It's
almost time for NAB – The National
Association of Broadcasters Conference. If you
want a free NAB pass for show floor or to save
$100 on any conference — then here's a
great offer. Thanks toCreative
Cow,
visithttp://tinyurl.com/nab10cowandenter code
CC01 and save — good thru February 19.
(February 5, 2010)
Canon's EOS E1 video plug-in for Apple's Final
Cut Pro was released today. This new plug-in
allows simple and easy transfer of video content
from Canon’s EOS DSLR cameras directly into
Final Cut Pro.
The EOS E1 video plug-in takes advantage of Final
Cut Pro’s powerful Log and Transfer
feature, which allows users to select and mark
the video directly while it is still on the
camera, add custom metadata and ingest the clips
in the background so the editing can begin
immediately.
The EOS E1 video plug-in is a free download
available at http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/finalcutstudio/.
The plug-in is compatible with Final Cut Pro
6 or higher and currently supports Canon EOS
5D Mark II, EOS 7D and EOS 1D Mark IV
cameras.
I found a great
series on YouTube... an old show called Horizon
from the BBC. This episode is entitled "How to
Film the Impossible" and features an in-depth
look at Industrial Light and Magic.
There are
lots of reasons to use Premiere Pro (even if
you’re a Final Cut Pro editor). One of the
most compelling is to organize After Effects
projects.
Create a new
Premiere Pro project and match its settings to
your primary footage format.
2 Import a folder of QuickTime movies into a
Premiere Pro project. You can even import a
Final Cut Pro XML file to bring a sequence in
without needed to do anymore media
management.
Edit the
clips as needed into sequences.
After your
clips are edited, just select them and press
Command+C to copy them to your clipboard.
5 Switch to an open After Effects project and
press Command+V to paste the clips using
Dynamic Link. The clips (with handles) will
move from Premiere Pro to After
Effects.
Starting with
Photoshop CS2, Adobe introduced a new feature
called data sets. This allows you to create a set
of data that applies variable text, variable
visibility settings, or pixel replacement for art
layers. This is a great feature for use with
templates, especially those for lower-third
titles.
By harnessing the power of data sets, you can
dramatically speed up the production of
repetitive graphics. In fact, by feeding in a
text file, hundreds of lower-third graphics can
be generated in a few clicks. The advantage of
this method is that a producer or production
assistant can gather all of the needed names and
titles into a single text file (easily created
with any word processor). This file can then be
loaded to generate as many graphics as needed.
While the process is a little tricky at first,
it’s pretty easy to get the hang of.
Read the complete article over
at Layer Magazine for
free...
A fascinating
documentary onRay Harryhausenwho is a
prolific stop motion animator. Some of his
work you may have seen includesThe 7th
Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and the
Argonauts, andClash of the
Titans.
Just got an email from the Center for
Environmental Filmmaking which is offering a
$1,000 prize.
They are running a contest for filmmakers to
create a short, funny video for YouTube which
communicates a clear message that strongly
motivates a specific behavior change (for
example, driving a fuel efficient car, turning
down thermostats, or donating to a conservation
cause).
Submissions must:
Be humorous!
Address a critical environmental issue
Be an original production
Reach a broad audience beyond just
environmentalists
Be less than 4 minutes
Submissions are due by March 1, 2010. The winner
will be announced at American University on
Tuesday, March 23 at the DC Environmental Film
Festival.
Creative Cow's NAB Party
Announced– Join Me & Dread
Zeppelin on Monday Night. Details here....
tickets will be free - but limited. It's
AWESOME!
"Well, it's official. Monday night, April 12,
2010, at the House of Blues in the Mandalay Bay
Hotel and Casino finds Creative COW: YEAR 10 in
full swing with a closing set by the legendary
Dread Zeppelin. We are celebrating because 2010
marks the 10th year of Creative COW, and who
better to welcome COW members to Las Vegas than a
reggae-based band of killer musicians playing Led
Zeppelin hooks with an Elvis impersonator leading
the band?"
Our friends
atthe Peachpit User Group
Programare making a
special offer for all Mac User Groups who are
interested delivering both great information
on video production and a great price on a
Peachpit book to their members.
Richard Harrington and Robbie Carman are both
Apple Certified Trainers and have an extensive
background in video production. They talk with
publisher Nancy Aldrich-Ruenzel about their new
book Video Made on a Mac: Production and
Postproduction Using Apple Final Cut Studio and
Adobe Creative Suite, explain who it is written
for, and reveal why the Mac is their platform of
choice for professional endeavors.
I
head to the Editors Retreat event in Miami
tomorrow (this is my sixth time going - it's that
good). Lots of great networking and training
events for all. I'll have some resources (and
hopefully one of my sessions posted this week).
Hope to see some of you at the event.
An
intensive, interactive environment for TV, video
and film editors that fosters creativity and the
exchange of ideas at the highest level.
Check out this video on making secondary
corrections in Final Cut Pro. Secondary
corrections are corrections that affect only part
of the picture. They’re very useful for
fixing problems or creating looks.
Want to compress
your footage to another format and add timecode
burn in at the same time? With Compressor you
can! Be sure to check out this step-by-step video
as we add timecode burn in via Compressor. You
can also visit the websitewww.peachpit.com/videomacin order to
download sample files.
Apple's
ProRes Codec is a great tool for professional
video editors. Apple has released a version that
let's PC users and editors read the files created
on a Mac. This is great for video and mograf
folks. It's a free download. I made a new tiny
URL for my Windows friends..http://tinyurl.com/prorespc
We've been
playing with the new Drobo Elite at our offices
at absolutely love it. It's a great 8 bay unit
(for desktop or rack-mount). It's fast enough for
HD video editing, it can expand as you grow, and
it works fantastically well.
Join me for an educational seminar on Thursday,
December 10, 2009 where we review how it (and the
rest of the Drobo line) can benefit video
editors, motion graphics artists, and
videographers.
The event starts at 8:30 AM Pacific / 11:30 AM
Eastern. Its a 30 minute seminar and you can ask
any questions you want.
We've been putting it into play with our tapeless
workflow and have been very pleased.
Want to see a real-world calibration of a camera
using OnLocation? Be sure to check out this video
for a detailed demonstration.You can also visit
the website www.peachpit.com/videomac
in order to download sample files.
It's always nice to
get name-checked on Scott Kelby's blog (he is the
number one technology author in the world after
all).
"Just Released: “Editing Video Shot
With Your DSLR” Online
Class
Video guru,
photographer, and Photoshop World
instructor
Richard Harringtonjust released a
new online class atKelby
Training Onlinecalled
Editing Your DSLR Video on a Mac,and
it answers so many questions about this booming
new area of creativity for photographers. If
you’ve got a DSLR that shoots video,
you’ve got to catch Rich’s class
(here’s the
link)."
Thanks
Scott – He called me a photographer...
guess I'm moving up in the world =)
The RØDE mic
significantly extends pickup for the camera. This
is the Rode VideoMic with PG1 Pistol Grip. We've
also added the DeadCat Windshield.
There are several manufacturers that make
external microphones that are designed to be
attached to your camera. Manufacturers like RØDE
offer specialty microphones mount on your hot
shoe. The microphones can be plugged into the
“mic” port on your camera.
I've launched
a new Facebook group for those interested
inDSLR
video.
The page serves two purposes.
1. I'll share what we're learning about DSLR
Video.
2. I'll let you know things about the new book
and DVD I'm developing.
I hope you can stop by and join us.
We've got a ton ofvideo clipsposted to give
you ideas.
We've also opened aforum, so please post a question
or comment.
Have you seen
ournew book? Be sure to check out
theFacebook groupfor more
resources.
We've also got a new podcast series too with free
tips and practice files.Webor iTunes for free.
"On a Mac, the sky's the limit for creating
professional video. With all the tools available
though, it can be a daunting task to decide which
ones offer the best solutions for combined
efficiency and high-level results. How can you
effectively communicate your vision to clients
and crew? How should you calibrate your camera
for multi-camera and green screen shoots? Is it
better to do your keying in After Effects,
Motion, or Final Cut? How should you set up your
edit suite for efficiency and accuracy? How do
you manage large amounts of media and a multitude
of formats for multiple software applications?
In
Video Made on a Mac, you'll learn the answers and
much more. Chock-full of practical advice and
step-by-step instructions, each chapter provides
insight on the critical components of production
and postproduction that can make all the
difference when you're up against a tight budget
and schedule. The accompanying DVD supplies you
with project files and high-definition footage so
you can follow along with the examples, as well
as 50 training videos. Whether you're an advanced
Mac user or just beginning to incorporate Adobe
Creative Suite into your Final Cut Studio
workflow, you'll learn to apply best-practice
techniques to all your video projects."
I've always been a
huge Arrested Development (AD) fan since college.
Many haven't realized that the band has continued
to release new music at a regular pace.
Here's their latest music video, shot entirely
with a Canon 7D camera. Been studying up on this
process as I am in the middle of co-authoring a
book on DSLR filmmaking right now.
Recharge Your Creativity and Craft •
January 13 - 16 • Miami Beach, Florida
Now in its
fourth year, theEditors Retreathas become an
annual gathering for the post-production
elite. Highly experienced editors from the
worlds of film, TV and video gather to
network, exchange ideas, share tips and of
course, have fun!
Past keynotes and attendees have included such
names as Alan Heim, Sally Menke, Stuart Bass,
Chris Franklin and David Helfand as well as
Apple, Adobe and Avid experts and industry power
users. Attendees have included representatives
from HBO, FRONTLINE, MTV, Lockheed Martin, Harpo
Productions and Telemundo.
Running for 4 days and 3 nights, the Retreat
offers advanced sessions on post visual and audio
techniques and features valuable insight into
emerging trends and technologies. An equal amount
of time will be devoted to discussing the
creativity, craft and business practices of
successful editors.
To ensure that only the best of the best attend,
participation is subject to an application and
screening process. Visitwww.EditorsRetreat.comfor the full
schedule and more details.
Attendees all
receive a huge goodie bag! Right now its valued
at over $4500 in gifts:
Adobe has
announced that the next version of the software
will run on 64-bit Operating Systems only. It's
not all the apps in their suite, but the apps
that will most benefit.
"It’s common
knowledge among post-production pros that 64-bit
operating systems are the best choice for
top-of-the-line performance, especially when
producing HD or higher-resolution content. After
3 versions of simultaneous 64 bit and 32 bit
support for After Effects and Premiere Pro, we
wanted to let you know today that CS4 will be the
last version of Adobe’s leading video
applications to support 32 bit operating
systems."
Simon Hayhurst – The Senior Director of
Product Management for Dynamic Media
Our new
podcast,Video Made on a
Mac,
is in the New and Notable section of iTunes.
Richard Harrington and Robbie
Carman show you how to create professional video
on the Mac. In this series, they share videos and
project files using real world examples in Final
Cut Studio and Adobe Creative Suite. From
pre-production to post, and accomplishing it all
within a tight schedule, this podcast series
gives you a sample of what you can learn using
their book, Video Made on the a Mac.
Be sure to visit the site to get thefree downloadable
filesor order thebook. Be sure to use the code
VMMBOOK at checkout to receive a discount.
The
new podcast is brought to you by the fine folks
at Peachpit Press.
Canon announced today their plans for
adding 24P video to the popular 5D Mark II
camera. Here's the press release (with my
comments in italics).
Canon today announces that it is currently
developing a firmware update to the EOS 5D Mark
II to enable the recording of high definition
1080p video at 24 and 25fps.
This is good
news.... but no mention of shooting at 60P in 720
mode like the 7D. That is more exciting to me for
the options for slow motion
effects.
The decision to develop new firmware to support
these features has been taken following feedback
received from cinematographers and photographers.
Can you say
overwhelming feedback, forum posts, and blog
posts. Wow... nice to see some companies actually
listen to their customers.
Introduced in September 2008, the multi
award-winning EOS 5D Mark II was the first DSLR
product to offer full frame 1080p HD video
recording, opening up a multitude of new creative
possibilities for photo journalists, news
photographers and amateur filmmakers.
Amateur...PLEASE.
Could companies please stop talking down to their
audiences. The camera and proper lenses and gear
is a minimum $7,000 investment. That's not
amateur. Also... can anyone tell me the
difference between a photo journalist and a news
photographer?
Since then, Canon has continued to develop its
groundbreaking EOS Movie functionality, firstly
with the firmware update to the EOS 5D Mark II
that enabled manual exposure control, and more
recently by introducing a choice of video
recording frame rates with the EOS 7D and EOS-1D
Mark IV
Both nice
cameras and worth exploring. We're writing a book
and shooting a music video right now with the 7D
and 5D. We'll let you know about the process more
soon..
Canon currently expects the firmware update to be
made available during the first half of 2010. An
announcement regarding details of the update and
its availability will be made closer to the
release date.
So please stop
complaining... and asking us when... oh and first
quarter means March 31... or maybe NAB in April.
For a quick
overview on creating video budgets with Apple
Numbers, be sure to watch this informative video.
You can also visit the websitewww.peachpit.com/videomacin order to
download the budget template.
Leave it
to Disney to release something visually stunning.
This is a great example of tilt shift photography
and timelapse animation at the same time.
"See the Magic Kingdom
at Walt Disney World in Florida from a whole new
perspective. The exclusive video first featured
on The Disney Parks Blog was created from a
series of photos snapped inside the Magic Kingdom
Park. Its a sunrise-to-sunset story told without
words."
Peachpit Press has
posted afree chapterfrom
the new DVD Studio Pro book. They have a free
chapter and hands on media files on how to
create custom DVD menus (just click the Sample
Content tab).
You can view ithereas well a check out
the whole book.
"Updated
for DVD Studio Pro 4.2.2, this best-selling,
Apple certified guide uses striking real-world
footage to build four complete DVDs and share a
Blu-ray disc. It covers how to use DVD Studio Pro
on its own, as well as how to integrate it into
your workflow with Final Cut Pro 7, Motion 4, and
Compressor 3.5. Each lesson takes you
step-by-step through an aspect of DVD creation
and finishing, with hands-on projects for you to
complete as you go."
In
case you missed it, Nikon announced an upgrade to
their top product line. A new model, the D3s is
coming soon. The camera looks to be a great
upgrade, although for video lovers it's still
using Motion JPEG compression (which is much
grainier than H.264). The camera does over
several other improvements that make it a nice
upgrade.
Check out
ournew podcast
series. Join Richard Harrington
and Robbie Carman as we show you how to create
professional video on the Mac. We share videos
and project files using real world examples in
Final Cut Studio and Adobe Creative Suite.
From pre-production to post, these podcasts
gives you a sample of what you can learn using
their book,Video Made on the a
Mac.You can
use the code MACVIDEO for 35% off and free
shipping.
Watch
the latest FREE episodes:
•Organizing Images with
Bridge
•Prepping Storyboards for
Animation
Looking for another way to key? Be sure to check
out this video for a detailed demonstration of
keying with Keylight in After Effects.
You’ll also learn a few advanced tricks to
finalize the shot.
One way to address color calibration
between your angles is to use a calibration card
when shooting. This is relatively easy if you
just remember to put a fresh color balance card
on your clapboard for each shoot.
One of our favorites is the QP Card, an
affordable reference card (http://www.qpcard.se). Priced
at less than $5 per card, this is a great
investment in accurate color.
They are
small and lightweight, easily fitting in your
gear bag.
Relatively
inexpensive and disposable, so you can use a
fresh card periodically. Old cards tend to fade
in the light.
It’s
adhesive on the back so you can easily attach
it to your clapboard.
With a white,
black, and neutral grey surface, color
correcting with Final Cut Pro’s three-way
color corrector is a snap.
$7 spent per
shoot is well worth hours saved on color
correction. In most circumstances, just three
clicks per angle will calibrate across each
camera.
Need to know the latest
about Final Cut Studio? Want to look
something up about ProRes from your iPhone?
Hate those big printed manuals that waste
paper?
While its not a revolutionary step (others like
Adobe have already placed their docs online) it
is still a welcomed event. Some might wonder if
trimming the manuals out allowed the huge price
cut?
Regardless… the manuals and an even better
Workflows document are now online.
The Apple documentation team has converted all of
the documentation for the web. It is freely
searchable and can even be linked to if you need
to point to a specific article to help a
colleague (an even nicer way to say RTFM).
You’ll find them here athttp://documentation.apple.com/
A great document is also the “Final Cut
Studio Workflows.” It’s a little
hidden within the Final Cut Pro help
library:http://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutstudio/workflows/
It offers great ideas on how Final Cut Studio
applications fit into a post-production
workflow. You’ll also find practical
guidance on how Final Cut Studio apps work with
one another.
Enjoy.
Yes we all new it would
eventually come… the “new Final Cut
Studio” was announced. We’ll let the
cheers and moans begin after a few days of
testing the final release (just ordered mine 30
minutes ago).
But there are a few surprises.. mainly price!
Here’s the great news (especially in this
economy)
Final Cut Studio 2 – NEW was $1,299the new Final
Cut Studio – NEW is $999
Here’s the best news Final Cut Studio 2
upgrade – was $499 - $699the new Final
Cut Studio upgrade – is
$299
I have confirmed… doesn’t matter
which version you are upgrading from… I
took it right to Apple and got a straight answer.
That is $299 for ANYONE to upgrade from a full
copy of Final Cut Pro or Final Cut Studio (except
Student or NFR copies).
More on new features soon… but let me just
say:
In the current economic client, it’s truly
appreciated to see software pricing that respects
the long-term customer. This is a
no-brainer upgrade… speed and power without
pinching your wallet. Thanks Apple… I
mean it!
Full press releaseHERE
Live from the
Voices That Matter conference, San Francisco,
author Richard Harrington discusses the factors
that have caused online video consumption to grow
exponentially over the past few years.
Live from the Voices That
Matter conference, author Richard Harrington
reveals what’s next beyond YouTube and why
offering consumers the ability to download your
content is imperative. He also talks about
Facebook’s platform, video user statistics,
demographics, what constitutes an optimal
distribution plan for publishers, and why
“video is the new photography.”
I
wanted to share a little work in progress
file. I find After Effects tremendously
useful for resizing video. In fact I use it
often to pre-process footage before applying
additional codecs.
What I’ve put together here is a Resizer
project. It allows you to quickly convert
an HD file (720 or 1080) to 50 different output
formats. The file is quite simple to use,
and covers output sizes ranging from SD, to
Presentation Software, to Web, to iPhone.
This is a work in progress… but I’d
love to get your feedback. To learn how to
use it (and get the file) keep reading....
First off… download the resizer template
from here (Resizer_Template.zip).
It is an After Effects CS4 project. There are two
files, both are identical. The .aep is a
project file, the .aet is a template file that
will create a copy automatically when you open
it.
Read
More...
Two weeks
ago, I told you about ournew grouponFacebookfor those interested in New
Media. Many of you asked us to post the
training videos to iTunes. We did.
You’ll also find 6 hours offree video trainingto check out on
their site. I’m one of the organizers of
the group and I hope you can share this info
with others. The group is free... the video is
free... knowldge is free... let’s make a
difference.
Here are the six videos you can watch (in HD
even).
Are you looking to stay up on the latest
news and network with other new media
professionals interested in efficient government?
Be sure to check out this Facebook group
which helps connect the public and private
sectors in this important cause.
You’ll also find 6 hours of
free video
training to check out on their
site. I’m one of the organizers of the
group and I hope you can share this info with
others. The group is free... the video is
free... knowldge is free... let’s make a
difference.
Here are the six videos you can watch (in HD
even).
“Across the
Production Premium toolset, Adobe has provided
increased support for metadata… [pause for
audience applause]. What? You didn’t clap?
Well metadata is pretty dang important—it
can speed up your editing, improve collaboration,
or even make your videos more accessible on the
Web. Sure, it’s not as enticing as yet
another tutorial on making things glow, but give
it a shot.”
Continue to theLayers Magazine
websiteto see the full tutorial for
free.
Seems like times
are changing... Apple (and more importantly,
movie studios) have decided to start offering
high-definition movie sales and rentals through
the iTunes Store. This is yet another sign that
consumers want digital downloads (and are willing
to pay a fair price). Let’s hope more
studios come on board.
Starting
today, movie fans can purchase box office
blockbusters for download in HD for $19.99 from
iTunes, and films will be available as iTunes
Movie Rentals in HD for $4.99 within 30 days
after release. Customers can enjoy these films in
HD on their Mac or PC and on their widescreen TV
with Apple TV, as well as in standard definition
on their iPhone or iPod with video.
The fine folks at Focal
Press have decided to release two free
updates. The popular booksPhotoshop for VideoandCreating Motion
Graphicsboth have free updates for
the Creative Suite 4 release.
Even if you don’t have these two books
(which I’d really suggest you check them
out)... the CS4 updates are absolutely free.
This is
part two of our article on effectively
compressing video for the web and multimedia. Be
sure to read part one if you haven’t done
so.
Need to get
your video delivered to your audience? Then
there’s probably going to be some
compression involved. Don’t let hardware or
software get in your way. Let’s take a
common sense approach to getting your video out
there.
Pick Your Power
There are tons of compression
tools out there, but the pro apps offer important
features like batch processing, multiple
architecture support, and customizable presets.
The five most popular options are:
Read
More...
This is
part two of our article on effectively
compressing video for the web and multimedia. Be
sure to read part one if you haven’t done
so.
1.)
De-interlace your video: Most video files are
interlaced, which means that half of one image is
blended with half of the next. On a Television
this produces smoother motion, on a computer it
produces junk.
2.) Lower your audio standards: Most users are
listening to computer audio on tiny speakers.
Cutting your sample rate to 22 or 11 kHz and the
sample size to 8-bit will often produce
unnoticeable audio changes but huge space saving.
3.) Shrink the window: While you don’t need
to make video postage stamps sized. But reducing
the window to half size creates a file that is
25% the file size of the original. That’s a
BIG savings in space.
Read
More...
Successfully
getting a video file delivered to your audience
usually means it will be compressed (heck
it’s often compressed just so we can work
with it in the first place). Making the video
file available to your target audience is your
goal, but the challenges of hardware, connection
speed, and even operating system can affect the
decisions you make. Let’s take a common
sense approach to getting your video out there.
Read
More...
There’s
been a lot of ho-hum reviews on the Apple
TV… too much of this, not enough of
that… but these have all been focussed on
the consumer space and the living room.
What I’m here to tell you is why video pros
should care about the Apple TV (and why we swear
by it in my shop). Here are a few reasons
we use Apple TV at my shop, RHED Pixel.
Read More...
Adobe released the
Adobe Media Player software on April 9, which
allows a customizable, cross-platform media
player experience. Built using the Adobe AIR
runtime, the media player harnessed the power of
Flash to create a rich media experience. To
complete the experience, Adobe adds support for
both RSS feeds and H.264 video, two of the open
standards used by the podcasting movement.
What does this all mean? I had a chance to sit
down with Deeje Cooley, who serves as an
evangelist for Adobe’s Dynamic Media
Organization (and formerly as the product manager
for the Adobe Media Player). Cooley was tasked
with bringing the product to market and he shared
insight into Adobe’s motivation for the
product and goals for its role in the market.
Unlike competing products, the Adobe Media Player
has chosen to focus on being a video-only player.
“The growth of video online, the dramatic
growth of flash as the video delivery mechanism
of choice… there was a ripe opportunity to
take advantage of all these events around the
industry,” said Cooley. “We started
to build an RSS aggregator and quickly recognized
that video was going to be a significant media
online and so it became a video RSS aggregator.
And so that’s really the birth of the Adobe
Media Player.”
MUCH MORE
AFTER THE JUMP
Read More...
Adobe showed
some awesome stuff at NAB. My favorite was a
future version of Premiere that transcribes your
footage, then makes the transcription searchable
for both editing and publishing to the web. I was
going to do an in-depth write-up.... but then I
got busy (still will).
I'll be
presenting at this year'sNew Media Expoin Las Vegas.
The event runs August 14-16 and I hope you can
come out. My class is called:
Producing Video Podcasts with
Multiple Cameras
Want to cut down editing time
and give your show more polish? Learn how to
create video podcasts using multiple cameras.
Join veteran podcaster Richard Harrington as he
shows how to harness multiple angles to improve
your show. From concerts and live events to demos
and interviews, multiple cameras will help you
tell your story. Learn how to setup and match
your cameras as well as essential editing
techniques. This workshop will make multi-camera
productions a snap.
I just released
two newly updated Final Cut Pro discs. We updated
our Absolute Training for Final Cut Studios Disc
1 & 2. Both DVDs are full current for Final
Cut Studio 2 and include hands-on training files
as well as HD resolution training and iPod files.
Apple
Final Cut Pro
Volume 1: Getting Started in
Final Cut Pro
Volume 2: Going Deeper in Final
Cut Studio
Also, you may have missed that we recently
released the following titles. These also include
HD and iPod versions on the same disc.
Thanks to all the
great people who attended my classes at NAB this
year. It was a ton of work to prep (and I must
admit I needed some rest when I got back home).
As promised, the class notes and resources have
been posted to the Handouts section (be sure to
browse for other resources as well).
Here's the list of what's available.
01Fast Start with
Adobe Photoshop for Video Pros –Slides|Book
Sample 02Video Podcasting
Essentials –Slides 03Selling
Podcasting to Your Clients –Slides 04A Sense of
Perspective with Vanishing Point
–Slides|Practice
Files 05Creating
Movement within Photos with After Effects CS3
– Slides|Practice Files 1|Practice Files
2 06Directing Video
Podcasts –Slides 07Project
Management for Video Pros –Slides 08In-Depth: Video
Production for the Web –Slides 09Creating a
Graphic Identity for Your Web Video
–Slides [Enhanced
PDF] 10Render Faster:
Wait Less and Play More in Adobe After Effects
–Slides 11Storyboard
Techniques with Adobe Photoshop –Slides 12Creative and
Animated DVD menus using Photoshop
–Handouts 13Automating
Broadcast Design with Photoshop –Slides 14Seeing a New
Light: FCP Color Correction –Slides|DVD
This is
an excerpt from an article to be released in full
later this week:
Adobe
released theAdobe Media Playersoftware on
April 9, which allows a customizable,
cross-platform media player experience. Built
using as an Adobe Air application, the media
player harnessed the power of Flash to create
a rich media experience. To complete the
experience, Adobe adds support for both RSS
feeds and H.264 video, two of the open
standards used by the podcasting movement.
What does this all mean? I had a chance to sit
down with Deeje Cooley, who serves as the
evangelist for Adobe’s Dynamic Media
Organization (and formerly as the product manager
for the Adobe Media Player). Cooley was tasked
with bringing the product to market and he shared
insight into Adobe’s motivation for the
product and goals for its role in the market.
Unlike competing products, the Adobe Media Player
has chosen to focus on being a video-only player.
“The
growth of video online, the dramatic growth of
flash as the video delivery mechanism of
choice… there was a ripe opportunity to
take advantage of all these events around the
industry,” said Cooley. “We started
to build an RSS aggregator and quickly recognized
that video was going to be a significant media
online and so it became a video RSS aggregator.
And so that’s really the birth of the Adobe
Media Player.”
The Adobe
Media Player is immediately available as a free
download for Windows and Macintosh platforms
fromhttp://www.adobe.com/go/mp.
Digital Media
Wire has a veryinteresting articleabout the
fate of HD-DVD. Seems Wal-Mart had dropped HD
DVD (along with Best Buy and Netflix).
According to The
Hollywood Reporter, Toshiba "is expected to pull
the plug on its HD DVD format in the coming
weeks." THR noted, however, that Toshiba says no
official decision has been made. "Given the
market developments in the past month, Toshiba
will continue to study the market impact and the
value proposition for consumers, particularly in
light of our recent price reductions on all HD
DVD players," Jodi Sally, VP of marketing for
Toshiba America Consumer Products, told THR.
Toshiba had hoped that slashing the prices on its
HD DVD players last month would help bolster
sales, but subsequent sales data from NPD showed
that Blu-ray maintained its wide sales lead
despite the move.
Just wanted
to let you know that Amazon is running a special
on thenew Final Cut bookI co-authored.
They've got the book for less than $20 (thats
a third off the cover price).
Book
Description
Packed
with more than 500 techniques, this book delivers
what you need to knowon the spot. It is suited to
editors of all experience levels, whether you
are:
Migrating
from another NLE
Upgrading to
Final Cut Studio 2
Seeking a
handy reference to raise your
proficiency
This is just
awesome,Calibrated Softwarehas a bunch of
new plug-ins on tap that make it possible to
work with MXF and DVCPRO HD codecs. This will
streamline P2 workflow for both Mac and
Windows users, as well as make it easier to
move DVCPRO HD material to a PC. I promise a
detailed review soon. The codecs cost $49
each. Here's the info.
Lot of bugs
lately with QuickTime (especially in pro video
applications). We've personally seen issues in
both Final Cut Pro and After Effects.
Apple has
released a new update to QuickTime... lets hope
it's elusive “improves compatibility with
third-party applications” actually means
something.
Visithttp://www.apple.com/support/quicktime/for more
information.
I've launched a new
resource site called Final Cut Help to offer you
more news on Final Cut Studio as well as
centralize all of my Final Cut resources and
training products. Here are a few things you may
like.
Those who know me personally, know I am
very passionate about podcasting. I have been
hard at work for the last year on a new book on
just that, video podcasting. My business partner,
Mark Weiser, and I have taken many of the hard
lessons learned at RHED Pixel and put them into a
book. The book is full color and richly
illustrated, plus there will also be a companion
website and podcast launching in January.
The book ships in February, but you can get the
biggest discount by pre-ordering it from
Amazon.com.
I wanted to let you all know about a great
training conference coming up, the Editors
Retreat. I've been to this event five times now
and it is fantastic. It's a chance to network and
learn from the bet editors in the business. It is
truly an amazing event and I encourage you to
have a look.
Here are some sessions I look forward to
attending.
Scene it: Color Correction as a
Storytelling Tool – Steve Hullfish
I am very
proud to tell you that the new book Final Cut
Studio on the Spot is shipping. This third
edition has a ton of new things including
dedicated chapters on Multi-camera Editing and HD
(and the audio chapter is HUGE). In told, more
then half the book is new... so if you own a past
edition, this update is worth it (and if you
don't have it.. then go now). This time Robbie
Carman came on board with some helpful tips and
tricks.
Optimize
system performance
Create
impressive titles with Generators, Motion,
LiveType, and Photoshop
Work quickly
with buttons and keyboard shortcuts
Color correct
to save vital shots, and keep them broadcast
legal
Fix and mix
for professional-quality audio
Design and
import graphics seamlessly
Integrate
with other applications including Motion,
Soundtrack Pro and Color
Manage media
and backup strategies
Export and
publish finished projects to tape, DVD, or the
Web
I recently had
the pleasure of speaking at the 2007 European
Radio Conference presented by the National
Association of Broadcasters. The event was held
in Barcelona, Spain and was a lot of fun. I
presented two sessions and a panel along with the
talentedDavid
Lawrence. For those
who intended (and other interested parties)
you can download the notes here.
If
you came to either of my classes atPodcast and New Media
Expo. I just wanted to
offer you the handouts and resources. Heck..
even if you missed the show you might like
these.
CLASS ONE – Field Production Strategies for
Video Podcasting
The rules of the studio don't apply the same in
the field. In this session you will learn how to
properly capture your video content outside of a
controlled environment and unpredictable lighting
and background noise. You also learn how to
achieve the best results when encoding files for
various output devices. See how the experts
retain overall quality with an overview of the
latest methods and technologies. This session
will also share best practices for multi-camera
productions.
If
you'll be at the Podcast and New Media Expo show
this weekend, consider checking out these free
classes on the show floor. Podango is offering
an“Unconference,”a
featured program of the Podcast and New Media
Expo (PNME) taking place September 28-30, at
the Ontario Convention Center.
Podango, the online video and audio network that
enables publishers and advertisers to “get
heard” by today’s hard-to-reach,
niche audiences, is heralding a wide range of
topics and speakers. They include: new media
pioneer Scott Bourne, host of The Apple Phone
Show; Paige Heninger and Gretchen Vogelzang,
hosts of MommyCast; as well as Jason Van Orden,
David Lawrence and others. Speakers will share
ideas for building and monetizing audiences in
today’s niche-oriented, interest-driven new
media marketplace.Read
More...
I just wanted to let you know,
the new book on Final Cut Studio is on the
presses (this means it will be in your hands
soon). Here's the official description (I promise
a sample chapter in a few days).
“Packed with more than 500 techniques, this
book delivers the time-saving workflow processes
that experienced editors want to improve their
productivity, and wow their clients. No need to
wade through tomes of documentation. 'Final Cut
Studio On the Spot' presents immediate solutions
in an accessible format. Written by
Apple-certified trainers, it clearly illustrates
all the essential methods that pros use to get
the job done efficiently and creatively.
Screenshots and step-by-step instructions show
the way.”
The book is completely updated with new tips in
every chapter. There are also two completely new
chapters on Multi-camera Editing and HD
Workflow.Amazon has the book on
sale...I hope you enjoy!
If
you'll be at the Podcast and New Media Expo show
this weekend, consider checking out these free
classes on the show floor. Podango is offering
an“Unconference,”a
featured program of the Podcast and New Media
Expo (PNME) taking place September 28-30, at
the Ontario Convention Center.
Podango, the online video and audio network that
enables publishers and advertisers to “get
heard” by today’s hard-to-reach,
niche audiences, is heralding a wide range of
topics and speakers. They include: new media
pioneer Scott Bourne, host of The Apple Phone
Show; Paige Heninger and Gretchen Vogelzang,
hosts of MommyCast; as well as Jason Van Orden,
David Lawrence and others. Speakers will share
ideas for building and monetizing audiences in
today’s niche-oriented, interest-driven new
media marketplace.Read More...
If
you'll be at the Podcast and New Media Expo show
this weekend, consider checking out these free
classes on the show floor. Podango is offering
an“Unconference,”a
featured program of the Podcast and New Media
Expo (PNME) taking place September 28-30, at
the Ontario Convention Center.
Podango, the online video and audio network that
enables publishers and advertisers to “get
heard” by today’s hard-to-reach,
niche audiences, is heralding a wide range of
topics and speakers. They include: new media
pioneer Scott Bourne, host of The Apple Phone
Show; Paige Heninger and Gretchen Vogelzang,
hosts of MommyCast; as well as Jason Van Orden,
David Lawrence and others. Speakers will share
ideas for building and monetizing audiences in
today’s niche-oriented, interest-driven new
media marketplace.Read
More...
If
you'll be at the Podcast and New Media Expo show
this weekend, consider checking out these free
classes on the show floor. Podango is offering
an“Unconference,”a
featured program of the Podcast and New Media
Expo (PNME) taking place September 28-30, at
the Ontario Convention Center.
Podango, the online video and audio network that
enables publishers and advertisers to “get
heard” by today’s hard-to-reach,
niche audiences, is heralding a wide range of
topics and speakers. They include: new media
pioneer Scott Bourne, host of The Apple Phone
Show; Paige Heninger and Gretchen Vogelzang,
hosts of MommyCast; as well as Jason Van Orden,
David Lawrence and others. Speakers will share
ideas for building and monetizing audiences in
today’s niche-oriented, interest-driven new
media marketplace.Read
More...
Interested in Motion
Graphics? The check out the evolvingMographWikiwhich has a nice
collection of user contributed content and
articles. Its a great place to browse for
ideas and talent. There's a lot of useful
things up here including:
The
NAB Podcasting Summit was a success! We had a ton
of great folks come out to fins out more about
podcasting. One of the shows, Viral interviewed
me about the conference (I was the Program
Manager for the conference as well as a speaker).
Their show is all about the folks making Internet
TV... think of it as an insider's perspective on
the whole 'podcasting thing.'
Check out what you missed (plus watch some of the
other episodes too). Take a look at Episode 19
for more on NAB.
Okay... I'll admit
that the words "pro video codec" and "white
paper" won’t elicit excitement in many of
you. But Apple has released details about this
new format for video. What is exciting is that
you get better quality at smaller files sizes (in
plain English things look better and cost less to
store on drives). So... maybe you can do
something else like skydive to add excitement
into the mix.
For those who want the tech-know-how....check out the white
paper. It’s only
11 pages and is filled with great info for
video pros who need to create video or motion
graphics for mac-based systems.
Thanks for being patient (its been a whirlwind of
CES, Macworld, and family time).
I finally have the majority of my CES Handouts
online. You can access them here or in theConference
Handoutssection.
Looking for
some free training? The folks from DV Expo have
put up one of my classes onDesigning HD
Graphics. The class is streaming
video and it also has the slides synchronized
and shots of the HD Graphics I design for the
crowd. The class was taught at DV Expo West
back in November, but you can take it for
free. You'll need to register, but that only
take 45 seconds and again... it's free. Be
sure to set some time aside (this is a 2.5
hour class). Fortunately there are chapter
points and you can digest it in pieces. Plus
there are many other great classes there
including legal issues facing creatives, Flash
video, and video camera tips.
Enjoy!
To those who
attended, sorry for the short delay in getting my
final notes up. Friday turned into a day of
recovery, but you'll now find all of thenotes
posted. While you are in the
handout section, feel free to poke around and
look at other resources. You'll find lots of
ideas that will help you out with projects.
If you wanted to take advantage of our DVD
discount (10% off atVASST.com) be sure to enter the code
GVEXPO at check out.
While I was traveling
for DV Expo, we decided to pick up a new digital
audio recorder. After an exhaustive search, we
decided upon theMicrotrack 24/96 from
M-Audio. This recorder has
proven very flexible as we can use it several
ways.
It
can be patched into a soundboard easily with
three different connection types
It
can be connected to a video camera's headphone
port to record audio
It
has an attachable mike for quick voice records
of meetings or creative sessions
The feature list is pretty impressive as it
offers pro options at a reasonable price. It's
important that you download the latest software
updates (which are free) but the whole package is
great. I love being able to both charge and
transfer data via a USB 2 cable. Don't let some
of the inexperienced Amazon reviewers throw you
off, I trust the recommendation of Douglas
Spotted Eagle any day.
If you
attended our classes at DV Expo in LA, you'll
want to check out the
PhotoshopforVideo.comConference Handouts
section. We had four great classes
including the hot topic of podcasting. We
shared our experiences of creating video
podcasts with the crowd and tried to educate
and inspire the audience to try it for
themselves. Check out the handouts for
yourself.
I've postedconference notesfrom my sessions
at NAB New York. If you attended any of my
classes, be sure to have a look. Even if you
didn't attend, you might find the resources
useful. The two most popular classes
wereColor
Correction for Final Cut ProandMotion
Control 3D. If you couldn't attend (or
want to go deeper) both of these haveDVDs available from
VASST.com.
The Editors
Retreat is an unparalleled industry event,
exclusive to highly experienced editors of
film, TV and video. To ensure that only the
best of the best attend, participation is
subject to an application and screening
process by a committee of peers. Running for 5
days and 4 nights, the Retreat will only be
open to approximately 75 qualified applicants.
The Retreat’s focus will be evenly split
between high-end technical sessions and
‘the world behind the timeline’
– the creativity and the craft of the
editor, and the business of creating a thriving
editing career. Presenters include award-winning
editors and icons from the editing world, alumni
of previous FMC ‘Master Editor’
programs and known industry power users.
Tired of trying to
open your media files in a variety of players
only to suffer from incompatibility and
versioning issues?Video Lan Client (or
VLC)is the most
universal player I've found. In my tests, I
opened Windows-formatted media files on my Mac
with surprising success. I also see greater
compatibility on the Windows side as well
(plus an easier-to-use interface than Windows
Media Player). If your Web video experience
seems incomplete, or you are looking for
another app to test your media files before
distribution, be sure to check this one out.
You can open and view pretty much any form of
audio or video on both a Mac or a PC (or any
flavor of Linux for that matter).
A few folks
commented about my desktop pattern at a recent
conference. It seems the old'Indian head'
patternevokes some
memories in many audience members.
Well the version I had comes from a Russian
designer named Art. Lebedev. You'll find it and
several other pieces of artwork on hisposters
page. For the
test pattern, scroll down to the bottom and
you'll find it in the right column. All are
free to download.
As Photoshop
World winds down, its time for homework. Be sure
to check out theconference handout
sectionfor extra
notes and practice files. If you took a class
with me, I hope you enjoyed. Have fun and keep
learning.
When using
Final Cut Pro, it's a little too easy to corrupt
your user preferences (especially if you have
multiple video decks hooked up). This useful
program allows you to quickly backup and restore
your user preferences. This shareware program
allows you to save the following:
• User preferences
• Audio/Video settings
• System settings
• Windowsettings
• Keyboard setup
• Easy setups
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