Forged Down Under- Australian forging show 1st episode

[Candidquality]

Thought I would drop in a link for the first Australian Forging show.  Focus is less on the drama and more on the technique.  Give it a whirl.  Enjoying it immensly at 6 in the morning for sure, as it dropped in about an hour ago.    

Forged Down Under

Language alert.

[Candidquality]

For a new show, impressed with what they were able to discuss.  Mentioned a few terms that you could at least google and understand more about what they were up to.  Explained a bit where time permitted. Mentioned the community of blacksmiths helping each other out, etc.

Still a knife show, but has potential for making a good run. 

[Frosty]

That was pretty entertaining, I sure hope it doesn't go the way Forged in Fire went with the contrived drama and reality game show thing.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Candidquality]

Right, I added my feedback to one of the producers on reddit, which is where I stumbled across the post. I said as much myself.  They already have 6 more shows in the can, so here's to hoping. Here is their post if you wanted to give your feedback directly.   Ignore the adult content flag on the post. 

Here is what I said for those who hate jumping to different sites  to follow a discussion, like I do:

"Didn't realize you were part of the production.  A sincere thanks from me and the blacksmithing community as a whole.  We are not into the drama and scripted reality of other competition shows. It is great you have taken the time to show and discuss some the techniques.  It can be hard to balance good information, and make it watchable for multiple levels of viewers experience.
  
If you want to get some honest feedback from multiple people and experience levels, I would recommed taking a few moments to drop into some of the forums and not only promote the show to an avid audience base, but be able to garner feedback.  There are even several participants of other shows who have spent some time on that forum.  Some of the bladesmiths there are world class.  I am sure you have a marketing plan and limited time, so just tossing in my two cents. I know you've already got six shots in the can, but i sincerely hope this somehow is able to continue. 

I did particularly enjoy the smith sticking his head in the forge before it was fired up, it and got a genuine chuckle out of me.  Reminded me of a few groups I've had the privlidge of spending time with.  I' ve never met a group with more wit than a group of blacksmiths. 

If I had any specific feedback it would  be two items off the top of my head.  Adding some type of text overlay when discussing techniques would be grand. If nothing else just to be able to properly google the terms discussed.  The temper discussion was great, but having a quick chart actually showing those colors off to the side would have instantly locked in peoples heads that there is information in a visual format to assist.  Doesn't need to be big or flashy, just legible and not blocking the participants or other action.  

I would also recommend watching the angles to include the shots on the walls of your media outlets.  I get the moving shots are hard to plan, so don't stress over those. But on your static shots, I could clearly see there was a link to some site behind on the wall when two of the judges were having a discusion several times, but it was hidden partially behind one of the judges heads.  I do appreciate the unobtrusive nature of the links on the walls instead of plastered across the screen, but for those who use those platforms it will not sink in from multiple exposures if they cannot see the entire link.  

Also appreciate the decent forges being used, not flashy but functional.  Nice not seeing a two foot flame of dragons breath shooting out both sides of a poorly designed forge.  Great shot of the overheat and bad flame condition, even if not discussed it at least made the audience aware it happens so they can look it up on their own.  

Oh, the shared equipment.  I get there is a budget and space limitation, but having to wait to use equipment is not acceptable.  Power hammer, I get.  2 minutes at a time, reheat for  10 minutes, gives a window for other participants.  Sanders, just no.  Not being able to work on your project for 30 minutes or an hour in a competition is just not fair. Not sure how you can get around that succesfully as I do not know your specific limitations, but you are a bright bunch." 

Why what we do is important to us:
https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/41227-why-is-what-we-do-important/

[Frosty]

You might suggest show sponsors provide basic equipment with labels displayed prominently. The name of the product or sponsor is all that's needed for a web search, being able to read the URL would take up way too much screen space and still time. All the info can be presented in CC or the credits. A reminder of who and what in the background is good, as old stained posters on the wall gives them an old shop decoration flavor for a bit of reality. 

Good feedback. I'm not about to subscribe to reddit so I'll just watch what comes up here or online.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Glenn]

Keeping the advertising of products and sponsorship to a minimum would be preferred so the program does not look like infomercials.  Commercial stickers plastered everywhere are distracting, and takes away from the content and continuity of the show.  We chose to watch the program, not to see on who paid the most to have their company or product name thrown in your face.

 

[anvil]

Pretty good knife show. They showed a few things I like to see that I haven't seen on FiF, specifically watching a bit of the colors run.  I quit watching pre covid, to be honest. 

Frosty, we were talking a while ago about differential tempering. check out 15:30 for a way to do it, basically a heat source,a wet rag and a vice is all you need to control the color run. There are many variations including a coal forge for a heat source.   

[Daswulf]

Liked the overall. As usual they dont show a majority of the important parts of forging. 

The other thing is no close ups of the blades. I do watch on my phone so that might be an issue but close up looks of their work would be great to get a picture of the judging of them. 

The judging seemed somewhat honest and refreshing. 

[Frosty]

I prefer a version of the progressive temper shown myself, anvil. I usually use my oxy propane torch as the small brazing tip makes controlling the heat easy and if I want a softer flame I hold it farther away and use the outer flame sheath. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Candidquality]

On 7/2/2023 at 11:07 AM, Frosty said:

not about to subscribe to reddit...

 I completely understand Frosty.  I'll pass along any feedback I can.  

His feedback was good:

"We wanted the show to be more educational and not filled with drama and show the makers skills in a still entertaining format."

Glenn, I definitly agree about the advertising.  No idea how they are paying for the show, but I understand needing to have advertisment of some type.  There's a balance between having some way to finance the show be it sponsors or other options, and feeling like an infomercial.  I didn't feel putout with what they have done so far.  Hopefully they have it figured out enough to keep going. 

On 7/2/2023 at 6:30 PM, Daswulf said:

they dont show a majority of the important parts of forging. 

Keeping my mind open to see what they explore over the next 6 episodes. Hard to show everything in one 45 minute show.  Hopefully they are keeping a list of other steps, to cover them well without getting redundant. 

[Glenn]

Put a list of credits, contributors, and links under show more in the description of the show.  If folks are interested, they will look them up.  

[Candidquality]

Thanks, sent along your feedback this morning and just got this response:

 

Astroman680:

Thanks for the feedback it all helps.

My original idea was not to give them everything they need so they work with what they have available. However, we decided to get more tools, In the second episode we now have 4 x 2x72 and a drill press. We've now also upgraded the welding masks and got a much nicer buffing wheel.

We have managed to pick up a sponsor for episodes 2 & 3 Knife Print we won't be overloading the show with lots of advertising but it's a necessary evil with how much the show is costing per episode. The first episode cost us over 30,000 alone.

[Goods]

I like the show, but my biggest problem was the music. Not that the music was bad, but the volume during some sections  was just too high. I found myself constantly turning the volume up and down. That may not have been an issue if I was watching from my phone, my I was using the living room TV.

Keep it fun, 

David

[Frosty]

When I suggested sponsor poster ads on the walls or front of the judge's desk I wasn't suggesting covering every square inch. There IS a reasonable non intrusive balance in a film studio. It isn't an internet site where marketers literally cover every page with commercial garbage you have to delete through to get to the meat of the site. A poster on a wall is NOT the same thing. A poster for "Andy's Anvils," "Tong city," etc. provides all you need for a web search or a phone number. Not everybody is online so web searches are out for a group but virtually everybody has a telephone and phone book. 

Credits tend to run too fast to read let alone jot down a number. slowing them down and increasing the font would maybe do. Flashing sponsor's still ads in the credits is an option. 

I agree with David, the music is too loud, it is NOT part of the show, it's just background and shouldn't be distracting. I tend to mute videos with too loud music or propane forges that drown out people talking. A TV program can filter sound to a background whisper and the contestants do have microphones clipped to their lapels. Yes?

The jet roar of my burners is audible at the house 100'+ from the shop. Visitors know exactly where to go if the forge is running, we wear hearing protection and yell. There is ZERO romantic appeal to the things, turning that annoying volume down is one of the appeals of the ribbon burner and can be dealt with easily on the sound board of a studio. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Glenn]

49 minutes ago, Frosty said:

Virtually everybody has a telephone and phone book. 

I have not seen a paper copy of a phone book for many years.  Would not know where to go to even find one as they took out all the pay phones and phone booths.   Land lines are useless without some type phone book or directory.  Calling the operator to ask for assistance is a thing of the past.

A cell phone and a google search will locate some phone numbers, but that means you go on line.   You then have to save the number to your cell phone or look it up again later if you need it.  That saved number does not include "press 1 for one thing", "press 2 for something else", and even then does not list the specific department you want,  etc, or getting the person that has the information you need.   We will transfer you, and they are most likely away from their desk or busy with another customer, so talk to the recording. If you do find a knowledgeable individual, they do not have a direct number or extension, so you get to start from the beginning.  

Phones are no longer attached to the wall with a 3 foot cord.  Forget about the party line shared by multiple households, and you can tell if the call is for you by the long and short combination of rings.

Try telling someone you do not have an email address, just send the information in a letter. 

[George N. M.]

We get a local phone book every year in the mail, sometimes a couple from different publishers.  I go to it a few times a year but it is usually easier to do a google search for what ever local business type for which I am looking.  It is a lot thinner and has fewer ads than the phone books of old.  I grew up with the Chicago white pages and yellow pages being about 4 inches thick each and were used to boost me up in a chair when I was little.  It was sure a heavy job for the guys who delivered them every year.  Because I lived in an apartment building they would leave about 10 of each volume in the lobby by the mailboxes.  It was quite a pile.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Frosty]

Our phone carrier sends us a book when a new one is published because we asked them to, we get both full sized and compact twice a year. There is always a stack at the UPS store, the PO and at most banks. 

Googling a phone number leads to sifting though pages and pages of targeted ads some very intrusive and then trying to figure out which "Joe Smith" in the entire country is the one you're looking for. Then I get pop up ads on my computer some in-spite of ad-block with he prefix "Because you looked at . . ." and I did NOT look at the site or product it just showed up in another search. 

I'll google a number if it isn't in the book and from my computer with it's double layer of anti ad software and I still get junk. We carry a copy of the compact phone book in the RV when we're cruising in state. 

Our phone carrier has 24/7 live operators you can ask, THEIR computers don't get Byte locked with marketing when they look up a number of address or connect you. 

And NO we haven't had a land line for years.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

For the last 6 or so years our phone book which is 9x6 inches & consists of 3 pages of government & emergency numbers, 5 pages of white pages, 10 pages of yellow pages for a total of 18 pages. Oh and half the yellow pages is for churches.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sails.

[Frosty]

Ours is 432 pages of listings, not counting note pages I think there are about 30 of those. Churches have a section of their own and are listed in white and yellow pages. The Mat-Su Borough has a seasonally variable population and as of 2021 averaged around 107k+

Anchorage pop as of 2023 is around 283k+

I suppose 432 page telephone book isn't unreasonable. It doesn't cover the transient population though and can jump as much as 17-20% in summer, that's the Anch. Mat-su area, Anch. International Airport is about 1:15 minutes from here in average traffic.

Heck, I don't think it's possible to keep an accurate population count in Alaska, just the RV count on any summer day would make a good sized town. 

Frosty The Lucky.