Universal, why don't you... just say so?

When Alberto died, one of the most excruciating and wonderful things I had to do was keeping up his good work. It was actually "our" work, but - as I said far too often - I always considered myself to be his Number One. So... just like we say "Picard's ship" or "Kirk's crew", I kept (and keep) saying "Alberto's STIC" or "Alberto's job".

It was excruciating, because without him I had to re-invent a daily routine on my own.
It was wonderful because carrying on the job we did together was one of the few things that made me feel alive.
Despite lots of practical problems (not the least of it was... to find the passwords for his work accounts!), I managed to keep our schedule and deliver my workload on time since the very week after his death.

For those who don't know, our main job as a graphic agency was to localise DVD covers for Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment. A job which started when someone (Dario, we'd never forgotten you) thought that it would have been much better to exploit our professional skill as a graphic agency rather than have us supervising the work of another graphic agency!
And when PHEI in Italy was closed by its US headquarter, we continued our work for Universal Pictures Italy.

In essence our job was to transform this...

into this!

A pretty complex job in practice, but I won't bore you telling all the technical nuances nor the various stages that precedes and follows the actual translation. Suffice to say that we localised all Paramount catalogue and new releases - from the box set of Il Padrino Edizione da collezione to I Pinguini di Madagascar La giornata di Re Julien.
 The Avengers was one of the latest localizations Alberto did before Marvel started to be distributed in Italy by Disney.
And of course we localised the whole bunch of Star Trek products, DVDs and Blu-rays alike.

In March, last year, Universal called me in their office in Rome. They had been supportive with me during those first months and I will never forget the voice of our good friend Enrico when I heard from him after Alberto's death. But that was not a social gathering - I was there to talk work!
They asked me if I was OK with their decision to give me POPs instead of packaging for all products except Star Trek, for which they still deferred to me since I was the remaining expert of the franchise. In simpler terms they wanted me to localize posters and stand ups instead of DVD covers for Paramount movies and TV series (while I would work on everything Star Trek).
I say yes - it was just a slightly different job. No big deal!
Except that...
Since then, they asked me to localise... two posters! No explanations given.

OK, no problem. They just decided to let go on my services and prefer some other agency. I didn't resent them - this is part of the risk of being self employed. Whether you're good or not, there is always someone else who can do the same job for less money, or for the same money but quicker... or simply someone who is better known by those who decide which agency to outsource the job.

I still had Star Trek! That was the important thing.

In more than one year working alone I localised all Italian products for the Blu-rays of The Next Generation (third season on) and Enterprise (only the first two seasons... as we sadly know!), the special box set release of the movies in DVD and also every Italian box for Into Darkness, including a special bespoken box-set. My latest job was for the upcoming sixth season of TNG and in a few week I would start working of the seventh. Beyond the personal working commitment, I was about to start a few events to help promoting the Star Trek home video products.

Hopefully I still will, but I'm not so sure anymore.

Because today I discovered that Universal just used another graphic agency for updating Star Trek Italian products and providing Italian logos for STID!
I am appalled!

I'm starting to wonder why Universal didn't chose me to do those simple updating jobs. I can fully understand a change of agency for any other product. But... why taking Star Trek away from me?
My agency prices are the same as they were eight years ago so it can't be a matter of money (and besides... I am ready to lower my prices, and even do it for free if necessary).
My graphic and translating skills are the same as they ever were, so it's not a matter of quality.
I always worked over nights and weekends for any product, but more so for Star Trek, so it's not a matter of speed in delivery the job.
And it's not certain about the good of the product - because if there is one thing (and this is the *only* thing) I'm not humble about, it's the knowledge of Star Trek inside and out. After more than 25 years spent nurturing Star Trek in Italy and knowing how every tiny detail is important, who better than me to handle the Star Trek franchise?

So why?
Universal, maybe you don't want to have anything to do with me as a fan or as a woman or as a... whatever? Because if this is the case... why don't you... just say so?
I guess I will discover soon enough. If Season Seven of TNG will not be done by me I will know for sure that Alberto's "era" has truly ended.

Oh, one last thing... for my friends. Don't be silly! If you stop buying DVDs or Blu-rays of movies or series you like just because you think Universal "don't deserve it", the only people you're punishing is yourself!

Ammiragliato Cloud... no more!

"I don't know what I should do, I know what I can do!"

To be honest I know what I should do and that is - as I rationally stated a few months ago - give Alberto's mementoes to friends in order to have them saved, away from the long evil grasp of Equitalia.

But... I can't. I started selling all those things that I haven't the gut to use without him (and some of them are already on eBay), but when I started opening his drawers and wardrobes where he put books and memorabilia... well, I could not touch one thing. Not one.
I'm still not used to the idea of the "Ammiragliato Cloud" so... forget it!

I am striving to keep the debts at bay, working day and night on as many thing as I can, and not a day passes without me sending away at least three CVs. So... as long as I can go on like this, Alberto's collections will stay here! In his home!

I may be not rational, nor logic, but that's what I can do!
And that's what I will do!

Experimenting

Last year I discover how comfortable is to have short hair. And by "short" I mean... well, just look at my profile picture!
It's comfortable because you're not messed up when you wake up in the morning, you can forget the comb after you take off your helmet after a motorbike ride, you spend less time in the shower (and use much less shampoo and other environmental-damaging products) and you don't have to use the hairdryer - not even in winter.

Last year I cut my hair because stress was taking the toll on them and I was loosing them fast, so it was either having expensive applications or... cut them!
Being lazy, and listening to friends who said to me that I looked ill, I put the razor aside and let my hair grow again. But, alas, they kept falling. I resolved to cut them again, sooner or later. And I choose the day I turned 50 to cut them.

This was not a random choice.
I was 20 in 1984 and for me that was a momentous year for many reasons. Punk rock was declined by then, but the long wave of it was still high in Italy. Back then I could not experiment with my look and hair as much as I wanted to, but now I can!
Besides, Alberto and I shared a personal promise to each other (that I won't say) and that promise was comprehensive of the haircut that you will see in a few days time.
For now...

Enjoy my "Punk-ish" experiments!

My new Facebook avatar!

I know what I'm thinking!

I admit it... I photoshopped the colours. That's only because I didn't want to waste time and money colouring my hair when I'll be cutting them again soon!

There's more to what we see

Sometime it's just a matter of setting yourself in the right mood and you can discover a whole bright and wonderful world just outside your window!

This, for me, has been one of those days.

 
I wanted to be out in the sun, out of my home, away from human voices because today I can't hear the only voice I wanted to hear, Alberto's.
So I took our faithful Yamaha Majesty and... on the road I was.



 

Yes, I had some things to buy in the town nearby, but after I hit the road I knew that was just an excuse. What I really wished for was to listen to the silence broken just by the engine roar.

If I knew how to ride and a horse cost less than a motorbike I would have used a horse.
And since I had Alberto's camera with me, I used it, thus discovering some of the most beautiful sceneries and details I've ever seen in this area.

 This road could be in every country of Europe and no one could tell!

No... I didn't reach Venice. Not today! This is Bibione harbour. It's a pity that, to take the picture, I had to go through a restaurant parking to a private quay trying to ignore the luxury yachts moored there!

Bibione Beach. Yes, there is no sand here. Indeed... there is sand, but it's on the far left, out of the image, and scattered by unaware suntanning tourists.

And just beyond those trees here lies the muddy estuary of the river Tagliamento, full of wooden treasures.
 

You can see a rocky face torn by a deep river or (as it is) the battered trunk of a tree, so fascinating it's mesmerising.












And there is more water, of course.

With ducklings looking for their mom...

... and fishes idly slithering among the seaweeds.

Tunnels of Mediterranean pines shading the road toward home from the bright and hot sun...

And finally, the road toward home!

Go out around your house once in a while, and watch your world and its hidden beauty. What's out there is much more interesting than what we superficially see.






Oh... one last thing... once home, I begun experimenting with my hair... Here's me a little "punk"... just a little...

Book of memories and alternative dimensions

I was reading your thoughts written on the "book of memories" for Alberto, and I had already used three tissues when I stumbled in a misbecoming and rude remark, which in turn invited another couple of sorry remarks.

Ciao Alberto, a nice idea but honestly one should be more serious. I practically threw away 12 €.  
I agree // It would be better if you put your full name, thanks.

In reading it I continued crying, but tears of emotion turned into tears of rage because these people were cowardly using a book of memories for a sterile controversy! Fortunately, the next remarks followed the first rule of common sense: do not feed the trolls! And I immediately felt better!
Nonetheless, it was a bitter moment. A tear in the fabric of reality when I realised that not everybody understands what it means to belong to the convention, to belong to the multiverse of friendship and respect and diversity we are.

The convention (and we still have to find the right name to encompass STICCON, YavinCon and Italcon) is a pocket of life outside the space-time continuum of everyday's reality, a place where the bitterness and adversities of our lives are shut out the airlock and we can enjoy each other's company.
It's a way of recharging our batteries, of living, for a fleeting moment, in those future utopias we all strive for. Those alternative dimensions we dream of, full of hopes and values and morals.

During this convention I got confirmation of what my priorities are (and you know them already as they are written in this blog) and what I'm living this half a life for. Your friendship and your support is priceless, and indeed you have added at least three months to my "real" life. I could not carry on if it wasn't for you!

"Thank you" are too simple words to express my gratitude, but I know you know I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

As a side note, that's also why I decided to accept all friendship request on Facebook - providing that we met at least once in the flesh, because only in the flesh we can smile to each other, pat on our backs and feel the warmth of a hug!

Birthdays

This will be a very short entry, 'cause I'm busy preparing the only event I will be part of to the end of my days: the Star Trek Italian Club convention!

This should have been a momentous year for Alberto and me, and if he was still alive we probably would have celebrated our turning 50. But Alberto is not here, and I don't feel like celebrating anything.

So, no birthdays celebrations, thank you.
No wishes, no congratulations, no presents, please.

Especially no presents: I'm busy finding a new home for things in the house as it is, the last thing I need are things that would remind me of what could have been joyful moments but are not.

Please, if don't want to hurt me, don't remind me of my birthday in any way, And more so... don't ever remind me of Alberto's birthday!

Ammiraglio Cloud - Descriptions in Italian

Friends and family first!
I will update the list regularly adding items and deleting those no longer available. I know some of these are gifts, and allegedly you bring bad luck to your life if you give away gifts... well... tell me about bad luck again?!

[Updated on July 19th]

Chitarra Foll acquistata nel 1981. Le corde sono (ovviamente!) da cambiare. Ha una crepa nel legno, ma il suono e' ancora pieno e profondo.

Poltroncina segretaria. Cinque gambe, rivestita in stoffa lavabile. Regolabile in altezza. Usata da Gabriella per anni alla postazione "secondaria" color ocra.

L'ultima macchinetta per il caffé espresso di Alberto, usata per l'ultima volta la sera del 2 gennaio 2013. Può fare uno o due caffé alla volta, sia con caffé in polvere che con cialde. Ha beccuccio per il cappuccino e ago apposito per sturare i filtri. Dotata di stantuffo di sicurezza per controllare l'acqua e con una pallina bianca alimentare per il controllo dell'acqua nel serbatoio.

Schiaccianoci più contenitore: lo abbiamo usato solo durante le feste di fine anno 2012.

Il Decimo Dottore, Rose e i Cybermen della Cybus.
Completo e con scatola originale.

È rimasto appeso sulle scale di casa per anni, il colore è quello originale anche se il cartone si è un po' seccato con il passare degli anni.

Aperto e cominciato nelle feste di fine 2012, ma mai finito.

Mantellina e maschera (e anche la tromba!) del Robot di "The Christmas Invasion" (Doctor Who). Mantellina in pile leggero, maschera e tromba in cartapesta (la tromba e' molto "vissuta"!).

Costume fatto in casa di Obi-Wan Kenobi da "La minaccia fantasma". Indossato per varie anteprime, convention ed eventi nel 1999. Ho trovato gli "stivali", da qualche parte c'e' anche la cintura!

Costume fatto in casa di Darth Maul da "La minaccia fantasma". Indossato (non da me, ne' da Alberto!) per varie anteprime, convention ed eventi nel 1999. Completo di guanti. Purtroppo maschera e stivali non sono miei.

Mantello fatto in casa in cotone e raso. Usato come mantello di Darth Maul da "La minaccia fantasma" nel 1999. Riadattato come mantello da MagaGabe nel 2002 e indossato per eventi e convention a tema Harry Potter. Completo di gufo applicabile sulla spalla. All'interno di una manica c'e' la tasca portabacchetta.

Bacchetta in stile Harry Potter realizzata a mano dal bricomago Finarfin (chi lo conosce sa della sua maestria!). Sarebbe diventata la seconda bacchetta di MagaGabe dal 2012...

La bacchetta originale di MagaGabe realizzata da Finarfin.

More to come!