Scott Simmons over at the editblog unearthed a pretty spiffy aspect ratio dashboard widget for OS X, appropriately named Aspect. This little bit of software takes 'popular ratios used in video and film and calculates any size you need based on the height or width and pixel aspect.' Simple, quick, and effective. Grab the 209Kb download here. Aspect: aspect ratio widget
Scott Simmons over at the editblog unearthed a pretty spiffy aspect ratio dashboard widget for OS X, appropriately named Aspect. This little bit of software takes 'popular ratios used in video and film and calculates any size you need based on the height or width and pixel aspect.' Simple, quick, and effective. Grab the 209Kb download here. Elvis Lives!... in HD
An upcoming documentary, The Truth About Elvis, takes an in-depth look at the conspiracy theory that The King lives. director Dan Bliss wants to separate the film from tabloid fodder, and make sure people the style and imagery of a true and earnest documentary. To do that, he's enlisted the help of the Panasonic AG-HVX200.Bliss says the camera is a perfect fit for all the traveling 'Elvis required. He also praises it's ability to to shoot lengthy interviews with the help of a P2 Store portable hard drive. Using a Powerbook, Bliss would offload the footage to an external firewire drive, then back up each card to DVD. The system offers storage redundancy, and is a pretty good work-around for the current limitations of P2.
Of course, this isn't the first time we've posted on the success of the HVX in real world applications. Still, it continues to amaze as a an affordable option for "film" and television. Click READ below for more info about the film, and the work flow surrounding it.
Video Watch: The making of 'The Children of Men'
Ok, so a few days ago I spout some heavy praise for The Children of Men. More than anything, it is the film's incredible long takes that really amaze me, and thankfully reader Daniel K. brought this Making of The Children of Men to attention. In this seven minute video, director Alfonso Cuarón goes into some depth discussing the challenge of accomplishing a couple of these dauntingly technical shots, and one great segment highlights the custom mobile rig the team developed to get a several minute-long shot from inside of a moving vehicle during a dangerous car chase scene. (Finally, I can sleep at night knowing how they did it...) Crazy stuff. Very informative video. Recommended viewing!Sundance: HD House event
For anyone in Park City during Sundance and Slamdance these next few days, the HD House conference will be running for a full four days from January 19-22. Mike Curtis of the infamous HD For Indies will be kicking off the event with a freeform discussion about all things HD, and the rest of the conference promises to offer a wealth of presentations and technical advice for directors, producers, cinematographers, and videographers working with HD. For a full rundown, check out the conference program and schedule.
How to write a genre movie in seven days
You might recall the $1000 Speilberg blog, which I mentioned back in November. Recently, the site has moved to a new location and its been renamed $1000 Dollar Film, which is more generic and perhaps more clearly representative of the site's goal. Anyway, the website is shaping up with some interesting reading to be had, but one article that caught my eye is 'How to write a genre movie in seven days'. Although I'm not much of the screenwriter type myself, I found this to be a pretty interesting exercise regarding speed writing. Other than being amusing, it does have sound tips on how to be a productive writer, with the final goal of having written something that is watchable and doable, but not necessarily a masterpiece of screenwriting.RED reminder: three day reservation to open
Just in case you've forgotten, reservations for the RED ONE are opening for a limited time starting in two days on January 21st, and ending on January 24th. This will be the final chance before the upcoming NAB convention in April. I'm not sure if this is just a coincidence, but does this timing have anything to do with Sundance, which is going on at the same time...? Hrmm... Just a side thought.Hungry Flix: independent video distribution
Hungry Flix is a new distribution venture for independent video creators and filmmakers. This free service allows users to upload original videos and set their own prices on their work, with 60% of all profits going directly to the original creator. Although the website is in beta testing, a bunch of short and even feature length films are available for purchase. Notably, the site is geared towards providing content specifically for portable devices such as the iPod and Sony PSP, so the pricing reflects that target.Editing AVCHD files
Currently, there is no established workflow for editing AVCHD video, the latest HD format introduced by Panasonic and Sony. Proper editing software for editing raw AVCHD files will not be made available until at least March, however, resourceful reader Jake Ludington has discovered a workaround to editing the raw video produced by the Sony HDR-SR1. It's quite a complicated process and can only be accomplished on a PC due to the software that is involved, but if you need to be able to edit MT2S and cannot wait until the proper tools are released, this method might be your only solution. Be warned that is requires PowerDVD Ultra, VirtualDubMod, and AVIsynth, and a hearty helping of patience. But, there you have it! Thanks, Jake.
The photographer's/videographer's rights
Today, more than ever, photographers are getting hassled and their rights to take public photographs are being questioned with the growing concerns (obsessions?) with maintaining security. However, it is important to understand one's rights when doing photography, and when authorities attempt to challenge your ability to take photographs outdoors, of buildings, etc., it is vital to know that you may not be in violation of any laws, as long as the property is public. This set of photographer's rights should also apply to videography, as far as I know, so it is important information worth noting if you find yourself in a potentially sticky situation.(via ProLost)
Avid 30-Second Spot winners announced
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.Final Print for FCP users
Digital Heaven just released a neat little app that might help Final Cut Pro users manage project workflows. Final Print reads an XML file exported by FCP and displays a list of clip and sequence markers with name, comments, timecode and thumbnail image.
You can check out an example here (PDF alert). Price is $99 and you can download a demo to give it a whirl.
You can check out an example here (PDF alert). Price is $99 and you can download a demo to give it a whirl.
Skype creators get "Joost"
Skype founders Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis have unveiled their latest creation. Joost pronounced "juiced" is a web based video browser that aims to TV up the Internet. Users download the Joost software, and browse channels much like regular TV. The system generates revenue through advertising, though in a less obtrusive way than television. Joost is also in the process of signing deals with content providers, making things nice and legit. Of course the system has a peer to peer element, meaning users will be sharing video with one another.
Joost will mark the third venture from Zennström and Friis. Both file sharing software Kazaa, and telephone over Internet provider Skype have proved lucrative for the Scandinavian duo. Time will tell whether or not they've scored a hat trick in the increasingly crowded video content market.
Netflix does video streaming
It looks like Netflix is in no real hurry to get into the movie download game with the announcement of their plans to incorporate video streaming to their website. Their new "Watch Now" feature (which is now available to subscribers) allows customers to stream anywhere between six to 48 hours of content per month. As of now, only a limited number of customers will be given access to the service, due to handling capacity concerns. On top of that, anyone interested must install special software on their PC to view the content. Currently, 1,000 TV shows and movies are available, and it seems that they can be viewed in full, but the fact that the video is streaming does not offer a whole lot of incentive to really use this "Watch Now" feature seriously. I think Scott Kirsner of CinemaTech is right when he labels this move a "stop-gap measure". Netflix does not want to lose their control over the DVD market by getting into downloads.Make a trailer to play with 'Grindhouse'
You might be familiar with Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's upcoming co-op double feature film, Grindhouse. Now, the directors are offering a chance to screen your own sleazy, raunchy "grindhouse trailer" during a special presentation by Rodriguez at the upcoming SXSW. Rodriguez himself will select the best trailer from all submissions, which are due by February 12th, and play the winner during his "Robert Rodriguez's Grindhouse 101" discussion on Sunday, March 11th. Purty neat. Check out Mike's post for the complete rules.Vidmeter: daily top 100 online videos
Similar to The Internet TV Charts, Vidmeter tracks the leading videos from major video sharing websites, with a daily top 100 list that features content from eleven total services. Unlike the somewhat limited stats of The Internet TV Charts, Vidmeter gathers information form a much more widespread selection, and the single master list is displayed with specific view statistics and the change in popularity from the previous day. Individual videos also feature robust view history information when they are selected from the list. This will be beneficial for anyone following the (somewhat predictable) trends in online video viewing.(via CinemaTech)
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