Scopes make great eye candy that can impress a client, but they can also be very helpful when you are editing. Here's an excerpt from Larry Jordan's Final Cut Pro 5 Essentials Effects series that explains what scopes are used for and how you can use them in the editing process. It's an excellent video to check out if you are new to the scope scene.
MacBreak continues in the world of movie magic with some more tricks from Conversations with Other Women. Episode 61 shows how After Effects was used to create a ballroom dancing scene from different pieces of video. There's not a lot of how-to detail (I want the nitty gritty stuff) but it's still an interesting discussion and proof of what today's tools and imagination can produce.
You may be like me and are constantly on the lookout for graphics to add to your production library. Besides being expensive, you usually get-what-you-get with no easy option to make changes. Well GFX Pack is offering video graphics packages that also contain the After Effects project file so you can make changes yourself. Now that is sweet. There may be others out there that provide project files, but this is the first one I have come across. GFX Pack currently has 5 packages available for $99 each, or you can purchase them all for $399.
The 6 city launch party took place in November without a product, but NewTek has finally announced that SpeedEDIT is now shipping. Boasting a tagline of The Worlds Fastest Video Editor, SpeedEDIT breaks away from traditional NLE workflows that are based around the film mentality and focuses on a resolution independent digital workflow. I couldn't find a trial version on their website, but I hear one will be offered. If your curious (like me), you can download the user guide and get a better understanding of how the app works. SpeedEDIT costs $495 but if you are a Lightwave owner you can get it at a special price of $295.
Attention Power Mac G4/G5 and Mac Pro owners, MCE has introduced an internal Blu-ray burner for your rig. The drive is user-installable and along with Blu-ray is compatible with all DVD and CD recordable media. Speed specs include 2X read/write speed for Blu-ray, 8x read/write for DVD-R and 24x write/32x read for CD-R media. But wait, there's more. The drive is bundled with the new Toast Titanium 8 software with Blu-ray support. The price is listed as $699 but here's a tip. If you already have Toast Titanium 8, or just don't want it, you can opt out when you checkout and it subtracts $49 from your total. So that brings it down to $650 for just the drive.
If you weren't able to make it to DV Expo 2006 in November, a few of the sessions have been posted at the DV Expo 2006 Video Portal. Session topics include:
While they certainly make life easier, you don't need a fancy P2 card reader or a PCMCIA slot to get footage off your P2 cards and into Final Cut Pro. You can use your HVX200 and your trusty firewire port. It's not as easy as just plugging in a cable and magic happens, you'll need to perform a few setup tasks. But don't fear, FCP guru Ken Stone has step-by-step instructions for you, including pictures. We love pictures.
Shooting good footage can be a challenge under normal circumstances. Add the elements of shooting underwater, big ol' spearguns and the occasional shark and I won't be signing up for your project. But the crew of Speargun Hunter, a 13 episode series airing on The Outdoor Channel, had to deal with all these issues. They shot the series with a Sony XDCAM HD PDW-F350 and used a Sony Z1 for all the underwater footage. For more details check out this article on the series, plus this interview with the creators.
The grand prize winners in the Avid 30-Second Spot contest have been announced and they are probably having fun hanging out at the Sundance Film Festival right now. The winner in the Professional's Choice category was "In the Halls of Avid, One is Many" by Aaron Osborne. This spot was shot in HD with the HVX200 and put together using Avid Xpress Pro and Adobe After Effects. The winner in the People's Choice category was "CaveMan" by Bob Chambers. It was shot with the Sony WS790 and created with Avid Media Composer Adrenaline and Digidesign Pro Tools. All the entries are posted so go check 'em out.
16x9 Inc. gives you more shot options with the new EX 1.5X teleconverter. This puppy has a 72mm thread and can be used with:
Final Cut Pro guru Larry Jordan provides some basic information about external storage solutions in this video over at Studio Daily. Topics include Firewire, SATA and data transfer rate comparisons. If you are just getting started in editing and new to the external storage game, this will give you a good start.
Sorenson is also offering SquishNet as a place to host your videos. It provides an embedded Flash video player plus allows page customization so you can make the look your own, like matching your existing website. You can check out an online demo of SquishNet here. Pricing for Squish starts at $1 per user annually with an annual minimum of $5,000. Pricing for SquishNet, which includes Squish, starts at $1.50 per user annually with an annual minimum of $7,500. Both products will be available in February.
Avid users might want to check out this compilation of the Best Tips and Tricks of 2006 from Avid's InFocus newsletter. You can view all the tips and tricks from Avid and the community, plus loads of other info for Avid products from the community website. You never know when you might find a time-saving gem or two.
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