Studio Monthly articles from December 2008

Studio Monthly archives from December 2008

Oh, it's you again.(editor's note)
December 1, 2008... Here we are, at the end of another year, steadying ourselves for the downturn. Haven't we been here before? The truth is, the video and film industry has been downsizing and consolidating for years. After 9/11, particularly in the New...

Now easier being green.(gear up)
December 1, 2008... Ribbit Films creates pre-keyed HD footage for motion graphics artists, all shot in 1280x720. Primarily serving motion graphics artists in advertising, film production, and Flash development, Ribbit Films is known for delivering high-quality...

Pick a clip.(gear up)
December 1, 2008... ITN Source recently launched Clips on Demand, the world's largest collection of broadcast-quality, "rights-ready" video clips available for purchase and download online for the first time in the archive video industry. Over 500,000 clips are...

Aerials from Artbeats.(gear up)
December 1, 2008... Artbeats' newest royalty-free aerial stock footage collections, New Orleans Aerials and Florida City Aerials, feature unique aerial shots of numerous landmarks including the picturesque southern coastline, commanding skyscrapers and prominent...

Cuts from Hollywood.(gear up)
December 1, 2008... BBC Motion Gallery, the clip sates arm of BBC Worldwide, announced that it has signed a deal with Light-works Program Distribution to distribute video content from The Hollywood Reporter, a Nielsen Business Media publication. Under the deal,...

HP's even sharper workstation.(gear up)
December 1, 2008... HP introduced the HP gt7725 Thin Client and HP ProLiant xw2x220c Blade Workstation, a high-performance thin client and blade workstation that provide virtualization customers a true workstation experience combined with the security, ease of...

All-in-one recorder/player.(gear up)
December 1, 2008... Panasonic has recently introduced the solid-state AG-HPG20 P2 Portable recorder/player with AVC-Intra recording capabilities. Supporting the 10-bit AVC-Intra codec, as well as formats ranging from DVCPRO HD to DV, the P2 Portable will serve as...

A more customizable switch.(gear up)
December 1, 2008... Panasonic has also announced the immediate availability of the AV-HS400A multi-format HD/SD live switcher. The new HS400A offers all the features of its predecessor (AV-HS400), such as built-in MultiViewer image preview, full 10-bit HD...

Media 100 now meshes with FCP.(gear up)
December 1, 2008... Media 100 is now shipping Media TOO Version 13, introduced at ISC 2008. Version 13 features XML Interchange Integration with Apple Final Cut Studio via importing and exporting of XML-based files. This new feature lets users share projects with...

Redrock microMatteBox: this accessory will rock your RED camera.(ROI reviews)
December 1, 2008... Unless you're specifically attempting a sun-flare effect in camera, chances are you want to do everything you can to avoid glare from the sun or any other lighting sources. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Though most video cameras have lens...

Quantum Leap SD2: this virtual drum set will blow you out of the room.(ROI reviews)
December 1, 2008... Quantum Leap's Stormdrum2, or SD2, is a set of virtual instruments made from excellent quality sampled sounds that will benefit professional sound designers as well as those looking for a way to add professional sounding effects and atmosphere...

Capture live events, Olympic-style, with the Sony XDCAM HD.(how)
December 1, 2008... TIP 1 FOR RUN-AND-GUN WORK, STICK TO BASIC MENUS Sony and NBC had us stick to the basic menus throughout the Games, which let us concentrate on capturing the action. The menus are very simple to maneuver through. Without any training...

Set up a facial retarget in DCG FacePro.(train up)
December 1, 2008... STEP 1 LOAD MOCAP DATA Load the actor's ROM (range of motion) file into BLADE and open the Face Retarget Setup window from the FacePro custom tools. Scrub the time bar to find a frame where the actor's face pose is the same as the...

Support systems: without them, you're stranded. But which tripod is best for your camera?(TRIPODS)
December 1, 2008... Tripods are the unsung heroes of video and film production. When they work as they're supposed to, we take them for granted. When they fail, everything grinds to a halt. "It's like the tires on your car," explains Gary Baum. "You don't often...

Hornet nests talent.(hot house)
December 1, 2008... Artists are notoriously bad at making money. Van Gogh's life would have turned out significantly better had he hired a decent publicist. That's why God made agents. A good agent can uncover and nurture the talented folks out there who may not...