Studio Monthly articles from May 2006

Studio Monthly archives from May 2006

Spring clean up.(editor's note)
May 1, 2006... Have you sorted out your archives lately? As you carry another leaf or garbage bag to the curb this spring, think about how your facility's media archive could benefit from the same kind of purging you're doing around the house. It's time to...

What's my flow.(quick cuts)
May 1, 2006... RICK UNGER DI colorist Milagro Post Southfield, MI WHAT I DO Color grade 30-second spots in shot order at film resolution [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HOW I DO IT I have spent the last 20 years working as a...

What I'm using now: Metric Halo Channelstrip.(quick cuts)
May 1, 2006... BRAD MCLLVAINE Sr. Mixer/Designer Henninger Media Services Washington, D.C. LIST: $299-$699 depending on configuration WHY I LOVE IT: Channelstrip is a uniquely powerful compressor/gate/EQ plug-in for ProTools and many...

1 Beyond 8.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
May 1, 2006... At NAB, 1 Beyond unveiled its HD OctoFlex, which it claims to be the first eight-processor workstation that runs Windows XP, rather than Windows Server 2003. The HD OctoFlex is now shipping for 2K and 4K workflows, multilayer SD VFX and...

Windows XP on a Mac?(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
May 1, 2006... Amid a flurry of speculation in early April, Apple introduced Boot Camp, public beta software that lets Intel-based Macs run Windows XP. Boot Camp will be a feature in Leopard, Apple's next major release of Mac OS X that will be previewed at...

Foxi lady.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
May 1, 2006... 16x9 introduced Foxi by Bebob Engineering, a new professional remote focus and iris control for Panasonic AG-HVX200 and AG-DVX100B camcorders. Featuring an improved quick-release clamp, Foxi can be mounted to tripod panhandles up to 34mm in...

New tools for Blu-ray and HD DVD.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
May 1, 2006... Sonic Solutions has just launched Scenarist 4 and CineVision, professional high-definition authoring and encoding systems for creating interactive Blu-ray and HD DVD titles. Scenarist 4 features direct, cell-level access to the next generation...

Surviving the Storm.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
May 1, 2006... Hardigg has released the Storm Case iM2370, a strong case designed for laptops. Made from Hardigg's patented HPX high-performance resin, the iM2370 is lightweight, air- and watertight, and guaranteed by the company for life. Wide enough to...

Flexing muscles.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
May 1, 2006... Disc Makers has added the ReflexAuto3 and the ReflexAuto8 automated towers to its lineup of Reflex duplicators. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The ReflexAuto8 lets you burn CDs for over 20 hours unattended with a disc capacity of 1,000. The...

Toxik updates.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
May 1, 2006... Autodesk has released Toxik 2007, the new version of its collaborative compositing software. First previewed last year at NAB, upgrades include a Paint system that lets users paint high-resolution, high-dynamic-range imagery (HDRI)...

Macromedia Studio 8 from Adobe: faster, integrated versions of favorite tools for both web and video pros.(ROI reviews)
May 1, 2006... Almost every project we produce at my company uses at least one Studio application and incorporates some form of video or Flash, and ultimately, it ends up on CD, DVD or the Web. Fortunately, with every iteration of the products that compose...

PESA Premiere Matrix Switcher: breaking the price barrier with a quality SD system.(ROI reviews)
May 1, 2006... Switching and intelligent routing are critical in any multi-room studio environment, but switchers aren't at all inexpensive. PESA Switching Systems, however, has broken the price barrier for quality standard definition switchers with its...

Autodesk 3ds Max 8: a must-have upgrade with new and advanced tools.(ROI reviews)
May 1, 2006... 3ds Max 8 from Autodesk brings maturity and features to this potent and popular 3D application. Improvements to the cloth, hair and fur algorithms, the inclusion of Mental Ray 3.4, satellite rendering and other new and upgraded tools make this...

Edit a multi-cam shoot in Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0.(how)
May 1, 2006... STEP 1 CREATE A CLEAR SYNC POINT BY CLAPPING A SLATE You need to first establish a clear sync point at which all of the cameras record the same thing before they record their individual shots. That sync point will be identified as the...

Cut down on HD editing time with P2 Media from the HVX200.(how)
May 1, 2006... STEP 1 DELETE BAD TAKES ON LOCATION Unlike with tape, it's pretty easy to delete useless takes right after you shoot them in the field. It takes about five seconds and frees up space on the P2 card. It also saves you time in the edit...

Create an info channel with crawl using VertigoXmedia Xpresenter.(PRODUCT MANAGER TUTORIAL)
May 1, 2006... STEP 1 Create a new slide With PowerPoint open and the Xpresenter software installed, create a new presentation or add a new slide to an existing presentation. Select Blank as the slide layout. Your slide should have an NTSC resolution of...

Popcorn, toothpicks and video: four tools that eliminate nagging little problems and keep productions running smoothly.(issues)
May 1, 2006... Ever get a piece of popcorn stuck between two teeth? Your world stops as you struggle to fix this minor dental problem. You frantically search for a toothpick, find one, get that pericarp out of your mouth and life continues. Video...

Wham, bam, thank you DAM: why the automated storage, management and delivery of your media matters and how it can help you make and save your studio money.(TECHNOLOGY: ASSEST MANAGEMENT)(Cover story)
May 1, 2006... WHEN THE SUBJECT OF DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT comes up, do your eyes glaze over with that tell-tale look of confusion mixed with dread? It's understandable. You've heard the horror stories, when even the best technology and systems couldn't...

Heartwood Media: a good deed doesn't go unnoticed.(STUDIOS ON THE RISE)
May 1, 2006... WHAT'S THEIR GIG? It was 10 years ago that Chris Conroy launched the Manchester, NH-based Heartwood Media, a production and post studio that bills itself as a "soup-to-nuts" operation. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] President and creative...

Dealing with archives.(WEIRD BUT TRUE TALES FROM THE STUDIO)(Cartoon)
May 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] ...