Overall, I was very disappointed at what Apple announced today concerning their much anticipated update to the iPad. Let me state for the record that I absolutely love my 1st generation iPad. I love it so much that I touched my Kindle and netbook for the first time in months the other day only to brush the dust off of them as I was cleaning up my bedroom. And I loved both of those devises when they Continue reading “iPad 2…..ehh!”
Old LaGuardia New Media Student Videos
I was backing up a few of my old hard drives and came across some old student work that I had forgotten. The following video was shot by some of my New Media Technology students back in 2008. The students that produced the video were all students in my HUW163 Internet Video and DVD Production class. The video was a solid Continue reading “Old LaGuardia New Media Student Videos”
Final Cut Pro Training – Basic edit reel
This summer I am taking courses at a variety of design schools in the area. Here is my most recent video editing reel that I completed at the School of Visual Arts in their weekend Final Cut Pro class. While I am experienced with Final Cut (been using it since version 1.0), I figured it is a good idea to brush up on Final Cut since I have been focusing more on web design topics lately. Plus I plan on Continue reading “Final Cut Pro Training – Basic edit reel”
I just knew it…… soon as I go high def….
JVC announces their brand new High Definition camcorder, the Everio GZ-HD6. The GZ-HD6 is a 3CCD hard drive based camera priced at just over a $1,000. If you been reading some of my previous posts then you already know that I recently purchased a high def camcorder, the Canon HV20. At the time the HV20 was the best deal on the market. Much to my irritation, that my have just changed. Continue reading “I just knew it…… soon as I go high def….”
Upgrading to High Def: The Canon HV20 or HV30?
Last week Canon announced the Vixia HV30, the newest high def camcorder designed to replace older Canon HV20. I have been itching to make the jump to HD video for the past year. I held off largely because my standard definition Canon GL2 was still serving me well. In addition, the HD standards and industry trends were still in flux so I was kinda gun shy about making a major purchase during times of technological uncertainty. You have to understand that for me, nothing is as frustrating as having your new camcorder becoming obsolete the week after you purchase it. Continue reading “Upgrading to High Def: The Canon HV20 or HV30?”
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”