[TaoColoristSunday] 05-15-2011 (Obsessed With Clouds)

Published: Sun, 05/15/11

Newsletter Issue XXXXII Tao Of Color.com
The Tao Colorist

The latest news, reviews, thoughts, career advice, and humor for professional (and aspiring) moving image Colorists and Finishers.
 
Editor's Note: Changes are a-foot with the Tao Colorist Newsletter. Be on the lookout for an email on Thursday with all the details.
 

The Craft

  • Bleach Bypass, Cross-Process Roundup - This post is a great collection of links to creating these looks in AE and FCP. Tutorials range from using plug-ins, curves, and transfer modes. (ProVideoCoalition.com)
  • My New Obsession With Clouds - Piqued by the Warren Eagles Vimeo tutorial on "How To Key A Still Image", Jack Jones share the technique for cloud replacements in Film Master. And he's starting a collection of cloud images for others to download and use as well. (JackJonesColourist.com)
  • How To Key A Still Image In Resolve - Right. Here's the aforementioned tutorial by Warren Eagles. (Vimeo.com)
  • Grading Arri Alexa Footage - Sort of a Meta- Interview in which colorist Dermot Shane talks about grading Alexa footage. And the project being graded? A short film about shooting with the Arri Alexa. The article wraps up nicely comparing Alexa to RedMX. (NotesOnVideo.blogspot.com)
  • Should You White Balance With A 'Warm Card'? A discussion over at Avid.com forums, which would be made more interestng if the darn forum page was wider than 12 characters across. (community.avid.com)
  • Colorist Trent Johnson on Priest's 4K DI - Anyone out there know Trent? I'd love to interview him for the podcast. He's more likely to say yes if one of you puts us together. This 5 question article doesn't do him justice (still, it answers some basic workflow questions you might have). (StudioDaily.com)

The Tools

  • Hands On With An FSI Monitor - Author, Colorist Alexis Van Hurkman bought an FSI monitor. Is it right for you? Read this post for an extensive overview. (VanHurkman.com)
  • Podcast Interview with FSI Co-Founder - And this is a good time to highlight the 2-part podcast I did with Bram Desmet of FSI. We went beyond FSI to talk about all things LCD and calibration. (TaoOfColor.com)
  • Sony is Betting Big on OLED - I'm not sure this is as 'gutsy' a move for Sony as the headline suggests. But it has good info on the difference between the PVM and BVM lines of Sony OLEDs. (TVNewsCheck.com via @silveradosys)
  • Arri Provides LUTS for 4444 ProRes Footage in After Effects - This link is to a forum discussion. Downloading the actual LUT requires (paid? I'm not sure) registration. (ArriDigital.com via @flowseeker)
  • Slightly Bizzarro 2005 DaVinci Resolve Quick Start Guide - For the Colorist between sessions. The cover of this PDF is... I don't have the words. The link is a direct download of the PDF. (Hawtreecreek.com via @editblog)

Touch Me

  • How to Customize the Tanget Wave for DaVinci Resolve - Resolve's support of colorist control surfaces is hard-wired. Neither Tangent nor JL Cooper support customizing the control surface for Resolve. Guest blogger Josh Petok comes riding to the rescue with a solution (for the Wave). Here's a big "WELCOME JOSH" to the Tao Of Color website! (TaoOfColor.com)
  • 80 Colorists On Twitter - Anthony Harden is a man on a mission. He's collecting a list of colorists who actively Tweet. And that number keeps rising. Follow it and join the rest of us #colorgraders. We're an active Tribe. (Twitter.com)
  • Magic Mouse vs Magic Trackpad - Have you ever stood in an Apple Store, both boxes in hand... and punted; walking out with neither the Mouse nor the Trackpad. Now... you'll be prepared. (MacWorld.com)

Edumacate Yer'self

  • Get A REDucation - List of upcoming Red Classes. Hollywood, CA. (Red.com)
  • Philip Hodgetts On FCP-X in Boston - Really, just a shout-out to Philip and Dan Berube at the Boston FCP User Group. Good guys, both. If you're in Boston, check it out. (Eventbrite.com)
  • EditFest NY - If you've never been, EditFest is a fantastic 2-day event about the Art and Craft of editing. It's back this year in June and I highly recommend it. Also - great networking opportunity. (mewshop.com via @kev_mon)
  • A Detailed Explanation of Depth of Field - And dry. Set aside 20 minutes. Before you start, finish off that caffeinated cup of coffee. (PetaPixel.com)
  • What's A LUT Anyway? - Basic intro post into LUTs by colorist Jay Friesen. (NoFilmSchool.com)
  • Steven Spielberg on the Importance of Studying Classical Films (FilmMakerIQ.com)

NAB 2011 Follow Up

  • Virtual NAB - Notes On Video has a short post on NAB's 'Virtual NAB' website - which is supposed to be, "like being there, even if you weren't". NOV's verdict: Not. (NotesOnVideo.blogspot.com)
  • G-Tech on Thunderbolt - Zip past the first 35 seconds and you'll see why video pros are excited about Thunderbolt. Includes short comments by AJA, Adobe, BlackMagic, and Matrox. (YouTube.com via @magekfilmworks)
  • Sonnet's Thunderbolt Announcements - Press page showing what Sonnet has up their sleeve. (Sonnettech.com via @bosfcpug)
  • Thunderbolt Surprises at NAB - I've missed putting this into earlier newsletters. (ZDNet.com via @tparish)

Homer Nods

  • SCRATCH Dramatic Price Drop Reflects New Economy - I erroneously posted a few weeks ago that SCRATCH Lab was $18,000. Whoa boy was I wrong! SCRATCH is now $18k (from $60,000US) with SCRATCH Lab coming in at $5k. This story set me straight. (DefinitionMagazine.com)
 
 
Current Colorist Control Surface Drivers
 JL Cooper Eclipse Euphonix MC Color Tangent Wave

Software: v2.1.6

Mac: v2.5.7

Software: v3.8

Color Plug-in: v 1.0.5
PC: v2.5.7
Firmware: v1.9

Updated:
March 7

Updated: Feb. 18 Updated: Jan. 28(ish)
 
 

Sunday Morning Fun(nies)

  • Final Cut Freelancer Hip Hop Song - Have you waken at 1am and blown the Cheetos dust off your keyboard? Then this Freelancer song is for you. (FCPUG.be via @Snowlinefilms)
  • NASA: The Planets Have Aligned - Seriously. Throughout this month. The video has a great demo of what's going on. But... you need to get up at 6am. What's that they say about getting up early? (YouTube.com via @NASA)
  • Christopher Nolan's Early Short Film "DoodleBug" - We all have to start somewhere. Nice twist ending. (NoFilmSchool.com)
  • Wooden Switch Box Gets Very VERY Annoyed - Silly fun. Well executed. (kottke.org)
  • "Lost! Missy the Cat" - What happens when someone calls in sick and asks the (overworked and annoyed) staff graphic designer to create a 'Lost Cat' poster? Hilarity ensues. Wordy, but worth it. (27Bslash6.com via @zbutcher)
  • Hitler Gets Word of the New FCP-X - You've seen the scene. Here's a new translation. (fcp.co)

This Week In Viral Videos

  • H-O-R-S-E Extreme - A video parodying the classic backyard basketball game. Some slightly violent images. (YouTube.com via ReelSEO.com)
  • Showdown: Dramatic Kitty vs TennisBall - Great Soundtrack. (YouTube.com via ReelSEO.com)

Democratizing Storytelling

  • The Rise of the Preditor - No. We're not talking alien encounters. We're talking about multi-skilled individuals assuming the responsibilities of what used to be an entire team of people. This post includes what you can do to be sure you don't lose your job to a Preditor. Spoiler: Become one. (DigitalFilms.wordpress.com)

Weekend Warriors

  • Lego Super 8 Movie Projector - YES! The only non-Lego parts are the Lens, Lamp, and Reels. (RetroThing.com via @ebrodeur)
  • Firmware Hack Transforms 2009 MacPro Into 12-core Monster - Or more accurately boosts capabilities to 2010 MacPro. I've got a 2009 MacPro. I don't have the guts for this weekend project. (arstechnica.com)
  • Turning Your 2009 Mac Pro Into A 2010 Mac Pro: It Works (HardMac.com)

    Gear Heads

    • Review: NVidia's Quadro 4000 - Nice post production- centric review of this card, with links to the mind-numbingly extensive Ars review we posted last week. (ProVideoCoalition.com)
    • Why Should I Get A Battery Backup and How Do I Pick One? (ArsTechnica.com)
     

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    Excellence In Action

    • Game Of Thrones Title Sequence - If you haven't seen the terrific title sequence to HBO's recent mini-series, watch it here. Then read the discussion on it's creation. (ArtOfTheTitle.com)
    • Researchers Use Colored Blocks to Determine How Barn Owls See - Interesting. And speaks to how visual systems tend to work. (ArsTechnica.com)

    The Elevator Pitch

    • Why You Should Hire A Professional Video Producer - As competition in our industry and niche gets fiecer, we all need to be ready to answer the question: Why Hire A Professional? This post (and video) is a good example of how to think about framing your answer to that question. (KlessBlog.blogspot.com via @philiphodgetts)
    • Post-Production Is NOT An Afterthought - While we're crafting our Elevator Pitches, this post from Walter Biscardi might give you some ideas into educating clients on the costs of not hiring a professional. (BiscardiCreative.com via NotesOnVideo.blogspot.com)

    The Business of You

    • Scott Adams: How to Get A Real Education - Dilbert cartoonist pens a terrific article on entrepreneurship. (online.wsj.com via @the99percent)
    • Small Wins and Feeling Good - How not to get overwhelmed by big audacious projects. (blogs.hbr.org)
    • Competition: Pros & Cons - "Imitation is the greatest form of flattery." This post is aimed at folks looking for Venture capital. But these concepts apply to any business (or freelancer). (AVC.com via @the99percent)
    • Forget Passion, Focus on Process - Squash burn-out by learning to love the little tedious things that must be done everyday. The big things will follow. (37signals.com)

    Taking A Bite

    • Apple Wants To Make A Keyboard Out Of Thin Air (HardMac.com)

    Tweet of the Week

    • "Most common iOS app feature req: I love the simplicity and ease-of use. Now pls. add all and only the complexity that I specifically desire." (@5tu)

    NOW I Get It

    • Inception Explained (in 1 minute) via the Mac OS X Finder - Your desktop is the scene of the crime. (kottke.org)

    The Next Step Is A Doozy

    • AIDA: MIT's Backseat Driver - Automobile navigation meets your naggy ex-wife. (Gizmodo.com)

     
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