What if you managed to pull all the best moments in the day of a life of your typical YouTube user? Then took the skilled hands of an A-list producer and director to mash them all together and create a feature length documentary...

Life In A Day, to be produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Oscar Award winner, Kevin MacDonald that will do just that. It's goal is to be a time capsule to show future generations what is was like to live on the day of July 24th, 2010.

Whether you like it or not, YouTube continues to change the way video content is created and viewed. This joint collaboration is an experiment to see if the average two minute attention span of a YouTube user can be breached. 

[video: 25x25]

This is an interesting concept to see if one can make chicken salad out of chicken sh*t. No need to inform you that most user generated content is crap (this applies to so-called professionals as well). But if you are feeling creative on July 24th and feel like being a part of history, you may want to charge the batteries and put that Canon 7D that you just bought to some good use. 

The best part is that 20 of the top contributors will be given co-director credit and flown to the Sundance Film Festival this January for the film's premiere. Dare to dream!

Is cloud computing the death knell for the way content is currently created, a welcome new convenience or a flash in the pan? ReelPost member Dave Dimeola from Brigade.tv is trying to create a world where virtual teams of creatives dominate the landscape and go toe to toe with the ad agencies.

Cloud computing. Ever heard of it?

Generally speaking, cloud computing is Internet-based computing, where shared
resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other
devices on-demand, similar to how the electricity grid provides electricity. In todayʼs
market, people are struggling to define what cloud computing means and how it could
change our lives.

Cloud computing presents new opportunities for working remotely. In the near future,
cloud computing may make it possible for a work station to only include an interface,
leaving the CPU and storage drives to be delivered via the cloud. Freelancers will be
directly impacted by this new remote work model, and should be prepared to take
advantage of these opportunities.

Companies that rely on freelancers have the ability to rapidly scale their workforce from
small to large, as the situation demands, and as needed. Currently, freelance work
predominately occurs in major cities, where freelancers can commute to client sites and
sit at a workstation on location, often keeping to a traditional “nine to five” client
workday. This current freelancer-client interaction has limitations. The client is
constrained by the amount of on-site physical space in which it can realistically house
freelancers. By having to work on-site, freelancers are limited in how many clients they
can work for on a given day, especially given the valuable time that is lost commuting to
and from a client site. In addition, the nine to five workday that most clients keep may
not dovetail with peak performance times for freelancers, some of whom would prefer to
work later in the evening, or early in the morning. These limitations disappear with cloud
computing. If freelancers work remotely via the cloud, physical space constraints that
clientsʼ face disappear, traditional work hours become irrelevant, and freelancers now
have the ability to provide services to multiple clients at any given time.

Cloud computing will help us evolve past traditional workforce arrangements that
developed with the industrial revolution, and adopt those that befit the technological
revolution. In addition to the business opportunities that cloud computing remote work
offers, when freelancers can control our own schedules and have a significant role in
choosing our work environment, we will feel more invested in the process and final
product.

Cloud computing has the potential to provide a new remote work model for freelancers
that will maximize our efficiency and efficacy, all from the comfort of our preferred
physical location. The cloud will provide us with software, hardware, and faster internet
speeds, allowing freelancers to provide highly specialized products to clients in a rapid
response time-frame. The cloud will also enable freelancers to increase our profit
margins by allowing for larger client portfolios. The cloud will allow clients to virtually
diversify and expand their employee base, and their products will only be limited by their
imagination, not their desk space.

Written by David Dimeola

Mr. Dimeola is Operating Manager for The Brigade, a creative studio building special
teams to deliver animation for the film and advertising industry.

http://www.brigade.tv/

Almost 4 years ago, I hired a kid out of LA to work for my post production staffing company, Production! NYC. He was a photographer on the side and a capable editor that showed a lot of upside. Nick Weissman started as a part-time junior editor. Most clients of mine seemed to like him, so I kept hiring him. He had a side project that was already a year in the works called The Minutemen Movie, an expose of the modern day militia that patrols our nation's border with Mexico. Timely, I thought (and that was 3 years ago - his timing could not have been better than it is today).

As the years passed by and Nick grew as an editor, so did this project. The money and hours flowed. Nick along with Director/Roommate Corey Wascinski plowed away. Sometimes I would try to hire Nick and he would be torn between working on the film and actually making money to pay the bills (at this point I imagine many can relate).

I saw several rough cuts along the way. They were... rough. But I saw something and thankfully so did Corey and Nick, heading back to New Mexico several times over the years to re-shoot. But there came a point that I probably could have offered Nick a lollipop and a smiley face sticker in exchange for the hard drives, rights and a promise to finish the project. 

He was burnt. Stepping out from my regular freelance editor duties and walking down the independent road myself several times over the years (Wine/travel show for beer drinkers called Quigley All Over and a doc following a child singer phenom called Baby Grand), I could relate.

I think there comes a time for every independent film maker where you can no longer see the forest through the trees. Where your efforts apparently are in vain and the 5th of the month becomes a dreaded date because that's when the rent is due. I'm not going to sit here and say "Keep going - it's all worth it!" You know what? Many times it's not. I've seen a lot of really bad stuff over the years. Projects that obviously took countless hours and dug deep into trust funds or credit cards - for nothing. So how do you know?

I can't say I have the answer, but I can tell you how Corey and Nick did it. They took breaks, they screened, they re-evaluated and they re-shot (that's a biggie). They also gather outside parties of people within the industry and got their opinions. Starting with a great idea and having some talent also helped. 

But that brings up another potential pitfall. Many new filmmakers bite off more than they can chew. Nick and Corey came close. I feel that it's always a good idea to make several shorts over the years. This is how you get the kinks out and develop a style. Fortunately for these guys, The Minutemen Movie was several smaller projects that were rolled into one... and it worked.  Nick and Corey just grabbed the Grand Chameleon Award and Best Documentary prizes at the Brooklyn International Film Festival. Distributors are knocking on the door; there could be a bidding war. They got a fantastic write up in the Huffington Post. Daytime talk show television producers want to see screeners. They may actually make money on this project in addition to the acclaim. 

So while this story is still not finished, it's starting to look like it's going to have a Hollywood ending. Big congratulations to ReelPost member Nick Weissman and Corey Wascinski on a job well done.

New York based PostWorks, a full service post-production facility (also located in LA), recently gave a tour of their 3D capabilities and work flow options. If you've been paying attention, 3D was all the buzz at this year's NAB convention. But buzz doesn't always equal reality. While attended college in 1989 (SUNY New Paltz class of '90 - Go Hawks!), we learned of a new television technology that had already launched in Japan that was about to become the standard over here at any moment. This system delivered a wide screen picture far superior to the current standard of NTSC. Yeah, you guessed it, HDTV. OK, so my professor was about 20 years off, but who's counting?

Let's flash forward to today. We've had a couple of major 3D hits in the cinema (Toy Story 3 launching today is a gimme to make that list). The electronic manufacturers are already building 3D capabilities into their sets and 4 of the major networks have committed to 3D. So this time around, the wait will likely be a lot shorter. That's the good news. The less than good news is the question of how we're going to get there.

Fortunately PostWorks has a roundabout albeit comprehensive solution. 3D is still a minefield of epic proportions. You are not going to see this kind of stuff being produced in a boutique studio anytime soon. You need big guns to pull 3D off and Postworks gave us the tour to show us exactly how it's done.

We started in the Stereoscopic 3D/DI Theater which hosts their Quantel iQ/Pablo. The last product produced there was a :30 spot for ESPN's Sportscenter (their 4th 3D production).  So in other words, this is still a work in progress. But PostWorks has been a 3D beta tester for over 3 years which puts them in a great position to figure this mess out. They test all their work on the various consumer sets (conclusion - none of them behave the same way). There are two 3D formats vying to become the standard; active and passive displays (VHS vs. Beta, here we go again). The passive displays use a circular polarization technique and can be used with a simple set of 3D shades. The active displays are cheaper to manufacture but require powered glasses that currently cost $150 a pair and can lose their IR signal if not pointed directly at the set. In my opinion they do not pass the "Superbowl test". No one is going to have 5 extra pairs lying around for the one time per year that you have a house party and will be watching TV at the same time. In spite of the initial higher cost of the passive display monitors, they will be the only game in town within 5 years. I'm giving them the VHS prize. 

From an editorial standpoint 3D frame packed media seems to be the standard (2 anamorphic pictures combined side by side in a singe video stream. Not only do you lose resolution using this method but your eyes just may pop out of your head after about an hour of working with it. A dual stream media option will have to be developed to make this type of editing efficient on a grand scale. There are many work arounds needed to tweak your results to where you want them to be. I couldn't imagine attempting a 3D project out of the safety net that PostWorks has provided. 

If you are an intrepid soul and are ready to brave the scary new world that is 3D, at least you have a place to turn to make that dream a reality.

Avid Bends, You Win

I just got back from the Media Composer 5.0 demonstration hosted by VCA. I came in expecting more of the same. But after 5 years of lip service, it looks like Avid may finally have listened to it's user base and altered the architecture of Media Composer. The Media Composer 5.0 update not only adds new features (as you would expect), but brings in something that they have been loathe to do since a pesky company by the name of Apple, decided to get into the video editing business. Avid has admitted to itself (gasp) that Final Cut does some things better. 

Any editor that jumps between Media Composer and Final Cut knows that both systems have their strengths and weaknesses. What Avid has managed to do is take some of Final Cut's strengths and make them their own. Here is a partial list of what you can now accomplish on a Media Composer 5.0:

With the inception of the Avid Media Access (AMA) system, you can now import and use virtually any video file (QT, ProRes 422, XD Cam, Red, etc) and have them playback immediately. No rendering. All formats work all the time on all timelines, regardless of the frame rate. Avid even gives you the option of how you would like to extrapolate mixed frame rates although it will automatically try and figure it out on its own.

The new Smart Tool is located to the left of the timeline. What this tool gives you the option to have a "live" Final Cut style timeline. Drag and drop clips (which now can have the audio and video paired) to your hearts content. I personally will always be an in and out kind of guy (take that statement for all it's worth) because of my linear upbringing on the keyboard. But I understand the appeal of the mouse and why it works better for some. And while you're mousing away on the timeline, clicking on the end of a clip enters you directly into trim mode. Good shortcut. It's Avid's strongest suit that thankfully works like it always did.

Audio waveforms are now cached. Once they render the first time, they never need to be rendered again. This is huge. Most editors simply keep the waveform option off because almost all timeline navigation actions require a re-rendering of the waveforms (painful!). Solo and mute are now located in front of the audio track as well. Speaking of audio, standard RTAS audio plug-ins have created an audio suite that may inspire you to finish your audio directly in the timeline. And It's even easier to add audio keyframes. Once again, another nod to Final Cut.

The list of improvements goes on. But one of the better improvements that you will see down the road is Avid's embracing of an open architecture for 3rd party plug-ins. Time will be the judge on that one. If anyone had a doubt about Avid losing it's way in the post-production market, I think those doubts should be erased effective immediately

Welcome back, Avid.

Big thanks to Brett Yeager of Video Corporation of America (VCA) for putting on a great show.

Summary of the best high pressure quotes of the day from the Overheard in the Control Room fan page on Facebook...

1. Coming out of a Stripper's Request Pole Tax VO featuring some racy b-roll, Weather guy: "Great visibility: that's all I'm gonna say!"

2. To an actor beginning a six month run as recurring character on Soap: Stage Manager, "Standby...5,4,3-oh wait, the booth wants to know if can you play the character with a German accent?"

3. Director: "So you found the problem? Was it between your chair and the board?

4. Standby Pyro....Go Pyro.....NO WAIT!!!!!!

5. Anchor (on-air): Tiger Woods says his bulging disk is not related to his famous car accident. Director: I'm pretty sure his bulging disk is what got him into his car accident...

Compressor Droplets save the day

Do you hate having to render each time you use mixed media in the Final Cut timeline (yes, that's rhetorical question)? How about the pain and time wasted having to re-compress each piece of media to get it working right? NEVER AGAIN! With Droplets Hot Folders you can drop your media in them and forget. Each Droplet is a preset transcoder - just collect the new media when it comes out the other end.

Paul Sheehan shows us how it's done.

 

Exporting Batch Lists

Part 2 of the Final Cut Pro Tips series with Paul Sheehan

For those that don't do it all themselves, working with directors and producers is a regular part of the job. Since efficiency is the name of the game and Paul's middle name, this video tip is devoted to showing you a quick, simple and better way of exporting batch lists to Excel.

Fit to Fill

You may think you know how to edit and you probably do. Whether certified or flying by the seat of your pants, you have conquered the animal known as Final Cut. But just how geeky are you? And why would you want to learn every trick of the trade?

The reason is because the faster and more efficient you become, the more creative you will be. Fatigue is one of the most limiting factors in keeping your project from just being OK to being great. So when Paul Sheehan of InDemand decides to fill you in on a function that you know well (or at least you thought you did), you may want to listen. This is Part One in a multi-part series of Final Cut Pro Tips. I hope you enjoy.

Final Cut Pro Tips - Fit to Fill

Not sure if this is the proper place for a cell phone discussion. But since smart phones have become such an integral part of any freelancer's life, I figured I can't be too far off the mark.

I've been an iPhone/AT&T user for the past year and a half (yes, I'm still under contract). I previously owned a Blackberry also with AT&T. I was reasonably happy with the Blackberry until the keyboard started to die - timed perfectly with the launch of the iPhone 3G. I didn't want to be that dork on line when it first launched, but the tech gods transpired against me with that keyboard issue,  so I manned up and cashed in 4 hours of my life for a new iPhone. 

No need for me to add my two cents on the iPhone - that issue has been beat to death. It had it's problems, but every cutting edge electronic device does. I have to admit that I really liked the phone over all and even warmed up to the virtual keypad, which I prefer to a real one now. 

My issues aren't so much with Apple as they are with AT&T (or maybe they are with Apple for teaming up with AT&T). Simply put; their service in New York City blows. I've been a cell phone user since the mid 90's. I skipped the beeper thing and went straight to a cell phone to be more available to my clients that wanted to book me. My first phone lasted 6 hours per charge, and that was in stand by mode. Actually using the thing didn't help that number. Oh, and it didn't have a voice mail option. You either got the call or you didn't. Texting? Umm... no. And when I did get booked, I would reach into my other pocket to pull out my Palm Pilot to record the booking. Techno geek 101 stuff. Did it work? Sometimes. Service was lousy, calls were dropped all the time and you really wouldn't rely on your phone. It was more of a glorified toy and a bonus if it worked.

Fast forward to today and... it's like 1997 all over again. At least the Palm Pilot can now make calls as a Pre on Sprint. But I bought an iPhone with AT&T. Clearly AT&T has been socking away the millions upon millions they have been making under the mattress. Service has become dismal. Just try making a phone call in midtown anytime after 4:30pm on a weekday. This has been going on for close to a year. I recently read that AT&T has acknowledged their bandwidth problem and are promising to invest billions into improving their network. I guess all those expiring iPhone contracts has finally gotten someone's attention.

But alas, I'm falling on my sword and eating my $87 penalty for bolting. You can get a Droid online for $50 with Verizon service on Wirefly.com or Amazon.com. Put the two numbers together and you still have a great deal. I kind of feel that Verizon is the Microsoft of wireless. A generic, monopolistic giant. But you know what? Their service works. The Droid (that comes with Google cred) arrives via FedEx tomorrow for an additional eight bucks. Can't wait... my review coming soon... 

Bu-buy AT&T!!

UPDATE (5/18/10)

Crappy photo courtesy of the iPhone

OK, the results are in... I've been using the Droid for several month now and have a good feel for what it is and what it isn't.

First the bad news; my first Droid was defective (the two layered screen must have had a leak in it somewhere. Dust slowly started penetrating in between the two layers clouding up the view. Motorola replaced it with a "like-new" factory refurbished unit that went through a "40 point inspection". That unit was defective as well (screen went blank after receiving a call - no way to hang up). So I returned that one and received another "like-new" unit. Pictures taken with the camera are lo-rez. Back to the factory you go. I'm waiting on my next replacement unit. OK - so there might be a quality control problem going on over there. Either that or I fall into the unlucky department.

But in comparison to the iPhone there is one other more tangible area that is missing that all users will be able to relate to. I knew this one was coming and it was as bad as I felt it would be. Nothing compares to iTunes. Neither the factory installed music player nor the myriad of other options from the Apps store come close. You can't even get a high quality set of headphones that double as a phone headset. They just don't exist. Weird. There are probably 50+ units out there for the iPhone.

Now the good stuff. My Droid makes phone calls and does that really well. Seems like that's not asking for much, but once again, just ask any iPhone user in New York what they would do to get that kind of service. I love the fact that calls do not drop - ever. As a PDA, works great. Google email and maps integration is head and shoulders above the iPhone. This is were Anroid software really shines. The processor on the phone is snappy and the physical keyboard really comes in handy for longer emails.

The verdict? The Incredible. What? Oh yeah, forgot to mention my brother just bought an HTC Droid Incredible. Faster and more sophisticated the my Motorola Droid. While I haven't officially put it through it's paces, I find it to be a next generation of my phone (that has been on the market for a whopping 6 months). Good thing that Google has multiple partners all competing to create the best platform! Here is a link to a current review of the Incredible: http://j.mp/incredibledroid