Sunday, July 30, 2006 Filed in:
PersonalContinuing my mixtape habit.... I invite you to listen to an iMix (a collection of songs arranged around a topic). Just click this link to visit the iTunes music store and you can here a little part of the soundtrack of my life.
Radio & TV features some songs for those who work in the film/video/broadcast industry. A little satire, a few good beats, and some nice instrumentals. Seems that all my iMixes run with a theme... but I guess all good mix tapes do.
Friday, July 28, 2006 Filed in:
MicrosoftMac users can now access Windows Media files... for free. Telestream has updated Flip4Mac, so it works with the new Intel-based Macs. Telestream has a series of QuickTime components that enables Mac OS X users to play, import and export Windows Media files using QuickTime-based applications. Mac users can access the free player from Microsoft's website, while those creating pro vide will want to check out the different options at Telestream's site.
Thursday, July 27, 2006 Filed in:
Motion GraphicsA brand new tutorial on building graphics for multiple video formats just went online. You'll find it on DV Magazines website in both online and print formats. Learn how to work in HD, but also create for multimedia, DVD, and Podcast distribution. This is useful in you need to generate multiple animations on a budget or deadline.
The tutorial uses Adobe After Effects, and is not version specific. If you'd like some extra resources, visit the Magazine section as well.
UPDATE: For PC users looking for a 10-bit codec... you can either download the Blackmagic codecs or check out SheerVideo.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006 Filed in:
Podcast | AdobeCamera raw has several advantages over other file formats. Instructor Richard Harrington shows you how to open and develop a camera raw image in Photoshop. Part 2 of 2.
Like the podcast? Subscribe for FREE.
Want more training? Check out our Books. Monday, July 24, 2006 Filed in:
BusinessIf you are having a bad creative day working on your clients latest ad... be sure to try out the online Advertising Slogan Generator. You type in a word and it spits out your latest soda catch phrase. Don't like the first result.. click again. It's a good way to waste some time and still feel like you're working.
Okay its silly.... but I like surreal items. They make me think and smile. Be sure to check it out, then explore the site for other fun/useful items.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 Filed in:
Podcast | AdobeCamera raw has several advantages over other file formats. Instructor Richard Harrington shows you how to open and develop a camera raw image in Photoshop. Part 1 of 2.
Like the podcast? Subscribe for FREE.
Want more training? Check out our Books. Wednesday, July 12, 2006 Filed in:
ConferencesFor those of who work in Sports media (or if you live near Las Vegas), you should attend the C4-Sports conference. The event is billed as an explosive vision of sport. The conference is aimed towards those working for professional and collegiate sports teams, sports media experts in production, editing, content creation, and distribution, and IT and communication professionals from sporting arenas, stadiums, and facilities. They will explore state-of-the-art media technology solutions designed to improve performance, create revenue-generating opportunities, and increase profits
Richard Harrington will be teaching three conference sessions as well as two free classes on the trade show floor.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006 Filed in:
Adobe | Training ProductsAre you an intermediate to advanced After Effects user? If so, the coolest book ever is about to ship. I recently edited a book called After Effects @ Work. It features top designers like Trish & Chris Meyer, Mark Coleran, Ken Locsmandi, Rachel Max and Dave Phillips. Join eleven well -known AE designers and teachers as they teach you real-world secrets. You'll get an inside glimpse at 11 projects and see what an expert can do using just the tools that come on the After Effects CD-Rom and a budget of $10,000 or less. This book is a hybrid of case studies, tutorials, and inspiration. It's like eleven internships in a box. I'm really proud of this one and excited that it is to ship the week of July 16. To order, go visit Amazon for the lowest price.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006 Filed in:
Podcast | AdobeInstructor Richard Harrington shows you how to use the navigator palette to keep perspective of the entire image while zooming in to work on a small section of it.
Like the podcast? Subscribe for FREE.
Want more training? Check out our Books. Saturday, July 08, 2006 Filed in:
AppleI often find when I am browsing the Net to select text and drag it to the Desktop. I often use these clippings as a way to gather a few notes. The only problem with this system is that you can’t modify the clipping. If you open the clipping in the Finder you can read it, copy the text to your clipboard, but that’s about it. But don’t worry, there’s a great piece of freeware to make tweaks.
Everyday Software has released ClipEdit so you can modify both text and image clippings. The program is free and very useful if you collect bits of knowledge/trivia. For best results try the following.
1. Right-click (Control-click) on a clipping file and choose Get Info.
2. Change the Open with: drop down menu to ClipEdit
3. Click Change All…
ClipEdit is now set as the default editor for all clippings… much more useful and all it’ll cost you is a visit to Everyday Software.
Saturday, July 08, 2006 Filed in:
PersonalContinuing my mixtape habit.... I invite you to listen to an iMix (a collection of songs arranged around a topic). Just click this link to visit the iTunes music store and you can here a little part of the soundtrack of my life.
"1980's Rewind" features Some songs that pulled me through the 1980's. Some alternative and pop classics as well as a few 'guilty pleasures.' These are the songs that don't embarass the decade.
Friday, July 07, 2006 Filed in:
BusinessApple launched Aperture, then Adobe announced Lightroom. Leave it to Microsoft to get in on the fray. iView Multimedia is now part of Microsoft. Micrsoft has picked up three products: View MediaPro, iView Media, iView Catalog Reader. As people gather more and more photos, movies, and other digital files, keeping track of them all gets even harder. Yan Calotychos, has written a letter about the Microsoft deal which you can read here.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006 Filed in:
AppleSo, making a book using iPhoto is still the best. I sat down and was going to use Aperture, but it didn't have the theme I wanted (although both use the same engine and printer service). If you've never made a book, the process is a snap.
1. Select the photos you want in the browser (pick more than you think you'll need)
2. Click the Book icon in the Toolbar
3. Flip from page to page (choosing layout options from the Toolbar)
4. Drag photos in and scale and position using intuitive controls.
Mini books start at $4 and larger books range between $20 -$30 depending on soft or hard covers. It really makes a nice keepsake for friends or even a new way to build a portfolio. But what about 'proofing?' Well you can share the book before you print it.
1. In iPhoto, choose File > Print.
2. In the Print Window, choose Save as PDF.
3. Pick a destination, then name the file and click OK.
4. Send the PDF to those who need to review it.
The mini books make great leave behinds for clients or potential employers.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006 Filed in:
Motion Graphics | EducationHow good are your eyes? Sure in the good old days you could spot the fake dinosaurs and Spiderman was a stunt man in a suit for every shot, These days we are inundated with photorealistic CGI on TV and in cinema. Just how good are your senses? Head over to Autodesk (makers of 3D Studio Max and Maya) to take this quiz. I got 8 out of 10 on my first try... take a look and stretch your brain for two minutes. Thanks to Scott Simmons for the story.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006 Filed in:
AdobeFrom Germany comes a very useful site on After Effects and several 3D animation tools. The site is named for its creator Mylenium, who is an animator as well as a forum host over at Creative Cow. Be sure to check out his useful site for a ton of free resources (as well as a few affordably priced ones as well). I've personally around downloaded some of his easy to use 'Looks' to stylize footage in Adobe After Effects.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006 Filed in:
AdobeThe resource site Photoshop For Video has ben redesigned and restocked with fresh content. This site serves as a one-stop shop for training on Photoshop for Video. You'll find all of my conference handouts as well as extra articles and free training movies. There's a little bit of overlap with Raster|Vector content, but each site is for a distinct audience. It appears that I've been renewed with excitement for the Web (I actually hand-coded HTML last night). If you work in the video industry, be sure to check out this informative site (there are over 150 free downloads).
Tuesday, July 04, 2006 Filed in:
Podcast | AdobeYour image's individual color data is represented in the channels. Instructor Richard Harrington explains how to read and use the channels palette.
Like the podcast? Subscribe for FREE.
Want more training? Check out our Books. Monday, July 03, 2006 Filed in:
BusinessNarrator: “Raster|Vector: website. A blog barely alive.”
Adam Kranitz: “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the polls more responsive and interactive. Raster|Vector will be that site. Better than it was before. Better…stronger…faster.”
Okay, so if you voted before, you'll need to revoice your opinion. I've opened up both polls (just scroll down). Let your voice be heard... or at least make a really loud click.
Monday, July 03, 2006 Filed in:
AppleOkay... this might seem trivial... but hopefully it will help some of you. I frequently fly or train with two things, a laptop and an iPod. Invariably, I forget to charge my iPod before the trip. No problem, right? Just plug it into your laptop... except then it goes into 'sync mode' and you can't access controls. Sure you could just launch iTunes and listen, but then you are tying up your laptop screen (you see my traveling companion/son often watches Dora and Little Einstein's on the video iPod). The solution, use a FireWire cable.
Old iPods used FireWire to both charge and sync the iPod. Then came the Windows users and Apple gave into USB2. Now, in the latest iPods and Nanos, they took the FireWire chipset out all together to make the iPod thinner/cheaper. Plugging in a FireWire cable only passes power through (no data). As such, you can charge your iPod, while still having access to the controls. If you don't have any of the old cables lying around, try out this one (or one like it). A retractable cable that is affordable and easily fits into your laptop bag.
Monday, July 03, 2006 Filed in:
MicrosoftI've caught up on my sleep and appear to be a glutton for punishment again. I have been asked to co-author a new book on PowerPoint (more details soon). Essentially, I will be putting together a new book on design principles and techniques for effective screen graphics. The book is going to focus on all versions of PowerPoint, including the recently announced PowerPoint 2007. I am starting to wade into this latest version (its a public beta). If you are a cutting-edge, risk taking technocrat, feel free to join me. You can download the beta (legally) from Microsoft by clicking here. It's a Windows only program (though its running just fine on both my MacBook and MacBook Pro). I welcome your comments as I work on the new book. Requests and suggestions are welcome.
Monday, July 03, 2006 Filed in:
BusinessAfter catching Pixar's latest triumph, Cars, I felt the desire to poke around the web for some behind the scenes info. While there's lots out there, I found a great blog that goes in depth on the people and technology behind the films. If you enjoy Pixar's animation, be sure to check out Luxo (named after the lamp in the logo and in this great short). The blog features a ton of stories of its own, as well as video clips and a wealth of external links. Whether your into the films or the business side of computer graphics, you should check this one out.
Sunday, July 02, 2006 Filed in:
Apple
I got a chance to appear on the July 1 edition of Inside Mac Radio. I was on to promote the new book on iWork ’06 and to offer some tips on using iWork and iLife. It was a quick interview, but I think we got some good information out for the loyal listeners. If you'd like to hear the episode (it's free), just click here. Inside Mac Radio offers both a daily version that's a short news blast on all things Mac and a two-hour Saturday program that airs live in some markets and is ready to download in others. Sunday, July 02, 2006 Filed in:
AppleA lot of new laptops (such as those from Apple and Dell) are shipping with the newer ExpressCard port. The good news is that the port is very fast and allows for much better performance than the older PC card slots. The bad news is that the peripheral manufacturers are more than a bit behind. When I switched laptops to a MacBook Pro, I had to give up on my wireless EVDO card that allowed me to access a broadband connection from almost anywhere. Well it looks like the drought is almost over. According to EVDOinfo.com, Verizon is in the process of sending Novatel XV620 ExpressCards to their warehouses. This means customers will be able to start placing orders soon.
To sign up for an email notification click here.
• MacBook Pro and EVDO
• ExpressCard/34 & ExpressCard/54 For EVDO
Sunday, July 02, 2006 Filed in:
BusinessIt's that time again... we've launched our survey for July. This time its all about hardware. For your next computer purchase will it be Mac or PC? Desktop or Laptop? Be sure to vote for your next credit card bill... inquiring minds want to know.
Saturday, July 01, 2006 Filed in:
PersonalOK, I used to make mix tapes all the time for friends.... If you're on this site you're at least an acquaintance. I invite you to listen to an iMix (a collection of songs arranged around a topic). Just click this link to visit the iTunes music store and you can here a little part of the soundtrack of my life. "Socially Aware" is a collection of newer songs that remind me that music with a message can motivate and move you at the same time. Visit iTunes to listen to the tracks, pick up the ones you want, and vote for the iMix in the rankings.
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