Studio Monthly articles from September 2006

Studio Monthly archives from September 2006

Space travel.(editor's note)
September 1, 2006... I've been thinking a lot lately about the way we navigate space. Not the astro- or cosmonaut kind, but the spaces we inhabit in our professional lives--in and out of the studio, at work and at home, online and offline--and how we get from one...

What I did on my summer vacation.(quick cuts)
September 1, 2006... Sorry to say there wasn't really a vacation this summer for me, but in case you were lucky enough to unplug sometime during the past few months, here's a quick overview of what you may have missed at the season's main trade shows, CineGear and...

What I'm using now: e frontier's Poser.(quick cuts)
September 1, 2006... JOHNNIE SEMERAD Creative Director and Co-founder Quiet Man New York, NY LIST: $189.95 WHY I LOVE IT: Quickly rendered characters, at a fraction of the cost, and the ability to work in shared Avid Projects. ...

Into the Strata-sphere.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
September 1, 2006... In April, SmartSound launched the Strata Series of music, the company's first multi-layer music series. These tracks are designed to work with the Mood Mapping feature in SmartSound's recently released Sonicfire Pro 4. Through Mood Mapping,...

Manhattan transfer.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
September 1, 2006... Yes, like it or not, the '80s are now chic and retro. Okay, maybe not exactly chic, but they are "in." Manhattan Production Music has produced 80s Music, a compilation of sounds that will remind you of big hair, heavy makeup and stone-washed...

Wild westar.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
September 1, 2006... Westar Music's new offerings include collections dedicated to segues, jazz and country music. Segues includes jazz, sci-fi, technology, drama and extreme sports transitions. The company's new Jazz CD comprises 10 full-length themes in a fusion...

Killer on the loose.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
September 1, 2006... Killer Tracks released a host of new CDs in August, including catchy vocal tracks with Hot Vocal Hooks, pulsating glam beats for red carpet news with Paparazzi and sweet, soulful grooves with the boldly titled Coolest Grooves Ever! Hot Vocal...

Rock out.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
September 1, 2006... Stephen Arnold Music (SAM) recently released a new promo library collection, called Box of Rocks: Video Music. The new Box of Rocks promo library, with the tagline "Thinking Outside, Rocking Inside," consists of seven initial CDs of original...

HP xw8400 workstation: the Xeon goes neon.(ROI reviews)
September 1, 2006... Remember the Xeon? It was Intel's leading-edge processor for PC-based workstations in the late 1990s. Then it was eclipsed by AMD's Opteron processor. Now the Xeon is back in the headlines with a vengeance. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On...

Sony Media Software Cinescore: let the music play.(ROI reviews)
September 1, 2006... Music can greatly enhance a visual medium. Imagine The Godfather without its traditional Italian songs and emotionally gripping score from Nino Rota. Or The Lord of the Rings trilogy without Howard Shore's sweeping musical compositions. Whether...

Canopus EDIUS Broadcast: superior PC-based editor for P2 systems.(ROI reviews)
September 1, 2006... Among NLE manufacturers, Canopus has enjoyed a relatively small but rabid following. Recently Canopus combined its premium EDIUS Pro 3 NLE software with several previously optional packages (modules for P2, DVCPRO-HD, DVCPRO 50, VariCam and...

Instantly eliminate moving objects from shots with Boris Continuum Complete 4 Motion Keyer.(how)
September 1, 2006... STEP 1 SET UP THE FILTER ON YOUR CLIP Place your clip in the timeline, navigate in the effects panel to Video Filters > BCC 4 Keys Matte > BCC Motion Key. Drag the filter onto the clip in the timeline, then double click the clip into...

Create a balanced surround sound mix.(how)
September 1, 2006... STEP 1 BEFORE YOU START YOUR MIX... KNOW YOUR MONITORS! When you're on a project, you need to know and trust the monitors. If you don't properly calibrate monitoring, your project will come out skewed and won't deliver the proper mix...

Bring HVX200 P2 clips into FCP via the FireStore FS-100.(how)
September 1, 2006... STEP 1 PREP AND IMPORT YOUR CLIPS INTO FCP Before importing P2 media from the FS-100 to your Final Cut Pro workstation, you must first run the Organize P2 utility within the FS-100. Once shooting with the FS-100 is complete, navigate...

Create a custom audio mix with clips from FirstCom's QuickTrax discs.(PRODUCT MANAGER TUTORIAL)
September 1, 2006... STEP 1 CHOOSE YOUR MUSIC AND COPY FROM THE DVD-ROM Choose the music you want to remix and then insert the corresponding QuickTrax DVD-ROM (located in the same CD case as the CD audio disc). Once it appears mounted on the desktop, open it...

2006 projector guide: now that digital projectors are brighter, more durable and more affordable than ever, the customer is finally running the show.
September 1, 2006... Looking to buy a projector? There's good news and bad news. The good news? The projector market is mature, so prices are lower than ever. The bad news? The projector market is mature, so manufacturers are squeezed on margins. If they can't...

DVCPRO HD down deep: an interview with Watermark Productions' Stuart Cummings.(TECHNOLOGY)(Interview)
September 1, 2006... After finishing an HD shoot that took our production company to a number of outdoor locations along the Massachusetts seacoast, I started to wonder: What kind of underwater HD shooting is taking place in the New England area? My research soon...

$40,000 worth of nothing: in an AGE of disposable equipment, here's how to determine what you can afford to buy.(issues)
September 1, 2006... Last weekend my town offered free recycling of electronic equipment. Great, I thought, a cheap and convenient chance to unload the old computers, NLE hardware, VCRs and other equipment I wasn't using and haven't sold or donated. I filled the...

Match.com meets HD decks: searching for his next Web-based business between gigs, one guild editor found a way to bring other editors and decks together online.(the biz)
September 1, 2006... Since editing in the guild is based on a job-to-job basis, I have always been looking for ways to keep the family fed during slow times. At the end of every show, it's back to scouring the want ads in Craig's List and sweating the next mortgage...

StarCity recording puts music first.(STUDIOS ON THE RISE)
September 1, 2006... WHAT'S THEIR GIG? While the eastern Pennsylvania city of Bethlehem is known for its colonial and industrial history, it's not often identified as a mecca for arts and entertainment. Yet, as the city experiences a cultural growth, one of...

Dealing with client meetings.(WEIRD BUT TRUE TALES FROM THE STUDIO)(Cartoon)
September 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] ...