I’m super excited about this – a few of the student staff at the studios are working to produce a series of video tutorials. We’ve just put the first tutorial online – a basic overview of a light instrument. We’ve got a large list and are hoping to start churning them out routinely.
The podcast will be available from the iTunes Store in a day or so, but for now, you can subscribe to them by clicking below.
Podcast Link (small videos)
Podcast Link (large videos)
CreativeMac/Lynda.com has a nice little tutorial video about using scopes within Final Cut Pro. It’s a nice introduction to what the different scopes do and why you should use them. Take a look, then upgrade to some real scopes …
(via FresHDV)
The process by which real life turns into digital video is, by all accounts, pretty arcane. Not necessarily because of bad design decisions (though there are plenty of those) but just because real life is very complex, and our tiny little brains haven’t figured out great ways to capture it.
In any case, color sampling and color spaces is an area that trips up many folks in this field. You’ve got analog ranges, digital ranges, 8bit, 10bit, 12bit, and then you’ve got color profiles on the computer to contend with.
DV.com has a two part article (part 1, part 2) dealing with color spaces in video. Take a look if you’re at all interested in understanding why your image changes colors when you move it from Photoshop to Final Cut, or from your Mac to a PC. Keep in mind though, that all of this happens separate of the color subsampling step. The detail lost by going to 4:2:2 or 4:2:0/4:1:1 is independent of the latitude lost due to color space conversion.
Check out this article from kenstone.net regarding large scale p2 production. One of the challenges with P2 based cameras (like the Panasonic HVX-200) is that you can’t feasibly maintain your footage on the original media. Even on a major production, burning through $30,000 in p2 cards every day isn’t a realistic option. So, you’ve got to come up with a workflow to offload that content as it’s being shot. The article goes into great detail about the process being used on the production of a significant TV pilot.
StudioDaily has an interview with Ben Grossman from the Syndicate, discussing the creation of the BMW “Precipice” advertisement. It’s a pretty cool bit of CG, as they had to shoot the commercial during the day, in the dry, but present a commercial which showed the car at night in the rain. Lots of rotoscoping and particle effects ensured, and the end result is pretty impressive.
Everyone else is linking to it, so I might as well too…
General Specialist has a guide to getting the most out of your greenscreen. There’s some excellent tips there, such as how to configure your camera to make keying easier, and how to direct your talent to get the best performance on set. It’s actually a really good piece, so check it out.
As of late, I’ve been working on project that involves streaming flash video with Flash Media Server. I’ve been a bit frustrated by the process, and wanted to post some tips I’ve picked up along the way. Follow the jump if you care …
The new generation of HDV cameras has started a big debate regarding the definition of 24p. Here’s the deal.