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High Definition Video for Independent Filmmakers
A How To Guide for Digital Filmmakers
Welcome all! This is my blog to share my latest research,
thoughts, etc. on utilizing HD for independent filmmaking.
YES, I am available for consulting
Contact me at mike@hdforindies.com
All content copyright 2004-2007 Mike Curtis.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Attention and audiences | Snell-o-vision
Attention and audiences | Snell-o-vision: "I think we’ve got different perspectives because our businesses are different. I agree with him completely about how important an audience is. Without an audience, you’re nothing. But of course, I can have all the audience in the world, but if I can’t convert that somehow into cash, I can’t feed my family. How that conversion happens is the question."
Bingo.
Which is why HD4NDs never generated much income.
I think my best month was like $800 on AdSense.
Which is why I switched to ProVideoCoalition.
-mike
Bingo.
Which is why HD4NDs never generated much income.
I think my best month was like $800 on AdSense.
Which is why I switched to ProVideoCoalition.
-mike
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Aperture 3.01 update released, update on my iPhoto ‘09 migration
ProVideo Coalition.com: HD For Indies by Mike Curtis | Founder: "New Aperture addresses many known issues, doesn’t fix my colossal mistake"
If I can do it, so can you!
Doesn't that sound optimistic?
It would be, if it weren't for the fact that the act in question was a horrible, horrible mistake. I pulled a terrific oopsie.
-mike
If I can do it, so can you!
Doesn't that sound optimistic?
It would be, if it weren't for the fact that the act in question was a horrible, horrible mistake. I pulled a terrific oopsie.
-mike
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Ruh roh - go big or go home
Disney to Hollywood: If It Can’t Sell Toys, It Had Better Be Cheap -- Vulture: "It's all part of Disney's new edict to make, essentially, only two kinds of films: The $150 million-plus blockbuster with lots of CGI and merchandising (i.e., anything that was once a ride at Disneyland or already a Disney title; anything old or new from Pixar; or a major character at Marvel Studios, for which it paid $4 billion last year) or the $30 million project with young, cheap, on-the-cusp movie stars. (Think Freaky Friday, a Disney-associated title which the studio is talking about making yet again, just seven years after the Lindsay Lohan remake.) 'Everything in the middle,' says one producer on the Disney lot, 'is toast.'"
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Giz Explains: Why ISO Is the New Megapixel - Digital Cameras - Gizmodo
Giz Explains: Why ISO Is the New Megapixel - Digital Cameras - Gizmodo
BOOM.
And THAT is why I'd rather have a 12MP Nikon D3S than a 24MP most anything else - because the D3S has a sufficient but not overly large # of pixels spread across a BIG HONKIN sensor.
This is why I was vexed to see Red spec out Scarlet at 5K for S35 sized sensor - I'd MUCH rather have 3K Bayer (to generate a sharp 1080p) with more dynamic range, better low light performance, and less rolling shutter (aka image skew when panning) than a 5K similar sensor.
That said, Mysterium X is lookin' pretty good, but there's no such thing as Too Much in some categories.
My backup on this? Arri went with 3K for their next gen digital camera - dynamic range and better high ISO performance beats "high resolution" any day.
-mike
BOOM.
And THAT is why I'd rather have a 12MP Nikon D3S than a 24MP most anything else - because the D3S has a sufficient but not overly large # of pixels spread across a BIG HONKIN sensor.
This is why I was vexed to see Red spec out Scarlet at 5K for S35 sized sensor - I'd MUCH rather have 3K Bayer (to generate a sharp 1080p) with more dynamic range, better low light performance, and less rolling shutter (aka image skew when panning) than a 5K similar sensor.
That said, Mysterium X is lookin' pretty good, but there's no such thing as Too Much in some categories.
My backup on this? Arri went with 3K for their next gen digital camera - dynamic range and better high ISO performance beats "high resolution" any day.
-mike
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
BashFlash - A different kind of Flash blocker for Snow Leopard
Time to upgrade from iPhoto '09 to Aperture 3?
ProVideo Coalition.com: HD For Indies by Mike Curtis | Founder
I drill into the new Aperture 3's specs to see if it is time to migrate my 75,000+ image library to The New Guy.
-mike
I drill into the new Aperture 3's specs to see if it is time to migrate my 75,000+ image library to The New Guy.
-mike
Wanna make a movie? No. More. Excuses.
Canon introduced a new VDSLR - the T2i. Think of it as the 7D's little brother.
Quickly -
18MP stills, APS-C sized sensor (that's 35mm film sized, TYVM), 1080p24/25/30, 720p50/60, H.264.
-$800 for the body.
ProVideo Coalition.com: Creating Motion Graphics by Chris & Trish Meyer | Founders: "Yet another HD-video-capable DSLR from Canon. With more of the frame rates you want."
Stu's coverage nails the appropriate HD for Indies tone though -
The Revenge of No More Excuses
Quickly -
18MP stills, APS-C sized sensor (that's 35mm film sized, TYVM), 1080p24/25/30, 720p50/60, H.264.
-$800 for the body.
ProVideo Coalition.com: Creating Motion Graphics by Chris & Trish Meyer | Founders: "Yet another HD-video-capable DSLR from Canon. With more of the frame rates you want."
Stu's coverage nails the appropriate HD for Indies tone though -
The Revenge of No More Excuses
Ideas for iPad in post
ProVideo Coalition.com: the EDITBLOG on PVC by Scott Simmons
Scott has some fun ideas - worth reading. Yo developers! Get on it!
Scott has some fun ideas - worth reading. Yo developers! Get on it!
Thursday, February 04, 2010
bitchin' high speed photography
Make Your Own Rig for Ultra-High Speed Photography - Photo Grandpa - Gizmodo
On the go so can't "properly" blog this, but it caught my eye -check out the galleries.
I've been getting more into photography for the last year some-odd.
-mike
On the go so can't "properly" blog this, but it caught my eye -check out the galleries.
I've been getting more into photography for the last year some-odd.
-mike
Friday, January 29, 2010
More thoughts on iPad - v1.5 software, v2 hardware
ProVideo Coalition.com: HD For Indies by Mike Curtis | Founder
More thoughts on the iPad - who it'll work for and who it won't. Will it be as massively successful as the iPhone? Give it time - this'll be a slower burn than iPhone was, which was markedly better than a regular "smart" phone at the time. iPad isn't always arguably better than a netbook.
anyway, read on for more thoughts and a buncha links
More thoughts on the iPad - who it'll work for and who it won't. Will it be as massively successful as the iPhone? Give it time - this'll be a slower burn than iPhone was, which was markedly better than a regular "smart" phone at the time. iPad isn't always arguably better than a netbook.
anyway, read on for more thoughts and a buncha links
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
My pre-game analysis of iPad
ProVideo Coalition.com: HD For Indies by Mike Curtis | Founder
Wrote this one last night before the stuff today - and I gotta say, most of it holds up as written. Problems with any tablet, and specifically with some of the rumored plays Apple had in mind.
Holds up pretty well, covers some things not addressed in the post-announcement article.
Read the linked article over at PVC.
-mike
Wrote this one last night before the stuff today - and I gotta say, most of it holds up as written. Problems with any tablet, and specifically with some of the rumored plays Apple had in mind.
Holds up pretty well, covers some things not addressed in the post-announcement article.
Read the linked article over at PVC.
-mike
Apple iPad - what I REALLY think
ProVideo Coalition.com: HD For Indies by Mike Curtis | Founder
iPad! Long heralded JesusPad! Is it magically delicious?
Now that is has been announced, here's my analysis, device unseen.
Delicious yes, magical no, buying one probably not.
Read on for why over at PVC
iPad! Long heralded JesusPad! Is it magically delicious?
Now that is has been announced, here's my analysis, device unseen.
Delicious yes, magical no, buying one probably not.
Read on for why over at PVC
Monday, January 25, 2010
Hey! I'm in on 50 Best Blogs for Moviemakers
50 Best Blogs for Moviemakers |
MovieMaker Magazine
Woo Hoo!
...but I do virtually all of my writing over here now, at ProVideoCoalition.com
MovieMaker Magazine
Woo Hoo!
...but I do virtually all of my writing over here now, at ProVideoCoalition.com
Monday, January 18, 2010
From Anne Frank to Stephenie Meyer: The Slush Pile - WSJ.com
From Anne Frank to Stephenie Meyer: The Slush Pile - WSJ.com
an interesting read about the results of democratization of media - anyone can get "published" in terms of getting their voice out there, but in terms of getting Published, capital P, are sinking ever faster. Since the barriers to entry are so much lowered, and the publics appetite hasn't increased proportionately for content they'll pay for, the value of unsolicited work has fallen to effectively zero.
Article opens with:
In 1991, a book editor at Random House pulled from the heaps of unsolicited manuscripts a novel about a murder that roils a Baltimore suburb. Written by a first-time author and mother named Mary Cahill, "Carpool" was published to fanfare. Ms. Cahill was interviewed on the "Today" show. "Carpool" was a best seller.
That was the last time Random House, the largest publisher in the U.S., remembers publishing anything found in a slush pile. Today, Random House and most of its major counterparts refuse to accept unsolicited material.
and later continues with:
The agent says she receives 30 unsolicited e-mails a day from writers and people she doesn't know who are pushing unknown writers, and she hits "delete" without opening.
The Paris Review still publishes unsolicited work, but success odds are 0.008%...of getting a short story published. Once. In a magazine.
Same kinda thing for movie/TV deals - most producers won't look at unsolicited work - there's just too much out there.
Read on, this is interesting stuff and good to know.
If you are about getting your voice out there, you CAN - but can you get anyone to read/see it. Put it up on YouTube, just don't expect to get any money off of it even if it gets a million views. Put up a blog, but don't expect to get rich off of it - even in my best month of HDforIndies.com, I think I made about $800 bucks off of Google AdSense from folks clicking on the ads.
-mike
an interesting read about the results of democratization of media - anyone can get "published" in terms of getting their voice out there, but in terms of getting Published, capital P, are sinking ever faster. Since the barriers to entry are so much lowered, and the publics appetite hasn't increased proportionately for content they'll pay for, the value of unsolicited work has fallen to effectively zero.
Article opens with:
In 1991, a book editor at Random House pulled from the heaps of unsolicited manuscripts a novel about a murder that roils a Baltimore suburb. Written by a first-time author and mother named Mary Cahill, "Carpool" was published to fanfare. Ms. Cahill was interviewed on the "Today" show. "Carpool" was a best seller.
That was the last time Random House, the largest publisher in the U.S., remembers publishing anything found in a slush pile. Today, Random House and most of its major counterparts refuse to accept unsolicited material.
and later continues with:
The agent says she receives 30 unsolicited e-mails a day from writers and people she doesn't know who are pushing unknown writers, and she hits "delete" without opening.
The Paris Review still publishes unsolicited work, but success odds are 0.008%...of getting a short story published. Once. In a magazine.
Same kinda thing for movie/TV deals - most producers won't look at unsolicited work - there's just too much out there.
Read on, this is interesting stuff and good to know.
If you are about getting your voice out there, you CAN - but can you get anyone to read/see it. Put it up on YouTube, just don't expect to get any money off of it even if it gets a million views. Put up a blog, but don't expect to get rich off of it - even in my best month of HDforIndies.com, I think I made about $800 bucks off of Google AdSense from folks clicking on the ads.
-mike
Friday, December 18, 2009
Finally, Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 2.7 for Mac - Canon - Gizmodo
Finally, Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 2.7 for Mac - Canon - Gizmodo
REJOICE! REJOICE!
I'm importing 22,000 D300S RAW photos right now....
REJOICE! REJOICE!
I'm importing 22,000 D300S RAW photos right now....
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Most Popular Photography Hacks of 2009 - Photography - Lifehacker
Thursday, December 03, 2009
OOOOOooooohhhh.....good one!
chris and trish link to an adobe article on how to reconfigure your After Effects config files so you won't get gamma shifts on ProRes422 and ProRes4444 files.
GOOD ONE!
If you do any AE work, this will save you a LOT of pain and suffering.
ProVideo Coalition.com: Creating Motion Graphics by Chris & Trish Meyer | Founders
GOOD ONE!
If you do any AE work, this will save you a LOT of pain and suffering.
ProVideo Coalition.com: Creating Motion Graphics by Chris & Trish Meyer | Founders
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Comparison of Red One and Epic-X S35 specifications
ProVideo Coalition.com: HD For Indies by Mike Curtis | Founder | HD for Indies: "Specdown: Red One vs Epic-X announced features"
analysis of the points of differentiation between the Red One and Epic-X camera
analysis of the points of differentiation between the Red One and Epic-X camera
Revised specs for Red Epic-X
ProVideo Coalition.com: HD For Indies by Mike Curtis | Founder | HD for Indies: "Red Update - revised specs for Epic-X camera"
list and analysis of the new specs for the Epic-X camera announced last week
list and analysis of the new specs for the Epic-X camera announced last week
