Ski’s mom and I drove down to Sweden to pick up Ski and the kids from horseback riding camp. They had been gone for about six days, and to be honest, I missed them. It was funny because I was so excited about the prospect of being left alone for Continue reading “Trippin’ in Sweden”
Harry Potter and Me
I have never been a big fan of British imports but in the last few years I have become obsessed with them. I mean everything from Harry Potter to Doctor Who. I bring this up because I finally got my copy of the new, and final, Harry Potter novel. Hopefully I won’t sound like a major nerd by saying this, but Continue reading “Harry Potter and Me”
Always buy the Applecare!!
Okay….with the family away for a week at horseback riding camp I finally was gonna get a few days to myself to work on my laptop computer undisturbed. I had all my training manuals and tutorials laid out so that I could begin Continue reading “Always buy the Applecare!!”
Working out ain’t no joke!
Getting back into the swing of working out regularly has been more of a challenge than I thought. However the upside of this change has been that I have started get back to my old playing weight. I got about another 10 lbs until I am able to fit back into my high school jersey. Now I just gotta get my knees in playing form so I can get my hops back. I really wanna get to the point where I can dunk easily again. Continue reading “Working out ain’t no joke!”
Free Software for Indy Filmmakers
These are some great programs for filmmakers trying to develop projects on a budget. There is something here for everyone. From Scriptwriting and planning to basic editing and 3D modeling. The great thing is that all this stuff is free. I really mean free, legal, and on the up and up. Top notch stuff. I like some of these programs better Continue reading “Free Software for Indy Filmmakers”
Wireless networks and security
One of the ladies I work with was talking about how she set up a wireless network in her house. She was very pleased with herself until her son made her nervous by pointing out some of the security issues surrounding wireless networks. I had to agree with her son because I had just gotten some information back on a hacking conference I had attended last year. I wouldn’t be able this year so I figured I would finally get around to writing up some guidelines for some of my students. It was scary how easy some people can penetrate a wireless connection. I pull out some of my old reseach on how to harden up my wireless security. I rediscovered a few important facts Continue reading “Wireless networks and security”
The Second Annual LaGuardia New Media Conference
The Second Annual LaGuardia Community College New Media Technology conference was held on May 16th 2007. The conference was big improvement over last year. That is not to say that last year was bad. Far from it. However this year we had alot more support from industry leading companies like Avid, Apple, Adobe, Microsoft, and Prentis Hall. As a result the overall conference had much greater attendance. Plus the breakout sessions Continue reading “The Second Annual LaGuardia New Media Conference”
My baby can run!!
I went to watch Tita in her first track meet today. I surprised her at the meet. I told her I wouldn’t be able to make because I had a meeting. I had to reschedule some things in order to make it there, but I didn’t tell her that. Continue reading “My baby can run!!”
Star Wars Fan film: Dark Vengeance Lightsaber test
This is an effects shot that I worked on to test some new software that we are using in New Media Technology program. I shot this test video on the roof of the LaGuardia computer building. I am planning on shooting a Sci-Fi fan film with some of the students in our program so I figured that I would try out my Jedi skills. I think the shot turned out pretty good for my first attempt.
The software I am using in this test shot is called EffectsLab Lite and it was developed by FXHome.com. The program is a visual effects tool that is in many ways very similar to After Effects, but with not as steep of a learning curve. The entry level package is pretty affordable at about 110 bucks. The more advanced versions, Effectslab Pro and Visionlab Studio, run from about 150 to 500 bucks.
My main problem with the software is that there is no current intel-mac version. As a result Winona, my Macbook Pro, runs Effectslab slowly. The company says an intel version is on the way but I think they won’t release a universal binary until the next full release. They software currently is available for Windows XP and Power PC based macs. I am not sure if a Windows Vista software version is ready. I haven’t paid much attention to that because if someone is using Vista chances are that they have more pressing issues.
The Best Superhero Fanfilms
Here is a list of some of the best superhero fanfilms that I have come across on the web. I qualify best as in excellent production values and not in acting ability. That is not to say that the acting is bad in some of these productions. It is just that the genres of movies that I prefer don’t generally lend themselves to creating the next academy award winner Continue reading “The Best Superhero Fanfilms”