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December 2015 | Couper Samuelson '02
Couper Samuelson '02 (President of Feature Production, Blumhouse Productions)
A TALL MAN RISES IN STATURE: The "Harvard Mafia" is alive and well in Hollywood with Couper Samuelson producing a new paradigm for art and commerce to coexist on the silver (really any) screen
William Couper Samuelson is a human dynamo, and with all respects to the late, great James Brown, the very tall (6'6") producer may have just snatched the title as the "hardest working man in show business" and claimed it for himself. Known for such hits as the Academy Award-nominated WHIPLASH, WE OWN THE NIGHT, and THE GIFT, the lanky livewire has no less than five films already set for release in 2016, including HUSH, AMITYVILLE: THE WAKENING, DELIRIUM, 6 MIRANDA DRIVE, and THE PURGE 3.
Our interview is a fit of stops and starts. Calls and deadlines — and details — and a dinner to attend this evening. At last, he's ready and it's easy to see why the man has charmed his way into the upper echelons of Hollywood with a combination of brains, luck, pluck and networking savvy extraordinaire.
November 2015 | Alan Yang '02
Posted by Harvardwood · November 01, 2015 1:00 AM
Alan Yang '02 (Writer & Executive Producer, Master of None, Parks & Recreation)
Master of None, the upcoming Netflix series co-created by Alan Yang and Aziz Ansari, is the most autobiographical show Alan's ever worked on. "I always wanted to do stories that were universal. So I didn't want to write a show people could categorize as an Asian show. But I think the lesson you learn over and over again – and I'm not claiming to know anything about writing - is that the universality you're looking for is in the specificity of your experience."
Alan's refusal to claim he knows anything about writing reads like a joke, but he's serious. He's that humble. This humility, along with his evident and uncommon talent, must have helped him work his way up from staff writer to co-executive producer on Parks and Recreation over the seven seasons of the show. Before that he wrote for South Park and Last Call With Carson Daly.
October 2015 | Kermit Roosevelt '93
Kermit Roosevelt AB '93
(Professor & Author, In the Shadow of the Law, Allegiance)
Kermit Roosevelt's Real-Life Tales of a Government Bent on Repeating History Inform the Historical Fiction of Allegiance, His Latest Novel, while also Sharpening His Vision as a Professor of Law
Kermit Roosevelt has the kind of brilliant, beautiful mind that makes attorneys look cooler than Matthew McConaughey in THE LINCOLN LAWYER. Shifting seamlessly from his role as Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School where he has prolifically published on matters focusing on constitutional law and conflict of laws, in 2005, he also published his first novel, In The Shadow Of The Law (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). Paramount quickly snapped up the rights to the entrancing book set in a powerhouse Washington, D. C., law firm, and Carol Mendelsohn of CSI fame served as Executive Producer of a TV Pilot that featured Joshua Jackson, Frank Langella, Kevin Pollak and Alan Tudyk.
September 2015 | Eric d'Arbeloff MBA '93 & Howard Cohen AB '81
Eric d'Arbeloff MBA '93 and Howard Cohen AB '81
(Co-Founders, Roadside Attractions)
Eric d'Arbeloff MBA '93 and Howard Cohen AB '81 are the founders of Roadside Attractions, a specialty film distributor based in L.A.
They are also a married couple and parents of a ten-year-old son. The films they acquire and distribute are designed to appeal to an intellectually curious audience and films have included everything from a documentary about Anna Wintour and VOGUE magazine to a story about Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys.
STONEWALL, a film about the famous Stonewall riots that initiated the gay rights movement in Greenwich Village in New York City in June of 1969, will be released on September 25th.
August 2015 | Alexandra Petri '10
Alexandra Petri AB '10
(Playwright, Author, Washington Post Columnist/Blogger)
Photo courtesy of Trina Sobotka
"I love being able to communicate with people and tell stories. People ask, 'why do you spend so much time writing?' Well, why do you eat cake?"
Writer and humorist Alexandra Petri '10 had a happy but slightly unconventional upbringing. From the time she was a child, she traveled from Washington D.C. to Wisconsin to campaign for her father, former Congressman Tom Petri '62, HLS '80. "There were parades," she recalls. "Lots of parades."
Alexandra was always a voracious reader, but not of the books you'd expect. "When I was really young my mom (Anne Neal '77, HLS '80) said she'd either read me her old art history text book or a graphic novel of Othello with the unabridged text. I chose the latter, and just loved it, though as you'd expect a lot of it went over my head. After that, we'd read King Lear and other works out loud."
July 2015 | Megan Amram '10
Megan Amram AB '10
(Author & Comedy Writer, Silicon Valley, Parks & Rec, Science… For Her!)
Most classical musicians start taking lessons in early childhood. Olympic-level athletes often begin training as soon as they've learned to walk.
But contrary to what her meteoric career as a comedy writer would suggest, Megan Amram '10 didn't sprout from her mother's forehead, fully formed and armed with the mighty pen. In fact, Amram wasn't even funny as a child, describing herself instead as a math and science nerd.
Her first foray into comedy writing happened shortly before college, when she took a comedy class offered at her high school. With the encouragement of her teacher, Amram considered a career in comedy writing as "something that maybe I could do" for the first time.
Maybe was quite the understatement. Five years after high school—about five months after Amram arrived in Los Angeles after graduating from Harvard—she landed her first writing job… for The Academy Awards.
June 2015 | Claudia Weill '69
Posted by Harvardwood · June 02, 2015 1:10 PM
Claudia Weill '69 (Theatre, Film & TV Director, Girlfriends, thirtysomething, The Belle of Belfast)
Claudia Weill didn't set out to be a director. A first generation American, she grew up drawing and painting: "the arts were to my Swiss family what sports are to an American family, what you did on weekends." After her junior year in college, a summer job changed everything. "I was a PA on a documentary about the 'Summer of Love', 1967 in the Haight-Ashbury. I was happy to do anything, from taking publicity stills to casting and locations, dropping the director's laundry off on the way to the film lab, making meals for fifty and interviewing folks on camera. It was way too much fun to go back to school after that summer."
May 2015 | Dan Goor '97
Dan Goor '97 (Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
"When I went to college I wanted to be a doctor and a comedian—like my idol Jonathan Miller, from the British comedy revue Beyond the Fringe."
Dan's twin interests can be traced back to his upbringing in Bethesda, Maryland down the street from the National Institutes of Health. "I've always been very interested in science and molecular biology," he says. "I grew up with it—my Dad and everyone around us worked at NIH. Scientists describe what they do as stories, and I think that fostered my fascination with storytelling."
His appetite for comedy emerged early. "My brother was a really talented pianist--he's four years older. While he'd practice, I'd read Woody Allen short stories to him. We got hold of a video camera and spent hours making up sketch comedy routines and cracking each other up. We imitated what made us laugh on TV--Saturday Night Live, Monty Python, televangelists..."
April 2015 | Colleen McGuinness '99
Colleen McGuinness '99 (Comedy Writer-Producer, About a Boy, 30 Rock)
"A lot of recent graduates, especially Harvard students, want to do the responsible thing and have a job lined up when they move to Hollywood, but it's really hard to do that unless you already live here."
Comedy writer-producer Colleen McGuinness has practiced what she preaches.
As a writer for film and television, including 30 ROCK and ABOUT A BOY, she has no shame admitting that when she first moved out to L.A., she was unemployed.
Half-Korean and half-Irish but raised by her Irish-Norwegian grandparents since she was six months old, Colleen says the feeling of being an outsider is part of what has fueled her to write.
March 2015 | Benjamin Scheuer '04
Benjamin Scheuer '04 (Singer, Songwriter, & Creator of The Lion)
Benjamin Scheuer is the singer, songwriter and creator of the critically acclaimed off Broadway musical, THE LION. THE LION is currently playing at the Lynn Redgrave Theater in New York through March 29th and will travel to Portland, Oregon, in May. Who is Benjamin Scheuer? Well, his show tells his story. Armed with several guitars, the 32-year-old Scheuer sits in different spaces on the small stage, and sings his autobiographical songs to the audience. In this intimate setting, audience members experience an intensely emotional journey. This one-man musical includes songs that explain Ben's life and the several traumatic experiences he has had to endure.


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package org.apache.lucene.facet;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

/** Maps specified dims to provided Facets impls; else, uses
 *  the default Facets impl. */
public class MultiFacets extends Facets {
  private final Map<String,Facets> dimToFacets;
  private final Facets defaultFacets;

  /** Create this, with no default {@link Facets}. */
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  /** Create this, with the specified default {@link Facets}
   *  for fields not included in {@code dimToFacets}. */
  public MultiFacets(Map<String,Facets> dimToFacets, Facets defaultFacets) {
    this.dimToFacets = dimToFacets;
    this.defaultFacets = defaultFacets;
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  @Override
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    Facets facets = dimToFacets.get(dim);
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        throw new IllegalArgumentException("invalid dim \"" + dim + "\"");
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      facets = defaultFacets;
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    return facets.getTopChildren(topN, dim, path);
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    Facets facets = dimToFacets.get(dim);
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      facets = defaultFacets;
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    return facets.getSpecificValue(dim, path);
  }

  @Override
  public List<FacetResult> getAllDims(int topN) throws IOException {
    // TODO
    throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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IHBC Conservation Wiki Part of Designing Buildings Wikiwww.designingbuildings.co.uk
Site info / tools
Institute of Historic Building Conservation Institute / association Website
Negotiating skills for conservation professionals
This article was created by The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC). It was written by Bob Kindred MBE BA IHBC MRTPI and published in August 2014. You can see the original article on the IHBC website.
2 The skills of persuasion
2.1 Be prepared
2.2 Focus on the needs of the other party
2.3 Use positive rather than negative language
2.4 Compliments can be helpful
2.5 Try to remember the names of all those involved
3 Negotiating for success
4 Negotiating jointly
5 Tactics for successful negotiation
6 The power of authority
7 A summary of negotiation skills characteristics
8 Find out more
8.1 Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
An ability to negotiate is a fundamental requirement that invariably appears in advertisements for public sector conservation posts but as part of the job application process, candidates are rarely, if ever, requested to demonstrate this proficiency, nor if they are appointed are they asked to do so in any formal sense subsequently.
Whether a practitioner is recently qualified or an 'old hand', there is often nothing more daunting, particularly for a single individual in an under-resourced public sector organisation, than to be faced by a large team of expensively assembled 'experts' on the opposite side of the negotiating table. Discussing the merits of proposals on site with an owner who knows their property intimately and what they want to do much better than the visitor can be equally fraught. Some negotiating skills to address such scenarios can be learnt on the job and be developed with experience but they are skills that are not normally taught.
Many building conservation professionals will be aware of the often-quoted joke at their expense: Question: 'What is the difference between a Conservation Officer and a Terrorist?' Answer: 'You can negotiate with a Terrorist.'
Although this is deeply insulting about the competence of professional conservation specialists, there will always be a grain of truth behind this description. The implication is that the default response to any proposal will invariably be 'No', but it should be borne in mind that saying 'No' with conviction and sound justification to ignorant, ill-informed, ill-thought-out and inappropriate proposals can be viewed as a positive rather than a negative, where clear principles, a need to maintain standards and set a high level of quality assurance to the protection of the historic environment are necessary.
Negotiating skills are as important in professional roles as they are valuable in everyday life. Even before becoming involved in negotiations with professional colleagues, building owners, agents and the general public there is the small matter of being successfully appointed to a professional post. As referred to above, for most jobs in the public sector, it is usually necessary to respond appropriately to professional competency-based interview questions and provide evidence that these skills have been developed and perhaps that they also have value under other circumstances.
This Guidance Note looks at some aspects of negotiating which may assist in achieving the most appropriate outcomes; and that attaining a degree of understanding on both sides will usually ensue, even if there may not always be consensus. The Note may also be helpful in meeting the needs of the conservation professionals preparing for an appointment interview.
The skills of persuasion
Although the time of a conservation professional time will often be at a premium, try to prepare in advance as, for example, applicants for consent may like to reveal as little of their intentions as possible to maintain an advantage in pre-application negotiations.
Ensure a good understanding of what is at stake ('the significance of the heritage asset'). This may mean familiarity not only the building or site, but also the area, the planning history and the relevant local and national policies and how these might be applied with good purpose to the project. Also aim to anticipate the generic philosophical questions or technical issues that might emerge. Preparation will help project your competence and professionalism and ensure that any advice being offered can be subsequently verified.
The significance of the components of the historic environment are your forte, nevertheless while empathy with a developer's ambitions can also be a valuable attribute, do not lose sight of the value of challenging key aspects of projects where good negotiations will almost always result in improved schemes completed to everyone's satisfaction. Argue your case with clarity and logic
Where all the key issues cannot be anticipated in advance and where discussions take on a more general or wide ranging basis ('While you're here I wonder if you can also give an opinion on…'); it is quite reasonable to make clear the limits of the scope of the negotiations; especially if these start to stray towards issues beyond your competence (for example an owner's concerns about excessive nearby noise).
Some matters may need to be referred, for example, to English Heritage, and will require a response in writing at a later date. Explain why some additional investigation of some issues will be required before a definitive opinion can be confirmed.
Try to avoid hesitant language. The more you use: ('…isn't it?', 'you know…', 'um mm…' and 'I mean…' the less convincing your arguments may seem and the more intimidated you may become.
Heritage management has its own technical terms and its own acronyms. Be adaptable and sensitive to the negotiating situation. Try to tailor your language, for example, by not referring to 'EH' rather than English Heritage, or 'SPAB' when you mean the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. Some but not all professionals will know the terms and the abbreviations but some agents, surprisingly, and many owners, may not.
As an acknowledged 'expert', explain any technical terms and try to avoid condescension or obfuscation. The use of some technical or professional language can rarely be avoided completely but try not to sound so simplistic that this implies on the one hand that you lack sufficient expertise, or underestimate the intelligence of the recipient on the other.
Focus on the needs of the other party
Try to establish a rapport. Although high workload pressures may preclude extended, informal, general pleasantries; taking time to listen carefully to an owner or agent can pay dividends by calmly finding out about their aspirations, general objectives and expectations. Taking a genuine interest in the people involved as well as in the proposals themselves is more likely to foster a spirit of trust, engender a sense that your own views will be respected, and make it easier to outline the heritage arguments in terms that will be understood.
As time pressures are likely to be important on both sides, establish a timeframe for discussions at the start. This will help to concentrate minds. The local authority may be charging a fee for the time taken for pre-application advice and the client will be paying professional advisors to obtain clear unequivocal opinions before proceeding further with a project.
Be sensitive to cultural and linguistic issues among agents and clients with an ethnic minority background. Consider whether interpretation facilities might be required so that legal, professional and technical issues can be correctly understood.
Remember also that for some large schemes, agents or clients originating from outside the UK may be more familiar with relatively unequivocal overseas zoning compliance than with the nuances of the UK heritage and land-use planning system and so an explanation of how this operates may be required at the outset.
Use positive rather than negative language
The aim of negotiation is to problem solve not to reject proposals outright without valid arguments. This is especially true for those cases where such lack of rigour might be unpicked should the scheme ultimately be the subject of a planning appeal. Government guidance is in favour of sustainable development, but not at the cost of protecting the historic environment.
There are different ways of saying: 'Your approach to these issues is wrong…' and you may prefer to say 'While what you say is true, it is also necessary to consider...'. Similarly '…the proposals have merits but if we look more deeply into...' or 'I agree with what you say but have you considered the following matters...' may present a more reasonable stance.
It is important to remember, however, that under certain circumstances, a clear immediate authoritative, reasoned rejection of proposals may be the best course.
Trying to be helpful and constructive in negotiations under some situations may actually be counterproductive. Proponents can take attempts to be reasonable or equivocation as a green light to modify or develop further, unsuitable proposals when clear advice to abandon a scheme, completely change course, or use more competent consultants, would have benefited all parties had this been made explicit at the outset.
Compliments can be helpful
Praise during negotiations need not be obsequious, for example: 'I see that you've done some thorough research on this…' or 'I'm sure you have already considered this but…' can show a subtle appreciation that while the proponent may have a solution in mind, it will give an opening will be made for a better one to be advanced.
Try to remember the names of all those involved
Recollection can be difficult when, for example, the proponent fields a large team of consultants; or there are individuals at a site meeting who appear to have an involvement but hang-back and don't engage in the discussions. It is helpful if you clearly state who you are, and anyone else who is with you in support. Then ask and note down who is present from the other side and what their role in the negotiations is. An exchange of business cards may help. Don't be afraid to ask more than once if the name and role of a participant is unclear. If a large round-table meeting is held consider a quick sketch location plan of all the participants. Preparation and correct identification indicates that their role is valued by treating them as individuals and creates a better atmosphere for the negotiations.
Negotiating for success
If you have prepared in advance, without pre-judging the situation, you should usually have an outcome in mind. This may be mutually beneficial to both sides but it is likely to involve pursuing the authority's approved policies and procedures to the exclusion of those of the proponent: (I win: you lose!). Be sure that when negotiating in conjunction with Development Management and other professional colleagues that common objectives have already been established.
Day-to-day negotiation has to the responsibility of professional officers. Certain decision making powers may be the subject of a Scheme of Delegations giving a wide range of discretion, but negotiators should know not only the limits of what they can agree, but also what level of other professional input may be required (for example, from building control, environmental health). When in doubt the matter should be referred upwards to a more senior colleague either for authorisation by the relevant Council committee or as an informative safeguard. Failure to be clear about the limits of what can and cannot be agreed may open later decisions to subsequent legal challenge or Ombudsman investigation.
Persuading proponents to do what you want them to do by completely ignoring their interests and concerns could be described as 'keeping your cards hidden'. This is rarely the best course of action and it needs to be remembered that while this tactic may produce a short-term advantage, a longer-term resentment can build up which can be damaging if there is a need to work with these people again. This can create what is termed reputational damage to the negotiator and the authority.
Negotiating jointly
This involves coming to an agreement where both sides get what they want, but which may or may not involve trade-offs, that is reaching a mutually satisfactory - but less than optimum – outcome, which would still be a win-win situation.
A strong degree of mutual trust needs to be established on both sides requiring honesty, integrity and professional competence. If negotiations take place with agents, for example, on a regular basis this will be more straightforward than in one-off situations and/or with unfamiliar participants with a less obvious track record of delivery.
It is usually possible for both sides working together to come up with a compromise solution to suit everyone's best interests, but the caveat above about attempting to be overly-helpful resulting in 'false' encouragement should be borne in mind.
No matter how unpalatable the other party's track record or initial negotiating tactics may be, it is essential to look at the issues from their perspective as this may also generate potential alternative solutions while still meeting the objectives. Being assertive is the best course of action. Being passive or aggressive (however much provoked) does not help find solutions.
Consistency is a desirable attribute in negotiations as it is associated with honesty, stability and logic. Inconsistent negotiators are almost as bad as non-committal ones in that the former are seen indecisive and unable to commit themselves for long enough to conclude an issue; while the latter are unable to make any kind of professional decision without seeking higher authority. Inconsistency in negotiations will quickly be exposed by agents in regular contact with the same local authority officers and is an unfortunate but preventable characteristic that sometimes manifests itself, irrespective of years of working experience.
Finally, remember that you are the 'expert', with perceived specialist knowledge and with influence within the local authority (if with this status comes the attendant responsibility). The opposite side of the negotiations may be just as nervous and apprehensive about the negotiating process and the eventual outcome as you.
Tactics for successful negotiation
It can be difficult to think calmly under pressure during negotiations, but the following preparations and tactics can be useful:
Whenever possible do advance preparation. Think about the significance of the asset. Try to anticipate the questions likely to arise and how best to respond. While this will not be possible on every issue, being caught unawares is less likely to foster a perception of indecisiveness or a lack of professionalism.
To focus on the matters in hand, try to set a realistic time limit for the discussions and a verbal or written agenda. The axiom 'Time-is-money' now applies to both sides particularly where fees for pre-application advice are involved.
Proponents or their agents will almost always outline their case first rather than seek an opinion, so it is important to listen carefully to the arguments and assess the substance and logic of their reasoning. If a lot of separate issues are conflated try to separate these out, asking for a pause to take notes if necessary and ensuring all the essential points have been recorded and are then addressed.
Occasionally an offer will be made by the other side to make notes of the meeting and although this is often welcome when resources are stretched or time is short, these must always be scrutinised closely for accuracy and an absence of 'spin'. If there is evidence of bias the notes must be formally corrected.
Before negotiations commence, if possible try to list all the issues likely to be important and, if practicable, at the end of each stage of negotiations try to summarise which key issues emerged that mattered to both sides and set out any areas of common ground.
Take a proportionate view. Don't overstate the relative significance of the heritage asset[s] and be aware that national planning policy addresses not only such matters such as degrees of harm but also the balance of heritage protection with other social, economic and environmental benefits.
On complex projects, start by discussing the principles before getting stuck into the detail. If issues seem complex of become diffuse, do not hesitate to clarify by asking the 'how, why, where, when and what' questions.
If possible try to note any personal agendas; be sure to question generalisations and challenge assumptions. Notes of discussions are invaluable, especially if negotiations get into difficulties. They provide an audit trail later if it is required.
Agents quite often negotiate without their clients being present (especially on smaller schemes) and there needs to be awareness that under some circumstance they may be under particular instructions not to divulge certain information about their proposals.
It is also not uncommon for agents to intimate that they are looking for a particular steer or direction from local authority as a means of conveying an unpalatable message to a client that they lack the expertise or courage to express them. ('Can you say that please? We can't'). It is in this way that unjustified negativity about the local authority's advice can sometimes be cited.
Be aware of cultural issues in terms of the potential ethnic background and customs of agents and their clients and anticipate if, for example, interpretation facilities would be of assistance.
At all times it is essential to keep calm, be as assertive as possible without being aggressive and if situations become tense, use tact and diplomacy to diffuse the situation.
As outlined above, remember that 'No' is a powerful word used promptly under the right circumstances.
Although this Note does not specifically deal with the matter of body language, there can be non-verbal as well as verbal persuasion skills, so remember to adopt open, encouraging body language such as an initial, firm (but not bone-crunching) handshake, regular eye-contact and an occasional empathetic nod of the head. Try not to appear defensive or closed such as folding your arms in front of you or when being addressed, look distractedly in a different direction.
Knowing when to compromise takes experience. It may be possible to determine if concessions should be made in advance and by how much. Offer compromises where appropriate (and where there is the statutory, policy or personal discretion to do so) but make minor ones only initially.
It is crucial to be clear about the difference between fundamentals on which professionally you and the authority (as a matter of local or national policy) cannot compromise and the issues where ground can be conceded and why. Allowing the other party to save face if necessary via small concessions is an essential aspect good negotiation. It is worthwhile maintaining good will for the subsequent implementation of proposals or future professional relationships.
Ensure that in coming to any clear-cut decision or agreement there is a deadline by which matters will be resolved or actions will be triggered, and that this is summarised and written down at the conclusion of the negotiations.
Not all negotiations conclude successfully and when this happens be sure to plan for alternative actions or outcomes.
The power of authority
Psychologists state that people are more likely to comply with the views of someone in authority than not, that is that people prefer to take advice from 'experts'. This is why in many heritage cases a professional agent is involved in negotiations rather than the client. Conservation professionals are obviously also experts and their mix of expertise and experience in negotiation, backed up by written national and local policy and guidance, should also carry compelling weight.
Professionalism during negotiations with agents has to apply to both sides and as the old saying states, proper preparation prevents poor performance. The historic environment is extensive and the issues relating to its appropriate management are complex. It is unlikely that both sides in a negotiation will be equally familiar with or expert concerning the issues in question and there will be no loss of respect if opinion is deferred for a time, for further mature reflection, before coming to a final view. The answer may be 'Yes', usually with reasoned provisos, but nothing is gained by saying 'No' without well-argued explanation.
A summary of negotiation skills characteristics
Basic Skills: Using ideas persuasively. Intermediate Skills: Winning the argument. Advanced Skills: Developing strategies.
Become thoroughly engaged with whoever you are in negotiation.
Allow the proposals to be explained.
Set out clearly the advantages of your argument.
Try not to impose unreasoned solutions.
Enumerate your points clearly and concisely.
Tailor you language to avoid acronyms.
Understand the other side of the argument and the concerns expressed.
Emphasise the aims are problem solving, capitalising on appropriate opportunities, avoiding damage to significance, acting sustainably and cost-effectiveness.
Handle objections calmly.
Challenge unsound points of view.
Develop a line of clear reasoning.
Ensure your views are supported by evidence, policy, guidance and/or technical competence.
Consider a range of approaches and strategies to win support.
Provide examples of solutions used elsewhere in a similar context.
Know when to concede and the limitations to reaching agreement.
Try finding mutually beneficial solutions.
Good initial negotiation may be vital for trustworthy long-term professional relationships.
This is one of a series of occasional Guidance Notes published by The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC). The Notes necessarily reflect knowledge and practice at the time they were developed, while the IHBC always welcomes new case examples, feedback and comment to [email protected] for future revisions and updates.
--Institute of Historic Building Conservation 08:13, 19 Jun 2016 (BST)
Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Appeals against urgent works notices.
Cautions or formal warnings in relation to potential listed building offences in England and Wales.
Charging for Listed Building Consent pre-application advice.
Conservation officer.
Forced entry to listed buildings.
Historic Environment Service Provider Recognition.
Institute of Historic Building Conservation.
Listed Building Consent Order.
Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreements.
Local Listed Building Consent Orders.
Loss of senior conservation staff and posts in England March 2010 to April 2011.
Non-statutory consultees.
Planning authority duty to provide specialist conservation advice.
Planning permission.
Road improvement scheme consultation.
Stakeholder management.
Stakeholder map.
Statutory authorities.
Third party dependencies.
Use of direct action in heritage enforcement cases in England.
Retrieved from "https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Negotiating_skills_for_conservation_professionals"
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Rated 3 out of 5 by hamcamper from Dundee user The desk is beautiful. Would be easier to assemble if the stickers were on the part instead of the box. The drawer hardware is as cheap as you can get. First thing on list is new hardware. Otherwise it is a decent product.
how do you get drawers out of desk and file cabinets?
Hello. The drawer slides have a plastic release lever; extend the drawers all the way out and you will be able to see the lever where the two tracks meet. Push one side down and the other side up, then pull the drawer out. You can see a picture of the lever on page 6 of the User Manual on our website; feel free to contact us at 1-866-942-5362 if you need further assistance.
how do remove desk and file cabinet drawers?
Hello AI K, thank you for purchasing our product. Please refer to page 26 of your instructions; if you need to remove the drawers, please pull the drawer all the way out, then simultaneously push the plastic release lever of the ball bearing slide up on one side and down on the other side, and then pull the tray completely out. If you need further assistance, contact our Customer Service department at 1-866-942-5362, M-F, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm PST.
Hello. Thank you for purchasing our product. An email was sent to you requesting more information to assist you further; please provide at your earliest convenience.
How do I remove the drawers? My desk is older but appears to be the Leadenhall Desk except drawers are on the right hand side.
Most drawer slides have a release lever on each end of the drawer track; push the lever up on one side and down on the other, then pull drawer out completely. Please feel free to contact us at 866-942-5362 M-F, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (PST) if you need further assistance.
Is there an "L" extension to add to this desk?
No return desk was manufactured for this desk.
My husband is trying to get this desk at Staples but they said it's out of stock. We want to know where else we can get it. Please let us know because mine is it and we want to match our whole office with the same furniture.
Carolina, thank you for purchasing Whalen products. Unfortunately this model is no longer being manufactured and it was sold exclusively through Staples only, we did not sell this through any other distributor. Please contact your local Staples or Staples.com (800-333-3330) and ask them to check for any remaining stock in your area, city or state.
hello: Staples no longer carries this, where else can I buy?
Thank you for your interest in our products, this item was sold exclusively through Staples; it was a seasonal item and once your local stores run or Staples.com runs out of stock, they usually do not sell the same item again.
Whalen Leadenhall Credenza, Medium Cherry. Is it possible to have wood color samples sent to me? Staples does not have any and I'm looking to match other furniture. I also would like to know the inside dimensions of the CPU cabinet. Thanks.
Thank you for your interest in our products. Unfortunately we do not provide or have samples available. The inner dimensions of the CPU space are 14" W x 22.16" D x 19.2" H.


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Tom Petty died of "accidental drug overdose" say family
By Scott Munro ( Classic Rock ) published 20 January 18
Tom Petty's family report that the musician died from an accidental drug overdose as a result of taking a variety of medications
Tom Petty (Image credit: Getty)
The family of Tom Petty have issued a statement reporting that he died as the result of "an accidental drug overdose."
The US musician died in October last year at the age of 66 – and it's now been revealed that he'd been taking painkillers and medication for various conditions, including emphysema, knee problems and a fractured hip.
Petty's family report that on the day he died, he'd been told that his hip fracture had become a full break and it was their feeling that "the pain was simply unbearable and was the cause for his over use of medication."
The statement continues: "We knew before the report was shared with us that he was prescribed various pain medications for a multitude of issues including Fentanyl patches and we feel confident that this was, as the coroner found, an unfortunate accident.
"As a family we recognise this report may spark a further discussion on the opioid crisis and we feel that it is a healthy and necessary discussion and we hope in some way this report can save lives.
"Many people who overdose begin with a legitimate injury or simply do not understand the potency and deadly nature of these medications.
"On a positive note, we now know for certain he went painlessly and beautifully exhausted after doing what he loved the most, for one last time, performing live with his unmatchable rock band for his loyal fans on the biggest tour of his 40-plus year career.
"He was extremely proud of that achievement in the days before he passed."
Petty's last album, Hypnotic Eye, was released in 2014, and he had been performing regularly since.
The 12 Best Tom Petty Songs
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Scott Munro
Scott looks after Louder's online buyer's guides and also scouts out the best deals for music fans from every corner of the internet. He's spent more than 25 years in newspapers and magazines and in 2014 joined our news desk, where he wrote extensively about rock, metal, prog and more. Scott has previous written for the Daily Record, Sunday Mirror, The Herald and IGN.
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March to your own beat with Chord ColorBody™ Porcelain tile for the floor, wall, or countertop. Rich neutral colors in a plaster visual or cement visual can be enhanced by a textured decorative accent or triangle mosaic. Available in several large-format sizes.
March to your own beat with the melodious collection, Chord™. Find rhythm in the appeal of the 12 x 24 decorative accent which succeeds as a solo or duets beautifully with floor tile. Three colors offered in a plaster graphic and three colors offered in a cement visual are all available in unpolished and light polished finishes. A three-inch triangle mosaic is the final note in this harmonious composition.
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Why America matters – The Liberal World Order and New Zealand
2021-01-08 2021-07-30 Leonard HongLeave a comment
"In recent years it has become evident that the consensus upholding this system is facing increasing pressures, from within and from without… It's imperative that we act urgently to defend the liberal international order." — President-Elect Joe Biden in 2017.
The Liberal World Order is one of the most used phrases in international relations scholarship. It's a repetitive term, but a significant one, considering the fact that it affects everyone around the world. The United States began the Liberal International Order with the end of World War II and the defeat of the Nazis. With Franklin Roosevelt's vision, the Western superpower set up international institutions and created long sustaining alliances for a greater multilateral and tolerant global society. Without the liberal world order and brilliant American leadership in the likes of Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Reagan, New Zealand and other allied nations would have not been able to thrive during the Cold War period. Regional and international institutions such as GATT, WTO, IMF, the World Bank, European Union, and NATO provided security and economic cooperation among allied nation-states.
And yet, there are a lot of people in New Zealand that criticise America for its role as the leader of the world. In fact, many of them want to see its role reduced substantially. I agree with that statement somewhat, I've been very critical of their nonsensically hawkish interference in the Middle East, its naive attempts at forcefully spreading liberal democracy around the world. Its eastward expansion of NATO and the EU was also a great mistake that resulted in the military retaliation of the Russians. America's neoconservatives and liberal hawks that were fundamentalist on the 'end of history' ultimately created all this mayhem.
However, if they mean America's leadership getting entirely compromised and allowing authoritarian governments to enter that space – such as Communist China – then my answer is an absolute 'no'. As President-Elect Biden noted, "it's imperative that we act urgently to defend the liberal international order". The Thucydides' Trap is incoming at this stage in history and the US-China geopolitical contest will be the defining historical turning point for global liberal democracy. As John Mearsheimer noted before, this security competition will continue even under the Biden Administration and beyond.
So what is the point of this post? My message to New Zealanders in this blog is simple, America matters for the western world and in fact democracy itself. They have to win, and it is imperative that they do. I say this, despite knowing America's complicated history.
In many ways, America is somewhat a hypocritical concept – it started as the first constitutional republic against the British monarchy. It set out laws for equal opportunity…but for only white men, and simultaneously set out a brilliant Federal system of power by instituting checks and balances. Constitutional amendments were made for free speech and inquiry… but also allowed slavery. It also intervened in smaller nations and participated as a colonial power during the Imperial era. Then slavery was banned under Abraham Lincoln, and racial equality was not legally achieved until the 1960s, under Lyndon Johnson's Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act… and also escalated the Vietnam War. They defeated the Soviets and ended Communist authoritarianism with the Berlin Wall falling. The American Pentagon stupidly intervened in Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11. Then elected the first African American President, Barack Obama (whom I personally admire). Then the recent events that happened in Washington is another example of historical irony at work. It is clear that President Trump and his cronies led the world to a more chaotic, less democratic and hyper-partisan society. America as the beacon of freedom or just arrogance? In short, both. The American experiment is indeed full of both hypocrisies and social progress. Even today, many social science scholars such as Cornel West suggest that the nation has not lived up to its ideals, for instance, the inadequacy of equal opportunity for all. These are all empirically and historically accurate.
However, what separates America in contrast to other countries around the world is that it's the first serious societal experiment in human history. The United States is like the 'Republic City' in the television cartoon, The Legend of Korra. The nation is defined entirely by civic values rather than on race, ethnicity, culture, background, or creed. You become American by embracing its liberal democratic values, its identity based on its historical strife against the British monarchy, its constitutional values, and individual liberty. It's a nation created out of migration and a sociological result as a historical derivative of European enlightenment.
Diversity matters to many Americans, but what is unique is the tolerance towards others, the ability to fight for freedom around the world. Liberalism is the key symbol of America and that's the beauty of it. As Francis Fukuyama mentioned in his column last year:
Liberalism was simply a pragmatic tool for resolving conflicts in diverse societies, one that sought to lower the temperature of politics by taking questions of final ends off the table and moving them into the sphere of private life. This remains one of its most important selling points today.
Indeed, liberalism allows for diversity. Other liberal democracies like New Zealand, Australia, the EU etc, need the United States for the sake of soft power. America as a symbol is still a liberal democracy with its political institutions stable. Even though there has been a rise of neopatrimonialism in their political process which has undermined the state to be held accountable to its people. Rent-seeking behaviour among some plutocrats has undermined Americans' trust towards its politicians and state institutions. We witnessed such examples through the 2008 global financial crisis and the federal government's response to Covid-19.
Historically the United States has been a success story so far, but it needs to sort its own domestic affairs out. We already have incoming challenges such as AI, automation, climate change and geopolitical tensions, that will cause more drastic disruption to the world. But those challenges cannot be solved if America's civil society and political polarisation continues. The world needs America to be the genuine liberal captain it was when it led the liberal international order after WWII. As liberals, we have to preserve our values of freedom, justice, equality and liberal democracy in the face of rising China and revival of national populism. We cannot continue this trend of a global 'democratic recession'.
As a liberal democrat – in the classical sense – I'm hoping that the new Biden Administration would bring some common sense back in the White House. The Electoral College just confirmed Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 US Presidential election – He will be the next President. It's a sigh of relief for many (including me) after President Trump's tumultuous, chaotic, and unpredictable 4-year term. Although I criticised the Democrats in a previous post, that doesn't mean I don't want to Biden Administration to do well.
They have a huge task ahead. The Liberal World Order and America matter to all of us.
Economic Policy, International Relations, Personal Blog, PoliticsInternational Relations, Politics
Third Option for the International System – Rodrik and Walt
With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Sino-American relationship is worsening. Tensions are heating as President Trump recently imposed sanctions on China's largest chipmaker, SMIC.
American actions are becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy towards direct conflict. The world is getting closer to falling for the Thucydides Trap. As foreign policy experts continue to reiterate the inevitabilities of a New Cold War, will conflict be the destiny of the two great powers?
Harvard's Stephen Walt and Dani Rodrik offered a third alternative in their paper 'Constructing A New World Order'. The aim is to set an international institutional framework that creates as much stability and cooperation as possible.
First, the authors reject the 'deep integration' goals of the liberal internationalists. Rejuvenating multilateralism and hyper-globalisation are well-intended policies. But it creates unintended consequences that undermine the economic stability of western liberal democracies. China would also be unwilling to further integrate into the global trading system from its state-led developmental model.
Second, they disregard the hard-line hawkish approach advocated by the Trump Administration. The current decoupling strategy against China creates 'beggar-thy neighbour' effects on other nations. This also prevents mutually beneficial cooperation occurring with the Chinese, especially regarding global public health, improving nuclear security, and addressing climate change.
The goal is setting a pragmatic and realistic approach within the Sino-American relationship. The international system should allow the nation-states to set their own foreign and economic policies.
There are four categorisations of policies that fit within their institutional theory. There is Universal Agreement; Cooperative Negotiations; Autonomous Policy; and Multilateral Governance.
Indeed, Walt and Rodrik's 'Modus Vivendi' international system is a pragmatic institutional mechanism. But, can Uncle Sam stay committed to mutually beneficial cooperation and reduce the risk of falling for the Thucydides Trap?
The Sino-American competition will shape the next few decades of the world order. As both powers strive to compete for power and international influence, the goal for the world is to keep the competition away from a hot war within bounds.
Institutionalising a set of rules on foreign and trade policies could help assuage great power politics. This could also incentivise foreign policymakers from both sides towards restraint as both a peaceful international order and continued globalisation is critical for small powers like New Zealand.
The leaders of the two great powers in the system are two egomaniacs. Their recklessness may make a third alternative for the international system as impossible. But let us hope for the best.
International Relations, Personal Blog, PoliticsInternational Relations, Politics
The unexpected winner of Covid-19 – China
Two centuries ago, Napoleon Bonaparte called China a sleeping lion and advised to "let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world." Bonaparte's prophecies are relevant again today. The lion is now awake and she is becoming increasingly assertive.
Early in the Covid-19 crisis, there was a view that China would be weakened by it. Some even pondered the downfall of President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party. With the Hong Kong revolts, the death of Wuhan's whistle-blower Dr Lee Wenliang, the looming global recession and economic confidence deteriorating within China, those predictions were not surprising.
But the coronavirus may just be a hiccup and Mr Xi's government appears to have regained its domestic legitimacy. Instead of falling victim to the virus, the party could be deemed the victor in the international system. The losers seem to be the United States and the wider liberal international order. The balance of power has shifted in favour of China.
China covered up the origins of the virus to the World Health Organisation. As a result, Western countries such as the US, Spain, Italy and Germany have far more cases and deaths than China.
China is using the crisis to extend its geopolitical reach. In the last few weeks, it has sent additional masks and medical supplies to help the Italians and French. As President Xi pledges more support to Europe, he is using it to further legitimise his ambitious $1.4 trillion Belt and Road Initiative.
The virus has become useful for Beijing to add an element of soft power, which is necessary to become the so-called benevolent global force. By repairing the serious reputational damage caused to it by the pandemic, China is framing itself as a responsible power.
The United States led the international system since the end of the Second World War, but under President Donald Trump, its diplomatic efforts have changed tack and are now more nationally focused. China, by contrast, appears increasingly determined to fill that global leadership void.
Great power politics is still a ruthless business in the international system, and Covid-19 has resulted in a new phase of security competition between the US and China. Covid-19 unsettled the balance of power in a way few would have predicted just a few months ago.
International Relations, Politics, The NZ Initiative - InsightsInternational Relations, NZ Initiative


At the NFLA Business Meeting last Saturday evening, new members were elected to the Board of Directors. Randy Kenyon replaced Karen McDonough as President while Karen will be moving into the Past President position replacing outgoing Past President Debo Powers. Allen Chrisman is moving from his 2015 position as North Director to the Vice President slot, replacing outgoing Vice President Donna Harrison. Don Sullivan will be serving as the new North Director for two years and Paul Marotz will continue serving as the other North Director for one more year. Jan Caldwell was elected as the new South Director replacing outgoing South Director Carol Groebe. Jan will be serving for two years while Alan McNeil serves one more term as the other South Director. It was also announced at the meeting that long time Treasurer Bonny Ogle will be transitioning out of that position for the next year helping Heather Sullivan step in.
All of the community appreciates the time and hard work of all the outgoing officers. Thank you Karen, Debo, Donna, and Carol for taking such good care of the NFLA. And we are also grateful to Bonny for all of her hard work over the years and her willingness to work with Heather during the transition. Finally, we appreciate the new members of the Board volunteering their time to take up these positions.


Green screens and rotoscoping are soon to be a thing of the past, but what's the catch?
Last year at the NAB show, Lytro introduced its groundbreaking camera, Lytro Cinema. This year, software developer Foundry (the company behind VFX compositing application Nuke) introduced Elara, a revolutionary platform for VFX production on the cloud. One of Foundry's main collaborators in the development of Elara was Lytro. This collaboration between two innovative forces may drastically impact the future of visual effects and the VFX industry as a whole.
The end of roto and green screens?
Much has been said in the past year about Lytro's potential to make rotoscoping and green screens completely obsolete. This is more than just a novelty; it signifies a much overdue change in the way visual effects are done.
I'll say it loud and clear: rotoscoping and green screens are the lowest low-tech areas of VFX. It seems almost surreal that while technology lets us realistically simulate the infinitely complex behavior of water, or accurately calculate the way millions of sand particles interact with the environment, roto artists are still painstakingly tracing the contours of a subject, manually moving hundreds of points frame by frame. And green screens? Show me one filmmaker who will not be happy to get rid of those bulky, spill-casting and light-reflecting objects once and for all. It's about time to move on.
Lytro's primary power is its ability to capture accurate per-pixel depth information. With depth-based separation, you can easily keep or discard areas in the frame according to their distance from the camera. This brings us closer than ever to the VFX promised land: a land without unnatural green screens or tedious rotoscoping. But can Lightfield technology truly overcome the challenges of extraction, and provide an equal (if not better) alternative to the current methods?
Wispy, thin strands like hair and fur are very difficult to extract because the detail is so miniscule. Rotoscoping hair is a nightmarish task and the results rarely preserve the detail. Green screen keying works better for sub-pixel detail, but it's still challenging to get an extraction that does not look chunky or noisy. Depth-based separation is not different in this respect. It is very likely that depth information for sub-pixel detail will be partial or inconsistent, presenting similar challenges to the VFX artists.
Here comes the good news: Lytro Cinema's staggering 755 Megapixel sensor means that there's enough pixel coverage for all but the tiniest detail, which promises an accurate depth channel and a smooth, detailed, noise-free separation.
Shots can be captured fully sharp for optimal separation and manipulation across the entire depth of field.
This is always a big challenge of extraction, for two reasons: First, it is notoriously hard to successfully preserve the soft, gradually dissipating edges of defocused elements (this becomes an even bigger challenge when a shot contains both in-focus and out of focus elements that overlap).
Second, defocused edges are semitransparent, and carry some of the original background information. In the absence of a consistent green or blue background, details of the original background will show through even when that background is replaced. To avoid this, we often roto or extract "to the last solid pixel" and then artificially re-create the defocused edges. This is evidently more of a hack than a streamlined solution.
That's where Lytro can really shine: it lets you use the depth information to change the defocus in post. This much-touted feature is not only exciting for DPs and directors, but it is significant for visual effects too. It means that shots can be captured fully sharp for optimal separation and manipulation across the entire depth of field. When the extraction is done, defocus (true optical defocus, not a 2D hack) can be applied at any focal point.
Just like with defocus, edges of fast-moving elements are hard to extract and preserve, and carry background information. And just like with defocus, VFX artists often end up trashing the original motion-blur trails and recreating them from scratch in comp. But this is even trickier than recreating defocus, because motion blur must be in sync with the speed and direction of the moving elements.
On 2D imagery, we can only analyze 2D movement (left-right and up-down). This gets further complicated when overlapping elements have contradicting motion. Imagine two actors involved in a furious fight while being shot with a hectic hand-held camera. There are so many contradicting and overlapping movements that any attempt to generate coherent motion vectors in 2D will end up a complete mess.
Here again, Lytro's capabilities are very promising. At rates of up to 300 frames per second, it can shoot with practically zero motion blur. But unlike a standard digital camera, Lytro lets you re-apply true 3D accurate motion blur down to the single pixel level. This lets you retime the footage back to normal speed and add back motion blur for a true 24 FPS feel.
We are quickly reaching a point where even large VFX facilities are struggling to keep up with file sizes.
It is quite clear that Lightfield cinematography represents major advantages to the VFX workflow, and is bound to replace cumbersome low-tech separation methods like rotoscoping and green screens. Let's put aside the fact that Lytro Cinema is still a bulky, expensive prototype and not yet a practical solution for the average film production (let alone indie filmmakers). Looking back at the evolution of digital cameras and computing technologies in the past 10 years, we can assume that Lightfield technology will become more affordable (and portable) in a matter of a few years.
The big catch is file sizes. Enormous file sizes. The combination of extremely high frame rates, very high resolution and multiple passes with loads of information per frame means that the entire pipeline—from capture through VFX to post—has to deal with massive, debilitating amounts of data. And this is where Elara steps in.
The problems of dealing with very large file sizes did not start with Lytro. Only a few years ago the standard resolution for visual effects was 2K, but VFX houses today are often asked to work on 4K, 6K and even 8K frames. VR and 360-degree projects require even higher resolutions. Manipulating and viewing shots at these resolutions is painfully slow, server speeds and storage capacities cannot keep up with the hefty file sizes, and rendering times of CG scenes rise exponentially. We are quickly reaching a point where even large VFX facilities are struggling.
Foundry's Elara is cracking the limitations of existing VFX pipelines by offering a new paradigm—the entire pipeline, including the software, storage and rendering processors, sits on the cloud. VFX artists work remotely through a standard web browser, and they can do practically anything using an average laptop, or even a tablet (fast internet is pretty much the only requirement on the artist side).
Assets are all kept in one single place and are easily shared between production, editorial, and the VFX facilities. For example, in a Lytro session, the raw material will be uploaded directly to the cloud, and the VFX artists will do their work there, without ever downloading the material locally. Artists will be able to take advantage of the immense storage and computing power that the cloud offers. Rather than investing in static hardware, VFX companies will pay for as much or as little as they need for any given project. It's a scalable, pragmatic approach that opens a door to exciting new opportunities.
Elara's cloud-based platform is bound to change the VFX industry, and these changes will affect the way filmmakers work with visual effects. Directors and producers often feel limited by the fact that the VFX are done in some remote facility, far from the daily interaction of the editorial team. But with the entire workflow moving to the cloud, fixed hardware and physical facilities will not matter much. Filmmakers will be able to assemble an in-house VFX team that could sit anywhere, even right next to the editors or in the production offices.
This could also be a big boon for indie filmmakers who cannot afford the high overhead costs of large VFX facilities. Furthermore, Elara will make collaboration between individuals or companies across the globe smooth and straightforward. With all the assets centralized and easily accessible, and no downtimes for downloads and uploads, anyone from anywhere could contribute to the workflow.
As I mentioned, perhaps the most significant promise of Elara is the quasi-unlimited storage and computing power that will allow VFX artists to maximize the potential of future cameras like Lytro Cinema. Sure, it will take some time before Lightfield cinematography becomes mainstream, and green screens and rotoscoping are not going to disappear overnight. But eventually, they will.
When Lightfield (and maybe other technologies?) becomes a standard feature of production video cameras, filmmakers will be free of the limitations of green and blue screens. VFX shots will be easier and faster to set up, and will require no special lighting or rigging. VFX tasks like camera tracking, rotoscoping and keying will not be needed anymore, which will shorten post-production times, drive costs down, and allow filmmakers to shift their budgets toward more elaborate visual effects.
Eran Dinur is the author of The Filmmaker's Guide to Visual Effects and Senior Visual Effects Supervisor at Brainstorm Digital. See his work here, and follow his book The Filmmaker's Guide to Visual Effects on Facebook.
There is an old business adage, if you want to affect change (buying pattern / product in this case) you have to be either: better, cheaper, or faster. Likely 2 of the 3. To be a game changer, you must have a big enough market for your "whatever" and you need do all three. This does not pass the test.....at least not yet!
Eran, thanks for taking the time to share this information with us.
I apologize for seeming negative but some of what you've written is slightly misleading. Lytro seems like a really cool product but there are a number of massive shortcomings that have yet to be addressed.
You mentioned a handheld action shot and being able to easily manipulate it in post with Lytro. Have you seen any handheld shots with this Lytro Cinema Camera? No. No one has. A huge question mark surrounds the ability of the Lytro camera to do anything other than a nearly locked off, entirely studio controlled shoot.
Have you seen a wide angle lens on a Lytro camera? No. No one has. How would you shoot a handheld action scene without a wide angle lens?
Take an objective look at the image quality of the Lytro camera. It looks like pre-Genesis quality footage. The camera that no one used because it looked very bad. Despite the fact they're trumpeting 16 stops of DR, all of the shots they've shown thus far look very, very not good in terms of pure image quality.
A number of cloud based rendering services already exist and prices associated with most of them are out of reach of most indie filmmakers. I understand that Elara has more features than just rendering but why should we expect anything other than incredibly high prices aimed at high end productions?
I get that these are really good new pieces of technology and MAYBE someday they will trickle down to indie filmmakers. But in the meantime you can spend 10k for a Blackmagic Ursa Mini and lenses and get better image quality than the Lytro. Thanks again for the article, Eran.
Wow.. Lytro is truly the future for film making. I'm blown away by the ability to capture and reproduce effects holographically.
Professionals place their focus on the day right where they want it and never want it anywhere but there.
Lytro got caught up in the "can we do this" I think, rather than look into if people actually want it. Load any movie or TV show and try and find a shot that you think the director or cameraperson might like to change the focus at a later date???
Its not worth the expense, size and data management. Perhaps there might be some very niche use for it somewhere but I've never shot anything that I've later wished I had focused on something else in the frame.
Actually zLense got a NAB Best of Show Award for introducing its real-time zKey™ 3D keyer which can do keying in real-time in HD without any solid color background, based on depth.
The product should be available later this year.
"Artists will be able to take advantage of the immense storage and computing power that the cloud offers."
"The cloud" doesn't offer any particular level of performance or storage capacity. "The cloud" could be a 10-year-old laptop acting as a server, a thousand miles away.
And if the data load is so massive that it's crippling even for local storage, how is uploading it to "the cloud" and attempting to work on it over an Internet connection viable?
This is how service providers get you to upload your material and then hold it hostage in yet another software-rental scheme.


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Inductive effect
In chemistry, the inductive effect is experimentally observed to have an effect of the transmission of unequal sharing of the bonding electron through a chain of atoms in a molecule, leading to a permanent dipole in a bond.[1] It is present in a σ (sigma) bond as opposed to electromeric effect which is present on a π (pi) bond. All halides are electron withdrawing groups, and all alkyls are electron donating. If the electronegative atom (missing an electron, thus having a positive charge) is then joined to a chain of atoms, usually carbon, the positive charge is relayed to the other atoms in the chain. This is the electron-withdrawing inductive effect, also known as the -I effect. In short, alkyl groups tend to donate electrons, leading to the inductive effect.
Bond polarizationEdit
The bonds in a water molecule are slightly more positively charged in the vicinity of the hydrogen atoms and slightly more negatively charged in the vicinity of the more electronegative atom.
Covalent bonds can be polarized depending on the relative electronegativity of the two atoms forming the bond. The electron cloud in a σ-bond between two unlike atoms is not uniform and is slightly displaced towards the more electronegative of the two atoms. This causes a permanent state of bond polarization, where the more electronegative atom has a fractional negative charge (δ–) and the less electronegative atom has a fractional positive charge (δ+).
For example, the water molecule H
2O has an electronegative oxygen atom that attracts a negative charge. This is indicated by δ- in the water molecule in the vicinity of the O atom, as well as by a δ+ next to each of the two H atoms. The vector addition of the individual bond dipole moments results in a net dipole moment for the molecule. A polar bond is a covalent bond in which there is a separation of charge between one end and the other - in other words in which one end is slightly positive and the other slightly negative. Examples include most covalent bonds. The hydrogen-chlorine bond in HCl or the hydrogen-oxygen bonds in water are typical.
Inductive effectEdit
If the electronegative atom is then joined to a chain of atoms, usually carbon, the positive charge is relayed to the other atoms in the chain. This is the electron-withdrawing inductive effect, also known as the -I effect.
However, some groups, such as the alkyl group, are less electron-withdrawing than hydrogen and are therefore considered as electron-releasing. This is electron-releasing character and is indicated by the +I effect. In short, alkyl groups tend to give electrons, leading to induction effect. However, such an effect has been questioned.[2]
As the induced change in polarity is less than the original polarity, the inductive effect rapidly dies out and is significant only over a short distance. Moreover, the inductive effect is permanent but feeble since it involves the shift of strongly held σ-bond electrons and other stronger factors may overshadow this effect.
Relative inductive effectsEdit
Relative inductive effects have been experimentally measured[how?] with reference to hydrogen, in decreasing order of −I effect or increasing order of +I effect, as follows:
–NH3+ > –NO2 > –SO2R > –CN > –SO3H > –CHO > –CO > –COOH > -F > –COCl > -CONH2 > –Cl > –Br > –I > –OR > -OH > -NR2 > –NH2 > –C6H5 > –CH=CH2 > –H
AND C-H < C-D < C-T in increasing order of +I effect, where H is Hydrogen and D is Deuterium and T is Tritium ,all are isotopes of hydrogen.
The strength of inductive effect is also dependent on the distance between the substituent group and the main group that react; the greater the distance, the weaker the effect.
Inductive effects can be expressed quantitatively through the Hammett equation, which describes the relationship between reaction rates and equilibrium constants with respect to substituent.
FragmentationEdit
The inductive effect can be used to determine the stability of a molecule depending on the charge present on the atom and the groups bonded to the atom. For example, if an atom has a positive charge and is attached to a -I group its charge becomes 'amplified' and the molecule becomes more unstable. Similarly, if an atom has a negative charge and is attached to a +I group its charge becomes 'amplified' and the molecule becomes more unstable. In contrast, if an atom has a negative charge and is attached to a -I group its charge becomes 'de-amplified' and the molecule becomes more stable than if I-effect was not taken into consideration. Similarly, if an atom has a positive charge and is attached to a +I group its charge becomes 'de-amplified' and the molecule becomes more stable than if I-effect was not taken into consideration. The explanation for the above is given by the fact that more charge on an atom decreases stability and less charge on an atom increases stability
Acidity and basicityEdit
The inductive effect also plays a vital role in deciding the acidity and basicity of a molecule. Groups having +I effect attached to a molecule increases the overall electron density on the molecule and the molecule is able to donate electrons, making it basic. Similarly, groups having -I effect attached to a molecule decreases the overall electron density on the molecule making it electron deficient which results in its acidity. As the number of -I groups attached to a molecule increases, its acidity increases; as the number of +I groups on a molecule increases, its basicity increases.
Carboxylic acidsEdit
The strength of a carboxylic acid depends on the extent of its ionization: the more ionized it is, the stronger it is. As an acid becomes stronger, the numerical value of its pKa drops.
In acids, the electron-releasing inductive effect of the alkyl group increases the electron density on oxygen and thus hinders the breaking of the O-H bond, which consequently reduces the ionization. Due to its greater ionization, formic acid (pKa=3.74) is stronger than acetic acid (pKa=4.76). Monochloroacetic acid (pKa=2.82), though, is stronger than formic acid, due to the electron-withdrawing effect of chlorine promoting ionization.
In benzoic acid, the carbon atoms which are present in the ring are sp2 hybridised. As a result, benzoic acid (pKa=4.20) is a stronger acid than cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (pKa=4.87). Also, in aromatic carboxylic acids, electron-withdrawing groups substituted at the ortho and para positions can enhance the acid strength.
Since the carboxyl group is itself an electron-withdrawing group, dicarboxylic acids are, in general, stronger than their monocarboxyl analogues. The Inductive effect will also help in polarization of a bond making certain carbon atom or other atom positions.This has important applications in chemistry
Comparison between inductive effect and electromeric effectEdit
Electromeric Effect
The polarization of a single σ covalent bond due to the electronegativity difference b
It is a permanent effect It is a temporary effect
It doesn't need the presence of a reagent It needs the presence of an electrophilic reagent
Induced charges appear as partial charges(δ+ or δ−) Induced charges are integral: +1 or −1
Pi backbonding
Baker–Nathan effect: the observed order in electron-releasing basic substituents is apparently reversed.
^ Richard Daley (2005). Organic Chemistry, Party 1 of 3. Lulu.com. pp. 58–. ISBN 978-1-304-67486-9.
^ Salvatella, Luis (2017). "The alkyl group is a –I +R substituent". Educ. Quim. 28 (4): 232–237. doi:10.1016/j.eq.2017.06.004.
Stock, Leon M. (1972). "The origin of the inductive effect". Journal of Chemical Education. 49 (6): 400. Bibcode:1972JChEd..49..400S. doi:10.1021/ed049p400. ISSN 0021-9584.
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