When I went back to the Washington D.C. area for my grandmother's funeral last weekend, a good friend of the family invited me to tour his work facility. How do you turn down a chance to go inside the Discovery Networks? Well, you don't!  Cory and I had a video editing class together at Fenton High School. Since then, he has gone on to be an editing wizard for the Discovery Channel and its sister networks.

Headquartered in Silver Spring, Mayland, Cory works in an amazing building editing together programming and promos.  Known for shows like 'Mythbusters' and 'Dirty Jobs,' and interesting features like 'Curiosity' and 'Shark Week," Discovery Channel signed on in 1985.  Since then, the company has created or purchased other networks like Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery, Military Channel and TLC.  I was surprised to learn that they also operate The Hub, a joint venture with Hasbro with entertainment for kids, and OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network.

At the beginning of the tour, Cory showed me row after row of computer racks that hold all of the raw video that needs to be edited, as well as the completed shows and promos that get sent to their broadcast center just across town.  In this room, they also have every kind of video player/recorder ever made, that can be accessed from each of its 62 editing bays.  There are several thousand miles of cable that run through the complex connecting everything.

Cory showed me that while they edit and assemble most of the programming that airs on Discovery and its sister networks, a few shows, like 'Mythbusters,' come pre-assembled.  They do go in and add photo credits as needed throughout the show, and closing credits that run over the last few minutes of the show.

Last year, Discovery Networks launched 3Net, a joint venture with Sony and IMAX, that broadcasts in 3D 24 hours a day.  Cory showed me their two 3D editing bays, aptly named "Left Eye" and "Right Eye."  He then let me stand in for the announcer and record the 'scratch track' promoting the premiere of "Monster House" on 3Net.  I told him that I would love to do voice work for Discovery Networks.  You never know, you just might here me on TV one day!

It was a very cool experience.  I want to thank Cory again for letting me snoop around, and to the gang at Discovery Networks for allowing me to share this with you.  All I can say is, "The World is Just Awesome!"

 

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