[Brian Deviteri]

using the opacity and a color matte or still JPEG image of a solid or blended color is the only way I know this can work… I’ve done this many times for clients who shoot with a static background and want their on-camera talent to “dissolve” into the background without going green screen.

(Yeah, you could just shoot some of the same locked shot without the talent in place for a few seconds, but why would you do something so easy like that if it’s not in the shot list? It helps to have the editor sit in on the pre-production meeting for some of these shoots sometimes. Clients live and learn I guess…)

[Brian Deviteri]

can you post the link? I cannot find it on the website.

[Brian Deviteri]

Have you read about the two new Sony HDV releases?

HVR-A1U – https://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/5925
rumored to cost $3500

HDR-HC1 – https://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/5930
rumored to cost $1800-2000

This may be a “cheaper” alternative for a “while you wait” camera if the image quality is on par with the FX1/Z1U. The smaller one is definately nice for a crash cam on a slightly larger budget shoot…

[Brian Deviteri]

I use Maxtor 250gb 7200rpm external drives (USB 2.0 and Firewire) all the time and no issues at all…

[Brian Deviteri]

I use a Dell Inspiron 8600 with a Pentium-M (Centrino) 2.0ghz processor, running Windows XP Pro with SP2, 1.0GB of RAM, 60gb 7200rpm HD, ATI 128mb 9600 Mobility Radeon Pro Turbo graphics at 1680×1050 (widescreen) resolution. I have Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5.1, with Encore DVD 1.5, Audition 1.5 and a lot of my other “multimedia tools”. I use external Maxtor 250gb USB 2.0/firewire HDs when I edit. I also have an ADS Tech PYRO AV Link for my realtime preview out to a monitor and analog-to-digital conversions.

Setup works great, nice and mobile for my clients. I would recommend getting as much RAM as possible and you need a 7200rpm HD. If you are willing to spend a little more on a screen, get widescreen, gives you a lot more real estate on your desktop and for all your applications. I would suggest beefing up your graphics to support the step up from 1680×1050 so you can watch true 1080 HD on your screen without resizing at all.

Just to note, I’ve heard rumors of a dual processor centrino laptops coming out early next year… I don’t know if that will change your decision at all, but I thought I’d share.

[Brian Deviteri]

There is a MainConcept DVCPRO 25/50 codec available for download, but I have never been able to capture my footage into the DVCPRO 25 or DVCPRO 50 codec within PPro 1.5. Anyone know of a way to do this so I can actually benefit from using the codec?

Here’s the info on the codec:

https://www.mainconcept.com/products.shtml

The MainConcept DVCPro 25/50 DV Codec is our new product for our amateur and professional customers working with high end Video. DVCPRO50 delivers considerably higher picture quality since it uses less compression than DV. The Codec comes with a full-featured DirectShow filter. It is compatible with any program which supports the standard DirectShow interface.

Technical Specifications:

DVCPro 25: 4:1:1 Color Space, 8 Bit Quantization, data reduction of 5:1, data rate of 25 Mbit/s

DVCPro 50: 4:2:2 Color Space, 8 Bit Quantization, data reduction of 5:1, data rate of 50 MBit/s

Operating systems: Windows 98, 98SE, 2000, Me, XP
Current version: 3.0.16
Price: $349 (Download-Version)

[Brian Deviteri]

Best way to save all the animation is to play the PPT through a VGA Scan Converter and record that to a DV deck… I do a lot of event coverage and use an Extron VSC 150 to DV or DVCPRO tape. Very simple to do actually, the Scan Converter hooks up like a VGA monitor and has a loop through as well.

[Brian Deviteri]

Adobe PPro forum: https://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx?14@@.1de9c1bf

one of the 64-bit threads: https://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx?13@830.UOrNeZHqfF5.0@.3bba1163/7

[Brian Deviteri]

I just posted this message in another topic:

This is being discussed on the Adobe forum as well…

Someone on there is running an AMD 64-bit processor at 32-bits and it works fine. Right now, I doubt that PPro supports 64-bit processors in 64-bit mode. I’ve heard that even Windows XP Professional cannot handle 64-bit and that there is a copy you can get “somewhere” that probably isn’t 100% legal that can do 64-bit, but even then, unless the software application can do 64-bit, it will not work. I’ve also read reports of even MS Word not functioning on a 64-bit running system, so this is a major issue. I would wait until the end of this year or sometime next year when the “Longhorn” beta versions are released and tested before going with a 64-bit and running it in full 64-bit mode.

[Brian Deviteri]

This is being discussed on the Adobe forum as well…

Someone on there is running an AMD 64-bit processor at 32-bits and it works fine. Right now, I doubt that PPro supports 64-bit processors in 64-bit mode. I’ve heard that even Windows XP Professional cannot handle 64-bit and that there is a copy you can get “somewhere” that probably isn’t 100% legal that can do 64-bit, but even then, unless the software application can do 64-bit, it will not work. I’ve also read reports of even MS Word not functioning on a 64-bit running system, so this is a major issue. I would wait until the end of this year or sometime next year when the “Longhorn” beta versions are released and tested before going with a 64-bit and running it in full 64-bit mode.