I confess:  I’m a freak.  An outcast.  A hard case.  Why?  Because I use the wrong NLE. 

Here it is, finally finished. Phew! Now I know why I’m not in post production. I’ll write a blog entry on my stupid post mistakes later; for now, enjoy! Details that may be interesting to the reader: Shot 4k 2:1 Edited in 2k on Final Cut Pro Redcode 36 Color correction applied to RedLog-exported footage from RedCine, using Colorista Zeiss Ultra Primes, mostly at T2 Schneider True-Cut IR filter used on every shot except for the TV (16mm Ultra Prime saw some off-angle cyan vignetting) All shots daylight- or 4500k-balanced (the TV had to be shot under a daylight balance, for proper color, so I shot everything else daylight for consistency) except for the ceiling shot, which was done at 3200k to keep the light bulbs from going too warm There’s one shot that was done on a Lensbaby. See if you can pick it out. More soon.

Looking for something different? I discovered Animoto at this year’s SXSW conference… Load up your photos, pick a song, and within a few minutes you have a rocking music video. You can use their cleared music or load up your own. Thirty-second movies are free, full-length videos cost $3. You can get a full year’s access for $30. Here is a discount for $5 off. The whole process is a piece of cake. Be sure to check them out – here. You can post the videos to a website, download them for an iPod, or even use YouTube to share.  Here are a two more of mine that you can check out.

The more we work with RED ONEs, the more we learn about what they do and how to work with them, thus the following grab-bag of observations and experiences.

Check out this trailer for The Fall. If the imagery doesn’t grab you at first (I saw posters on the street walking to work, and I literally stopped to gawk at the one sheet), how about “David Fincher and Spike Jonze Present.” Directed by Tarsem, known for his music video work. Wow. How gorgeous is this? In the middle of a 60+ hour work week, I watched the trailer 3 times, with co-workers, dimming the lights, waiting for the 1080p to download, and standing enthralled. I took the time during lunch to scroll through, find 20 amazing stills in it, copy/paster to Photoshop and save’em out as JPEGs so I can have them rotate out as desktops every few minutes. It is THAT good. Plus, it looks like a good story, unlike some technically proficient, but plastic spastic blockbusters opening today. Which imagery do you think will stay with you, haunt your idle reveries, more? -mike

When dragging tracks in the Timeline, where you drag is as important as what you drag. Careless dragging may result in an unintended overwrite edit when you intended an insert edit. If you look closely at the Timeline, you’ll notice that it’s divided by a thin gray line. When dragging, look to see which region you enter to determine the edit type. When dragging from the Viewer or a bin, use these tips: * Dragging to the upper-third of the track results in an insert edit. * Dragging to the lower two-thirds of the track results in an overwrite edit. Several different options are available when dragging within the Timeline. When dragging in the Timeline, use these tips: * Dragging in the Timeline horizontally results in an overwrite edit by default. * Dragging in the Timeline horizontally results in an insert or swap edit when you hold down the Option key. * Dragging in the Timeline vertically results in an overwrite edit by default. * Dragging in the Timeline vertically results in an insert edit when you press the Option key after you start to drag. * Pressing the Option key and then dragging in the Timeline vertically results in a cloned copy added to the Timeline via an insert edit. * Pressing the Option and Shift keys and then dragging in the Timeline vertically results in a cloned copy added to the Timeline directly above the clip. Like this tip? It comes from the book Final Cut Studio On the Spot from Focal Press.

Instructor Richard Harrington explains how to handle logos and give them alpha channels so they will work in a video environment.

Instructor Richard Harrington explains how you can create a spot color effect by working with your video clips in Photoshop CS3.

One of the reasons I got into this business in the first place was for the cool LCD displays, colored buttons, and various joysticks and fader bars. So it’s kind of ironic that less than 10 years in to my tenure in the kind of on-line suites that I’d always loved, I chucked the whole lot for cutting on NLEs like the Avid. No flashing lights. No cool controllers. No feeling like some highly trained fighter pilot (though how many fighter pilots have meals catered in to their “suite?"). I’ve spent most of the last 16 years working at a computer screen feeling like an accountant instead of a fighter pilot (though now, cockpits are starting to look more like computer monitors). So it was with great joy that I unpacked my recently arrived JLCooper Eclipse controller. But it was more than simply the return of the buttons and various controllers I’d fallen in love with so many years ago. It was a blessing because of the return of EFFICIENCY. That’s what external control devices give the editor and colorist.