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Art of the Edit | Ergonomics for COWs
The question was asked in the Avid Editing COW: 'After eight years of working on a computer, my wrist hurts within an hour. Anyone else getting carpel tunnel? What can I do to prevent major damage?' Dave Anselmi, a T'ai Ch'i Instructor for over 10 years and whose friend is an Ergonomics Specialist, was quick to the rescue with this great advice.
Tutorial
Dave Anselmi |
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Windows Hardware & Software
Evoluent Vertical Mouse
It starts as a slight twinge in the shoulder, or a prickle in the wrist, a dime-sized knot in the forearm or a tingling somewhere up and down the arm. Whatever the symptoms, the cause is usually the same - RSI or repetitive strain injury or its widely publicized brother, carpal tunnel syndrome. In this article, John David Hutton takes a look at the new Evoluent Vertical Mouse. It could be the answer to protecting yourself from carpal tunnel and other strains.
Review
John David Hutton |
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Digital Photography | Dean Collins On Lighting
CreativeCOW leader, Mike Gondek examines Dean Collins On Lighting: Live at Brooks Institute of Photography 1991 and published by Software Cinema. Although, this was presented in 1991, Mike believes the content is timeless material.
Review
Mike Gondek |
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HDV Format
Demystifying HDV Workflows
Creative COW Leader Tim Kolb uses his HDV expertise to explore the technology behind HDV, and show how it applies inside Final Cut Pro and other NLEs, with a special focus on longer projects. As Tim notes, this is a modified version of a post he made in the HDV forum responding to a question about FCP, but anyone who wants to know about editing HDV needs to check this out.
Tutorial, Feature
Tim Kolb |
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Apple Final Cut Pro
SAS RAID from Dulce Systems
Creative COW Contributing Editor Bob Zelin talks about the latest step in the Serial Attached Storage revolution: full RAID 5 protection with read speeds over 350 mb/sec. from Dulce Systems. At least that's what Dulce claimed. When he heard the rest of what Dulce had to say, Bob simply didn't believe them. When he put those claims to the test, he got a lot more than he bargained for. Will you?
Review
Bob Zelin |
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Business & Marketing | Client Management Strategies
CreativeCOW.net business leaders Nick Griffin, Walter Biscardi and Aharon Rabinowitz join Creative COW Magazines co-publishers, Tim Wilson and Ron Lindeboom, to discuss choosing clients wisely, managing their expectations with the goal of successful, and enjoyable collaboration, while striving for equitable profits.
Tutorial, People / Interview, Business
Business Roundtable |
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Cinematography
The Easy Slate System
In this article, CreativeCOW.net contributing editor Jim Harvey takes a look at the Easy Slate Professional Slating System. Jim likes the way it looks, and thinks that it makes him more attentive to the small details that he used to let slip past. It's a simple idea with a clever implementation.
Review
Jim Harvey |
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Event Videographers
Capturing Live Music for Video
People write long and detailed books on this subject for good reason: it is complex, infinitely variable, and much more an art or alchemy than a science. But even artists and alchemists have a starting point which varies depending on the intended outcome. So with that in mind, here are a few questions you can use to help you find your own starting point for capturing live music for video.
Tutorial
Michael Hanish |
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AJA Kona - Mac
Cal Digit S2VRHD
CreativeCOW's Bob Zelin tests a Cal Digit S2VRHD with a host card for a PCI-X computer, and a PCI-E computer. He used the incredible AJA Kona System Test, to evaluate the drive speeds. He was determined to 'break it.' Did he? No. He determined that...''If you want to do uncompressed HD, for a fraction of the price of an Apple Xserve RAID, or other hi end SCSI or Fibre Channel drive arrays, THIS IS YOUR BOX.'' Read the rest to find out why.
Review
Bob Zelin |
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Corporate Video
Media 100 Producer: Media 100's software-only editor
Creative Cow's Nick Griffin, a longtime Media 100 user, switched to Final Cut Pro a few years ago. Here, he explores Media 100 Producer, a new software-only editor from Media 100. Media 100 Producer offers a mobile and scalable editing environment as well as FireWire I/O and Panasonic P2 acquisition capabilities. Ideal for in-the-field or mobile editing, editors using Media 100 Producer can shoot using their Panasonic P2 camera and immediately begin editing. In addition, Media 100 Producer can use media captured by Apple Final Cut Pro and Media 100 and output via FireWire or export to DVD or web. Nick explores this latest offering from Media 100 and gives it 4-1/2 Cows out of five. Why? read on...
Review
Nick Griffin |
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AJA Kona - Mac
AJA HD10AVA Converter
CreativeCOW's Bob Zelin discusses how to turn your HDV VTR into a professional product using the amazing AJA HD10AVA converter. It takes the analog component HD signal from your Sony or JVC HDV VTR, and converts it to an HD-SDI signal that can go right into the HD-SDI input of your capture card.
Review
Bob Zelin |
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Adobe ULTRA
Serious Magic's Ultra2
CreativeCOW.net contributing editor Joaquin 'Kino' Gil writes a review on Serious Magic's ULTRA 2 Professional Keying Software with Vector Keying Technology and tells readers, ''[Before ULTRA2] each matte had to be calibrated separately and the values adjusted almost on a frame by frame basis in order to get details like loose strands of hair, bluish shadows and reflections, grains of sand and other minutiae. Yes, it took forever [and] no motion tracking software, either. All of that effort, [and hours of work] very seriously done, is made moot today with this software tool from Serious Magic. ... The key is perfect to the extreme of perfectly keyed fine strands of hair, transparency and translucency.''
Review
Joaquin Gil |
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G-Tech
The G-Tech G-Raid
For years Medea Corporation has been the hallmark of reliability when it comes to storage for the media industry. If you wanted big, fast storage with mission critical reliability, Medea was the drive array for you. Now comes its little brother, G-Technology Corporation. In this article, Creativecow leader reviews the G-Tech G-Raid and concludes...''This is the most versatile unit I've ever used with its ability to work seamlessly with anything up to 10bit uncompressed and just remain solid no matter the situation or machine it's connected to. '''
Review
Walter Biscardi |
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Sony Vegas
Sony Vegas 6.0 Reviewed
CreativeCOW.net contributing editor Jim Harvey reviews the exciting new release of Sony Vegas 6.0 and says, ''It's here and I'm loving it! The release of Sony Vegas 6.0 has been eagerly awaited by previous users as well as those just embarking on the NLE adventure. Sony has stepped up to the plate with the new Vegas with new tools and functionality the promise to make constructing your video project as effortless as possible.'
Review
Jim Harvey |
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HDV Format
HDV vs HD: A Primer
Emmy Award winner, Tim Kolb discusses HDV and its place in the greater scope of HD production formats. Since the inception of the HDV format, we have seen many responces regarding the HDV format and how it fits alongside HDCam, DVCProHD, XDCam and other formats in the greater scope of the HD picture. In this article (which is taken from an HDV Format forum responce), Creative Cow's Tim Kolb gives what we feel is an exemplary job of dissecting the subject and clarifying the many components of the HD universe, HDV being one of those parts....
Tutorial, Feature
Tim Kolb |
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Cinematography
Vortex Media Warm Cards
In this article, CreativeCOW.net contributing editor Jim Harvey reviews Vortex Media Warm Cards and states, ''You know you do it. We all do it. It's not something that we brag about. It's not even something that we think about too much. White Balancing. Sure some guys carry a worn out piece of white paper, or they use the foamcore to set the camera. We've balanced on walls, notepaper, even the fat guy's t-shirt. It gets us by and we get on with the show. But as we are all professionals, shouldn't we have a professional system to white balance out gear and do it consistently? Well, we do and we can.'' Read on to discover an effective answer to your white balancing dilemmas.
Review
Jim Harvey |
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Adobe Premiere Pro
TBC Crossfire X-K3 Non-linear Editing Console
With people continually asking, "what edit desk do you use?" here at the COW forums, Creative Cow forum leader, Marco Solorio hopes to settle this question once and for all with his in-depth review of TBC's Crossfire X-K3 edit console. If you're in the market for a new editor's console or are just curious to know what's "out there", this should give you all the information you need to base your own judgment.
Review
Marco Solorio |
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Adobe Premiere Pro basics
Great Titles with the DV Codec
In this article, Philip Hodgetts gives us a few hints on how to make great titles with the DV Codec. In most cases, if you're using the DV Codec, you'll find that your titles at best will be good. If you want great quality, then you will need to follow most of these guideliness that Philip discusses but NOT compress to the DV Codec.
Tutorial
Philip Hodgetts |
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Event Videographers
Creating Graphics Clients Love (and pay for!)
David Chandler-Gick takes a good look at Creating Graphics Clients Love (and pay for!) Volumes 1 and 2 for Adobe Photoshop produced by PixelPops Design, LLC and concludes that for the neophyte who has never really used Photoshop, this series is an investment that will get you up and running quickly, creating graphics that will make you look like an experienced Photoshop user.
Review
David Chandler-Gick |
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