In the growing trend of Hollywood embracing Videobloggers, an Observer article talks about the Hollywood courtship of the biggest videoblogger, Ze Frank. "The Show" is part of my morning ritual but in March, Ze will stop his morning newscasts as he had planned. There have been a lot of talk of what he might do next. According to the article, Ze says feature film will be his focus, though he will "never ditch the web." The article also provides some insight into his daily ritual.

Callbox has released a Tutorial dvd that teaches users how to maximize shooting with a DVX100 and editing in Final Cut Pro. The tutorial is taught by Noah Kadner. If you use the 2-pop forums, you will have surely seen his name or even recieved assistance from him. Topics include: Output for 35mm Film, Cinema Tools, SDI vs. Firewire Capture and, of coure, Advanced Pulldown Removal. Priced at $75.

(via Macworld)

New York Times article on Hollywood's uneasiness about YouTube. Even though, Hollywood for the most part has been embracing the YouTube phenomenon lately. Part of the problem now (and has always been) is that many of their movies land up on YouTube, even if it is broken up in several pieces (Youtube has a time restriction).

On my personal blog, I'd linked to a very important television series that I found in its entirety on YouTube. It ended up being the most popular post of 2006. Mind you, the content owners in question were not interested in bringing it to DVD or even releasing it (at the time) and it was too important to be shelved. Like many other movies, the television series was taken down to be only found at another hosting site.

I find many movies on YouTube, I am not really comfortable with this. Not because it is illegal but because I can't watch something for that long on my computer, when I can easily get it on Netflix. This annoys most people. But I'm sure Hollywood will spend a lot of money addressing this issue, especially when they get their numbers wrong: "No one knows exactly how much Hollywood-derived content is uploaded to the site without the studios' consent, but academics and media executives estimate it could be anywhere from 30 percent to 70 percent." I laughed when I read this.

The article also has many instances of compromise, for example, 8 Mile was found and then taken down from YouTube except for the songs. The article also shows Hollywood's uneasiness towards user-generated content which at times means "Hollywood-recycled" content. "Brian Grazer, a producer of '8 Mile,' said some of the mashups he had seen were 'pretty hip.' But he said he, too, viewed them as a form of piracy: 'It bothers me artistically. Here's this thing where you have no control; they are chopping it up and putting your memories in a blender.'"

One of my favorite blogs, Signal vs. Noise, has a long article on MacGuffin. A name coined by Alfred Hitchcock, who described the element: a "device, the gimmick, if you will, or the papers the spies are after...The only thing that really matters is that in the picture the plans, documents or secrets must seem to be of vital importance to the characters. To me, the narrator, they're of no importance whatsoever." The element that pushes all the other elements into action. Even though it merely acts as a plot agent, it has inherent power. Most writers use it, even if they don't know what a MacGuffin means. Some legendary directors like Truffaut and Mamet are quoted in the article on power of the MacGuffin. One of the best recent examples was the glowing briefcase in Pulp Fiction.

YouTube is considering creating a television show and/or a TV channel. The content will consist of user-generated clips that are handpicked from the millions of clips it currently hosts. This is a nice idea, it will quickly replace the TV viral shows and compete against programs like "America's Funniest Home Videos." But you have to wonder if the creators will be compensated in any way. And if the answer is no, why not? It is one thing to put it on the web, it is another to put it on TV. Though I remember reading that Youtube license did indicate that Youtube could in a sense play the videos on any platform. Meaning they covered their bases.

(via Gizmodo)

Everywhere you turn online, all you see and hear is the iPhone. Video displays it best because you see the revolutionary user interface at work. Apple has been on patenting spree the last couple of years, mostly having to do with the iPhone user-interface. Will they use this with other applications? What about Final Cut Studio?

Imagine having a touchscreen monitor that let you work with your hands in Final Cut Studio. Pinch to zoom in (or zoom out), flick to scroll, type in timecode adjustments, change keyframes. The list goes on. Why should it be used just in iPhone? Why do I have to go back and forth between the mouse and keypad when I can do it all on the screen?

For screenwriting, I will always prefer the keyboard. But for the stuff that happens 70 percent of the time in Final Cut, touchscreen and the new iPhone UI would be sensational. Now mind you, it would need a lot of tweaking. The JKL (rewind, stop, play) buttons, for example, would be missed instantly. But in Motion and Soundtrack, the move would be fantastic.

It is not just about the touchscreen because we have tools already in the market that work with FCS. But the new Apple UI is a huge leap. This transition will surely happen sometime in the future, the question remains when? Final Cut Pro 6 seems out of the question but maybe 7.

Matt and Kendal have an excellent video review of a car camera mounting system from VFGadgets. Installing the device didn't seem to induce much confidence from them because of the give and the cheap plastic bolts. But when they did use it in a shoot, the mount worked. I have to admit the results were better than what I would have hoped for from what is a prosumer piece of equipment. Also check out the resulting video from the test, it is better a lot of specs I have seen.

Apple TV was released at the annual Macworld keynote address by Steve Jobs. It was first introduced as ITV, a couple of months back. Apple TV allows users to recieve iTunes content to store and play them. The device will cost $299 and will be available in February (Apple is taking orders now).

The device comes with an internal 40GB drive which equates to 50 hours of movies. It plays back video in Hi-def 720P and an Apple remote is included. It is powered with an Intel processor. The wireless transmission uses 802.11b/g/n wireless networking protocols. Can work on both Mac & Pc with iTunes installed.

As a video podcaster, I cannot tell you how exciting all of this is. My viewers can now watch my shows in their living rooms and not on the computer. This is a big deal because it changes the nature of viewing on the web. Short pieces work better on the computer while in the living room, longer pieces work better. The web as a distribution model looks a lot rosier with Apple TV.

Another interesting thing to note is the importance of iTunes in all of this. It is the center of the entertainment center. If I were Microsoft, I would worry less about Mac OS X and more about iTunes.

Apple introduced the iPhone today at their annual Macworld. The iPhone is 3 devices in one: 1) phone 2) media player 3) an internet device (a mini computer). There are devices that do similar things but none withe touchscreen interface that Apple has not only created but patented. When you watch the demos, you are astounded at the simplicity and elegance of the touchscreen implementation. OS X has never looked so good. For so long people have been talking about which product will be the iPod killer, well here it is, from Apple.

The iPhone will be released in June for the price of $499 (4GB) and $599 (8GB). It will have a Flash disk (I love it) which means less energy, less likely to break when dropped, much faster and quieter. It will be available through Cingular which probably will be the biggest drawback for many. iPhone uses quad-band GSM + EDGE phone, no 3G. It has a megapixel camera (yawn). The headphone also acts as a microphone. Because the operating system is basically OS X, we can assume it is only Mac compatible. Update: People have commented that it will be available on both Windows and Mac.

How does this affect DV users? This is the true video iPod. Like Apple TV, this is yet another distribution channel for indie filmmakers. Next time you are out with your friends and you want to show them a cool video blog, a short available online or even your own work, you can just pull out your iPhone and show.

Media is finally becoming mobile which means that more and more, the success of a video will depend on the social interaction. One person showing another, instead of just reading or watching a review. The peer to peer interaction will bring new classics to the masses, one user at a time.

We also aren't sure how much this thing can do. I doubt you can edit something on the iPhone but it would be interesting to see if you somebody came out with applications that could possibly aid media creation. I mean, we already have widgets that perform cool DV-related tasks, the iPhone will only expand on that.

An iPhone could be very useful in production. It could make a wonderful off-site logging tool. With the camera and iChat, location scouts can not only shoot locations but also get feedback from the director instantly. Maybe, with enough hacking, the iPhone could become a little Wacom tablet of sorts. iPhone ushers in the next generation of portable media and computer devices which in general bode well for Indie filmmakers.

As a Mac follower, even I am truly impressed on what this thing is capable of. The touchscreen interface is revolutionary like Jobs says. It looks like a lot of fun, just like the original scroll wheel was for the iPod. Here is my prediction, if iPhone delivers like promised, this device will bring in more switchers than any hardware, software Apple has ever created.

Today is biggest day in the Mac calendar. Apple fueled the rumor machines by placing a graphic on their front page that read "The first 30 years were just the beginning. Welcome to 2007." So there is a lot to expect from this year's Macworld. Wall Street Journal, a couple of days ago, said that an Apple phone is eminent. They had correctly predicted the Intel move last year so phone rumor seems like a lock.

On the Pro Apps side, there really hasn't been much noise. I doubt we will hear anything about Final Cut Studio or even the Pro sound applications. However, I am guessing that there should be some new hardware. If you are a general Apple fan, you will probably want to check Engadget and Tuaw for coverage as they have bloggers at the Jobs keynote. Stay here if you want DV related news (we will touch upon the other stuff).

• This morning Wall Street Journal also reports that Paramount movies are coming to iTunes, making that the second big studio to do so after Disney.
• Engadget reports "When the press barrier came down it was a mad rush to the elevator, people being trampled." Yikes. Gizmodo has the pics.
• Jobs finally on stage: ""We're going to make some history together today." This better be good Stevie!
• The usual progress report. All signs are healthy. 50% of new Mac users are switchers. Nice. Steve shoots down any rumor of iTunes sales slowing down claiming that iTunes now sells more music than Amazon becoming the 4th largest music retailer.
• 50million TV shows & 1.3 million movies movies sold on iTunes.
• It is true, Paramount movies are now sold on iTunes.
• Apple TV is official. It was introduced last keynote with a placeholder name: ITV. Apple TV sounds a lot better. Transmits content from computer like movies and music to home entertainment center. USB 2, Ethernet, WiFi, HDMI, component, audio, and optical out. No real news here but for the name.
• More on Apple TV. General specs: Hi-def 720P. 40GB, 802.11b/g/n and, sure enough, Intel processor. 40GB will store 50 hours of video
  
• Jon comments: "Intel officially released quad-core chips at CES yesterday, so here's hoping for an 8-core Mac Pro announcement." I think this is very likely but if there are other more important announcements, a G5 update will be released in a general press release way.
• Apple TV looks pretty damn cool. iTunes sends movies to Apple TV behind the scenes and are stored on the drive. Fantastic news for video podcasters like me. People can now watch podcast shows in their living room. Priced at $299.
• Is it just me or is 40GB too small?
• Widescreen iPod. Woohoo! With touch controls. The true iPod video?
  
• Apple Phone is announced. It is all in one device: music player, phone, internet.
  
• After ridiculing all other phone devices (including my beloved Blackberry), he announces "a new technology called multi-touch." Here is the kicker, it runs Mac OS X. Reminder to self: "This is a DV blog, so shut up on the iPhone." However, this is very very cool.
• Last note on the iPhone, it looks very cool. One more thing: it has a 2 megapixel camera built right in.
• New slogan for the iPhone: The iPod killer. This thing is a great portable media player. It is a mini-laptop so it pretty much plays anything that your computer plays.
• This isn't DV related but Google and Yahoo CEO's on stage with Steve. They seem very excited to be associated with the iPhone.
• I really wish Jobs would give out more info on the specs on the device. How many gigs? How much RAM? What is the processor? and so on. He is having too much fun.
• Apple iPhone is priced at $499 (4GB) & $599 (8GB). Available in June with Cingular. Glad I'm on Cingular, I was thinking of switching.
• Keynote comes to an end. This might be the best Macworld ever! The two products Apple introduced today are very important to DV people, I will tell why in upcoming posts.

This German website (translated) compares two similar Sony's HDV offerings. The FX7 is the newer version of FX1. There are quite a few differences between the two cameras. The biggest difference is the FX7 1/4 Cmos chip vs FX1 1/3 ccd chip. The site has plenty of stills and some video from both cameras.

I have used FX1 and was generally impressed but this is when HDV was first hitting the market. But now HDV is quite common and the difference between the cameras is growing. According to the stills in the article, I prefer the FX7, even if it leans a little on the consumer saturated side (Sony classifies this as a consumer camera). But I cannot get over the lack of XLR inputs, the Canon XH A1 is a couple of hundred dollars more and it has those features.

(via HD For Indies & FresHDV)

Thinksecret reports that Adobe's next version of Illustrator will feature several major changes including a much anticipated integration with Flash. It will also supposedly feature a Live color feature that will "greatly ease color selection and management, helping designers find appropriate matching colors for their work, improving experimentation with new colors, and managing colors collectively, instead of individually."

Also, Thinksecret has some photographs from a new developer version of the upcoming Mac operating system, Leopard. Of interest is the quick look index sheet which loads several photos and movies at one time. No idea why such a feature took so long to materialize. I use a finder plug-in that performs similar actions.

Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett (Producer of Survivor & The Apprentice) are working on a reality television show that will pit 16 young directors against each other to win a 1 million development deal with Dreamworks. The show will be called "On The Lot" and is to be produced by Fox Television. Unlike Trump on The Apprentice, Speilberg will not be a regular on the show, he will be, in a sense, the reward and will only appear at the end. The show is to air sometime next year.

I am intrigued but here is how I think the first season will play out. Most of the 16 directors will be complete morons, power hungry, wannabe-divas that will be eliminated as early as possible. There will be a couple of the good conformist types. The final two will consist of a conformist and a diva. Of course, the conformist will go on to win the show.

Filmmakers across the planet will scoff at the drama but at the same time wonder if this is how filmmaking should be. Non-filmmakers that find themselves on movie sets off-the-lot will be disappointed at the absolute boredom. Because film is very much like a baseball game. Besides the catcher, pitcher and batter; the rest of the players wait for the action to come to them.

Update: The official site is here. You can submit your films if you want to be part of the show.

In the Best and Worst of 2005, I defiantly declared that Blip.TV was the Best Free Video Hosting site. I still believe Blip.TV and Revver are among the best video hosting sites for filmmakers. They offer video in various codecs (including a very good Flash Codec) that can be easily downloaded. Currently with Revver (and very soon with Blip.TV) you can even make a buck or two. However, as 2006 progressed, I realized that video hosting sites don't become popular because they serve filmmakers but because they serve their audience. After the break, our first award!