Beautiful Berlin turned depressing for Korean spy thriller
As the capital of Germany, Berlin is a beautiful city with both modern infrastructures and sites of historic interest, but as the setting for 'The Berlin File', a 2013 South Korean spy thriller written and directed by Korean action auteur Ryu Seung-wan and starring Korea's top actors including Ha Jung-woo, Han Suk-kyu, Ryu Seung-bum and Jun Ji-hyun against each other in the twisty tale of political intrigue and personal redemption, Berlin has to be unpleasant enough. With a strong opening in box office, the action blockbuster attracted 7 million admissions in early 2013 to become the all-time highest-grossing Korean action film and the critics applauded its "secretive and gloomy atmosphere", which contributed to the film's great success. The magic that turned Berlin from a beautiful city to a gloomy cold place was performed by colorist Park Jin-Young with CJ Powercast with her 8 GPU Linux based DaVinci Resolve.
...Read More »
The Complete Guide to Creating Photoshop Filters By Dave Nagel
I realized some time ago that it's simply too difficult for new readers of our publications to go hunting through the tutorials archives here to find all of the parts to our Filter Factory tutorial series. To date there have been six parts--two specific tutorials on generating 3D effects, one on customizing the interface of completed filters and three general pieces on working with the Filter Factory's expressions, functions and operators to generate effects. To this we now add our seventh and final part and conclude the series.
...Read More »
FlyingS3D sets Le Crazy Horse on Fire with Pablo
FlyingS3D opened its doors early in 2010 as France's first dedicated stereoscopic 3D post production facility. FlyingS3D is the brainchild of managing director Audrey Bourdiol, who had spent her career up until then looking after the technical side of one of France's largest post houses. With already more than 30 major S3D projects under its belt, in 2012 FlyingS3D won the full post production for 'Feu' (Fire) - a 3D film by Le Crazy Horse - one of its most ambitious projects to date. Le Crazy Horse cabaret was founded in 1951 by the avant-garde artist Alain Bernardin and has delivered its own special brand of glamour entertainment to millions of men and women for more than sixty years. 'Feu' is designed to bring Le Crazy experience to cinema audiences worldwide; 3D was "the natural choice" to achieve this aim, says Audrey Bourdiol.
...Read More »
Darino - Renowned Animator, Filmmaker By Miles Weston
Ed Darino pioneered in using computer technology for animation and has been involved in the production of more than 300 feature and short films. Now he prepares for a video showing and the production of a retrospective.
...Read More »
Filmmaking with the iPad and iPhone By Ko Maruyama
Chances are, you've adopted a smart phone and maybe a tablet into your daily life. And if you've chosen the Apple iPhone or iPad as your weapon of choice in your production pipeline there's a lot more that you can be doing with it to help you out during your filmmaking process. Hand Held Hollywood's Taz Goldstein has written the ultimate app guide for every moviemaker with mobile devices. (It's not just about shooting with your device!)
...Read More »
Preserving Groningen's History through Film
Cultural heritage is a community's legacy. Something we live with today, and what society will eventually pass on to future generations. Acting as custodians of the past, archive centers around the world are tasked with not only storing content, but also making it accessible. Groningen Audio Visueel Archief (GAVA) is one such facility in the Netherlands responsible for looking after more than 24,000 audiovisual items relating to the region of Groningen, which are kept on formats varying from nitrate film base to digibeta. Founded in 1992 as the second regional AV archive in the Netherlands, GAVA specializes in cataloging and preserving sound and video programs about the province of Groningen, as well as productions created by residents from Groningen. In addition to acting as a repository, the center is also tasked with making all of its archived footage available to broadcasters, artists, museum organizations and businesses online.
...Read More »
Right on Schedule with The Delivery Men and DaVinci Resolve 9 for Andy Roddick Foundation
The Andy Roddick Foundation (AFR) believes talent is universal but opportunity is not, which is why the nonprofit's goal is to provide all children with a support system that gives them hope for a brighter future. To achieve this goal, ARF has raised more than $10 million since inception to fund programs improving the daily lives of thousands of children. While ARF runs and supports programs that enhance educational and economic opportunities for thousands of children throughout the United States, the nonprofit is headquartered in the city Andy Roddick calls home: Austin, Texas. To help increase awareness and support for its local initiatives, AFR turned to Austin based production company The Delivery Men to create the "This Is" promotional film for its 2012 Andy Roddick Foundation Gala in Austin.
...Read More »
Sweet Sadie Helps Disney Theatrical Productions Commemorate "The Lion King's" 15th Anniversary
A call was heard in New York that echoed around the world" was the emotional theme of a video produced by Sweet Sadie, Inc. for Disney Theatrical Productions commemorating the 15th anniversary of "The Lion King's" debut on Broadway. Disney provided the studio with a massive trove of stills and videos tracing the far-flung 15-year history of the show from which to draw. Employing After Effects, the Sweet Sadie team set about to bring this material to life by animating cast and crew images against new backgrounds, such as show set photography and crowd scenes complete with flash bulbs popping. 2.5D techniques were used to "cut out" foregrounds from backgrounds to stunning effect.
...Read More »
The Art of the Trailer: Two Years in 30 Seconds
The trailer plays a major role in the marketing and ultimate success of a feature motion picture. This on-screen advertisement is so engrained in popular culture that most of the time it is taken for granted by movie goers. But industry marketing veterans know the trailer is the first and last chance to create a lasting impression on an audience. Most trailers range in length between 30 seconds and two minutes. It's within that short time span that the viewer will pick up on hundreds of cues about the movie. In the blink of an eye he will determine the genre, the gist of the story, the aesthetic and level of production. By the end of the trailer the viewer might well determine the fate of the movie. Is it a must-see or to-be-avoided?
...Read More »
DaVinci Resolve Provides Color Correction for Short Horror Film 'Dead Man's Lake'
When colorist Patrick Inhofer was first contacted by the filmmakers for the short film horror anthology website BloodyCuts.co.uk, he knew right away that he wanted to be involved. The Bloody Cuts team shares a love and passion for horror films and has presented the anthology online as a free web series. As an accomplished colorist, and the founder of the website Tao of Color Grading.com, Patrick realized that he could put his professional skills to work, both by grading their films and by using them to teach aspiring colorists how to grade using the latest developments in color correction.
...Read More »
DaVinci Resolve 'Elementary' in Color Grading Hit CBS Crime Solving Television Show
While it may take Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson just 60 minutes to crack a case on an episode of the hit CBS television show "Elementary," Tony D'Amore can do it in less. As the Senior Colorist at LA based post house Encore and lead colorist for the wildly popular series, Tony is responsible for color correction and grading the weekly show, and he relies on DaVinci Resolve color correction software.
...Read More »
Understanding Adobe Photoshop CS6 By Ko Maruyama
A new year; a new chance to expand your skillset. This weekend, I looked at "Understanding Adobe Photoshop CS6 for Imaging Professionals". It's a long title, and there are three differently treated fonts in the title treatment - don't let that dissuade you from peeking inside. This is Photoshop we're talking about. You've heard about it. You've purchased the latest version. And now, you want to jump in and figure out how to work it like a pro. Richard Harrington has just the book for y
...Read More »
AFTER EFFECTS APPRENTICE By Ko Maruyama
Trish and Chris Meyer have been writing books for Adobe After Effects users for several years. Their After Effects Apprentice book is currently in its third edition, which covers Adobe's current version of After Effects, CS6. This also offers lessons for those who may be using earlier versions of the software. The book is not only for the "Aspiring" motion graphics artist, but for anyone who wants to improve their all-around skills in the popular animation software.
...Read More »
Transitional Animation By Diana Weynand, James Alguire and RevUpTansmedia
Final Cut Pro X provides a number of interesting ways to animate video elements in the Viewer and Timeline to provide complex visual effects. But do you know how to create quick and simple animations just by using transitions? The beauty of this technique is its simplicity. No complex motion paths to adjust, no messing about with untold keyframes, just add a transition and set the timing and you're off to the next project.
...Read More »
EYES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD..... By Douglas Spotted Eagle
With the new Oregon Scientific ATC Chameleon, syncrhonized video with two channels/angles in a single stream is quick and easy. This camera is unique in that it features dual lenses, shooting two views to a single stream that may be displayed either side by side or over/under. This allows not only for POV, but reactions to the POV. The large button allows even the most thick mitten or glove to turn on/off the camera. Powering up the camera also starts record mode.
...Read More »
It's Hell on Wheels at FuseFX
The second season of Hell on Wheels continued its epic story of post-Civil War America, focusing on Cullen Bohannon, a former Confederate soldier, and his dramatic journey west as he struggles to leave his past behind. The building of the transcontinental railroad serves as the backdrop to the entire series. The scope and challenges of the expanding railroad were critical to the storytelling and couldn't be achieved without the resourceful use of visual effects provided by FuseFX. At the center of the traveling town are the trains. Production built full scale replicas of the period trains and laid down a few hundred feet of track to support tight shots and moments when the train isn't moving. But almost all shots showing wider perspectives and moving trains was achieved with CG models of trains and railroad tracks composited into live action backgrounds.
...Read More »
Coca-Cola's 2012 Euro Cup "Spirit of the Euro" Commercial Rockets to Life with DaVinci Resolve
Coca-Cola's 2012 Euro Cup "Spirit of the Euro" commercial is an animated wild ride that captures the excitement, fun and craziness of the soccer tournament and its fans. In the spot, a very passionate fan zooms through the sky in a Coca-Cola powered soccer boot, releasing soccer ball bubbles in its wake that turn all they touch into deliriously enthusiastic soccer fans. Produced by Portland, Oregon based BENT IMAGE LAB and directed by Carlos Lascano, "Spirit of the Euro" is a highly creative and exciting commercial that required equally intense and vibrant color to bring it to life, which was achieved thanks to Jalal Jemison, BENT's lead colorist, and Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve color correction software.
...Read More »
Best POV Action Camera Shootout By Douglas Spotted Eagle
We set out with 6 of the most popular models of action cameras in an all-out camera review. Our desire was to uncover the answer to the question "What is the best POV camera on the market?", and at the same time determine the strengths and weaknesses of the cameras being reviewed. The overall performance results were a little surprising to us... Could the GoPro be dethroned?
...Read More »
Australia's RMIT University Leads the Way in 3D Research with the Creation of an Uncompressed 3D HD Video Library
When Alex Joseski and Jonathan Burton first met at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, they were simply two friends who shared a passion for filmmaking. Fast forward five years, and you'll find the pair at the helm of Alex and Jono Films, a Melbourne based concept to completion video production company that specializes in cinematography, direction and post production. With a variety of projects under their belts, such as music videos, feature and short films, advertising campaigns, promotional materials and corporate productions, the duo jumped at the chance to act as stereographers and directors of photography for their alma mater's RMIT3DV project: the creation of an uncompressed stereoscopic 3D HD video library.
...Read More »
AJA Ki Pro Finishes First for Digital Garage
Formula 1 (F1) Drivers Lewis Hamilton, Bruno Senna and Heikki Kovalainen recently took to the race track, except this time, the race was digital. Codemasters, developer of the new F1 2012 video game, brought the drivers together for a promotional event during the Italian Grand Prix, where they raced on a digital track using Sony PS3 consoles. The BBC was onsite to record live action footage of the event, while UK reseller & systems integrator Digital Garage Group Ltd. used AJA Ki Pro digital video recorders to capture gameplay from the developer versions of the game consoles. All footage was edited and used to create a BBC segment that aired during the Singapore Grand Prix.
...Read More »
Beautiful Berlin turned depressing for Korean spy thriller
As the capital of Germany, Berlin is a beautiful city with both modern infrastructures and sites of historic interest, but as the setting for 'The Berlin File', a 2013 South Korean spy thriller written and directed by Korean action auteur Ryu Seung-wan and starring Korea's top actors including Ha Jung-woo, Han Suk-kyu, Ryu Seung-bum and Jun Ji-hyun against each other in the twisty tale of political intrigue and personal redemption, Berlin has to be unpleasant enough. With a strong opening in box office, the action blockbuster attracted 7 million admissions in early 2013 to become the all-time highest-grossing Korean action film and the critics applauded its "secretive and gloomy atmosphere", which contributed to the film's great success. The magic that turned Berlin from a beautiful city to a gloomy cold place was performed by colorist Park Jin-Young with CJ Powercast with her 8 GPU Linux based DaVinci Resolve.
...Read More »
The Complete Guide to Creating Photoshop Filters
I realized some time ago that it's simply too difficult for new readers of our publications to go hunting through the tutorials archives here to find all of the parts to our Filter Factory tutorial series. To date there have been six parts--two specific tutorials on generating 3D effects, one on customizing the interface of completed filters and three general pieces on working with the Filter Factory's expressions, functions and operators to generate effects. To this we now add our seventh and final part and conclude the series.
...Read More »
FlyingS3D sets Le Crazy Horse on Fire with Pablo
FlyingS3D opened its doors early in 2010 as France's first dedicated stereoscopic 3D post production facility. FlyingS3D is the brainchild of managing director Audrey Bourdiol, who had spent her career up until then looking after the technical side of one of France's largest post houses. With already more than 30 major S3D projects under its belt, in 2012 FlyingS3D won the full post production for 'Feu' (Fire) - a 3D film by Le Crazy Horse - one of its most ambitious projects to date. Le Crazy Horse cabaret was founded in 1951 by the avant-garde artist Alain Bernardin and has delivered its own special brand of glamour entertainment to millions of men and women for more than sixty years. 'Feu' is designed to bring Le Crazy experience to cinema audiences worldwide; 3D was "the natural choice" to achieve this aim, says Audrey Bourdiol.
...Read More »
Darino - Renowned Animator, Filmmaker
Ed Darino pioneered in using computer technology for animation and has been involved in the production of more than 300 feature and short films. Now he prepares for a video showing and the production of a retrospective.
...Read More »
Filmmaking with the iPad and iPhone
Chances are, you've adopted a smart phone and maybe a tablet into your daily life. And if you've chosen the Apple iPhone or iPad as your weapon of choice in your production pipeline there's a lot more that you can be doing with it to help you out during your filmmaking process. Hand Held Hollywood's Taz Goldstein has written the ultimate app guide for every moviemaker with mobile devices. (It's not just about shooting with your device!)
...Read More »
Preserving Groningen's History through Film
Cultural heritage is a community's legacy. Something we live with today, and what society will eventually pass on to future generations. Acting as custodians of the past, archive centers around the world are tasked with not only storing content, but also making it accessible. Groningen Audio Visueel Archief (GAVA) is one such facility in the Netherlands responsible for looking after more than 24,000 audiovisual items relating to the region of Groningen, which are kept on formats varying from nitrate film base to digibeta. Founded in 1992 as the second regional AV archive in the Netherlands, GAVA specializes in cataloging and preserving sound and video programs about the province of Groningen, as well as productions created by residents from Groningen. In addition to acting as a repository, the center is also tasked with making all of its archived footage available to broadcasters, artists, museum organizations and businesses online.
...Read More »
Right on Schedule with The Delivery Men and DaVinci Resolve 9 for Andy Roddick Foundation
The Andy Roddick Foundation (AFR) believes talent is universal but opportunity is not, which is why the nonprofit's goal is to provide all children with a support system that gives them hope for a brighter future. To achieve this goal, ARF has raised more than $10 million since inception to fund programs improving the daily lives of thousands of children. While ARF runs and supports programs that enhance educational and economic opportunities for thousands of children throughout the United States, the nonprofit is headquartered in the city Andy Roddick calls home: Austin, Texas. To help increase awareness and support for its local initiatives, AFR turned to Austin based production company The Delivery Men to create the "This Is" promotional film for its 2012 Andy Roddick Foundation Gala in Austin.
...Read More »
Sweet Sadie Helps Disney Theatrical Productions Commemorate "The Lion King's" 15th Anniversary
A call was heard in New York that echoed around the world" was the emotional theme of a video produced by Sweet Sadie, Inc. for Disney Theatrical Productions commemorating the 15th anniversary of "The Lion King's" debut on Broadway. Disney provided the studio with a massive trove of stills and videos tracing the far-flung 15-year history of the show from which to draw. Employing After Effects, the Sweet Sadie team set about to bring this material to life by animating cast and crew images against new backgrounds, such as show set photography and crowd scenes complete with flash bulbs popping. 2.5D techniques were used to "cut out" foregrounds from backgrounds to stunning effect.
...Read More »
The Art of the Trailer: Two Years in 30 Seconds
The trailer plays a major role in the marketing and ultimate success of a feature motion picture. This on-screen advertisement is so engrained in popular culture that most of the time it is taken for granted by movie goers. But industry marketing veterans know the trailer is the first and last chance to create a lasting impression on an audience. Most trailers range in length between 30 seconds and two minutes. It's within that short time span that the viewer will pick up on hundreds of cues about the movie. In the blink of an eye he will determine the genre, the gist of the story, the aesthetic and level of production. By the end of the trailer the viewer might well determine the fate of the movie. Is it a must-see or to-be-avoided?
...Read More »
DaVinci Resolve Provides Color Correction for Short Horror Film 'Dead Man's Lake'
When colorist Patrick Inhofer was first contacted by the filmmakers for the short film horror anthology website BloodyCuts.co.uk, he knew right away that he wanted to be involved. The Bloody Cuts team shares a love and passion for horror films and has presented the anthology online as a free web series. As an accomplished colorist, and the founder of the website Tao of Color Grading.com, Patrick realized that he could put his professional skills to work, both by grading their films and by using them to teach aspiring colorists how to grade using the latest developments in color correction.
...Read More »
DaVinci Resolve 'Elementary' in Color Grading Hit CBS Crime Solving Television Show
While it may take Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson just 60 minutes to crack a case on an episode of the hit CBS television show "Elementary," Tony D'Amore can do it in less. As the Senior Colorist at LA based post house Encore and lead colorist for the wildly popular series, Tony is responsible for color correction and grading the weekly show, and he relies on DaVinci Resolve color correction software.
...Read More »
Understanding Adobe Photoshop CS6
A new year; a new chance to expand your skillset. This weekend, I looked at "Understanding Adobe Photoshop CS6 for Imaging Professionals". It's a long title, and there are three differently treated fonts in the title treatment - don't let that dissuade you from peeking inside. This is Photoshop we're talking about. You've heard about it. You've purchased the latest version. And now, you want to jump in and figure out how to work it like a pro. Richard Harrington has just the book for y
...Read More »
AFTER EFFECTS APPRENTICE
Trish and Chris Meyer have been writing books for Adobe After Effects users for several years. Their After Effects Apprentice book is currently in its third edition, which covers Adobe's current version of After Effects, CS6. This also offers lessons for those who may be using earlier versions of the software. The book is not only for the "Aspiring" motion graphics artist, but for anyone who wants to improve their all-around skills in the popular animation software.
...Read More »
Transitional Animation
Final Cut Pro X provides a number of interesting ways to animate video elements in the Viewer and Timeline to provide complex visual effects. But do you know how to create quick and simple animations just by using transitions? The beauty of this technique is its simplicity. No complex motion paths to adjust, no messing about with untold keyframes, just add a transition and set the timing and you're off to the next project.
...Read More »
EYES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD.....
With the new Oregon Scientific ATC Chameleon, syncrhonized video with two channels/angles in a single stream is quick and easy. This camera is unique in that it features dual lenses, shooting two views to a single stream that may be displayed either side by side or over/under. This allows not only for POV, but reactions to the POV. The large button allows even the most thick mitten or glove to turn on/off the camera. Powering up the camera also starts record mode.
...Read More »
It's Hell on Wheels at FuseFX
The second season of Hell on Wheels continued its epic story of post-Civil War America, focusing on Cullen Bohannon, a former Confederate soldier, and his dramatic journey west as he struggles to leave his past behind. The building of the transcontinental railroad serves as the backdrop to the entire series. The scope and challenges of the expanding railroad were critical to the storytelling and couldn't be achieved without the resourceful use of visual effects provided by FuseFX. At the center of the traveling town are the trains. Production built full scale replicas of the period trains and laid down a few hundred feet of track to support tight shots and moments when the train isn't moving. But almost all shots showing wider perspectives and moving trains was achieved with CG models of trains and railroad tracks composited into live action backgrounds.
...Read More »
Coca-Cola's 2012 Euro Cup "Spirit of the Euro" Commercial Rockets to Life with DaVinci Resolve
Coca-Cola's 2012 Euro Cup "Spirit of the Euro" commercial is an animated wild ride that captures the excitement, fun and craziness of the soccer tournament and its fans. In the spot, a very passionate fan zooms through the sky in a Coca-Cola powered soccer boot, releasing soccer ball bubbles in its wake that turn all they touch into deliriously enthusiastic soccer fans. Produced by Portland, Oregon based BENT IMAGE LAB and directed by Carlos Lascano, "Spirit of the Euro" is a highly creative and exciting commercial that required equally intense and vibrant color to bring it to life, which was achieved thanks to Jalal Jemison, BENT's lead colorist, and Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve color correction software.
...Read More »
Best POV Action Camera Shootout
We set out with 6 of the most popular models of action cameras in an all-out camera review. Our desire was to uncover the answer to the question "What is the best POV camera on the market?", and at the same time determine the strengths and weaknesses of the cameras being reviewed. The overall performance results were a little surprising to us... Could the GoPro be dethroned?
...Read More »
Australia's RMIT University Leads the Way in 3D Research with the Creation of an Uncompressed 3D HD Video Library
When Alex Joseski and Jonathan Burton first met at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, they were simply two friends who shared a passion for filmmaking. Fast forward five years, and you'll find the pair at the helm of Alex and Jono Films, a Melbourne based concept to completion video production company that specializes in cinematography, direction and post production. With a variety of projects under their belts, such as music videos, feature and short films, advertising campaigns, promotional materials and corporate productions, the duo jumped at the chance to act as stereographers and directors of photography for their alma mater's RMIT3DV project: the creation of an uncompressed stereoscopic 3D HD video library.
...Read More »
AJA Ki Pro Finishes First for Digital Garage
Formula 1 (F1) Drivers Lewis Hamilton, Bruno Senna and Heikki Kovalainen recently took to the race track, except this time, the race was digital. Codemasters, developer of the new F1 2012 video game, brought the drivers together for a promotional event during the Italian Grand Prix, where they raced on a digital track using Sony PS3 consoles. The BBC was onsite to record live action footage of the event, while UK reseller & systems integrator Digital Garage Group Ltd. used AJA Ki Pro digital video recorders to capture gameplay from the developer versions of the game consoles. All footage was edited and used to create a BBC segment that aired during the Singapore Grand Prix.
...Read More »
Vegas Pro 10 Available Now
