Going HD or How I spent my winter. By David Basulto
As I prepared to make my second feature film, Fiesta Grand, I knew I wanted to step up the look and feel of the film. This film (or movie I should say as I no longer use film!) was a follow up to my horror feature, Death Clique, which I made for next to nothing on my Panasonic DVX100a and received a distribution deal to Blockbuster. My insiders suggested I make the next film in High Definition even though the distributors hadn?t asked for it. "Why", I asked...
...Read More »
Transitional TV Growing Pains By Guy Wright
Anyone in the broadcast industry knows that we are in the middle of a transition. More precisely, we are in the middle of multiple transitions ? from analog broadcasts to digital, from standard definition to high definition, and from standard 4:3 aspect ratios to 16:9 widescreen aspect ratios.
...Read More »
AMD64 - Directly Connecting Your Imagination to Reality By Charlie Boswell
Each generation of new technology assaulting the digital content creator typically comes with elaborate promises about how it?s going to change lives. Sometimes that?s actually true -- but not always for the better. Non-linear editing systems brought the number of ?workarounds? to new heights
...Read More »
This is not a 2D world By Atom Zeidler
This is not a 2D world. Now there is no reason that the world of media has to be either. In recent years, producing a high quality 3D image has become easier and more affordable. Film, commercial and broadcast production houses are using 3D imaging more and more frequently to create more realistic and exciting graphics, both to entertain and to educate.
...Read More »
A Slippery Slide or ... By David Hague
I at least have suddenly decided I don't want to be like the mechanic in the street - you know, he is the one with the crappiest car?
...Read More »
FTA Causing TV / Movie Angst By David Hague
The newly signed Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United States of America is causing angst in a number of places and industries. Forget pharamceuticals, what about our movie making and TV industries regarding local content?
...Read More »
Don't Frustrate the Viewer By Charlie White
Sometimes digital video editing involves magic. You can flash something here to attract the viewer's eye and then over there, make something happen the viewer doesn't see. That's part of the thrill of producing and editing video -- manipulating where people will look. But then sometimes you can give the viewers so many things to look at that they don't see anything. In that case, you've broken the cardinal rule of video production: Don't Frustrate the Viewer. Let's figure out how to stay in the good graces of that rule.
...Read More »
Controlling the Electronic Beast By Charlie White
In the past few days, there have been multiple reminders of the power of the media. Amplifying that power is the new ease with which Web-based video can be internationally distributed. This power, once wielded by the few who owned the expensive printing presses, is now available to anybody with a camera, computer and Internet connection. That means that more and more video editors will be the ones who solely decide which messages get through and which end up on the cutting room floor. The problem is, many seek this enormous power, no matter how deranged they are.
...Read More »
Motion And the Big Picture By Kevin Schmitt
Like many of you, I spent the better part of this last week constantly refreshing my various browser window in the hopes of catching the absolute latest news coming out of Vegas, where NAB just closed up shop until this time next year. Of course, I don't have to remind anyone who was grabbing the (very) early headlines; Apple was quite busy providing whiz-bang fireworks on what is usually a traditional day of rest.
...Read More »
Format Wars: May the Best Man Win? By Charlie White
Lately we?ve been looking ahead at new technologies here at the Midwest Test Facility, with two headline-grabbing format wars coming up in the next few years achieving top-of-mind status here at our think tank out on the lonesome, wind-swept prairie. First on the card is the battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD, both worthy competitors in the high definition DVD arena. Second on the marquee is the war between two camps of acquisition, camcorders using solid state memory (known as P2 by its maker, Panasonic) and blue laser optical disc, championed by Sony. Which is better? In both cases, I don?t think that old saying, May the Best Man Win will necessarily hold true.
...Read More »
Digital Video Remakes Itself?Again By Charlie White
With a major portion of the buzz surrounding this year?s NAB centered around HD production on the cheap, the entire digital video editing market is set to be turned upside down, sideways and every which way. As it did in the old days, circa 1997 ? with the introduction and implementation of the DV format ? the video industry is about to remake itself? again. Since you, dear readers, were significantly titillated by my last editorial missive which touched on the HDV juggernaut, I?m compelled to muse further about this new high-rez, yet low-cost format and its implications. Come on inside and let?s hash this out for a minute.
...Read More »
Seabiscuit: Digital Intermediate Plus Color Correction Equals Fine Art By Miles Weston
For the Oscar-nominated film Seabiscuit, Director Gary Ross knew he would need a cinematographer who could capture the visceral edge of racing while telling the story with beautiful images, colors, and lighting. John Schwartzman emerged as his choice for the film?s director of photography. Here's the story of how the filmmakers used digital intermediate postproduction techniques, along with artistic color correction to create a realistic, evocative atmosphere for the film.
...Read More »
Getting Picked Up In Park City By Keiko Beatie
With all the receptions, cocktails parties, sponsor parties, galas, and music concerts to attend in Park City for the Sundance Film Festival, the mingling of the singles and films hits a peak during the eleven-day event. With couples getting picked up all over Park City at these soirees there are now many films that are now picked up by studios and distribution companies.
...Read More »
From Pink Floyd to Paramount, You've Heard Joe DiBlasi By Douglas Spotted Eagle
Years ago, "Guitar Player" magazine had a corner column for the studio musician, the hard working-behind-the-scenes-guitar player whose name would appear in fine print on an album, but who wasn't part of a "real" band. The column talked about who was doing what, for whom, and where. "Guitar Player" no longer has that column, I assume partially because the structure of session recording has significantly changed. So, I thought it might be a fun opportunity for readers to hear a little bit about some session musicians out there today.
...Read More »
Avid: Arrested Allegiance Alleviated By Charlie White
A few months ago, some of us here at DMN went to a seminar in Los Angeles that was hosted by Quantel and attended by a disproportionate number of post-production industry players. It seemed like the audience was full of disgruntled Avid users, looking for a way to escape Avid's clutches -- to break away from what many characterized as a company that didn't have their best interests at heart. All were curiously kicking the tires of the new Quantel offerings, while joining in on often-acrimonious discussions that seemed to regularly steer their way back to Avid and its customer relations problems. Today, just a few months later, I'm hearing those gripers changing their tune. What happened?
...Read More »
Maya Enters 3D Volume Market By Paulo de Andrade
Alias/Wavefront has reduced the price of Maya. Not just by a little bit, but significantly. Maya Complete, formerly priced at $7,500 will now sell for $1,999 and Maya Unlimited, which formerly sold for $16,000 will be priced at $6,999. The software remains the same and no features were removed in order to lower the prices. This means that Maya is now priced in the same category as traditional volume market 3D software such as Lightwave and MAX, which may very well be considered a landmark in the history of 3D graphics.
...Read More »
Can Hollywood Reinvent Itself in the Age of Digital Cinema? By Marc John
On January 4th 2002 following almost a yearlong process of discussion and experimentation my company Quantum Digital, a digital cinema content provider and technology integrator, together with Odeon, the UK?s largest cinema operator, announced a commercial agreement between us to launch Odeon Digital Cinema.
...Read More »
Editing Perfectionism: The Right Details By Charlie White
When watching a superb documentary about the late film director Stanley Kubrick, thoughts of perfectionism crossed my mind. Is it justified to be a perfectionist? Is it possible to ever achieve perfection? As digital video editors, should we even try to aim so high? It all boils down to humanity, time, and ultimately, money.
...Read More »
Xbox Marks the Spot By John Virata
When I first learned that Microsoft was going to build a game console I laughed it off as one big joke, that game players won't accept Blue Screens of Death, unless Blue Screens of Death was a killer video game title.
...Read More »
NO...Doesn't have a thing to do with "that" smartphone...or "that" store...or "that" tablet. It's the next generation. Kids and we mean little kids. That's what today's products are being designed for/targeted at. You happen to buy one...fine. Watch a little, little kid pick up a smartphone. He/she just uses it. They've come pre-wired and we're still trying to figure out how to IM. It's the IGen. They want it instantly. They want to use it instantly. They expect their photos, their video, their music, their stuff immediately when/where/how they want it.
Read More
In this clip, lynda.com host Mark Abdelnour takes a look at proxy bidding. He discusses the strategy and how it works. He also discusses the maximum bid, and when to use Proxy bidding.
Read More
The blood, gore, adrenalin challenges that were unveiled at E3 and enjoyed at ComicCon are fun to look at, easy to hold but are they really the games people want to plunk down their credit cards to own or rent time with? Seems as though the investors, the players who control the controllers have a different idea of a "good" game than the kids who develop them. While mobs of people play educational, informational, stimulating games our kid huddles in his room and mumbles "The Few, The Proud, The Gamers."
Read More
Going HD or How I spent my winter.
As I prepared to make my second feature film, Fiesta Grand, I knew I wanted to step up the look and feel of the film. This film (or movie I should say as I no longer use film!) was a follow up to my horror feature, Death Clique, which I made for next to nothing on my Panasonic DVX100a and received a distribution deal to Blockbuster. My insiders suggested I make the next film in High Definition even though the distributors hadn?t asked for it. "Why", I asked...
...Read More »
Transitional TV Growing Pains
Anyone in the broadcast industry knows that we are in the middle of a transition. More precisely, we are in the middle of multiple transitions ? from analog broadcasts to digital, from standard definition to high definition, and from standard 4:3 aspect ratios to 16:9 widescreen aspect ratios.
...Read More »
AMD64 - Directly Connecting Your Imagination to Reality
Each generation of new technology assaulting the digital content creator typically comes with elaborate promises about how it?s going to change lives. Sometimes that?s actually true -- but not always for the better. Non-linear editing systems brought the number of ?workarounds? to new heights
...Read More »
This is not a 2D world
This is not a 2D world. Now there is no reason that the world of media has to be either. In recent years, producing a high quality 3D image has become easier and more affordable. Film, commercial and broadcast production houses are using 3D imaging more and more frequently to create more realistic and exciting graphics, both to entertain and to educate.
...Read More »
A Slippery Slide or ...
I at least have suddenly decided I don't want to be like the mechanic in the street - you know, he is the one with the crappiest car?
...Read More »
FTA Causing TV / Movie Angst
The newly signed Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United States of America is causing angst in a number of places and industries. Forget pharamceuticals, what about our movie making and TV industries regarding local content?
...Read More »
Don't Frustrate the Viewer
Sometimes digital video editing involves magic. You can flash something here to attract the viewer's eye and then over there, make something happen the viewer doesn't see. That's part of the thrill of producing and editing video -- manipulating where people will look. But then sometimes you can give the viewers so many things to look at that they don't see anything. In that case, you've broken the cardinal rule of video production: Don't Frustrate the Viewer. Let's figure out how to stay in the good graces of that rule.
...Read More »
Controlling the Electronic Beast
In the past few days, there have been multiple reminders of the power of the media. Amplifying that power is the new ease with which Web-based video can be internationally distributed. This power, once wielded by the few who owned the expensive printing presses, is now available to anybody with a camera, computer and Internet connection. That means that more and more video editors will be the ones who solely decide which messages get through and which end up on the cutting room floor. The problem is, many seek this enormous power, no matter how deranged they are.
...Read More »
Motion And the Big Picture
Like many of you, I spent the better part of this last week constantly refreshing my various browser window in the hopes of catching the absolute latest news coming out of Vegas, where NAB just closed up shop until this time next year. Of course, I don't have to remind anyone who was grabbing the (very) early headlines; Apple was quite busy providing whiz-bang fireworks on what is usually a traditional day of rest.
...Read More »
Format Wars: May the Best Man Win?
Lately we?ve been looking ahead at new technologies here at the Midwest Test Facility, with two headline-grabbing format wars coming up in the next few years achieving top-of-mind status here at our think tank out on the lonesome, wind-swept prairie. First on the card is the battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD, both worthy competitors in the high definition DVD arena. Second on the marquee is the war between two camps of acquisition, camcorders using solid state memory (known as P2 by its maker, Panasonic) and blue laser optical disc, championed by Sony. Which is better? In both cases, I don?t think that old saying, May the Best Man Win will necessarily hold true.
...Read More »
Digital Video Remakes Itself?Again
With a major portion of the buzz surrounding this year?s NAB centered around HD production on the cheap, the entire digital video editing market is set to be turned upside down, sideways and every which way. As it did in the old days, circa 1997 ? with the introduction and implementation of the DV format ? the video industry is about to remake itself? again. Since you, dear readers, were significantly titillated by my last editorial missive which touched on the HDV juggernaut, I?m compelled to muse further about this new high-rez, yet low-cost format and its implications. Come on inside and let?s hash this out for a minute.
...Read More »
Seabiscuit: Digital Intermediate Plus Color Correction Equals Fine Art
For the Oscar-nominated film Seabiscuit, Director Gary Ross knew he would need a cinematographer who could capture the visceral edge of racing while telling the story with beautiful images, colors, and lighting. John Schwartzman emerged as his choice for the film?s director of photography. Here's the story of how the filmmakers used digital intermediate postproduction techniques, along with artistic color correction to create a realistic, evocative atmosphere for the film.
...Read More »
Getting Picked Up In Park City
With all the receptions, cocktails parties, sponsor parties, galas, and music concerts to attend in Park City for the Sundance Film Festival, the mingling of the singles and films hits a peak during the eleven-day event. With couples getting picked up all over Park City at these soirees there are now many films that are now picked up by studios and distribution companies.
...Read More »
From Pink Floyd to Paramount, You've Heard Joe DiBlasi
Years ago, "Guitar Player" magazine had a corner column for the studio musician, the hard working-behind-the-scenes-guitar player whose name would appear in fine print on an album, but who wasn't part of a "real" band. The column talked about who was doing what, for whom, and where. "Guitar Player" no longer has that column, I assume partially because the structure of session recording has significantly changed. So, I thought it might be a fun opportunity for readers to hear a little bit about some session musicians out there today.
...Read More »
Acclaimed Film Director Kevin Smith's Take on Harvey Weinstein
It feels like every year at this time, someone "discovers" that Harvey Weinstein is a tough businessman with a temper as large and legendary as his passion for cinema. Whoa. Stop the presses.
...Read More »
Avid: Arrested Allegiance Alleviated
A few months ago, some of us here at DMN went to a seminar in Los Angeles that was hosted by Quantel and attended by a disproportionate number of post-production industry players. It seemed like the audience was full of disgruntled Avid users, looking for a way to escape Avid's clutches -- to break away from what many characterized as a company that didn't have their best interests at heart. All were curiously kicking the tires of the new Quantel offerings, while joining in on often-acrimonious discussions that seemed to regularly steer their way back to Avid and its customer relations problems. Today, just a few months later, I'm hearing those gripers changing their tune. What happened?
...Read More »
Maya Enters 3D Volume Market
Alias/Wavefront has reduced the price of Maya. Not just by a little bit, but significantly. Maya Complete, formerly priced at $7,500 will now sell for $1,999 and Maya Unlimited, which formerly sold for $16,000 will be priced at $6,999. The software remains the same and no features were removed in order to lower the prices. This means that Maya is now priced in the same category as traditional volume market 3D software such as Lightwave and MAX, which may very well be considered a landmark in the history of 3D graphics.
...Read More »
Editing Perfectionism: The Right Details
When watching a superb documentary about the late film director Stanley Kubrick, thoughts of perfectionism crossed my mind. Is it justified to be a perfectionist? Is it possible to ever achieve perfection? As digital video editors, should we even try to aim so high? It all boils down to humanity, time, and ultimately, money.
...Read More »
Xbox Marks the Spot
When I first learned that Microsoft was going to build a game console I laughed it off as one big joke, that game players won't accept Blue Screens of Death, unless Blue Screens of Death was a killer video game title.
...Read More »
Vegas Pro 8 + Free Vegas Seminar Series
