The latest news, reviews, thoughts, and humor for professional (and aspiring) moving image Colorists and Finishers. |
If You Only Click on 2 Links...
- Analyzing Audience Eye Movements - A completely fascinating video showing where the audience eyes are moving as a scene plays down. If you believe one job of the colorist is to help the audience know where to look... then you can't miss this. (vimeo.com via @filmmakeriq)
- Burnet, Loomis and the Use of Intense Color - A terrific article on color, contrast, and edge effects told through the study of painting. (underpaintings.blogspot.com)
Got Color?
- The Business of Color: Pantone and Fashion Trends - An interesting article on how the color trends of each fashion season is set by a small, un-named group of fashionistas - and Pantone's unique role in communicating and standardizing those colors. (npr.com via @tparish)
Tools We Use
- Avid Announces Media Composer 5.5 - Euphonix peeps, this is the version that integrates Euphonix control surfaces with Avid. A nice pithy summary of this update (with links) is at SpliceNow. (SpiceNow.com)
- Integrating Media Composer, Avid DS, Baselight, and RED - No nitty gritty details but a nice user story (shot during the BVE trade show) on a RED workflow using two Avid products and Baselight for grading. (YouTube.com via @AvidTechnology)
- Avid MC 5.5 Supported Codecs - Not an easy read. But comprehensive. Link is a direct PDF download (Avid.com via @adamkranitz)
- Software Legalizer for File-based Delivery - Eyeheight has released their (new to me) complianceSuiteFC for Final Cut Studio, "legalEyesFC handles SD, HD and beyond and can legalise in PAL, NTSC (with or without 7.5IRE setup) and RGB domains. legalEyesFC also supports simultaneous composite and RGB domains and EBU R103 gamut". They also have an audio compliance filter that, "provides automatic multi-channel perceptual loudness (ITU-R BS.1770, ATSC A/85, EBU R128, short-term peak) and true-peak (PPM) level correction for Final Cut and Soundtrack Pro." (EyeHeight.com via @philiphodgetts)
Have a story for the newsletter? Email Us!
Edumacate Yerself
- Evaluation Grade Monitoring for Cinema and Television: NYC - A joint meeting that includes SMPTE-NY. The Eventbrite page doesn't say so, but emails about this event suggest Sony will be demo'ing their new BVM OLED display. (Eventbrite.com)
- DaVinci Resolve Workshop: NYC - Only 30 seats available for this 2.5 hour session on March 8 at Manhatten Edit Workshop. It's presented by 20-year DaVinci colorist David Catt. Plus - (1) copy of Resolve will be given away at the end of this workshop! (Eventbrite.com)
- DaVinci Resolve Workshops: Boston - Two two-hour sessions on March 15 and supported by the Boston FCP User Group. And yes - (1) copy of Resolve will be given away at each session! (Eventbrite.com)
- Mixing Your FCP Project in SoundTrack Pro - A free webinar with Larry Jordan in Apple's single most underutilized app - although it doesn't happen until April 5. (FilmmakingWebinars.com via @LarryJordanFCP)
Gear Heads
- Avid Renames Euphonix Control Surfaces - I can see where something named the MC Color could be confused with the Media Composer brand. They renamed their line of surfaces to the "Artist" series. Artist Color / Artist Mix / Artist Transport / Artist Control (avid.com)
- NVidia Quadro 4000 Benchmarked with Pro Apps - Benchmark apps include Squeeze, Colorista II, AE, Color, and Motion. Tested against the Quadro 8000, GTX 285, Radeon 5870, and CPU rendering. (BareFeats.com)
Bundle Up!
- Free: Tangent Wave + ExtremeStor-DI 10 Bay RAID + Dual Intel Xeon X5680 3.33GHz processors + RED Rocket Card + NVidia FX 6000 - Requires purchase of Scratch at list price. No, not an affiliate link either! (AssimilateInc.com)
- $90 Discount: Davince Resolve + Tangent Wave Panel - Getting ready to purchase?You can support the Tao by buying through our B&H affiliate link (BHPhoto.com)
Current Colorist Control Surface Drivers
| JL Cooper Eclipse |
Euphonix MC Color |
Tangent Wave |
| Software: v2.1.5 |
Mac: v2.5.6 |
Software: v3.8 |
|
Color Plug-in: v 1.0.5 |
PC: v2.5.7 |
Firmware: v1.9 |
| Updated: Nov. 22 |
Updated: Jan. 19 |
Updated: Jan. 28(ish) |
Sunday Morning Fun(nies)
- Everything Is A Remix, Parts 1 & 2 - "Creativity requires influence". In Part 1 (6 minutes) Kirby Ferguson breaks down classic Led Zeplin songs to help prove the 'remix' point. In Part 2 (7 minutes) he does an amazing job with the movie industry and classifies a new (for me) Sci-Fi sub-genre. In both parts, be sure to watch his "One More Thing" moments after the credits. (EverythingIsARemix.info via @roddouglas)
- The History Channel Looks Back At the Beatles: From the Year 3126 - A very funny mockumentary. Makes you wonder what the Pharohs would think today. (kottke.org)
Seeing More Better
- Sony Introduces OLED Reference Monitors, with 'BVM' pricing - with an embedded YouTube video covering the product introduction with details about the history of OLED. (engadget.com via @gnattress)
- Which Projector for the Grading Room? - A great thread on the TIG about choosing a projector for a grading suite. (tig.colorist.org)
- Eliminating the Projection Booth - One of the advantages of the Digital Cinema? If you're using the Christie Solaria Series digital cinema projectors... no more projector booths. Or projectionists. Now they just need to eliminate the projector bulbs to get rid of having to change those pesky things. (DigitalCinemaReport.com)
Free, Like Beer
- DSLR Anti-Moire Filter for FCP - "The plugin is not specifically designed to work with the Canon cameras, but with any other DSLR video camera that uses the line skipping algorithm to reach it's HD resolution. As far as i know, that's all of them except for the Panasonic Lumix GH series." (ColorByJorg.Wordpress.com via @mozhenko)
Doing Better Business
- Using Stories to Overcome Fear - Specifically, the fear of executing on your idea, product, or service. As told by the former Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. (blogs.hbr.org via @the99percent)
- Email Etiquette II: How to Counteract the Negative Bias of Email - If the lack of visual / aural cues in email results in people starting out with the assumption that your email is inherently negative, then you have to use cues to help people understand your tone. (the99percent.com)
stop fiddling, start grading MASTER THE BASICS OF COLOR GRADING
Weekend Warrior
- Managing Your Hard Drive Cables - Here's a simple DIY project for managing those 'loose-end' cables you keep attached to the back of your Tower (lfhd.net)
- Mac-Mini + Kinect = Gestural Television Remote Control (HardMac.com)
#FAIL
- Automatic Duck and How Apple doesn't believe other websites exist - Apple.com has a profile of the Coen brothers use of FCS in True Grit. In the sidebar they have a "Toolbox" with links to all the tools they mention in the article... except - they only link to the Apple gear. Big Fat Corporate No-Link Website Policy FAIL. I'll do the Duck a solid and link to it here. Want the True Grit story? Google it! (automaticduck.com) (the official Duck Twitter account)
The Next Step Is A Doozy
- Watching Transformers 3D, In A Transformer Helmet - Never mind reports that purveyors of 3D technology don't recommend 3D movies for pre-teen, developing eyeballs... Hasbro will be selling a Real3D compatible Transformer helmet for $9.99. (MarketSaw.blogspot.com)
A Translation Too Far
- If Sound Equals Sales - What happens if you take last week's "Color Grading Choices" blog entry on the Digital Films blog, translate it into another language, pick up that translated language and re-translate into English? You get something that's very very curious. (WorldAirNews.com)
Heartburn Alert
- Documenting Liquid Damage to a Laptop - Including, how sugary does sugar-water need to be before it really starts doing damage? (HardMac.com)
|