1. Tracks time in minutes
2. Tracks individual tasks
3. Ablity to group tasks for invoicing
4. Timer in menu bar
5. iPhone companion app
6. Well-designed interface
7. Doesn’t charge monthly fees
8. Ability to manually edit/enter time
9. Native desktop application, not web-based

For years I’ve been using Billable to track my time and create invoices. It’s simple, I’ll give it that. The application is focused only on tasks, clients & invoices. Unfortunately Billable’s time-tracker is stuck inside the application. It’s too often that I’ve forgotten to turn it off (or on) when switching between tasks. I realize that’s probably more my own fault than Billable’s, but without that timer out in the open, it might as well not exist. It’s a decent median application that gets the job done. It’s just not quite what I’m looking for.

Lately I’ve been using The Hit List to track tasks. Everything from household items to professional deadlines. I’m a big fan of keeping only one to do list.

I really think The Hit List could be great for my time tracking workflow except for one significant limitation — there’s currently no way to input time manually. If you forgot to set the timer when you started you’re out of luck.

Granted The Hit List is in beta still (until November? ugh) so this could just be something overlooked. Afterall you can click in the ‘actual time’ field and edit the numbers therein. They just don’t stick.

I know that other applications — Billings, for example — work for other people. Most have too many features, or subscription plans that I don’t want any part of. Everything I’ve tried feels like too much or too little. I don’t need to keep track of every single detail. But I do need to track individual items, and group them accordingly.

I guess I’ll stick it out with Billable for now. But in such a crowded market, I’m surprised there aren’t more median products to choose from.

As Apple throws all caution to the wind by skipping two full versions between iterations 7 and 10, I can’t help but wonder what QuickTime X — and Snow Leopard — means for the future of Final Cut Studio.

For now the only information I can find is the bit about ColorSync that was mentioned in the WWDC Keynote on Monday, and the small section under Snow Leopard’s New Technologies heading. ColorSync is Apple’s system for maintaining consistency across imaging devices like displays, printers, scanners, and digital cameras so that the color viewed on screen is the same as the color printed out.

Maybe this means an end to those tricky gamma-shift issues that occurred when exporting to specific formats in Compressor.

Snow Leopard is due out in September, so it would be great to hear something about Final Cut Studio around then, but I won’t get my hopes up. I wouldn’t be too surprised if it’s April before we hear any mention of Final Cut Studio 3. But holy cow, that would have to be some upgrade, right? It will have been three years since the last major release, and I expect the Final Cut team have been keeping themselves busy since 2007 — especially with all those new Snow Leopard goodies like Grand Central Dispatch to play with.

I haven’t been this excited about a LEGO set since I was 10 or so, when all I could wrap my head around was acquiring an Aquazone submarine.

According to LEGO’s website the sets aren’t out yet, but the Chicago Architecture Foundation has been selling the Sears Tower, Empire State Building and Space Needle sets at $22.00 a piece.

I’ve also read that there’s a John Hancock Tower model out (or coming out), and a whole line of Frank Llyod Wright buildings, though LEGO doesn’t have any official information on any of it. Lame.

Apparently you can buy some of the sets here though.

I tried building a track-based dolly system on my own a little over a year ago. It didn’t look nearly this good and, more importantly, only the dolly itself is currently usable. The track, not so much.

They’re asking between $500-$600 for the set and, considering my GlideCam jib cost about $500, I think it’s a bargain for something so versatile.

If I had $500 to spend on gear, I’d seriously consider giving it to these guys.

On Friday I picked up a Flip Mino HD for my upcoming trip to London. Meagan is speaking at FOWD and we thought it would be fun to have a little camera just for video.

Yesterday our friend Bill Couch pointed out that, although no official word has been given, Best Buy is currently selling a Flip Ultra HD camera. Still 720p at 30fps, but with a removable battery, longer charge life, and twice the capacity. For a full $30 less. I was pissed.

Today we went down to Best Buy for what was (surprisingly) a relatively painless swap. However, they did charge us an addition $3 to cover the rest of the 15% restocking fee. I also found it odd that there’s still no mention of the camera anywhere in the store, on their website, or on the Flip website. More than that, I found it scummy that the Flip Mino HD was marked down from $229 to $209 — especially since the newer model can do more and costs just $199.

Scummy.

A Few Notes

The screen is larger than the Mino’s and appears to be much sharper. The recording indicator light now doubles as the charge indicator and can be turned off. However, doing so also disables the light as a charge indicator. Which is lame. Unlike the Mino, you can’t plug this camera directly into a USB port on a MacBook Pro without it hanging off your desk. It’s just too thick (I’m told this isn’t an issue with the new unibody MacBook Pro) .

I think I’ll be picking up a USB extension cable since I don’t imagine it’s good for either device to be using the port for support. Otherwise, I expect this is going to be a very fun little camera to play with.

This is fantastic. Every 8 by 6 image represents one minute of runtime and is meant to show how color and tone change throughout a film. I love it.

More here.

I ran into this recurring problem recently which, in turn, spurred my semi-annual hunt for information on what it means and how to make it go away.

My search ended when I realized the problem was simply an animated vector graphic that was just too large for my video card to handle. I solved the issue by baking the animation into a movie clip then re-importing it into Motion.

For future reference, and anyone else looking for answers, here are the articles I found to be the most helpful — ordered by helpfulness.

Helpful Articles regarding the Ozone Plug-in

• Fixing the Ozone Problem via Industrial Revolution
• Troubleshooting Tips via AppleMotion.net
• Motion 3.0.2 Update Beware via FCProducer
• Discussion Thread via KenStone.net
• Discussion Thread via Apple
• Another Thread via Apple
• Discussion Thread via MacRumors.com

I can’t imagine renting more than a couple a month, and the bump in quality probably isn’t worth it for a lot of films, but it’s nice that HD films are no longer limited to just Apple TV owners.

Now, if only they offered Mythbusters in HD too.

Last Thursday a short film I shot last year was featured on one of my favorite Internet-based serial shows, The Best Short Films in the World.

The always delightful and endlessly depressed Bobby Miller hosted the show as Dr. Manhattan in honor of their super hero-themed episode.

It’s good for a laugh if you have a few minutes, and I’d encourage you to subscribe and watch some of the other IndyMogul stuff. I don’t anticipate SOLMI updating anytime soon, or I’d suggest you subscribe there as well. But there are over 25 episodes just bursting with juicy funniness waiting to be consumed. It’s perfect if you’re just looking for something to kill the time between now and tomorrow’s iPhone announcement.

Great movies start with great footage. It’s the foundation editors need to be able to work their magic. Because as the saying goes, you can’t polish a turd (unless you’re the Mythbusters, of course).

It’s important to understand how your camera works, so you can capture the kind of footage editors typically only dream of. These screencasts focus on filming and lighting techniques that will enable you to get the most out of your camera. Whether you’re a beginner or somebody looking to brush up on your shooting skills, you’re sure to find something that will help you turn your home videos into quality productions.

The first screencast covers shutter speed, and how to use it effectively in different lighting situations. If there’s something I left out of the original video, or if there’s another area of filmmaking you’d like to see covered, please let me know.

That sucked.

She wasn’t happy. And I owe her, big time.

But now here we are. I’m on a new host as well, with many thanks to a very special Salem resident for that little bit of awesomeness. I don’t know how it’s going to work out if I end up needing to serve a bunch of video in a short amount of time, but we’ll see how it goes for now.

Something you should definitely check out is the new Screencasts section. From there you can learn how to improve your shooting skills through informative and (highly) entertaining videos. The first is on Shutter Speed, and how to use it effectively. I think you might like it.

Finally, if you have any topics you’d like to see covered in a future screencast, let me know. I’m always looking for new ideas.

A two for one would be great, really.

And let’s say, for instance, they announce as part of the Grand Central multi-core processing system in Snow Leopard, a side effect is that the new Soundtrack Pro doesn’t arbitrarily spit out the wrong audio track on export.

Oh, how I dare to dream.

I usually don’t have to share scripts anymore, since leaving Orlando meant then end of SOLMI. So I guess using Pages isn’t a huge deal. And it means I can add whatever formatting that I want.

Still. I want something better. But it’s not like I really need any hardcore script writing software. Just something that has all of the basics plus everything I could ever imagine.

That’s all.

A short time ago I made this demo reel. It’s short and kind of amazing. Basically we’re talking win-win here.

There’s finally some news out about GridIron’s project-tracking application, Flow. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was signing up for the beta.

And, of course, by yesterday I mean last year. Like, summer.

If you’re unfamiliar, Flow aims to track all changes — every little thing you do in any application — within a project. So if you’ve got a Final Cut Pro project that has a Motion file that contains the third version of a Photoshop file, Flow will track all versions of every file, project, etc that you’ve included. Automatically. Sounds pretty amazing, right?

So what’s been going on since their last update? Well, it’s hard to say. They appear to have made a cartoon. Which sort of demonstrates what the app can do. And they’ve announced a release date — for the beta. So that’s something. But that’s not coming until February 18th.

There is an entry at GridIron’s new blog that details their own excitement for the application. I don’t doubt their dedication, or their resolve to make Flow as good as possible before release, if for no other reason than the many delays it has suffered. It’s just frustrating having to wait another month to try it out.

Then again, it’s only a month this time. And at least there’s a definitive date of release. It’s not like there’s anything else like it, either.

February 18th can’t come soon enough.

“Among the products Apple announced today is iMovie 09, an update to their entry-level video editor that I currently find completely unusable. They have demo videos up showing some of the new features, which range from very helpful (stabilization) to fairly gimmicky (the animated maps).

What’s most clear, however, is that they’re sticking with the bizarre and unfortunate editing interface.”

I disagree. When I look at iMovie in its current state I don’t see a “bizarre and unfortunate editing interface.” I see the future of what digital editing could be.

If we’re talking about bizarre and unfortunate look no further than Final Cut Pro’s familiar, but relentlessly unchanged, UI. It’s a time capsule, showing off all the worst parts of digital editing. It’s clunky, chunky and crowded. It’s also extremely uninviting. If you sit a novice in front of Final Cut Pro and tell them to get to it, you’re going to get that same stunned silence usually reserved for grandparents and cell phones.

On the other hand, anybody can open iMovie and immediately see how skimming a clip initiates playback. Or how dragging a clip onto another will give you options after you’ve dropped it — not like that moment of what-just-happened panic that occurs after dragging a clip from FCP’s browser to the canvas for the first time.

iMovie ’09 brings with it an entirely visual process, and that’s exactly what editing should be. I’m excited, and hopeful, that these changes will be the basis for tools and features in future versions of Final Cut Pro.

Tomorrow Meagan and I will be flying back to the sunshine state for a few days. It started me thinking about some of the things that I miss about Orlando, and what I like about Salem. It’s been six months since we moved up here, and I feel as though enough time has passed that I’ve gotten a little perspective on how these places stack up to each other.

So I thought I’d write it all down, in case I feel like referencing it sometime in the future.

Things I like about Salem

1. The weather Summer was just about as hot as Florida, but late-summer was great. Fall was better. And the closer we get to Winter the more excited I am about sledding, fort-building, and skiing. I love the snow.
2. Access to a big city We don’t go into Boston every day, every week, or sometimes more than once a month. But knowing that it’s there to run around in is fantastic. There’s so much to take pictures of.
3. Pubic transportation This is huge. Trains, busses, more trains. Trains. TRAINS. It’s great. Especially if you like trains. I like trains. So its been working out pretty well. Because I actually kind of like trains.
4. Brooksby Farm This is the place Meagan and I went apple picking a month or so ago. It’s something like a ten-minute drive from our house and they sell the most amazing pre-made fruit-filled pies. I’m told they even offer skiing in the Winter. I can’t wait.
5. Boylston Street Apple Store This could go with the whole ‘access to a big city’ bit, but I feel as though it warrants its own point. This store is huge (the biggest, actually), and the staff is among the friendliest I’ve met at any Apple store (I’ve been to a fair few). They also have the fastest Internet connection I’ve seen anywhere. Ever. Great for uploading several gigabytes of video proofs.
6. The food As a person that doesn’t eat meat from cows, pigs, dogs, lambs or chickens I’m happy that the variety of seafood (and vegetarian-friendly) restaurants up here is in high supply. Moreover, the quality of the food is worlds away from most of the places we haunted in Orlando.
7. Our apartment It’s not amazing. Especially probably for people that aren’t us. But I think we sort of lucked out here. The rent isn’t terrible, our neighbors aren’t assholes, and we really like just hanging out here. Our furniture is perfect for us, we’ve decorated the place how we want, and we don’t live on the ground floor. Those are all wins.

Things I miss about Orlando

1. Driving As bad as I-4 is, I’m less afraid of it than I am of trying to merge onto the expressways here. There is no grid system here. Roads go all over the place and are in pretty poor repair. Also, people don’t stop when pulling out of side streets. They just go. You’ll see a car pull up, slow a bit, then continue out into your lane and oncoming traffic. I hate driving up here. ¹
2. Millenia I can’t believe this, but I miss the Mall at Millenia. More than that, I miss going to a mall that was well-designed. Almost all of the shopping centers I’ve been to here have been design failures. It took Meagan and myself 20 minutes to find an unlocked exit from the North Shore Mall one afternoon. That was horrifying.
3. People We met some hardcore douchebags in Florida. We did. But douchebags are everywhere. That said, the douchebag-to-asshole ratio appears to be much higher here. I kid you not. I have met some real garbage in the past few months. Like the guy that screamed at me from his car for trying to return my shopping cart to the corral instead of giving him my spot even though there were several other spots in every direction all around me. This point could go hand-in-hand with my driving complaint. ²
4. Friends This is sort of a no-brainer. Everybody has friends they miss when they move.
5. NASA Well, more than that, standing outside and seeing the shuttle go up. I always thought that was pretty cool.
6. Getting work Things were going pretty well work-wise in Orlando. I was doing stuff for TurnHere, Inc. and had a lot of fun working with some locals. Not so much anymore. But I know a lot of people are in the rough as far as work right now. So maybe that’s not really a strong point.
7. Orlando Int’l Airport (MCO) Because Boston Logan (BOS) is a disaster. It feels like it was designed by filing interns. Signage: awful. Parking structures: nightmare. Maps: useless. A simple “You are here” would do wonders for that place. MCO isn’t amazing. In fact, it sucks too. But I’d rather be stuck there for hours waiting for a flight than at BOS. ³

1. It’s also nearly impossible to get from Point A to Point B without some kind of assistive device. I have an iPhone, and I’ve still managed to get lost driving relatively short distances. The signage here blows. It would also help if they painted their roads every once in a while. There are entire stretches of road — including major expressways — with absolutely no lane markings. Unbelievable.
2. To be fair, I’ve also met some of the nicest people here too. Really great, fantastic people. They’re not all monsters.
3. In the interest of full disclosure, Meagan and I would go to the airport to hang out. I like airplanes (I also like trains, btw), and it turns out the airport is a great place to see airplanes do their thing. It’s also cheaper than a movie.
]]> http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/12/14/formerly-floridian/feed/ 0 http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/12/03/december-3rd-scarlet-update/ http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/12/03/december-3rd-scarlet-update/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:17:27 +0000 Jason http://www.makefilmwork.com/?p=329 It looks like the fixed-lens scarlet will cost less than $4,000. Amazing. The newest brochure to come from RedUser.net shows this model in two variations; one with a brain and lens, and the so-called “complete package.”



My guess is that the complete package will give you some kind of viewfinder or LCD screen, compact flash recording module, a battery, and maybe the REDhandle. The difference between this version and the brain/lens version is only $750. Prices aren’t listed for those items, but it does seem a little hard to believe that you could get all of that for less than $1,000.

Then again, we are talking about a sub-$10k camera that shoots at 3K. So I guess anything goes at this point. I can’t get over how exciting all of this is though. The two cheapest Scarlet models look like they’re going to turn a lot of heads. The price alone should make even the most die-hard Sony/Canon/Panasonic fans pause a moment while their heads explode. These things are going to be everywhere.

Also, what is this? Will I be able to drive my Scarlet? Please say yes.



]]> http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/12/03/december-3rd-scarlet-update/feed/ 1 http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/11/13/scarlet-news-blows-my-mind/ http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/11/13/scarlet-news-blows-my-mind/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:51:53 +0000 Jason http://www.makefilmwork.com/?p=322

I haven’t gone to sleep yet. I’m tired, kind of hungry, and I feel like I need to take a shower. But the news coming out about Scarlet (and Epic) from RED is making me giddy. I’m so excited.

I’m sure I’ll collect more information as the day goes on, but right now this is what’s got me so worked up.

• Modular design allows for infinite upgradability
• Price point (for the base) is less than $3,000
• The smallest Scarlets will do 120fps
• Interchangeable lenses for most Scarlet models
• You can make the camera be whatever you want

Besides the whole shooting in 3D thing they teased at the bottom of the brochure, what’s really got my mind in a knot is the announced 28K (!) RED Epic 617. It has a sensor that’s 186 x 56mm. For comparison, my DVX100a has three 1/3in sensors. A single sensor of this size is about the size of my hand.

Label my mind: blown.

I can’t even imagine what somebody would do with an image that large. Or where they’d store more than a few seconds of it. Yikes.

Now what I’m interested in is the lens pricing for the 2/3in mini-RED Primes. I’d also like to know if it’ll be possible to get the 2/3in Scarlet, but with a Nikon or Canon lens mount instead of the mini-RED mount.



]]> http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/11/13/scarlet-news-blows-my-mind/feed/ 4 http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/27/scarlet-news-coming-nov-13th/ http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/27/scarlet-news-coming-nov-13th/#comments Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:31:56 +0000 Jason http://www.makefilmwork.com/?p=319 There’s really not much more to say than that. Jim’s post from yesterday was light on details — basically an announcement about an announcement. Which, perhaps, is exciting in its own right. Especially after September’s shake-up.

So the 13th is the day. Mark you calendars.

]]> http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/27/scarlet-news-coming-nov-13th/feed/ 0 http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/23/some-more-nvidia-details/ http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/23/some-more-nvidia-details/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:00:57 +0000 Jason http://www.makefilmwork.com/?p=296 The initial benchmarks for the new MacBook Pro models are about what you’d expect — they’re good. I haven’t seen any testing done with the 2.8GHz chips, though I imagine those numbers will look even better.

But probably not out-of-the-park better.

Today I saw this post from Engadget, which provides a few answers about the new Nvidia chips, straight from the source. Apparently the new chipsets really are capable of on-the-fly switching, simultaneous processing, and provide support for up to 8GB of RAM.

8GB of RAM. In a notebook. That blows my mind.

It’s up to Apple to write support for these technologies, however, and it’s unclear whether that’s in the cards for the notebooks in the immediate future. It certainly seems possible that those kind of enhancements could be delivered through Software Update, although I can’t recall another time when such a massive performance upgrade was delivered in such a way.

It’s going to be exciting to see what happens here, and whether or not we’re going to see the kind of processing home run we know these machines are (at least on paper) capable of.

]]> http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/23/some-more-nvidia-details/feed/ 0 http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/22/panic-chaos-the-macbook-pro/ http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/22/panic-chaos-the-macbook-pro/#comments Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:00:08 +0000 Jason http://www.makefilmwork.com/?p=282

The world is falling apart and it’s all Apple’s fault.

That’s right, it’s USB and glare-induced pandemonium out there, people. But we can get through this. It’s not the first time we’ve lost a beloved technology (I’ll never forget you, Floppy), but we can get past this. We have to. We just need to calm down.

In my own attempt to restore peace and balance to the world, I drove to an Apple store to see the new machines for myself. I liked them. A lot. Here are something things I noticed:

Things I Noticed

4. The screen is bright — really bright
5. Speaker grills are super freaking tiny
6. The light sensor has moved to the display
7. Black keys look better with black screen bezel
8. Glare is most noticeable with dark colors and blacks
9. Trackpad is only clickable starting about a third of the way down
10. It costs $99 extra to connect to a current-gen 30in cinema display

I’m really not too terribly concerned about the glass screen. I have to believe that Apple wouldn’t leave all of those color-conscious designers and colorists out in the cold like that. Apple has billed their MacBook Pro line to be a mobile and professional solution for things like digital film production. Personally, I’m holding off judgment until I see some benchmarks and color accuracy tests. Which, I’m guessing, won’t take long.

The FireWire 400 problem is a little different, but solvable. Or work-around-able. Granted a work-around isn’t ideal, but if this is the end of FireWire 400 I’d rather it leave us when companies are still making FireWire 400 devices (like hard drives), than not. As it is now, in the event of a new MacBook Pro arrival, I’ll be able to connect my DVX100a via FW400 into one of my triple or quad interface hard drives (I call that future-planning). That’ll slow the FW800 data rate during import, but I can handle that.

Anther possibility (and I haven’t tried this myself, so maybe it doesn’t work) is to use a hard drive to connect the camera via FW400 and connect the notebook via USB 2. I think it’s possible — and even probable — that it’ll work. It’s something I plan to test soon. [UPDATE: As StevP points out in his comment this is not likely to work. However, I still have not tested this myself.]

You could always just check your camera’s manual to see if footage capture is possible over USB. If you’re working with mid to high level consumer gear this is probably an option you didn’t even know you had.

Apple adds native Soundtrack Pro support

The biggest surprise, however, is also the least publicized: Native Soundtrack Pro support. I’m thrilled to see Apple starting to address the issues users are facing when working with their pro apps. I’m talking about the new thumbscoop on the unibody where you lift to open the display. It’s an extremely well designed and understated feature. And the best part is that the corners are razor sharp — perfect for those long hopeless nights troubleshooting Soundtrack Pro error messages. Simply use one of the new gestures (listed as a “wrist swipe”) to activate the wonderful red release.

Finally. A way out. Thank you, Apple.

But seriously, folks. I can subjectively say that these new MacBook Pro models are beautiful. They feel solid, they look great, and the alleged graphical processing improvements are very welcome. More than anything I just want to see how the new Nvidia chips improve Final Cut Studio’s performance, specifically Motion.

While the concerns over the glass and FireWire issues are mostly legitimate, I don’t see a huge scandal developing over either. Professionals will continue to use monitors for color grading, and cameras will continue to evolve their footage (and file) transfer methods. It’s a surprising change, yes. But it’s not a deal-breaker.

]]> http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/22/panic-chaos-the-macbook-pro/feed/ 4 http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/09/slate-an-iphone-clapboard/ http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/09/slate-an-iphone-clapboard/#comments Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:00:36 +0000 Jason http://www.makefilmwork.com/?p=265

Slate [iTunes] popped into the App Store a few days ago. It’s a $1.99 iPhone/iPod touch app that acts in place of a physical slate for marking scenes and syncing picture to audio.

It’s a great idea, and probably the best dressed production-related iPhone app I’ve seen yet. You’re given a black on white (or white on black, your choice) interface with fields for production title, scene and take numbers, and director’s name. When you touch the clap sticks at the top, a visual cue appears for a moment and an audible beep or clap is played through the speaker. Scene and take counters are incremented when you tap the current scene or take number. The screen is dominated, however, by a running timecode which acts more like a glorified clock than a helpful way to keep things in sync.

I think I’d prefer to have the option to choose my own starting timecode — and have it freeze when clapping — instead of flashing “clap” (or “beep”, depending).

I’m also not hugely impressed with Marker Felt as the font choice here. It’s got the same tacky feeling that Comic Sans has. I get that maybe it’s supposed to feel like the words were handwritten on there, but it doesn’t. To me, it looks like somebody just took the easy way out. There are better fonts out there.

I’m also a little frustrated that you can’t fit much in the production field without running into an ellipsis. I can’t stand that. It’s like when Twitter gets confused and accidentally lets you type more than 140 characters, but then just throws up an ellipsis condemning the rest of your thought to oblivion.



I think part of the problem is how much space the “Prod.” abbreviation takes up, especially considering the app’s vertical orientation. If only I could rotate my phone and put this whole thing into landscape mode. That would solve my ellipsis gripe, and make a lot more sense visually.

But really, Slate isn’t too bad at all. Especially for just $1.99. It’s very usable and seems like it’ll be a handy tool to have while shooting. For that, I’m happy. I’m also happy to see somebody finally trying to fill the void of production-related apps in the App Store. I expect that these Swedes probably have some more things planned for the iPhone and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for whatever is next.

In the meantime I guess if I don’t like it I could always just try and build my own.

]]> http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/09/slate-an-iphone-clapboard/feed/ 1 http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/01/the-hpx170-review/ http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/01/the-hpx170-review/#comments Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:00:13 +0000 Jason http://www.makefilmwork.com/?p=245

I just read through Adam Wilt’s mammoth review of the HPX170. It’s definitely worth a read, if you’re into that sort of thing. Just prepare yourself to be there for a little while. Maybe make yourself a cup of tea and grab a sandwich first.

The last time I wrote about the HPX170 I mentioned a lot of the features I was excited about. Now I’m more excited.

Several design decisions — like moving the Manual/Servo zoom switch from the front to the left side — are particularly attractive. That stupid little switch (on the rare occasion that I wasn’t going full-manual) would always cause me to bump the focus when I tried to reach it. Also of note is a 1/4in mount on the handle, protected volume controls, and the now highly publicized switchable iris/focus ring.



Another handy feature is the ability to offload footage without removing the P2 cards or connecting directly to a computer. Apparently you can actually connect a USB or FireWire hard drive and the camera will create partitions on that drive to store the clips in. Pretty neat. The drive must be powered externally, however.

If you’re working with another HPX170 you’ll have the ability to store your camera settings and scene files on SD or SDHC cards to match settings across all units. That’s definitely handy, but doesn’t allow you to swap settings with other cameras — like the HVX200 or 200a. Still, I imagine if the HXP170 becomes anywhere as popular as the DVX100 (and subsequent revisions), it won’t be a challenge to find another HPX170 operator.



Unfortunately it looks like some of the coolest features only work in very specific modes. For instance, the ability to pre-record footage (that is, the camera will actually capture footage BEFORE you hit record) only works at 60i, 60p, and 30p. That’s probably not a huge deal for a lot of shooters, but it’ll give the 24p-ers (you like that? I just made that up) something to gripe about — myself included.

Other things I like

• Four (!) focus assist modes
• Variable frame rates (720p modes only)
• Waveform monitor and vectorscope built-in

The waveform monitor and vectorscope options are huge. I’m currently doing work using a green screen, and both tools are essential when you’re trying to evenly light a crude green screen setup.

Things I don’t like

• Variable frame rates only work in 720p modes
• No live data streaming (capturing live over FireWire) for 720pn modes
• Panasonic hasn’t sent me one to play with… yet (please?)

The timing of Adam’s review coincided with another major industry announcement — that of the Scarlet undergoing massive design and spec changes. There’s really not much to report on that yet. However, this new Scarlet mystery — in tandem with the HPX’s positive review — makes Panasonic’s offering that much more attractive.

Scarlet might still have the HPX170 beat on resolution when it does come out, but we all know by now that resolution is only part of the story.

]]> http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/10/01/the-hpx170-review/feed/ 2 http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/09/28/compact-fluorescent-softbox/ http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/09/28/compact-fluorescent-softbox/#comments Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:53:06 +0000 Jason http://www.makefilmwork.com/?p=167

Remember that CFL softbox that I thought was really cool? I made my own, and I thought I’d share some of the details on how I put it together.

Just so we’re clear though, I’m really not very handy. I have some tools, a little bit of common sense, and I get really excited about going out and collecting materials to build things. That’s pretty much the extent of my background in object construction.

I spent $66.54 on supplies, and maybe a few dollars more on some extra screws and nuts.

Purchases

• Lamp cord — $4.19
• Electrical tape — $0.69
• Black 14 gauge wire — $4.69
• White 14 gauge wire — $4.69
• 3/8″ 18in by 18in plywood — $3.82
• Light duty staple gun — $9.97
• Light duty staple pack — $1.90
• White drawer handle — $2.29
• Two foam core boards — $3.00
• Matte black spray paint — $3.99
• Reflective silver spray paint — $3.12
• Five flat-mount light sockets — $6.25
• Two packs of 4 14 watt CFL daylight-colored bulbs — $17.94

I’m pretty sure you could do this for less, especially if you already have all of the tools you need. I didn’t have a staple gun so I had to buy one, for instance. Here’s a list of other tools I used.

Tools

• Power drill
• Drill bits of various sizes
• Screwdrivers
• Pocket knife
• Small wrench
• Tape measure
• Ruler
• Pencil



I started by stripping the tips of the wires with a pocket knife. You might want to use a wire cutter. That would probably be easier. I wired everything in a series, which means that each bulb holds a position in the circuit, one through five. The alternative would have been to wire it in parallel where every bulb is connected to some kind of central hub.



I also drilled holes through the plastic sockets (not pictured). I thought it would be easier than trying to drill though the board and hide the wires. The result wasn’t very attractive, but it works for now. Afterwards I wired them together and screwed the sockets into place.



Once everything was drilled, I plugged it in to get an idea of how it was going to look. So far so good.



I thought a handle might come in handy while trying to transport the box, but it ended up doubling as a way to hang onto my stand. Throw in a clamp (you know, for safety) and there you have it.



Next was the foam core boards. I bought two because I felt there was a better than average chance I was going to completely mess this part up. The board was cheap ($1.50 a piece) so picking up an extra wasn’t a big deal. I ended up not needing the second board, but cutting through the first one was more difficult than I had thought. It took a while to make sure the measurements were right — I really wanted to have the side panels supported by the bottom panel and it required that the top and bottom be exactly one centimeter longer than the sides.



All four panels were held together with electrical tape while fitting it to the board. I wanted to make sure everything was snug.



The panels were spray painted black on the outside and silver on the inside. The board was also painted silver (on the front) and black (on the back). Once everything was mostly dry, I stapled the foam panels to the wood.



Here you can see the reflective paint and how I drilled holes in the sockets to let the wires through. Not the prettiest option, but it’s functional.



Here it is on the stand. There’s nothing covering the face of the light, it’s just really bright. Also of note: the light ball behind the softbox is your standard house light. The softbox appears white/bluish because the camera was balanced for daylight (around 5000K), which sort of matches the output by my new CFL softbox.

I’ve done a few tests so far and I’m happy with the results. The color is nice, and the output is pretty good. And for less than $100, it’s not a bad deal.

What I’d do differently

If I were to make another one I’d almost certainly make it smaller. Probably 12in by 12in, instead of 18in by 18in. I’d also look into a better way to cut the foam core. A paper cutter, maybe? The wires would be fitted into holes drilled through the wood, and concealed in some way. I’d also add a switch so that I could turn it off without having to unplug it every time. A more traditional mounting option wouldn’t hurt either.

So there you go. If you’d like to see more pictures you can pop on over to Flickr and see them in all their full-resolution glory. Enjoy.

]]> http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/09/28/compact-fluorescent-softbox/feed/ 4 http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/09/17/art-of-the-title-sequence/ http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/09/17/art-of-the-title-sequence/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:59:46 +0000 Jason http://www.makefilmwork.com/?p=154

I love title sequences. And you might too, which is reason enough to highlight just how awesome The Art of the Title Sequence is.

It’s a website which houses (and pays homage to) a collection of amazing title sequences from films and television shows. Their most recent post shows off the simplicity and masterful cinematography featured in the first few minutes of To Kill a Mockingbird.



Other examples include Reservoir Dogs, Se7en, Bullitt, and one of my personal favorites, Stranger Than Fiction.

A word of caution, however: Watching the sequences quickly becomes addictive. So hopefully you’ve either got a lot of free time on your hands today, or your clients are really flexible on how you define “research.”

]]> http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/09/17/art-of-the-title-sequence/feed/ 0 http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/09/11/the-cfl-softbox/ http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/09/11/the-cfl-softbox/#comments Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:31:54 +0000 Jason http://www.makefilmwork.com/?p=148

Photo from Indie4K

I think this is awesome. And now I want to make one. So I think I’m going to try.

The people at Indie4k created a softbox using five compact fluorescent bulbs. The kind that are color-balanced to match natural daylight (or about 5000K).

I’ve been using CFL bulbs to light almost all of my projects in the past year and it’s worked out well for me. The reduced heat output is reason enough to make the switch, not to mention the power-consumption benefits. I’ve even tried to make my own softboxes using the bulbs, but haven’t had great results.

At one point I tried using a single 120w-equivalent bulb with a cut-up t-shirt stretched over a picture frame that was precariously attached to a couple of clamps. This worked for a little while, but was pretty unsightly. It also had a tendency to fall apart when I tried to store it.

What the Indie4k people have done is made something that is not just practical, but nice looking; an accomplishment that’s especially rare for DIY projects. I realize that having good-looking gear may seem like a completely asinine thing to worry about, but there’s definitely a lot to be said for great design.

Being able to take pride in your work — and what you’re working with — is something I believe a lot of people can relate to.

Anyway, check out their post. Maybe soon I’ll be able to post pictures of my very own CFL softbox. Here’s hoping that I don’t electrocute myself in the process.

]]> http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/09/11/the-cfl-softbox/feed/ 0 http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/09/09/september-9th-follow-up/ http://www.makefilmwork.com/2008/09/09/september-9th-follow-up/#comments Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:39:35 +0000 Jason http://www.makefilmwork.com/?p=141

Of the seven items on my wishlist, five (and a half) of them were announced at today’s Apple event. I’m counting the new Nike + iPod announcement as a half since it wasn’t expanded to include iPhones. Kind of a bummer, but maybe that just means I have an excuse to buy a new iPod nano.

Today will also go in my calendar as the first time I’ve ever really been jealous of iPod touch owners. They have the ability to download the new 2.1 firmware immediately, while the iPhone firmware won’t be available until Friday. I’m anxious to get my hands on it. From what I’ve read so far however, there was no mention of the push notification service at the event today — which leads me to wonder if we’re in for another firmware update by the end of the month. It’s a feature that could be really handy for apps like NetNewsWire and Twitterific (or Twinkle, if that’s your thing), and I was surprised that there was no mention of it.



I like the new visualizer in iTunes. It’s actually not quite as awesome as I was hoping, but it’s still fun. I was a little curious as to why it’s listed under the nondescript label, “iTunes Visualizer” while the other visualizers have names like Lathe, Jelly and Stix. Either way, it’s something I probably won’t use very often. But it’s nice that it’s there.

I’m really excited about HD shows coming to iTunes. I’m not as excited about the 1.5GB that each episode is going to take up, but having the option there is very cool. It’s also worth noting that when you buy an HD episode (which is a dollar extra) you still get the standard version too.

Even cooler still are the Genius playlists. I have a lot of music that I never really listen to. I tend to roll through a few bands at a time, then slowly migrate to another. I’m not a fan of shuffle. I like listening to the albums the way they were produced — in order and (generally) uninterrupted. Shuffling makes me uneasy as I have no control over what’s going to play. The Genius playlists afford me a safety net of general musical similarity. I like that.

And now that I’ve settled down a bit, I can clearly see that we once again have no new displays. I really thought we had that one on lockdown this time. Oh, well. I guess you’re really can’t have it all. But HDTV sure is a good start.

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