Archive for the ‘TV and Movies’ Category

The Ins And Outs Of Film Production Equipment

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

With the advent of new technologies, film production equipment and the existence of digital video as an acceptable medium for film art anybody has the privilege now to become a film director virtually overnight. Although film production cost is ridiculously high, some of these video production equipment are still easy on the pocket and they can be mastered without any delay. Although the focus should still be the art of film over having the right kind of equipment, the easy access of video production equipment has encouraged a lot of amateur filmmakers to try and give it their best shot. These recent advances in inexpensive film making equipment have now allowed independent film productions to prosper. The first step in making yourself a Steven Spielberg is to understand completely the basics of video production equipment.

It is significant that you take stock of your film production equipment that is important in filming as you start to set up the video to ensure everything is ready. In creating a professional-looking film, the most fundamental video production equipment you need to have are professional video cameras, stabilization equipment and also film lighting equipment as well as microphone or audio system. Dollies, tracks, jibs, tripods, cranes, booms, and lifts are also some of the camera support equipment that you might be needing. Also you might need to take into account the trucks, cars and other vehicles that are required to transport the cameras and other equipment required for filming. There are also times when specialized equipment may be required for enhancing audio and video effects. In some instances, climate control machinery is also needed to create the appropriate effects for a movie.

When you are done in the film production on video, there are still more video production equipment needed to edit and finalize the video to come up with your masterpiece. Through using professional quality editing equipment, you can give your video the kind of polished quality that sets it apart from home video or amateur production. Some of these video editing tools are video editing software, the sound mixing tool, and also the video duplication equipment.

Nowadays there are a lot of providers for production equipment such as camera, video, lighting and for film processing. You should also research on film equipment vendors who can provide movie production supplies that are suited to your needs. Look for those that can provide quality service, technical excellence and reasonable pricing. You won’t have to buy these video production equipment now since there are many that can be rented. But if you intend to have your own gear, there are a lot of used items that you can buy as well.

Setting up an HD video studio for less than $200

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

In my previous article at Effective Media, I looked at the approximate funds needed to start up a video studio. Please note this update is for those interested in using cameras and not PowerPoint/Camtasia productions. That will need a separate topic. Instead I will assume that you would like to make selling videos at decent quality but you have under $200 to start with.

Clarity and sound run hand in hand. Need I elaborate? If you are selling a product or service, you will need to sell it in the best possible environment which will illuminate your product and not make it look like it just came out of someone’s dirty cellar.

The good news is that HD is coming down in price rapidly and more and more of the cheaper cameras are adding features which two years ago, none of regular users of more expensive cameras could have dreamed of. Take external sound for example. If you’ve ever had a cheap video camera, you’ll know that the vision can be ok but the sound tends to let the whole thing down.

So your baby’s first words were drowned by a whirring in the background due to camera noise right? The technology, you will be pleased to know, is becoming smarter and more portable too.

I have three recommendations for purchase which I will stake my reputation on, you won’t be disappointed with.

1) The Kodak zi8 is a point and shoot camera which shoots in HD and will do nicely on a bright day or well lit room. It will do badly in low light. And don’t bother with the zoom at 1080. At 720 zoom away. I could do a whole review on this but that’s basically the story. You will need just $125 to secure one. Perfect for vlogging. Look no further and no I am not leading you to an affiliate link here.

2) A Hama Star 61 Tripod retails in my own country (UK) for less than $25 on Amazon. For a light camera it will do the job perfectly. If you are shooting in high wind for get it. I have had one for a few weeks now and my professional cynicism soon wore off when it did the trick for my own vlogs.

3) An Audio Technica ATR-3350 is a lavalier mike which fits perfectly into the external mic socket of the Kodak zi8 nicely.

Total budget? Under $200. I can assure you that this is what I use for any daytime vlogging. It saves alot of precious set up time having to faff with more expensive cameras. I am not ignoring those but assuming that it’s quality budget solution your are looking for.

Obviously do some test video to start with. Find a place which receives a regular “glow” of natural light (not direct sunlight) and adapt this location for your studio.You need to be comfortable with your environment too. If you demonstrating a product by all means use a table and either stand or sit at the table. Many of the cable TV channel presenters stand because it looks more immediate and dynamic. But don’t rule out seated demos. People want to see what you’ve got NOT whether you can present.

Above all, enjoy the experience. Contact me at my blog at Effective Media if you need advice on what to do with the video once you’ve made it. OR it might be an idea to find out the potential before you buy the kit above.

 

Top film schools – start your career in cinematography by attending the top film schools

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Top cinematography schools are certified to provide the best accredited Cinematography and film production certificates and give you the launch for a career as a cinematographer, producer, director, scriptwriter or film critic.  Attending the courses of Cinematography and Film Production at one of the top film schools will make you become able to earn a professional certificate or degree at the associate, baccalaureate or master’s level in media history, camera use, ethics, digital filmmaking, film editing or other domains connected to film media and motion pictures.

These types of programs, which bring together creativity and technology, can be offered by community colleges, vocational schools or four-year colleges and universities.It is a little problematical to decide on a suitable film school, and figuring out as much as possible the possibilities they provide can help you decide quicker.

The University of Southern California in Los Angeles (USC) includes the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the United States first film school and one of the top film schools in the state, established in 1929. Its branches encompass production for film and television, criticism, animation, screenwriting, producing and interactive media.

Apart from producing, all departments provide degree programs for undergraduates, resulting in either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor in Fine Arts (BFA). Production programs are integrated in the graduate alternatives and can lead you to a Master of Fine Arts (MFA); at the same time, students that choose the Critical Studies program are able to obtain a Master of Arts or PHD.

The University of Southern California has been ranked in 2010 as the 26th best university in the United States, by the U.S. News and World Report, and its School of cinematic Arts is one of the top film schools in the U.S. overall, with many alumni nominated for the Academy Award.

One of the highest rated film schools in US is Tisch School of Arts, part of the New York University (NYU), and its Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television provide best film programs. Film history, production, animation, directing, acting, editing, scriptwriting, film criticism, audio production are the main programs given to undergraduate students.

A graduate student can achieve a degree at the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Filmmaking or a dual MFA and Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Producing. While in this course MFA students ought to create at least five movies and as well work as crew-members and camera operators on their classmates’ works In 2010 as well, US News and World Report ranked NYU as the 32nd best university in the state.

Also amid the top film schools, the University of Chicago’s Committee on Cinema and Media Studies in Chicago, IL offers top-rated degrees in Film and Cinematography, at the Bachelor of Arts level in Cinema and Media Studies to undergraduates and a Doctor of Philosophy of Media Studies to graduate students.

US News and World Report rated it as one among the best-ranked film schools in US, hosting the Film Studies Center, including a collection of over 10,000 films, discs and videos. Its programs are designed for video production, history, theory, criticism, Film and various other sections.

The University of Chicago is a private four-year institution, with a total student enlistment of more than 14,000, organizing around 2,000 units in the around neighborhood for students and college .

Internet TV Has Finally Arrived To The Masses

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

The BBC have given a prowler view of the Project Canvas Live Internet tv standard, and its looking good. Erik Huggers, the BBC hereafter Media & Technology conductor showed a demo to the C21Media conference in London today.
The demo showed a the new IPTV standard in all its interactive, cross-platform resplendency and showed how the Beijing Olympics would look on Canvas.

Also announced was the reabsorb of the iinstrumentalist with social content-sharing features, a newly developed Nintendo Wii player app and an intuitive multimedia search facility for bbc.co.uk.
  If Canvas fails, he argues, broadcasters would shoulder additional costs of reformatting new devices. “There could be a horizontal level playing field of operations for everyone and I think that’s worth fighting for.” Update: The BBC contacted us to point out that this is only a demo of what inhabit could expect from a Canvas product and is by no ways the ruined article.
 
Canvas looks great and whether it continues in its present incarnation or not, the technology will live on in other forms.

Although we and other websites of repute have been impressive everyone that the great public will soon be watching and surfing the Internet in their living room/ Many have been skeptical.
Despite the efforts of many including AOL TV and WebTV Networks for many get on, there has never been a big take up of the new technology.

The biggest TV manufacturers including Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Vizio say that they’re poised to revolutionize television this Christmas shopping season: They’re about to launch the first major selling push for a new generation of sets that can easily integrate Web content with traditional TV news and entertainment — without the fuss of connecting the TV to a set-top box.
 The run could be risky. Consumers may balk if TV sets become too computerlike and complicated. Manufacturers are in a race with cable companies and gadget providers — including makers of DVRs, Blu-ray players and game machines — who offer alternative ways to blend the Internet with TV.
 

 As they catch on, television will become “a completely new ballgame,” says Matthew McRae, general theatre director of ripe technology products at Vizio. software system developers will stack to the new platform, making Web TVs “the next area of innovation” following computers and cellphones, he says.
 

With the financing of so many big names and the fact that as with nicam stereoscopic photograph and widescreen. Soon every tv will come internet enabled, this has to be the time of internet tv’s coming.

How To Make it in America Season 1

Monday, June 28th, 2010

I’ve just finished watching HBO’s How To Make it in America go season the new series taking up in New York, from the makers of Entourage.I heard somewhere one the reviews where it’s like the Entourage before they made it.The series is about two New Yorkers Ben Epstein and Cameron ‘Cam’ Calderonin living in Manhattan one jewish and one spanish friends that trying to find their way around the city.
One will believe that because of the lack of college training? they have (they are both college drop out) they will be working in  New York Towing 
or provide NYC roadside assistance
, but they want to be entrepreneurs and make their own fashion Brand.the second story line is focusing on Cameron ‘Cam’ Calderonin cousin named Rene Calderon played by Luis Guzmán.Rene Calderon is just got out of prison house and hit back the streets trying to make money.Rene pursue payed by Luis Guzmán is one of the series swellest characters he hold his meetings in a  NYC Auto body Repair Shop 
and try to get a new energy drink to the streets called Rasta Monsta.He is starting minor and by the end of the season pillager ALERT: he owns the rights for the energy drink in New York. 
Meanwhile Ben and Cam know they want to be in the fashion business and after a few funny and bad tries they do deal to get some success.
Another story line (the third) is focusing on Ben Ex girlfriend Rachel Chapman played by Lake Bell.To my opinion this story line is not that interesting and it’s something like a unobjectionable modern sex and the city story…
From the antecedent song this series screams New York all of the season was filming in New York and most of it in Manhattan and they really managed to catch the city atmosphere.Most of the review liked this new HBO original series.I must agree, Although the season was extra short, only 7 episodes i think that Mark Wahlberg nailed it again, apparently he is a go bad manufacturing business than a raper or an doer. 
I think that this show as a plausible to be as good as Entourage and become an HBO classic (a standard that right nows owns by The Larry Sandars Show (1992) and Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000))
The overreach of the series is just great at a lot of fun to watch.The only problem i am finding with this series is that they first season has only seven episodes and the next season will be up only in summer 2011, more than a year from now…
I can’t understand HBO in this case but we will have to just wait and see where Ben Epstein, Cameron ‘Cam’ Calderonin and Rene Calderon  will take us next season.
My bet is on a big success in Japan.

Donald And The Disney Movie Club

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Donald Duck has been renowned for being one of the most popular cartoon characters of all time.

Donald Duck is a persnickety animated Disney character who take off appeared in “The Wise Little Hen” movie in 1934. He is known for his rough out, somewhat unintelligible speaking manner, his temper and his blue straw hat outfit. His biggest spate in popularity came during World War II. He starred in more than 100 films between 1941 and 1965, including patriotic “Army soons” and the anti-Nazi movie “Der Fuehrer’s Face” (1941), which won an Academy Award in the animated short film kinsfolk.

The Voice is one of the most unique parts of the character, and was aviately Clarence Nash, and 50 years later, was Tony Anselmo, who was a Disney based artist.

As a character, audiences soon saw something they liked within Donald Duck and til now overtook the hot seat which was occupied at the time by Mickey Mouse. He would eventually ingest in over 120 cartoons as the main character, 100’s of daily comic strips in news papers, as well as several as a subordinate to the likes of Mickey Mouse, zany, and Pluto just to name a few!

Donald Duck is a character loved by all ages, departure through the generations, and still being just as popular today as when the original was born. This is thanks to his good natured character, which ways no harm for any other characters in the cartoons, as well as comical intentions that make him saltation to be a looser alternatively than a winner, although he will everlastingly fight everything out to the bitter end.

Characters of a similar nature are starting to take over the hot seat which once belonged to the likes of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, but I’m sure the repeats of the original cartoons wont be disappearing any time soon! The original and still the best!

Donald is a character in the Disney family and was first introduced as a follow up to Mickey Mouse. He appeared in his first cartoon on June 9th 1934 club movie. His first cartoon was ‘The Wise Little Hen.’ From there he went on to be featured in several supporting roles, before eventually landing his own cartoons.

Walt Disney first came up with the idea for Donald Duck when he heard Clarence Nash recite ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ in a duck voice. Clarence Nash became the voice of Donald until 1983, when he trained Tony Anselmo to take over the voice. The voice of Donald Duck is perhaps his most prominent characteristic.

Donald was created in part because Disney felt that he had explored all of Mickey Mouse’s foibles and wanted an edgier cartoon character. He knew that he couldn’t exhibit any negative traits in Mickey because he was the flagship of his dealership. til now, a new character could become whatever he wanted. Donald has always been known as a character with an explosive temper and has been put in several hilarious situations as resultant.                                           

 Donald was featured in an assortment of cartoons. During World War II, he was featured in eight different films depicting him in the Army. Disney used these films to entertain and to revolutionise patriotism. Subsequently, Donald became a more popular character than Mickey Mouse. The audience hadn’t outgrown Mickey totally, but they were looking for something new, and an grumpy, funny-voiced duck was it. afterward the war, Donald was put into even more shorts and features.

During this time, search disney introduced several of Donald’s extended families. His nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie were introduced during this period, as was his uncle, Ludwig von Drake. A popular spin-offs in recent decades was Duck Tales, which featured

Donald leaving his nephews with their rich Uncle Scrooge McDuck. While Donald had a limited role in the series, his family still made up the bulk of the characters. Daisy Duck has been the love interest of Donald for many years also. She is another character that was made as a result of the Donald Duck success.

Video blogging for beginners on a budget

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

Video-blogging is quickly being established as the No.1 method of selling products on the internet. Everybody knows about text blogging. I was first re-introduced to video three years ago when I was a consultant for a TV production company. Until then, as a PR pro, I had always steered clear of complicated looking cameras like a true technophobe. Limited resources might be needed but it’s a myth that you have to spend $00s of dollars on equipment. If pictures say a thousand words, video blogging exceeds that by far.

A videoblog requires larger disk spaces online, an efficient server, and a whole new set of programs to support it. Video blogs can be fed through RSS feeds. This is technology of syndicating your website to other RSS aggregators.

Vlogging works, with people on the internet expressing themselves. There are many business benefits which accrue from this. Think of it as a highly potent tool in showing your prospects your line of products. It’s very much like showing an ad all for free. And if you videoblog through RSS, then most probably you are reaching your target audience in a powerful way.

This is the way those cable selling channels have been making their money for years.

People like to see what they are going to buy. Some would like to see proof and be sure that they are getting their money’s worth before shedding their pennies on it. All of us know the influence of a thirty second commercial. The effect of videoblogging is similar to that. You show your product, people watch it. If they appreciate it, they buy it. If you present it good enough, they’ll buy the product even though they do not need it. If you put up something that is mobile, it would most likely catch attention. You’ll get phone call orders in no time. It’s the difference between a static image and a moving picture.

If your business is just starting up, you can create a videoblog right at your own home. All that’s necessary is your web camera, microphone, video software, and lights. For as long as you know how to use your camera, then you can create a videoblog.

Invest in a good web camera. The bigger its resolution, the better the results And you like to present your goods in the optimum way so get the best one possible within your budget. Create a script, or just capture your goods in one go. Basically, always make sure you are acquiring the best profile for each.

Think keywords and link to four major benefits, just as you would for a text blog. Don’t forget you can transcribe your script and double sell it as an article too. Google is now assessing the content of videos to govern page rank. More on that if you visit Effective Media where I mention sites like Traffic Geyser

Gear? Let’s examine the options:-

1) Basic HD but good camera: The Kodak Zi8 is becoming legendary. Ideal for video blogging, it allows an external mike. No good in low light or if you are an intrepid zoomer. But apart from that, a revolutionary piece of kit. Price is good at c.$120 It will allow you to use an external mike. For a camera this size this is stunning technology available to everybody. Zooming in HD is a bit of an issue though. And don’t expect it to react in low light. This is why you pay extra for a better camera.

2) Mid range HD camera: Friends have told me that the revolutionary Canon HV30 has been advertised at soime retailers for around $200 mainly because it has been superseded by the HV40. If you can get hold of an HV30 on eBay grab one now as you will save yourself around $500 against the new (but not better) model. My Canon HV30 Review is here

3) Lighting: Generally lights are critical in a presentation. Yes you can use natural light in most cases, but say you are shooting on a winter’s evening and you have a deadline to keep. It might seem an extrvagance but it simply helps you maintain your workflow if you are serious about a decent result. Normally three high power lights offer the best options and if you trawl around on Amazon, you should be able to pick up a basic set for around $200.

4) External micophone. Most inboard camera mikes are basic to say the least. Should you require a rich sound for your vlog (recommended you do), you may need a microphone. You can add a voice over with 99% of the software available. the product and its benefit to customers. Sounds are as fundamental as videos on a videoblog. This feature is vastly overlooked in most of the stuff on You Tube It is advisable to make your sound effects as enticing as the video itself. A wired mike like the audio technica ATR-3350 retails for around $25 and works like a dream. A wireless set will set you back $350 for a decent I’m afraid.

5) Editing: Your editing suite can be any program and many exist as free editing tools. Programs like Video Edit Magic or Sony Vegas retail at about $80 and they’re both excellent! You will need this to finalize your projects. You can add sounds, delete some bad angles, or insert some still pictures in there too. Some softwares are user-friendly and can be used even with 0 % knowledge of video editing. Even simple free video editing programs like Windows Movie Maker should do the trick but remember you get what you pay for. Don’t expect miracles from this basic drag and drop frame software.

6) Vlogging without a camera: Yes it can be done successfully and I am not here to poo poo it. You need Power Point and something like Camtasia Studio and an external mike like the Audio Technica above. Even Windows Movie Maker will grab your slides. But hey are you serious about this stuff or what? Invest to impress.

Video blogging is a great tool but it also has a downside. It may decelerate the computer, especially in HD, so others may steer clear of it. Download time could be be time intensive especially if that customer is on dial up connection. But this is not bad news, Just don’t use the sub 2GB laptop for this job. It won’t handle it! Beasts only 2Gb + processor and 2GB RAM + will survive your demands.

Nowadays, slightly more savvy you are in selling the benefits visually, the more likely you are to succeed. Videoblogging offers an interactive method of selling. You involve the customers. You instil in them the advantages of your goods. And at times, those are sufficient to generate a sale.

Oh and I nearly forgot. All this is fun to do too!

The Story of Ironman

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

The fictitious superhero Iron Man very first made an appearance in a Marvel Comic entitled “Tales of Suspense” which was released in April of the year 1963. The writer Stanley Leiber with the guide of his brother Larry Lieber conceived the character. The artist co-creators Don Heck and Jack Kirby also were involved in its creation.  

Ironman is not only a philanderer but an engineer of outstanding potential whose birth name is Tony Stark. The character could be the founder and executive officer of his very own multinational corporation entitled Stark Industries, a business though which he assembles military weapons. The character of Tony Stark is most famous for possessing high-level intelligence, herculean strength and permanence. In addition, he comes endowed with his own missiles and possesses the potential to both repulse energy and fly.

The Ironman persona was adapted from the live American action film Iron Man, which was released on May the second 2008. The American, Jonathan Favreau, directed the movie. The film stars the actor Robert Downey Junior who portrays Tony Stark whilst Gwyneth Paltrow functions as Tony’s personal assistant and secretary Pepper Potts. The actor Jeffrey Bridges portrays Tony Stark’s second in command Obadiah Stane, a character that may be recognized to have previously worked with Tony’s father, in the film. 

Inside 2008 Iron Man movie, Tony Stark and his military convoy are attacked and captured whilst they’re in Afghanistan to demonstrate Tony’s company’s new missile. There’s an extreme motive behind this capture, as Tony’s abductors want him to assemble a weapon of mass destruction specifically for their individual use. On his capture, Tony suffers from a potentially deadly blow on the chest that wounds his heart. For 3 months, Tony remains below the instruction of those who have taken him captive. During his imprisonment, he works on creating an all-powerful suit of armor, which later enables him to escape, and he consequently saves his very own life. 

On returning for the United States of America prior to his escape, Tony announces his choice to cease weapon manufacture. This followed a successful protest by Obadiah Stane. Tony reveals that on ceasing weapon manufacture, he will better the armor he has manufactured, by mechanizing it with gold and titanium and instilling a propulsion system to enable its wearer to be capable to fly.

However, Tony’s assistant Pepper later discovers that Tony was betrayed by Obadiah – Obadiah had been making use of Tony’s knowledge to construct prototype armor which Obadiah had then transformed into the ultimate weapon of mass destruction. Obadiah had then proceeded to sell this weapon to the insurgents. Tony uses his new suit that is certainly laden with sophisticated devices in a position to support him in the fight against crime, to protect the world from peril below the pseudonym of “Iron Man”. So that you can do this, Tony returns to Afghanistan where he seeks out and destroys the arms before launching a mission to prevent Obadiah Stane from misusing his quite own investigation.

The sequel on the 2008 movie Ironman will probably be entitled Ironman 2. The sequel will witness the return of quite a few of the original actors and actresses, including Robert Downey Junior and Gwyneth Paltrow. The Iron Man sequel is scheduled for release on May seventh 2010.

The movie is being extensively merchandised with toys, posters, etc. You can go online and find really cool Ironman wallpaper for your computer.

TV on the move with a Hand Held TV

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

About the identical weight as a big paperback book, a hand held TV can simply be slipped into your purse or suitcase proper alongside aspect a book. They are great for touring whether or not you are taking a flight or traveling within the car. Most come with their own headphones so there can be no reason to disturb others around you. These televisions are also nice to use when you must work weekends and do not need to miss your favourite show or sporting event.

A hand held TV can also be excellent to have in an emergency. It is clever to be sure to have loads of batteries available and if the electrical energy goes out, you will have no problem keeping up with what is going on around you. Display sizes typically range from 2.2 inches to 7 inches although some are somewhat larger.

A hand held TV usually fits into three categories. Moveable cannot fit in your pocket and normally run off batteries. Pocket is like its name; it is small enough to fit in your pocket. Wearable are sometimes made within the form of a wristwatch.

Within the early 1980s, Sinclair Analysis (a British consumer electronics firm) launched the first TV that was sufficiently small to fit in a large pocket. Of course, LED technology was not but mature at the moment and so the TV used minuscule CRT. Sony later launched a hand held TV known as the Watchman (a pun on their Walkman).

A hand held TV might be bought for beneath 100 dollars though some are higher. The Audiovox FPE-709 is a 7 inch TV that is small and portable. It features a inbuilt battery, a headphone jack and a automobile charging adapter. You possibly can turn any room in your home right into a TV room with this device. You possibly can watch TV while you are relaxing in your backyard on your deck or lounging by your pool. You’ll be able to normally find this model at online websites for below one hundred dollars.

The Haier 7 inch hand held TV model HERLT71 provides you with the ability to take pleasure in your favorite tv reveals anytime and anywhere. The rechargeable battery presents roughly 2.5 hours of watch time between prices; sufficient to watch a film or a number of episodes of your favorite show. This gadget additionally includes an AC energy adapter, a car adapter and a remote control.

The Casio EV-680 3 inch hand held TV contains an earphone jack, external antenna input, AC/DC energy jack and audio/video input. The tv will run roughly 3 hours on 4 batteries. This is a nice little TV to have for camping trips, sports occasions and even your espresso break if you do not want to miss that speak present or soap opera that you just enjoy. You possibly can usually find this model for just under 100 dollars.

You’ll find these models and many extra at on-line websites where you are able to do a comparison that will help you decide the precise dimension and options which might be proper for you. Remember to be on the lookout without cost delivery as you can usually find that especially at on-line auction sites like Amazon.