What's on the menu? Nothing?!

Sometimes when I make DVDs for people, usually work-related, I attempt to make a menu so it’s more, well, DVD-like. I usually have this great idea, design it and then go through the painful process of setting chapters and linking buttons.

Why so painful? Because it’s a normal, doable process for anyone but me. I have consulted and followed the Pinnacle Help Center explanation for how to set up menus within a DVD, but, like I found out when I returned to work this morning, my efforts failed once again.

Bottom line: the technology gods have shunned me. Forever.


It can’t possibly be this difficult. I have ruined more DVDs (it helps to have the RW’s now) trying to be this awesome video maker. And the thing is, it takes hours to make some of these videos. Like yesterday, for example: I’m frantically working on a DVD of all the videos I made from my interview with President Collings, by his request, before he leaves to take his new position in North Carolina. I have one week.

So yesterday I really got down to business – had all the videos in the order I wanted them, redesigned the menus from the previous day because they were in the wrong aspect ratio and began to link everything. It kind of threw a little hissy fit at first, but eventually it came together, so I thought.

I went back to look at the menu screens I made, and some of the buttons had disappeared, meaning they weren’t linked to anything. Long story short, after another hour of struggling with linking my “next” and “previous” buttons to the other menus and almost starting over completely, I finished it and set it to make the DVD, which would take hours.

I got to work this morning, saw that the movie was successful and went to watch it before taking it to Dr. Collings. The main menu looked great – crisp and smooth. I clicked on the button to take me to the next menus where the 12 total episodes are broken down separately (just like a real DVD). And it took me straight to the first interview. Not right. I skipped ahead to the end of the episode, and it went back to the main screen.

“WHERE IS EVERYTHING ELSE I WATCHED IT ADD?!” I shrieked silently to myself as my head hit the desk.

*Cue the demeaning laughter of the technology gods.

I am now remaking the video and hoping it works when it’s done in a few hours. I started it at 7:41 a.m., and at this point, it’s still not quite halfway done.

Here’s to Sitting, Waiting, Wishing and the thought of DVD Frisbees. TGIF *Cheers*