SynapticLight » Filmmaking

Pro Apps without Steve Jobs

Phillip Gibb — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:05:13 +0000

Here’s a question for you. What will happen with the Pro Apps now that Steve is not here any more? More specifically Final Cut Pro X. And of course the Professional offering of Mac Pros. This question assumes that Steve Jobs’s vision for FCPX was very influential – which I believe was.

If I was Apple’s CEO it would be important to me to streamline the business and to shed low priority departments without emotion. With the focus of Apple dead set on mobile devices and with the stream of cash coming into Apple from those devices, I am sad to say that FCPX is not going to make it, that includes Logic and the Mac Pro.

Pity.

Then the follow on question is who will buy FCPX? Or would the break away as an independent subsidiary that answers to Apple but does not weigh it down.

Or is this just unjustified guessing? Hmmm.

If I had the budget I would be editing with Avid, color correcting with Da Vinci (already with Lite) and compositing with Nuke.

Actually if Hit Film went OSX then I’s be there in a sprint

Hmmm, time to dual boot?

[Photo Credit: Oberazzi]

The Carpenter

Phillip Gibb — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:51:40 +0000

The Carpenter from Dimitris Ladopoulos on Vimeo.

Filmmaker’s Tribute to Steve Jobs

Phillip Gibb — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 06:20:08 +0000

Adobe GoCreate Competition

Phillip Gibb — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:26:29 +0000

This Awesome competition ends at 12 noon on 30th September 2011, in less than 24 hours from the time I hit the publish button.
Currently I need 9 more votes to stand a
chance to win one of the Adobe Creative Suite 5.5, free training and
hardware bundles.
Here are the Prizes for the Best Video:

Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium + HP Z200 Workstation
Adobe Photoshop Extended CS5.5
Adobe After Effects CS5.5
Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5
Adobe Audition CS5.5

Here is the Link where you can vote: http://gocreate.co.za/entries/2959-red-box-spider/

Please could you help me get into the Hall of Fame (getting 100 votes, I am just 9 short).

Hoping to win either (1) or (3) but hey I will be grateful if I win anything especially for all the people that believed in me.

It does require registration to vote, but there will be no email notifications after that, and of course you can remove yourself after the comptition ends tomorrow at 12 noon.

Comments are also welcome on the Video

thank you very much.

Taking a Break

Phillip Gibb — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 06:36:20 +0000

Hi, you may have noticed that I have not blogged for a while. That is because of many reasons, but the big one is that I was spending too much time worried about the it than making any real impact.
So, I am taking a few months rest.
See you on the flip side.

Final Cut Studio 2011 to be Amazing

Phillip Gibb — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 07:23:17 +0000

Early January there were some Final Cut Pro rumors going around, the talk has been around for some while. Lets face it – Apple are a bit behind in their maintenance of Final Cut Studio – FCS 3 was not much of an overhaul.
This quarter of 2011 looks to be set to see in an amazing an spectacular release of Final Cut Studio. March seems to be the likely month – although with only 2 day till Steve Jobs’ birthday (25th Jan) it would be cool to see a release then.
TechChruch has the inside track from editors who have previewed the product and have stated that the changes are “dramatic and ambitious”.

The emphasis here is on Final Cut Pro itself, but I am keen to see a Motion and DVD Studio Pro overhaul as well, and if we are to be blown away – the Phenomenon (Shake replacement) product as well. That will be a far reach – speculation was rife 2 years ago on that – well they have had lots of time to work on it.
I for one am amped! With new MacBook Pros around the corner and now this, Apple is starting to look like a company that is taking care of the Pros now lets see a new Mac Pro release and it will be like the cherry on the top.

[Update: a word from one of the invited editors who got to see Final Cut Pro in action and said it’s a jaw-dropper]

Media Composer 5.5 Rleased

Phillip Gibb — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 09:53:00 +0000

And where oh where is the much needed Final Cut Pro update?
If I had the money I would switch to Media Composer. Hell, I’ld go with MC, Nuke and Maya. Perhaps I’ld throw in in Photoshop and After Effects, hmmm.
Anyway on to Media Composer.
I really like the fact that they have a presence in Social Media Channels and that they have momentum in their updates.

So what is in the Update…

Capture, monitor, and output video with support for the AJA Io Express interface
Natively access and edit Sony HDCAM SR Lite media through AMA (Avid Media Access)
Accelerate Panasonic AVC-Intra projects—and use multiple streams—with support for the new Nitris DX AVC-Intra hardware interface
Take hands-on control of your video and audio editing/mixing with EUCON support for Artist Control, Artist Mix, and Artist Transport control surfaces
Find the right clips fast with support for the new PhraseFind option
Directly manipulate transitions in the timeline with the expanded Smart Tool
Quickly find files across local and shared storage bins using the improved Find tool
Be more creative with new updates to the included Production Suite (sold separately from download purchases)
Get more flexibility with audio signal routing when sending material to air (Send to Playback), with up to 16 audio output channels
View portions of the software interface in localized languages, including Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, French, Spanish, German, and Italian
Get better Long GOP performance when using Send to Playback with AirSpeed servers
Use proxies of H.264 material in AirSpeed MultiStream environments for faster response time and increased stream counts

Jane Doe The Movie

Phillip Gibb — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:10:51 +0000

Have you ever walked down the street, sat on a bus or even in a food court in a mall and seen someone who intrigued you for no particular reason? You asked yourself questions like “I wonder what they do for a living or where they live, or what their family is like?”

An interesting question.
Do yourself a favor and ask yourself that very question. Perhaps when you see someone sitting alone on a park bench, someone begging or maybe just someone walking by. What is their story. It is probably a question we don’t want answered when we see someone in need because it personalizes the situation too much and we don’t want to be that involved – hmmm.

This is the question that the filmmakers of Jane Doe are looking to answer. Not just arbitrarily, but in a relevant way – addressing social issues like drug addiction.

Creative Approach
The film will be presented in a very unique way with 2 simultaneous split screens one with the past in one screen and the other the present. I am not sure how they will direct the viewers attention to the correct screen in order to move the story along but it is indicated that they will use “audio and visual techniques” – will be interesting to see how that is done.

An Opportunity to be Involved
If you would like to be a part of this, to participate in helping raise funds, then be sure to check out their IndieGoGo page.
There are two ways that you can be involved:
You can help spread the word and raise awareness by sharing this post, the links to the IndieGoGo, Facebook and YouTube.

You can also Participate in making the film by donating on IndieGogo. It’s not easy making a film and there are so many hidden costs – besides the equipment. Being involved like this has the plus side of either getting stuff associated with the film or – if you are a big donator – being given an Associate Producer or Executive Producer credit, both of which go with an IMDB entry. Nice

Assembling the Red Epic

Phillip Gibb — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:04:59 +0000

Something I would like to do for myself.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM Lens : Messing Around

Phillip Gibb — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:49:56 +0000

Lenses come in all shapes and sizes; some small, some large, light, heavy, white, black. Great glass, adequate glass. For different uses and different applications.
That is why it is important to know what you are needing the lens for and to perhaps try before you buy.
In this case I was lucky to borrow the lens from my boss
Here are my thoughts, from my hobbyist filmmaker point of view, and if you want to by the lens from Amazon then please click on the picture below – in so doing you be contributing to this block through the Amazon Affiliate program.

First of all here is a quick video I made using the Lens on my Canon 550D:

Size

The First thing you notice about the lens is that it is fairly large. It is also heavy. I found that the lens could not fit in my bag – big problem (it is already bad enough with all the other things that have to be carried). Also it is heavy, so you really have to keep it on a tripod and not bear the weight on the camera body. So not really the lens that you want to go hand held even with a rig.

Glass

The quality was great, it is fast and clear. The wide aperture helps separate the foreground from the background and also allows for shooting in lower light conditions.

Uses

Not the run and gun kind of lens or close up shots – you need at least 1.5 m to focus from.

Portraits, probably more for external portraits.
Sports events
Urban shots when you want to shoot from a moderate distance

Here is the link to amazon:

Some photos of the lens on my camera:

Infographic: Horror Films

Phillip Gibb — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 10:00:40 +0000

Presented in luvly shades of gray and red the information of some of the most successful Horror films are displayed. You can see how well the Blair Witch Project did and how much Dracula grossed.
I did not know that “The Mummy” and “The Mummy Returns” were horror movies.

hmmm.

Click on the picture to see it in all it’s glory.

[Source: submitinfographics]

PixelFlow: Video Production in the Cloud

Phillip Gibb — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:20:07 +0000

Computing in the cloud opens tremendous potential for collaboration and project sharing. Imagine that potential and power applied to Video Editing – across borders and across the planet. It is an amazing prospect.
To be honest, I have my doubts about to practicality of collaborating on a project that has a few hours of HD footage – purely based on the limits I experience with internet connectivity in my country. Open up the pipes and the cloud will steam on though
PixelFlow is providing a solution that makes use of cloud computing, their solution comes with a 30 day free trial

What I really like abut PixelFlow is that it is aimed at Video Editing and at reasonable affordable rates.
I must say that my first thought was; is there a Cloud based collaborative service for Final Cut Server.

About Cloud Computing

From wikipedia…

Cloud computing is location-independent computing, whereby shared servers provide resources, software, and data to computers and other devices on demand, as with the electricity grid.

Here are some Cloud computing providers that wikipedia lists. Amazon, IBM, Sun Microsystems and Google being some big names. Interesting that I did not see Microsoft listed – they do provide a Cloud Service as well.

About PixelFLow

PixelFlow launched in 2008 with a focus on web based video collaboration tools. Today, we provide the world’s first Video Production in the Cloud™ system and our mission continues to be the world’s best platform for cloud based professional video production.
The ideas behind PixelFlow’s online production workflow system originated from user groups, technology expos, industry experts and users just like you. As a result, PixelFlow’s easy to use platform delivers simple, yet highly effective features for entrepreneurs, studios, post houses, enterprises, visual effects labs, animators and those who sell video over the web.
The service is fully customizable and can be run as as part of your existing website, to support a fully branded experience. The essence of PixelFlow is a start to finish customer experience within a single application, from concept to payment and download.

Lexus spot shot using Redrock Micro DSLR Rigs

Phillip Gibb — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:44:01 +0000

Redrock Micro have some very awesome HDSLR rigs – check on the sidebar, if you wish to buy one then please buy one through the amazon widget; that way you’ll be supporting this blog (through the affiliate links). Below you’ll see a great commercial done for Lexus using the Redrock Micro DSLR Rigs. Always good to see HDSLRs and related equipment making ground in the professional realm. Check the video at the bottom of the post.

Here is an example of a Rig – The Redrock Micro EyeSpy Balance Bundle for Shoulder Mounted DSLR 2.0 Rig With Straight Offset Kit

On the the Lexus Spot, there are a number of videos there that you can check out, but here is the Behind the Scenes:

Filmmaking Apps

Phillip Gibb — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:56:47 +0000

Handheld Hollywood, whom I have posted about before for their cool app; ReelDirector have a great list of filmmaking apps that can be use on various plateforms and devices. With Mobile devices becoming more powerful and sophisticated, we as filmmakers stand to benifit – mostly because we will have quick access to multiple applications on a small device.
So, here we go :

Canon 550D/T2i Short Film : REDD

Phillip Gibb — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:35:15 +0000

Here is a very cool low low budget short film – shot with a Canon T2i. The short was submitted to a Film Festival with the theme of Speechless.
What appealed to me the most was that this was a DIY low budget film shot on the Canon T2i. A really low budget of $247
wow
I was very keen to just post this short film as is, however, I had a chance to ask Patrick Prejusa the Writer/Director/Editor a couple questions about the Film, check them out after the video.

What kinds of lenses did you use?

Patrick Prejusa : I had the Kit Lens 18-55mm. Also purchased a $20 Nikon Adapter and borrowed a friend’s Nikon 180mm, which had some really great DOF.

I saw a couple dolly shots in the forest, considering your budget – what did you use/make?

Patrick Prejusa : I built a slider based on this tutorial from Indy Mogul youtube.com/watch?v=4ILlNjfqc3E. It actually only cost me $17. Works great.

How on earth did you stabilize those shots? All on a tripod? Shoulder Mount.

Patrick Prejusa : I didn’t have a rig persay. Everything was on a tripod, even shots that moved, I kept it on the tripod and used it as a makeshift glidecam.

Did you make use of only Natural lighting with reflectors?

Patrick Prejusa : All natural lighting. I have handheld lamps with white paper over them for diffusion, but the natural sunlight worked out very well, and we didn’t use them much.

I was interested to see that you editing with Sony Vegas Pro 9, nowadays all you hear is Final Cut Pro and Premier Pro – I am a FCP user myself Did you do everything in Vegas? even the muzzel flashes?

Patrick Prejusa : Yes. All done in Vegas. Muzzle flashes and some of the other VFX bits were from Action Essentials over at Videocopilot.net and also from Detonationfilms.com. All of it was composited in using Vegas. I think Sony Vegas is a great piece of editing software. I find it very comfortable to use. This is really about budget. I’ve edited on FCP quite a bit on borrowed macs in the past. And even though I think it’s a superior editor, I needed to rely on what I already had and could use most often. And it’s a pretty amazing piece of software if you know how to use all of it’s tools. I get questions from people all the time on what kind of editing software they should use, and I always say “whatever you can get.” If you can afford FCP, or Premiere, or Vegas, then great. But if all you’ve got is Express, or Windows Movie Maker, you should still be able to tell a story no matter what kind of software you can afford. Skills and Creativity first, Gear and Software second.

Loved the guns, I could not figure out if they were real/replicas/toy or paint ball – some of those Paintball and air soft guns are ridiculously real looking.

Patrick Prejusa : Airsoft guns, totally. From doing my web series Monster Cops (check it out here monstercops.com) I’ve amassed a huge collection of Airsoft guns. Her double barrel sawed off I made from cardboard tubes, duct tape, and a rubber band gun I found at the thrift store. The gun at the end of the teaser I built out of packaging foam, cardboard tubes, and coffee containers. Both those weapons cost me less than $20 to make. Any recoil on the guns was composited in with Vegas.

There did not seem to be a scence with REDD and a Lycan together; what this a pre production or editorial decision?

Patrick Prejusa : Ah yes, one of the perils of no-budget work. This was all because of scheduling. I could only get our actress, April Crum, on specific days early on when the Wolf wasn’t finished yet, also she lives pretty far away. And when the wolf was finally built, it was harder to match up both our schedules, so I shot the Wolf separately. I do regret not getting the awesome shot of REDD face to face with one of the Wolf Beasts, then you’d really see how tall these creatures were. We’ll be sure to correct that when we do the full feature film. Hopefully we can raise some money for that, make it easier for everyone to free up their schedule.