I've been busy over the holidays producing a new podcast. It's called the Post-Movie Podcast and it's a conversation between two film reviewers on recent films. Radical right?
I've also have a lot of irons in the fire production-wise and I hope to tell you more about it in upcoming shows. I'm going to be busy for a while.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
#158 Black Friday Shopping
Black Friday is the mega shopping day in the United States, the day after Thanksgiving day. Stores open at 4am, even earlier and there are lines and crowds of people hours before the stores open.
The sound is a little poor, but hopefully this explains why I missed posting for a couple days.
The sound is a little poor, but hopefully this explains why I missed posting for a couple days.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
#157 The price of free
On my way home in the rain on Thanksgiving eve I stopped in at the local turnpike service center and spoke my mind.
You get what you pay for and tnstaafl (there's no such thing as a free lunch)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
#155 It's a Wordpress World
If you want to put your video on the web and you don't know a lick about website creation, look into Wordpress.
Producing media and distributing it online requires a platform that provides a base from you can attract interest and develop a community. I think its fair to say that self promotion on the internet is not a common skill set of most production oriented media producers. One of the best ways to step into this critical space and feel as though you have some control over the process is to produce a blog using Wordpress.
Wordpress is one of many different blogging software platforms, such as Typepad, Blogger and Drupal, however I think it is the best combination of flexibility, power and accessibility for non web developers. There's a tremendous amount of learning resources for the uninitiated, with tutorials for the beginner at Wordpress.org and online in general. Even easier, you can go to Wordpress.com, create an account and start blogging in 10 minutes. There is even a video channel, Wordpress.TV that offers up a hefty dose of information for newbies.
There are meetups that take place all over the country, all over the world! I just found a Wordpress meetup in Boston that I'll be attending next month. Last month there was presentation by Adam Wood on how to customize a theme called Atahualpa which you can follow here. I found an interesting review of Thesis, another popular theme, containing lots of information about how a good theme simplifies blogging.
The really valuable thing about Wordpress is that is is more than just a blogging tool. It's a content management system (CMS) the organizes your content, tracks your marketing efforts and does other things CMS software does.
Finally you can attend, for next to nothing, Wordpress Camps all over the country. I just found one will be in Boston, close to where I live, in January. Even if you can't attend one, or you want to know what kind of sessions occur you can check out past unconferences online. A recent Wordpress Camp in Phoenix has some video of some their sessions, including how to put video online. Last week, about 700 attended WP Camp New York City and going by the list of sessions it must have been amazing.
Producing media and distributing it online requires a platform that provides a base from you can attract interest and develop a community. I think its fair to say that self promotion on the internet is not a common skill set of most production oriented media producers. One of the best ways to step into this critical space and feel as though you have some control over the process is to produce a blog using Wordpress.
Wordpress is one of many different blogging software platforms, such as Typepad, Blogger and Drupal, however I think it is the best combination of flexibility, power and accessibility for non web developers. There's a tremendous amount of learning resources for the uninitiated, with tutorials for the beginner at Wordpress.org and online in general. Even easier, you can go to Wordpress.com, create an account and start blogging in 10 minutes. There is even a video channel, Wordpress.TV that offers up a hefty dose of information for newbies.
There are meetups that take place all over the country, all over the world! I just found a Wordpress meetup in Boston that I'll be attending next month. Last month there was presentation by Adam Wood on how to customize a theme called Atahualpa which you can follow here. I found an interesting review of Thesis, another popular theme, containing lots of information about how a good theme simplifies blogging.
The really valuable thing about Wordpress is that is is more than just a blogging tool. It's a content management system (CMS) the organizes your content, tracks your marketing efforts and does other things CMS software does.
Finally you can attend, for next to nothing, Wordpress Camps all over the country. I just found one will be in Boston, close to where I live, in January. Even if you can't attend one, or you want to know what kind of sessions occur you can check out past unconferences online. A recent Wordpress Camp in Phoenix has some video of some their sessions, including how to put video online. Last week, about 700 attended WP Camp New York City and going by the list of sessions it must have been amazing.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
#154 Value Add Proposition
I have a few thoughts I want to share, somewhat motivated by an article I read on TalentZoo, a hub for people who work in the Advertising field.
Knowledge of who you are and how to promote your value to clients are important factors in creating and sustaining a successful business.
Handmade in America
Knowledge of who you are and how to promote your value to clients are important factors in creating and sustaining a successful business.
Handmade in America
Friday, November 20, 2009
#153 Podcast Production Part 1
Producing a podcast includes creating a destination. There are lots of things to consider if you want to create a community around your content and demonstrate to potential sponsors you can keep them around.
Hosting sites:
Hosting sites:
- Camtasia' s Screencast.com
- Libsyn.com
- Blip.tv
- Vimeo.com
- BlueHost
Thursday, November 19, 2009
#152 4.0 on the Avid MC Scale
A loose review of an event I attended this evening focusing on the launch of Avid Media Composer 4.0, Avid's mainstream digital video editing tool. At two thousand plus dollars it's not for everyone. But for anyone interested in a career in video and especially feature motion picture editing, it's the gorilla in the living-room.
A lot of technical stuff was presented but I've chosen to talk about a few features that I thought were particularly interesting and useful, including an open plug-in format that allows Avid to ingest media directly from AVC, P2, SxS and other solid state camera media cards without converting it to the Avid MXF file format - saving time and space on your drive.
Media Composer now allows you to store files it's using anywhere on your computer, but there are risks involved. The tracking feature allows you to stabilize the picture on the frame and it automatically resizes the image so it completely fills the width of the frame. The remarkable thing about this stabilization tracking feature is that instead of the standard practice of using one or several bright spots in the frame as reference points for holding the image in the same location, it uses the entire screen. This is better because, depending on the footage, reference point objects, usually very bright points of lights, like reflections off shiny objects, can be blocked from view during capture. Not a problem now.
The last new feature I mention is the ability to place clips on the same timeline with different frame rates. Something Apple has been able to do for a number of years. Avid says it does the conversion in realtime, faster and with better results than Final Cut Pro. There's certainly enough settings to adjust to make it so. Providing you have the time and money to figure it out.
A lot of technical stuff was presented but I've chosen to talk about a few features that I thought were particularly interesting and useful, including an open plug-in format that allows Avid to ingest media directly from AVC, P2, SxS and other solid state camera media cards without converting it to the Avid MXF file format - saving time and space on your drive.
Media Composer now allows you to store files it's using anywhere on your computer, but there are risks involved. The tracking feature allows you to stabilize the picture on the frame and it automatically resizes the image so it completely fills the width of the frame. The remarkable thing about this stabilization tracking feature is that instead of the standard practice of using one or several bright spots in the frame as reference points for holding the image in the same location, it uses the entire screen. This is better because, depending on the footage, reference point objects, usually very bright points of lights, like reflections off shiny objects, can be blocked from view during capture. Not a problem now.
The last new feature I mention is the ability to place clips on the same timeline with different frame rates. Something Apple has been able to do for a number of years. Avid says it does the conversion in realtime, faster and with better results than Final Cut Pro. There's certainly enough settings to adjust to make it so. Providing you have the time and money to figure it out.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
#151 Slaying the beast
I have overcome and more than happy to tell you about it. The DVD portion of this project I'm working on has come to a close and you can reap the fruit of my head-banging efforts in this post about DVD Studio Pro.
Not definitive by any means, but there are a few problems you could learn to sidestep if you're interested in learning.
Not definitive by any means, but there are a few problems you could learn to sidestep if you're interested in learning.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
#150 Juggling Dull Chainsaws
I'm busy, I only noticed I hadn't taken care of feeding this podcast when I looked at the time and it reminded me I haven't done a thing for the show. That's how busy is.
Maybe when I'm done tomorrow I can put things in perspective. Right now I'll make another cup of tea and keep my frustration to myself.
Maybe when I'm done tomorrow I can put things in perspective. Right now I'll make another cup of tea and keep my frustration to myself.
Monday, November 16, 2009
#149 Free Books
In case you didn't know, you should get a library card. It's free, you can get just about any book, magazine, movie and lots of other stuff. If you're a student you could probably get books from outside your school delivered right to your room.
Okay, right to your dorm room is stretching it a little, but still, almost.
Okay, right to your dorm room is stretching it a little, but still, almost.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
#148 The Dark Art of Compression
Controlling this wild magic
File compression. It's the last thing you do at the end of the project, but it should be among the top things to consider and settle with your client before you begin. Otherwise, things could be very dark indeed.
File compression. It's the last thing you do at the end of the project, but it should be among the top things to consider and settle with your client before you begin. Otherwise, things could be very dark indeed.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
#146 Remembering and Remembrance Day
Reflections on the cost of war from newspapers, podcasts, twitter and magazines. Check out the link to the November 11th post No Mood Swing and listen to Valerie read the Toronto Star article about the Boys of Major Street.
- No Mood Swing Remembrance Day Post
- Newsweek - Could have won
- Newsweek - Beware Revisionism - John Kerry
- John Kerry Swift boat controversy
Thursday, November 12, 2009
#145 Sony EDCAM EX-1 Review
Ergonomics, slow motion and media
I recorded the review of this camera before I began the One a Day series and I'm not going to hold on to it until December. Since making this recording I've been able to use this camera several times and it's been a real pleasure.
It's well designed and I believe that's why it hasn't been difficult to learn how to use it. The media is easy to use, really not that much different from the P2, but it feels more comfortable to work with. I mentioned the Hoodman in this episode as a low cost replacement for the SxS from Sony. Kensington also has a low cost alternative you should look into.
I recorded the review of this camera before I began the One a Day series and I'm not going to hold on to it until December. Since making this recording I've been able to use this camera several times and it's been a real pleasure.
It's well designed and I believe that's why it hasn't been difficult to learn how to use it. The media is easy to use, really not that much different from the P2, but it feels more comfortable to work with. I mentioned the Hoodman in this episode as a low cost replacement for the SxS from Sony. Kensington also has a low cost alternative you should look into.
- CDIA
- Over/Under crank (slow motion)
- Keystone Cops
- Creative Cow Pros and Cons between P2 and SxS
- Wikipedia article on HDV and different screen resolutions
- Thorough review of the EX-1
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
#144 Thinking out Loud
One Thought leads to another.
- Clear Blue Skies - CSN
- George Carlin - Ecology: The Planet is Fine
- Patty Duke in the Miracle Worker
- Helen Keller - Social Activist turned lap dog
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
#143 Steve Audette
I attended an Boston Avid User Group meeting which was held at WGBH in Boston. The speaker, Steve Audette is a veteran producer and editor on programs such as Nova and Frontline. He is an excellent entertaining and informative presenter with a lot of valuable insights into editing.
Monday, November 9, 2009
#142 Podcamp NH09 Day 2
Podcamp New Hampshire 09
"Conversations That Matter"
Handmade in America
Session:
Session:
Social Media Levels the Media Distribution Field
Presenters:
Example of artist who has successfully promoted herself through social media:
Social Media resources for independent filmmakers:
Podcamp NH 2010 June or July
"Conversations That Matter"
Handmade in America
Session:
Session:
Social Media Levels the Media Distribution Field
Presenters:
Example of artist who has successfully promoted herself through social media:
Social Media resources for independent filmmakers:
Podcamp NH 2010 June or July
Sunday, November 8, 2009
#141 Podcamp NH09 Day-1
Podcamp NH 09
Location:
New Hampton School
Distributed video production podcast:
Spidcast
Session:
Brandcasting
Dan Freund
Location:
New Hampton School
Distributed video production podcast:
Spidcast
Session:
Brandcasting
Dan Freund
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
#139 One a day
Spontaneity, serendipity and simplicity.
Today I'm beginning an experiment simply because I was challenged by a podcast. Listening to Description: Valerie in Toronto, a podcaster I met at Podcaster's Across Borders, held in Kingston this past June. I learned about a challenge to podcasters called National Podcaster's Post Month, where people are encouraged to post their podcast every day through November and keep it under 10 minutes.
I don't know what the other restrictions for posting are, but it doesn't matter because it's November 6 and I'm posting on my host not theirs, so I can do what I want.
But it's not simply because of Valerie's post that I'm choosing this challenge. I picked up a book recently by Chris Orwig, a photographer and teacher, which I mistakenly referred to as Visual Photography, a bit redundant that, right? It's called Visual Poetry and his premise is seeking ways to reinvigorate, inspire and step outside your creative routine. Take some risks.
So talking without the intention of editing, without even a clear idea of what I plan to say is a big risk for me and I'll post as consistently as I can, each day from this point forward until my I reach the limit on my server or I can't take it anymore. I don't even think I'll write these long show notes. I'll just try to keep everything to a minimum. Just the links maybe, like CBC Radio Spark Episode 90.
Today I'm beginning an experiment simply because I was challenged by a podcast. Listening to Description: Valerie in Toronto, a podcaster I met at Podcaster's Across Borders, held in Kingston this past June. I learned about a challenge to podcasters called National Podcaster's Post Month, where people are encouraged to post their podcast every day through November and keep it under 10 minutes.
I don't know what the other restrictions for posting are, but it doesn't matter because it's November 6 and I'm posting on my host not theirs, so I can do what I want.
But it's not simply because of Valerie's post that I'm choosing this challenge. I picked up a book recently by Chris Orwig, a photographer and teacher, which I mistakenly referred to as Visual Photography, a bit redundant that, right? It's called Visual Poetry and his premise is seeking ways to reinvigorate, inspire and step outside your creative routine. Take some risks.
So talking without the intention of editing, without even a clear idea of what I plan to say is a big risk for me and I'll post as consistently as I can, each day from this point forward until my I reach the limit on my server or I can't take it anymore. I don't even think I'll write these long show notes. I'll just try to keep everything to a minimum. Just the links maybe, like CBC Radio Spark Episode 90.
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