[TaoColorist] Sunday Morning Reading (The Cross Dressing Edition)
Published: Sun, 06/24/12
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The Tao Colorist
for professional Video / Film Colorists & Finishers. Delivered Sunday.
Issue XCVI Brought to you by: Tao of Color.com
Editor's Note: I'm starting a new section this week called 'Cross Dressing'. It's where I'm going to put stories for all us color grading and editorial finishing Mac-heads looking at PC towers, either to make the switch to PC or for building Hackintoshes. If you come across stories you think will fit this category, please email or Twitter those links to me so we all can be edumacated!
The Final 2012 Pitch
- Thanks to everyone who has helped spread the word.
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- For Americans: Think, PBS. Every now and again (mostly again) they pitch for cash. And like PBS, viewer support helps gauge how much time to devote to this effort.
- But... unlike PBS, there aren't government grants handed out to guys like me to keep people like you up-to-date and informed in our little niche of the world.
- This is my last pitch for 2011.
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Sincerely,
Patrick Inhofer, Curator-In-Chief "The Tao Colorist Newsletter"
The Craft
- [Video] Bringing Color to Life: Paint Sound Sculptures - A terrific Behind the Scenes video of a new campaign for Canon printers. The images they captured are stunning. How they did it... nothing short of craftsmanship. Must See TV. (Vimeo.com via @ColoristBoy)
- Dialing In A Look - Using DaVinci Resolve with a RED Scarlet. Note how he uses an Arri LUT for his initial gamma curve. Goes to show... LUTs are as much a creative tool as technical. (Vimeo.com via @JimWicks)
- The Crayola-fication Of Our World, Part 2 - Part 1 was featured last week. Part 2 looks at how our brains process color and how it's tied into language development. There's also a not-to-be-missed YouTube video that's an excerpt from a BBC documentary that does a fascinating color perception experiment with Himba Tribesmen in Africa. (EmpericalZeal.com)
Our Tools
- Adobe SpeedGrade: Twitter Chat, Archived - Here's an archive from a recent #postchat Twitter exchange with the SpeedGrade team. It's in reverse-order, so you'll want to scroll down to the bottom and then start reading up. Not edited for clarity. (AOTG.com)
- SpeedGrade CS6 Workflow for RED Epic and Scarlet - Loading your footage into Premiere and then grading it natively in SpeedGrade. (5kInsight.com)
- After Effects: Getting Behind the Color Wheel - The basic concept of color theory and how you can try to get it work for you with a variety of After Effects filters. I'm not sure there's much in here for non-AE colorists beyond the first few paragraphs. (ProVideoCoalition.com)
- First Look: AutoDesk Smoke - Larry Jordan gets you running with Smoke - including some insights on what makes Smoke unique. (LarryJordan.biz)
- 101 Burning Questions About Smoke 2013 - Yikes. 101 Questions answered? Yes. They are grouped by category. (BKMEditor.com)
- Top 5 Tips for the Smoke Pre-Release - THAT's more like it. A few simple tips to help Smoke run smoothly on your machine. (FXPhd.com via @quinniusmaximus)
- Get Better Real-Time Performance in Avid Media Composer - An interesting set of tips. Most of these you won't want to set-and-forget but rather use to temporarily get you past a challenging section of your timeline. (PremiumBeat.com via @FCPDaily)
- [Video] Roundtripping Between Avid and DaVinci Resolve - A video tutorial on how to do this. It'll work for simple timelines. Misses covering workflow gotcha's. (Vimeo.com via @IAmColorist)
- [Forum] DaVinci Resolve: The Max Number of Graphics Cards It'll Recognize? - It depends on the OS. (BMCUser.com)
- 10 Great Color Correction Tutorials for FCPx - Another round-up, in case you're looking for some help. (PremiumBeat.com)
- DaVinci Resolve on Vimeo - A Vimeo group that's pretty dormant. Maybe some readers have content they want to add and get it moving? (Vimeo.com)
- Roundup: Applying LUTs to Log Footage in 4 Apps - Covers FCP, Premiere, Avid and Resolve. (Blog.AbelCine.com)
- [iApps] KataData - Hard drive storage calculator. It can add several different calculations from different cameras and codecs. (SpliceVine.com)
- [App] FolderGlance - An OS X app for quickly navigating and browsing folders. Very cool. (SpliceVine.com)
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Flanders Scientific Broadcast Monitors
The LM-2461W is an affordable 24" color critical reference monitor featuring 10bit color depth, 3G/HD/SD-SDI Inputs, 12 onboard scopes, and DCI P3 support. All standard and all for just $4,995.
Learn More About the LM-2461W
The Business
- [Video] Interview: HBO's Co-President, 'Game of Thrones' and Online Piracy - An interview discussing HBO's online strategy of restricting online access of its content to its cable subscribers... and how it may be driving the massive amount of piracy for 'Game of Thrones'. (VideoNuze.com)
- Captioning System for IP Video - If you're a cable company in the US with over 50,000 subscribers, starting in July new rules require your top 5 programs offer Descriptive Video over internet streaming. This tough to read technical article explains the rules (sort of) and some of your options (I think). A plain English version of this article would be nice, if anyone has a link. (BroadcastEngineering.com via @smpteconnect)
- Larry Jordan: Why We Created Closed-Caption Training - An interesting piece on how they've captioned their training library... and the push-back they've gotten. I found a few comments very surprising. I say: Good job, Larry! (LarryJordan.biz)
- [Video] SMPTE: Who We Are - An image piece about SMPTE, its goals and achievements. I couldn't stop chuckling when, after saying SMPTE was born to end the proliferation of film standards in the early 1900's they tout approving 50 new standards in the past 12 months alone. I remember a time when all we had was PAL and NTSC. Have you checked the number of Easy Setups in most NLEs today? SMPTE, I think you've misplaced your mission!!! (YouTube.com)
- EBook Sales Surpass Hardcover for First Time in US - And adult eBooks sales grew 28% last year versus 2% for hardcover. (Mashable.com)
- Putting the 'B' Back in NAB - A nice overview of interesting broadcast-oriented products from April's NAB convention. (Magazine.CreativeCow.net)
- NFL Will Release the 'All 22' Footage - For decades the NFL restricted access to the 'All 22' camera, showing every player on the field for every down. Only teams and analysts had access to it. It's rumored coaches didn't want this footage released - afraid that fans would string them up once everyone could see how every play was constructed and executed. This season the NFL will be selling that footage as a Season Pass for hardcore fans. (blogs.wsj.com)
- Arri Cameras Survive the Digital Revolution - After some hubub from an industry publication poo-pooing Arri's ability to transition to digital cameras when compared to upstart RED, The Hollywood Reporter comes out with a nice piece on the inroads Arri has made, especially in episodic television where, for the past two seasons, 75% of network pilots were shot on the Alexa. (tv.yahoo.com)
- Sony Launches Next Generation 4K Digital Projector - Designed for small- to medium- sized auditoriums. It has a higher contrast ratio and uses six high-pressure mercury lamps. (ScreenDaily.com via NotesOnVideo.com)
- ESPN Plans Wall-to-Wall Digital Wimbelton - They'll be streaming over 800 hours of live on-demand programming, live... as in real-time. No tape delays. Except - not everyone will be able to get this programming. If you're a cord-cutter you'll be wishing for the days when NBC carried this event. Click through for all the details. (PaidContent.org)
Outside 'The Box'
- Producing: Business Plan As Storytelling - "Where the screenplay is the tale of the characters within a film, the business plan is the tale of your film as it makes its way through the world." Great post for anyone making a film. (LilithFilm.tumblr.com)
- The 22 Rules for Storytelling, According to Pixar - I think they should have focused on Rule #5 and applied it to this list. (io9.com)
- Into the Fire with FCPx - After using it on a few small personal projects, Oliver Peters finally jumps out of the frying pan and uses FCPx on a big corporate gig. What did he think and will he use FCPx again? Click through to find out. (DigitalFilms.Wordpress.com)
- [Video] Customizing Media Composer for FCP Editors - Variety of tricks to get started on Avid without having re-learn every little aspect of the keyboard and interface. (YouTube.com)
- Premiere Pro: To Transcode or Not To Transcode? - That is the question not so simply answered. (ScreenLight.tv)
- 10 Things FCP Editors Might Miss in Premiere Pro CS6 (ProVideoCoalition.com)
- How to Optimize Metadata for Your YouTube Business Video Ad - Did someone say Metadata? Philip Hodgetts... this is for you. (ReelSEO.com)
Edumacate Yer'self
- Mysteries of Color Correction, REVEALED! - If you're in LA this week, then hang with Steve Hullfish as he unlocks the mysteries of color grading in under an hour (if anyone can do it, Steve can). He's playing at the next Editor's Lounge meeting this coming Friday. RSVP required. (EditorsLounge.com)
- Post Production MasterClass - A day of presentations on the post process, including a session on the relationship between colorists and DPs. New York City. (Createasphere.com)
- Free Nucoda Training - Offered in their LA offices. (ColorGrader.net)
JL Cooper Eclipse | Avid Artist Color | Tangent |
Software: v2.8 |
Mac: v2.6.2 |
Software: v3.8 HUB v1.0 |
Color Plug-in: v 1.0.5 |
PC: v2.6.2 |
Firmware: v1.9 |
Updated: |
Updated: October 20 | Updated: Feb. 7(ish) |
Sunday Fun(nies)
- [Video] 'Suckablood': A Cracked Fairy Tale - Tao Newsletter subscriber Ben Franklin just released the 5th short in his 13-part Horror anthology. If you've got a twisted sense of humor, you'll love this. Two parts Dr. Seuss. One part Hellraiser. (YouTube.com)
- [Video] PSA: Vertical Video Syndrome - Don't shoot cell phone video like this. Ever. It's not as bad as doing crack but it's still bad. And it could ruin our industry! Say NO to George Lucas. (YouTube.com)
- How Common Is Your Birthday? (theDailyViz.com via @careyd)
- The Colors of Wes Anderson Movies - After Tweeting out how much I adored Moonrise Kingdom this interesting link was sent to me. (BuzzFeed.com via @builtbylight)
- [Video] 6 One-String Guitars Make Music - Yup. 6 guitars. 6 guitar players. 1 string each. Cool. (Mashable.com)
- [Video] Clients From Hell: The Video - The website dedicated to clients from hell releases a video of... clients from hell. Cute. (ClientsFromHell.net)
- [Video] Monsters University Trailer - Fun. Funny. (trailers.apple.com via @monica_camba)
- Classic Film Moments: On Lego - Still shots of classic film moments recreated with Legos. Lots of fun. (imgur.com via @ryanbkoo)
- MacBookPro with Retinal Display: How's That Hyperbole Treating You? (Mashable.com)
- [InfoGraphic] The Color of Movie Posters Since 1914 - Not only is this an InfoGraphic but it's interactive. Very cool. (vijayp.ca via @mikeseymour)
Weekend Warriors
- When HD Isn't HD - "Just because you own an HD TV doesn't mean you're watching HD". Some nice images showing common compression artifacts depending on how you're watching your tv. A good link to send friends and family. (reviews.cnet.com)
- The Ultimate 'Star Trek' Home Theater - Watch your favorite movies on the bridge of Starship Enterprise. This could also be categorized as A Step Too Far?(io9.com)
Gear Heads
- Vizio Reboots the PC: A Quiet American Success Story - Yup. TV maker Vizio is now getting in the PC business. What the heck are they thinking? A terrific story. (theVerge.com)
- Goodbye Old Friend - A look at the discontinued 17" MacBookPro and what was lost in the most recent refresh of the MacBookPro line. (NegativeSpaces.com)
- [Forum] GTX 680: User Benchmarks for DaVinci Resolve - If you're looking at upgrading your GPU this is an interesting discussion. (forums.creativecow.net)
Grade a short. Go Beyond the Buttons. Learn a Craft.
Color Grading MasterClass: DaVinci Resolve
Workflow + Technique + Interface Training
DaVinci Resolve, DaVinci Resolve Lite : Mac & Windows!
Also available: Colorista II | Apple Color | FCP 7
Cross Dressing
- How To Build A PC From Scratch, Part 1 - If you're considering building a Hackintosh, then learning how to build a PC is a good first step. In Part 1 we learn the basics of the hardware we need to consider purchasing. I'll be sharing Parts 2-5 over the next four issues. (LifeHacker.com)
- Build the MacPro You Wish Apple Had Released - This article selects each of the MacPros currently available and comes up with the equivalent parts for a PC Hackintosh to match or exceed its performance - for as little as 1/4th the price. (LifeHacker.com)
- How To Build A Hackintosh - This is No Film School's very extensive step-by-step guide to building a Hackintosh. Bookmark it. (NoFilmSchool.com)
- HP's 820 Tower RED Is What the MacPro Should Have Been - A custom version of HP's Z820 workstation, optimized for video post-production. (asia.cnet.com)
- Rain Computers: Element V2 - Up to 16 cores, 96 MB of Ram and tuned for video post-production. (RainComputers.com via @robbiecarman)
- ProMax ONE - Up to four boot drives, 6 removable 3.5" drives, lockable front grill, built-in LTO 4 or LTO 5 drives. This thing makes me want to cry. (ProMax.com)
- Looking At the ProMax ONE Hero - Walter Biscardi gets his hands on the ProMax ONE Hero, the high-end build of that machine. He makes quite a few good observations and shares with us some pricing. Good read. (Magazine.CreativeCow.net)
- Batch ProRes Encoding on Windows - This is NOT a replacement for apps like Avid, Resolve and Premiere rendering out to ProRes on Windows... which is why if (when) I switch to a PC workstation it'll be to run it as a Hackintosh. But if you need to get to ProRes on Windows 7, here are a few solutions. (indiev.org via @j_salvo)
Career
- Write Less, Say More: The Power of Brevity - Yeah. Guilty as charged. I need this. Click through to see brevity in action. (LifeHacker.com)
- Six Ways to Enhance Your Email Signature - Hmmm... I'm not sure how I feel about these apps. But they're something to consider. (Mashable.com via @tparish)
- 10 Steps to Becoming Super-Rich in Video Production - Step 1... there are no ten steps. I agree with most of the things in this post. But I don't agree with Step 3 that you need to take every gig that comes your way. But once you take a gig, Step 4 is *essential*. (PhilipBloom.net)
- 9 Tips on Breaking Into VFX - I really like: Get Ready to Continually Adapt (MovieLine.com via NoFilmSchool.net)
- Against Positive Thinking - If you're annoyed by the Positive Thinking crowd as a path to happiness then here's a book that says to faggetabouit... embrace uncertainty instead. (BrainPickings.org via @sandygautam)
Naval Gazing
- URL AI: Website Analysis - Following a post from Notes on Video about a website that tries to guess the gender and age of the writer and assigns a mood to the blog content, I ran the Tao of Color blog through their system. Checking back this week it has the Tao as last week's #1 most manly blog! Grrrrr-RAR! Click through to see the full analysis. (URLai.com)
Me Too Bruté?
- MobileMe Ends Soon - If you're an iDisk user you had best move all the contents off that virtual drive. Apple will be powering it down June 30. (Me.com)
A Step Too Far?
- SpaceBook - The world's first dual monitor laptop. It's real. It's shipping. And it was designed by a video editor. Of course. (SpliceVine.com)
Th- Th- That's ALL Folks! See you next week. Happy Grading!
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