Apple has really made some inroads with their pro applications. Final Cut Pro has developed into a real contender for high end professional editing. The proof behind this statement is backed up by this article which talks to the Coen brothers about their use of FCP for editing their excellent film No Country for Old Men.
Macworld- Full Article
Coen Brothers Talking about FCP- Apple
So earlier in the year before we packed up and left Tucson AZ for the greener pastures of Oregon, we were fortunate enough to attend a screening of the film Heart of an Empire which chronicles the development of the Fighting 501rst, a group of self created Stormtroopers (and other Star Wars themed characters) who attend fundraisers, and visit children in hospitals, and are all around really decent people. We shot some footage of them promoting the film outside on the streets, which was pretty funny. Here’s a quick edit using a song from the sci-fi themed band SPOCK.
Learn more about these special people and their work- Fighting 501
Check out this great video montage of old motion graphics logos. I am sure you will recognize some of them.
It’s always cool when someone melds modern technology with traditional art style. Here is a great “thesis” animation from RIT which does just that. Watch as a Monk learns the style of one of my favorite bugs (bug or alien life form? the verdict still has to be out on that one), the Praying Mantis.
Way of the Mantis-
Chances are you’ve heard something about this “iPhone”. If you have not, you are either deaf, blind or so in love with Microsoft you have enabled your sensory filters to block out anything Apple related. All the hype aside this is really going to be an amazing gadget. It’s certainly more than “just a phone”, and it will really raise the bar for the portable market. It runs a slimmed down version of Apple’s operating system, which makes it quite a powerful little device capable of running your itunes, playing video, surfing the web, etc etc. What we are all really excited about of course is the touch screen, and it remains to be seen how easy it is to use, initial reports have been very positive. Apple has just released this informative..rather lengthy 20 minute video that goes through all the features and apps included with the phone. It’s a good place to start if you want to familiarize yourself with just what all the hype is about. A “revolution” maybe not, but an evolution for mobile phones, and devices it certainly is.
Apple: iPhone Guided Tour
Watch as the Copper Queens are brutally devirginized by the ruthless posse of Tucson police known as the Vice Squad! Welcome to the league. They do look awful charming in those copper shorts, and this was a damn good first showing for the newest team in the league. Good job gals.
Tucson Roller Girls: Season 4 Bout Two:
Video and Audio: BitcloneLLC
Hello TRD Roller Derby fans! I finally had time to edit the first Season 4 bout trailer. Sit back sip a spiked lemonade or a frothy PBR, enjoy the sounds of Tucson’s own Al Foul, and watch the gals knock the heck out of each other! Ahh yeah another season of Roller Derby gets under way.
Tucson Roller Derby: Season 4, Bout 1!
Today I discovered this great website that will convert a youtube video to .avi or .mov for you allowing you to download the video and edit it. Of course the quality of the video still sucks because youtube compresses the living daylights out of it initially. I have tested it with a few clips and it seems to work without a hitch so far, despite being a “beta” service. It’s damn simple to use, you just copy the link url from youtube, paste it in the form and selct type of video to convert to…and once it is done converting it offers you the option to download. Sweet!
Tip of the hat to this badass animal videographer Scott Cassell. Read his recent tale of diving with Rojo Diablo otherwise known as the Humboldt Squid. This sounds like a ringing endorsement for Seacam Underwater Camera Housing Systems, and the folks at Seacam ought to be calling this cat up now with an endorsement deal…I mean c’mon read this excerpt below:
On the other hand, even with an extremely violent series of Giant Humboldt squid attacks, the Seacam system never had a failure. It was anvil-tough and very simple. In fact, it proved to be sturdy above and beyond the call of duty on one really violent attack. A large Humboldt had come up on me from behind and was trying to chew into my neck. I struggled to hit it with my camera, weakening my grip in the process. As I struggled to right myself and get my dive gear back in order, I accidentally let the camera go. Since the sea bottom was always more than 1,000 feet below me, I kept the camera system a pound positively buoyant so that if I ever dropped it, it would float. That’s exactly what happened. The squid had dragged me down nearly 75 feet before I dropped my camera, and it quickly floated up just out of Jacquie’s reach and continued to accelerate until it popped to the surface striking the dive boat.
Read the full story, it’s amazing: In Search of the Red Demon
Another story featuring Scott here: Behold the Humboldt
*update*
I wrote Scott an email inquiring as to if and where his footage might be available, he responded promptly with a link to his website where you can view some trailers and purchase DVD’s:
Official Website: Sea Wolves
Let me clean the drool from my dropped jaw! I missed out going to NAB this year as I have to head up to Portland for Webvisions to see good friend and CSS master Mark Wyner give a presentation. Boy did I miss out as Apple unleashed the new FCP suite of video editing apps. A quick view of the promo movie and I know I will be spending money to upgrade everything here…All of the products in the Apple suite have numerous upgrades, highlights include:
View the Promotional film and learn more from apple…recommence drooling.