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The Tao Colorist Curated links of news, reviews, thoughts, career advice, and humor for professional Video / Film Colorists & Finishers. Delivered Sunday. Issue CLXXXV
A TaoOfColor.com Publication Publisher: Pat Inhofer Managing Editor: Jim Wicks
The Craft |
- [video] A game of color - Behind the scenes at Company 3 Games. Some of the best Colorists talk about
why color is such an important part of video games. Also, listen in to the sales pitch they give their clients. (vimeo via @joshpetok)
- [video] The Godfather of Helvetica - Mike Parker has been called consultant, type historian, and 'the font god' for his work in typography. He recently passed away at the age of 85. Click through to find out why he will best be remembered as The Godfather of Helvetica. Includes an embedded Vimeo mini-doc. (fastcodesign)
- A Short History of Camera Color - "Video cameras are very similar [to film stocks]. Each company has a base look, and in some cases this look has evolved over time." (dvinfo.net)
- DIY Control Surface - Literally. Friggin' awesome! It's both familiar and retro. A must click through! (liftgammagain.com)
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S P O N S O R E D M E S S A G E Tao of Color's Official LCD Reference Monitors Flanders Scientific Broadcast Monitors The CM series is an affordable line of color critical reference LCD & OLED monitors featuring 10bit panels, 12 bit, 4:4:4 and XYZ signal formats, CFE2 Advanced LUT support
for 3D Calibration LUTs and 3D DIT LUTs , 3G/ Dual-Link/ HD/ SD-SDI Inputs, 13 onboard scopes on all inputs and world class support. All standard and starting at only $2,495. Learn More About the FSI CM Series Monitors
The Tools |
- [Review] Scratch and Play - Assimilate's new mini version of Scratch is designed to be used as an on-set image player and color correction tool. The best part about Play is that it's free to use. Click through to read Studio Daily's review of Play. (studiodaily)
- LightSpace BMD - is a dedicated version of LightSpace Color Management Software for use with DaVinci Resolve V10 and later. (lightillusion.com)
- Solved: 2013 Mac Pro and DaVinci Resolve Problems - end-user described how they got their sluggish Resolve install working on the Mac Pro
Tube in Mavericks. (forum.blackmagicdesign.com via @ayumash)
- RED: Apple Workflow Installer - v3.1 was recently released. Now supports Dragon OLPF and FCPx playback fixes. (red.com via @DoublePrecision)
- [Video] Something is coming - from Red Giant Software. (redgiant.com)
- [Footage] Blackmagic 4k Camera - downloadable footage for your grading pleasure. Oh - and a First Look at the camera. (philipbloom.net)
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The Business |
- Made on film - there was a time that the previous generation of creatives didn't work nonlinear or
non-destructively. They created on film. Creative Cow's Debra Kaufman asks the question: will 2014 be the year we see the last film lab? (creativecow)
- Son of made on film - CC's Debra Kaufman takes a closer look back at where we came from, where we are, and has some insights into the specifics of what's coming
soon. (creativecow.net)
- Need for speed - why is the Internet in America so slow? A new study says the U.S. ranks 31st in world download speeds. Click through to learn why the country that literally invented the Internet has some catching up to do. (theweek)
- Students Aren't Graduating With Right Skills For VFX
Industry - The state of the UK VFX community. (televisual.com)
- The Rise of 4K TV - "we forecast that 4K will roll out much faster than most industry analysts are predicting."
(businessinsider.com)
- Busting myths about the FAA and unmanned aircraft - FAA pushes back about the commercial use of radio-controlled drones... and ignores the core question: what makes commercial use fundamentally different from hobbyist use? (filmmakeriq.com)
- Judge rules commercial drones are legal - "An administrative judge on the National Transportation Safety Board has ruled that the commercial use of small drones is in fact legal, despite six years of Federal Aviation Administration statements to the contrary." NTSB vs FAA. How long before the IRS and NSA gets
involved? (theverge.com via notesonvideo.blogspot.com)
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S P O N S O R E D M E S S A G E Tao of Color's Official Calibration Software SpectraCal Professional Monitor Calibration Solutions Your professional integrity is utterly dependent on the fidelity of your monitors. If your monitors aren't right, there's no way you can do what your customers pay you to do. SpectraCal is in the business of making sure your monitors tell you the
truth. Whether you're calibrating LCDs, plasmas, projectors, Macintosh workstations, PCs, or building ColorCubes (3D LUTs) for fine-grained monitor profiling, SpectraCal has a solution tailored to exactly your needs.
Learn More About SpectraCal Display Calibration Solutions
Friends & Family |
MixingLight.com is a companion membership website to TaoOfColor.com. Want to read a story listed here but not a member? A free 24-hour test drive is available. - [Video] Commercial workflow Part 2: Leveraging the master session - How a commercial colorist relies on DaVinci Resolve's 'Master Session' workflow to grade multiple versions of a tv spot, efficiently. (mixinglight.com)
- [video]
Broadcast legalization Part 1: SpeedGrade CC - Understanding SpeedGrade's fxLegalize filter - and why it's not as useful as it seems. (mixinglight.com)
- [video] Broadcast legalization Part 2: Premiere Pro CC - a look at the filters you'd use to
legalize video signals in Premiere Pro. Plus: which of those filters I'd like to see implemented in SpeedGrade, why I never rely on any 'broadcast safe' filter and what I do instead. (mixinglight.com)
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What's Happening: NAB 2014 |
- Colorist Mixer - You're invited! Join Tao Of Color, Mixing Light and the International Colorist Academy for an evening of food, drink and geeky conversation. This is a
great time to put a face and voice all those Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and LiftGammaGain names you've been following and interacting with. Free registration. Sunday, April 6, 7:30p - 11:30p. Click for full details and to sign-up. (eventbrite.com)
- Get your Exhibits-Only Pass - If you haven't already, register for your Exhibits-Only Pass. Use this registration code from Flanders Scientific:
LV2623 (registration3.experientevent.com)
- Las Vegas SuperMeet - The Mega-Ball of User Groups, with the biggest raffle of them all. Join hundreds and hundreds of your peers at this annual event. See you there! (eventbrite.com)
- Media Motion Ball - The grand-daddy of networking events for post-production pros, it's a sit-down dinner with a who's-who of attendees. A great time. They have limited seats so I recommend you sign up now. I just did. (eventbrite.com)
- Las Vegas Monorail Pass Discounts - there are fewer multi-day options with these discounted tickets but you'll save a few bucks. (tickets.lvmonorail.com) Or check out the non-NAB monorail ticket page - for a few extra dollars you may find a plan more suited to the length of your stay. (tickets.lvmonorail.com) Either way, it's a heck of a lot easier than the ridiculous waits (and fewer choices) buying a pass when you're in Vegas.
- NAB Survival Guide, 2014 Edition - Toolfarm's Michele Yamazaki updates this classic guide for 2014. Includes tips on transportation options, surviving the show floor, spouses plus includes links to other Survival Guides. (toolfarm.com)
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Outside 'The Box' |
- Logo evolution - the Warner Brother's logo has been an on-screen evolution for 90 years and seen more than 200 variations. Dive into Christian Annyas's awesome website to see the WB logo timeline that's taken him 5 years to amass. (annyas)
- What makes art popular - a new study says
social influence, and chance are the reasons. Click through to find out why the study's author hopes creatives will be encouraged by his findings. (fastcocreate)
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Edumacate Yer'self |
- Creating a DCP of your film - presented by Juan Salvo. Tuesday March 25. Boston. Register, attend and get up to speed on DCP creation by a colorist who knows this DCP thingamajig. (eventbrite.com)
- Pre-Order: Avid Uncut - workflows, tips and techniques from Hollywood pros. Includes a section for FCP editors looking to transition to Avid. The author, Steve Hullfish, is one of my favorites! Book should be available at NAB, if you'll be there. Looks like the Kindle version is available now. (amazon)
- 11th Annual Pre-NAB roundtable discussion - at the Editor's Lounge in Los Angeles. Friday March 21. (editorslounge.com)
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Current Colorist Control Surface Drivers |
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Sunday Morning Fun(nies) |
- [video] A collection of oldies, but goldies - a 90-second history of music shot at London's Abbey Road studios. Don't blink or you'll miss your favorite artist. (youtube)
- [Video] Test Drive 2 - the internet didn't believe that the first viral video 'Test Drive' was for real.
One of the most vocal doubters is surprised with his own Test Drive. (youtube.com)
- Asimov's Predictions From 1964: A Brief Report Card - I grew up a huge Asimov fan. What did he say about 2014? And what do his predictions tell us-about ourselves? (scientificamerican.com)
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Weekend Warriors |
- The Harmony Smart Keyboard - for your Apple TV and the entire living room. Just announced and available. (9to5mac.com)
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Gear Heads |
- 27,000 Hard Drives: Which keep on ticking? - "Given our experience with over 25,000 drives, they asked which ones are good enough that we would buy them again. In this post, I'll answer those questions." (blog.backblaze.com via notesonvideo.blogspot.com)
- Disk Speed - 180MB / second for a spinning hard drive platter. That's what this post says about a specific brand of hard drives. (notesonvideo.blogspot.com)
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Are you looking for a steady diet of pro-level color grading tutorials? TaoOfColor.com Presents:
MixingLight.com =>
Learn from a team of professional colorists => New articles and videos presented throughout the month => In-Depth: SpeedGrade CC training (4.5+ hours, updated to v7.2) Click for more details
Getting Ahead |
- Improve your creativity - hone
your craft to create mo' better with these 8 simple strategies that anyone can use. Number 3 stands out for any Colorist who was ever given lackluster video and told, fix it. (creativitypost)
- The power of daydreaming - schools aren't big on daydreaming. Tim Brown, CEO at San Francisco-based IDEO, lists 3 actions you can do right now to turn your day dreams into reality, and quite
possibly save the world. (linkedin)
- Wanna raise? - the best way to make your case is to bring numbers. And the best way to do that? Use 'little data'. (99u)
- An astronaut's POV on life and career - Basing your entire happiness around achieving
your exact goals can be a recipe for disappointment. It's not about getting to the finish line, it's about the journey. (farnamstreetblog)
- Do not send another email until you read this - productivity expert Merlin Mann on what makes for an effective email. (43folders)
- [video] Myth busting - Working more
hours doesn't result in a higher amount of productivity. There's a tipping point when we are better served by stepping away from the office. Watch this to find out why the 'overworked creative' is a myth. (99u)
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Showcase |
- [video] The Last 3 Minutes - Director Po Chan and Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, ASC, take you through a life's journey in the last moments of a life. Shot on a Canon 5D. (vimeo)
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The Next Step is a Doozy |
- Bye-bye Mr. American Pie - since the 1960s, there's been a specific type of manliness culture. But, that culture is gradually dying out. Click through for five 'cracked' examples. (cracked)
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A Step Too Far? |
- [video] Hover this - a company claims to have made a' real' 'Back to the Future II' Hoverboard. Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), Tony Hawk and other celebrities are even promoting it. Is the Hoverboard now real? Well, no. So, what is the company really up to? Spending lots of cash, apparently. Click through to watch their expensive commercial (youtube), and then head on over to check out their website (huvrtech).
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Th- Th- That's ALL Folks! See you next week. Happy Grading!
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The Book Shelf
- Color Correction Handbook, Updated - Alexis Van Hurkman has updated his Color Correction Handbook, which has set the standard for learning all things color correction. (amazon.com)
- Color Correction Look Book - This is the second part of the Color Correction Handbook, exploring the creative techniques for over 200 different visual looks. A sort-of recipe book for colorists. (amazon.com)
- The Art and Technique of Digital Color Correction - Read how a dozen different colorists grade the same footage with the same gear, differently. A fantastic approach to learning the craft of color grading by Steve Hullfish. (amazon.com)
- Autodesk Smoke Essentials - Walk through grading a short sci-fi film (with downloadable ProRes4444 source material) while learning the ultimate online finishing app... Autodesk Smoke. (amazon.com)
- Color Grading with Avid and Symphony - Written for version 6. Fully applicable to version 7. I was a contributor. (amazon.com)
- Adobe Speedgrade CC: Classroom in a Book - A solid book for a solid grading app. (amazon.com)
Have a book you think should be in this list? Reply to this email and let me know! FCC Disclaimer: Links in this email to Amazon.com, B&H Photo, or ToolFarm.com are Affiliate links that help support the TaoOfColor.com. FSI and SpectraCal are paid sponsors and BlackMagic Design
is a current client. We thank you for your support.
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Published by:
Patrick Inhofer: Photon-Wrangler, Fini.tv | TaoOfColor.com | MixingLight.com
patrick@taoofcolor.com
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