Robert Rodriguez 10 minute film school
 

I am a big fan of the 10 minute film school videos robert rodriguez has on his dvds, i have seen the once apon a time in mexico and el mariachi ones on youtube but was wondering if anyone knows anywhere i can download them or even buy them in a collection.

Your Take on Pangea Day?
 

Just another Live Earth or Live 8 polished with independent world issue films? or a new stepping stone in global awareness?

http://www.pangeaday.org/

In fact, anyone here have a film being showcased here?

Warner Bros. Shutters Two Indie Film Labels
 

Sad sign of the times I suppose...

http://online.wsj.com/public/article...=2_1567_topbox

11.5 Billion Served
 

U.S. Internet users viewed 11.5 billion online videos during March, up 13% from February and 64% from a year ago, according to comScore Inc. The numbers they released yesterday showed that Google's video sites together accounted for 38% of all videos viewed. Even more absolutely stunningly and totally surprising: YouTube accounted for 98% of those 4.3 billion videos.

So YouTube accounted for something like 37% of all online videos in March, who accounted for the rest?

Service-----%-------Views
YouTube---37%---4,214 million
Fox--------4.2%----477 million
Yahoo------2.9%----328 million
Viacom-----2.2%----249 million

139 million people watched video online in March, which is about 74% of all Internet users. That means that the average person watched 83 videos in March, or 2-3 videos a day. The average duration of the videos was 2:48, which means each of those 139 million people spent about four hours actually watching online content.

References:
* http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2223
______________
“They say that ninety percent of TV is junk,
but ninety percent of everything is junk."
-- Gene Roddenberry
videopia.org

Best cellphone audio
 

Since cellphones do multimedia nowadays, this might as well be a media related question, right?

After a few Nokia cellphones, two years ago the "slick and trendy" bug bit me and bought two MotoRazors for me and my wife. She works as a RN in labor and delivery, mostly night shifts, while I'm home with the kids, so we need to talk a lot just by whispering... worked wonderfully with the old, bulky Nokias, it was (still is) a nightmare with the Razors - the audio is just unacceptably distorted, forget whispering.

Contract is up, so I'm shopping for new phones. What is your audiophile experience, are the Nokias still the best? How about Sony/Erickssons? I had an Ericsson before the Nokias and as far as I remember it was also very good.

I'm with Bellsouth/Cingular/AT&T if that counts. Thanks,

Discover Atlas Mexico - Awesome HD footage
 

I watched the series Discovery Atlas last night on my 1080p Plasma.

The episode was on Mexico.

The footage quality was beautiful. Great color and sharp as a tack.

I would like to know what the different parts were shot on.

Imagery
 

Not the gear but rather the poetics.

Now friends, I have no idea if posting this contravenes any USA copyright law, or other USA rule as I don’t live there. If so I apologise. I live in New Zealand where, anyway, the rules are really only suggestions, when you come to get to know everyone. Corruptions is endemic here.

Be that as it may this poem was published in the New Yorker online recently so I’m assuming as it’s out there it’s OK; in other words that’s what Don Paterson, the author, wants. If I’m out of line please delete, Chris, whomever.

I find this text delightful. As I read I hear music, involuntarily reach for a camera, the film look is a given.

The bottom line of this poem is sublime.

How to shoot that!


Rain
by Don Paterson May 26, 2008

I love all films that start with rain:
rain, braiding a windowpane
or darkening a hung-out dress
or streaming down her upturned face;

one long thundering downpour
right through the empty script and score
before the act, before the blame,
before the lens pulls through the frame

to where the woman sits alone
beside a silent telephone
or the dress lies ruined on the grass
or the girl walks off the overpass,

and all things flow out from that source
along their fatal watercourse.
However bad or overlong
such a film can do no wrong,

so when his native twang shows through
or when the boom dips into view
or when her speech starts to betray
its adaptation from the play,

I think to when we opened cold
on a rain-dark gutter, running gold
with the neon of a drugstore sign,
and I’d read into its blazing line:

forget the ink, the milk, the blood—
all was washed clean with the flood
we rose up from the falling waters
the fallen rain’s own sons and daughters

and none of this, none of this matters.

Anybody using Windows Media Player to rip audio CDs?
 

I have some CDs that WMP cannot find data for, so I need to enter the info manually (song name, artist,...). I filled in the fields for Song name, Artist, finished the ripping. Played back all the songs, Artist name remains "Unknown", the other fields are OK withe Artist name, Genre,... What did I do wrong?

Thanks,

Kiwi Specials from ProTel, New Zealand
 

I hope this is Kosher, it's really only a Kiwi thing and I don't think there are any Kiwi sponsors noses to put out of joint.

I'm sure someone will let me know if not.

OK, Kiwi's.

One of the suppliers I've used here in NZ has got a sale on, check it out, just might be something on yer wish list.

http://www.protel.co.nz/

Click on "Specials" on the LHS.

Enjoy.


CS

WX Report-Increasing Brightness towards dawn
 

Sadly, a rennaissance man has died. The inimitable George Carlin has passed away. The world just won't be the same, anymore.

Selling faked footage to AP
 

Interesting article, seems the AP got fooled by some fake footage of a tornado.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080710/.../tornado_video

Media Tech Tonic #3: Sony PMW-EX1
 

The topic of this month's Media Tech Tonic meeting (in Boston) @ 6:30pm on Wednesday, July 16th at MassArt is the Sony PMW-EX1 camcorder and XDCAM EX FCP workflow. Two cameras and several users will gather to talk and compare notes on this camera. Read more about the meeting at MediaTechTonic.org. Follow the link on the site to Upcoming to RSVP.

Community TV on the Web?
 

I've been kicking this idea around for some time, and it is starting to get a bit overwhelming so I will ask for some advice. First, is anyone aware of a community that is doing this? I don't mean You-tube posting of homemade videos, but an actual "TV" channel that is "broadcasting" just on the web.

This opens up a very long explanation of all of the possibilities, but a quick list would be:

A regular schedule of programs (ie: block programming) that would air either live or as playback.

Open slots for organizations to purchase time (either 15 or 30 minute blocks?). These could be either non-profits or local businesses. Non-profits would have to acquire sponsors. Businesses could highlight products/services or produce info-type programs (like HGTV/Food Net, etc) that would compliment same.

Long form program slots (Sunday services from a local church, interactive coverage of a charity auction, etc.)

We would originate programming from a studio set-up, but would also need to be able to air playback and would love to be able to do "live shots" from a remote location for events like the long form stuff.

The production equipment can be had, and I am learning as much as I can about the origination on the web (I am working to partner with someone with much more knowledge in this area), but is it "marketable". Even on a small scale, the costs could easily run around $1000/day.

I think this idea is a bit early in it's application, but look at the "Current" channel. It seems that the "interactivity" side of broadcasting is already starting to take hold. The Web is all about the immediacy of information.

Just wondering what others think. I've already gotten the "your nuts" answer from my shrink, so please try to start with something else. Any ideas will be most appreciated and welcomed.

Best,

Kfox

PLEASE HELP: Your Ideal Film / Video Festival
 

I am working with a local historic, nonprofit movie theatre that's within driving distance of NYC, DC, Philly, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and much of the mid-Atlantic region to develop a new film and video festival.

Please help us by answering these questions:

1) What would a new film/video festival have to provide or feature for you to drive four hours to attend? Special content? Educational opportunities? Equipment exhibitions? Opportunity to meet famous video/filmmakers?

2) If the festival had to be confined to a specific genre or type of film, which genre or type of film would you be most likely to bring you out?

Don't be afraid to think big. Thanks for any responses.

Netflix suffers biggest outage ever
 

Netflix suffers biggest outage ever | Markets | Markets News | Reuters

PBS standard rates
 

I have been asked by a New York production company for footage I shot... they will be using it for promo material and also for a documentary series. It has been suggested that I ask for PBS standard rates... can anyone tell me where I find out what the rates are (I live in Spain)
Thanks

Off-Topic...Superb quadcore deal from Dell
 

Having bought an XPS420 Dell 3.0 GHz quadcore a few months ago for close to 3 grand, I am amazed at this latest deal for $999 for the same model.

Although it lacks the BluRay burner, and fastest QX9650 Intel Extreme processor I bought, it is a great platform for AVCHD (or HDV) editing.

Just wanted to let people here know.

I have no connection to Dell or other motives. Just know a great deal on a great computer when I see it.

Hot Deals / Offers: Dell XPS 420 Desktop, Intel Core 2 Quad Core 2.4GHz, 4GB DDR2, 640GB, 16x DL DVD±RW/±R/CD-RW, Vista Home Premium w/Digital Cable Support SP1, 20" LCD w/Webcam, 256MB Video Card, 15-Month McAfee SecurityCenter $999.00 + Free Shippi

Larry

Google Web Browser
 

Looks like Google is trying to take on Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera and Safari.

It’s called Chrome and it’s already available for download.
Google Chrome - Download a new browser

Members from Australia?
 

Anyone hear from AU? If so what part? I am thinking of visiting my girlfriend either for New Years, or after, for 3 months and would love to find some small video jobs out there.

Premiere pamphlet template?
 

Hey guys, my short films won`t premiere for a few months still, but I am trying to get everything ready and started as early as possible. I want to make some infomational pamphlets/booklets to hand out at the premiere but am having a hard time tracking down a template. I am looking for the kind where a printed page would be horizontal with 2 pages on it (folded in the middle), and all together (about 15 pages) it would be printed as a booklet. Not sure if that makes sens or not, I believe it requires double sided printing, but I`m not exactly sure. Any guidance would be awesome.

for the New Zealanders among us
 

YouTube - Beached Whale

It really sticks in your head - I've been saying "wannachipbro?" all day

indie film thoughts.
 

Beyond the Multiplex - Salon.com

O'Hehir sort of skirts around his point - on Salon.com, criticizing the 'gritty indie film' is heresy, I imagine.

Anyone willing to donate HDCAM footage?
 

Hi Everyone,

I'm currently a film student/DoP in training trying to get together some money to shoot a short. I want to shoot HDCAM, as a step-up from HDV but I'm finding it very difficult to get any decent clips - they're all compressed to death.

What I'd love is if someone, anyone, could send me or give me the link to a relatively uncompressed (say AVID DNxHD 120) clip of ANYTHING - seriously, anything at all.

I can provide an FTP if need be - I know the files are big.

Thankyou,
James Martin.

Ghost Hunters Live - Get your NP-F970s ready.
 

This is a 7 hour live event from Fort Delaware on the SciFi channel. I feel it's a technological feat that the DOPs can survive the 7 hours of the broadcast. Not to mention the wireless transmitters they're using...

Any early comments?