No Filming / Wii Must Be Crazy
Saturday was supposed to be my first day of filming my movie for the On The Lot TV show. Well, I got to testing out my digital camcorder Saturday morning and noticed that it was eating tape. I called up my brother, who owns the camera and was loaning it to me, and he confirmed that the camera eats tape and is broken. So, I've had the camera this whole time, and NOW someone tells me that it eats tape. So where does this put me? No filming anytime soon. I need to buy myself a new camera. That's my only option. DV camcorders go for at least $300+.
Luckily, it appears that the submission deadline for On The Lot has been extended from December 1st to February 16th. This is wonderful news because now I have two and a half extra months to get proper equipment and to refine my schedules. But the fact remains that in the mean time, I'm short the camera.
Last night, Bryan (iturtle) and I were driving around like we sometimes do to kill time and chat. I had heard through ashlandsou's journal that Nintendo's new video game console, the Wii, was being released at midnight at Fred Meyers stores. For kicks, we decided to pass by one to check things out. Sure enough, there was a line but it didn't seem very long. We decided to check things out but were turned away by a couple at the end of the line who said Freddy's had already handed out placeholder tickets for the 75 units they were selling. We left sheepishly but the wheels in our heads began to spin.
I did a little online research when I got home and discovered that people were turning around and selling the Wii's on eBay for $500 after paying the retail price of $250. If I had been a couple hours earlier to Freddy's, I'd have gotten a Wii to then sell and acquire the scratch I needed to get that digital camcorder I need for the On The Lot short film. At this point, I was quite disappointed and lost in a what-if fantasy. Bryan then mentioned our local Target opens at 8 AM and had 42 units. We played with the idea of going to wait in line to snag a Wii to sell. Playful thought then turned to serious consideration. We'd never waited in any line before for three hours let alone seven. At around 1 AM, we decided to go ahead and be crazy and do it. We got some lawn chairs and drove to the Hillsboro Target shaking our heads in disbelief of what we were about to attempt. The people in line greeted us with cheers and confirmed that if we got in line now, we'd get our Wii's (Bryan decided to buy one as well). We settled down at the end of the line and the night began.
The night went rather quickly. The people immediately in front of us and behind us were a jolly bunch and we had many great conversations about nerd crap and nostalgic gaming. I stood much of the night to keep from feeling too cold. It was a rather uneventful night. People would drive by and ask what we were all waiting for (To which goofs in line replied, "The new Kelly Clarkson CD is coming out and I need to be the first to have it!") which was, to us, a ridiculous question.
The red arrow in this photo shows where my place in line was. Bryan can be seen just to the left. At around 6 AM, the rain started and the sun began coming up as a Target employee finally emerged from the building to make a statement. He told us we'd be given placeholder tickets at 7 as well as popcorn and soda. He also told us we were all crazy to which we applauded him. Sure enough, at around 7, another employee came out and gave everyone in line special tickets with numbers on them. Popcorn in small bags immediately followed. The number dignified your place in line and without a ticket, you weren't getting a Wii. I was number 27 of 42 while Bryan was 28. We were guaranteed consoles. The rain came down harder then, as if to spite us. We must have looked like drowning rats. They never did give us soda...
That last hour was the longest. To avoid the rain, the 42 of us crunched together under what little shelter the storefront offered. Bryan didn't look too good and he said the burgers he ate a few hours earlier weren't sitting right. Combined with the wool coat he was wearing that was sucking up the rain like a sponge--not to mention lack of sleep--things must not have been fun for him. At 8 they finally opened the doors, led us to the electronics section, and let us in one by one to buy the console. My turn finally came at 8:30 and I brushed away clerks offering me games and accessories. We paid for our systems and got out, passing the dozens of people who didn't get one but were hoping someone with a ticket would have a problem. We had done it. The whole way home, with two new sought after gaming machines in my back seat, I kept thinking about how surreal it all seemed. 12 hours earlier, if you had told me I'd be waiting in line for a Nintendo Wii overnight and actually succeed, I'd have laughed. Now, I have two (I'm selling Bryan's too). It was such a spur-of-the-moment decision to get them. So crazy.
So now we're selling them on eBay. One is up already as a one-day auction. It's currently at $51 but I'm completely confident we'll get $400+. No problem. The other will be sold right after. Some of you probably look down on me for taking advantage of the system and profiting off Christmas (Or whatever concept it is this year). A lot of people hate everyone who's selling a Wii or PS3 on eBay, but I see nothing wrong with it. Maybe it's just jealousy that others didn't put in the "work" to do it themselves. But, at the moment, for me it seems like a means to an end- If this works, I'll be able to afford that camcorder...
Luckily, it appears that the submission deadline for On The Lot has been extended from December 1st to February 16th. This is wonderful news because now I have two and a half extra months to get proper equipment and to refine my schedules. But the fact remains that in the mean time, I'm short the camera.
Last night, Bryan (iturtle) and I were driving around like we sometimes do to kill time and chat. I had heard through ashlandsou's journal that Nintendo's new video game console, the Wii, was being released at midnight at Fred Meyers stores. For kicks, we decided to pass by one to check things out. Sure enough, there was a line but it didn't seem very long. We decided to check things out but were turned away by a couple at the end of the line who said Freddy's had already handed out placeholder tickets for the 75 units they were selling. We left sheepishly but the wheels in our heads began to spin.
I did a little online research when I got home and discovered that people were turning around and selling the Wii's on eBay for $500 after paying the retail price of $250. If I had been a couple hours earlier to Freddy's, I'd have gotten a Wii to then sell and acquire the scratch I needed to get that digital camcorder I need for the On The Lot short film. At this point, I was quite disappointed and lost in a what-if fantasy. Bryan then mentioned our local Target opens at 8 AM and had 42 units. We played with the idea of going to wait in line to snag a Wii to sell. Playful thought then turned to serious consideration. We'd never waited in any line before for three hours let alone seven. At around 1 AM, we decided to go ahead and be crazy and do it. We got some lawn chairs and drove to the Hillsboro Target shaking our heads in disbelief of what we were about to attempt. The people in line greeted us with cheers and confirmed that if we got in line now, we'd get our Wii's (Bryan decided to buy one as well). We settled down at the end of the line and the night began.
The night went rather quickly. The people immediately in front of us and behind us were a jolly bunch and we had many great conversations about nerd crap and nostalgic gaming. I stood much of the night to keep from feeling too cold. It was a rather uneventful night. People would drive by and ask what we were all waiting for (To which goofs in line replied, "The new Kelly Clarkson CD is coming out and I need to be the first to have it!") which was, to us, a ridiculous question.
The red arrow in this photo shows where my place in line was. Bryan can be seen just to the left. At around 6 AM, the rain started and the sun began coming up as a Target employee finally emerged from the building to make a statement. He told us we'd be given placeholder tickets at 7 as well as popcorn and soda. He also told us we were all crazy to which we applauded him. Sure enough, at around 7, another employee came out and gave everyone in line special tickets with numbers on them. Popcorn in small bags immediately followed. The number dignified your place in line and without a ticket, you weren't getting a Wii. I was number 27 of 42 while Bryan was 28. We were guaranteed consoles. The rain came down harder then, as if to spite us. We must have looked like drowning rats. They never did give us soda...
That last hour was the longest. To avoid the rain, the 42 of us crunched together under what little shelter the storefront offered. Bryan didn't look too good and he said the burgers he ate a few hours earlier weren't sitting right. Combined with the wool coat he was wearing that was sucking up the rain like a sponge--not to mention lack of sleep--things must not have been fun for him. At 8 they finally opened the doors, led us to the electronics section, and let us in one by one to buy the console. My turn finally came at 8:30 and I brushed away clerks offering me games and accessories. We paid for our systems and got out, passing the dozens of people who didn't get one but were hoping someone with a ticket would have a problem. We had done it. The whole way home, with two new sought after gaming machines in my back seat, I kept thinking about how surreal it all seemed. 12 hours earlier, if you had told me I'd be waiting in line for a Nintendo Wii overnight and actually succeed, I'd have laughed. Now, I have two (I'm selling Bryan's too). It was such a spur-of-the-moment decision to get them. So crazy.
So now we're selling them on eBay. One is up already as a one-day auction. It's currently at $51 but I'm completely confident we'll get $400+. No problem. The other will be sold right after. Some of you probably look down on me for taking advantage of the system and profiting off Christmas (Or whatever concept it is this year). A lot of people hate everyone who's selling a Wii or PS3 on eBay, but I see nothing wrong with it. Maybe it's just jealousy that others didn't put in the "work" to do it themselves. But, at the moment, for me it seems like a means to an end- If this works, I'll be able to afford that camcorder...