UAT Digital Video

EXTRA CREDIT: Volunteer for the Phoenix Film Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:52:00 +0000

Can you believe it’s that time of year already?! The Phoenix Film Festival is looking for fun, energetic volunteers to make this year’s festival the best one yet! PFF 2012 will be held Thursday, March 29 – Thursday, April 5, 2012 at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 and will feature the finest in independent film from around the world, as well as celebrities, seminars, and parties all week long!

We have scheduled two (2) New Volunteer Orientations to go over the specifics of volunteering at the festival and answer any questions you might have. This will also be an opportunity for new volunteers to sign up for shifts.

Orientations will be held on Saturday, March 3rd and Saturday March 17th. Time and location are still TBD, so stay tuned for more information!

Volunteer positions are available in Ticketing, Merchandising, Theatre Operations, Seminars, Educational Outreach, Silent Auction and Events. This year we are even introducing a Floater position!

In exchange for a commitment of at least 24 hours, volunteers will receive a festival t-shirt and a full festival pass ($150 value, excludes the opening night screening). If you are unavailable to commit to 24 hours then we encourage you to attend the festival as a patron; however, we will be unable to accept your application to volunteer.

If interested in being a volunteer, please email volunteer@PhxFilm.com

EXTRA CREDIT FOR DV STUDENTS WHO VOLUNTEER. SEE YOUR INSTRUCTOR FOR DETAILS.

'Parallax'' and 'Covet' Selected for 2012 Phoenix Film Festival!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:51:00 +0000

We've just gotten notification that two films created by our faculty, students, and alumni have been selected for the 2012 Phoenix Film Festival!

First up is Professor Paul DeNigris' Master's Thesis film, the Iraq War drama "Parallax." Shot in April, the film involved a massive crew of UAT Digital Video alumni and current students who volunteered to help Paul complete the requirements for his Master's Degree. The film tells the story of a wounded U.S. soldier who is cared for by an Iraqi civilian and his son, which forces the soldier to re-examine his own prejudices and undergo a life-changing shift in perspective. The genesis of the story came from a presentation at UAT Inservice by former Student Government President Alexander Snyder and UAT Student Services staff member Hiba al-Fatle about their own experiences during the Iraq War. The entire UAT community supported the production of the film in one way or another! "Parallax" will be part of the "Arizona Shorts" competition group at the festival.

Next is "Covet," an entry for the IFP/Phoenix 48 Hour Film Challenge last July which was co-produced by UAT Digital Video, Professor DeNigris' Locked Horns Productions, and Steve Wargo's SWAT HD (a frequent employer of UAT DV interns and a co-producer of "Parallax"). "Covet" won 4 awards in the 48 hour challenge and will now be part of the "Arizona Showcase" group of shorts at the festival!

'Melvin' - Sedona Film Festival Details

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:48:00 +0000

The 18th annual Sedona Film Festival has published its screening schedule. The festival runs from Feburary 18th to the 26th, 2012 among the beautiful red rocks of Sedona, Arizona.

UAT Digital Video's sci-fi comedy "Flight of the Melvin" will be screening twice as part of a family adventure program alongside the feature film The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone.

Tuesday February 21st | 9:30am | Prog 027
Sedona Performing Arts Center

Saturday February 25th | 9am | Prog 137
Sedona Rouge Theatre

Tickets can be purchased here. Hope to see you at the festival!

US Department of Education Video Challenge - $1500 Scholarship Prize!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:27:00 +0000

From Challenge.gov:

The U.S. Department of Education challenges high school and college students to help get information to their peers about how much it costs to go to college. This challenge asks students to create short videos that will inform students and families of a new resource that makes it easier to calculate how much it might cost to go to a particular college. On October 29, 2011, all colleges and universities were required by law to provide a “net price calculator” on their websites. This is one of several Department initiatives to make the price of college more transparent and help students and families make informed decisions about investing in postsecondary education. “Net price” is a new and important piece of information about college costs; it helps students and families estimate what it would likely cost to attend a college after accounting for grants and scholarships that don’t need to be repaid. Unfortunately, too few people know what “net price” means, and where to find a college’s net price calculator on its website, or how to use net price – along with other information – when comparison shopping for higher education. Help us get the word out!

Go to http://netpricecalc.challenge.gov/ for more info. Deadline is January 31st!

'Flight of the Melvin' - Official Selection, 2012 International Family Film Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:56:00 +0000

Our sci-fi comedy "Flight of the Melvin" has been selected by yet another film festival! The 17th Annual International Family Film Festival runs March 21st thru 25th, 2012, at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California. We're excited to have "Melvin" fly again at a family-friendly event in the capital of the movie industry!

Phoenix Comicon Call for Entries

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:31:00 +0000

The 2012 Phoenix Comicon Film Festival call for entries has begun! This year we invite one and all to submit to the film festival and to the Phoenix Comicon Film Challenge.

For the Film Festival, Phoenix Comicon is looking for films in the following genres: Sci-Fi, Thriller/Horror, Fan Film, Animation, Pop Culture/Documentary, Comedy, Film Noir/Mystery, Comics/Anime/Gaming. For the Film Challenge, the task is to make a film that is 15 minutes or less in one of the following genres: Steampunk, Horror, Original Animation, Original Superhero/Supervillain and Star Trek.

You have from now until March 31st, 2012 to submit your film.

The rules for the Phoenix Comicon Film Festival are as follows:

Two (2) copies of the film(s) must be submitted in a DVD Region 1 playable format.
All films entered should fall under at least one of the listed genres.
All submissions must be made by the filmmaker(s). No anonymous submissions will be accepted.
All foreign language films must have English subtitles.
All films will be pre-screened by Phoenix Comicon staff.
No submissions will be returned, therefore, do not send the only copy.
We are not responsible for any submissions lost or damaged in delivery.
Participants do not need to attend the convention or festival to be eligible.
Notice of selections will be announced on or before May 1st by email and posted on the Phoenix Comicon website.
The Phoenix Comicon is a family-friendly event and preference will be given to films appropriate for all-ages viewing. Submissions not suitable for all-ages will be considered for late night screenings.

For information about the Film Festival, please contact: filmfestival@phoenixcomicon.com
For information about the Film Challenge, please contact: filmchallenge@phoenixcomicon.com

To download the 2012 Phoenix Comicon Film Festival Entry Form, click here.

SIGGRAPH 2012 STUDENT VOLUNTEERS

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:14:00 +0000

SIGGRAPH 2012 STUDENT VOLUNTEERS
DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 13, 22:00 UTC/GMT. APPLY NOW!

Click here to visit the online application!

Are your students science? Are they art? Do they daydream of computations or calculate in creativity? If so, they will be right at home at SIGGRAPH 2012. Science and art will come together in one outstanding international conference to explore computer graphics and interactive techniques from both points of view, and THEY can be a part of it!

The SIGGRAPH 2012 Student Volunteer Program is a unique opportunity for students to meet people involved in all areas of the computer graphics industry while contributing to the overall success of the SIGGRAPH Conference. The industry's future leaders are encouraged to apply: students who demonstrate leadership, service, and a passion for computer graphics and interactive techniques.

As a Student Volunteer, students will go behind the scenes to help run an international event, which draws thousands of people who share a passion for advanced computer graphics technologies. The benefits of being a Student Volunteer extend beyond the free full admission conference pass to professional development and private Student Volunteer Special Sessions with top professionals who were once Student Volunteers themselves!

All of this is available to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students who are enrolled full time for at least one semester during the 2011-2012 academic year and are at least 18 years of age. Students can apply to volunteer for either 18 or 30 hours (approximately) during the conference. Volunteers who are willing to commit for at least 30 hours are eligible to apply for Travel Assistance Awards, which offer financial help for travel to and from the conference. The conference will run Sunday, 5 August through Thursday, 9 August, 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. For more details on this wonderful opportunity, please check out: sv.siggraph.org

'Flight of the Melvin' Wins 2 L.A. Movie Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:33:00 +0000

The 2012 Los Angeles Movie Awards has honored UAT Digital Video's short sci-fi comedy "Flight of the Melvin" with two awards in the Student Film category - "Award of Excellence" and "Best Editing." Congrats again to Team Melvin!

Production on RED SAND begins today!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:28:00 +0000

After spending all last semester on pre-production, the DV Production Studio classes begin filming their latest sci-fi epic, "Red Sand," a fan film based on Bioware's MASS EFFECT series of games. Serving as a prequel to the game series,"Red Sand" tells the story of the discovery of ancient alien ruins on Mars, and the battle to control the technology contained inside. It's this technology which leads to the discovery of a "mass relay" orbiting Pluto - a gateway to the rest of our galaxy and beyond, opening the door for the rest of the MASS EFFECT storyline.

The cast of "Red Sand" includes Los Angeles-based actor Ayman Samman, who last worked with the DV crew on Professor Paul DeNigris' thesis film "Parallax," and Mark Meer, the actor who provides the voice of Commander Shepard in the MASS EFFECT game series. In "Red Sand," Meer plays an all-new character called Jon Grissom, a tough soldier charged with defending the alien ruins at all costs.

Once completed, "Red Sand" will be released to the web. Stay tuned for more info, photos, and a teaser trailer to come very soon!

'Melvin' to Screen at High Desert Shorts Film Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:30:00 +0000

Welcome to 2012! Happy New Year to all our friends, fans, students, and alumni!

Good news came again over the holiday break for our short film "Flight of the Melvin" - this time from the 2012 High Desert Shorts International Film Festival.

The seventh annual event will be held over Memorial Day Weekend in Pahrump, Nevada (just an hour outside Las Vegas), and will feature a Youth Filmmaker Camp for grades 6 through 12 - perhaps including some future UAT DV students?

Another festival for 'Flight of the Melvin'

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 04:23:00 +0000

Looks like we published our 2011 Wrap-Up a skosh too soon! We just got word that our sci-fi comedy adventure "Flight of the Melvin" has been accepted to its second film festival, the 2012 Sedona International Film Festival in beautiful Sedona, Arizona!

The 18th Annual Sedona International Film Festival runs February 18-26, 2012. We are so looking forward to being part of this event!

2011 Wrap-Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:12:00 +0000

Now that the year is winding down, it's time to take a look at everything we've accomplished in 2011 - and the list is rather impressive if we do say so ourselves!

The Year of "Fallout"
After having made its film festival premiere at the 2010 International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival, "Fallout" spent nearly all of 2011 on the festival circuit with appearances at Phoenix Film Festival, Los Angeles Film and Script Festival, Los Angeles Movie Awards, New Filmmakers LA, Action on Film, HollyShorts, Renovation Independent Fan Film Festival, Los Angeles Reel Film Festival, Atlanta Horror Film Festival, and Terror Film Festival.

"Fallout" also picked up 10 awards throughout the year, including: Semifinalist, Innovation in Motion and Video in Education (2011 Adobe Design Achievement Awards); Best Arizona Short (2011 Phoenix Film Festival); 3rd Place, Best Editing, and Best Digital Effects (2011 Los Angeles Reel Film Festival, Student Film category); Award of Excellence, Best Editing, Best Special Effects (2011 Los Angeles Movie Awards); Honorable Mention, Narrative Shorts Category (2011 Los Angeles Film & Script Festival); and Runner Up, Best Visual Effects (Short) (2011 Action on Film International Film Festival). Lastly, the Arizona Media Arts Center selected "Fallout" to be part of the AZ 100 INDIE FILM collection to celebrate the Arizona Centennial in February of 2012.

More Awards

"Extraordinary Colleagues" - our 48-hour challenge entry from July 2010 - took home "Best Directing" (for Professor Paul DeNigris) and "Best Editing" (for alum Ryan Luibrand) at the IFP/Phoenix "Beat the Clock" finals in April.

"Somewhere (dot dot dot)" - our 48-hour entry from January - was chosen by Cox Arizona to appear on their IFP/Phoenix showcase on "On Demand."

The UAT Team's film "Backup Plan" won both the "Creative Excellence" and "Technical Excellence" trophies in the Spring 2011 Inter-College 48-Hour Film Challenge, competing against teams from Scottsdale Community College and Grand Canyon University. Films were scored by a panel of industry judges.

In June, UAT Digital Cinematography Professor Webb Pickersgill and his team of UAT students Bryan Simcox, Wes Peterson, and Sean Walter picked up a 2011 Telly Award for their work on the book trailer for Devious by Lisa Jackson. That same group of students also won top honors in the "College Shorts" section of the Arizona Student Film Festival for their film "Tread Softly," beating out competitors from Collins College, Scottsdale Community College, University of Arizona, and Arizona State University.

In August, the UAT / Locked Horns / SWAT HD collaboration "Covet" won four awards at the IFP/Phoenix "Beat the Clock" event. The film, produced in just 48 hours over the weekend of July 15th through 17th, garnered the following awards: "Best Director" (for Professor Paul DeNigris), "Best Use of Line" (for our use of the mandated dialogue "As long as it's free..."), "Best Ensemble" (for our amazing cast), and "2nd Place Film."

In November, student Trevor Spotted Eagle took home the "Best Directing" trophy at the Inter-College 48 Hour Film Challenge hosted by Grand Canyon University. Watch the winning film, "The Taste of Lies," here.

Also in November, two UAT teams garnered awards in the IFP/Phoenix "Breakout Film Challenge." The team of Erica Faccone, Bryan Simcox, Wes Peterson, and Sean Walter produced the drama "Wish You Were Here," which took home the awards for "Best Use of Theme" and "5th Place Film." Meanwhile, the team of Trevor Spotted Eagle, Samantha Hammond, Jamil Abubakar, Caleb Evans, Ib Gillett, Jared Oppie, Tyler Dennis, Ariel Navarrette, and Paul Rosario, working under the supervision of Professor Paul DeNigris, produced the sci-fi thriller "Reset." Their film won awards for "Best Visual Effects" and "3rd Place Film."

Other Projects

In March, TEDxPhoenix published the speaker videos that had been produced by UAT DV students during the tail end of 2010. Another team of students is currently finishing the editing on the TEDxPhoenix 2011 speaker videos, which should be published early in 2012.

In April, a crack team of UAT students and alumni assisted Professor Paul DeNigris in shooting his Master's Thesis film, "Parallax," a 24-minute Iraq War drama. Post-production continued throughout the remainder of the year and has just been completed. Film festival submissions have just begun. Watch a short behind-the-scenes montage here.

Also completed this year was the family-friendly sci-fi adventure "Flight of the Melvin," an 8-minute comedic romp about a 14-year-old geek who builds his own jetpack and soars into the middle of an alien invasion. "Flight of the Melvin" will be making its film festival premiere at the Santa Clarita Film Festival in January.

Currently in pre-production is the eagerly anticipated "Red Sand: A Mass Effect Fan Film," currently being developed by the DV Production Studio classes. Principle photography on "Red Sand" begins in January and will star the man behind the iconic voice of Commander Shepard, Mark Meer. Set on Mars, "Red Sand" chronicles the early days of the "Mass Effect" videogame universe and the discovery of the alien technology which makes the games possible. Here's a quick look at some test composites, turning the empty lot to the east of UAT into the surface of Mars:

Congratulations to everyone involved in the many successes UAT Digital Video has achieved this year! And here's to an even better 2012!

'Flight of the Melvin' to make film festival debut in Santa Clarita Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:24:00 +0000

We are excited to announce the first film festival appearance of our sci-fi comedy "Flight of the Melvin" - at the 2012 Santa Clarita Valley Film Festival, January 5th through 8th, in Newhall, California!

From the film festival's website:

Once again we will continue to focus on films appropriate for all ages, both feature-length and short format, with professional, college and high school submission categories and special rates for students.

"Flight of the Melvin" couldn't be a better fit for this festival! Here's the synopsis: "14-year-old space geek Melvin is constantly being nagged by his mom to 'clean the danged birdcage.' Finally having had enough, Melvin gathers some spare parts and builds himself a jetpack to fly away. A few moments into his first successful flight, Melvin finds himself in the middle of an alien invasion that only he can stop! Produced by the students and faculty of the University of Advancing Technology Digital Video Program, 'Flight of the Melvin' is a light-hearted sci-fi comedy adventure for the whole family!"

What is Color Sampling?

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:36:00 +0000

Any time a new camera is introduced to the market, one of the key specs that gets bandied about is "color sampling." Is it 4:4:4? 4:2:2? 4:1:1?

What do all these numbers mean, and how do they relate to how our images look? Here's a simple explanation with good diagrams for comparison, written by Graeme Nattress, published courtesy of Larry Jordan and Associates.

Inspiration: Stargate Studios' 'XXIT' Shot with the Canon C300

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:48:00 +0000

Test videos shot with Canon's new "Cinema EOS" C300 system are starting to hit the web, but none are as closely aligned with the type of filmmaking we do at UAT as this one. Produced by VFX house Stargate Studios, "XXIT" is a 12-minute film that channels a bit of Blade Runner while also showing the extreme range of the C300's capabilities.

The "making of" video below is not only a great primer for shooting on a "virtual backlot," but is also an in-depth look at the many features Canon included in their first Cinema EOS offering.

Pixiq: 'Everything About Camera Lenses'

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:06:00 +0000

What's the most important part of your camera? The body or the lens? Author and photographer Haje Jan Kamps argues that it's the glass, and we're inclined to agree. His article on Pixiq.com covers the fundamentals of how lenses work, and discusses apertures, depth of field, focal length, and much more. Mandatory reading for you cinematographers!

Prolost: ' Pimp Your After Effects'

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:32:00 +0000

DV Rebel's Guide author and all-around digital video guru Stu Maschwitz has published this handy guide for squeezing the most out of his favorite compositing software:

After Effects is a professional tool by any measure, but it is designed for a broad user base. So an artist who plans to push it hard will want to tune the application accordingly.

Read it, bookmark it, and start pimpin' out your After Effects today!

Instructables: Make a Cool Tron-like Daft Punk Helmet

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:07:00 +0000

For the budding prop-makers and/or lovers of Tron Legacy and Daft Punk, here's an awesome step-by-step Instructable for building a replica of Guy Manuel's iconic helmet written by propmaker Fennec Cooper. Fennec takes you through all the materials and tools he used, plus the steps for building a prototype, creating a mold to cast copies, detailing, painting, and lighting. Even if you don't ever build this particular prop, the methodology can work for any other type of helmet or armor piece you might think of.

Art of the Title: 'Mad Men'

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Art of the Title has published this great look behind the scenes of the iconic opening title sequence for AMC's "Mad Men." A must-read for all aspiring motion graphics artists!

DV Internships: November 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Here are the latest internships for Digital Video (and related fields), courtesy of our friends in Industry and Career Services:

Job ID:	2582
Job Title:	Digital Video
Job Type:	Internship - Unpaid
Full/Part Time:	Part Time
Openings:	1
Salary:
Skills Required:
Description:	Video Production Wizler Duties Include Create, from start to finish, several short videos The videos will be product reviews and commercials. Creative opinions are welcome The video will be featured on the home page of Evil Controller as well as Youtube How To Apply Send a resume to Phalene Leichtman. Looking to hire as soon as possible! Employer Website: Wizler Posted 11/18/2011 Expire 11/25/2011

Job ID:	2581
Job Title:	Events Intern
Job Type:	Internship - Unpaid
Full/Part Time:	Part Time
Openings:	1
Salary:
Skills Required:
Description:	Publicity Intern San Francisco Film Society Duties Include Conducting research into special interest media outlets Contacting press to establish and maintain contact Gathering and organizing materials for film programs such as photos, press kits, and synopses Providing press materials to media contacts and facilitating interviews Maintaining video library including copying, labeling DVDs and checking them out to press Entering and updating data (mailing lists, contact info, etc.) into electronic databases and other computer-based systems Preparing press clipping reports and assisting with ongoing clippings archive project Preparing press releases and press kits Onsite event support at festival venues, including screenings, receptions and special events; and miscellaneous projects Skills Required Flexible, energetic, detail-oriented, team players with good organizational skills and a passion for cinema Macintosh experience helpful, especially FileMaker Pro, Photoshop, Google apps, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and image scanning Good writing and telephone skills essential Knowledge of second language is a plus How To Apply Send a resume and cover letter to Bill Proctor Employer Website: San Francisco Film Society Posted 11/18/2011 Expire 1/18/2012 Location: San Francisco, CA

Job ID:	2580
Job Title:	Digital Media Artist
Job Type:	Internship - Paid
Full/Part Time:	Part Time
Openings:	1
Salary:	$0-$8 Hourly
Skills Required:
Description:	Graphics Internship Wizler Duties Include Create website banners both static and flash Video editing for Youtube videos Website graphic design, which could be a full website design, or just bits and pieces of pages Facebook fan page design Skills Required Photoshop, with the ability to create organized and layered Photoshop files for hands-off to developers Video recording using a digital camera, and being familiar with lighting and sound for Youtube videos Video editing skills will also be required for final cuts Illustrator HTML/CSS, basic understanding, no programming required Intern will be responsible for having the following programs: Photoshop, Illustrator, & video editing software How To Apply Send a resume and cover letter to Phalene Leichtman Employer Website: Wizler Posted 11/18/2011 Expire 12/18/2011

Job ID:	2567
Job Title:	Digital Video
Job Type:	Internship - Paid
Full/Part Time:	Full Time
Openings:	2
Salary:
Skills Required:
Description:	Web and Video Developers New Amsterdam Consulting, Inc. Duties Include NAC is seeking a team of students to help prepare materials for a new initiative. We needs students to: 1.Produce a 5 minute video on the project 2.Build a business card Web site for the projec Skills Required Web developers must be self-motivated and able to take direction from a seasoned application developer Video production interns must be able to tape and edit. In addition, they must be able to create and incorporate computer animation into the video How To Apply Send a resume and cover letter to Brad Snyder Employer Website: New Amsterdam Consulting, Inc. Posted 11/8/2011 Expire 12/8/2011 Location: Scottsdale, AZ

UAT Takes Home Four Awards at IFP/Phoenix 'Breakout Film Challenge'

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:01:00 +0000

On Friday November 18th, IFP/Phoenix hosted the screening and awards party for its latest filmmaker challenge, the seven-week "Breakout Challenge." Rather than giving filmmakers a prop and line of dialogue that they would be required to use (as is the case in a 48-Hour Film Challenge), IFP/Phoenix gave filmmakers some themes to choose from AND some additional deliverables to produce. Instead of just making a 5-minute film, participating filmmakers also had to produce a 30-second teaser trailer, a poster, a press kit, and other marketing materials.

Two teams of UAT Digital Video students participated.

The team of Erica Faccone, Bryan Simcox, Wes Peterson, and Sean Walter produced the drama "Wish You Were Here," which took home the awards for "Best Use of Theme" and "5th Place Film." Here's their trailer:

Meanwhile, the team of Trevor Spotted Eagle, Samantha Hammond, Jamil Abubakar, Caleb Evans, Ib Gillett, Jared Oppie, Tyler Dennis, Ariel Navarrette, and Paul Rosario, working under the supervision of Professor Paul DeNigris, produced the sci-fi thriller "Reset." Their film won awards for "Best Visual Effects" and "3rd Place Film." Here's the trailer for "Reset":

Congratulations to both our teams!

Cruzine: 'Freebies from Daily Inspirations no. 21 – 40'

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

I'm a sucker for free stuff, especially free textures, vectors, and fonts. Here's a cool collection of useful freebies from Cruzine, including blood (my fave), lightning, ink drops, Spanish football club logos (!) and more. Happy downloading!

Hope For Film: 'New Platforms Available For Direct Distribution'

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:09:00 +0000

Veteran indie producer Ted Hope has aggregated a list of 30 or so platforms for what he calls "do it yourself" or "do it with others" distribution. The list includes crowdfunding stalwarts Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, peer-to-peer networks, distribution aggregators, and more. Just goes to show - the distribution landscape is wide and varied these days. Check out Ted's list if you're thinking about making an indie film any time soon.

Exposure Guide: 'Focusing Basics'

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Here's a handy graphical guide to the relationship between lens aperture and subject distance to depth of field. Worth a look even if you think you have a good handle on it! Check it out here on Exposure Guide.

Networked Blogs: 'Inventing Your Career'

noreply@blogger.com (Paul DeNigris) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Here's a blog post I saw that I thought would help anyone looking for that career stepping-stone right out of college:

I know for certain that when you invent your own career, you consciously choose to leverage your own talents, your own skills, your own preferences – rather than contorting yourself to fit into a narrow job description of someone else’s design.

Read the rest here. Great stuff.