tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281693001131403532024-03-13T15:45:28.670-07:00BlogA blog about video editing using Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Studio and many other compositing tools. Digital Distribution, HD, Stereoscopic and other new and emerging ideas will also be discussed.Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-48992239804899027932011-02-17T19:48:00.000-08:002011-02-17T19:53:14.894-08:00The Future of NLEs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aW3xwr_lqJo/TV3Mj1geJSI/AAAAAAAAAdM/ri5ASs5rGX4/s1600/silent+film+editor.JPG" imageanchor="1" linkindex="27" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aW3xwr_lqJo/TV3Mj1geJSI/AAAAAAAAAdM/ri5ASs5rGX4/s400/silent+film+editor.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hmmm...what should I cut out today? My social life? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Poor guy. He stands there oblivious to the wonders that lie just around the bend. Technicolor. Chroma keying. (The 1st generation of) 3D. Of course, he'll never know the joys of corrupt files and flamethrower errors either.<br />
<br />
Yesterday I checked out a symposium held in San Francisco sponsored by Apple and presented by <a href="http://www.keycodemedia.com/" linkindex="28">Keycode Media</a> called <i>The Future of NLEs</i>. As much as we editors love to speculate about our profession you wonder why this this topic is not an ongoing series.<br />
<br />
Needles to say the event was packed. The panel discussion was hosted by Keycode's post expert <a href="http://michaelkammes.com/" linkindex="29">Michael Kammes</a> and included key personnel from the Bay Area fixtures <a href="http://www.beyondpix.com/" linkindex="30">Beyond Pix Studios</a>, <a href="http://www.mhptv.com/jim.html" linkindex="31">Hoff Productions</a> and a representative from <a href="http://www.avid.com/US/" linkindex="32">Avid</a>. But the most noteworthy panel member was Hollywood editor Steven Cohen. Through his blog <a href="http://splicenow.com/" linkindex="33">Splice Now</a>, his heavily lauded book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Avid-Agility-Working-Intuitively-Composer/dp/1449998925" linkindex="34">Avid Agility</a> and the work he's done for years at AFI and MPEG, Cohen has been at the forefront of post-production education. But before they could talk about the future of NLEs, they had to talk about the present.<br />
<br />
It's not pretty.<br />
<br />
With our rapidly expanding role in post-production coinciding with a rapid deflating of timelines, budgets and consequently - pay, many of us are at our wits end. It was reassuring, if not a little dispiriting to hear Steven talk about facing the same challenges even at the highest rung. He says they "just prepped a show and spent the better part of a month trying to figure out how we were going to cut it". He feels that more and more responsibility is falling on the editor and that "the job of an editor is to become more of a generalist". Tony Welch, the creative services director at Beyond Pix agreed and bemoaned the decline in broadcast standards. "Most clients don't know or don't care what we're shooting on or how we're delivering it".<br />
<br />
But it wasn't all bleak.<br />
<br />
Jim Duvardo, the chief engineer at Hoff Productions talked about their innovative solution for continual post education. He explained how they pair up experienced producers with inexperienced editors and vice-versa. This probably requires a lot of patience in the short run but will assuredly pay off in the long run.<br />
<br />
Casey Richards, the Avid rep. acknowledged his company's past missteps and was respectful towards his rivals who many agree have made Avid better. He talked about the <a href="http://www.avid.com/US/products/media-composer" linkindex="35">new version</a> of Media Composer that was released this week and Avid's increasingly open platform.<br />
<br />
So what were the big speculations for the future?<br />
<br />
The usual. <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/NABrealtime/story/avids_web_based_editing_demo/" linkindex="36">Editing from The Cloud</a>. Improved stereoscopic (3D) editing. Heck, even <a href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/computing/hardware/holographic-video-telepresence" linkindex="37">holographic video</a> was mentioned. In the end none of that really mattered. Most of the Q&A involved the countless present day workflow challenges. It all goes back to continually sharpening the sword. Steven's simple and concise explanation of the difference between long GOP vs I-frame was something I want to see more of - key concepts explained in an open forum. Knowing keyboard shortcuts may be essential but knowing the fundamentals is absolutely critical.<br />
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So what do you think is the future of NLEs?Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-12178110542320718752011-01-31T19:04:00.000-08:002011-01-31T19:12:59.151-08:00The Killer App for Post in 2011: The Cloud<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SebRR5PTtCI/AAAAAAAAAAM/FswU6eVFgtA/s1600/cloud+computing+PIC.png" imageanchor="1" linkindex="37" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SebRR5PTtCI/AAAAAAAAAAM/FswU6eVFgtA/s1600/cloud+computing+PIC.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To The Cloud!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As sure as rain and random as computer errors, we'll soon be getting bold predictions for <a href="http://www.nabshow.com/2011/index.asp" linkindex="38">NAB</a> this year. Some of them will be <a href="http://www.macnn.com/articles/10/11/11/industry.worries.about.fcs.falling.by.wayside/" linkindex="39">coy teasers</a>. Some of them will be <a href="http://fcpdaily.com/2011/01/new-year-new-rumors-new-fcp-expected-by-march-or-april/" linkindex="40">completely speculative</a>. Regardless of what happens, you will undoubtedly be disappointed that your dream update/product/service/merger didn't happen - again. That's okay because there's one thing that continues to get better. The Cloud.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5Sm2bKhisI/AAAAAAAAAU0/FTZmECHnrdY/s1600/google+dark+fiber.png" imageanchor="1" linkindex="41" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5Sm2bKhisI/AAAAAAAAAU0/FTZmECHnrdY/s320/google+dark+fiber.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google's ultra-fast broadband network ambitions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>You know, the thing that you are relying on more and more for downloading, uploading and even <a href="http://www.encoding.com/" linkindex="42">encoding</a>. The feds promise <i>"to deploy the next generation of high-speed wireless coverage to 98 percent of all Americans"</i> in the next 5 years. Uh, ok, that's great you think but how does that help me today? Well, it acknowledges how inadequate our network infrastructure is and it helps keep the dialogue flowing on efforts to improve it. This will hopefully create more demand from consumers for faster, more reliable and hopefully cheaper internet connections. This allows smart-people-containing-companies like Google to work on potential <a href="http://www.blackweb20.com/2010/02/10/google-plans-superfast-fiber-network-for-broadband-access/" linkindex="43">solutions</a> that will get us rip-roaring speeds sooner than 5 (achingly long dial-up modem) years.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TTT6eAxxv2I/AAAAAAAAAcY/_2OTx-ac9RM/s1600/Air_disply_AE.JPG" imageanchor="1" linkindex="44" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TTT6eAxxv2I/AAAAAAAAAcY/_2OTx-ac9RM/s320/Air_disply_AE.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Air Display for iPad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>More attention being given to the cloud is great news because we are relying more and more on virtualization. You may not use the web based compression site <a href="http://encoding.com/" linkindex="45">encoding.com</a> that I mentioned earlier but I'm sure you use a host of other web services. Almost every editor I know uses You Send It, Vimeo or DropBox - regularly. More and more clients and producers are realizing the power of collaborative, synchronized document services like <a href="https://docs.google.com/" linkindex="46">Google Docs</a>, <a href="http://www.zoho.com/" linkindex="47">Zoho</a>, <a href="http://www.officelive.com/en-us/" linkindex="48">Office Live</a> and <a href="http://evernote.com/" linkindex="49">Evernote</a>. Mmmm...Evernote.<br />
<br />
But what's really interesting is how editors are starting to leverage these new media tools to create workflow hacks they could have only dreamed of a few years ago. And when you throw iPhones and iPads into the mix, things <i>really</i> get crazy. We're constantly reading about post-production apps for iOS devices like <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adobe-photoshop-express/id331975235?mt=8" linkindex="50">PhotoShop Express</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aja-datacalc/id343454572?mt=8" linkindex="51">AJA DataCalc</a> and <a href="http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/527655-cut-notes-digital-rebellion-llc" linkindex="52">Cut Notes</a>. But not enough attention is given to the creative workarounds. Some hacks are obvious like the app Air Display I <a href="http://splicevine.blogspot.com/2011/01/infinite-desktop.html" linkindex="53">recently wrote about</a> that extends your desktop onto the iPad/iPhone. A not so obvious hack would be to take screenshots of hard to remember menu settings and put them on flickr, where they can be sorted, tagged and called up at a moments notice, anywhere. This extends the functionality of iOS VNC apps like <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/screens_brings_new_touchscreen_experience_vnc_ios" linkindex="54">Screens</a> and can be a lifesaver for remote troubleshooting. And according to the research firm Gartner, <i>more people will gain access to the Internet through mobile devices than with personal computers.</i> (NY Times 1/31/11). So imagine when these web-enabled devices become faster. MC Siegler on This Week In Tech thinks <i>there will be some interesting things that people will be able to do with video editing like, on the fly. </i> Even to non-editors the possibilities are obvious and endless.<br />
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How do you use The Cloud in post? Leave a comment or <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/splice_vine" linkindex="55">hit me up</a> on Twitter.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-1359821534635183912011-01-17T19:07:00.000-08:002011-01-17T19:21:53.494-08:00The Infinite Desktop<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TTT04XO48gI/AAAAAAAAAcU/kEUaHVGsXWw/s1600/Air+Display_FCP.JPG" imageanchor="1" linkindex="21" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TTT04XO48gI/AAAAAAAAAcU/kEUaHVGsXWw/s400/Air+Display_FCP.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remember when we had dedicated Tektronix scopes? Re-live the magic. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Well, maybe not yet but with <a href="http://avatron.com/apps/air-display" linkindex="22">Air Display</a> by Avatron it's a step in that direction. This iPhone and iPad app let's you extend your desktop over WiFi and as you can see, this is just the app that a lot of video editors have been waiting for. It can really suck to edit on a laptop (even a 17") when you're used to editing on a couple of huge desktop monitors. You feel cramped and crowded like you're trying to look out the window of the #23 bus during rush hour. I'm glad I drive everywhere and I'm glad I bought this app - even though it's not quite ready for intensive pro media apps. Sure, it's got quirky issues that you would expect from most version 1 releases but the promise may have a lot of people overlooking it's technical shortcomings. Then again for $10 it's understandable to want to wait for the bug fixes.<br />
<br />
<b>The pros. </b> <br />
- More space for your canvas, toolbars, palettes, menus, etc...<br />
- Orientation in either landscape or portrait mode.<br />
- Touch-enabled<br />
- Wireless<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TTT6eAxxv2I/AAAAAAAAAcY/_2OTx-ac9RM/s1600/Air_disply_AE.JPG" imageanchor="1" linkindex="23" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TTT6eAxxv2I/AAAAAAAAAcY/_2OTx-ac9RM/s400/Air_disply_AE.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now my selfish laptop can have the After Effects canvas all to itself. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><b>The Cons.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> - Huge battery drain.</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Reduced image quality</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Frame dropping</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Reduced response time</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ok, so they won't be editing Avatar 2 on this but I could see editors of all stripes finding a reason to include this into their workflow. In the very least it can give you another reason to justify buying a tablet. And I can only hope when the more powerful iPad 2 arrives this spring coupled with the touch friendly OS X Lion this summer, we'll see a updated version of Air Display that will have us walking in the clouds.</div><br />
Check out the more detailed review on <a href="http://smokingapples.com/ipad/air-display-review/" linkindex="24">Smoking Apples</a>.Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-828510732390063862011-01-04T20:00:00.000-08:002011-01-05T21:23:27.732-08:00New Year, New Vine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TSPgi_WiSSI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/QapRFjmGsbo/s1600/organize_cool_photo_WET_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="24" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TSPgi_WiSSI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/QapRFjmGsbo/s400/organize_cool_photo_WET_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TSPXDO9VIaI/AAAAAAAAAcM/4NCpwtLyOSw/s1600/organize_cool_photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" linkindex="25" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />Sometimes inspiration comes from the unlikeliest of places. I was hours into a day long trek through the deep south when I stopped at a convenience store for some, well - conveniencing. Who knew they were giving away free blog post photos! I snapped this photo of the door to the walk-in cold-storage locker. I immediately understood what context it was written in and it made perfect sense. A double entendre that's part plea and part threat. A marriage between Hal 9000 and Deep Blue. A voice from the void. It also kinda humanizes the space. Poor fridge, I'll make sure no one takes advantage of your ample shelf space and unenforced content management system. And then it hit me (not the loosely mounted security camera) but the idea of turning Splice Vine into a place where editors can learn to get more organized so that <i>they</i> can keep <i>their</i> cool. Ok, actually I've had this idea for a long while and this spring after months of spirited paper-balling and pencil-snapping we will launch the re-branded site. We will will be tweeting updates and planning on going live right before NAB. If you don't already, make sure to <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/splice_vine" linkindex="26">follow us</a> on Twitter and be on the lookout for our Facebook page. Until then, keep your projects hot, your fridges cold and your mind organized.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Shb2UCqYl2I/AAAAAAAAAMA/BZZoobTB734/s1600/scissor+vine.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="27" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="58" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Shb2UCqYl2I/AAAAAAAAAMA/BZZoobTB734/s200/scissor+vine.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SeoqJZOO3aI/AAAAAAAAABs/4YKip6tgtEY/s1600/scissor+vine.png" imageanchor="1" linkindex="28" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SebeiColE1I/AAAAAAAAAA8/7XelhrTAfr8/s1600/scissor+vine.png" imageanchor="1" linkindex="29" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-12295297333615551402010-08-04T23:40:00.000-07:002010-08-04T23:40:46.063-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TFpb5RaSSNI/AAAAAAAAAbk/HuG1bKD0Y9M/s1600/DSLR+audio+prob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TFpb5RaSSNI/AAAAAAAAAbk/HuG1bKD0Y9M/s320/DSLR+audio+prob.jpg" /></a></div> I found a great post on <a href="http://dpexperience.com/2010/02/12/recording-audio-with-your-video-dslr-part-i/"><i>Recording audio with your video DSLR</i></a> over on the Digital Photo Experience blog. It's about time somebody put this out. Even before I bought my Canon T2i I heard about how bad the audio was (so I guess that's why I never bothered trying to record any). Maybe the 60D that's <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/30/canon-eos-60d-turns-up-in-dxos-optics-modules-roadmap/">rumored</a> to be released this fall will improve upon the situation. <br />
<br />
<i>Other resources:</i><br />
<br />
- At dslrfilm.com they list the <a href="http://dslrfilm.com/?p=719">5 best external audio recorders for DSLR filmmaking</a>. <br />
<br />
- The <a href="http://www.juicedlink.com/audio-preamps-mixers-etc/product-list/jl-dt454">JL-DT454 preamp</a> from JuicedLink. It seems like it could work. <br />
<br />
- Of course the guys at Zacuto have figured out solutions to this problem and have created a video that shows you how to get <a href="http://vimeo.com/4782593">Advanced Sound for DSLR's</a>. <br />
<br />
- And once you get that audio into your NLE and you want to sync it up you;ll definitely want to use <a href="http://www.singularsoftware.com/downloads.html#dualeyes">Dual Eyes</a> by Singular Software. It made its' debut at NAB this year and has been a hit ever since. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-7067609671824378532010-07-05T21:32:00.000-07:002010-07-05T21:43:58.913-07:00Close Encounters of the Third-Party Kind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TDKjJmiZbCI/AAAAAAAAAas/Yvx0Z1f_AbY/s1600/stacks_image_5_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TDKjJmiZbCI/AAAAAAAAAas/Yvx0Z1f_AbY/s200/stacks_image_5_1.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.randomvideo.com/products/mmfcp/mediamover_fcp.html">MediaMover FCP</a> is here! I didn't even know they were working on a version for Final Cut Pro. The original version for Avid has been around for years and has been a God-send. This tool will bring much needed order to the <i>Lord of The Flies</i> Final Cut Studio ecosystem. I'm curious to see what workflows will emerge using this, Xsan and Final Cut Server. Time will tell.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TDKjcEeVilI/AAAAAAAAAa0/oQF4jAR7mVk/s1600/1kucVPuqmdvc4wqzFIlXtDUSo1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TDKjcEeVilI/AAAAAAAAAa0/oQF4jAR7mVk/s200/1kucVPuqmdvc4wqzFIlXtDUSo1_400.jpg" width="177" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">And bringing order to After Effects is <a href="http://aescripts.com/zorro-the-layer-tagger/">Zorro the Layer Tagger</a>. Great name and even better function. According to the creator Lord Alvarez: <i>Zorro makes selection and isolation sets easy and possible in after effects by adding tags to layers. Similar to the way you would tag photos in Flickr, you can tag layers in your comps and then select or isolate those layers in groups by using the tags. </i> I can't believe I'm just now using this script - it's been around for a while. Be sure to check out the other scripts on the site<i> </i>while you're there.<i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TDKnMskQV8I/AAAAAAAAAa8/iQawreQS9Gk/s1600/CHV-FxScript-Cubes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TDKnMskQV8I/AAAAAAAAAa8/iQawreQS9Gk/s320/CHV-FxScript-Cubes.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">But why stop at tagging layers when you can even create your own effects to use on them. At least in FCP. Using <a href="http://fcpdaily.com/2010/06/using-fxscript-how-to-cook-up-your-own-final-cut-pro-transitions-and-filters/">FXScript</a> you have the power built right into Final Cut Pro. Ok, so this method is getting long in the tooth and most developers are using <a href="http://developer.apple.com/mac/articles/graphicsmedia/quartzcomposerinleopard.html">Quartz Composer</a> nowadays - either way, real-time visual programming is here to rescue us from bad glows and page turns.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TDKrIZlkSII/AAAAAAAAAbE/EqrmqMw5YYo/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TDKrIZlkSII/AAAAAAAAAbE/EqrmqMw5YYo/s320/Picture+1.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"> But sometimes you just gotta spend the money for </div><div style="text-align: center;">the sexy plug-ins and that's when you get Trapcode. </div><div style="text-align: center;">You hopefully already own these peerless plug-ins but </div><div style="text-align: center;">you may not know how to get all the magic out of them </div><div style="text-align: center;">that is possible. Not anymore. Red Giant has recently </div><div style="text-align: center;">released the <a href="http://www.trapcode.com/sharelog/2010/3/7/official-trapcode-suite-training-by-peder-norrby.html">Official Trapcode Training Suite by Peder Norrby</a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">- the developer of Trapcode. You can stream them or download</div><div style="text-align: center;">but either way it will now be easier to shake the pixie dust out of</div><div style="text-align: center;">your fingers and on to the screen.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TDKvoYyHjcI/AAAAAAAAAbM/93x3cw0gkNg/s1600/ae+expressions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/TDKvoYyHjcI/AAAAAAAAAbM/93x3cw0gkNg/s320/ae+expressions.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And Finally, Eran Stern of Creative Cow demonstrates <a href="http://library.creativecow.net/articles/stern_eran/JackOfAllTrades.php">how to create a jumpy and squishy animation using the power of expressions</a>. Like a wise clown the tutorial is both funny and enlightening. It will put a swing in your step and your animations and possibly make you look 20 years younger. And who knows, you might even get the courage to become an After Effects scripting/expressions guru by trying out all of the code over on Dan Ebbert's legendary site <a href="http://motionscript.com/">Motion Script</a>. <br />
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</div>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-22309705811124947472010-05-09T14:51:00.000-07:002010-05-09T14:51:37.879-07:00Splice Vine Links #15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S-caQV4ZmBI/AAAAAAAAAZk/OZdEeVxVmZU/s1600/GetHomePageLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S-caQV4ZmBI/AAAAAAAAAZk/OZdEeVxVmZU/s320/GetHomePageLogo.jpg" /></a></div><b>Software</b><br />
<br />
Everybody has been buzzing about the new phoenetic search tool introduced at NAB last month called <a href="http://www.getphonetic.com/"><i>Get</i></a>. It uses the art and science of phonetics to index your FCP project. Even though it's still in beta and won't be out until July, it appears to be at least as accurate if not more so than the similar <a href="http://tv.adobe.com/watch/creating-time/premiere-pros-speech-to-text-helps-you-save-time">speech to text</a> option in Adobe Premiere CS4. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S-chSiSxDUI/AAAAAAAAAZs/xJdMeYo9k6c/s1600/Viv-Magazine-Interactive-300x223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S-chSiSxDUI/AAAAAAAAAZs/xJdMeYo9k6c/s320/Viv-Magazine-Interactive-300x223.jpg" /></a></div><b>iPad</b><br />
<br />
The CG channel has seen the future of magazine ads and it is <a href="http://www.cgchannel.com/2010/04/the-future-of-magazines-is-interactive-vfx/">interactive</a>. Will this translate to more jobs for content creators? Time will tell but the wheels are in motion. And increasingly it looks like more than just a distribution tool, the iPad can be used in production as well. Editor Chris Fenwick explores how the <a href="http://chrisfenwick.com/home/2010/4/26/the-ipad-as-a-camera-monitor.html">iPad can be used as a camera monitor</a>. I've been waiting for this workflow since the iPad was first announced.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S-ckNWHdK8I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/u6qDXeoCCU4/s1600/intel-light-peak-laser-on.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S-ckNWHdK8I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/u6qDXeoCCU4/s320/intel-light-peak-laser-on.png" /></a></div><b>Next Generation</b><br />
<br />
The new Light Peak technology that I wrote about back in December 2009 is making news again. <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20004122-1.html">Recently,</a> Intel gave a demo of the fiber optic technology at at an industry trade show in Brussels. Light Peak promises at least 10Gbit/s in and out of computers and Intel's chief CTO "expects that number to increase dramatically over the next year with almost no limit to bandwidth potential". It will supposedly be available to manufacturers by the end of 2010. There's even <a href="http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/04/15/intel-predicts-light-peak-to-replace-usb-3-0/">speculation</a> that it will overtake the soon to be new standard of <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/186566/usb_30_finally_arrives.html">USB 3.0</a> that is <a href="http://www.geekwithlaptop.com/hp-laptop-with-usb-3-0-shipping-now">already shipping</a>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S-cmq4b9YrI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/PsGdXV73t0E/s1600/31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S-cmq4b9YrI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/PsGdXV73t0E/s1600/31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S-cmq4b9YrI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/PsGdXV73t0E/s320/31.jpg" /></a></div><b>Education</b><br />
<br />
Remember the days when you actually had to go to a classroom to learn the latest post software? Well, there are still good reasons to get hands on training but there is an awful lot of augmenting you can do on your own nowadays. Everybody knows (or should know) about <a href="http://lynda.com/">Lynda</a>, <a href="http://macprovideo.com/">Macprovideo</a> and even <a href="http://youtube.com/">YouTube</a>. But there are also other great niche places to learn and stay current with new technology and it's often free. PSD.tuts has just posted <a href="http://psd.tutsplus.com/articles/web/50-totally-free-lessons-in-graphic-design-theory/">50 Totally Free Lessons in Graphic Design.</a> This should be really helpful for video editors trying to transition into incorporating more motion graphics and visual effects.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S-csn3nf_QI/AAAAAAAAAaE/7AGZiR-Fux0/s1600/pattern+WET.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S-csn3nf_QI/AAAAAAAAAaE/7AGZiR-Fux0/s200/pattern+WET.png" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<b>Free Stuff</b><br />
<br />
One of the things that I've started doing is compiling as many free design elements as I can find off of the web and placing them into my Drop Box folder. That way no mater where facility I am at and what computer I am using (if it is connected to the internet) I will have a access to my creative files. These are usually vector files, stock photos, fonts, icons - you name it, I'll stockpile it. What have I found lately?<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://speckyboy.mobify.me/2010/05/03/25-free-vector-world-maps-ai-eps-and-svg-formats/">- 25+ Free Vector World Maps</a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.brusheezy.com/">- A huge library of free Photoshop brushes and patterns</a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://qvectors.net/">- Qvecors - free quality vector graphcs</a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/wireframing-mockup-prototyping-tools-plan-designs/">- 18 wireframing, Mockup and Prototyping tools to plan Website Designs</a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S-cuV5j4tvI/AAAAAAAAAaM/upWpVoTKYII/s1600/scissor+vine.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S-cuV5j4tvI/AAAAAAAAAaM/upWpVoTKYII/s320/scissor+vine.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-79857498140091512372010-04-21T15:41:00.000-07:002010-04-21T15:41:02.188-07:00No Country for Old Tech<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S895HBxY8BI/AAAAAAAAAZU/VWQtqQE4O1A/s1600/poster_nocountry_WET.png" imageanchor="1" linkindex="148" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S895HBxY8BI/AAAAAAAAAZU/VWQtqQE4O1A/s400/poster_nocountry_WET.png" width="272" /></a></div><b>Gas Station Guy:</b> <i>I didn't put nothin' up.</i><br />
<b>Anton Chigurh: </b><i>Yes, you did. You've been putting it up your whole life you just didn't know it. You know what app is on this iPad?</i><br />
<b>Gas Station Guy:</b> <i>No.</i><br />
<b>Anton Chigurh: </b><i>The Multi-Touch Color Correction app - <a href="http://www.actfocused.com/" linkindex="149">Gradiest</a>. It's been traveling 22 months to get here. And now it's here. And it's either good or bad. And you have to say. Call it.</i><br />
<b>Gas Station Guy:</b><i> Look, I need to know what I stand to win.</i><br />
<b>Anton Chigurh:</b> <i>Everything.</i><br />
<b>Gas Station Guy:</b> <i>How's that?</i><br />
<b>Anton Chigurh: </b> <i>You stand to win everything. Call it. </i><br />
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<i> </i>The <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/NABshow2010" linkindex="150">big announcements</a> at NAB last week was just another reminder of how the only constant in tech is change. The new MacBook Pro that was just released is in some instances <a href="http://freebestdownload.com/reviews-gadget/laptops/macbook-pro-core-i7-is-30-faster/" linkindex="151">3x faster </a>than the MacBook Pro I just bought in the Fall of 09. CS5 will not run on my old G5 Quad - heck, even the last version of After Effects won't run on it. But even the first generation Mac Pros can not (or at least it is recommended that they not) run Smoke on Mac. iPhone 3G and earlier <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/04/08/iphone-4-0-os-multitasking/" linkindex="152">will not</a> be able to take advantage of the new multi-tasking feature in the iPhone 4.0 software release. And only iPhones that record video (the 3GS model) can take advantage of the new relatively robust video editor that is coming out called <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/ssimmons/story/another_video_editing_app_coming_to_the_iphone/" linkindex="153">VeriCorder</a>. As for all those people that do not as of yet have an iPad (myself included) - our day of reckoning is coming. There's an app somewhere in development right now that has our name on it. I might be able to resist the color-correction app Gradiest or the <a href="http://www.mobilizedtv.com/ipad-teleprompter" linkindex="154">iPad teleprompter rig</a> but how much longer am I going to be able to hold out? <br />
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<br />
<b>Wendell:</b> <i>It's a mess, ain't it, sheriff?</i><br />
<b>Ed Tom Bell: </b><i>If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here. </i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S89-6i5dS7I/AAAAAAAAAZc/fKJaxJ-Lgyc/s1600/scissor+vine.png" imageanchor="1" linkindex="155" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S89-6i5dS7I/AAAAAAAAAZc/fKJaxJ-Lgyc/s320/scissor+vine.png" /></a></div>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-89319650652280669132010-04-19T12:04:00.000-07:002010-04-19T12:12:17.590-07:00NAB Wrap-up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S8ygQYIbw2I/AAAAAAAAAY0/LPpvnNtCzJw/s1600/NAB+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="35" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S8ygQYIbw2I/AAAAAAAAAY0/LPpvnNtCzJw/s320/NAB+pic.jpg" /></a></div>There were a lot of big announcements made at NAB this year. A detailed recap of them would take many hours. So instead, here's the list:<br />
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- There are a million posts that look at the new features of the Adobe CS5 suite but here is a post that looks specifically at how <a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/keyframes/2010/04/faster.html" linkindex="36">After Effects CS5 will be much faster.</a> And here Scott Simmons looks at how <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/NABrealtime/story/adobe_premiere_pro_cs5_better_faster_longer_faster/" linkindex="37">Premiere Pro will be much faster </a>thanks to the new Mercury Playback Engine.<br />
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- Philip Hodgetts discusses <a href="http://www.philiphodgetts.com/2010/04/11/what-are-avid-doing-with-media-composer-5/" linkindex="38">Avid Media Composer 5.0</a> which has a lot of game changing updates including the ability to edit ProRes and Red files natively. And Pro Video Coalition just released a post on <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/NABrealtime/story/avids_web_based_editing_demo/" linkindex="39">Avid's cloud-based editing technology</a>. This feature is not in their new release but hopefully it will be in the next major update. I hope this takes off because it will be a major leap forward for remote post-production.<br />
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- <a href="http://www.imagineersystems.com/products/mocha_for_After_Effects/" linkindex="40">Mocha v2</a> is out and it's 64-bit among other things.<br />
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- the news that took NAB by storm: <a href="http://www.blackmagic-design.com/press/detail.asp?pressID=193" linkindex="41">Davinci's Resolve is now on a Mac for $995</a>. Boom. Watch out Apple Color.<br />
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- <a href="http://postmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=BFBAF3700E484375963845F0970FBF86" linkindex="42">Sapphire plug-ins go 64-bit. </a><br />
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- <a href="http://news.autodesk.com/portal/site/autodesk/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100412005536&newsLang=en" linkindex="43">Autodesk announces 2011 versions of Flame, Flare, Smoke and Lustre.</a><br />
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- <a href="http://postmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=F2E5BEB8E9534D3FA8CA8C611E0B6B00" linkindex="44">Digieffects launchs three new $99, 64-bit plug-ins</a><br />
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- <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/NABpost/story/final_cut_pro_gets_ability_to_search_for_words_in_audio/" linkindex="45">"Get"</a> - the phonetic search plug-in for FCP. <br />
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- The Arri <a href="http://www.arridigital.com/alexa" linkindex="46">Alexa</a>. Great news for us - bad news for RED.<br />
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<br />
Also, if you want to hear a great discussion about the NAB announcements check out the podcast wrap up by the guys over at <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fxguidetv/id258403434" linkindex="47">fxguidetv</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S8ypUmfbq_I/AAAAAAAAAY8/psOqZamlOtI/s1600/scissor+vine+for+BLOG.png" imageanchor="1" linkindex="48" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S8ypUmfbq_I/AAAAAAAAAY8/psOqZamlOtI/s320/scissor+vine+for+BLOG.png" /></a></div>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-58732621835987243502010-04-04T21:33:00.000-07:002010-04-04T22:08:03.320-07:00Splice Vine Links #14<b>iPhone App</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7lL9PKIvsI/AAAAAAAAAYM/Yl5uJgaEdqI/s1600/Panascout+WET.png" imageanchor="1" linkindex="25" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7lL9PKIvsI/AAAAAAAAAYM/Yl5uJgaEdqI/s320/Panascout+WET.png" /></a><i><span style="color: #444444;">Panavision, a 50+ year old manufacturer of motion picture/TV cameras, just rolled out its first iPhone app, </span><a href="http://www.mobilizedtv.com/panavision-releases-location-scout-iphone-app" linkindex="26" style="color: blue;">Panascout</a><span style="color: #444444;">, which simulates the cinematographer’s viewpoint from a professional cinema camera. The filmmaker can capture the cinematic qualities of any location and record the true metadata, including GPS, compass heading, date/time, voice notes and a sunrise/sunset readout for the present location. Photos can be framed in 2.40 (anamorphic), 1.85 (Super 35mm), 1.78 (16×9 HD) and 1.33 (4×3) aspect ratios with Panaframe. The captured images and metadata can be uploaded directly to Final Cut Pro with Final Cut Server, MobileMe, SmugMug or emailed to colleagues.</span> </i> I assume the iPad version will be out any week now. The question is how much will it costs? The iPhone version already costs a whopping $10.<br />
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<b><i>Innovation</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7lS6P2urQI/AAAAAAAAAYU/0hPbcN4rZEk/s1600/nvidia-intel.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="27" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7lS6P2urQI/AAAAAAAAAYU/0hPbcN4rZEk/s320/nvidia-intel.jpg" /></a><br />
As we get closer to the looming <a href="http://cs5launch.adobe.com/?sdid=FDSEN" linkindex="28">CS5 announcement</a>, it becomes increasingly clear that Adobe Premiere is gunning for Final Cut Pro. Thank you. Please keep the pressure on Apple to keep developing FCP and the rest of the Apple pro apps. And even though Premiere may not have the best GUI in the editing world they are definitely starting to look gorgeous on the inside. Back in December I talked about how Adobe's Mercury Playback Engine was poised to be a game changer. What is it? Creative Cow <a href="http://news.creativecow.net/story/863234" linkindex="29">describes it</a> by saying:<i> <span style="color: #444444;">Essentially, Adobe has redesigned their entire video rendering and playback engine to harness the NVIDIA CUDA parallel processing architecture of Quadro graphics processing units (GPUs). The result is a fluid, real-time editing experience for adding additional effects, multiple layers, or ultra high resolution content. No more wasting time waiting for things like Encoding and Exporting progress bars to slowly fill the box. </span></i><span style="color: black;">Adobe has posted a sneak peak video that shows the technology in action. In this video an editor is cutting very fast with notoriously difficult Native AVCHD footage. </span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">Very impressive stuff. I also found a post on the Pro Video Coalition blog <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/adobe/story/debunking_mercury_myths/" linkindex="30">Debunking Mercury Myths</a>.</span></span><i><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></i><span style="color: black;">There are still many obstacles though for deep market penetration. Users will only be able to use the new engine on late-model Intel Macs, running Snow Leopard and with a $1500 NVIDIA graphics card inside. Most people aren't lucky enough to have this configuration yet and with the economy still down, it may be a while before people are able to upgrade. </span><br />
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<div style="color: black;"><b>Advocacy</b></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7lkMUD72AI/AAAAAAAAAYc/Knj1mAITCIE/s1600/vfx+townhall.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="31" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7lkMUD72AI/AAAAAAAAAYc/Knj1mAITCIE/s320/vfx+townhall.jpg" /></a></div><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">Of all the things that Avatar launched - from renewed interest in 3D to virtual actors - one issue that has received the least amount of press has been it's role in advocacy for VFX artists.</span></span><i><span style="color: #444444;"><b> </b></span></i><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">On Feb. 5 VFX artist Lee Stranahan wrote an <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lee-stranahan/open-letter-to-james-came_b_451922.html" linkindex="32">open letter </a>to</span><span style="color: black;"> James Cameron in the hope that he would use his Oscar platform to speak out about the injustices in the VFX industry. </span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">Unfortunately, Avatar lost the major awards it was up for and Cameron did not have a chance to speak. But that has not stopped Stranahan from moving forward by calling attention to the many problems facing the VFX industry. He organized a <a href="http://bit.ly/a9uTT6%20" linkindex="33">VFX Townhall</a> with a panel that included representatives from artistic, facility and studio camps. It was very informative and Motionographer has posted a <a href="http://motionographer.com/2010/04/01/vfx-townhall-recap-and-links/" linkindex="34">recap and links</a>.</span></span><i><span style="color: #444444;"><b> </b></span></i>FX Guide's Jeff Heusser <a href="http://www.fxguide.com/qt/2374/vfx-town-hall-how-did-it-go-what-did-it-mean" linkindex="35">analyzes</a> how the townhall went and <a href="http://www.pigeonimpossible.com/blog/?p=288" linkindex="36">possible solutions</a> have already surfaced. A <a href="http://www.fxdag.org/blog/" linkindex="37">Blog</a> to discuss the formation of a VFX digital artists guild has even been started. But what has been the most illuminating information so far is a <a href="http://effectscorner.blogspot.com/2010/04/visual-effects-service-big-picture.html" linkindex="38">post</a> by industry VFX veteran Scott Squires on his blog <i>Effects Corner</i>. In it, he gives detailed insider information that reveals the complex issues and huge challenges that face the industry. What lies ahead will undoubtedly be a lot of hand-ringing over changing extremely entrenched practices and heading off new threats to the stability of the VFX industry - namely outsourcing. Improvements in network infrastructure and aggressive tax incentives have decentralized the production of VFX and has become a hot button topic everywhere. The comments posted to Creative Cow's article on <a href="http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/worldsourcing-a-prime-focus-on-global-vfx-collaboration" linkindex="39">World Sourcing</a> by Golden Compass post-supervisor Mike Fink show how intense this debate has become. I'll keep you posted on ongoing developments. In the meantime, if you are a freelancer you may want to check out the <a href="http://thinkinganimationbook.blogspot.com/" linkindex="40">Thinking Animation Blog</a> that posted a good article on <a href="http://thinkinganimationbook.blogspot.com/2010/03/protecting-yourself-as-freelancer.html" linkindex="41">Protecting Yourself as Freelancer</a>. According to <a href="http://fxdag.org/" linkindex="42">fxdag.org</a> it’s a good basic primer for how <i>Employers of Record</i> work.<br />
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Use this script to create a <a href="http://lesterbanks.com/2010/04/quickfx-palette-for-after-effects/" linkindex="44">quickFX palette</a> for After Effects<br />
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10 Clever <a href="http://mac.appstorm.net/roundups/utilities-roundups/10-screen-recording-tools-for-mac/" linkindex="45">Screen Recording Tools</a> for the Mac. I use (and love) <a href="http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/" linkindex="46">Snapz Pro X</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://lastpass.com/" linkindex="47">Last Pass</a> is a password manager that lets you create one password to rule them all.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7ln285wBmI/AAAAAAAAAYs/RWDiCzsivZE/s1600/scissor+vine+for+BLOG.png" imageanchor="1" linkindex="48" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7ln285wBmI/AAAAAAAAAYs/RWDiCzsivZE/s320/scissor+vine+for+BLOG.png" /></a></div>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-40719357596916717692010-03-28T23:08:00.000-07:002010-03-29T08:49:42.944-07:00Splice Vine Links #13<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7AYr_ksvHI/AAAAAAAAAXM/ohKTmBOf0Z8/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" linkindex="41" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7AYr_ksvHI/AAAAAAAAAXM/ohKTmBOf0Z8/s320/Picture+1.png" /></a><b>Software</b><br />
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Already? I thought this was coming out in the fall. Oh well, no better time than the present. Look for the details in their <a href="http://cs5launch.adobe.com/?trackingid=FDKAY" linkindex="42">online launch</a> on April 12.<b> </b>Adobe says that CS5 will be 64-bit and only run on Intel-Macs (and of course PCs). Users will have to be running Snow Leopard if they want to take advantage of CS5s new 64-bit capabilities. In the meantime, check out their <a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/2010/03/caf_in_ps.html" linkindex="43">demo video</a> for a new feature in Photoshop CS5 that is causing intense discussion and debate across the industry and around the world. It shows off the new "content-aware fill" feature for Photoshop.<b> </b>According to<b> </b><a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2010/03/24/adobe-demonstrates-content-aware-fill-in-photoshop/" linkindex="44">Mac Rumors</a> : <i>The feature utilizes complex mathematical algorithms to analyze digital images and assist users in filling in areas of complex scenes where undesired content has been removed. </i>Translation: It magically removes objects from your image as if they were never there. The Adobe Advanced Technology Lab has been working with Princeton University and the University of Washington on this technology for a while. It is a further advancement on the <a href="http://www.adobe.com/technology/graphics/patchmatch.html" linkindex="45">Patch Match</a> concept that Adobe introduced a couple of years ago. If you don't want to pay for the upgrade just yet then try <a href="http://akvis.com/en/retoucher/index.php" linkindex="46"><i>Retoucher</i></a> by Akvis and <a href="http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/digitalphotography/ss/removedate_7.htm" linkindex="47">Smart Fill </a>by Alien Software. These plug-ins already do a version of this type of seamless scene replacement. Also if you use GIMP the plug-in <a href="http://www.logarithmic.net/pfh/resynthesizer" linkindex="48">Resynthesizer</a> recreates the effect very well.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Run, don't walk over to part 1 of Zacuto's <a href="http://www.zacuto.com/shootout" linkindex="50">Great Camera Shootout 2010</a>. Zacuto may have cemented their claim as <i>the new standard in camera accessories</i>. The tension is palpable in this expertly crafted half-hour video that has the much heralded HDSLR's facing off against the gold standard of 35mm. They are put through the paces by some of the top photographers, cinematographers and colorists working today. I couldn't believe how well the footage coming from digital still cameras holds up against almighty film. Great stuff. Webisode 2 will go live on Apr 7th.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>iPhone App</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7A1dpvUOFI/AAAAAAAAAXc/C-PdmVcJvtQ/s1600/monle+WET.png" imageanchor="1" linkindex="51" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7A1dpvUOFI/AAAAAAAAAXc/C-PdmVcJvtQ/s320/monle+WET.png" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Their words: <i> Monle is a four track, non-linear audio editor for the iPhone and iPod touch. You can record new audio, import prerecorded audio, cut it up, rearrange it, add fades, set volumes, zoom in and out, mix everything down, share audio with other applications, and send the audio wherever you want.</i> My words: Monle looks like a cool app to tied me over as a dream/wish/pray for a Soundtrack Pro iPhone app. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7A30cqPckI/AAAAAAAAAXs/mYWPytSz7RI/s1600/canon+5d.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="52" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7A30cqPckI/AAAAAAAAAXs/mYWPytSz7RI/s320/canon+5d.jpg" /></a>The <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=17662#DownloadDetailAct" linkindex="53">Canon DSLR plug-in for FCP</a> is finally here. Scott Simmons on the PVC blog <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/ssimmons/story/canon_releases_a_dslr_plug_in_for_final_cut_pros_log_and_transfer_tool/" linkindex="54">takes the reader on a tour</a> of the features and capabilities.<b> </b>This plug-in will be a big time saver since you will no longer have to convert your DSLR footage in Compressor for use in FCP.<b> </b>For now the newly released 550D is not being supported but I'm sure it will be in the future. Hopefully a version of this plug-in for Premier will be announced soon after the new Adobe CS5 launch on April 12.<b></b></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7BDEpxV6vI/AAAAAAAAAX0/JIsNoyWwASM/s1600/tweak+software.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="55" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S7BDEpxV6vI/AAAAAAAAAX0/JIsNoyWwASM/s320/tweak+software.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">In what could be a further step towards pro level remote collaboration for the masses, Tweak Software and Shotgun Software have joined forces and created <a href="http://tweaksoftware.com/" linkindex="56">RV</a>. It's an image and sequence viewer for VFX and animation artists combined with a flexible and scalable web-based project management system designed for digital production studios. They promise to make it fast and easy for content creators to track, organize, play, and review their work. Legendary studios like WETA and Aardman have been using expensive versions of this for years but now a lot more people are going to be able to get in on the action. With license configurations ranging between $200 - $400 this is poised to take the middle market by storm.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-81800044209198091582010-03-21T09:00:00.000-07:002010-03-21T10:54:52.355-07:00Splice Vine Links #12<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S6ZZYuX6DdI/AAAAAAAAAWE/PLZ22vj6p14/s1600-h/NAB+app.PNG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S6ZZYuX6DdI/AAAAAAAAAWE/PLZ22vj6p14/s400/NAB+app.PNG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451142680278601170" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">iPhone<br /><br /></span>NAB has released it's own <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/ssimmons/story/nab_launches_its_own_iphone_app/">iPhone app</a> for the upcoming mega-trade show. This is starting to become the norm for trade shows with Mac World (fittingly) doing one of the first ones last year.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>And echoing <a href="http://pixelcorps.com/">Alex Lindsay</a>'s comments, hopefully in the future these apps will display your real time position based on your current coordinates inside of the venue. No more getting lost in the crowd.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Audio<br /><br /></span>As video editors<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>we<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>know how hard it is to find music <span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>for our projects. Non-broadcast clients (and there number grows daily) don't think about let alone budget for the royalty free music they must have for their video. This <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S6ZZrrTSz8I/AAAAAAAAAWU/NGjRHOQwqTo/s1600-h/mixter-default.gif"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 93px; height: 71px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S6ZZrrTSz8I/AAAAAAAAAWU/NGjRHOQwqTo/s400/mixter-default.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451143005871460290" border="0" /></a>leaves us with a few options. 1) Use royalty free music we already happen to own. 2) Use music with permission from a local band or music producer, or 3) cobble together a song in a loop based music program like Garageband or <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=sonicfire+pro&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a">Sonic Fire Pro</a>. If I have the time I like the third option although instead of Garageband I like using <a href="http://www.ableton.com/">Ableton Live</a>.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>That's why it was very cool to find the sites <a href="http://www.freesound.org/index.php">freesound</a> and <a href="http://ccmixter.org/view/media/home">ccMixter</a> which both are filled with songs and samples that are filed under the <a href="http://creativecommons.org/about/">Creative Commons</a> license.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Freesound has only samples and no songs whereas ccMixter has remixes that are created by artist from around the world. I can't wait to really integrate these sites into my workflow the same way I use sites like <a href="http://www.sxc.hu/index.phtml">stock.exchange</a> for images, <a href="http://www.turbosquid.com/">turbosquid</a> for 3D objects and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><a href="http://www.cgtextures.com/">cgtextures</a> for - well, cg textures. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S6ZZ2gf2bOI/AAAAAAAAAWc/86pOboVCcQY/s1600-h/my+fonts.gif"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 96px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S6ZZ2gf2bOI/AAAAAAAAAWc/86pOboVCcQY/s400/my+fonts.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451143191949896930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Typography<br /><br /></span>Everyone's been there. Your client wants to use a font from a pre-existing brochure / website / you name it but doesn't know what font it is. You can't figure out what the font is either and the graphic designer that used it is unable to be reached. What do you do? Use a font that is a close approximation and hope that no one will notice? Nah. Use <a href="http://new.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/">Myfonts</a> - the font analyzer. Upload an image that contains the font in question and using its vast font database it will analyze the image and produce several fonts that it thinks could be a match.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span> It's been a lifesaver.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S6ZdU_HMxKI/AAAAAAAAAXE/t9pNVtL-yjc/s1600-h/7d+jib.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S6ZdU_HMxKI/AAAAAAAAAXE/t9pNVtL-yjc/s400/7d+jib.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451147014098961570" border="0" /></a>Gear<br /></span>Creative Cow has a great <a href="http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/hdslrs-for-video-beyond-the-hype">post</a> on the nitty gritty of using an HDSLR in post.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>"Marco Solorio takes you inside the real world of production with paying clients using these cameras, including workarounds for their current limitations, and some of the things that video shooters will need to know as they get started usin</em></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>g these c</em></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>ameras.</em></span>" Be sure to read the extensive comments at the bottom of the post they are in many ways as fascinating as the article itself.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />New Media<br /><br /></span>Everyone's buzzing about <a href="http://videoonwikipedia.org/">video coming to Wikipedia</a>. What does this mean for video editors? <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S6ZaaDgiPkI/AAAAAAAAAWs/2hPrIGVf-Qk/s1600-h/book+trailer.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S6ZaaDgiPkI/AAAAAAAAAWs/2hPrIGVf-Qk/s400/book+trailer.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451143802643430978" border="0" /></a>Will it be the same kind of user generated content that's on YouTube or will it create a new form like music videos did decades ago? The nascent <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/18/BUG7FL4TTE1.DTL">book trailer</a> movement<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>also has the potential to create a new aesthetic. <a href="http://vidlit.com/books/">Vidlit</a> has been doing something similar to this for a while but <a href="http://bookscreening.com/">Bookscreening</a> have trailers with very high end production values thanks to the increasingly popular Canon HDSLRs.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>I'm sure the proliferation of tablet devices like the <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/">iPad</a> and the <a href="http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/321957-321957-64295-3740645-3955549-4145567.html">HP tablets </a>will only increase the drumbeat for these new categories.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S6ZbHxwrGII/AAAAAAAAAW8/xSiirG7wmMo/s1600-h/scissor+vine.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 30px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S6ZbHxwrGII/AAAAAAAAAW8/xSiirG7wmMo/s400/scissor+vine.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451144588153264258" border="0" /></a>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-41474101822760052722010-03-14T16:25:00.000-07:002010-03-14T17:50:25.120-07:00Splice Vine Links #11<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S51zGLyHlbI/AAAAAAAAAVU/uZPMV5_xLAw/s1600-h/plai2-162x300.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S51zGLyHlbI/AAAAAAAAAVU/uZPMV5_xLAw/s400/plai2-162x300.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448637674267579826" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">iPhone</span><br /><br />Before you buy the amazing storyboarding app <a href="http://www.cinemek.com/storyboard/index.php">Cinemek</a> (formerly Hitchcock) you may want to check out <a href="http://www.mobilizedtv.com/dream-the-storyboarding-app-from-plai">Dream App</a>. Besides creating a storyboard for your project you can also design a poster and write an outline. Check out this cool <a href="http://www.mobilizedtv.com/how-the-dream-app-works">time-lapse demo</a> of all these being created.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S516PQt2gDI/AAAAAAAAAVs/nZsRgnCkrsI/s1600-h/Plugins+MainMenu_LucasPlugins.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 167px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S516PQt2gDI/AAAAAAAAAVs/nZsRgnCkrsI/s400/Plugins+MainMenu_LucasPlugins.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448645526792077362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plug-Ins</span><br />Luca, a video-maker and editor in London has a <a href="http://fcpdaily.com/2010/03/fcp-free-lucas-plug-ins-for-final-cut-pro/">free bundle of plug-ins</a> for FCP.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S519jS8aFAI/AAAAAAAAAV0/5g1_8zn52Kg/s1600-h/TemplateProject+copy.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S519jS8aFAI/AAAAAAAAAV0/5g1_8zn52Kg/s400/TemplateProject+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448649169522267138" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reading</span><br /><br />In case you missed Chris Fenwick's talk on media management at SFCutters last week you can go to his blog where he posted details from his presentation. He has a post on <a href="http://chrisfenwick.com/home/2010/3/12/tutorial-final-cut-pro-bin-structure.html">FCP Bin Structure</a> and <a href="http://chrisfenwick.com/home/2010/3/10/tutorial-finder-folder-structure.html">Finder Folder Structure</a>. On the latter post he even has a zip file of his finder folder structure which includes a sample FCP project and bin structure. He is on a mission to iron out best practices and ultimately standards for Post Production in the Bay Area. If this catches on it will save producers money, editors sanity and everybody time. He will be doing a follow up at SFCutters in May on archiving.<br /><br />And speaking of best practices, over on <span style="font-style: italic;">Pro Video Coalition</span> Scott Simmons has a <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/ssimmons/story/qa_with_the_creator_of_fcs_maintenance_pack/">very informative interview</a> with Jon Chappell, the brains behind <a href="http://www.digitalrebellion.com/fcs_maintenance.htm"><span style="font-style: italic;">FCS Maintenance Pack</span></a> from Digital Rebellion. FCS Maintenance Pack is an indispensable suite of 15 utilities designed to diagnose and fix problems in Final Cut Studio. Jon offers great insight into the things that cause crashes and corrupt files in FCP and why.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S52CkRl45BI/AAAAAAAAAV8/7i4JXsFCOKQ/s1600-h/scissor+vine.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 69px; height: 20px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S52CkRl45BI/AAAAAAAAAV8/7i4JXsFCOKQ/s200/scissor+vine.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448654683897390098" border="0" /></a>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-65053419482974901972010-03-07T22:58:00.000-08:002010-03-08T00:30:54.633-08:00Splice Vine Links - 3/7/10 -3/14/10<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5ShTSHXuGI/AAAAAAAAAUk/JGDLwXKiB1U/s1600-h/shapeshifter+WET.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 204px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5ShTSHXuGI/AAAAAAAAAUk/JGDLwXKiB1U/s400/shapeshifter+WET.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446155202050111586" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plug-In</span><br /><br />The folks over at <a href="http://www.digieffects.com/index">Digieffects</a> are working on a new plug-in for After Effects called <a href="http://toolfarm.com/2010/03/beta-testers-needed-shapeshifter-ae.html">Shapeshifter</a> and they are looking for beta testers. The plug-in promises to go "way beyond basic text extrusion". Judging by the quality of the rest of their product line it should be something worth keeping an eye on. One of their plug-ins I want to try in particular is <a href="http://www.digieffects.com/product/damage"><span style="font-style: italic;">Damage</span></a>. It's similar to <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.videocopilot.net/products/twitch/">Twitch</a> by Videocopilot in that it makes your footage look like it has been to hell and back. So it's great for genres like horror and action or any shots that you want to look digitally degraded.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tutorials</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5SjfFusyQI/AAAAAAAAAUs/9sQBIDfNbjc/s1600-h/mocha.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 140px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5SjfFusyQI/AAAAAAAAAUs/9sQBIDfNbjc/s400/mocha.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446157603907094786" border="0" /></a><br />Curious Turtle has just put out a <a href="http://www.curiousturtle.com/en/component/content/article/47-products/141-tracked-the-art-of-motion-tracking-in-mocha-for-final-cut.html">6-hour training DVD</a> for the incredible planar tracker <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.imagineersystems.com/products/mocha/">Mocha</a> </span>by Imagineer Systems<span style="font-style: italic;">.</span> It's for the Final Cut Studio version.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reading</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5Sm2bKhisI/AAAAAAAAAU0/FTZmECHnrdY/s1600-h/google+dark+fiber.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 185px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5Sm2bKhisI/AAAAAAAAAU0/FTZmECHnrdY/s400/google+dark+fiber.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446161303332817602" border="0" /></a>I'm right there with Michael Coleman and his <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/adobe/story/one_giga_reasons_why_your_workflow_will_change/">high hopes</a> regarding Google's <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/think-big-with-gig-our-experimental.html">ambitious pilot </a><a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/think-big-with-gig-our-experimental.html">program</a> to provide 1 Gb per second connection to a few select cities. Our computers keep getting faster and faster but it does us no good if our next works are slow. For editors to be able to work remotely we need higher bandwidth so we can move large video files around without it taking forever. Hopefully, this move by Google will put pressure on local telcos to free up more lanes on the information superhighway.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Website</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5SxgwzBRXI/AAAAAAAAAU8/MJ1pDGJXKdc/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 61px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5SxgwzBRXI/AAAAAAAAAU8/MJ1pDGJXKdc/s400/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446173025810597234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />FinalCutters now has <span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">the first ever <a href="http://www.finalcutters.com/products">comprehensive directory</a> of Final Cut Pro related</span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"> prod</span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">ucts</span></span>.<br />This site, created by the innovative company <a href="http://www.digital-heaven.co.uk/">Digital Heaven</a>, has only been around for about a year but they have grown by leaps and bounds. Besides being a huge resource for FCP editors they allow us to peak out of our own caves and view other FCP edit suites from around the world. So many configurations, so little time.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Legal Watch</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5SzFwi30iI/AAAAAAAAAVE/XIR_pTK9nGg/s1600-h/h264.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 114px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5SzFwi30iI/AAAAAAAAAVE/XIR_pTK9nGg/s200/h264.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446174760909656610" border="0" /></a>Will the future of the H.264 codec be pay to play? That's the <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20000101-264.html">question that has recently been raised</a> after someone actually read the the Final Cut Pro user license agreement and found a grey area. It implies that users of the popular editing software (as well as users of Adobe Premiere) should be paying a licensing fee if they create videos using the H.264 codec. Apple and Adobe have both declined comment on what could potentially be a thorn in the side of content creators. We'll keep you posted on the developments.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5S1YbAaEHI/AAAAAAAAAVM/YdxxfOeR2Ng/s1600-h/scissor+vine.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 34px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S5S1YbAaEHI/AAAAAAAAAVM/YdxxfOeR2Ng/s200/scissor+vine.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446177280568725618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-92203757076615335772010-02-27T20:08:00.000-08:002010-02-28T11:32:33.066-08:00Splice Vine Links (2/28/10 - 3/7/10)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4oNQhGRcbI/AAAAAAAAAUM/4cgju7nKGRM/s1600-h/lynda+iphone+WET.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4oNQhGRcbI/AAAAAAAAAUM/4cgju7nKGRM/s400/lynda+iphone+WET.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443177677044412850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">iPhone Apps</span><br /><br />I talked with the people at Lynda about the need for this app over a year ago. I guess they got an earful from thousands of other members as well. So they've finally put out <a href="http://blog.lynda.com/2010/02/25/introducing-the-new-lynda-com-iphone-app/">the Lynda.com iPhone app!</a> Great, now I'll obsess even more about doing tutorials (as if that is possible). They must have been feeling the heat from their rivals at <a href="http://www.macprovideo.com/">MacProVideo</a> and their <a href="http://www.macprovideo.com/tutorial/nedi2101">NEDi iPhone app</a>.<br /><br />Also, I've been checking out the very cool (quasi) <a href="http://www.postmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=2FAC68CDC0E0429CA98B00ED8B1C81C2">Post Magazine iPhone app</a>. I say quasi because the text is not reformatted for the iPhone, like say the <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=284862083&mt=8">NY Times iPhone a</a><a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=284862083&mt=8">pp</a>. But it's still great having the venerable magazine at my fingertips.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And,</span> I haven't check this out yet but it could be cool. <a href="http://www.inmethod.com/air-video/index.html">Air Video </a>can stream videos in almost any format to your iPhone and iPod touch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4oJ7xiNflI/AAAAAAAAAT8/y2Dh0M1AwYg/s1600-h/hi_tek.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4oJ7xiNflI/AAAAAAAAAT8/y2Dh0M1AwYg/s400/hi_tek.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443174022144425554" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br />Websites</span><br /><br />A whole heap of links from FCPDaily of sites where you can find <a href="http://fcpdaily.com/2010/01/free-stock-photography/">F</a><a href="http://fcpdaily.com/2010/01/free-stock-photography/">REE stoock photography</a> for your video projects. (Do <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> click on freephotosbank.com - it has an annoying talking flash banner ad on the home screen).<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plug-ins</span><br /><br />At the SFCutters user group meeting this week they were recommending the <a href="http://www.revisionfx.com/products/fieldskit/">FieldsKit</a> by <span style="font-style: italic;">RE:Vision Effects</span>. It's supposed to give you very good results for deinterlacing, reinterlacing and doing pulldown on your source footage.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4oLaV7H2II/AAAAAAAAAUE/ehOL-ITomt8/s1600-h/Prism_rainbow_schema.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 277px; height: 174px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4oLaV7H2II/AAAAAAAAAUE/ehOL-ITomt8/s400/Prism_rainbow_schema.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443175646820292738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Software</span><br /><br />I'm a sucker for any miracle product promising faster processing and encoding and Elemental's <a href="http://www.postmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=C0A8CF862C174AF5BCCAB7E15F5FDBD3">Accelerator 2.2 for Mac</a> promises to do both - and more. It would be nice if there was a review with speed tests somewhere online to see if the $300 price tag is worth it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4oNzydzSPI/AAAAAAAAAUU/TzyMVyuqKok/s1600-h/mccolor.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 212px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4oNzydzSPI/AAAAAAAAAUU/TzyMVyuqKok/s400/mccolor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443178283001923826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hardware</span><br /><br />Scott Simmons has some <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/ssimmons/story/first_impressions_of_the_euphonix_mc_color/"><span style="font-style: italic;">First Impressions of the Euphonix MC </span></a><a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/ssimmons/story/first_impressions_of_the_euphonix_mc_color/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Color</span></a> on the Edit Blog over at the ProVideo Coalition. This is one of two control surfaces that are supposed to usher in a whole new era of precision color grading for the masses. The other one is <span style="font-style: italic;">Tanget Wave</span> and it was <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/ssimmons/story/review_the_tangent_wave_control_surface/">reviewed</a> by Simmons in November. They're both similarly priced at around $1,499.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4oTyf0s7FI/AAAAAAAAAUc/2jdlxkdqv4Y/s1600-h/scissor+vine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 34px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4oTyf0s7FI/AAAAAAAAAUc/2jdlxkdqv4Y/s200/scissor+vine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443184857887599698" border="0" /></a>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-73550842285600886222010-02-20T09:25:00.000-08:002010-02-20T10:31:19.771-08:00Splice Vine Links - 2/20/10 -2/28/10<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4AgVOB2S4I/AAAAAAAAAS8/Zy0UhMjk5Ls/s1600-h/toolfarm_2094_13397633.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 128px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4AgVOB2S4I/AAAAAAAAAS8/Zy0UhMjk5Ls/s200/toolfarm_2094_13397633.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440383898778749826" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plug-in:</span><br />Intelligent Assistance just released <a href="http://toolfarm.stores.yahoo.net/inasexforfcp.html">exceLogger for FCP</a>. Use the power of Microsoft Excel to log already captured clips. I wonder does this work with Zoho docs and Google docs? Price: $66.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4AgerbDcTI/AAAAAAAAATE/EcJHlJoutqs/s1600-h/screenshot.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4AgerbDcTI/AAAAAAAAATE/EcJHlJoutqs/s400/screenshot.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440384061287919922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">App</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">Wish you could see more info about a file when you click CMD+i? Well, with MediaInfo Mac you can. It's a mulimedia file analyzer and reporting tool for the Mac.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4AifkN2JaI/AAAAAAAAATM/Er4sRU_yYz0/s1600-h/dpi-pixelation.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4AifkN2JaI/AAAAAAAAATM/Er4sRU_yYz0/s200/dpi-pixelation.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440386275556599202" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reading</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2010/02/the-myth-of-dpi/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Myth of DPI</span></a> is an excellent and long overdue article from that should be required reading for both creatives and clients.<br /><br />Also, I usually only do one link per category but the article <a href="http://digitalfilms.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/cottage-industry/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cottage Industry</span></a> by Oliver Peters was so good I had to include it.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Gear</span><br /><br />If you have been trying to find a way to justify the purchase of that <a href="http://blog.planet5d.com/2010/02/new-canon-rebel-t2i550d-vs-canon-rebel-t1i500d-and-vs-canon-eos-7d/">Canon DSLR</a> that you want so bad, you may now have an excuse to get it. Check out <a href="http://www.borrowlenses.com/">Borrowlenses.com</a> where you can rent cameras and lenses by the week on the cheap.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4AllFQPueI/AAAAAAAAATc/s4q5yGCbT14/s1600-h/picture_main_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 139px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4AllFQPueI/AAAAAAAAATc/s4q5yGCbT14/s400/picture_main_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440389668859263458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">App</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4AoPRGes7I/AAAAAAAAATk/xC5u6hvbO2w/s1600-h/capturemeicon.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 128px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4AoPRGes7I/AAAAAAAAATk/xC5u6hvbO2w/s400/capturemeicon.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440392592617288626" border="0" /></a><br />Since I couldn't find an iPhone app for this week I'm going to list another great desktop app I discovered recently. If you don't want to spend $70 on the excellent <a href="http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/">Snapz ProX</a> then you may want to check out the free open source app <a href="http://www.chimoosoft.com/products/captureme/">Capture Me</a>.<br /><br />Check back every Monday for new Splice Vine links.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4ApHB2e_wI/AAAAAAAAATs/8puQNtWo3lY/s1600-h/scissor+vine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 107px; height: 31px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S4ApHB2e_wI/AAAAAAAAATs/8puQNtWo3lY/s200/scissor+vine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440393550596341506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /></div>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-78963161045276980942010-02-14T09:54:00.000-08:002010-02-14T10:47:46.968-08:00Splice Vine Links - 2/14//10 -2/21/10<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S3g707RAoEI/AAAAAAAAAR8/BTDJgV0ss_g/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S3g707RAoEI/AAAAAAAAAR8/BTDJgV0ss_g/s400/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438162330498146370" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plug-In</span><br /><br />Oliver Peters has a great blog post about <a href="http://digitalfilms.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/mymusicsource/">MyMusic Score</a> , a newly released plug-in that imports music you pick from the MyMusic Score site directly into your FCP project. For $.99 you can buy a preview license that will allow you to download a full-length, full quality track and temporarily use it. If you and your producer and client like the song then you can buy an upgrade to the license that corresponds to what kind of project you are doing. One song I listened to cost $35 for non-broadcast, corporate use. This seems reasonable and I hope music websites like these continue to do well and expand their libraries. It will really help people that can not afford the yearly license fees of places like FirstCom and Killer Tracks that can cost over $3000.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">iPhone App</span><br /><br />Continuing with the music theme, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/patternmusic/id335591152?mt=8">PatternMusic</a> is supposedly an app that is a full-featured music building program. I haven't used it yet but it already seems more intuitive than my current favorite music creation software <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=285512415&mt=8">BeatMaker</a>. Other music apps that may be worth checking out include the powerful <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sunvox/id324462544?mt=8">SunVox</a> and the lo-fi <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plinkton/id337189404?mt=8">Plinkton</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Website</span><br /><br />While I was at Macworld I talked with the folks over at <a href="http://b1.crashplan.com/consumer/index.html">Crash Plan</a> who offer unlimited backup for your computer for $3.50 a month. You supposedly can even backup external hard drives that are attached to your computer as well. If this is true then this is an incredible deal. <a href="http://carbonite.com/">Carbonite</a>, a similar competitor, only lets you backup your internal hard drives. If anybody tries out Crash Plan let me know how well it works - i"m curious.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gear</span><br /><br />By now you've probably heard about Canon's new <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/cmg_blogs/story/canon_rebel_t2i_eos_550d/">Rebel T2i/EOS 550D</a> which will supposedly deliver the 5D and 7D experience at a fraction of the cost.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tutorial</span><br /><br />There is a great 3-part series on Adobe TV about <a href="http://tv.adobe.com/search/?q=Lower%20Thirds">how to make lower thirds in Photoshop</a>. I can't wait to go through them and hope they include a workflow for animating PhotoShop lower thirds in After Effects<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S3hDfRe0_KI/AAAAAAAAASE/sux8qHb-tpo/s1600-h/scissor+vine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 29px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S3hDfRe0_KI/AAAAAAAAASE/sux8qHb-tpo/s200/scissor+vine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438170754597584034" border="0" /></a>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-16643500731311513422010-02-07T17:17:00.000-08:002010-06-12T12:12:26.175-07:00Splice Vine Links - 2/7//10 -2/14/10<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S3OJpnyl94I/AAAAAAAAAR0/OiOpBQRVuBI/s1600-h/ipj.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436840523315148674" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S3OJpnyl94I/AAAAAAAAAR0/OiOpBQRVuBI/s400/ipj.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 323px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
iPhone App:</span><br />
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<a href="http://iphoneapplicationlist.com/apps/jogdial/id304087890/">JogDial</a> turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a scroll wheel for your Mac. If you're one of those editors that likes those keyboards with the jog wheel on them then this is for you.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
Website:<br />
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</span><a href="http://www.the3dstudio.com/">The3dstudio</a> is supposedly the oldest and largest 2D & 3D<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>resource site on the net. <a href="http://www.creative-3d.net/3dlinks/Free_3D_Objects.cfm">3DLinks.com</a> is probably an even better resource for everything related to 3D and of course don't forget about <a href="http://www.turbosquid.com/">TurboSquid</a> which is the most well known 3D marketplace. My personal favorite though is <a href="http://www.cgtextures.com/">CG Textures</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Plug-In:</span><br />
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Canon will be launching a <a href="http://www.macnn.com/articles/10/02/05/imports.video.from.pro.level.canon.dslrs/">FCP plug-in</a>. I saw the demo at the Supermeet last week and it look pretty cool. It will integrate with Final Cut's Log and Transfer menu and will let you create custom metadata among other things. This will be a free download.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Gear:</span><br />
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Turn your iPhone into a teleprompter with <a href="http://www.bodelin.com/proprompter/product_wing_mobile">ProPrompter Wing</a>. You can find other iPhone obsessions over at <a href="http://www.handheldhollywood.com/">Hand Held Hollywood</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Reading:</span><br />
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Scott Simmons has a great article on <span style="font-style: italic;">The Editblog</span> over at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Pro Video Coalition</span> site called, <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/ssimmons/story/ideas_for_the_apple_ipad_in_post_production/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ideas for the Apple iPad in Post-Production</span>.</a> Yeah, I know but just when I think I've gotten tired of all the tablet-talk then I see good articles like this one.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S29wYWsaKeI/AAAAAAAAARk/786pLqi7ZzQ/s1600-h/scissor+vine.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435686838970493410" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S29wYWsaKeI/AAAAAAAAARk/786pLqi7ZzQ/s200/scissor+vine.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 23px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 80px;" /></a>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-64400257186664258212010-01-31T12:11:00.000-08:002010-02-01T10:05:39.400-08:00Splice Vine Links - 1/31/10 - 2/7/10<span style="font-weight: bold;">Website:</span><br /><br />The always insightful Philip Hodgets has a great post on his blog that asks <a href="http://www.philiphodgetts.com/2010/01/24/why-are-most-production-workflows-inefficient/#comments,%20_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Why are most post production workflows inefficient?</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">iPhone App: </span><br /><a href="http://iphoneapplicationlist.com/2009/10/27/ipodcastudio/">iPodcaStudio</a> allows you to record, edit, and transfer audio. The audio editing supposedly goes way beyond simple trimming. You can transfer the audio files via WiFi, email, or FTP. FTP transfer works on WiFi and cellular networks. Hopefully the product managers for Soundtrack Pro, Garageband, Pro Tools, Sound Booth and Logic are furiously toiling away on mobile versions of there desktop apps. In the meantime, if you want to do some serious music production on your iPhone I highly recommend <a href="http://iphoneapplicationlist.com/2009/05/14/beatmaker-2/">Beat Maker</a> by Intuit. At $20 it's probably the most expensive music app in the iTunes store but it's also peerless<span style="font-weight: bold;">.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plug-in</span><br /><div id="TixyyLink" style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: none;color:transparent;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The guys over at </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Video CoPilot</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> have a new plug-in called <a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/reflection_plug-in/">Reflection</a>. </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It lets you quickly make a reflection for objects similar to what you see all the time in iTunes or when you use the coverflow folder mode on Macs. I also want to add that I have a love-hate relationship with plug-ins because they always have the potential to make us editors lazy. So I recommend that as much as possible you try to understand how plug-ins that you use actually work. To that point </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Video CoPilot</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> also offer a tutorial on <a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/3d_reflections/">how to do reflections in After Effects</a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Gear</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I got a chance to listen to a great demo by AJA at the latest SF Cutters meeting. It was about their new <a href="http://www.aja.com/products/ki-pro/">AJA Ki Pro</a> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">box. It's a pretty cool tapeless recorder that captures Pro Res 4:2:2 and has almost every I/O imaginable including built-in WiFi and Ethernet for complete control via a web-browser, or iPhone. Cost? $6000.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Book<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Just got my copy of the newly updated <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Video-Systems-Environment-Professional-ebook/dp/B002ZFXTYW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1264966774&sr=8-2-catcorr"><span style="font-style: italic;">Video Systems in an IT Environment: The Essential of Networked Media and File-Based Workflows.</span></a> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> This book contends that "IT, for the most part, is becoming invisible and woven into the fabric of A/V solutions". A real world example of this is explored in </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Creative Cow Magazine</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">'s latest issue <a href="http://magazine.creativecow.net/issue/heavy-lifting"><span style="font-style: italic;">Heavy Lifting</span></a>.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> They <a href="http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/heavy-iron">take the reader on a tour </a>of the LA post facility <span style="font-style: italic;">D</span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">igital Film Tree</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> who explain how they have "embraced new, disruptive low-cost technologies" that are a mix of A/V and IT technologies. It was instrumental in their work on the Jet Li, Jackie Chan film </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Forbidden Kingdom.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Hope you find these links useful. Check back every Monday for 5 new ones.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S2XhoygZwmI/AAAAAAAAARc/vNyJ8gsxM4A/s1600-h/scissor+vine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 107px; height: 31px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S2XhoygZwmI/AAAAAAAAARc/vNyJ8gsxM4A/s200/scissor+vine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432996616361067106" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><h1 style="font-weight: normal;" class="parseasinTitle"><span id="btAsinTitle" style=""><br /></span></h1><o:p></o:p></div>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-54691476939640637052010-01-24T11:20:00.000-08:002010-01-24T11:28:37.713-08:00Splice Vine Links - 1/24/10 -1/ 30/10Ok, let's see if this works. Instead of trying to do a big batch of monthly links, I'll try to do just 5 great post-production related links a week. These 5 links will be my most recent discoveries relating to my current projects. That's not nearly as daunting as having to come up with 20 links in one fell swoop. Enjoy.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.fxphd.com/index.php">Fxphd</a> just started their January term a couple of weeks ago. They mainly offer remote project based training on how to use high end VFX software like Nuke, Maya and Flame. But they also have classes on ubiquitous software like After Effects, Mocha and Cinema 4D. The most interesting new classes are DSLR Cinematography and Introduction to Stereoscopic. The best part of Fxphd though, is that when you enroll ($99 per class) you get a full VPN license of the software you need for your course. I'm running a full licensed version of Cinema 4D on my laptop and it will open as long as I have an internet connection. The new term runs 10-weeks. Check it out.<br /><br />I've been waiting for a site like <a href="http://www.encoding.com/">encoding.com</a> to come along for a very long time. If they could make it affordable and fast to send files up to the cloud to get compressed they could really give Apple Compressor and others a run for their money.<br /><br />In case you missed my tweet earlier about this you may want to check out <a href="http://www.backupify.com/">Backupify</a>. They back up your online accounts for free - for now.<br /><br />I recently used <a href="http://voices.com/">voices.com</a> to hire a voice-over artist for a spot I did for a web-start-up. Once you figure out their less-than intuitive <span style="font-style: italic;">Sure Pay</span> system, it's really a cool and much needed service.<br /><br />Lastly, I finally got a <a href="http://nextelonline.nextel.com/NASApp/onlinestore/en/Action/SubmitRegionAction?isUpgradePathForCoverage=false&currZipCode=&upgradeOption=&nextPage=DisplayPhones&equipmentSKUurlPart=%3FphoneSKU%3DNV2200WFDO%26currentPage%3DphonePage&filterStringParamName=&newZipCode=94116&x=0&y=0">Mifi</a> from Sprint. It's a mobile broadband device and Verizon offers <a href="http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobilebroadband/?page=products_mifi">their version</a> as well. It is basically a personal hotspot. This has been real helpful when I'm editing on-site in a suite that does not have an internet connection. I'm also looking forward to the Sprint <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/sprint-overdrive-hands-on/">Overdrive</a> when it comes to our part of the country (SF Bay Area). It will be the first WiMax mobile broadband device.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S1yfL7dvZfI/AAAAAAAAARE/yo9fXW9x6Cc/s1600-h/scissor+vine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 77px; height: 22px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/S1yfL7dvZfI/AAAAAAAAARE/yo9fXW9x6Cc/s200/scissor+vine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430390277991785970" border="0" /></a>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-64516658921613683312009-12-21T09:41:00.000-08:002009-12-21T12:03:18.394-08:00Insuring Your Home Studio<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_Q4uJyssI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/m9Oum0yWLj0/s1600-h/Allstate+app.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 374px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_Q4uJyssI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/m9Oum0yWLj0/s400/Allstate+app.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417778549630350018" border="0" /></a>I don't know if it's an attempt to be more responsible or an expression of my growing paranoia but I finally got renters insurance. I bought a macbook pro back in September with hopes of taking it on a long overseas trip. That was the impetus to get renters insurance to cover my laptop in case it was stolen or irreparably damaged. This of course also covers my home studio all for the price of $23 a month. What a...um...steal. What I was not looking forward to however was the tedious process of cataloging all of my possessions including my long list of miscellaneous software. That's when I was pleasantly surprised to find that Allstate had a desktop app called <a href="http://old.iii.org/static/knowyourstuff/allstate/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Home Inventory</span></a> that does exactly what it implies.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_ABFs1cyI/AAAAAAAAAP0/Z-MwwC7GDXw/s1600-h/allstate+2"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 327px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_ABFs1cyI/AAAAAAAAAP0/Z-MwwC7GDXw/s400/allstate+2" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417760001692627746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Besides including your serial number you can also attach pictures of your possessions and pictures of the receipts. The app was made by an interactive design studio on Wall Street (of all places) called <a href="http://www.m-onestudio.com/index.html">M-One Studio</a>. The cross-platform app is very intuitive and being a version 3 release it feels very stable. Hopefully there will be a web version of this app soon so that if anything ever happens to the my computer that's running this app all of my data will be safe. So my work-around has been to email myself copies of my newly updated Home Inventory files.<br /><br />This brings me to Allstate's iPhone app <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1335451/allstate-s-digital-locker-iphone-app-helps-consumers-catalog-belongings-"><span style="font-style: italic;">Digital Locker</span></a>. It has the same features and functionality as the<span style="font-style: italic;"> Home Inventory </span>desktop app. But by using a mobile app to catologue inventory data my information is not tied to the very hardware that can be stolen or destroyed (and ironically the iPhone itself is <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> covered). This of course means that the I need to make sure I always have the iPhone passcode feature enabled. My only beef is that I wish there was a way to sync the data from the desktop app with the iPhone app. It's gonna be a pain to have to manually re-enter all of my inventory data that's in <span style="font-style: italic;">Home Inventory</span> into <span style="font-style: italic;">Digital Locker</span>. I sent a message to Allstate asking if this workflow is possible (maybe I just missed it). Hopefully, I will hear from them soon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_EKIBEwfI/AAAAAAAAAQE/6wCD-icAaTc/s1600-h/DL+1.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_EKIBEwfI/AAAAAAAAAQE/6wCD-icAaTc/s200/DL+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417764554979721714" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_EaEh9PtI/AAAAAAAAAQM/nfTUrqxdgkg/s1600-h/DL+2.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_EaEh9PtI/AAAAAAAAAQM/nfTUrqxdgkg/s200/DL+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417764828921806546" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_E49hDaRI/AAAAAAAAAQc/pEm9cosfbkU/s1600-h/DL+4.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 137px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_E49hDaRI/AAAAAAAAAQc/pEm9cosfbkU/s200/DL+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417765359614912786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_FDNjrAEI/AAAAAAAAAQk/Xd7dJV3Atdk/s1600-h/DL+5.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_FDNjrAEI/AAAAAAAAAQk/Xd7dJV3Atdk/s200/DL+5.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417765535719555138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_EmkG-56I/AAAAAAAAAQU/AFsMPFp2seM/s1600-h/DL+3.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_EmkG-56I/AAAAAAAAAQU/AFsMPFp2seM/s200/DL+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417765043557033890" border="0" /></a>Meanwhile, I'm moving on to the last phase of being 100% covered in case of disaster: incremental cloud-based media archiving. I'm currently in the process of establishing regularly recurring back-ups of <a href="http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html">Super Duper</a> volumes on <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/">Dropbox</a>. If this sounds like gibberish check back in a few weeks when (if I'm successful) I will explain my archiving modus operandi. In the meantime, let me know if you're using renters or home owners insurance to protect your studio. Also let me know if other insurance companies are using apps to make the process easier. I know Farmers Insurance has their <a href="http://www.cellphonesmarket.com/news/iclaim-iphone-app-farmers-insurance/">iClaim</a> iPhone app which lets the user do inventory but are there others? Let me know. Until then stay creative, vigilant and safe this holiday season.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_MtaIopwI/AAAAAAAAAQs/k2dYgm-9uEo/s1600-h/scissor+vine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 94px; height: 27px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sy_MtaIopwI/AAAAAAAAAQs/k2dYgm-9uEo/s200/scissor+vine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417773957231716098" border="0" /></a>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-44659830382380326402009-12-05T09:32:00.000-08:002009-12-05T10:40:43.241-08:00December Links<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SxqpIblkiWI/AAAAAAAAAPA/YDI-HkjH7Ek/s1600-h/Splice+Vine+LINKS.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 293px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SxqpIblkiWI/AAAAAAAAAPA/YDI-HkjH7Ek/s400/Splice+Vine+LINKS.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411823864548460898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My New Year's resolution is going to be to post more. I don't want this blog to turn into a link farm. My excuse is that I've been extremely busy working on a lot of interesting projects the last couple of months. I'll post links to those videos in a week or so. Until then, here are the December links:<br /><br />- Like so many others out there, I've been extremely excited about Smoke on OS X. It finally puts top tier editorial within closer reach of mere mortals. The blog (aptly named) <a href="http://smokeosx.blogspot.com/">Smoke on OS X</a> is a repository of information on the topic.<br /><br />- The post-production crowd-sourcing trend continues with the virtual animation studio <a href="http://www.massanimation.com/">Mass Animation</a>. Imagine what we'll be able to do once the bandwidth limitations start to fall away.<br /><br />- You knew it was coming pt. 2 - <a href="http://www.handheldhollywood.com/">Hand Held Hollywood </a>- <span style="font-style: italic;">Where iPhone Obsessions meet Hollywood Professions.</span><br /><br />- <a href="http://conigs.com/posthaste/">Post Haste</a> (freeware) looks like a great app for organizing folders for all of the apps you use in post.<br /><br />- Adobe launches free <a href="http://thomashawk.com/2009/10/adobe-launches-free-photoshop-iphone-app.html">PhotoShop iPhone app</a>. Another similar app that I covered months ago is <a href="http://www.fxguide.com/qt/1250">Mill Color </a>by the world famous VFX house <a href="http://www.the-mill.com/">The Mill.</a><br /><br />- Speaking of VFX, the web app <a href="http://tracksperanto.guerilla-di.org/">tracksperanto</a> promises to convert trackers between VFX apps.<br /><br />- And yet another great free web app, <a href="http://mildmanneredindustries.com/baseline/">Baseline</a>, will show you a visual image of the amount of space on your drive and what apps are using it.<br /><br />- I wish my new MacBook Pro had the upcoming optical port <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/26/exclusive-apple-dictated-light-peak-creation-to-intel-could-be/#continued">Light Peak</a> that may start shipping on new Macs next year.<br /><br />- The next version of iDVD is <a href="http://mac.blorge.com/2009/12/02/rumor-itunes-lp-tools-coming-to-idvd/">rumored</a> to support the creation of iTunes LP Apple's new album format. And this week on <a href="http://twit.tv/mbw">MacBreak Weekly </a>Alex Lindsay brought up a provocative idea (about 54:20 in) that on the next big update of DVD Studio Pro Apple should make it so that you can build interactive QuickTime movies. I'd take it a step further and say that a lot of content creators would love to create <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Internet_application">Rich Internet Apps</a> apps but are intimidated by all the scripting. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_air">Air </a>and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverlight">Silverlight </a>apps are everywhere but they're are still part of the domain of web dev types. As the content / mobile / web convergence increases I think we will hopefully start to see more<br />video editor oriented web app tools appear.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sxqoy_lG0tI/AAAAAAAAAO4/ggpVZDlBwbY/s1600-h/scissor+vine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 97px; height: 28px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/Sxqoy_lG0tI/AAAAAAAAAO4/ggpVZDlBwbY/s200/scissor+vine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411823496253067986" border="0" /></a>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-83768637570144888672009-09-12T07:41:00.000-07:002009-09-12T09:50:11.939-07:00Splice Vine September Links<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SqvPW5OyTAI/AAAAAAAAAOI/xLMj8Rfaftw/s1600-h/Splice+Vine+LINKS.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 293px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SqvPW5OyTAI/AAAAAAAAAOI/xLMj8Rfaftw/s400/Splice+Vine+LINKS.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380622172051098626" border="0" /></a><br />A lot has happened in the month since my last post. <a href="http://www.fxguide.com/qt/1448/blackmagic-buys-davinci-confirmed">Black Magic Design buys Davinci</a>, <a href="http://www.avid.com/us/pressroom/avid-accelerates-customer-workflows.aspx">Avid Media Composer 4.0 is released</a>, <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/">Apple releases Snow Leopard</a>, and Canon announces a late-september early October release of <a href="http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/news/395352/canon-eos-7d-unveiled.html">EOS 7D</a>. This is good timing considering all the excitement the RED cameras and the Canon 5D Mark II <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5333986/red-one-vs-5d-mark-ii-vs-lumix-gh1-video-test-stuns-for-several-reasons">continue to elicit</a>. Anyway, on to the links...<br /><br />- For those that want to get ahead of the curve on the next media revolution '<a href="http://www.studiodaily.com/main/news/prc/11271.html">Element Technica introduces groundbreaking steroscopic 3D production tools'</a>. FxFactory also just released some <a href="http://prmac.com/release-id-7230.htm">stereoscopic plug-ins.</a> Avid Media Composer started <a href="http://www.avid.com/company/releases/2009/090302_native-XDCAM-support-and-stereoscopic-3d.html">supporting 3D editing </a>this year, but when Apple products start doing this naively people will really begin to take notice.<br /><br />- Pro Video Coalition has a great blog post about <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/pvcpostpipeline/story/fcp2ae/">round-tripping with Final Cut Pro and A</a><a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/pvcpostpipeline/story/fcp2ae/">fter Effects. </a><br /><br />- Philip Hodgets has an interesting post that wonders if <a href="http://www.philiphodgetts.com/2009/09/05/why-might-large-post-houses-be-heading-for-the-elephant-graveyard/"><span style="font-style: italic;">large post houses are heading for the editing graveyard.</span></a> He expands on this in his <a href="http://www.digitalproductionbuzz.com/">latest appearance </a>on Larry Jordan's podcast - Creative Planet Digital Production Buzz. I think the high-end niche focused Davinci Systems getting bought buy the broader market Black Magic Design is a good example of this. There continues to be a trend of moving away from expensive proprietary hardware-based ecosystems and towards open software-based ecosystems. You've got to wonder how much Magic Bullet and to a lesser extent Apple Color has been cutting into Davinici's margins. Broadcast Now talks in more depth about this in their latest post <a href="http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/technology/what-next-for-di/5005140.article"><span style="font-style: italic;">What is next for DI?</span></a><br /><br />- Since I'm editing remotely more and more I want to find a good online backup / archiving solution. There's a good post on <a href="http://flossyourmind.com/floss/content/backup-vs-file-sync-macs-mini-non-comprehensive-review-dropbox-vs-carbonite">Drop Box vs Carbonite </a>that explains how they seem similar but are for very different types of users. <a href="http://carbonite.com/">Carbonite</a> is what I want to go with but it appears that they only back up internal drives. So people with a Drobo or external G-Tech drives (like myself) will be out of luck.<br /><br />- Just discovered <a href="http://www.digitalproductionbuzz.com/BuZZdex/">BuZZdex</a> which is a resource database on Larry Jordan's site that displays articles, forums, tutorials and other resources for over 100 video, audio, VFX and animation applications.<br /><br />- The iPhone storyboarding app <a href="http://www.cinemek.com/hitchcock/">Hitchcock</a> has everybody talking. I'm rarely involved in pre-production anymore but this game-changing app makes me want to be.<br /><br />- <a href="http://www.yoostar.com/index.html">Yoostar</a> is taking what Serious Magic (now part of Adobe) was doing to the next level. They sell chroma key kits that give you the tools to videotape yourself over a green screen and edit yourself into famous Hollywood films. They hired Snoop Dog and then shot and keyed him into movies where he is interacting with Marilyn Monroe, Dan Akroyd, Lou Costella and Cheech Marin. Genius.<br /><br />- Great article on <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical/bionics/augmented-reality-in-a-contact-lens/0">Augmented Reality in contact lenses</a>. This is supposedly closer to being er...real than we think.<br /><br />- A hack for <a href="http://www.bitrebels.com/geek/how-to-get-flash-video-on-iphoneipod-touch/">getting Flash video on an iPhone</a>. I haven't tried it yet but I hope it works.<br /><br />- Oliver Peters has a really good post on <a href="http://digitalfilms.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/sitting-in-the-mix/">audio post geared towards video editors</a>.<br /><br />- Digital Rebellion just released <a href="http://digitalrebellion.com/fcs_maintenance.htm">FCS Maintenance Pack</a>. Now you no longer have to cobble together a bunch of disparate mult-vendor FCP utility apps. You can get most of what you need from one place in one box.<br /><br />- And lastly, this is very exciting. I may actually be able to afford to finally create a Splice Vine iPhone app: <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://gigaom.com/2009/08/18/sweb-apps-launches-diy-iphone-app-for-smb/">And Now a Service to Roll Your Own iPhone App.</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SqvRHEzI2zI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/a5zPYggmSSI/s1600-h/scissor+vine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 32px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SqvRHEzI2zI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/a5zPYggmSSI/s400/scissor+vine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380624099301710642" border="0" /></a>Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-51637313478617645162009-08-12T21:24:00.001-07:002009-08-12T22:25:18.125-07:00Splice Vine - August Links<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SoOjUfpLwMI/AAAAAAAAAOA/KGATFfTpONg/s1600-h/Splice+Vine+LINKS.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 293px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SoOjUfpLwMI/AAAAAAAAAOA/KGATFfTpONg/s400/Splice+Vine+LINKS.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369314753242710210" border="0" /></a><br />> From the Final Cut User blog, a future iPhone app by <a href="http://www.cinemek.com/">Cinemek</a>: <a href="http://www.finalcutuser.com/2009/08/12/cinemek-hitchcock-storyboard-iphone-app/">the Hitchcock Mobile Storyboard Composer</a>. It looks very robust and I doubt it will be a .99-cent app either.<br /><br />> While we're still talking about pre-production, check out <a href="http://celtx.com/">Celtx </a>which is open source media pre-production software. You can't beat free.<br /><br />> "All ready ?!" Yep, the world's first <a href="http://www.rareformfilms.com/2009/07/worlds-first-iphone-3gs-film-competition/">iPhone 3GS Film Competition</a> is already here.<br /><br />> <a href="http://animata.kibu.hu/">Animata</a> brings us open source real-time animation software.<br /><br />> Tired of the cookie-cutter sound effects in Soundtrack Pro? Well, make your own with <a href="http://www.sfxmachine.com/">SFX Machine RT</a>. Definitely check out the <a href="http://www.sfxmachine.com/simulator/index.html">interactive SFX Machine simulator</a> - it's hilarious. This plug-in works in Soundtrack Pro, Garage Band, Pro Tools and hopefully Final Cut Pro soon. And if you buy the plug-in before the end of August it's half off ($50).<br /><br />> A slick looking text-animation plug-in called <a href="http://www.yanobox.com/index.html">Motype</a> for FCP, Motion and After Effects.<br /><br />> <a href="http://www.artofthetitle.com/">The Art of the Title Sequence</a> is a great site that shows the most cutting-edge title sequences in films from around the world. Their archive also has a lot of great ones from the past like the classic one from <a href="http://www.artofthetitle.com/2008/03/26/se7en/">"Se7en"</a>.<br /><br />> On2 has been in the news a lot lately because of the <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10303488-93.html">Google acquisition</a> but they have also quietly released an update to their game changing On2VP6 codec. The new codec, <a href="http://www.on2.com/index.php?599">On2VP8, </a>promises to have even better compression than H.264. Well, if anyone can do it, they can.<br /><br />> And check out <a href="http://www.inqscribe.com/index.html">InqScribe</a> for simple transcription and subtitling. I wish this were available as a plug-in for FCP.<br /><br />> Last but not least: the <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/6054507">funniest demo reel I've ever seen.</a> btw, this is for mature (or not so mature) audiences only.Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-428169300113140353.post-63903522558562857732009-08-06T08:56:00.001-07:002009-08-06T11:35:31.408-07:00Final Cut Studio 3: Road Rules<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SnsgWH-9nCI/AAAAAAAAANw/YOoFWZAX8nc/s1600-h/road+sign+WET+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dFRGTQODdRY/SnsgWH-9nCI/AAAAAAAAANw/YOoFWZAX8nc/s400/road+sign+WET+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366918945414421538" border="0" /></a>Ok, so Apple is just calling it <a href="http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/">Final Cut Studio</a>. But so as not to confuse it with earlier versions we'll call it version 3. Either way, the upgrade has been a long time in coming. At this point there have been countless reviews with a very detailed one in particular by <a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/ssimmons/story/kicking_the_tires_on_final_cut_pro_7/">Scott Simmons</a>. <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">di</span>Lynda.com already has a <a href="http://www.lynda.com/home/DisplayCourse.aspx?lpk2=52345">3-hour class on what's new in Final Cut Studio 3</a> - and the best part is that it's FREE! <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">i</span> Also, Diana Weynand the Final Cut Guru and author of all of Apple's books on the subject is offering a <a href="http://www.fcpworld.com/home/2009/8/4/free-fcp-7-webinar-on-august-13-with-diana-weynand.html">free webinar</a> of FCP 7 on August 13. And finally, <a href="http://documentation.apple.com/">Final Cut Studio Documentation</a> and <a href="http://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutstudio/workflows/">Workflows</a> are now online. Adobe and others have had online manuals for a while and now Apple is getting with the program. Make sure you don't overlook the workflows link - it's more comprehensive and clear than you might expect.<br /><br />My take on the new Final Cut Studio? The growing sentiment is that it does not seem too revolutionary. Larry Jordan may have summed up this sentiment best at his recent seminar in Sacramento when a friend of mine stated that Larry said <a href="http://www.larryjordan.biz/goodies/blog.html">FCP 7 feels more like FCP 6.5</a>. Phill Hodgets though seems <a href="http://www.philiphodgetts.com/2009/07/24/what-about-final-cut-pro-7/">generally impressed</a> by the release. I <span style="font-style: italic;">definitely</span> want to upgrade but will have to wait until I get an Intel Mac since the new version of FC Studio won't run on my G5 quad. The biggest selling points for me are iChat Theatre so I can collaborate remotely with others and being able to round trip to Color. But like others I am surprised that FC Studio is not <a href="http://createdigitalmotion.com/2009/07/23/64-bit-memory-still-not-present-in-final-cut-studio/">64-bit</a> or <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/technology/#opencl">OpenCL</a> compliant to take advantage of the processing improvements that come with Snow Leopard. That said I am sure the new release will slowly take off once clients and producers find out about the new features. Once I get a chance to test it out I will report back.Eric Wisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06237563404572529500noreply@blogger.com0