Studio Monthly articles from June 2006

Studio Monthly archives from June 2006

Open season.(editor's note)
June 1, 2006... It's not what you think--I'm not talking about hunting, Dick Cheney or the first feature-length animated film that's coming this fall from Sony Pictures (which does feature a character named Park Ranger Beth voiced by redhead and fellow British...

The little film festival that could.(quick cuts)
June 1, 2006... Social activism and short films have a uniquely symbiotic relationship. After all, if you can't make your point in eight minutes or less, then you probably should find another medium. Some of the 16 short independent films selected for this...

What I'm using now: Illuminate Labs' Turtle.(quick cuts)
June 1, 2006... ANDRE HONACKER CG Supervisor Engine Room VFX LIST: $1,199 (per workstation) $999 per render node WHY I LOVE IT: We recently put Turtleto the test on the new theatrical openings for Lionsgate Films. This project presented...

MXO for I/O on the go.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
June 1, 2006... One of the hottest little boxes introduced at NAB was Matrox's MXO, a DVI-to-audio/video output adaptor for the Mac that takes the DVI out from a Mac desktop or laptop and converts it to broadcast-quality video. Imagine being able to preview...

FX and HD discs for video editors.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
June 1, 2006... If you're an Avid editor and are itching to push your HD Xpress Pro and Media Composer projects out to a high-def disc, you're finally about to get your chance. Though you can't buy Avid DVD by Sonic-BD Edition directly from Sonic, you'll find...

Thinking outside the box.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
June 1, 2006... HP has a new family of workstations geared for high-end graphics apps. The xw8400 high-performance box delivers the latest 64-bit Intel Dual-Core Xeon architecture and gets a nice boost from the newest graphics accelerators from NVIDIA and ATI....

The need for speed.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
June 1, 2006... NewTek pulled a rabbit out of its hat at this year's NAB and surprised attendees not only with some exciting enhancements to its Lightwave 3D v9, but also by introducing a new resolution-independent, low-cost NLE that is being billed as "the...

HDV for the studio.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
June 1, 2006... At NAB, JVC unveiled the GY-HD250U, the first of its ProHD line of HDV camcorders to offer studio features like 720/60p capture and recording. The HD250U records in a true 1280x720 progressive scan at 60 fps using a new codec, which means more...

Sony-style soundtracks.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
June 1, 2006... Away from the sound and fury of the NAB exhibition floor, Sony quietly launched Cinescore software, a music creation tool that automatically generates complete custom soundtracks. Cinescore includes a broad palette of musical themes that can be...

Ensemble cast.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
June 1, 2006... Echolab, 360 Systems, Avitech Video and Compix Media have joined forces to introduce the Studio Ensemble, an integrated, turnkey studio aimed at customers who need to transition to a digital video workflow but can't afford to make existing...

The Boris graphics Blues.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
June 1, 2006... Boris FX is now shipping version 1.0 of Boris Blue, the company's 3D compositing and motion graphics app for motion graphic artists and video editors. Offering 3D model import and animation and advanced 2D and 3D composition, titling, particle...

Mini me.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
June 1, 2006... Teranex, the broadcast and post arm of Silicon Optix, introduced the newest member to its Mini product line, the portable 50/60 Hz Mini Standards Converter. Like the Mini DTV Format Converter, this product uses the Silicon Optix Realta HQV...

Going downstream.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
June 1, 2006... DiskStream debuted its file-based, turnkey video archiving solution, Capsa. It offers open, low-cost storage, leveraging inexpensive, nearline storage capabilities including SATA hard drives, and data DVD for backup. Its search and preview...

Harris InfoCaster 2.0: get the message!(ROI reviews)
June 1, 2006... Digital signs are popping up everywhere. Falling prices for flat panel monitors, along with low-cost desktop and notebook computers, are fueling the drive to place informational displays in airports, restaurants, health clubs, churches and...

Apple Aperture 1.1.1: a powerful app but better used with Photoshop.(ROI reviews)
June 1, 2006... Apple's Aperture is a well-designed tool for color- and exposure-correcting digital photographs. Fronted with a slick Apple interface, it also makes cataloging easy. But because Aperture, a new contender in a field dominated by one application,...

Perform a composite face-replace in discreet Flame.(how)
June 1, 2006... STEP 1 CAREFULLY SELECT YOUR SHOTS When compositing faces digitally, it's important to develop a process to cut down on time and keep the production budget on target. This begins with shooting. Often, when a face replacement is needed...

Design a comet using Trapcode 3D Stroke.(how)
June 1, 2006... STEP 1 CREATE A ROUGH COMET PATH Start by doing the normal After Effects stuff. Make a new composition with your footage in place and create a new comp-sized solid above your footage. Now, apply the 3D Stroke effect to your solid layer...

Customize your Apple Final Cut Pro workflow for an installation project.(how)
June 1, 2006... STEP 1 STACK VIDEO First you have to stack up five layers of video and reposition them to mimic the setup. This is easily done using the scale and center settings under the motion tab of the viewer window. If you prefer to work in the...

Redesign and repurpose Web content for a self-service kiosk.(PRODUCT MANAGER TUTORIAL)
June 1, 2006... STEP 1 Use simple navigation * Eliminate all the double-click, right-click, CTRL keys and keyboard shortcuts you offered Web visitors. Limit your navigation to buttons sized for fingertip control. * Use "Next" or "Continue" functions...

The mighty midget: can light-emitting diodes (LEDs) take color rendering in LCD monitors to the next level?(issues)
June 1, 2006... At the 2006 Hollywood Post Alliance technology retreat, I had the privilege of co-chairing a half-day session on trends in display technologies. Our expert presenters covered the gamut of display issues from color rendering to de-interlacing,...

NAB top 10 aha! Moments: could these products-all around $20,000-change everything?(TECHNOLOGY)(Cover story)
June 1, 2006... MAYBE YOU COULDN'T LEAVE THE STUDIO THIS YEAR TO ATTEND ANOTHER NAB IN LAS VEGAS. OR MAYBE YOUR TIME FOR TRAWLING THE WEB HAS BEEN CUT SHORT BY ONE TOO MANY NEW CLIENTS. DON'T WORRY. WE'VE SUMMED UP THE TOP TEN PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS, AND A FEW...

2006 flat-panel monitors buyer's guide: like it or not, LCDs now dominate the flat-panel market. But which models and brands really measure up--and how do you pick the right one for your studio?
June 1, 2006... Buying the right monitor has become even more complicated than in previous years, especially if you work in video production. Traditionally, video professionals have favored CRT monitors for their rich color gamut and fast response time. In...

Q & A with 615 music's Randy Wachtler.(SPOTLIGHT ON PRODUCTION MUSIC LIBRARIES)(Interview)
June 1, 2006... With 300 CDs and seven libraries, Nashville-based 615 Music (www.615music.com) may not be the largest production library out there. But with a 20-year-old custom business specializing in broadcast themes and promos for ABC, NBC, CBS and HGTV,...

Dealing with screen envy.(WEIRD BUT TRUE TALES FROM THE STUDIO)(Cartoon)
June 1, 2006... Tom Beland is a cartoonist based in Napa, CA. 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. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...