Shoot Yourself

Blip's Mike Hudack on "The Uncanny Valley"

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:41:00 +0000

Blip CEO Mike Hudack has a post today on the Blip blog that involves robots, Beowulf and the difference between 'web shows' and 'TV shows.'

The post is really deep and thought-provoking for indie producers. I highly recommend checking it out (click here). For some reason, Mike's post makes me think of this classic skit, courtesy of Upright Citizens Brigade:

Upright Citizens Brigade

Ugly Club's New Member

Joke of the Day
Stand-Up Comedy

Get Funny Ringtones
More Funny Videos

Online Video Update: Zombies + Train Wrecks = TV

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:01:00 +0000

I feel like I'm beating a dead horse, but there is still something fascinating about watching the slow death of TV. It's like a cross between a really bad zombie movie and a train wreck*. With the way things are going, we are headed for some major shifts in the way people view video.

Check out these stories for more information:

Saturday Morning Cartoons Are Canceled - Fox is canceling Saturday morning cartoons in favor of infomercials. Apparently, entertaining kids isn't nearly as profitable as running Mighty Puddy spots in the morning... Wow.

CW Network Regains Custody of Sunday Nights - After handing over their Sunday night programming to independent studio Media Rights Capital - in an extended time buy that actually resulted in original programming instead of Billy Mays commercials - the CW is reclaiming responsibility for their programming... Sort of. I can't wait to see what they use to fill the time slots. Maybe some kind of cheesy CW-ish sitcom STARRING Billy Mays? Kind of like the Truman Show, only worse and with more facial hair and shouting.

* - Wow... This is a pretty crazy train wreck video:

*

Filmmaking Tip #3: Lighting

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:25:00 +0000

These videos come via the News Videographer blog. This is an 8-part series taken from a Ken Henderson lecturer. The focus here is on lighting for portrait photography, but there are alot of good tips here for beginning and intermediate filmmakers.

There's alot here. Enjoy:

FCP Tip #12: Free FCP Plugins

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:01:00 +0000

Just a quick post for anyone who is looking for some quality free FCP plugins. If you download these, please consider buying additional plugins from these creators.

Technicolor Plugins - Pistolera Post makes some great technicolor plugins - Two Strip, Three Strip and Three Strip Extreme.

Digital Heaven offers a variety of plugins at a variety of prices. Their free plugins are DH Grid and DH Guides. Check here for info on each. Personally, I use their DH_Box and DH_Subtitle plugins extensively for split screen and subtitling work. Those plugins cost $20 each and they're well worth it.

Nattress.com is the online home of Graeme Nattress... The man is a genius and he has helped me out of countless editing nightmares in the past. The guy knows his stuff and he's got a bunch of free FCP plugins available. He also has a bunch of great plugins that you have to pay for, but they are very valuable.

Note: If you're looking for the best film-look plugin for FCP, get the Nattress Film Effects Plugin. I used the plugin on my DV feature and it made DV look pretty damn good on a big screen. It costs $100 and it is worth way more than that.

Andy's FCP Plugins - I haven't used most of these, but I have used Andy's center-cut generator and it's pretty great.

Too Much Too Soon Free FCP Plugins - I've used many of these with no complaints. You have to enter your email address to receive these plugins. Please read the explanation carefully - the plugins are text files. I can't remember how to do it, but it is all explained on their website and it works.

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Video Riff #2: Bring Out Your Dead

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:52:00 +0000

Time for another "Video Riff" - just some vague observations, open-ended questions and occasionally wild assumptions. Think of it as a a digital post-it note with ideas for future versions of the more complete "Online Video Report."

Just bear with me and leave comments if you think I may be on to something or if you think I should be put in a straitjacket. Here goes... Video Riff #2:

Glenn Pingul = Correct!
Glenn Pingul at MediaPost's Online Video Insider is optimistic about the state of online video advertising. I agree with him - online video ad rates may be falling but that is a symptom of the times, not an indication of the value of online advertising.

Pingul points out that online video advertising has many benefits:

"Online video advertising takes effectiveness and measurement to the proverbial next level. No one argues the impact of sight, sound and motion and the brand-building benefits of video. But coupled with the ability to drive direct response and gather deep insight into performance, video is taking a powerful new role in the marketing mix. "

Right on the money. And TV advertising offers nothing in the way of deep insight - I've spoken to several network executives that tell me they don't trust TV ratings at all. Think about that for a second. TV networks don't even trust the yardstick by which they measure success. That would be like a football referee who doesn't trust the measuring chains or a cop that doesn't believe his radar gun so he guesses car speeds based on what he sees with his own eyes.

Look at Direct Response advertising on television - the success of campaigns are judged solely on the amount of phone calls or website hits that are received from each commercial airing. Online video advertising offers so much more in the way of targeting and tracking, I'm surprised Billy Mays isn't all over Blip TV (or maybe he tried and Blip won't have him!).

Bring Out Your Dead
There are plenty of experts that would have you believe online video advertising isn't ready for prime time. I think they are in a rush to dismiss the whole "genre" of ads because it threatens the networks and the agencies. The networks realize that online targeting and tracking will expose TV buys as grossly overpriced, while the agencies simply haven't got a collective clue about what they are doing in the space. The whole thing kind of reminds me of the "Bring Out Your Dead" scene from Monty Python's "Holy Grail":

Whatever... The point is, online video ain't dead yet. Not by a longshot. Take it from Glenn Pingul:

"Advertisers are demanding answers to questions on what works and doesn’t, an understanding of the efficacy of their advertising spend and creative, and an ability to act on it. Online video advertising is poised to be a steady and consistent answer, both in good times and in bad. And yes, it always takes guts for marketers to break new ground, but with video, they have numerous means to measure what really works, getting a true gut check as to whether they’re on track all along the way."

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Video Riff #1: Set Top Boxes and Ms. Pac Man

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:11:00 +0000

New feature time... I'm gonna call this the "Video Riff" - just some vague observations, open-ended questions and occasionally wild assumptions. Think of it as a a digital post-it note with ideas for future versions of the more complete "Online Video Report."

Just bear with me and leave comments if you think I may be on to something or if you think I should be put in a straitjacket. Here goes... Video Riff #1:

Set-Top Boxes Are the Future of TV
The future of TV lies in set-top boxes. The technology isn't ready for prime time, but it is getting there quickly. Apple TV seems to be leading the way, but Netflix and Blockbuster recently entered the space.

There is also the open-source box Neuros, but I want to focus on Apple, Netflix and Blockbuster for the purposes of this riff.

Apple, Netflix and Blockbuster all have their own sources of content. It stands to reason that a content creator might have a tough time gaining any traction if he couldn't get listed on iTunes or carried by Netflix or Blockbuster. It would seem that if the future of distribution was in the set-top boxes and the market was dominated by these three companies, then the major networks and studios would dominate the market.

That's equally scary and boring. Ugh.

Apple FTW?
I believe Apple will make iTunes more accessible to indie producers in the future, just like they've opened up iTunes to indie musicians. If Apple can dominate the video distribution market like they've been able to dominate the digital music market, there is a pretty good chance that indies will have a healthy shot at finding an audience in a future dominated by set top boxes.

Amazon.com Widgets

But what about Ms. Pac Man?

Right. Ms. Pac-Man... I think the evolution of set top boxes will be influenced by modifications (aka "hacks") done by users who want to maximize the usefulness of the boxes. One of the coolest examples I've seen so far is Boxee - a tool for making it easier to find content and share it with your friends. This kind of stuff makes it easier for the user and it pushes the manufacturer to add more features and ultimately make content easily accessible.

But this will probably get messy - while hacking a set top box could open up a world of possibilities for the end user, it could just as easily open a pandora's box of lawsuits for the hacker. Computer manufacturers, Hollywood studios and cable providers love them some lawsuits, so you can bet it will happen at some point.

There is a precedent for what might be about to happen - that's where Ms.Pac-Man comes in. Check out this episode of OnNetwork's "Play Value." It tells the story of two MIT students - Doug Macrae and Kevin Curran - who modified arcade games in the early 1980s. In addition to being a fascinating story, it really could foreshadow the future of digital set top boxes.

Although the modifications of Macrae and Curren were embraced by arcade owners and end users, Atari went after them in court... but there is a happy ending. Let's hope something similar comes of the soon to be written future history of digital set top boxes:

FCP Tip #11: Ripping a DVD to Edit in FCP

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:53:00 +0000

This is a great tip from MindBites. If your client asks you to edit content that is already on a DVD, it can be messy. Here's how you do it using a program called Mac the Ripper:

Ripping a DVD to Edit in Final Cut Pro

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FCP Tip #10: Every FCP Keyboard Shortcut

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:50:00 +0000

Well isn't this awesome. A PDF document with every single FCP keyboard shortcut:

FCP SHORTCUTS

Print it out, blow it up and don't lose it!

Courtesy of Zak Ray (via FCPWorld)...

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Online Video Report: More on Monetization

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:11:00 +0000

The current state of online video monetization is bleak. We know that.

But the future of online video monetization is currently the subject of intense debate. For example:

-Dan Rayburn of BusinessofDigitalVideo.com thinks the current downturn in online ad spending will help the industry in the long run. Here are some of the excerpts I found most interesting:

"We have to keep in mind that even though this industry has been around for more than ten years now, every facet of the online video industry is still very small."

"We still have a lot of growth to do, a lot of innovation to bring to the market and many applications that need to be developed on top of the basic underlying technology that has been created."

"Things will get worse for companies with no real business model, product offering or clear and defined message of who they are and what they offer. That's just business. But after the shakeout, our industry will still be here, business is still growing and the industry will be stronger as a result of it."

However, Erick Schonfeld of TechCrunch takes a more pessimistic view of online video's present and future:

"In other words, TV and media companies can make ten times as much by putting a video on TV than they can by putting it on the Web, even if that video attracts the same size audience. Online video startups can look at that as an opportunity to close that gap, but they should also realize that the Web is not the only game in town. In fact, cable companies are striking back by gradually shifting up their video-on-demand channels to a bigger mix of free, advertising-supported video. Cable’s answer to Youtube will be more video-on-demand channels with better videos that advertisers will line up to buy ads for at ten times the price they are willing to pay for ads on YouTube, or Hulu for that matter."

Schonfeld goes on to point out that online video still offers much more in the way of viewer interaction than VOD ever will, which will likely help online video's case in the future.

My take: TV ads are grossly overvalued. Advertisers and content creators need to stop hoping for online CPMs to reach TV monetization levels and instead accept the fact that TV ad rates are going to fall through the floor.

Think about it - online video ads are more easily targeted, tracked and converted into sales. Advertisers may be cool to the idea of online video advertising because they aren't satisfied with the initial returns, but the alternative is to run a TV campaign with non-targeted, non-trackable ads that require a viewer to get up and go to a store or log on to a computer to make a purchase.

Online video is cheaper and the viewer is already using the computer. The sale is already one click away. Boom baby!

Imagine what would happen if Pepsi or Nike shifted their TV ad budget to online video. With the same support system of print, billboard and radio ads, do you really think either company would suffer a drop in sales? I doubt it - and when you figure that these ads can be targeted and relationships can be fostered with key demographic groups, TV ads lose in a landslide.

Things will change when advertisers realize they can get a better bang for their buck online, but the change won't come in the form of higher online CPMs. The change will come from TV CPMs dropping precipitously.

Just look to the newspaper industry for an idea of where this is headed - Newspaper CPMs have been in a steady decline for years, to the point that newspapers are considering switching to an online subscription model. Meanwhile, online CPMs have actually been decreasing. Even if online CPMs begin to rise following the current economic downturn, there is no reason to believe that the online CPMs will compensate for the drop in newspaper CPMs.

Just sayin.

.

YouTube Tip #2: A Quick and Dirty Guide to Exporting for YouTube

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:31:00 +0000

Got a video? Want it to look good on YouTube? Dig in:

Uploading video to YouTube or any other video sharing website can be tricky because the video is encoded twice - the first encode happens on your initial export and the second encode occurs after you upload your file to YouTube.

Re-encoding video means you are playing with alot of variables and if you aren't careful, your video can look choppy and grainy. There's nothing more frustrating than uploading your HDV or HD project, only to find out that your masterpiece looks like it was shot on a cell phone.

Blip TV sums up the challenge nicely:

Video compression is somewhere between a science and a mystical art - and it changes constantly. The basic problem compression solves is that video is captured at resolutions way to high to be broadcast on the Web (at least for now). The video on a DVD or miniDV tape, would take hours to download on a high speed connection. Compression software called CODECs were invented to compress video, ideally down to a file size that looks great, and also transfers as fast as the video plays, so there's no wait. CODECs delete repeated and unneeded information by looking at Key Frames. They are constantly being improved, while at the same time the file size the Web can handle is constantly increasing.

The most important thing to remember is that your video is never going to look as good on YouTube as it does when you watch the original file on your computer. The good news is that if you use the correct settings you'll be able to create a smooth video with decent image quality and synced audio.

So how do you encode your video so that it looks good when viewed online?

1.) Size

You're first inclination is probably to export your video at its full size. Don't do it. Instead, export at 640x480 (for 4:3 aspect ratios) or 640x360 (for HD, HDV or 16:9 DV projects).

2.) Frame Rate

Regardless of whether you shot in 30fps or 24fps, ALWAYS export at 30fps. I have no idea why this is the case, but every online video looks better at 30fps. If you find otherwise, please leave a comment.

3.) Bit Rate

The bit rate can vary depending on your desired file size. Blip TV recommends a 2200 kbps bitrate and that has always worked well for me - on Blip, YouTube and everywhere else. (Note: Blip's step-by-step guide recommends a bitrate between 1500-2000, but the 2200 number comes from their upload department).

So I would say 2200 is a good place to start, but you should be able to reduce your file size and maintain quality by dropping your bitrate to 1500 or even lower

For a step-by-step guide, check out Blip's detailed export recommendations.

Disclaimer: This is meant as a quick and easy guide to getting you started. The settings that work best today may not be the best settings in a few months due to changes in the uploading/encoding process on YouTube and other sites. As always, experiment and use what works best for you and your particular video.

Feel free to leave comments and links to your videos with size, frame rate and bitrate information.

Online Video Report: Desperation, Innovation and Monetization

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:00:00 +0000

The title of this post could also be, "Monetization, Monetization and Monetization." Despite the ability to tell a story in a wholly unique way video and, most of the discussion about online video centers around monetization.

Not that there's anything wrong with monetization - it is a major concern for indie producers and major brands alike. Monetization drives the industry... it is a good thing.

One problem: Nobody has figured out how to successfully monetize online video and it is getting more difficult everyday.

Desperation

Online Video CPMs are Falling - Alan Schulman of MediaPost's VideoInsider points out that the current state of the US economy is going to force ad budgets to tighten, especially in unproven areas like online video.

"...in a recessionary climate, we’re bound to see a leveling of online video CPMs. After all, ad buyers are likely to be under pressure to squeeze the same awareness and purchase intent thresholds out of even fewer dollars in ‘09."

Innovation

New Ads Pop Up in Video Blank Spaces - As ad budgets tighten, producers and advertisers are going to continue to look for new and creative ways to monetize video. MediaPost points out that Keystream is rolling out "SmartAds" - overlay ads that only appear in places that don't interrupt actions in the video.

"Its system scans video content for "blank" spaces--such as a bare wall or a grass field--and sticks an overlay ad there, without interrupting the programming. Instead of covering the lower portion of the screen like the current crop of overlays, Keystream's SmartAds are intended to pop up anywhere that won't block the action."

The Crystal Ball

So what's next for online video? Can it be successfully monetized or is it all hype?

I tend to agree with Daisy Whitney and Tilzy TV - they believe that online video isn't necessarily the entire product. The video has to be part of a larger, interactive web experience.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - online video's future is not a distribution outlet for existing TV/film content, but as a totally new storytelling medium. More on this asap...

FCP Tip #9: Three-Point Editing & Final Cut Studio School

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 16:48:00 +0000

If you're learning Final Cut Pro, you'd be doing yourself a favor by visiting Eric Meek's Final Cut Studio School. He has a bunch of free video tutorials that really do a great job of explaining how to get the most out of FCP.

If you're a beginner, check these out for starters:

Three-Point Editing - The 3-point edit is sort of the backbone of video editing. If editing were music, the 3-point edit would be the C major scale. Learn it and use it.

Getting Started, Part One (Preferences) - Once you've got the concept of a 3-point edit down, you'll want to know how to set up FCP to maximize efficiency and stuff...

I've linked to some of Eric's video tutorials before - click here for his YouTube channel. You can also jump to his tutorials on Chroma Keys in Apple Shake and FCP Travel Mattes.

Filmmaking Tip #2: Shooting on the Go Without a Tripod

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:30:00 +0000

This tutorial comes from Video Maker magazine. It outlines some beginner's tips for keeping a steady camera when you don't have a tripod or when setting up a tripod isn't feasible, due to time or space issues:

"Body positioning, control, and awareness are the keys to handheld video. If you can manage that, the rest is easy. The problem is most of us are too impatient and too used to our own perspectives to take the time to really see the images we capture when shooting handheld. While patience is something you have to discover within yourself, tried and true methods can improve all your video endeavors."

Read the whole article here.

Filmmaking Tip #1: Top Ten Mistakes of Rookie Filmmakers

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:34:00 +0000

Most of the tips and tutorials that I've posted so far have been dealing editing and post-production.

Here is the first filmmaking "tip," courtesy of DVFreelancer.com. In "Top Ten Mistakes of Rookie Filmmakers," DVFreelancer lays out some of the most common pitfalls encountered by rookie filmmakers, including:

Auto Focus. This should be obvious, but those new to the business don't think about it. Most auto focus systems are center-weighted. That means the camera will focus on what takes up most of the middle of the frame. If you compose your subject in the middle, with auto focus on, and you pan off him a little for a nice composition, the focus will shift. In more years of shooting than I care to acknowledge, I have used auto focus only one time. It has its place; it can be useful. But only in very limited circumstances.

If you're just getting into filmmaking or if you want to make better YouTube videos, check out the whole article.

FCP Tip #8: Effects and Pasting Attributes

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:07:00 +0000

This FCP comes from MacVideoHelpLine (check out their YouTube channel for more solid FCP tips and tricks).

Online Video Report: How the FCC Killed TV and Why You Should Be Happy About It

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:53:00 +0000

Yesterday, the FCC approved the use of the empty radio spectrum between TV channels for wireless devices. The If you'll recall, the TV industry is moving to an all-digital platform, effective February 17, 2009.

I won't bore you with the details of how or why TV is going all-digital. Nor will I get into the details of the FCC's decision to allow these radio "white spaces" to be used by wireless devices. You can read some of the arguments for and against the decision here, here and here.

Here is what I say: Congress and the FCC just killed TV and they had no idea.

Here's why:

1.) It will be easier to get a wireless internet connection. In effect, you will have high-speed wireless access wherever you can currently get a TV signal, ostensibly for free. There are some tech heavyweights throwing their weights behind this, according to Yahoo:

"But proponents of "white space" use—including tech giants like Google, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, and Microsoft—promise cheap, reliable wireless broadband capable of traveling long distances and through obstacles like trees and walls. That means rural areas (which have fewer TV channels, and thus more "white space" room) could at last enjoy widespread, wireless broadband access, while muni Wi-Fi efforts (remember those?) could be backstopped using what white-space spectrum is available."

2.) Your wireless device will become your TV, VCR and TV Guide. As TV moves to digital delivery, web video is moving into the TV spectrum, making it possible to browse the web and watch or download video anywhere.

3.) Portability. I see this thing playing out much like the history of cell phones. Cell phones were initially a novelty - for the 1980s and much of the 90s, they were bulky, costly and unreliable. All of that has changed, thanks to an easing of cost and efficiency. Today, 89% of US adults own a cell phone and 20% of US adults don't even have a landline phone.

The same thing is already happening with online video. Online video used to be clunky and impractical to watch and produce. Ten years ago, you could watch streaming video through RealPlayer and it was choppy and low quality. Today, you can watch video on your iPod. Very soon, you'll be able to use that cell phone to easily access online video wherever you go.

Think about that. 89% of American adults now have a TV set in their pocket. Granted, it's not a flat screen HDTV, but very soon, it will not be difficult to download an HD-quality show while waiting in line at the grocery store and watching the show when you get home by plugging it into your TV.

It will soon become easier to check an RSS reader to find the latest episodes of your favorite video podcasts and online TV shows than it will be to look up the TV listings in the newspaper.

4.) Private companies will speed the transition. While Congress and the FCC have been behind the clunky, slow transition to DTV, private companies like Google and Microsoft will push for a speedy transition for the use of white spaces for wireless internet.

TV Networks will be forced to combat this by offering more and more of their content online and they have the infrastructure to do it - anything produced by a major studio is going to attract the viewers and sponsors that YouTube content creators would never dream of... but the move to online distribution will lift all boats. As the medium becomes a viable and practical alternative to traditional TV distribution, ad dollars will follow. We are already seeing it happen and it's been happening for years. The FCC just ensured that it will now happen faster.

The FCC just killed TV and Congress was a willing accomplice. I'd give them credit, but they had no idea what the hell they were doing, as usual.

This video pokes fun at the DTV transition and the government's clunky way of dealing with technology. And it's pretty funny too:

Online Video Report: The Bad, The Good and the Interesting

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:03:00 +0000

Online Video Report is a semi-regular blog post that I've been making over at the Peanuts Blog. Basically, I comment on things that are going on in the online video industry. Simple enough, eh?

Today, I'm moving the Online Video Report to Shoot Yourself, because it makes more sense to post it here than at a blog about my baseball TV show. Here we go...

The Bad - Dan Rayburn (BusinessofVideo.com) has some pretty bleak news about the current state of monetizing online video. Rayburn blames the lack of monetization on the lack of targeting in the online ad space. It makes perfect sense, but the most chilling aspect of the article was this:

"I asked for a quick show of hands in the room on how many attendees were content publishers, at which time more than fifty hands went up. I then asked, how many publishers are making enough money today from online video advertising to cover anything more than your distribution costs? With that question, the room fell silent and not a single hand out of the more than fifty went up."

And these weren't YouTube style publishers and independent video creators in the room. These were some of the largest online video publishers across many different industry verticals."

Yikes. Definitely not good news. I still think that online video is going to become a new storytelling device that will set it apart from film and TV. Producers who can approach online video as a wholly separate beast - rather than an offshoot or a supplement to TV/film - may find more success with the medium. But again, that won't happen tomorrow.

The Good - Blip TV has announced that they are able to serve and verify their ads in iTunes. Although I'm a huge fan of Blip and my TV show is available on Blip, I confess that I have yet to download my show on iTunes through Blip (confusing?). The point is, I'm not entirely sure how (or if) the ads are verified beyond the download phase.

However, I will be checking this out very soon. If this works the way I think it does, it could be a huge boost for indie producers who can't get their work sold on iTunes - getting sold on iTunes is a very confusing and almost impossible task for an indie. The only alternative is to make your content available on iTunes as a free video podcast. However, it seems that now indie producers can monetize content from Blip ads on their free podcast.

The Interesting - KDENLIVE is a new open source video editing application. Check it out.

You can check out earlier Online Video reports here.

Free FCP Pan/Zoom Plugin From Noise Industries

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:27:00 +0000

Noise Industries has just released a new Pan and Zoom plugin for FCP, according to FCPWorld:

"Recently, they posted a free plug-in which imitates a rostrum camera, used for panning and zooming on still images. This “Pan and Zoom” effect is extremely popular, however, it is not easy to pull off with Final Cut Pro keyframes. Go here for the download."

I haven't tried the plugin yet, but FCPWorld is a trusted source for information, so if they like it, it is probably pretty good. If you get a chance to check it out, let me know if you like it.

YouTube Tip: How to Link to Specific Parts of a Video

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 05:30:00 +0000

This tip comes from Eric Nalts of WillVideoForFoo d, by way of TechCrunch:

"Just add the following after the video’s URL: #t=1m45s (where the number prior to m is minute, and before s is seconds)."

For instance, if I wanted to link directly to the moment when a skydiver crashes into the fence in the first episode of "Playing for Peanuts," I would post this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2MQLEnfFhc#t=1m57s

Apple Motion Tip #2: Creating Text for Final Cut Pro

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:07:00 +0000

LAFCPUG has a solid little article about creating text in Motion for use in Final Cut Pro. It may not seem like a big deal, but it is a common question.

"It's probably one of the most frequently asked questions on the Motion forums. Here's the scenario: you use Motion to create some nifty animated text for your Final Cut Pro project. It looks great. You bring it into Final Cut. It looks awful. What happened? Can it be fixed? Read on."

There are several useful tips in the article, but the most useful (in my opinion) is to adjust your text to counter the effects of DV compression (assuming you are creating text for a DV project):

"Even if you use an external calibrated monitor or make these adjustments to the Canvas, your text still might look worse in Final Cut Pro than it did in Motion. If you are adding the text to some DV video in a DV sequence, it will get rendered to the DV codec. And while the DV codec is good for video, it's not so great for text.

What to do? Use a large, sans serif font. Fine lines, especially horizontal ones, are going to look bad. Partly due to the DV codec, but even more so due to the interlaced nature of NTSC or PAL television - an issue you cannot see in the Canvas."

Oh... Don't forget to view in an external monitor whenever possible.

Check out the entire article here.

MORE TIPS & TUTORIALS

SOFTWARE
AFTER EFFECTS
FINAL CUT PRO
IMOVIE
MOTION
SHAKE

TOPICS
AUDIO
BASIC EDITING
MOTION GRAPHICS
TEXT

After Effects Tip #2: Creating Fire

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:01:00 +0000

Here's another basic - yet helpful - After Effects tutorial from YouTube. This one comes from the ChadandToddPodcast channel:

MORE TIPS & TUTORIALS

SOFTWARE
AFTER EFFECTS
FINAL CUT PRO
IMOVIE
MOTION
SHAKE

TOPICS
AUDIO
BASIC EDITING
MOTION GRAPHICS
TEXT

Apple Shake Tip #1: Chroma Key

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:05:00 +0000

You can create a Chroma Key (aka blue/green screen effect) in just about any video editing program. YouTube user EMeek77 has an outstanding video tutorial that explains how to quickly build a chroma key in Apple Shake.

The key here is that he is BUILDING the key rather than using a plugin. This theoretically will give the user more control over the individual settings of the key. I prefer using the DVMatte plugin for FCP, but this method looks intriguing.

Don't forget to visit EMeek77's YouTube channel for more tutorials.

MORE TIPS & TUTORIALS

SOFTWARE
AFTER EFFECTS
FINAL CUT PRO
IMOVIE
MOTION
SHAKE

TOPICS
AUDIO
BASIC EDITING
MOTION GRAPHICS
TEXT

After Effects Tip #1: The Basics

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:52:00 +0000

I haven't posted anything about After Effects. Might as well start now... and I might as well start with the basics. This video is from YouTube user TonicFX. If you've got a better video, post the URL in the comments section.

MORE TIPS & TUTORIALS

SOFTWARE
AFTER EFFECTS
FINAL CUT PRO
IMOVIE
MOTION
SHAKE

TOPICS
AUDIO
BASIC EDITING
MOTION GRAPHICS
TEXT

FCP Tip #7: Editing iSight Videos in FCP

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:49:00 +0000

This is a very basic tip that may save you from pulling your hair out...

If you are a Mac user who regularly uses your iSight camera, you know how easy it is to capture videos using iMovie (FCP still can't capture from iSight cameras, as far as I can tell). But once the video is captured, it is damn near impossible to find the captured Quicktime videos on your hard drive.

The reason is that iMovie "conveniently" bundles up all of your captured video into one big iMovie Project File. The purpose is to make things easier to find, but it assumes that you are only going to be using your captured video in iMovie. If you want to use the files in another program, or if you want to make backups of your videos, things aren't so easy. In fact, if you search for the files in Finder, you ain't gonna find 'em. Like I said, you may end up pulling your hair out.

So how do you find the captured videos so that you can import them into FCP?

Step #1: Find the iMovie project file.

Step #2: Right click (or Control click) on the project file.

Step #3: Select "Show Package Contents"

Step #4: Click on the "Media" folder

Step #5: Find your Quicktime file(s) and move/copy them to a new folder.

Step #6: Open FCP and locate your files for import.

MORE TIPS & TUTORIALS

SOFTWARE
AFTER EFFECTS
FINAL CUT PRO
IMOVIE
MOTION
SHAKE

TOPICS
AUDIO
BASIC EDITING
MOTION GRAPHICS
TEXT

FCP Tip #6: Very Basic Editing

noreply@blogger.com (John Fitzgerald) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:37:00 +0000

This tip is for beginning editors and those more experienced editors who are new to Final Cut Pro. These videos come from MacVideoHelpLine (Their YouTube channel can be viewed by clicking here).

MORE TIPS & TUTORIALS

SOFTWARE
AFTER EFFECTS
FINAL CUT PRO
IMOVIE
MOTION
SHAKE

TOPICS
AUDIO
BASIC EDITING
MOTION GRAPHICS
TEXT