Alan Okey
5
COW Coins
2
DaVinci Coins
Forum Replies Created
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[Shane Ross] “I might make a somewhat decent lower third, or open title graphic that any REAL motion graphics guy would look at and say “I did that stuff in 3rd grade!” But they do want us to do it more and more. “
I hear you. To be fair, I suspect that clients might be somewhat less demanding than I think they are. They’re asking for us to be broad, not deep.
My problem is that if I practice a skill, I want to be able to execute it at a high level of proficiency. I resist the “jack of all trades, master of none” label, but often that’s exactly what’s called for. I look at the amazing stuff that real motion graphics artists can do and recognize the skill and talent it takes to do that kind of work. It’s akin to the difference between someone who plays an instrument and someone who is a master musician. Same tools, completely different level of execution.
I have to remind myself that a lot of times, clients aren’t that picky or aren’t asking for a masterpiece – they want something kind of cool that adds interest, but they aren’t nearly as critical of the results as I might be. Flying logos and lower thirds really aren’t rocket science, and sometimes that’s all the client really wants.
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[Shane Ross] “Too bad I don’t do motion graphics. “
I hope you realize what a privileged position you are in!
😉
Lately it seems like everyone wants motion graphics, and it’s hard to be “just” an editor anymore. It may be easier in LA where there’s a glut of talent and you can’t swing a stick without hitting a motion graphics designer, but in a lot of places they want people who can do editing, audio, color, motion graphics and even 3D – all from one person. Some places/clients even want you to do the shooting as well – and demand that you have a RED camera.
I’m not kidding.
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You’ve misunderstood me. I’m not saying that the DV signal has setup, I’m saying that the analog outputs of cheap DV decks and cameras don’t add the necessary 7.5 IRE setup for NTSC monitors on output, causing video to look too dark. More detailed info here:
https://www.adamwilt.com/DV-FAQ-tech.html#Setup
“So if you take a tape shot in a DV or DVCAM camcorder and play it back in one of these low-end decks, the analog output will NOT have setup. The playback will be fine in Asia, but it’ll be “too dark” in the Americas.”
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I’d opt for the Canopus box over a camera or a low end DV deck. Most low end DV decks and cameras output 0 IRE instead of 7.5, so everything appears too dark. At least the Canopus has a 7.5 IRE DIP switch.
For reference:
https://www.signvideo.com/dv-black-level-dvd-7.5-ire-0-ntsc-part-2.htm
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[Daniel Kim] “Alan’s last comment made a lot sense to just get the original footage but since I know which part of the footage is going to be actually end up in the final render just add the VFX into the necessary part of the footage (Hoping that is what he means.. haha) “
Yep, you got it. No reason to render out part of a clip that’s referenced in an NLE timeline when you can simply go to the original file and use the same in/out points. Rendering out a clip from an NLE adds a needless generation of compression.
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The funny thing is, despite the “good enough” philosophy trumping traditional production values on the videography/cinematography side of the equation, it seems that there aren’t enough motion graphics artists to go around.
Absolutely everyone wants motion graphics now. People are nuts about After Effects-generated content to a fault. 90% of all of the job ads I see are looking for motion graphics people. There’s a sickening amount of superfluous mograph out there, whether it’s TV news graphics, which have become comical in their ever-increasing density and ubiquity, to mograph-only local spots that dispense entirely with actual video to save a buck and “generate impact!” I respect and appreciate well-done motion graphics, but there’s an awful lot of visual vomit out there that’s simply awful. It’s a never-ending assault on the eyes screaming “Look at me! I’m cool!”
Are they paying mograph artists what they’re worth, or is all of the work going to the unending stampede of young, hip AE-friendly kidz freshly churned out of college multimedia programs and trade schools who are willing to work for next to nothing?
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Think of it this way: you will never regret your decision if you get a Mac Pro. You might regret your decision if you get an iMac. You run a far greater risk of outgrowing an iMac than a Mac Pro. If you’re building a business around your system, go with the Mac Pro.
The Mac Pro has far superior expandability and supports far more options for external monitoring and storage than any iMac. Make sure you choose the ATI Radeon HD 4870 GPU for best performance in Motion and Color.
Storage
Skip Firewire 800. Instead, consider these options:
– Software RAID-0 using two or three additional internal drives. Drive 1 should be a dedicated system drive. If you go this route, make sure you back up the contents of your RAID volume regularly, as RAID-0 has no redundancy and loss of one drive will result in total data loss.
– External RAID of some sort (eSATA, E-PCIe, SAS) – there are many great options out there. Check out the CalDigit HDElement for a good low-cost RAID-5 solution.
Video Monitoring
Invest in a video I/O card and a video monitor (or a consumer TV at the least) for proper monitoring. You can’t depend on a computer display for an accurate representation of how your video will look. An entry level option would be the Blackmagic Intensity Pro. A better (but pricier) option would be the AJA Kona LHi.
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[Mark Suszko] “To hold a job anywhere more than a decade today makes you sound weird and without ambition, when in my day, working anywhere less than a decade made you look like a job-hopping slacker of some sort.”
That’s a very perceptive observation.
Unscrupulous employers have helped bring about that transformation by constantly downsizing (or “rightsizing,” in corporate-speak), reducing benefits and gutting or eliminating pensions. Their focus is exclusively on generating short-term profits, with no clear vision or strategy for sustainable growth.
Today’s workers are rightly suspicious, or at least cautious of their employers and don’t blindly trust in them to act in their own best interests. Employers reap what they sow. If you treat your workforce poorly, you will limit yourself to cheap transient labor with no pretense of loyalty. It’s the smart employer who can keep talent on board by treating employees fairly and with dignity. There is no guarantee that if you invest in an employee and treat them fairly that they will never leave you, but not doing so guarantees that you will lose them and relegate yourself to a revolving door of disgruntled employees. The sad part is, many companies just don’t care. As long as their shareholders are happy, they couldn’t care less about the well-being of their workforce.
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[walter biscardi] “I’m not even going to repeat what the Apple tech said when he saw the i7 truly did not support Jumbo Frames, but it was funny. “
Aww, c’mon! Such a tease… Can you paraphrase, i.e. did he make a reference to male bovine excrement?
😉