Jim Frane has the unusual distinction
of being both a drywall contractor and
a professional engineer. He produced
this two-part video series on drywall
contracting as an instructional
resource for novices in the field. The
tapes do cover the basics, but viewing
the tapes is like watching someone
give a classroom lecture.
Each tape opens with a snappy musical
theme, but after that, a rather stiff,
expressionless Mr. Frane presents
information as if he is reading from a
teleprompter. His only variation is to
turn right or left to face a different
camera whenever he changes topics.
The overall effect reminds me of the
deadpan, just-the-facts-ma'am style of
Dragnet's Sgt. Joe Friday.
To be sure, there are how-to segments
with