![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/Rq--oXVJD3I/AAAAAAAAAZQ/qlLN9YUg05c/s200/thumb_nab20070414.png)
July 31, 2007
Apple Seminars online
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/Rq--oXVJD3I/AAAAAAAAAZQ/qlLN9YUg05c/s200/thumb_nab20070414.png)
July 30, 2007
DE:Noise, a new AE filter
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/Rq5rb3VJD1I/AAAAAAAAAZA/zJCH6HMuSHM/s200/denoise_logo.gif)
Nucleo Pro 2 ships
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/Rq5s-XVJD2I/AAAAAAAAAZI/kW2UnYbk2dM/s200/np2_logo_175px.png)
July 29, 2007
A look at Color
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/Rq1Gb3VJD0I/AAAAAAAAAY4/wyFdC1xDkzY/s200/color.gif)
Update: as a reminder, previous Color items include FreshDV's NAB Video Podcast - Apple Color Exclusive Demo, a tutorial at Ken Stone's FCP site Creating Node Trees in Apple Color, Stu Maschwitz's Color My Impression.
Update 2: Oliver has another review of Color at DV, First Look: Apple Color.
July 28, 2007
Graffiti Archaeology
Here's a gif made in AE from screenshots of Graffiti Archaeology, a site which shows how graffiti walls change over time. John Nack has more on this and related items.
July 27, 2007
Final Cut D'ough!
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/Rqpz1XVJDwI/AAAAAAAAAYY/8WuNziU-BWk/s200/doh.jpg)
Ken Burns effect quick en masse
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RqpoAHVJDvI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/Psp6xZU3KLA/s200/slideshow.jpg)
Now, there's a new FxPlug filter that does something similar, though besides a few transitions I can't tell right now what Image Flow FX has over iPhoto, and it might be missing features. For more check out The Editblog's review of Image Flow Fx.
A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RqqBZnVJDyI/AAAAAAAAAYo/ywT3a8Xhtb4/s200/scor.jpg)
Scorsese on American Westerns
Scorsese on American Gangster Films
The Cutting Edge
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RqqBIXVJDxI/AAAAAAAAAYg/tsl4CEu896E/s200/cut.jpg)
part 1
part 2
July 26, 2007
Calibrating a light meter for DV
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/Rqhdr3VJDpI/AAAAAAAAAXg/NbI6xE-oDE8/s200/freshdv_podcast_logo_small.jpg)
Video tutorials free from Video Copilot
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/Rqhpw3VJDsI/AAAAAAAAAX4/2R_L-0Asn5E/s200/vcp.jpg)
Photoshop Text Effects on the Web
John Nack posts on typographic goodies, including this: "The Photoshop Roadmap blog pulls together tutorials for The Best 80 Photoshop Text Effects on the Web. 'This guide includes 78 Photoshop tutorials and 2 impressive collections of Photoshop Actions, plus 3 books on the subject.' [Via PhotoshopSsupport.com]"
July 25, 2007
Google's TV plans + 8 Internet TV Apps
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RqfJXHVJDoI/AAAAAAAAAXY/kYFlorlHEKU/s200/last100_logo.png)
Update: earlier Last100 also covered Microsoft's TV plans in 2 parts; the 1st was Microsoft on your telly: a history of the company’s Internet TV strategy.
Update 2: Read/Write also had a roundup of online video editors with Video Editing 2.0: 8 Ways to Remix Online Videos, and later added a review JayCut: Online Video Editing with Export.
July 23, 2007
Bottom of the barrel metaphor
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RqURTHVJDnI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/aXtofke_Z58/s200/topbanner_01.jpg)
If only one holding company instead of four or five controlled all the country's radio and television stations and all of its cable, newspaper, and Internet outlets, eliminating the need for the competitive purchase of politicians, the savings on campaign contributions alone would increase the bottom line tenfold.
Not the least of their argument is that since our present media system and Washington so closely mirror each others' interests, it could even be possible to close down the government altogether and have the country run by Wall Street, saving huge sums of money now spent on perpetuating an impression to the contrary. Joining me are Andy Bichlbaum, the chairman of Triglyceride Investments, and his partner, Mike Bonanno, chief executive of their offshore subsidiary, Tsetse Media Inc., with headquarters in the Marianas Islands."
July 21, 2007
Live editing with Final Cut Pro
In a thread on the FCP list, Shane Ross quoted a friend on editing being done live with Final Cut Pro for major sports shows:
"Fox NASCAR truck has two systems:
- System One:
Quad G5, 7 GB ram, xRaid 7 TB, Fibre Channel card, AJA Kona 3, FCS 2
- System Two:
Mac Pro Quad core 3.0, 8 GB ram, xRaid 7 TB, Fibre Channel card, AJA Kona 3, FCS 2
Those two systems are owned by the mobile unit vendor, Game Creek Video. Obviously it would be cooler if they were on a SAN, but they have GigE between them, and copy files they need across that connection.
The Sunday Night Football show on NBC is probably the most robust FCS system working in trucks. Both are Mac Pros and they are on a SAN. Not sure of the specifics.
Other shows that have FCS systems:
- ESPN Sunday Night Baseball
- ESPN Monday Night Baseball
- Monday Night Football
- Sunday Night Football
- The primary ESPN/ABC college football shows on Thursdays and Saturdays in the Fall
- FOX and CBS NFL A show and B show
...a lot of golf shows are using these systems too."
"Fox NASCAR truck has two systems:
- System One:
Quad G5, 7 GB ram, xRaid 7 TB, Fibre Channel card, AJA Kona 3, FCS 2
- System Two:
Mac Pro Quad core 3.0, 8 GB ram, xRaid 7 TB, Fibre Channel card, AJA Kona 3, FCS 2
Those two systems are owned by the mobile unit vendor, Game Creek Video. Obviously it would be cooler if they were on a SAN, but they have GigE between them, and copy files they need across that connection.
The Sunday Night Football show on NBC is probably the most robust FCS system working in trucks. Both are Mac Pros and they are on a SAN. Not sure of the specifics.
Other shows that have FCS systems:
- ESPN Sunday Night Baseball
- ESPN Monday Night Baseball
- Monday Night Football
- Sunday Night Football
- The primary ESPN/ABC college football shows on Thursdays and Saturdays in the Fall
- FOX and CBS NFL A show and B show
...a lot of golf shows are using these systems too."
AE CS3 SDK
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RqG57HVJDjI/AAAAAAAAAWw/AiuJ40cB76g/s200/zone.jpg)
How to Write Plug-Ins for Adobe After Effects is old but is still available as a first step for the idly curious.
Privatizing the Cookie Monster
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RqHESnVJDkI/AAAAAAAAAW4/BjkdZctnS7M/s200/ars.jpg)
Update: John Dowdell clarifies that the real privacy issue is cross-site ad-tracking (and I'd add surveillance databases), and answers the search engine marketeer's kiddie porn threat if privacy has primacy:
It seems like that problem might be handled more simply and specifically by not indexing kiddie porn in the first place, and then not accepting searches on those terms... they wouldn't actually need to first satisfy those search requests and then log everybody else's search terms for accountability.
July 20, 2007
Celulight and Floodgate: AE filters
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RqB5bLqkUpI/AAAAAAAAAWI/rJDVgN5JiB4/s320/test2.jpg)
Celulight is a cel shader and normal map generator for AE, and uses drawn outlines or cels as source files and allows them to be lit in a pseudo 3D environment using AE’s internal lights. Possible styles include: Classic toon shading, Modern 2.5D Toons, and “Kingdom Hearts” Styles.
Floodgate "can be considered an advanced paint bucket or fill tool" which "floods up to 64 distinct areas with up to 8 different colors. Floodgate is squarely aimed at coloring in toon and cel animation and outlines drawings, which is a real pain to do in After Effects without it."
Update: these might be fun with Live Trace versions of video...Aharon Rabinowitz had a video tutorial series on this feature, Converting Video to Cartoon.
Update 2: there's a report in comments here that this filter has problems in AE8.
Panalog plug-in for AE
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RqER4rqkUqI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/QIKMkXBx7b0/s320/oog1ehm6.jpg)
Update: Stu Maschwitz posted his logic, a free project (AE/Shake/Nuke), and instructions in his post Panalog:
...it occurred to me that the format is similar enough to Cineon log that one might be able to find settings in a standard log/lin tool that match the Panavision transform.Sure enough, a little playing resulted in about 99% success. I got my Cineon log/lin conversions close enough to be within a 10-bit code value of a match to Panavision’s own LUTs.
The After Effects settings are:
10 Bit Black Point: 0
Internal Black Point: 0.0
10 Bit White Point: 681
Internal White Point: 1.0
Gamma 1.480
Highlight Rolloff: 0
Assorted video tutorials
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/Rqhl0nVJDrI/AAAAAAAAAXw/v2UGH1Ei23g/s200/3droom.jpg)
July 18, 2007
Miro aka "Democracy" Player
I like it ok in that I get free shows like KQED QUEST Science HD Video Podcasts and Democracy Now and that it plays different formats and is open source and multiplatform, but I don't like the lack of control and metadata information. Let's hope that Adobe Media Player will be more like QuickTime Player. There's Miro links and comments at John Dowdell's blog.
Update: deeper coverage is at MasterNewMedia (7/23/07).
Adobe Device Central video demo
But wait there's more: at DNM, Ko Maruyama has a 3D Type QuickTip for AE CS3; plus Jayse Hansen demonstrates how to create growing graphic elements in AE, one of many AE tutorials at Creative Cow. Meanwhile at DNM, Jeff Schell shows some new features in Premiere Pro CS3, where smart bins is hyperbole but bundled apps are not..
Font resources
Alan Shisko mentioned a font thread from the AE list and a Macworld article that "neatly summarizes all the free and commercial font sites, plus links to font resources. Confirms my theory that DaFont is the first (and often only) place to go for typographic styles and inspiration."
Trish and Chris Meyer also covered fonts at CyberMotion. AE Portal may have additional items, well at least one, with Famous Fonts. I also liked another site mentioned in that AE list thread, Blue Vertigo which features links to color tools, sounds, icons, patterns and more.
Trish and Chris Meyer also covered fonts at CyberMotion. AE Portal may have additional items, well at least one, with Famous Fonts. I also liked another site mentioned in that AE list thread, Blue Vertigo which features links to color tools, sounds, icons, patterns and more.
July 14, 2007
Trapcode 3S: Shine, Starglow and 3D Stroke in review
July 13, 2007
Motionworks' AE quick tips
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RpfXN7qkUmI/AAAAAAAAAVw/cp4Jvv8zE3o/s200/mow2.jpg)
Adobe OnDemand seminars
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RpfSR7qkUkI/AAAAAAAAAVg/xAERtEMAsF4/s200/ae_cs3_3in_boxshot-smaller.jpg)
July 8, 2007
Fxguidetv episode 2
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RpG1Od7M2XI/AAAAAAAAAVY/lGd8kiq0PSQ/s200/fxg.jpg)
The production is explained at the Fxphd blog and looks good (except for a noisy spot). Fxguidetv #001 (QT) featured a nice succinct look at Shape Layers in AE CS3.
Feature Request/Bug Report Form
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RpGr4d7M2VI/AAAAAAAAAVI/fWzKz9jqheM/s200/prodpre.bmp)
Bug fixes are important too and could be squeezed into a potential point release because there will probably be one before the next dot-zero release -- which might be 1-1/2 years out.
July 7, 2007
Mobi-lize video resources
Frank Capria has a nice post on Mobile video resources, especially on Mobi-lize from the people at Studio Daily.
![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RpALSt7M2RI/AAAAAAAAAUo/--MXZW9jwAg/s200/moai_1_small.jpg)
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RpALfN7M2SI/AAAAAAAAAUw/FxkhQjDrS-E/s320/iii.jpg)
Frank also has a good discussion of the Limits of self-definition and a link to a nice article from a BoxesandArrows.com Lessons From Failure series that uses the now denuded Easter Island as a metaphor for personal reinvention.
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RpALSt7M2RI/AAAAAAAAAUo/--MXZW9jwAg/s200/moai_1_small.jpg)
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RpALfN7M2SI/AAAAAAAAAUw/FxkhQjDrS-E/s320/iii.jpg)
Frank also has a good discussion of the Limits of self-definition and a link to a nice article from a BoxesandArrows.com Lessons From Failure series that uses the now denuded Easter Island as a metaphor for personal reinvention.
July 6, 2007
CS3 training: movies and more
Adobe Design Center's Video Workshop now has training movies for the Production Premium video apps, in addition to training movies for the other bundles. And there's other new training content and extras all around, like a Production Premium Workflow Guide, Color Management Workflow in AE CS3, and additional presets and tutorials.
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RiQ-JyctTPI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/NrtJJnEPSXo/s320/startvwt.jpg)
Lynda.com's Online Training Library also has training for Adobe CS3 video applications (for $25/month).
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RiQ-JyctTPI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/NrtJJnEPSXo/s320/startvwt.jpg)
Lynda.com's Online Training Library also has training for Adobe CS3 video applications (for $25/month).
Color management in AE CS3
As in Photoshop, I'd keep Color Management off to avoid inadvertent color shifts from embedding or converting to default profiles unless I've worked out a specific workflow. Files embedded with Adobe default profile sRGB might sneak in, so getting color management under control for all codecs and file types might take some serious thought. I had standardized on Adobe RGB (1998) and ruthlessly convert graphics from others if they use a profile. There's even a new utility filter to convert per layer, Color Profile Converter (pictured). I don't have a firm handle on the new color management yet (I'm fine as an NTSC island) but hopefully these Adobe white papers will help clear things up: Color Management Workflow in Adobe After Effects CS3 and Color workflows for Adobe Creative Suite 3 .
There's a basic video tutorial on color management in the Video Workshop. And you can also flip through the documentation for color and color managment at AE LiveDocs, for example High dynamic range color and Why you should use color management.
Update: this is a hairy issue...according to Studio Daily, "Post Logic Studios announced the launch of its Image Science Division...[to offer]...clients “the assurance of consistent color management across every stage of a production, regardless of acquisition format or output medium.”
Update 2: On the AE-List (18 Aug 2007) Chris Meyer responded to a question about a gamma shift between AE8 and AE7, "The short answer, in most "AE CS3 does not match AE7" cases where Color Management is _not_ enabled for the project (Project Working Space = None), is to enable the Legacy Gamma switch in the Project Prefs. The long answer is...a long answer. (I'm writing that chapter this week, as a matter of fact.) The text in the Project Prefs, Interpret Footage, and Output Module dialogs help, as does the Adobe white paper..."
Embedding video, plus iPhone video & Flash
John Dowdell notes advice from BBC interactive for in-page video attractiveness, while HD for Indies considers Making Content for the iPhone.
And it looks like Apple might be adding Flash to the iPhone according to the WSJ; see Next iPhone generation will support Flash. There's also plenty of other iPhone developments, like the free iPhoneDevCamp held at Adobe in San Francisco the weekend of July 6, Apple on Optimizing Web Applications and Content for iPhone,and The AIR iPhone an AIR application that could possibly for fun be ported to FlashLite to work on cheap handsets.
Update: 8 Coolest iPhone Apps at iPhoneDevCamp plus iPhoneDevCamp Walkthrough.
Update 2: No BS iPhone Review from Gizmodo via HD forIndies.
And it looks like Apple might be adding Flash to the iPhone according to the WSJ; see Next iPhone generation will support Flash. There's also plenty of other iPhone developments, like the free iPhoneDevCamp held at Adobe in San Francisco the weekend of July 6, Apple on Optimizing Web Applications and Content for iPhone,and The AIR iPhone an AIR application that could possibly for fun be ported to FlashLite to work on cheap handsets.
Update: 8 Coolest iPhone Apps at iPhoneDevCamp plus iPhoneDevCamp Walkthrough.
Update 2: No BS iPhone Review from Gizmodo via HD forIndies.
July 5, 2007
Flash Video Content Protection
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/Royvfd7M2OI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/7rhAEME_7po/s320/fms_appicon.jpg)
July 4, 2007
Star Spangled Blues
Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock
Back-to-back, chicken shack
Robert J. Allison noted in The Crescent Obscured: The United States and the Muslim world, 1776-1815 that the early version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" contained lyrics saying that the banner obscured the crescent as heathens were killed. More recent books after 2001 have a different bent, so many people might not know many of the facts. Someone interviewed Allison at Newsradio 1040 WHO, if anyone wants to listen.
More on the background of the Tripolitan War and this earlier song is at Triplopia, which adds: "This 'Song' was even set to the same music as 'The Defense of Fort McHenry' later called 'The Star-Spangled Banner' -- the English drinking song, 'To Anacraeon in Heaven'! So 'The Star-Spangled Banner' has its roots not in an Anglo-American war at all, but in a war with an Islamic country, so it’s interesting to see how that relates to current events."
This is from an 1805 version of the Star-Spangled Banner:
Back-to-back, chicken shack
Robert J. Allison noted in The Crescent Obscured: The United States and the Muslim world, 1776-1815 that the early version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" contained lyrics saying that the banner obscured the crescent as heathens were killed. More recent books after 2001 have a different bent, so many people might not know many of the facts. Someone interviewed Allison at Newsradio 1040 WHO, if anyone wants to listen.
More on the background of the Tripolitan War and this earlier song is at Triplopia, which adds: "This 'Song' was even set to the same music as 'The Defense of Fort McHenry' later called 'The Star-Spangled Banner' -- the English drinking song, 'To Anacraeon in Heaven'! So 'The Star-Spangled Banner' has its roots not in an Anglo-American war at all, but in a war with an Islamic country, so it’s interesting to see how that relates to current events."
This is from an 1805 version of the Star-Spangled Banner:
Columbians! a band of your brothers behold,
In the conflict resistless each toil they endured,
...
'Till their foes fled dismayed from the war's desolation;
And pale beamed the crescent, its splendor obscured
By the light of the star-spangled flag of our nation.
Where each radiant star gleamed a meteor of war,
And the turbaned heads bowed to its terrible glare,
Now mixed with the olive the laurel shall wave,
And form a bright wreath for the brow of the brave.
Our fathers who stand on the summit of fame,
Shall exultantly hear of their sons the proud story,
How their young bosoms glowed with the patriot flame,
How they fought, how they fell, in the blaze of their glory.
How triumphant they rode o'er the wondering flood,
And stained the blue waters with Infidel blood;
How mixed with the olive the laurel did wave,
And, formed a bright wreath for the brows of the brave.
July 3, 2007
Hitchcock was a drama king
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/Roqs197M2NI/AAAAAAAAAUI/wDcRliwTgg8/s320/dramabird.jpg)
Film Techniques of Alfred Hitchcock reviews basics of suspense, camera angles, style, and editing for "filmmakers who are sad and depressed because their movie is so average that nobody will watch it." (via Reelpop)
I dont know, maybe it was the doses
Reelpop prescribes Incarcerex: "Anti-propaganda propaganda from Brooklyn-based animation artist Haik Hoisington, touted by Andrew Sullivan and Reason Magazine. Hilarious."
July 2, 2007
AE 8.0 is shipping
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JHaxm312XQo/RomHAN7M2MI/AAAAAAAAAUA/-wciwss0Rwk/s320/char3d.jpg)
Michael Coleman, Product Manager for After Effects, announced that AE CS3 and Creative Suite 3 Production Premiium is now shipping!
The new features in CS3 include:
* Shape Layers
* Puppet tool
* Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended integration
* Adobe Flash CS3 Professional integration
* Per-character 3D text animation
* Brainstorm
* Complete color management workflow
* Adobe Clip Notes
* Enhanced performance & multi-core support
* Video for mobile
Check out Mark Christiansen's After Effects CS3: my Top Ten.
Update: Bob Donlon celebrates with some simple AE fireworks done with Particle Systems II.
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