Studio Monthly articles from April 2005

Studio Monthly archives from April 2005

The upgrade challenge.(editor's note)
April 1, 2005... How often should you upgrade your gear? And which tool, or set of tools, should you tackle first? Of course, those answers depend on your budget and the severity of your production needs. Many of you continue to make exceptional video with only...

Feedback.
April 1, 2005... I was a fan of AV Video Multimedia Producer and enjoyed its content; however, Studio/monthly blows away any other publication out there. I read a lot of magazines and this is by far the best. The reviews and tutorials are exactly what I need to...

Serious rack.(feedback)
April 1, 2005... Congrats on the new magazine and format. I have a simple comment on the DV Rack "RIO Review" from the 03/05 edition. Mr. Erik Holsinger makes an interesting statement near the end that if you don't have the option (or the cash) for traditional...

Graphics get glam for Cher's long goodbye.(quick cuts)
April 1, 2005... WORKING UNDER A CONSTANT state of deadline pressure for Cher's concert valediction (maybe), assistant video director and engineer Jason Harvey's job is to provide the pulsating sights and sounds that back up the entertainer's high-energy...

JVC-GY5000U camera.(What I'm Using Now)
April 1, 2005... TAYLOR WIGTON DP, Los Angeles Favorite gear: JVC-GY5000U camera List: $5,995 (without lens or viewfinder) Why I love it: On a superficial level, I love to see the expressions on peoples' faces when they find out the film they just...

Panasonic and Abel CineTech to offer Filmmakers Grant.(quick cuts)
April 1, 2005... FLUSH WITH THE SUCCESS OF the first Digital Filmmakers Grant Program last year, Panasonic and Abel CineTech announced that they would team up again in support of established and aspiring indies with year two of the Digital Filmmakers Grant...

Discreet rebrands as Autodesk Media Entertainment.(quick cuts)
April 1, 2005... Discreet announced in March that the company has transitioned its name and branding to Autodesk Media Entertainment, a move it says reconciles its larger corporate identity, and its software brands in particular, with parent company Autodesk....

Sony helm takes westward turn.(quick cuts)
April 1, 2005... SONY CORPORATION OF JAPAN STUNNED THE business world early last month by appointing a westerner, the Welsh-born (and non-Japanese speaking) Sir Howard Stringer (top right), as its chairman and chief executive. The appointment enlists him in a...

NewTek VT[4] LIVE! Is the competition toast?(ROI reviews)
April 1, 2005... The NewTek Video Toaster made its debut in 1991 and started the "desktop video" revolution. It's 14 years later and this product is now in version 4, dubbed VT[4], and is being offered in several different bundles. With an Educational Bundle...

Automatic Duck Pro Import C3 for combustion: a pain-free plug for moving projects from editing into motion graphics programs.(ROI reviews)
April 1, 2005... For anyone who has ever tried to move a project from an editing program into a motion graphics program by exporting multiple QuickTime or AVI media files and multiple EDL's and then rebuilding the project in the graphics program, the Automatic...

HP xw9300: a leading-edge workstation that's built for speed.(ROI reviews)
April 1, 2005... Timing is everything when buying a computer. If you buy too early, you may miss a significant leap in performance. If you wait too long, you may miss the opportunity of having a faster system. It's a tricky decision. Sometimes you luck out and...

Archos AV420 Pocket Video Recorder: a 20 GB consumer tool that pros can love.(ROI reviews)
April 1, 2005... Sometimes the right tool is a heavily discounted consumer product rather than an overpriced professional product. That may be the case with the Archos AV420 Pocket Video Recorder. This 9.88-ounce device offers video recording and playback via a...

How to create a 3D motion graphic background using Adobe After Effects 6.5 3D space.(how)
April 1, 2005... STEP 1 Create nine solids The first thing you need to do is create nine solids with varying opacity. These are the building blocks of our 3D structure. To start with, make a red solid that's 300 pixels wide by 800 pixels high. Create...

How tp capture HDV for editing in Sony Vegas 5 with CineForm Connect HD.(how)
April 1, 2005... STEP 1 Connect the HDV camera to your computer When you first connect the HDV camer a to the computer, the computer will indicate that it has seen the camcorder or deck. In this image, you see the HVR-M10U connecting to the computer....

New software increases video quality and saves production time.(Advertisement)
April 1, 2005... DV Rack is the first product that can prevent video disasters, let you shoot faster, and help you get visibly better quality from your camera. It's powerful software that runs on a PC or laptop connected to your DV camera and includes ten...

Create quick rack defocus lights with GenArts Sapphire plug-ins on Discreet flame.(how)
April 1, 2005... STEP 1 Create a smooth and slow motion Generate a slowly undulating surface or texture to use as a basis for that gentle film weave or slow motion these lights often have. From GenArts Sapphire plug-ins, load "Texture" spark and use...

How to add a soundtrack with SmartSound Sonicfire Pro.(how)
April 1, 2005... STEP 1 Import your video We begin by importing a video (in this case, an AVI file) that is in need of a soundtrack via Cmd/Ctrl+Y. SmartSound Sonicfire Pro can import most of the standard video formats; if you come across one it can't...

Perform a real-time color match in Adobe Premiere Pro with Matrox Axio HD.(train up)
April 1, 2005... step 1 Set up your workspace in Premiere Color matching lets you create shot-to-shot continuity by ensuring skin tones, backgrounds or objects look the same from cut to cut. Here, you'll perform a color match on uncompressed 1920 X 1080p...

Hey, I need my (color) space! New technologies present a brighter picture for electronic displays.(issues)
April 1, 2005... January's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is always worth a visit, not only because of the many cool (and often ultimately useless) gadgets that are hawked, but to catch up on the latest advances in electronic displays. Everywhere you...

For HD post, less is more: how I reignited my love for post compression.(issues)
April 1, 2005... Take a look at the chart at right. Uncompressed HD files are huge; storage for those files is expensive. HDCAM, DVCPRO HD, and HDV cameras create comparatively compact files, but for post I want more color space, full raster sampling and less...

NAB '05 tech preview: we'll help you navigate hot new products and trends, from HDV to 4K display, even if Vegas isn't in your future.(TECHNOLOGY: NAB)(Cover Story)
April 1, 2005... WANT TO TEST RUN ONE OF THE NEW HDV cameras and see for yourself what native HDV editing really means? Searching for the ultimate fix to your cyclical storage woes? Need a production monitor that actually fits in your cramped studio? For those...

Diamonds in the rough: how to navigate the often frustrating process of finding, licensing and upconverting archival footage for documentaries and more.(TECHNIQUE)
April 1, 2005... The heart of a documentary is found not just in the way a director coaxes his subjects to tell their story. Though revelatory confessions or even a subtle aversion of the eyes caught on camera can speak volumes, a film's emotional power comes...

TakeTwo/CLiP leads new creative initiative.(STUDIOS ON THE RISE)
April 1, 2005... THE COOL FACTOR Teri Rogers has a vision. As CEO of TakeTwo and her newly formed offshoot company TakeTwo/CLiP, she wants to help turn America's heartland into a thriving Mecca of creative and artistic expression. They may operate out of...

Capturing the Red Sox in 24p: how the team's in-house video crew shoots it out of the park.(the biz)
April 1, 2005... All of Red Sox Nation seemingly held its breath: The Red Sox were one out away from the impossible--a World Series victory. They had been here before; they had been one out away from winning it all in 1986, and one game win from baseball's...

Value central.
April 1, 2005... cameras AG-DVC60 Shoulder-mount Mini-DV Camcorder More than $360 in free accessories with purchase of DVC60 The rock-solid, shoulder-mount AG-DVC60 Mini-DV camcorder just got even more appealing thanks to a free accessories offer!...

Dealing with NAB.(WEIRD BUT TRUE TALES FROM THE STUDIO)(Cartoon)
April 1, 2005... Tom Beland is a cartoonist based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is also the creator of the Eisner Comic Industry Award-nominated series, True Story: Swear to God, published by AiT/Planet Lar, www.ait-planetlar.com. Have a production disaster...