How the Recession Has Changed Retirement Planning By Philip Rousseaux
The economy may be recovering, but some of the changes wrought by the Great Recession may be long-lasting. Anyone planning for retirement, no matter what their age, needs to take those changes into account, says financial advisor Philip Rousseaux, a member of the esteemed Million Dollar Round Table association's exclusive Top of the Table forum for the world's most successful financial services professionals.
...Read More »
Right on Schedule with The Delivery Men and DaVinci Resolve 9 for Andy Roddick Foundation
The Andy Roddick Foundation (AFR) believes talent is universal but opportunity is not, which is why the nonprofit's goal is to provide all children with a support system that gives them hope for a brighter future. To achieve this goal, ARF has raised more than $10 million since inception to fund programs improving the daily lives of thousands of children. While ARF runs and supports programs that enhance educational and economic opportunities for thousands of children throughout the United States, the nonprofit is headquartered in the city Andy Roddick calls home: Austin, Texas. To help increase awareness and support for its local initiatives, AFR turned to Austin based production company The Delivery Men to create the "This Is" promotional film for its 2012 Andy Roddick Foundation Gala in Austin.
...Read More »
Polyvision Technologies Debuts Transparent Phone Prototype By GrabNetworks
Taiwanese glassmaker Polyvision is showing off a phone that is almost completely transparent only some components, like the microphone and SD card, are visible. The phone is a prototype to demonstrate to manufacturers and partners what future phone
...Read More »
Sweet Sadie Helps Disney Theatrical Productions Commemorate "The Lion King's" 15th Anniversary
A call was heard in New York that echoed around the world" was the emotional theme of a video produced by Sweet Sadie, Inc. for Disney Theatrical Productions commemorating the 15th anniversary of "The Lion King's" debut on Broadway. Disney provided the studio with a massive trove of stills and videos tracing the far-flung 15-year history of the show from which to draw. Employing After Effects, the Sweet Sadie team set about to bring this material to life by animating cast and crew images against new backgrounds, such as show set photography and crowd scenes complete with flash bulbs popping. 2.5D techniques were used to "cut out" foregrounds from backgrounds to stunning effect.
...Read More »
Content Insider #267 - Data Work By Miles Weston
Cloud storage is a lot like the fifth dimension. You can think about it, talk about it but unless you're a real IT storage expert, hacktivist or cyberbad person you're not really certain what you're describing. Well you are because you know it's where you put all your really great stuff - photos, videos, fantastic ideas. Of course your really important stuff can be gone in the slightest wind shift but that's not important right now. You know you're doing your part in working and playing with only a little environmental impact because you're using the cloud in another dimension....
...Read More »
Working in the Cloud and On the Job By Jennifer Hutchison, Online Marketing Specialist for InfoStreet
Professionals who work in the service field often have to juggle several tasks at once. Service techs have to make sales presentations and deal with customer service and still fix the problem they were hired for! They're basically a one-man show that travels from site to site, the ultimate multi-tasker, with so many projects and phone calls to handle that a person can't help but wonder how most even survive each day! But there's something out there to help these guys out with their busy life. By working in the cloud, contractors and techs can gain an extra pair of arms to make each day count. When working in the cloud, there are no risks or compromises, only faster, better, and more accessible tools for communication. The smartphone becomes just as important as the wrench in a plumber's toolbox.
...Read More »
Q&A With Rob Chipman, Founder of BizVision
Rob Chipman, founder of Salt Lake City-based BizVision, talks about the company's February 5 announcement regarding the availability of their nationwide videographer network and the state of online video in corporate and professional America.
...Read More »
Mark Syncs the Spot By Diana Weynand, James Alguire and RevUpTansmedia
One of the most missed features of legacy Final Cut Pro is persistent in and out marks. That is to say, once in and out marks are set in a clip, they remain exactly where they are, as a part of the clip, until explicitly changed or removed. Unfortunately, this arguably essential feature for digital video editing did not make it into Final Cut Pro X. If you set in and out points on a clip then deselect that clip and reselect it, the in and out marks are gone. While it is true that you can use ratings, like Favorites, in FCPX to create persistent clip selections, in and out points have valuable uses beyond just marking a usable portion of a video clip.
...Read More »
The Art of the Trailer: Two Years in 30 Seconds
The trailer plays a major role in the marketing and ultimate success of a feature motion picture. This on-screen advertisement is so engrained in popular culture that most of the time it is taken for granted by movie goers. But industry marketing veterans know the trailer is the first and last chance to create a lasting impression on an audience. Most trailers range in length between 30 seconds and two minutes. It's within that short time span that the viewer will pick up on hundreds of cues about the movie. In the blink of an eye he will determine the genre, the gist of the story, the aesthetic and level of production. By the end of the trailer the viewer might well determine the fate of the movie. Is it a must-see or to-be-avoided?
...Read More »
New Year's Resolution: Make 2013 The Year of the Customer By Joe Langner
The year 2012 was a whirlwind of influences on the business landscape-some of them good and some of them not so good. The fiscal cliff, the Presidential election, an anemic economic recovery and Hurricane Sandy's effects on business are a few things that come to mind. Despite the ever-changing business landscape, one central tenet always rings true: keep your customers happy.
...Read More »
DaVinci Resolve Provides Color Correction for Short Horror Film 'Dead Man's Lake'
When colorist Patrick Inhofer was first contacted by the filmmakers for the short film horror anthology website BloodyCuts.co.uk, he knew right away that he wanted to be involved. The Bloody Cuts team shares a love and passion for horror films and has presented the anthology online as a free web series. As an accomplished colorist, and the founder of the website Tao of Color Grading.com, Patrick realized that he could put his professional skills to work, both by grading their films and by using them to teach aspiring colorists how to grade using the latest developments in color correction.
...Read More »
DaVinci Resolve 'Elementary' in Color Grading Hit CBS Crime Solving Television Show
While it may take Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson just 60 minutes to crack a case on an episode of the hit CBS television show "Elementary," Tony D'Amore can do it in less. As the Senior Colorist at LA based post house Encore and lead colorist for the wildly popular series, Tony is responsible for color correction and grading the weekly show, and he relies on DaVinci Resolve color correction software.
...Read More »
Torpedoed by Subtitles By Diana Weynand, James Alguire and RevUpTansmedia
A video or film project's titles provide crucial information to the viewer, whether it's the opening and closing credits identifying a video or film, the principals involved (the talent and production crew), or lower thirds, the nouns of video, identifying the people, places and things being viewed. Subtitles play a significant role, particularly in editorial or documentary work, in a number of ways. Subtitles make clear, speech or dialog that is difficult to hear or understand, as when people mumble or use unfamiliar dialects; provide language translations for viewers to better understand dialog in foreign languages, especially if the video is produced in a language not native to the viewer; and to make your film or video more accessible to viewers with hearing impairments.
...Read More »
Content Insider 262 - The New Consumer By Miles Weston
Now that you've got a clean slate year to focus on don't you feel just a little stronger, little more empowered? We thought so. And there's no going back for business, governments or us. The economy forced you to be cautious and creative in what you purchased and how you purchased it. New devices and a more responsive online/offline global business community acknowledged the shift (those that didn't ferget em!). You're not alone. Today there is a huge worldwide group of emerging country citizens who don't have to transition from seller's to buyer's markets and mobile device information checking. They're already there and ready to help move the economy forward.
...Read More »
Simplify your business in 2013 By Mike Savory, Product Manager, Sage One
We've had countless discussions with them about the tools they use and why they chose them. These are businesses of all types, sizes and ages; but do you know what is common among them? To some degree, they all use a mix of tools that are either the wrong fit or not connected with each other...or both.
...Read More »
Transitional Animation By Diana Weynand, James Alguire and RevUpTansmedia
Final Cut Pro X provides a number of interesting ways to animate video elements in the Viewer and Timeline to provide complex visual effects. But do you know how to create quick and simple animations just by using transitions? The beauty of this technique is its simplicity. No complex motion paths to adjust, no messing about with untold keyframes, just add a transition and set the timing and you're off to the next project.
...Read More »
Seattle Children's Hospital Upgrades its Auditorium From Analog to Digital
Consistently ranked as one of the best children's hospitals in the country, Seattle Children's is a 254 bed hospital that has been delivering patient care and advancing new treatments through pediatric research for more than 100 years. Located in the Giraffe wing of Children's, the Wright Auditorium is a vital part of the hospital's infrastructure. It holds numerous staff trainings, medical lectures and patient/family education events throughout the year, which means it must always be ready for the next event, be it a simple PowerPoint presentation or a multi site videoconferencing and video recording event. In March of 2012, the hospital's A/V department decided to upgrade the video system in the 266 seat auditorium. The department, which consists of 5 staff members and which supports more than 100 meeting rooms across eight office buildings and multiple regional clinics, knew this might not be an easy task.
...Read More »
Content Insider #260 - Tracking or Following By Miles Weston
Businesses have a fine line to walk today as they struggle to keep you current on what they're doing, what they're offering and giving you the best offers possible just when you need them. It's sometimes difficult to understand when they are tracking you, following you or stalking you. Yes you want/expect them to offer coupons, promotions at just the right time but it's difficult to know when that time is unless they can figure out the outlets you're visiting online/offline. Or maybe it simply doesn't matter. We don't want all that Big Data of yours to go to waste.
...Read More »
Ensworth High School Video Board Lights Up the Night with ATEM 1 M/E Production Switcher
Ensworth High School's football team is in for a challenging autumn. The Nashville, TN Ensworth Tigers, led by coach Ricky Bowers, are heavily favored to win their third consecutive D-II Private School State Championship. Luckily for the Tigers, they have no shortage of die hard fans in their stadium as well as around the country, and this year the cheers will be intensely magnified thanks to the very generous donation of a video board and the installation of a completely HD broadcast workflow from Blackmagic Design.
...Read More »
How the Recession Has Changed Retirement Planning
The economy may be recovering, but some of the changes wrought by the Great Recession may be long-lasting. Anyone planning for retirement, no matter what their age, needs to take those changes into account, says financial advisor Philip Rousseaux, a member of the esteemed Million Dollar Round Table association's exclusive Top of the Table forum for the world's most successful financial services professionals.
...Read More »
Right on Schedule with The Delivery Men and DaVinci Resolve 9 for Andy Roddick Foundation
The Andy Roddick Foundation (AFR) believes talent is universal but opportunity is not, which is why the nonprofit's goal is to provide all children with a support system that gives them hope for a brighter future. To achieve this goal, ARF has raised more than $10 million since inception to fund programs improving the daily lives of thousands of children. While ARF runs and supports programs that enhance educational and economic opportunities for thousands of children throughout the United States, the nonprofit is headquartered in the city Andy Roddick calls home: Austin, Texas. To help increase awareness and support for its local initiatives, AFR turned to Austin based production company The Delivery Men to create the "This Is" promotional film for its 2012 Andy Roddick Foundation Gala in Austin.
...Read More »
Polyvision Technologies Debuts Transparent Phone Prototype
Taiwanese glassmaker Polyvision is showing off a phone that is almost completely transparent only some components, like the microphone and SD card, are visible. The phone is a prototype to demonstrate to manufacturers and partners what future phone
...Read More »
Sweet Sadie Helps Disney Theatrical Productions Commemorate "The Lion King's" 15th Anniversary
A call was heard in New York that echoed around the world" was the emotional theme of a video produced by Sweet Sadie, Inc. for Disney Theatrical Productions commemorating the 15th anniversary of "The Lion King's" debut on Broadway. Disney provided the studio with a massive trove of stills and videos tracing the far-flung 15-year history of the show from which to draw. Employing After Effects, the Sweet Sadie team set about to bring this material to life by animating cast and crew images against new backgrounds, such as show set photography and crowd scenes complete with flash bulbs popping. 2.5D techniques were used to "cut out" foregrounds from backgrounds to stunning effect.
...Read More »
Content Insider #267 - Data Work
Cloud storage is a lot like the fifth dimension. You can think about it, talk about it but unless you're a real IT storage expert, hacktivist or cyberbad person you're not really certain what you're describing. Well you are because you know it's where you put all your really great stuff - photos, videos, fantastic ideas. Of course your really important stuff can be gone in the slightest wind shift but that's not important right now. You know you're doing your part in working and playing with only a little environmental impact because you're using the cloud in another dimension....
...Read More »
Working in the Cloud and On the Job
Professionals who work in the service field often have to juggle several tasks at once. Service techs have to make sales presentations and deal with customer service and still fix the problem they were hired for! They're basically a one-man show that travels from site to site, the ultimate multi-tasker, with so many projects and phone calls to handle that a person can't help but wonder how most even survive each day! But there's something out there to help these guys out with their busy life. By working in the cloud, contractors and techs can gain an extra pair of arms to make each day count. When working in the cloud, there are no risks or compromises, only faster, better, and more accessible tools for communication. The smartphone becomes just as important as the wrench in a plumber's toolbox.
...Read More »
Q&A With Rob Chipman, Founder of BizVision
Rob Chipman, founder of Salt Lake City-based BizVision, talks about the company's February 5 announcement regarding the availability of their nationwide videographer network and the state of online video in corporate and professional America.
...Read More »
Mark Syncs the Spot
One of the most missed features of legacy Final Cut Pro is persistent in and out marks. That is to say, once in and out marks are set in a clip, they remain exactly where they are, as a part of the clip, until explicitly changed or removed. Unfortunately, this arguably essential feature for digital video editing did not make it into Final Cut Pro X. If you set in and out points on a clip then deselect that clip and reselect it, the in and out marks are gone. While it is true that you can use ratings, like Favorites, in FCPX to create persistent clip selections, in and out points have valuable uses beyond just marking a usable portion of a video clip.
...Read More »
The Art of the Trailer: Two Years in 30 Seconds
The trailer plays a major role in the marketing and ultimate success of a feature motion picture. This on-screen advertisement is so engrained in popular culture that most of the time it is taken for granted by movie goers. But industry marketing veterans know the trailer is the first and last chance to create a lasting impression on an audience. Most trailers range in length between 30 seconds and two minutes. It's within that short time span that the viewer will pick up on hundreds of cues about the movie. In the blink of an eye he will determine the genre, the gist of the story, the aesthetic and level of production. By the end of the trailer the viewer might well determine the fate of the movie. Is it a must-see or to-be-avoided?
...Read More »
New Year's Resolution: Make 2013 The Year of the Customer
The year 2012 was a whirlwind of influences on the business landscape-some of them good and some of them not so good. The fiscal cliff, the Presidential election, an anemic economic recovery and Hurricane Sandy's effects on business are a few things that come to mind. Despite the ever-changing business landscape, one central tenet always rings true: keep your customers happy.
...Read More »
DaVinci Resolve Provides Color Correction for Short Horror Film 'Dead Man's Lake'
When colorist Patrick Inhofer was first contacted by the filmmakers for the short film horror anthology website BloodyCuts.co.uk, he knew right away that he wanted to be involved. The Bloody Cuts team shares a love and passion for horror films and has presented the anthology online as a free web series. As an accomplished colorist, and the founder of the website Tao of Color Grading.com, Patrick realized that he could put his professional skills to work, both by grading their films and by using them to teach aspiring colorists how to grade using the latest developments in color correction.
...Read More »
Kubi Provides Remote-Control Telepresence for Your iPad
An Indiegogo project called Kubi has plans to turn your iPad or other bluetooth-enabled tablet into a remote-controllable videoconferencing system.
...Read More »
DaVinci Resolve 'Elementary' in Color Grading Hit CBS Crime Solving Television Show
While it may take Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson just 60 minutes to crack a case on an episode of the hit CBS television show "Elementary," Tony D'Amore can do it in less. As the Senior Colorist at LA based post house Encore and lead colorist for the wildly popular series, Tony is responsible for color correction and grading the weekly show, and he relies on DaVinci Resolve color correction software.
...Read More »
Torpedoed by Subtitles
A video or film project's titles provide crucial information to the viewer, whether it's the opening and closing credits identifying a video or film, the principals involved (the talent and production crew), or lower thirds, the nouns of video, identifying the people, places and things being viewed. Subtitles play a significant role, particularly in editorial or documentary work, in a number of ways. Subtitles make clear, speech or dialog that is difficult to hear or understand, as when people mumble or use unfamiliar dialects; provide language translations for viewers to better understand dialog in foreign languages, especially if the video is produced in a language not native to the viewer; and to make your film or video more accessible to viewers with hearing impairments.
...Read More »
Content Insider 262 - The New Consumer
Now that you've got a clean slate year to focus on don't you feel just a little stronger, little more empowered? We thought so. And there's no going back for business, governments or us. The economy forced you to be cautious and creative in what you purchased and how you purchased it. New devices and a more responsive online/offline global business community acknowledged the shift (those that didn't ferget em!). You're not alone. Today there is a huge worldwide group of emerging country citizens who don't have to transition from seller's to buyer's markets and mobile device information checking. They're already there and ready to help move the economy forward.
...Read More »
Simplify your business in 2013
We've had countless discussions with them about the tools they use and why they chose them. These are businesses of all types, sizes and ages; but do you know what is common among them? To some degree, they all use a mix of tools that are either the wrong fit or not connected with each other...or both.
...Read More »
Transitional Animation
Final Cut Pro X provides a number of interesting ways to animate video elements in the Viewer and Timeline to provide complex visual effects. But do you know how to create quick and simple animations just by using transitions? The beauty of this technique is its simplicity. No complex motion paths to adjust, no messing about with untold keyframes, just add a transition and set the timing and you're off to the next project.
...Read More »
Seattle Children's Hospital Upgrades its Auditorium From Analog to Digital
Consistently ranked as one of the best children's hospitals in the country, Seattle Children's is a 254 bed hospital that has been delivering patient care and advancing new treatments through pediatric research for more than 100 years. Located in the Giraffe wing of Children's, the Wright Auditorium is a vital part of the hospital's infrastructure. It holds numerous staff trainings, medical lectures and patient/family education events throughout the year, which means it must always be ready for the next event, be it a simple PowerPoint presentation or a multi site videoconferencing and video recording event. In March of 2012, the hospital's A/V department decided to upgrade the video system in the 266 seat auditorium. The department, which consists of 5 staff members and which supports more than 100 meeting rooms across eight office buildings and multiple regional clinics, knew this might not be an easy task.
...Read More »
Content Insider #260 - Tracking or Following
Businesses have a fine line to walk today as they struggle to keep you current on what they're doing, what they're offering and giving you the best offers possible just when you need them. It's sometimes difficult to understand when they are tracking you, following you or stalking you. Yes you want/expect them to offer coupons, promotions at just the right time but it's difficult to know when that time is unless they can figure out the outlets you're visiting online/offline. Or maybe it simply doesn't matter. We don't want all that Big Data of yours to go to waste.
...Read More »
Ensworth High School Video Board Lights Up the Night with ATEM 1 M/E Production Switcher
Ensworth High School's football team is in for a challenging autumn. The Nashville, TN Ensworth Tigers, led by coach Ricky Bowers, are heavily favored to win their third consecutive D-II Private School State Championship. Luckily for the Tigers, they have no shortage of die hard fans in their stadium as well as around the country, and this year the cheers will be intensely magnified thanks to the very generous donation of a video board and the installation of a completely HD broadcast workflow from Blackmagic Design.
...Read More »
Vegas Pro 10 Available Now
