2018 is on the way out.

The holiday season is often a time of reflection. You look back before looking forward. I find myself measuring our past in an unexpected way.

I graduated with a B.S in Film / Television Production at Hofstra University in 1988. That same year Quantel released its famous Digital Fact Book. For the next 15 years I grabbed an updated copy where ever I could find one.

Quantel's Digital Fact Book was golden.

If there was term I didn't understand; a new acronym I couldn't decipher; a new workflow that confounded me - the Digital Fact Book had me covered. Then, the Book faded away. I hadn't even noticed its absence until, after a short hiatus, with fanfare the Fact Book was updated again in 2015 and posted online.

As I write this, the server for DigitalFactBook.tv times out. I'm not surprised. After all, how can one company hope to categorize all the terms, workflows, & acronyms that has accompanied our digital video revolution? Our industry moved too far, too fast, and isn't slowing down.

But the answer to that question is revealed this week: It's in the form of a curated blog.

This week, a new Digital Fact Book rises.

30 years from now, someone will write the intro to a Newsletter like this. For an audience much like you. They will talk about how the Frame.io Workflow Guide was published in 2018, the year they graduated. How it was a handy companion for the first 15 years of their career.

That Publisher might marvel at whatever new sentient AI helper is helping a younger generation master the technology revolution that is coming!

I have no doubt they'll fondly remember this version of the Digital Fact Book - and thank all the creative men and women who shared their knowledge and wisdom. It allows others to follow in their footsteps, and keep from avoiding the same tripwires.

That's it for the Tao Colorist Newsletter in 2018!

We are on hiatus for the next two weeks. We'll see you on the other side of this year, on January 6, 2019, looking ahead to our collective future.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and as always: Happy Grading!

- Patrick Inhofer
  Colorist | Publisher | Mentor

25 contributors have helped Frame.io put together the modern version of Quantel's Fact Book. Besides a large database of facts, terminology, and workflow - there's a series of Flow Charts and a Codec Comparison section.

This article is a good overview of what it is, how to use it, and a quick chat with Frame.io on how the idea started.

[video] I included this item to help colorists, editors, and finishers understand the nuances of those color spaces, since they're the ones newcomers to our craft are most likely to know.

[video] If you're new to the craft then bit depth can be a challenging concept to understand. This video is a good introduction... and features drones (keeping it relevant to the youngsters among us).

"its motion is subtle and captivating, while it is very easy for the eyes and slows down the pace in which we perceive information . . . is teaching us that time is valuable and we should enjoy every single moment." What color is this? Click to find out.

[forum] If you want to chat about the Skin & Beauty item above, here's a thread dedicated to it.

How to place clips (and move them around) on the Edit Page.

[video] A Mac Break Weekly on using Motion to create adjustment layers to apply color grades, and other useful tweaks.

A semi-rant against all the heavy breathing concerning Apple's warning that it won't support some codecs on its OS going forward. If you're wondering what the fuss is about? Click through.

Should this go under Gear or Tools? I'm not sure. But ScopeBox rocks. This update features, "the addition of Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2019 as a supported ScopeLink sources." And it fixes a Mac Mojave bug.

I like that this roundup includes Macs. And it rightly points out if you're planning on integrating Fusion into your workflow, the CPU's importance is now rising - when selecting your next rig.

Someone has to fill that stocking hanging by the fireplace with care. What not you?

An interesting guide to consumer displays and their support for the 5 different implementations of HDR video.

A good write up of a roundtable talking about keeping a team of creatives driving ahead, instead of looking for files.

It joins Voyager 1. And is still recording plasma currents. Estimated date to when it returns to Earth as rogue AI? NASA isn't saying.

A simple 3-ingredient drink with a festive twist. A final item to leave you with as we say goodbye to 2018. See you next year!!!