Oscar Arias: Without A Shot Fired (Straight Shooter Review)

Posted by on Jul 31, 2017 in Documentary, Feature Length, Featured, Straight Shooter Reviews, Straight Shooter Reviews (Feature Documentary) | 0 comments

Why is war a constant in our world?  The borders between conflicting nations may shift, and the reasons behind the battles may evolve, but the bloodshed never seems to stop.  Yet, one leader chooses not to let the status quo of violence dictate the future of humanity.  Oscar Arias, the former president of Costa Rica, dedicates his life to the goal of de-weaponizing the world.

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CrazyTalk 8 Pro (Software Review)

Posted by on Jul 10, 2017 in Featured, Reviews, Reviews (Software), Software | 0 comments

When our affiliate, DarkestGoth Magazine, needed a cutting edge video talk show that pushed the boundaries of microbudget creation some years ago, we helped them look at the notion of making it an animated show. The concept of a real talk show that’s entirely animated hadn’t really been explored, so that’s the realm we pushed into for their flagship creation, Whiskey & Chai: The Silas & Ami Show.

Over the past four years, I’ve used CrazyTalk to help them create the show, starting with pre-composited backgrounds and human amalgamation avatars which then moved on to true green screen backgrounds (so that we could composite in Premiere Pro) and a more 2D cartoon style avatars.

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Know Your Lights: LEDs (Article/Tips)

Posted by on Jun 26, 2017 in Articles, Behind-the-Scenes, Featured, Industry, Lighting Tutorials, Lighting/Gaffing, Tips, Tutorials, Walk Throughs | 0 comments

Tungsten and/or HMI lamps are usually the workhorse units of a lighting package, providing the power that is needed to key-light all but the smallest of set-ups. But they’re not right for every situation. If you don’t need the punch of a point source, and you want something a little softer, fluorescents might be the answer. This is the third category of lighting units I’m covering in my Know Your Lights series; back up to the overview if you want to start from the beginning.

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Lightworks v14 Pro (Software Review)

Posted by on Jun 23, 2017 in Featured, Reviews, Reviews (Software), Software | 0 comments

Every editor looks for something different in their software of choice. Some prioritize a low learning curve, others look for keyboard shortcuts instead of mouse-driven interfaces, and still others simply seek out budget-friendly options. Fortunately, today’s market has a style for everyone. I will discuss one option from EditShare: Lightworks v14 Pro.

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Know Your Lights: Fluorescent (Article/Tips)

Posted by on Jun 19, 2017 in Articles, Behind-the-Scenes, Featured, Industry, Lighting Tutorials, Lighting/Gaffing, Tips, Tutorials, Walk Throughs | 0 comments

Tungsten and/or HMI lamps are usually the workhorse units of a lighting package, providing the power that is needed to key-light all but the smallest of set-ups. But they’re not right for every situation. If you don’t need the punch of a point source, and you want something a little softer, fluorescents might be the answer. This is the third category of lighting units I’m covering in my Know Your Lights series; back up to the overview if you want to start from the beginning.

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