Interestinger and Interestinger

I have to admit, learning the SCRATCH U.I. is pretty complicated.  But once you do, the image processing algorithms are pretty redonkulous and I think that the tool set can help you work more quickly.   There is a version coming out for Mac that supports multiple layers and native workflows for just about every codec in existence.  Here, they give an overview of the new version (from Windows tower-only software to being able to run on even MacBook Pros with the new version).

Another Day at the Office

I am currently getting fully up to speed on SCRATCH.  It's a powerful system, especially for working with full resolution R3D and stereoscopic work flows.  More in the not-too-distant future....

Someone is Making Money

Interesting story here.  Arianna Huffington is being sued by bloggers who created free content for her site, which she recently sold for $315 million.

So, let me get this straight.  If you create content for free, whether out of passion or because you think it will lead to paying work, someone else is going to take what you've done and try to make money off of it regardless?  Really, I've done plenty of free work and I understand how it is used in the entertainment industry to grow your career, work with awesome people or do things that you may not have been able to do otherwise.   I still do free work for people I know and like, it's fun to have a shared passion with old and new friends.

But, it's not a business model.  Unless you can make up for the no income part with volume.  I am constantly amazed that there are people out there who don't understand that if you don't make money, you won't be creative because you aren't sustainable.  Being able to sustainably support yourself is an ongoing radical act of creativity. When you're 25 and living in your parents' house it doesn't seem so important but it gets clearer as time passes.

Surprisingly, to people who take a  more black and white view of life, I welcome the new world into which we are heading:  low-cost or free content, aggregated by companies and fed back to consumers at a profit.  It's what people seem to want, and the idea that people are interested in what each other have to say is encouraging.  Even if what they have to say isn't always well-formulated or presented in an artful visual manner, there are some moments of real clarity that come out of this cauldron of living culture.   

My only message is: keep your eyes open, and make wise choices for yourself.

Who Comes Up With These Anyways?

 Home, suite home

This Wall Street Journal blog post lists the "Top 10 Dying Industries."  Included in it is Video Post Production Services.  Has post production been hit any harder than any other aspect of the entertainment world?  I am really curious as to how they measure this.   These kinds of lists are kind of silly: best company in the world to work, best place in America to live.....How do they measure this, is it only large post-production houses, what do they consider Video Post Production Services....sometimes it's amazing the authoritative tone that these things take on without any supporting information.

Happiness, like opportunity, lies in the eyes of the beholder, whether it's in Irvine or South Philly,  in your home post suite (i.e., bedroom) or at Deluxe.

Guide to Prepping Sequences For Color

Don't even go there

I have revised my guidelines for prepping a sequence for color grading in Color.  I decided to create a comprehensive reference that would cover nearly all scenarios, so it should hopefully be a timesaver.  I also included detailed instructions for accomplishing each required step, including the dreaded Media Management function.  It is written to be accessible for most skill levels.  So, relax, and tame that timeline.

Yes, there is a new version of Final Cut Pro coming out sometime "this spring." And yes, there are wildly divergent ideas of what direction it is heading, iMovie Pro, Final Cut Interactive.....when it happens, it happens.....

Anyway, it's available here for everyone to download and use. Cheers!

And as always, please feel free to feed me any corrections, comments, etc.

2011 Documentary Colorist Reel

This reel focuses on the type of color correction issues particular to documentary film making: underexposure, improperly color balanced footage, mixed light footage, low bit rate footage, high contrast footage, etc. Rather than create a strictly beauty reel, I want to show real world corrections on footage representative of the difficult footage that sometimes comes in from the field.

Documentary filmmakers tend to care more about things like what can be done when a celebrity interview has been shot in three different color temperature light sources rather than creating a flashy look (although we do that sometimes as well). Please let me know what you think.

You can view it at full resolution here.  Please turn scaling off if you view on full-screen mode, or it won't look correct.

There is also a narrative film reel coming soon.

The song is "AirBjork " is by Moe Pope & Headnodic. It is from the amazing compilation "Bjork Remixes" available for FREE download here.