Time Out of Joint

Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster was a guest on the Colbert Report about a week ago, talking about balanced diets. (A fake monster on a fake commentary show that spun off a fake news show… come to think on it, Cookie performed through a window that was directly above Colbert’s fake fireplace, where the chimney normally would be.)

On Artbeats.com: Article on Editing to Sound

Every month, we write a Tips N Tricks article for our friends at Artbeats.com. This month we wrote a piece about spotting hit points in music and dialog, plus a series of pointers on how to place edit points, transitions, and animation keyframes based on these hit points. We strongly believe the tight integration between audio and video is a secret weapon that can be used to raise your productions above the rest; we hope you find this introduction worthwhile.

Click here to download a 333 KB PDF of “Editing to Sound” from Artbeats.com.

While we’re talking about Artbeats, Steve Holmes (formerly of Total Training) also just created for Artbeats a new video tutorial that shows you how to “step through time with an innovative look at the evolution of energy.” You can download the 36+ minute tutorial from Artbeats.com by clicking here.

By the way, if you’d like to share one of your own projects with Artbeats and their customers, email them - if they choose yours, you’ll get $1000 worth of free Artbeats footage of your choice!

Artbeats has a monthly email newsletter which contains links to each of our articles for them as they are released, plus a link for registered users to download a free full-size clip every month. Click here to register.

The content contained in our books, videos, blogs, and articles for other sites are all copyright Crish Design, except where otherwise attributed.

Maelstrom - Preproduction

About a week ago, Tim Blackmore and I learned that we were providing tech support for Rob Nilsson’s upcoming film, “Maelstrom”, a Direct Action workshop film with four actors. We knew it was going to be shot with an EX1 (which we have), handheld (EX1, handheld? hmmm), with the wide-angle adapter if at all possible. Cool, sounds like fun, what’s the schedule?

Q&A: Audio Queries

During the Post|Production World conference that ran alongside NAB 2008, I gave an extended session on audio connections, microphones, and other related issues. At the end, the attendees hit me with their individual problems. I thought the questions and their answers might be useful to others, so I decided to add them to the archives up here, amended with additional thoughts and research I’ve gathered since returning from NAB.

Note that essential companion reading to these comments include my previous article on audio wiring and connections, plus my blog on dealing with ground loop hum.

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Two New Location Audio Recorders

I didn’t make it to NAB this year, but since it looks like my PVC colleagues didn’t make it to the convention’s North Hall to see and hear the latest audio equipment, I thought I’d chime in with a two portable recorders designed for video and film production sound. These caught my eye and ear from afar. And check out Zaxcom’s cameo on the Late Show with David Letterman…

Sound Devices 788T digital audio recorder

The Sound Devices 788T digital audio recorder has eight microphone inputs and records up to eight channels of uncompressed audio. An internal 160GB 2.5-inch SATA drive holds up to 30 hours of uncompressed 24-bit Broadcast WAVE files. The 788T can also record to Compact Flash and to external FireWire devices, and draws power from 7.2V Sony L-type (ie-small camcorder) batteries or from external DC. It includes a timecode generator, weighs under four pounds, and costs $5,995. More info here.

Music Isn’t Free

Both Trish and I come from the music industry originally; as a result, music greatly informs our animations - we strongly prefer to pick out the music before we start working on a job. We also are both deeply interested in intellectual property issues (indeed, I’ve served as an expert witness on several music sampling cases); as a result, we care a lot about where that music comes from. And the sad truth is, a lot of people are using music illegally in their videos. But you can cure that.

PMW-EX1 Update 2

• Adam Van Voorhis of Boston Camera says that the EX1 does indeed supply Y/C video, using the same VMC-15FS cable that works on the HVR-V1.
• Reader Mark Weiss ran a formal audio analysis for line-level inputs, with interesting results.

My EX1 review has been updated with these tidbits.

What’s the Buzz? Curing Audio Problems

Two things drive me truly crazy: 4:3 video stretched out to fill a 16:9 screen, and hearing hum or buzz in the audio portion of a program. I remember being on a tour of the multi-million-dollar Kodak Cinesite facility when it first opened, sitting down in their private screening room…and hearing hum in the audio. Which could have been fixed for as little as $20. I’d like to share a few ways you can fix it yourself.

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