Category Archives: Post

Post Production is post and prior—a lot of work taking other people’s material from dozens of sources and fitting it all into some other group’s needs. Very technical.

Film Festival Dates and Submission Details

the 3D company, the 3D specialist company in Central London, has released a nice grid of 26 world-wide film festivals and their requirements. Film Festival Dates and Submission Details | THE 3D COMPANY

[Sundance, Berlin Int., South by Southwest (SXSW), Hong Kong Intl., Atlanta, Tribeca, London Int. Doc. Festival, Festival de Cannes, Seattle Int., Nantucket, Edinburgh Int., Moscow Int., Montreal World, Venice Int., Telluride, Toronto, New York, Busan Int., Chicago Int., London, Jakarta Int., Hollywood, Austin, Film Festival of India, Yamagata Int. Doc, British Urban Film Festival]

Film Festival Dates and Submission Details

the 3D company, the 3D specialist company in Central London, has released a nice grid of 26 world-wide film festivals and their requirements. Film Festival Dates and Submission Details | THE 3D COMPANY

[Sundance, Berlin Int., South by Southwest (SXSW), Hong Kong Intl., Atlanta, Tribeca, London Int. Doc. Festival, Festival de Cannes, Seattle Int., Nantucket, Edinburgh Int., Moscow Int., Montreal World, Venice Int., Telluride, Toronto, New York, Busan Int., Chicago Int., London, Jakarta Int., Hollywood, Austin, Film Festival of India, Yamagata Int. Doc, British Urban Film Festival]

Final Cut Pro X Gets Multi-Camera and Monitor

This morning Apple announced Final Cut Pro X v10.0.3, an update that should close the gap on key features previously found in FCP7 but still missing in FCPX, notably multicam editing and video out support for broadcast video monitoring, both promised last September. The update went live in the Mac App Store this morning at 8:30 am ET/5:30 am PT. It is free to existing users and remains a $299.99 download for new users.

Apple’s reimagining of multicam features automatic sync and can handle up to 64 different camera angles of varying formats, resolutions and frame rates at once. Other new features in 10.0.3, which follows a small bug fix last November, include a chroma keyer with advanced controls, the ability to manually relink projects and events to new media, and support for layered Photoshop files. Apple has also improved the functionality in FCPX’s new version of XML, paving the way for several simultaneous third-party device, App and plug-in releases that take advantage of the NLE’s new architecture.


For pictures and arrows and slings of outrageous fortune, and the reason for happy days for AJA and Blackmagic and Matrox:

 

Apple – Final Cut Pro X – A revolution in creative editing.

Apple – Final Cut Pro X – Trial

Final Cut Pro X Gets Multi-Camera and Monitor

This morning Apple announced Final Cut Pro X v10.0.3, an update that should close the gap on key features previously found in FCP7 but still missing in FCPX, notably multicam editing and video out support for broadcast video monitoring, both promised last September. The update went live in the Mac App Store this morning at 8:30 am ET/5:30 am PT. It is free to existing users and remains a $299.99 download for new users.

Apple’s reimagining of multicam features automatic sync and can handle up to 64 different camera angles of varying formats, resolutions and frame rates at once. Other new features in 10.0.3, which follows a small bug fix last November, include a chroma keyer with advanced controls, the ability to manually relink projects and events to new media, and support for layered Photoshop files. Apple has also improved the functionality in FCPX’s new version of XML, paving the way for several simultaneous third-party device, App and plug-in releases that take advantage of the NLE’s new architecture.


For pictures and arrows and slings of outrageous fortune, and the reason for happy days for AJA and Blackmagic and Matrox:

 

Apple – Final Cut Pro X – A revolution in creative editing.

Apple – Final Cut Pro X – Trial

Alan Parsons Gets Creative Review

The series comes to you from Alan Parsons, a man whose credits have included some of my favorite albums over the years: Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon,” The Beatles’ “Abbey Road,” and Al Stewart’s “Time Passages,” et al. Then came…


This article comes from Creative Cow:
A Look at Alan Parsons Art & Science of Sound Recording – Creative COW


Alan Parsons has now released the DVD/downloadable series Alan Parsons’ Art and Science of Sound Recording. Priced at $149 for the DVDs with downloads or buy just the download version alone for $99. Either one is a steal. …

After living with it for much of 2011, how do I feel about the purchase? Even with its flaws which come with annoying semi-regularity, it is still my favorite audio production and engineering training series. It was a monumental undertaking that while far from perfect has many things to recommend it. …

Even with its flaws, I love it and would give it …

On DVD, it is a three disc chronicle of what Alan Parsons has picked up during a lifetime of audio engineering and production. Narrated by Billy Bob Thornton (yes, that Billy Bob Thornton) …

Alan Parsons is joined in sidebar discussions by other A-list audio engineers and producers like Simon …

How good is it? Over the years I have been able to work alongside a multi-platinum-selling audio engineer/producer and Alan Parsons’ Art and Science of Sound Recording is second only to that kind of experience. Sure, there are times …

How does it compare to some of the best audio engineering training series that I have bought over the years? There are some …

It is about as close as most of us will ever get to working with an engineer the calibre of Alan Parsons. Throw in his discussions and sidebars with his many friends who offer their own insights and you have something special.

The performers being recorded are equally impressive. On the drums is none other than Simon …

There is no substitute to getting to work alongside real pros, learning from their knowledge and experience. I’ve been fortunate to have co-produced two albums with…

For me, working through Alan Parsons’ Art and Science of Sound Recording is second only to getting …

I could lay out all of the many reasons why I recommend this series but I will make this short and sweet and will just say this: …

Four stars out of …

If you want to learn more or order it, you will find the series website at artandscienceofsound.com

Alan Parsons Gets Creative Review

The series comes to you from Alan Parsons, a man whose credits have included some of my favorite albums over the years: Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon,” The Beatles’ “Abbey Road,” and Al Stewart’s “Time Passages,” et al. Then came…


This article comes from Creative Cow:
A Look at Alan Parsons Art & Science of Sound Recording – Creative COW


Alan Parsons has now released the DVD/downloadable series Alan Parsons’ Art and Science of Sound Recording. Priced at $149 for the DVDs with downloads or buy just the download version alone for $99. Either one is a steal. …

After living with it for much of 2011, how do I feel about the purchase? Even with its flaws which come with annoying semi-regularity, it is still my favorite audio production and engineering training series. It was a monumental undertaking that while far from perfect has many things to recommend it. …

Even with its flaws, I love it and would give it …

On DVD, it is a three disc chronicle of what Alan Parsons has picked up during a lifetime of audio engineering and production. Narrated by Billy Bob Thornton (yes, that Billy Bob Thornton) …

Alan Parsons is joined in sidebar discussions by other A-list audio engineers and producers like Simon …

How good is it? Over the years I have been able to work alongside a multi-platinum-selling audio engineer/producer and Alan Parsons’ Art and Science of Sound Recording is second only to that kind of experience. Sure, there are times …

How does it compare to some of the best audio engineering training series that I have bought over the years? There are some …

It is about as close as most of us will ever get to working with an engineer the calibre of Alan Parsons. Throw in his discussions and sidebars with his many friends who offer their own insights and you have something special.

The performers being recorded are equally impressive. On the drums is none other than Simon …

There is no substitute to getting to work alongside real pros, learning from their knowledge and experience. I’ve been fortunate to have co-produced two albums with…

For me, working through Alan Parsons’ Art and Science of Sound Recording is second only to getting …

I could lay out all of the many reasons why I recommend this series but I will make this short and sweet and will just say this: …

Four stars out of …

If you want to learn more or order it, you will find the series website at artandscienceofsound.com

Nice Stories About Hugo

It is nice to see people saying nice things about well done 3D. Obviously the corner has been turned on the production and post-production side. Whether the exhibition side will continue with low light levels and splotchy screens…well, that’s a commersial issue – nothing to do with standards. 


Scorsese’s spectacular 3-D “Hugo” – Movies – Salon.com

Hugo :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews

Will Scorsese’s “Hugo” redeem the 3-D fiasco? – Movies – Salon.com

Watch: James Cameron Discusses 3D in ‘Hugo’ with Martin Scorsese | FirstShowing.net

Review: ‘Hugo’ is an Impassioned Work of Art By a Master Filmmaker | FirstShowing.net

Review: ‘Hugo’ is an Impassioned Work of Art By a Master Filmmaker | FirstShowing.net

 

Final Cut Pro X-Apple Training Series

Final Cut Pro X-Apple Training Series

by Diana Weynand 
www.peachpit.com – $54.99

Review by Steve Douglas

Final Cut Pro X-Apple Training Series at Ken Stone’s Site

For those wanting to get in on the ground floor of the new editing application that is Final Cut Pro X, Peachpit Press and Diana Weynand continue their long standing history of providing supplemental training via their Apple Pro Training Series of tutorial books. For those seeking certification in any of Apple’s applications, it is these ‘Training Series’ line of books that one needs to use to prepare for the Apple certifications.

When reviewing Ms. Weynand’s last two books covering Final Cut Pro 6 and 7 within Final Cut Studio 2 and 3, I was critical of the fact that new features had not been addressed within revisions of the books but, instead, readers were requested to go on line for supplemental reading regarding new features. With Final Cut Pro X being as new as it is, happily, there is none of that found in this, her latest and first book on Final Cut Pro X.

Read more with pictures and arrows…

Final Cut Pro X-Apple Training Series at Ken Stone’s Site

Apres IBC 2011

IBC was conferences for your editor, with only a few minutes on the floor. We were really only there for digital cinema oriented things, and since we were at the RAI just a few months previously at CineEurope, the conferences and the data available was all pushed together. 

There were two excellent presentations on the science of the eye to kick off the DCinema conferences, again excellently organized by David Monk and John Graham for the EDCF.

See Yasmin Hashmi’s page for some interesting 3D info. 

See the Creative Cow wrap up, which has its usual good coverage.

See the following attachment, which was my presentation on the doings of the ISDCF in 2011 – actually a follow-up since the last report in 2010. 

New Pro Polaroid 3D Glasses [Updated]

These are the questions asked, and now answered during an email coorespondance:

Given that darkness is the main issue with 3d and typically glasses contribute to that darkness by some varying degree… How good can polaroid get with circular polarization – We have a transmittance of 42-44% which is as high as one can get without loosing polarizer efficiency. We are looking at AR coating to further improve this value.

What is the light transmission spec for the specs? – 42-44%. More importantly is the transmittance of the polarized light, which in our case can reach as high as 84 to 88%.

What is the polarization efficiency? – It needs to be 99.9% in order to maximise the 3D effect.

Are the lenses matched left and right- tests have shown that this is a common problem with those glasses – From a transmittance point of view, yes.


[It is obvious that there a lot to learn if we’re going to ask the proper questions. Back to the original article.] 

Are the lenses matched left and right – tests have shown that this is a common problem with some glasses.

Is there an AR coating on the inside? Does this reduce transmission more than it helps internal face glare?

Part of the problem that “Pros” face is that they have to look up at 3D screens while they have to look down at computer keys and editing levers and knobs in 2D. They need a dual lens solution, maybe even the ability to have their doctor etch their prescription into the bottom of the lens. Has Polaroid accommodated for this?

Is this line being sold direct through Polaroid?

We wrote an article last year whenn Polaroid announced a line of 3D glasses for consumers. Wonder how that went. RealD and Polaroid — Possible Promise PR.

Here is the new press release:

Polaroid Eyewear Launches Professional Range of 3D Glasses

Zurich, Switzerland, 9 September 2011 – Polaroid Eyewear today announced the launch of the first two styles in its Professional 3D Eyewear Collection.

The Polaroid Professional 3D Collection, which uses passive circular polarization, has been specifically created for 3D professionals and producers of 3D content. These first two styles both have interchangeable lenses, meaning that after work, professionals can simply change the lenses and use them as stylish sunglasses.

The frames are produced using premium quality materials and precision, making them both lightweight and robust. The lenses are produced using ThermofusionTM technology, which is exclusive to Polaroid Eyewear and ensures distortion-free vision.

Polaroid Eyewear already has a wide range of consumer 3D glasses on the market place, which offer high quality and comfortable viewing, and can be used with passive 3D systems, such as RealD and masterImage, as well as a number of passive 3DTVs.

Both the professional and consumer ranges have curved lenses, which wrap around the sides of your face and therefore block out any excess light, providing high contrast vision right across the lens.

“Polaroid Eyewear’s entire range of 3D glasses combines stylish design and expert technology to deliver great quality passive circular-polarized 3D glasses.”, commented Eva Dudek, Marketing Project Manager, Polaroid Eyewear. “With the Professional Range we have taken that one step further to give professionals extra comfort for long viewing periods, as well as a picture-perfect 3D viewing experience.”

The collection is due to be expanded shortly and will offer a choice of exclusive high quality styles.

About Polaroid Eyewear

Polaroid Eyewear is a world leader in optics and lens technology and a global eyewear manufacturer and distributor. Polaroid invented the first man-made polarizer for commercial use in 1929 and has been a pioneer and expert in polarizing lens technology ever since. Polaroid Eyewear remains a market leader in manufacturing high quality polarizing lenses and distributing fashionable polarized sunglasses around the world. Demand for polarizing eyewear is rising steadily as more and more consumers come to realize the benefits of glare-free vision.

Polaroid Eyewear is part of the global StyleMark group and has offices in the UK, Switzerland, the US, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, China and Russia as well as a comprehensive network of distribution partners around the globe.

DCP Creation, August 2011

Folloqing is a press release from one group who have chosen the Qube route.

Silverlake-based Fancy Film is using QubeMaster Xport to generate DCI-compliant Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) for filmmakers. QubeMaster Xport is a plug-in which works within Apple Compressor, simplifying the process of mastering digital cinema content. Thanks to QubeMaster Xport, Fancy Film is able to provide high quality digital cinema at affordable rates for documentary makers and independent film companies.

“We’ve been getting more and more inquiries about DCP mastering,” said Bill Macomber, principal and founder of Fancy Film Post Services. “It used to be that the only people who wanted digital cinema were the big Hollywood films who were releasing to at least 500 or 1,000 screens,” he added. “Now we’re getting calls from people who want to release on just 10 screens, or even just for one film festival. Those filmmakers need a cost-effective solution.”

Bill Macomber started out as a documentary editor in 2000. In 2001 he founded Fancy Film. The facility provides complete postproduction services, including grading, assembly and output, along with editing, and caters to the growing market of independent filmmakers and television production companies.

“We don’t compete with the people who edit their movies in their own garage, but there is a lot of demand for finishing to the correct specs for the various distribution formats,” said Macomber. “There’s no room for error in this business: the deliverables have to work perfectly wherever they are sent.”

“Finishing is a very technical task, and you have to stay in close contact with the different networks and distributors, so that you alway know exactly what they need,” explained Macomber. “I like the engineering side, so this kind of perfectionism appeals to me.”

Reel 2011 from Fancy Film on Vimeo.

Most of Fancy Film’s clients have been doing their films with the facility for years. “It’s about building long-term relationships,” noted Macomber. Recent projects include America’s Wildest Refuge,Underwater Universe for the History Channel, the documentaryUndefeated, as well as Part-Time Fabulous, an independent film, for which Fancy Film did the color grading, laid-off to tape, and the DCP mastering with QubeMaster Xport.

QubeMaster Pro Packager
As the demand for DCPs grows, Fancy Film is now also looking to add QubeMaster Pro Packager, a Windows application which provides quality control, as well as the ability to create alternate versions of a DCP without having to re-encode the whole file. “It will be the last step in our pipeline, said Macomber. “Along with QC, Packager allows us to offer encryption, as well as the ability to add new soundtracks and subtitle options. It’s a complete DCP workflow.”

“The Qube software is rock solid and the algorithm they use to generate JPEG 2000s is very powerful,” commented Macomber. “We’re very happy with the output from QubeMaster Xport and our customers have been delighted.”

“The world of theatrical distribution will evolve radically over the next few years,” said Eric Bergez, Qube Cinema director of sales & marketing for the Americas. “Qube is helping to drive the change by making digital cinema a lot simpler for everyone.”

QubeMaster Xport runs on Mac OS X and is Lion compatible. QubeMaster Xport requires Compressor 3.5, part of the Final Cut Pro Suite, or Compressor 4, which is available as a stand-alone application. For more information visithttp://www.qubecinema.com/products/xport.

Information about the QubeMaster Pro Packager application is available athttp://www.qubecinema.com/products/QubeMasterPro_Packager.

Visitors to the IBC exhibition in Amsterdam, September 9 through 13, can see QubeMaster Xport and QubeMaster Pro Packager in action at Qube Cinema in Hall 7 – booth 7.F45.

Five Reasons Classic Ethernet Switches Won’t Support the Cloud

When a company starts looking at providing cloud services to its clients, or consuming cloud services itself, it often becomes quickly apparent that the network needs to be upgraded to support this new service delivery model.


From an Internet.com article: 
Five Reasons Classic Ethernet Switches Won’t Support the Cloud.
By Drew Robb


“External and hybrid cloud models mean that computing resources are remote, and access/ communications with those workloads will have to traverse a wide area or Internet network link,” says Jim Frey Managing Research Director of analyst firm Enterprise Management Associates. “This introduces substantially greater latency (and bandwidth constraints) than are normal for traditional campus/data center-based computing.”

Before implementing cloud computing, therefore, it is critical to examine the strength of the network to make sure that any weak points are located and eliminated. This helps to ensure …

1. Classic Ethernet Networks are Hierarchical

Ethernet typically relies on a hierarchy of three or more tiers. Moving traffic between different server racks, for example, requires transitioning up and down this logical tree. The important point here is that each step along the path adds to the total latency. To avoid bridge loops between different network segments, IEEE 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) allows only one active path at a time between two switches. However, …

2. Classic Ethernet Networks are Unintelligent

Classic switches are designed to connect physical, not virtual, resources. Each port is individually configured with the QoS, security, VLAN traffic and other network policies required by that particular server. In a virtual world, however, VMs move from one box to another depending on traffic loads or maintenance requirements. Unless the port configuration follows the VM to its new physical location, …

3. Classic Ethernet Networks Don’t Scale

Since Classic Ethernet networks are designed to allow only a single connection between switches, this limits the amount of traffic they can carry.

“The scalability of traditional Ethernet is problematic, especially if an organization assumes, as it nearly always will, that cloud infrastructures will grow,” says Charles King, Principal Analyst at Pund-IT, Inc. “That said, …

To reduce the impact of this bottleneck, link aggregation groups (LAGs) permit multiple physical links to share the ISL. But this requires …

4. Classic Ethernet Networks Are Inefficient

Due to the limitations of STP, only one link or LAG can be active at a time, lowering the utilization rate. Adding or removing a new link causes the entire network to pause …

5. Classic Ethernet Networks Are Complex

With classic Ethernet networks, each port on each switch needs to be configured with the applicable VLANs, QoS, security, network policies and protocols. As servers are added, …

Switching to Fabric

To eliminate the various bottlenecks caused by traditional Ethernet architectures, switch vendors have begun to adopt fabric architecture into their Ethernet switches. This eliminates or mitigates each of the problems listed above.

Fabric switches flatten the network, reducing latency by eliminating unnecessary steps and preventing bottlenecks …

Classic or Fabric?

When is a classic Ethernet network adequate and when should one change to an Ethernet fabric? It depends on the applications. Some applications require large amounts of raw throughput; transaction systems are sensitive to latency.

“It comes back to what is the workload one is trying to project up into the cloud,” says Dan Kusnetzky, analyst and founder of the Kusnetzky Group. “Until we know more about the application and its requirements, … Ultimately, though, some network upgrades and enhancements will be in your future.”

 


Read the entire Internet.com article: 
Five Reasons Classic Ethernet Switches Won’t Support the Cloud.
By Drew Robb