Thursday,
August 2nd, 2007-_______-
Having trouble finding a post in the COW?
Use the new forums search engine and
forums directory archive to find those lost posts.
In spring of '01 the COW was born and the new directory now supports browsing back in time to see what was happening
in those early days. Or, if you would just like to find a post from a couple of months back, it is there as well.
For more information on how the new search engine works click here.
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COW leader spotlight: Shane Ross
Shane Ross is a broadcast television editor in Hollywood. Well, OK, Los Angeles. He only had one job that was actually in Hollywood. He is a documentary and narrative editor and has edited shows for the History Channel, Discovery Channel, National Geographic and Nickelodeon…plus a handful of short films, spec commercials and demo reels.
On top of his work as a broadcast and film editor, Shane is a very busy fellow. He's the host of the Apple Final Cut Pro and Panasonic HVX-HPX (P2) comunities, and has made over 225 posts in July, across 8 forums!
He's also the author of the "Getting Organized in Final Cut Pro" DVD, part of The Creative COW's Master Series. "This DVD comes from the many questions people ask on the forums about how to organize their projects...what goes where. And also from me working on projects with other people and being completely lost in their mess of a project.
And yes...I am a child of the 80's and I love my Flock of Seagulls."
Read more about Shane...
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This Week's Articles
Adobe After Effects
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Photoshoping in After Effects
In this video tutorial, Jerzy Drozda Jr (aka Maltaannon) helps all you Photoshopers out there by preparing few presets that will enable you to work in After Effects the same way you work in Photoshop.
Tutorial, Videotutorial 08/01/2007
Author: Jerzy Drozda Jr |
Adobe After Effects
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Day to Night
In this video tutorial, Creative Cow leader Andrew Kramer demonstrates how to create a Day to Night effect.
Tutorial, Videotutorial 07/31/2007
Author: Andrew Kramer |
Adobe After Effects
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Andrew Kramer's Riot Gear
In this article, CreativeCOW.net contributing editor Jim Harvey takes a look at Andrew Kramer's latest offering: Riot Gear. Riot Gear is a collection of 150+ visual elements including paint, ink, grunge , tv noise, and much more.
Review 07/30/2007
Author: Jim Harvey |
Adobe After Effects
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Radio Detection and Ranging
In this video tutorial, Jerzy Drozda Jr (aka Maltaannon) demonstrates how to create a radar that really works! You'll draw the radar, animate the target over it, and watch how the radar detects the object by itself, marks it on the grid and even makes a beeping sound.
Tutorial, Videotutorial 07/30/2007
Author: Jerzy Drozda Jr |
Adobe After Effects
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Building and Animating a CG Snake
In this video tutorial, Jerzy Drozda Jr (aka Maltaannon) demonstrates how to create a dynamic animation based on a 'chain rig'. You'll learn how to animate one layer using keyframes, expressions, or both, and make other layers follow the leading layer. The rest of the tutorial is about texturing and making the final look.
Tutorial, Videotutorial 07/29/2007
Author: Jerzy Drozda Jr |
particle Illusion
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Professional Emitter Libraries: Pyro and Hearts
In this article, CreativeCOW's Bill O'Neil takes a look at the new wondertouch Professional Emitter Libraries. In this set are two Pyro libraries and one Heart set which is a collection of beautiful heart themed designs and backgrounds.
Review 07/28/2007
Author: Bill O'Neil |
HDV Format
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Demystifying HDV Workflows
Creative COW Leader Tim Kolb uses his HDV expertise to explore the technology behind HDV, and show how it applies inside Final Cut Pro and other NLEs, with a special focus on longer projects. As Tim notes, this is a modified version of a post he made in the HDV forum responding to a question about FCP, but anyone who wants to know about editing HDV needs to check this out.
Tutorial, Feature 07/28/2007
Author: Tim Kolb |
Adobe After Effects
Apple Final Cut Pro
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Wayne Carey Reviews Getting Organized in Final Cut Pro
Frequent COW contributor and Final Cut Studio editor Wayne Carey takes a look at Getting Organized in Final Cut Pro by Shane Ross, the first FCP title in The Creative COW Master Series. Shane shares the secrets to media management that he's developed in his film broadcast editing career. Wayne takes a close look at what Shane has to say -- and a close look at Shane's iPod -- to discover workflow advice that works for every project, large or small.
Review 07/27/2007
Author: Wayne Carey |
View these and more articles at the Creative COW Library
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COWBlogging!
You'll find some of The COW's most provocative writing and thinking over at The COWBlogs. Rather than focusing on conversations about solving problems, COWBloggers turn their attention to the wider world of editing, technology, television, and much, much more. Here are just a few of the most recent entries.
Mike Cohen, Video on the Web
I just had to let the good readers of the Creative Cow know about a few odd videos I have discovered, and some alternatives to YouTube:..1) Stuff melting in a microwave. A fun use of video, flash and ketchup packets!
Peter Ralph, Working inside the box
Moving from photo to video is similar to going from first class to coach. You find you have a lot less wriggle room. The video box is a much tighter fit. ...We need every single pixel. Unfortunately prosumer video cameras (most all video cameras under $10K) do not show all the pixels in the viewfinder.
Nick Griffin, Ad Men II and Damages
I think I may have gotten it wrong, or at least partially skewed. The promotion and publicity generated around Mad Men led me to believe that there's more to it than I now wonder if there is. And while I knew it was coming and likely to be good, I seriously underestimated FX's latest series Damages.
Julia Camenisch, Fair Use and Filmmakers
I recently received an e-mail asking about the use of logos in both narrative film and documentaries. Not being a lawyer or a well-versed student of copyright law, I had no clue. So, the Sherlock hat came out of the closet, and I began to do some research.
Here's what I discovered...
They're sharp. They're funny. They're fresh every day. They're The COWBlogs, and they should be part of every visit to The COW. Check 'em out!!
Interested in your own COWBlog? Just let us know!
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Cool threads around The COW
Art of the Edit: MTV-style Editing and The Army
Timothy J. Allen: "So that's your first goal. Define your purpose. Ask the question "Why does my client want to encourage the MTV-style design?" Why does MTV use the design they use? Use the answer to that question to focus your design efforts, rather than simply copying because viewers might associate one with the other."
Corprate Video: Did I lowball a company for 10 minute Training Video?
Todd Terry: "Know ALL the details of your project before you give a bid, because project costs can vary wildly. We've done lots of little infomercials in the 5-10 minute range... the cheapest one (super easy) was only a few hundred bucks, while the most expensive one was about $45,000. Quite a wide range, and you don't want to cheat yourself."
Business & Marketing: Commercial Music Usage Background Information Please
RocklinDave: "We recently had a client that insisted that we use popular commercial music in their project. I am sure that doing so was illegal, and what I am looking for is a brief article or website which I can send to the client to help defend my position."
Business & Marketing: Ownership of Footage
Bonnie1100: "Lately, new clients are asking
to keep and own the footage. I like the work,
but I am reluctant to hand over rights. Does
it make a difference if talent they hire and
pay are subjects of the footage? Do you handle
footage of events with no hired talent differently?"
HDV Format: Portable Hard Drive for Editing HDV
ngolon: "I´m looking for an affordable, portable, and rugged external hard drive (60-100 Gig) to edit and store individual HDV projects for a client. Could someone advise as to what specs are optimal for editing hdv with an external hd and laptop? Could I do so efficiently with a 5400 rpm drive? Should I only consider drives with firewire? Could you recommend any particular models?"
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COW Tipping!!
How to get fancy with your COW posts, by Kathlyn Lindeboom
Many of the Cow's regular members have their own styles when posting to their favorite forums. They tweak text characters, fonts, colors, size and many other things to add flair to their posts. They also hide their links and make words live links just as if you were in their website. How do they do it??? Creative COW director Kathlyn Lindeboom shows you how to become a web guru and add all the calories you want to your own posts here at the Cow.
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HOT INDUSTRY NEWS:
Academy Award Winner Ed Jones And Mark Breakspear From Rainmaker Join //Adapt 2007
//ADAPT Celebrates 34 Years Of Siggraph With Special Promotion
Today, the //ADAPT Conference is thrilled to announce additional speakers to the //ADAPT 2007 Conference line up. Presenting are world renowned artists and visual effects supervisors Ed Jones and Mark Breakspear of Rainmaker Entertainment Inc. MORE.
Zaxcom Introduces New IFB100 Audio Transmitter
Introduces 2.4-GHz Support, Virtual Multitrack Recording
Zaxcom, a pioneering provider of professional audio equipment for the television and film industries, today announced a new entry into its family of wireless microphone systems, the IFB100 transmitter. MORE.
Vizrt and Barco Demo Integrated Backdrop Solutions
At IBC 2007, Barco and Vizrt will demonstrate the two company's best-of-breed backdrop solution. Vizrt and Barco recently completed the integration of Barco's displays and processors with Vizrt's 3D graphic renderer, Viz|Engine. MORE.
Harris Corporation Joins the Advanced Media Workflow Association
Harris Shares Association's Goals to Promote Solutions that Facilitate Efficient File-Based Workflows for Broadcast and Content Creation
Harris Corporation , an international communications and information technology company, has joined the Advanced Media Workflow Association to help promote solutions that increase efficiency in television broadcast workflow and content creation. MORE.
Autodesk Launches Autodesk Toxik 2008 Software for Feature Film Visual Effects
Addresses Growing Need to Bridge 2D and 3D Workflows in Visual Effects Pipelines
Autodesk, Inc. , today launched Autodesk Toxik 2008, the latest version of its desktop software for feature film procedural compositing. MORE.
TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 with DivX Authoring Announces the First Dual-Authoring (DVD/DivX) Capable Program in French and Spanish Language Versions
New Language Versions Available Soon on TMPG French and Spanish Language Sites
TMPG, Inc., the company that makes digital video easy, will soon release French and Spanish language versions of their TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 with DivX Authoring software. MORE.
Newly Upgraded TV Studio at Lincolnshire Police Headquarters Uses Broadcast Pix Slate 1000 Switcher for Video Training and Simulations
Broadcast Pix™ Inc., an exhibitor at this year's IBC convention in Amsterdam this September announces the recent installment of its Slate™ 1000 digital production switcher within the newly upgraded television studio at Police Headquarters in Lincolnshire, UK. MORE.
Cinesoft announces Media Batch™ version 1.1 with new Directory Manager feature
An entirely new approach to media deployment and the approval process MORE.
REALVIZ® to Showcase HDR Imaging Studio & Movimento at SIGGRAPH 2007
REALVIZ®, a leader in image processing software development, will be showcasing their latest technological advancements at this year's SIGGRAPH show, which takes place next week in San Diego, USA from 7.- 9. August 2007. MORE.
SeeFile and Intelligent Gadgets Collaborate at Siggraph 2007
Complete Collaboration Bundle, Including Software Packages, Server and 1 Terabyte of Storage Hardware, Priced at $1,995
Intelligent Gadgets, the creators of advanced collaborative digital media review and approval tools, and SeeFile, a developer of web server software for sharing media files, today announced the two companies are joining forces at Siggraph 2007 in San Diego to demonstrate the benefits of a combined video-enabled collaborative review and approval system. MORE.
Germany’s METAphrenie Creates Award-winning Designs for Al Jazeera Sports
Berlin-based design firm METAphrenie recently showcased their talents in an award-winning broadcast branding package for Middle Eastern network Al Jazeera's sports telecasts. MORE.
SOFTIMAGE|XSI 3D Software is a Perfect Fit for My Virtual Model, Inc.
Innovative visualization company creates realistic 3D models that allow Internet customers to try on clothing, remodel their homes, and visualize weight loss
Avid Technology, Inc. , today announced that My Virtual Model, Inc has recently switched its 3D software technology to SOFTIMAGE®|XSI, enabling its customers to offer new interactive marketing techniques in the online retail apparel and fashion, home decor, weight loss, and entertainment industries. MORE.
Iconix HD-RH1 Video Camera Used in 'The Kill Point'
Point-of-View Camera Enables 'The Kill Point' Production Team to Acquire High Definition Footage from the End of a Sound Boom
Iconix Video, a leading developer of advanced high-definition camera systems and maker of the world's smallest professional quality HD video camera, announced today the use of the Iconix HD-RH1 camera on the Lionsgate Television mini-series, "The Kill Point," which premiered on Spike TV July 22. MORE.
CHV-electronics releases CHV Particles Heaven FX, the first ever real Particle Emitter FxPlug plugin package for use with Motion and Final Cut Pro
CHV-electronics, software developer of plugins for Motion, Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express announced today that a new plugin package based on Apple's plugin technology "FxPlug" has been released. MORE.
Telestream FlipFactory v6.0 Now Available
Major software release adds support for tape ingest, HD commercial and syndication workflows, 2-pass Flash 8 encoding, plus Screen Subtitles
Telestream, the leading provider of encoding-based media workflow solutions, today announced availability of a major version 6.0 software release for its flagship FlipFactory® transcoding workflow automation product line. MORE.
Imagineer Systems Launches mocha; Combines Advanced Planar Tracking with Rotoscoping in Powerful New Tool for VFX Artists
mocha Eliminates Point Tracking, Leverages Intelligent Planar Tracking for Unprecedented Accuracy, Ease and Design Speed
Imagineer Systems, creators of next-generation VFX tools, today announced the immediate availability of mocha. MORE.
Small Tree Communications Comes To The Rescue Of Small Business
Small Tree Communications, a leading provider of state-of-the-art networking solutions, recently came to the aide of a small business owner. MORE.
Pappas Telecasting Companies Switches to Harris Corporation OSi-Traffic Broadcast Solution
Major Commercial Station Group to Move Most of Its 27 Properties to the Next-Generation, Centralized Traffic Management System
Harris Corporation , an international communications and information technology company, has been selected to provide its Harris® OSi-Traffic™ solution to Pappas Telecasting Companies, one of the largest commercial television station groups in the United States. MORE.
ViewCast Enables New Generation of Third-Party, Customized Streaming Media Applications With Niagara SCX®
ViewCast Corporation , a leading global provider of high-quality audio and video encoding communication products, today announced the availability of a Web services software development kit for its Niagara® Stream Control Extension 5-series streaming media management software. MORE.
CalDigit Now Shipping the HDPro 8 bay RAID Tower Solution
CalDigit, a leader in storage is now shipping the HDPro Tower & Rack Mount 8 bay HDPro RAID storage solution. MORE.
RE:Vision Effects releases DE:Noise 1.0
a plugin set that removes excessive noise and artifacts in one easy-to-use tool.
DE:Noise handles spurious frame-to-frame defects ranging from fine digital and electronic noise to blotchy spots . MORE.
New Caringo CAStor 2.0 delivers Archival Integrity with Speed and Access of Primary Storage
Significantly updated software delivers flexible local and wide area replication; single-tier information lifecycle management
Caringo, Inc. today announced a major evolution of its CAStor™ software that delivers the integrity of content-addressed storage with the access and performance specs of primary disk storage, enabling continuous data availability of even deeply archived files. MORE.
GridIron Nucleo Pro 2 Now Shipping
GridIron® Software today announced the availability of NucleoR Pro 2, an upgrade to the productivity enhancement tool that optimizes the workflow for visual effects artists using Adobe® After Effects®. MORE.
Digital Juice Unveils 10 New Volumes of StackTraxx™ Layered Production Music
Digital Juice® announced today a fifty percent expansion of its royalty-free StackTraxx™ music library. The ten new titles will bring the rapidly expanding production music collection to thirty-one available volumes covering an array of different styles, themes, and genres including business, world, broadcast, sports, country, cinematic, island, romantic, and R&B. MORE.
Voices That Matter: Web Design Conference
New Riders, Peachpit's flagship design imprint, is hosting its first conference this fall. Voices That Matter: Web Design brings together Web design's hottest authors and speakers including Steve Krug, Jeremy Keith, Eric Meyer, Dori Smith, Stephanie Sullivan, and many others. MORE.
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For more industry news, visit the COW News & Press Releases forum at:
http://forums.creativecow.net/viewforum/105
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