Viva La Difference: mixing media formats with Final Cut Pro 6
February 16, 2008
Having to render any media that does not match the format of the sequence is a problem that has plagued Final Cut Pro versions 1 through 5. With Version 6 (bundled with Final Cut Studio 2, no longer available as a stand-alone application) this problem has gone away. Version 6 of Final Cut Pro introduced the ability to mix video formats on the timeline, a long awaited feature that was the source of lots of teasing from the Avid snobs.
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18th Annual Pro Video Show
February 14, 2008
The 18th Annual Pro Video Show (hosted by the Camera Company with the participation of the Boston FCP User Group, SMPTE/NE, and NPVA/NE) will be held Friday and Saturday, March 7-8, 2008 at Stonehill College (Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex) in Easton, Massachusetts. This popular annual event provides two days of informative workshops, seminars, and equipment demonstrations, with lots of opportunities to check out the latest gear. I will be presenting three seminars at the show you might be interested in attending:
Comparing MacBook Pro external drive performance
July 20, 2007
Yesterday I wrote about using SATA drives with a MacBook Pro. Is it worth the trouble going the external SATA route with a MacBook Pro for editing? It’s certainly valuable when doing media ingest in the field (e.g. P2) direct to a mirrored pair of disks. I like it simply because I need to move external SATA disks between the laptop and my desktop editing systems. But there’s also a performance advantage. But how much? I decided to run a little test comparing the performance of the following:
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Using SATA drives with a MacBook Pro
July 19, 2007
Need fast, cheap, reliable storage for video editing on your MacBook Pro? Tired of paying a price premium and performance penalty with external FireWire drives? Tired of dropped frames with that USB external drive? Want to be able to move a project between the laptop and a PowerMac or MacPro and keep it on a fast SATA drive? Several interface cards are available for the MacBook Pro to interface with SATA drives.
Just a few days left to register for Making Media Now
May 26, 2007
Filmmakers Collaborative will present a full day conference at Boston University on Friday, June 1, 2007 consisting of master classes, panel discussions and keynote speakers focused on new technologies and the opportunities they create for film and media makers. A must-attend for cutting edge learning and networking opportunities for media, film, and video professionals throughout New England. Registration closes May 30, so register now! No walk-ins. For more information, call Filmmakers Collaborative at 781-647-1102 or visit the conference web site. Sessions include: Camera Seminar; Film Production Tax Incentives; Demystifying Digital Formats; Copyright Issues; Networking & Box Lunch; Welcome; Opening Remark; Where in the World Is Your Audience Now?; The Social Media Game; Making Content Interactive; Guide to resources on the web; and Case Studies.
Reel Now Online
May 1, 2007
I finally got around to moving my reel from DVD-R to the web. Of course, the DVD is still available, and the images look much better played off the DVD on a good 16:9 television, but the web is where it’s at these days. Special thanks to Colin Owens for the use of his music in several of the reel clips. The page was built using Jeroen Wijering’s Flash Media Player. I highly recommend this player for embedding video into web pages.
Do production values matter?
March 8, 2007
We had an interesting discussion at the last Boston Media Makers meeting on the topic “Do Production Values Matter?” We set aside 30 minutes for the discussion, and a lively discussion ensued that went on for over an hour. Here’s a little video excerpt from the discussion:
17th Annual Pro Video Show to be held March 9-10, 2007 at Stonehill College in Easton, Ma
February 3, 2007
If you live in the Boston area you will not want to miss the 17th Annual Pro Video Show sponsored by The Camera Company to be held Friday and Saturday, March 9-10, 2007 at Stonehill College, in Easton, Massachussetts (Exit 17B off Route 24). This annual event provides local media makers with the opportunity to check out new equipment, talk with fellow media makers, and attend a wide range of workshops and seminars. Yours truly will be presenting two of the seminars, “Delivering Video on the Web” and “Champagne Production Values on a Beer Production Budget.”
2007 SMPTE/NE Digital Production Showcase
January 18, 2007
The New England Chapter of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) held its Annual Digital Production Showcase (which has become a mid-winter tradition) on Wednesday, January 17th at WCVB-TV’s studio in Needham, Massachusetts. My photos from the event are available on Flickr. In addition to being fed sandwiches and piping hot New England clam chowder (very appropriate given the cold snap) attendees had a chance to experience hands-on demos of the latest digital production tools in a collegial atmosphere. I thank SMPTE/New England for hosting such a delightful event in which I can catch up with what’s happening in the realm of digital production.
Final Cut Pro color correcting blues about to change their hue?
October 28, 2006
It’s no secret, Final Cut Pro’s color correction tools pale in comparison to the Avid. But Apple’s recent purchase of Silicon Color technology is certainly to have an impact on future color correcting capabilities in Final Cut Pro. And even if the capabilities are slated for the rumored high-end version, I hope we’ll get some trickle down capabilities. It’s interesting that the FinalTouch color correction demo was one of the more interesting things I saw earlier this year at NAB, and I made the semi-serious joke at the time, sure wish Apple would acquire Silicon Color just like Shake and Logic and integrate the technology into the Pro Apps…
