[TaoColorist] Sunday Evening Reading (The Disruption Edition)
Published: Sun, 09/16/12
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The Tao Colorist
for professional Video / Film Colorists & Finishers. Delivered Sunday.
Issue CV Brought to you by: Tao of Color.com
Editor's Note: Sorry for the delay in today's Newsletter. It's been a marathon the last few days and I just didn't have the psychic energy to start writing this at 10pm Saturday night... so here it is, now. Enjoy!
On The Tao...
Things are getting busy here. I'm finishing up old projects, revising (and reviving) current projects and launching new projects...
- [Video] How to grade a horror film (and learn DaVinci Resolve 9) - Get a preview of the latest training from the Tao of Color. You'll be able to grade a horror short film using the camera-original footage shot on an Arri Alexa, using LogC profile and recorded to the ProRes4444 codec. You'll see every step I took color grading this film... and you'll learn DaVinci Resolve 9 in the process.
This preview has three videos: An overview of the 'Grade-Along'; a behind-the-scenes of the Resolve 9 project; and the finished horror film, Dead Man's Lake (which is the film we'll be grading). If you put your name on Announce email list, you'll be rewarded with a discount coupon when the training goes on sale. (training.TaoOfColor.com)
- DaVinci Resolve MasterClass - This Tao training is about to get updated with Resolve 9 videos (rolling out through the end of the year and a free update to all current members). I'm also wrapping up the final bits of the original training to round out this MasterClass series. (masterclass.TaoOfColor.com)
- Live, Small Group Training - New for 2013... I'm getting ready to do small group training throughout the United States on DaVinci Resolve 9. I'm interested in hitting the smaller markets outside New York / LA. If this type of training interests you (priced at around $1400 for three days), click on the link and let me know where you live (include zip code). I'm putting a list together. When I've got enough interest in your area we'll see if we can work things out! Think of this as the Live version of my Horror Film Grade-Along. (email Patrick)
- The Tao Podcast is BACK! - Yup. This project is being revived after a year-long hiatus. I almost forgot how much I enjoy doing these. First up, Part 1 of an interview with Ben Franklin and Anthony Melton - they're the filmmakers behind Tao of Color's newest training product, the Grade-Along of the horror short film, 'Dead Man's Lake' from the horror anthology site BloodyCuts.co.uk. (TaoOfColor.com)
The Craft
- HPA Announces Nominees for 2012 Outstanding Color Grading - (PostMagazine.com via @Davehussey)
- Greenscreen Keying / Compositing - The author of the Greenscreen Handbook takes his turn, blogging for a month on SpliceVine.com. Starting with some background on the history of matting all the way through tweaking and refining your keys... there's a ton of great tips in this blog series. Just don't expect to get through it in one sitting... Also, good stuff in the Q&A at the end. (SpliceVine.com)
- [PDF] Understanding Colors & Gamuts - The link is a direct download to this classic poster from Tektronix. (Tek.com via @IAmColorist)
- Art Is Hard - Great post about public perception of artists being lazy and care-free... since artistic ability is 'natural' and 'easy' - and how our public education system perpetuates this myth. It's a great read about how talent is nothing without hard work. (Underpaintings.blogspot.com)
- Color Grading Case Study - A nice detailed write-up of a color grading workflow, from client meeting through project prep, color grading and delivery. (NoFilmSchool.com)
- A Visual History of Color in Movie Posters - Long-time readers will remember we've covered this story before. It looks like that site has been updated with interactive tools. This link is to another blogger sharing his thoughts on this project. From there you can click through to the original website. (ColourLover.com)
- Women See More Color Than Men - An article as pithy as it's title that sums up the long article on Tetrachromacy from last week's newsletter. (IndianaPublicMedia.org via @JimWicks)
The Tools
- [Video] Beauty Retouching and Grading on Assimilate Scratch - Great tips in here, including the very first one... models everywhere will LOVE you for it! Plus a great demo of Scratch's Bicubic deformation tool. I also dig how layers can be grouped. (Vimeo.com)
- Scratch 7: More Than Conform and Grade - An article about the next release of Scratch and its focus on compositing tools. I love that they allow importing of tracking data from MochaPro. There's also new subscription models that allows licensing by the day, week or month. (PostMagazine.com)
- Useful Tools for Editors: Baselight for Avid is Ready - I feel like I missed this story in this newsletter. The news is a bit stale but Scott Simmons does a nice job featuring the major points in this new Avid plug-in. (StudioDaily.com)
- BaseLight for Avid - This is FilmLight's product page on the Avid plug-in. Download the free trial and check out the link for their tutorials. (FilmLight.ltd.uk)
- [Video] PIX240 Workflow: Creating Instant Dailies for the Alexa - Nifty outboard recorder that'll take the Rec. 709 SDI output from the Alexa, pull matching timecode and file names, record external sound, to provide you with editorial ready files, even as the Alexa itself is recording LogC. This is a nice demo. (blog.AbelCine.com)
- FCP X: Fixing Update Problems - Yes, this is an FCPx story that I've put this under Tools simply because the underlying problem affects any of us who buy production apps via the iTunes Store. Essentially, what do you do when you want to download an app that you bought, isn't installed on your machine, yet the App Store says you have installed? Here's the log line: "Apple allows three downloads of files in the App store without repurchasing." Wha-? That's like having an install DVD burn up after 3 re-installs. I'll be re-thinking my professional software App Store purchases very carefully. (LarryJordan.biz)
- [Video] Photoshop: How to Remove Lens Dust from Video Frames - In a few weeks I'll have an interview with James Wicks who's restoring 200+ films and we get into the subject of 'dust busting'. If you can't afford the workflow he's using (implementing DaVinci Revival), then check out this tutorial on how do dust bust video using Photoshop. (AngieTaylor.co.uk)
- [Video] Mocha Pro: How to Remove Smudges and Lens Marks - A tutorial on MochaPro. I really need to make the time to learn MochaPro. It seems like a great addition to any colorist's toolset. (Vimeo.com)
- Kicking the Tires on Avid Media Composer 6.5 - A nice overview of the new features in Avid 6.5, released at IBC. Is the $500 upgrade price worth it? Read and decide for yourself. (ProVideoCoalition.com)
- Anatomy of an iMac Suite - Is this the future of the MacPro? Thunderbolt everywhere. Looks like a very capable system. The Ethernet I/O problem is somewhat troubling. Heat issues are also a good point. (BiscardiCreative.com)
- AJA Reveals KUMO Compact SDI Routers - Includes HTTP control and monitoring via web browsers. (AJA.com)
- FSI Announces 12bit and XYZ Signal Support - "12 bit XYZ, RGB, and YCbCr signal formats will all be supported over any FSI monitor with 3Gbps SDI inputs, which includes all 9" and larger monitors currently offered by FSI." The release date for this free firmware update will be announced later this month. (FlandersScientific.com)
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The Business
- The Inevitable Disruption of Television - I thought this article was just going to be another in a long line of 'TV is dead... eventually' articles. Instead, at the end of the article the author manages to find a way to completely disconnect from cable providers that astonished me. (blogs.hbr.org)
- Why I'm Watching These Three I.B.C. Developments in Post Production - Software, Camera, Graphics Cards. Yup. Three topics of interest to any post professional. (StudioDaily.com)
- The Cloudification of IBC 2012: How Cloud is Everywhere - Including color grading on the cloud. (DefinitionMagazine.com)
- How Online Content Is Being Watched (and the explosive growth of tablets) - Desktops still whallop tablets - but tablets have gone from a drop in the bucket to being a bucket itself. Some interesting stats from the developers of the popular video embedding player JW Player. (LongTailVideo.com)
- The Digital Domain Bankruptcy: What Does It Mean? A look at the history of DD and how the Bankruptcy will affect current operations. (FXGuide.com)
- Film Is Dead? How Digital Is Changing the Nature of Movies - New York Times film critics take a look at the emergence of digital filmmaking. (NYTimes.com)
- Reconsidering the Theater Experience - Re-imagining the theater experience... as a really big living room. (DigitalCinemaReport.com)
Outside 'The Box'
- Four Sound Rules to Live By - Some rules are meant to be broken. Not these. (MasteringFilm.com)
- Screenwriting: Creating Memorable Characters - Yes, you need unforgettable conflict. But you also need memorable characters for the audience to get invested in that conflict. (LilithFilm.tumblr.com)
- [Video] What Sound Editors Need From Their Picture Editors - Words from the wise... in this case from a 40-year veteran Hollywood sound editor. A good presentation given to the LAFCP User Group. (SpliceVine.com)
- A New Light Meter - It's fun seeing Jem get excited about... a brand new light meter. (theC47.com)
- Why We Switched to Premiere Pro (and Loved It) - Four things this facility loves about Premiere Pro. (GreenScreenStudios.ca via @KarlSoule)
Edumacate Yer'self
- Node-Based Workflows In DaVinci Resolve 9 - I'll avoid the snarky remark about alternative non-node Resolve workflows... and zero-in to a good interview with the presenter of this paid Webinar. The interview is free - but I had trouble listening to it on iMobile devices. (Moviola.com via @adams_cj)
- The Craft of the Cut: The Final Cut Pro X Editor's Handbook - Includes a short film for you to edit. What a good idea! (FCP.co)
- Manila, Philippines: Intro to DaVinci Resolve 9 - Several short sessions this Wed & Thursday. (Mediav.com)
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)
- The Colors of Jim Henson's Muppets - A nice article about the origin of muppets, what made them so appealing and a bunch of photos to take you down memory lane. (ColourLovers.com via @robsbessette)
- Clients from hell: A Recent Conversation - Getting to the small details once you're hired to pick up the pieces from a previous vendor... (ClientsFromHell.net)
- [Video] World's Oldest Color Film Discovered - In a museum archive. (Engadget.com via @IAmColorist)
- [Video] Henri 3, Le Vet - Henri the existential crisis cat is back. This time, it's a trip to the vet - where they hang pictures of previous victims on their wall. (YouTube.com)
- The Genre Infographic - A quick guide to aspiring Screenwriters everywhere. (FilmmakerIQ.com)
Weekend Warriors
- Nintendo TVii Tries to Succeed Where Google TV Has Failed - The next generation universal remote control / media player? (Reviews.CNet.com)
- Top 10 Reasons To Get the iPhone 5 - In case you want to be convinced. (BareFeats.com)
- Which iPhone 5 Carrier Let's You Roam Where You Want? (TidBits.com)
- 5 Reasons Why Owning an iPhone 5 Will Mark You As An Utter Fool - In case you need reasons NOT to buy an iPhone 5. (TheRegister.co.uk)
- What We Think Is Missing From the iPhone 5 - So you don't feel bad about not upgrading from your iPhone 4s. (ArsTechnica.com)
- Sony Prices It's Latest 3D Headset - Notice the picture doesn't show someone wearing it? Because unlike the iPhone 5, owning it WILL mark you as an Utter Fool (truth be told, if I had the disposable income, it's exactly the type of thing I'd buy). (news.cnet.com)
- Save Time on Family Tech Support by Sending Them YouTube Videos Instead - Since post-production pros are almost always the extended family's tech guru. (LifeHacker.com)
- DIY: Build A Passive 3D Projection System - Requires two projectors. (LifeHacker.com)
Gear Heads
- IBC 2012's WOW Moment: Live 4K - Sony is diving head first into 4K displays. (DefinitionMagazine.com)
- Temptation: Using 'Non-Blessed' GPUs for Faster CUDA and OpenGL Support - It's cool to see NY-based colorist and friend of the Tao, Juan Salvo get credit for helping out BareFeats. I'll be putting in a GTX 570 into my aging MacPro this week... according to these results I should see a nice speed gain over the GTX 285 I've been running - not to mention the extra V-Ram. (BareFeats.com)
- MacPro RAID Setup - An affordable solution for a high speed SAS RAID. (PaulJoy.com)
- Intel: Optical Thunderbolts to Arrive in 4Q2012 - Enables Thunderbolt runs of 10 - 20 meters. (reghardware.com via @deanand)
Beyond the Interface. Learn Technique. Includes: Resolve 9*
Color Grading MasterClass: DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve, DaVinci Resolve Lite : Mac & Windows!
Also available: Colorista II | Apple Color | FCP 7
*Resolve 9 Training available after the software's officially out of Beta
New Kids on the Block
- Sony Goes Bonkers with 16,782 New Camera Announcements in One Week - A detailed post on a slew of new Sony cameras and a new Nikon camera. (PhilipBloom.net)
- [Video] Sony's Aggressive Behavior - And are they confusing the marketplace with too many cameras? (theC47.com)
- Blackmagic Cinema Camera Part Deux - Vincent | LaForet found a lot of things he didn't like in BlackMagic's new Cinema Camera. In this post he tells you what he DOES like - and offers up a guest post by a peer who also worked with the camera and has a different perspective. (blog.vincentlaforet.com)
- Arri Unveils New Kits for Blackmagic Cinema Camera - They're calling it a 'Ready to Shoot' kit to make your BMCC ready for attachments. (StudioDaily.com)
Your Career
- How To Run A Problem-Solving Meeting - Too many cooks is the big problem. (SethGodin.typepad.com)
- More Vacation is the Secret Sauce - Yes, yes, YES! (blogs.hbr.org)
- Movies Don't Owe Anybody a Living - Gotta agree. (FilmmakerIQ.com)
- Embrace Your Inner Nagging Voices to Get Things Done - Dealing with those voices does tend to shut them up. (LifeHacker.com)
Tweet of the Week
Yes my @mophie juice packs can recharge @Blackmagic_News Cinema camera #bmcc instagr.am/p/PVuhx_zXO6/ (via @Filmbot)
The Next Step Is A Doozy
- DIY Lab Equipment, Courtesy of 3D Printing - How long before I can print my own custom control surface??? (Arstechnica.com)
A Step Too Far
- The $9 Cardboard Bike - It can hold a 485-pound person. I wonder if it flies over puddles and repels rain? And are the brakes made out of string? (Kottke.org)
Th- Th- That's ALL Folks! See you next week. Happy Grading!
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