Adobe Labs - Flash Player 9 Update
Coming soon to a screen near you. The next version of Flash Player will be able to utilize H.264 Video and AAC audio. That means better quality videos at lower bandwidths. HD quality video from your browser here we come.
Now all they need is a mobile version, so anyone can view videos virtually anywhere with a fast internet connection.
Never heard of Machinima before? It’s a very handy tool in doing previsualization for shoots or even using it to create a full animated production.
Good Examples:
http://www.machinima.com/films.php?id=1154
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IzO1mCAVyMw
http://secondlife.com/community/media.php
General info about it:
http://www.machinima.com/article.php?article=433
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinima
People ask us all the time about what equipment we use, so we’ve compiled a list which can be viewed here:
http://www.kaboodle.com/monstercrayons/
This contains all the equipment we either use currently or will be upgrading to soon.
We put a tremendous amount of thought into the equipment we choose, so if you want to use the same equipment in your video productions, we think this would be very helpful!
As technology changes, so will the list, so check back to see what’s hot when you want to upgrade.
BEHIND THE CAMERA: THOUGHTS ON WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHY
I love doing weddings…I think mostly because what brings everyone in one room, one location, one place — is LOVE — the LOVE between the bride and groom - that’s what it’s really about….
and then…all the details…the dads, moms, kids, colors, cakes, gifts, decorations, flowers, grooms, bride, locations….
it’s like everything is about a dream - a dream that the bride had, a dream that the groom had…and then our job as videographers is just to capture the day, and try to come as close as the bride and groom dreamed it to be….
The other thing that I love is the choice of MUSIC…when you put the images of the day along with very MEANINGFUL songs, you know that the pictures even mean that much more….
AND…with weddings, you know that at least to one or two people, the video could mean so much…
____________
PERKS
I think th best part of weddings, also, is that each wedding is a different experience, a different mix of people…I love meeting the other vendors, personally — the other DJ’s, the photographers, everyone has a different work style…
Also, I get to eat really good FOOD! yum!
And I get to see so many different places….yes, it could be hot, it could be so far a way from san francisco (the city), but once you get there…you don’t think of it any more because you are there already
__________
TYPICAL DAY
The day usually goes like this (for me). Since I tend to do bride preps (taping the bride as she get ready), I usually come in to the bride’s hotel/room sometime between 10A and 1P (depends on when the ceremony is), I say “Hello, my name is evita…I’m helping out with the video today…” and then I tape and tape and tape…then eat…then tape..then hang out…then tape…then maybe tear if there is a good speech or something touching happens…and then I leave…
sometimes I do the onsite edit (when you edit the day’s highlights and play it during the reception)..so when that happens, I do the bride prep…and then I edit edit edit…and then hang out…and then say congratulations to the couple…and then leave…..
_________
ULTIMATE FUN PART
the ultimate favorite part and funnest part of my job is being able to edit to music and that the montages deal with emotions…being able to mix emotion, video, and audio is the best part fo the job for me…and so fun……
_________
LEARNING ON THE JOB
the ongoing education that I get from doing weddings:
1) shot composition
2) on-the-spot decision-making
3) working under pressure
4) teamwork
5) cultural exposure (seeing how different families celebrate)
_____________
THANKS!
that’s it! Thanks to Monster Crayons for providing the opportunity for this type of work experience!
Blinksale | The easiest way to send invoices online
We’ve recently started migrating over to this online invoicing service. It’s easy to use and looks great. I highly suggest it to anyone who runs a service based business.
Our old system was using FileMaker Pro which got a little too complex. Blinksale simplifies our invoicing dramatically and let’s us focus more on creating great videos!
Glossy Widescreen Display, Built in iSight, Small Form Factor, x86 architecture; Could this be the perfect laptop. Not quite if you want to use Final Cut Pro.
The 13″ MacBooks are not supported by Final Cut Pro as illustrated by the following links.
13″ MacBook Specs
“Intel GMA 950 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory”
Starts at $1099.
Final Cut Pro Requirements
“Final Cut Studio is not supported on systems using the Intel Extreme Graphics 950 GMA”
So it looks like if you want to take Final Cut Pro with you on the go, you’ll have to get a MacBook Pro instead, but that comes with a higher price tag and larger size.
MacBook Pro Specs
“ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics processor”
Starts at $1999.
On a side note, check out Parallels Desktop. If they got the MacBook Pro’s ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics processor to work with the official stable release and a small MacBook Pro with WUXGA was made, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick one up today!
I’d love to have a small, portable laptop where I can do HD video work on Mac OS X, play games on Windows XP, and experiment with open source software on Ubuntu all on the same machine without having to reboot and running at near native speeds!
One can only dream.
