[Grinner Hester]

1. Duplicate your final sequence and creae a video mixdown of the whole program.
2. Export that as a quicktime reference.
3. Imprt the refernce fil into Avid DVD (sonic)
4. Encode at your favorite settings. I use the high quality default then bring the bitrate down to 7000. This seems to be the fiendliest with the most players. I use CBR,not VBR and I just let it add the high quality dolby audio. If you just import the QT reference and encode, it’ll autoplay for ya… at least using default settings.

[Grinner Hester]

[fernloth] “What would be the essential start-up equipment…obviously an editing system, but camera? With HD on the way, what would be an affordable, reliable solution for aquisition and delivery?

I have had great results with sony’s FX1. I dig it alot.

In terms of muscle and price, which editing system delivers the most bang for the buck? Is turnkey the best way to go?

FCP.

Does anyone know any literary resources with advice on the business end of start-up and operation of a video production outfit?”

I don’t do much readin’.

This is not an if you build it they will come kind of industry. Build your business around your clientele and grow it as that clientele grows. Your clients are your best sales person… yes much better than you. If they are not selling for you, you will not grow.
have fun and best of luck!

[Grinner Hester]

this is that site, brother.
What effects do you have in mind? Imagination and creativity are the basic requirements. Many ways to do the same tasks. Get spacific and you’ll get plenty of help here.
Let us know what tools you have.

[Grinner Hester]

It goes from the big dry erase board on the wall to scheduAll, really.
As a one man band, I just use a lil schedule book but any multi-suite post house needs scheduAll, imo.

[Grinner Hester]

they can fast import if you make the ile the same as their project. Ask em if they are using 1:1 or what. If you match that, Avid won’t have to convert the file.
I assume it’ a meridien based MC? If it’s a newer ne, it’ll ask em upon import if they wanna convert it to teir user settings or import it in it’s native format. If this is the case, they can just change their media settings for import.

[Grinner Hester]

the only thing that stuck out to me was the VO. Sounded like a mix between the director’s roomate and darth vader.
It sets the doc up well tho. If you have battle stuff to offer excitement that may help grab some intrest.

[Grinner Hester]

Just leap, brother. 4X3 is square. 😉
7 minutes is a looong time and you can easlily itroduce a handful of different looks. The simplest one is a letterboxed split screen. Everyone has seen it, won’t freak anyone out and is the most plain vanilla pip thang goin, imo.
I have a few different box looks on my reel if you’d like to pick em apart:
https://grinnerhester.com/demoreel07.wmv
you are on the right track as far as quick cuts. Not just flying text but other elements flyin’ around helps loads too. Lil lines, lil empty squares, animated edges, digital goings on like tc countdowns and such… All depends on the vibe of the piece but in a 7 minute video, I’d find a good 3 or 4 looks to repeat. More tan that and it’ll get chaotic, less and your having folks walk away on ya before it’s done.

[Grinner Hester]

good to se ya, joe!

[Grinner Hester]

any chance of going with that?
I once shot a whole vid with baaaad audio. It was the 90s and I was monitoring out of the camera, not the recorder. doah! Nothing was usable.
deadline was the next day and there was no option to reshoot. I overdubbed all voices using anyone’s but the person who was really talking voice. It wound up being hilarious and stood out as the coolest part of the video. People kept asking me “how do you think of these things?” well, I bagged myself but whos gonna fess up to that? They wanna call it creative genius, sweet.
My point is make sure you explore ALL options.

[Grinner Hester]

lol
last time I let someone else change my oil it leaked all over the driveway.