameras?
- Thread starter CohenTheBarbarian
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Surprised Matt has time to post, thought he'd still be too busy counting all his winnings 
Then that should have been cleared up VERY quickly, rather than having us mods in private discussion, the thread deleted, the OP not revealing his real name in a PM and all the other nonsense
I'm not sure what was to be gained here other than making Neil look like a twat?
Last edited:
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- Jul 21, 2011
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Sad as fcuk mate.
OP
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CohenTheBarbarian
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For the record I'd like to confirm it's a new account created during Pinfest this year. I usually stay out of the way and other people post links to my show videos, but it seemed unfair to ask anyone else to post this particular appeal for information on my behalf. All the staff & most of the supporters from Pinfest know who I am in real life and I also ended up speaking to a couple of the mods yesterday via Whatsapp. Ask a member of Pinfest if you want to confirm I've never been called either Colin or Neil, am not rich, and most disappointingly, aren't even a little bit Scottish at all.
I really wish either this post or the claim I had footage sabotaged was a windup, but sadly neither are. Whist written a bit tongue in cheek to keep things light, the sentiments expressed are extremely real.
I'm honestly shocked anyone at the show would think it appropriate to interferer with someone's equipment in a way that does actual harm. No one else in the room (staff, supporters or even paying members of the public,) would dream of doing so and it really does set an awful prescient going forward.
I'm annoyed and actually quite upset that I lost 20 minutes of footage. Sure, it might not have been the best footage in the world to begin with, but I went out of my way to set up that shot and it had a very deliberate purpose. The entire shot is worthless now and can't be repeated.
I'm baffled someone would think it a good idea to touch a camera on a tripod, when they then, on film, prove that they're incapable of driving a tripod safely and nearly cause the whole thing to fall down.
I figure it's worth clarifying exactly what happened (or at least exactly what was recorded), as there have already been claims and misunderstandings made in other places that seek to downplay what was done. For the sake of alleviating misunderstandings;
+ Claim: The camera was moved because it was in the way
This particular camera was set up on a switched off (broken?) on the Saturday night of the show. It didn't overhang or interferer with the floorspace in front, or the machines either side of it.
There were a lot of cameras left in silly places (by me) during Pinfest and a few of them had to be moved as people were setting up/packing down. All of them were moved sensibly and given a view of something interesting in their new location, much thanks and respect to all of you.
+ Claim: The camera was only covered by his hand briefly as a lol, or was found & correctly quickly.
At least 15 minutes if not more of footage is ruined as it was turned 180 and left looking at a switched off back-glass. The whole reason for the camera being put there was to catch the bustle of the hall and then the mass exodus when the show closed. I got two minutes of busy, Colin, and then 15 minutes of switched off Fish Tales backglass, and only found the camera again once the hall was mostly empty. Entirely ruined the entire point.
+ Claim: Our Perp didn't know who the cameras belonged to.
I'm not sure this actually matters, It's usually obvious when things don't belong to you, and that's a pretty good indicator you shouldn't touch them without permission.
However in this case, and on film, he's told first by a member of Pinfest staff in a blue STAFF shirt that the camera is doing a recording on behalf of the show, and he then asks someone to his side who it belongs to and is given my name - he then moves the camera. I gotta be honest, finding this out it feels very hard not to feel personally targetted and I really don't know what I did to deserve that.
Timeline:
00:00: Clip Starts, hall very busy and machines are shining
03:30: Camera noticed
03:50: Staff member explains why the camera is
04:00: Camera covered briefly with hand
04:05: Entire tripod turned around which then topples over and is caught. Have some heart, tripods are difficult, m'kay?
04:13: Camera faces forward again. Someone out of shot is asked who it belongs to and the Perp is given my name!
04:15: Perp shakes his head in disgust and disbelief, and also accidentally accomplishes one of the best 1997-Episode IV cosplays I've ever witnessed.
04:23: Top of tripod is rotated so it faces the wall and the topper of the machine
04:30: Tripod is moved again, because tripods are hard.
04:37: Camera finally stops moving, because tripods really are hard. Give the guy a break, it's difficult, ok?
04:38: Switched off back-glass...
05:00: Switched off back-glass...
06:00: Switched off back-glass...
07:00: Switched off back-glass...
08:00: Switched off back-glass...
09:00: Switched off back-glass...
10:00: Switched off back-glass...
11:00: Switched off back-glass...
12:00: Switched off back-glass...
13:00: Switched off back-glass...
14:00: Switched off back-glass...
15:00: Switched off back-glass...
16:00: Switched off back-glass...
16:51: Camera is found sabotaged and I'm spitting feathers about it. Hall is mostly empty, machines switched off, house lights on.
If the camera was in any way a problem or in your way, you've got my phone number and any single STAFF shirt at the show could have called me on the radio in seconds and had me move it, but to say this was done in jest is just baffling to me.
Not only wasn't I in on the joke, but there's no punchline; just the destruction of of irreplaceable footage. I really fail to see the lol here? Like, no joke, but if someone can explain why this is is actually funny I'll back down and apologise immediately. Call me crazy, but I was always taught that if you're having a joke with someone, you're supposed to leave them laughing. When I have a joke with someone I leave them with, at worst, confused but amused memories and a small (absolutely non-radioactive) momento of our joviality together; I don't try and rob them of something irreplaceable, break stuff or make them feel ****.
To be fair, there's every chance this is just me. As people who know me will attest to, I'm more of a full-rainbow sorta guy rather than just being on the spectrum. For all I know the likes of Abbott & Costello, Laurel & Hardy, Morecambe & Wise and even Buster Keaton are spinning in their graves, giggling about how good a jape it was. I guess that's the dichotomy, though. My idea of funny is dealing with serious matters in a way that lightens the mood and doesn't bring people down, where as Neil's idea of funny seems to be the exact opposite.
Anyway, what's done is done, and there's significantly more exciting things I'd use my time machine for if it were possible to go back and change it. As to why I posted here? I was hoping people could sense-check me as to whether it's acceptable behaviour or not; if only so I know what to expect next time, as I absolutely wasn't expecting this.
As someone else who has been targeted for a ‘jape’ (not at Pinfest) by the exact same perp, all I can do is send you a massive virtual hug
OP
OP
CohenTheBarbarian
Registered
When the post was originally deleted without any contact or explanation from the mods, I wrote them an extremely polite message asking for clarification and sensibly signed "Mr. The Barbarian (esq)" so as to avoid any confusion as to who sent it.
Cohen/Fligg is annoyed that he lost footage but Neil isn't here to defend himself and the rest of us are not here to be the judges or jury.
I have message Fligg, and hope we can remember to respect peoples stuff at a show, as people put there effort into doing these things for us.
I am going to lock this and hope everyone will remember the joy we get from these shows.
I have message Fligg, and hope we can remember to respect peoples stuff at a show, as people put there effort into doing these things for us.
I am going to lock this and hope everyone will remember the joy we get from these shows.
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