The Big Question: Should I use film or video?
The Big Question : Film or Video? That's certainly one of the most controversial questions in low budget production. But the very fact that it is so controversial means that the answer might not be all that clear cut. And that the best choice might depend more on your own circumstances than anything else.
Editing: Effects-Crazy
With all these spectacular editing and effects tools at our fingertips, it's tremendously tempting to pull out all the stops and unleash a torrent of effects that will make your viewers' heads spin. But most people prefer their heads in a non-spinning mode. How many effects can one person take? The hallmark of a truly professional production is one where it looks like there are no effects at all. Welcome to the strange, sometimes upside-down world of digital video effects, where sometimes the best, most elaborate tricks are undetectable.
Hollywood talent pool luring firms eager for creative skills.(Entertainment Quarterly--Let's Make A Video Game!)
PARENTS might reconsider telling their kids to quit playing video games. The industry has been one of the bright spots in the local job market, with the bigger companies in the midst of hiring hundreds of people, mostly for creative and technical positions.
Back to School Pep Talk
It's that time of year when many of you are heading back to school, saying goodbye to the laid-back rhythms of summer and returning to academic pursuits. It reminds me of the time when I first headed off to college, and with my nose pressed against the glass of the airplane window (yes, they did have aircraft back then -- circa 1974), I wondered if this pursuit was even worth it. I wondered what would become of me. At the time, I wished there was some way I could receive a message from myself decades in my future, packed with helpful hints that would steer me in the right direction. What would I need to do to prepare myself to be a better video editor, and a better video production person in general? Since there is indeed no way to receive such a letter from the future, dear reader, the next best thing is for me to offer a few tips for you budding digital video editors now, noses pressed up against airplane (or bus, car or train) windows, wondering what will become of you. So if you're venturing forth into the world of digital content creation, here are a few helpful hints.
The Three E's
In the midst of the often exhilarating chaos that is the creative process, even seasoned editors and designers get off track occasionally. Wild brainstorming and daring experimentation play a role in the creative process, but they must take their place within the framework of a disciplined approach.Most of us think of brainstorming as something done solely at the beginning of the creative process.
Home on the Ranges
Audio manufacturers have started a buzz about 192 kHz sample rates, which theoretically pass signals up to 96 kHz-a couple of octaves above what's normally considered the top of human hearing. This may be fine if you're recording hymns for hummingbirds, but tossing all these high-frequency numbers around has fooled some filmmakers into thinking sounds are higher-pitched than they really are. And that can lead to bad decisions when choosing equipment or equalizer settings that hurt a track more than help. Fortunately, you don't need golden ears to understand which frequency ranges are important. In fact, you hardly need ears at all-just your eyes and brain, and a few screenshots.
Cornerstone of the world wide web
The closest encounter most people have with Hypertext Transfer Protocol ("HTTP") is when they get a "404 not found" message after mistyping a web address or clicking on a dead link. Yet it is the essential web protocol, enabling web browsers and web servers to communicate. Whenever you request a web page, it is "HTTP" that instructs the server to send it to you.
You Too Can Be a Game Designer
Most commercial games require large teams of artists and programmers, but there are some things you can use to create simple games at home.
