Cory Petkovsek
Forum Replies Created
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You’re talking about a whole digitally created scene. There isn’t a one-click button to make that. Break it down to the visual beats, then you can tackle them one at a time with your intermediate skill set. You’ll likely use a combination of a 3D program and after effects to create the final result.
Cory
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Cory Petkovsek
Corporate Video -
Windows Media Player is a player
Windows Media Video is a containerNeither are a codec, which is what you should be clarifying. WMV files can contain a variety of codecs. Windows Media Player can play many wmv files as well as avi, mpeg, and so on; each with their own choices of codecs – the actual video compression algorithm.
You need to specify with the client what codec. They likely don’t know. So you need to clarify what the use is. If it is final delivery and needs to be playable on any windows xp or earlier computers, then wmv7 is probably what you want. If it can play on any windows 7 computer, than something with h264, vc-1, mpeg2 will work. If the client can install codecs, then xvid, divx, mpeg-2 and many others are options.
If the desire is final delivery, playable on any windows 7 computer natively, then I recommend an mp4 file with h264 codec. This will also play on any recent mac computer w/ quicktime.
However if it is not for final delivery; if it will be worked on more at the client site, then you’ll want to use an intermediate codec something like cineform or avid dnxhd. This will require the client machine to have the codec installed, but then will be playable through windows media player.
Windows Media Player can play almost any type of video, as long as the codec is installed. Different versions of windows come with different codecs preinstalled. Many codecs are available to be installed for both final delivery or for intermediates.
Cory
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If you’ve already shot it, why are you asking us for the price? You should have budgeted it out before starting the project, even if it’s for a friend so you could ensure what you are delivering is in the ballpark and you can get 50% up front to cover expenses.
Does “Full HD” really mean your DLSR? Not quite HD. Not that the client or their clients would notice. However Casinos in Las Vegas have quality stuff. If what is being projected on either side of this video is true HD, it may be noticeably not-HD to lay people.
What does 7 days of shooting mean? You wandering around with a camera? You directing a 5 man crew in and out of studio space? or ?
You should have figured your expenses, time and resources to get a budget, summed it up, then reviewed that against what the client would probably be expecting to pay for it which is probably 5-7k ish. If your budget was grossly over the client’s valuation of the product, then you’d be in a bad situation if “7 days of shooting” and “extensive editing and reshooting following 3 phases of preview” meant a lot.
The client doesn’t care if you spent 10 hours or 1000 hours of your time. If you blew 1000 hours and come back with a $50k invoice they’ll laugh and kick you out. They only care about a quality deliverable at a great price.
However since you probably shot it without a budget, you probably weren’t concerned with the final price as long as it paid you. In which case you should charge what is inline with the client’s expectations based on the value of the product. Probably 5-7k with 1-2k of that going to the composer; but I’d have to base it on a budget.
Cory
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Cory Petkovsek
Corporate Video -
It’s a keyframed white balance and gain. You can do it in any NLE and certainly don’t need after effects for it.
The video is not separating the background from the subject. The whole image is being affected by the effect.
Set a keyframe with whitebalance (or color filter type tool like photo filter), and gain (or any brightness type tool, just ensure that lift [black point] remains fixed) forward 1-3 frames and adjust values 5-20%.
In after effects you could do this with a number of effects such as the photo filter. You would use a basic expression with wiggle as the value of the whitebalance, and a similar expression for a gain type tool. Ensure the amount that the color is being shifted is constrained to only a few percent otherwise skin tones will look really odd rather than nominally odd. On my waveform monitor, peak gain varies between 90% and 78% for one shot to give you an idea.
Cory
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Cory Petkovsek
Corporate Video -
Look for archival class blurays. DVDs only had a limited shelf life, but you can get 300 year DVDs (supposedly). I imagine you can get the same. Also blurays/dvds come on spindles. Nothing wrong with stacking your archived DVDs on spindles and putting them back in the closet to save space. The only challenge is finding them, but you can work out a catalog system. Also don’t stack more than 50 together due to weight and the strength of the spindle.
Cory—
Cory Petkovsek
Corporate Video -
Cross platform!
The film/video/mograph/animation industry does not run on mac. Nor on windows or unix. It’s all across the board. Therefore a software program that runs only on one platform automatically and severely limits their potential audience base.
Cory
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Cory Petkovsek
Corporate Video -
You listed plenty of variables. You need to eliminate them.
Can you render anything? If not, that’s one set of troubleshooting steps (remove all adobe, reboot, reinstall). If so, then you gradually need to add in the variables to rebuild your current file (copy and paste).
Can you render to another codec or sequence?
You’ll likely find a particular layer, with a particular asset with a particular effect causing the issue. Whatever that is, once you identify it only then can you take steps to resolve it.
These are basic, non-comprehensive troubleshooting questions. The point is look at all the variables (every layer, every effect, video and audio codecs/containers/settings, etc) and test to remove the possibility that each one is not the cause. That is a lot of work, so you break things down to their simplest forms to quickly test this as the questions above touch on. You’ll need to do more.
Cory
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Cory Petkovsek
Corporate Video -
Since you are just experimenting, and not wanting to blow $4k on realflow, you can download blender 3d and experiment with your effect in it’s fluid simulator (and some web tutorials). If that is too complex for you, so will any other 3D render based solution. If not, then you’re mostly there, now you just need a proper material, lighting and rendering, then compositing the 3D animation with your 2D animation and live video as needed.
Cory
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Cory Petkovsek
Corporate Video -
I suggest that if you enjoy working there, keep doing so until it makes sense for you to quit. You’ve worked on your first post-college job for more than a year, good job; that’s a key part of a resume.
Do you have a client base? If no, then don’t quit. Start to moonlight. Freelance on the side. When and if the client work overtakes your employed work, then it makes sense to talk to your employers about either reducing your hours or bringing your position to a close. If you have a solid relationship with them, it’s fine and appropriate to let them know you are moonlighting, but will ensure it does not conflict with your job.
Or you could just quit and freelance. I’ve essentially done that; but from another industry. The road is long and hard. I don’t recommend it.
Can you make more money as a freelancer than an employee? Absolutely! How good are you at sales? Well you’re a motion graphics designer; so probably not that great. Will YOU make more money as a freelancer? Probably not.
The better question for you is, do you want the other benefits of being a freelancer?
Benefits:
– Able to set your own schedule, almost always.
– Choose your projects and clients
– Lots of vacation/time off opportunity, if you can afford to not workMyths:
– Be your own boss. Not true; you trade one boss for as many bosses as you have clients, sometimes 2-3 bosses at each client site.Cons:
– You’ll probably work all the time and never take vacation
– No stability until you develop the business end of your business
– No benefits unless you buy into them with other groups
– You’ll wear many hats: sales, marketing, web design, accounting, legal, plus what you actually do.Making money or working less are NOT reasons to freelance. Freedom of schedule is.
Cory
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Cory Petkovsek
Corporate Video -
I would ask your questions of the agency/client. If the talent is a union member you may need to sign the project into a union contract. However not necessarily. It will depend on your client and the talent. If the talent is not chosen and the client doesn’t mind, you may be able to work with non-union talent.
Cory