Thursday, April 17, 2008

Q&A: Audio Queries

Chris Meyer | 04/17- 09:56 PM

Real users have the best questions.

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.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

The Making of the BMW M3 V8 Revolution ad

Scott Gentry | 04/17- 09:24 PM

I am a automotive nut.

I am a BMW fan.

I have been in video production since college.

This is pure automotive, video production porn.  I need to be alone for a tad.

Here’s the ad:

Here’s the making of…

While not the in-depth making of we would appreciate as pros, it’s still fun to watch.

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

We’re Off To See The Wizard

Chris Meyer | 04/09- 10:22 PM

NAB always brings the promise of finding that secret ingredient we need to make us better at what we do.

It’s been awfully quiet around here lately...too quiet. But you know why: It’s the week before NAB (the National Association of Broadcasters) Convention, the largest annual industry trade show for those of us in North America), and we’re all hunkered down either a) finishing projects before NAB, b) getting our presentations ready for NAB, c) making out our shopping lists for NAB, or d) all of the above.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

AFI ScreenNation Goes Live

Chris Meyer | 04/08- 04:10 PM

The American Film Institute has a site for teen filmmakers.

The American Film Institute (AFI) has just launched a beta version of a new website dedicated to teen filmmakers: ScreenNation. To quote from their About page:

AFI ScreenNation is an online video posting-and-sharing community from the AFI Screen Education Center, targeted at middle- and high-school students.

Young people aged 13-18 produce and post their own videos, made in the classroom, in clubs and after-school programs, and beyond. Links for these videos will be posted all over the web, including social network pages, blogs, websites, emails and instant messages. AFI ScreenNation users can browse and view, forward, rate and tag and post comments.

AFI ScreenNation will showcase work produced by students in classrooms utilizing the AFI Screen Education filmmaking process, proven to help kids master core curriculum subjects, excel in 21st Century skills, and learn how to learn. In addition, the site launched with videos posted by students involved with a host of featured partner programs, organizations, schools, districts and festivals --- a veritable portal for video as a tool for learning and personal expression.

The site will include tutorials and video challenges in addition to content from teenage filmmakers.

It is easy to think this is just a late attempt by an old-media stalwart to act hip, but in reality, AFI has been on the cutting edge of technology for ages. When QuickTime 1.0 came into being, Sony and Apple helped form the Advanced Technology Program at AFI Hollywood, which is where the two of us were originally introduced into this field. Their “The Cutting Edge” salons hosted by Scott Billups is where we learned techniques and formed our chops, and was the inspiration for Motion Graphics Los Angeles (MGLA). Lately, they’ve been the host of an interactive media incubator which has been very active, the Digital Content Lab. And there’s nothing like having “AFI” on your resume inside Hollywood. So if you know (or are!) a teenage aspiring filmmaker, hook them up.

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Review: Camhandle camera support

Adam Wilt | 04/06- 07:22 PM

Renegade tripod handle makes handheld shooting smoother.

The $220 Camhandle looks like a tripod handle gone AWOL from its tripod. Its attachment plate bolts to the underside of the camera, and it hangs off the left front side. It looks goofy, but it works surprisingly well. I tested it for two weeks on the notoriously hard-to-handhold PMW-EX1.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Seeing RED

Chris Meyer | 03/24- 10:57 AM

You wanted digital film? You got it. Oh, by the way - do you know how to work with film?

All of the recent posts about workflows, workarounds, and discoveries using the RED One camera brings back memories of a warning I issued when DV cameras first became popular among independent shooters and moviemakers: Be careful what you wish for; you might get more than you expected.

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