Scott Sheriff
Forum Replies Created
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I’m going to disagree with Wayne on this one.
Depends on where you buy it.
MAC doesn’t make the RAM sticks, they buy then from a vendor. Actually several vendors. This is a common practice in electronics mfg.
So if you get the same spec memory stick, from a reliable vendor, your probably fine. Some 3rd party retailers may be selling ‘B’ stock, or non-spec knock-offs, so you need to do your homework.
It is just a myth that these components are somehow ‘matched’ to your machine, or your computer will ‘know’ if they are not OEM. The computer will know the mfg, which is burnt into the chips, but it will not reject the memory, as long as it is in spec, since Apple doesn’t know what vendors product is going in what machine.
At around 180% mark-up over 3rd party vendors, this is a myth that Apple has an interest in keeping alive. Look at the new Macs. 32GB from Apple-$3,500, 32GB from OWC-$1279.
The 2 memory sticks that came with my octo, from Mac, had an Apple sticker on them, and looked identical. But had different mfg numbers, when you looked in the sys profiler, which means they came from different mfg.
A friend bought an octo (same series) about 8 months after I did, and both her factory memory sticks matched in the sys profiler, but they were different mfg numbers from either of mine from Apple.
I have had no problems with OWC memory sticks. The heat sink, edge, hold down tab, everything is identical to Mac. When checked on the sys profiler, I have 8x2GB sticks, with 3 different mfg numbers. Three of my OWC sticks matched what came with my OEM, and the other three matched my friends OEM memory.
Anecdotally, it would seem that there are 3 mfg’s of qualified memory, at least in the 2GB config for ’08 octo cores.
Having matching size sticks in all the slots, or if you can’t fill them all, having them in the proper slots is a lot more important, than where they came from.Scott Sheriff
Director
SST Digital Media
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com -
I was thinking the same thing. Or maybe use a keyframed mask, or even a simple wipe between the two. Depending on where the two colors are in the frame.
Scott Sheriff
Director
SST Digital Media
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com -
David,
I use ‘TimeSlice’. You can have it set to activate when you open an app, or start it manually. It is not tied to FCP, it will work with any app. It will track your time and allows you to assign rates to jobs, so you get a billing amount. It also lets you set a fixed budget, and work from that so you can see how much time/cash is left. I think it was about $30.
I use Quickbooks basic, but if I remember correctly Quickbooks Pro has a time tracker, that you can invoice directly from. You might want to look there too.Scott Sheriff
Director
SST Digital Media
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com -
It’s called a light leak.
You can either Google it to find pre-made, or build your own.
These are so overused, they’ve become a cliche’ for “I’m outta idea’s”.Scott Sheriff
Director
SST Digital Media
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com -
I gotta say Ron’s opinion seems right on target.
Here is a ‘broad brush’ painting of what I see.
There seems to be a HUGE sense of entitlement among the younger editors/crew/shooters, etc.
The expression “Pay your dues”, and respect is something completely foreign to many. They expect to get the good shift, do the big jobs, with big clients, right out of the box, just because they have a piece of paper. Their entire life has been filled with everyone telling them how special they are, and now they are too good to do the mundane and ordinary, have a short attention span, and are more interested in their iphone than in ‘going the extra mile’. They show up to job interviews in shorts and T-shirts, covered with tat’s, and piercings, call the boss “dude”, and expect us to trust them with our best clients.
Then add the attitude that they know it all, which is nothing new among young people, and you get to where we are.
I saw a post further up the page that had mentioned something about if you put Photoshop, or FCP in your resume’, make sure you know it inside and out. Well I have to disagree with that concept, when it comes to the young editors. Certification, knowing every plug-in, and having every keyboard short-cut committed to memory, does not an editor make. If your in the ballpark on skills, but you hit a home run on attitude, your the winner in my book.
That is some of what you learn when your ‘paying your dues’. Reliability, problem solving, self reliance, decisiveness, style(your own), patience, and people skills, among other things. You don’t learn that from a book, or a course. And you don’t learn it overnight.
So what we have now is a glut of folks, that their special because they ‘know’ FCP, AE, Avid, or whatever expect a high paying gig. They only problem with that expectation, is that there are a million others out there, just like them. It’s a buyers market, with a glut of product. And most of the product out there is average, at best. Clients, employers and others know this. Is it any wonder why wages are down?
If this economy keeps going the way it is, the winners won’t be the guy with the piece of paper, flashy reel, and a sense of entitlement. It will be the guy that shows up on time, delivers a days worth of work, for a reasonable rate, without all the drama, and shows his boss/client/coworkers some respect. Be that guy, and you will do ok.
I know there folks out there that are going to completely disagree with this, but some day they will be the one writing the checks, and then the light bulb will go on.Scott Sheriff
Director
SST Digital Media
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com -
This is probably not caused by induction from nearby AC cables, but is just common ‘ground loop’, or AC hum. Anytime there is a difference in potential on the ground side of equipment chassis, this can happen. It is very common on large remotes, and not confined to video. A hi-pass ‘hum-bucker’ type filter, or iso transformer often eliminates the hum.
Other things you can do is power everything from the same circuit, or sometimes you can use (in the USA) those 3 prong ground adapters (we call them ‘ground lifts’) on the offending gear to keep stray AC from coming up the ground.Scott Sheriff
Director
SST Digital Media
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com -
I ran the production intern program at two different stations I worked at, and I would have to agree with most everything posted above.
Let me add this.Things I don’t care about.
Hobbies, interests, ‘goals’, your politics. For an internship, I don’t even care about your reel. In fact if your reel is too flashy, I might think you can’t, or won’t do mundane work, which a lot of production really is.Things I care about.
Show up on time, ready to work. Leave the drama at home. Internships are about learning, be ready to learn. If you are working your way through school, especially in a non-industry job, put it on your resume’. IMHO those that had outside jobs, and put themselves through school always had a better work ethic, so those resume’s went in the ‘A’ pile.Scott Sheriff
Director
SST Digital Media
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com -
Your not the only one to feel this way.
Not only does this parallel my experience with a large percentage of Gen Y in production, but a good friend that owns a large, well know film equipment rental biz decided to consolidate his operation. He came in one day, and let every one go and started liquidating the gear, keeping only a few of the larger high value pieces that he could keep track of by himself.
His reason? Gen Y. Not just the young employees, that can’t bother to show up for work, but the young customers that routinely damage equipment, can’t return it on time, and then have a cavalier attitude because it doesn’t belong to them, and “that’s what insurance is for”.
On the bright side, those few Gen Y types that actually have a work ethic, should do rather well.Scott Sheriff
Director
SST Digital Media
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com -
Don,
This is a thread you should read.https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/17/871440
Scott Sheriff
Director
SST Digital Media
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com -
“The biggest issue for me is that it took me 6 hours last time to install the FCP suite. That is a ton of time to eat up not getting work done.”
Really? That is just silly.
It is completely unrealistic not to budget time for maintenance, and 6 hours once or twice a year is not a lot. Would you fly on a plane that the owner thought they couldn’t afford some down time to do inspections/repairs?
If your self employed, you should not only budget time for things like this, but doing Quickbooks, marketing, professional development, etc.Scott Sheriff
Director
SST Digital Media
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com