MacMediaCast.com

Construction Finished!

Joseph Nilo — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:03:19 +0000

We finished the construction of my edit suite / office this week. As you can see from the pictures, it’s just waiting for my edit desk and some furniture. I’ll post pics of the custom edit desk that Wayne is making for me. The desk will ultimately be up on the platform on the left, facing [...] Related posts:

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Video Edit Suite Construction (Day 6) Ceiling a

Video Edit Suite Construction (Day 6)

Joseph Nilo — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:57:01 +0000

Ceiling and walls are painted! The ceiling has a nice texture called “knock down” and it’s painted white. I decided to go with a 10% gray for my walls. I choice the highest quality paint (Valspar from Lowe’s, but I would guess any premium paint would do) and had them create a gray with no color [...] Related posts:

Construction Finished! We finis
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Video Edit Suite Construction (Day 4)

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:58:58 +0000

This is my first blog post about the construction / refinishing of a video edit suite in my home. I’ve been a freelance video editor for a few years now, and my current edit space is, essentially, a corner of my basement and an attached voiceover booth. Not very conducive to having clientele in my [...] Related posts:

Construction Finished! We finis

Get Video Jobs Through Craigslist (with Minimal Effort)

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:27:24 +0000

I wanted to share a little tip I decided to try today, and I’m quite pleased with the outcome. Searching for work as a video editor can be tiresome. After updating websites, demo reels, Facebook pages, blogs, Twitter status, etc., then sometime you have to pound the payment and find video editing gigs in classified [...] Related posts:

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Conforming Changes in Soundtrack Pro Mixes

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:08:02 +0000

Another great tip from the Tips for Final Cut Pro Editors blog regarding the conform function in Soundtrack Pro: So I made the changes in FCP, exported the sequence to STP again, but this time with a different file name. Then, once in STP, I clicked the conform button, and in the dialog box that [...] Related posts:

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ProRes 422 Standard vs. ProRes 422 HQ

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:00:47 +0000

While reading a great article all about the ProRes 422 format, I found the following nugget of info: While comparing the software-converted files I noticed a couple of interesting issues. My testing found that when the camera native codecs DVCPROHD, HDV or SxS were converted to ProRes in software they universally ran better when using the [...] Related posts:

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5 Final Cut Pro Secrets for Better-Looking Edits

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:57:06 +0000

Quite a “bloggy” title to this post, I know, but I’ve been thinking about these techniques that I do over and over in Final Cut Pro that I think add to better video editing. Use Motion Blur Adding Motion blur to anything you animate adds a touch of realism that can make your animation go from stale [...] Related posts:

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Telestream announces ScreenFlow 1.5

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:46:18 +0000

New in ScreenFlow 1.5.1 * Powerful titling and text support * Produce screen recordings in Windows Media video format (direct export requires a Flip4Mac WMV Studio license (prices starting at $49) see how-to video * Create custom cursors for your demos via Telestream ScreenFlow – Overview. Screenflow seems the go-to screencasting software of choice for Mac OSX. I create a [...] Related posts:

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Paste Attributes in Final Cut Pro

Joseph Nilo — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:55:19 +0000

Paste Attributes is the most awesomest command in Final Cut Pro. At least in my opinion. It allows you to copy certain attributes of one clip and paste them on another clip. This technique can really kick your video editing productivity up a notch and help you become a Final Cut Pro Guru. Copy the source [...] Related posts:

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Creative Uses of Composite Modes in Final Cut Pro

Joseph Nilo — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 01:47:16 +0000

Fascinating article / tutorial on getting creative with composite modes in Final Cut Pro . . . Composite Modes (also known as Blend Modes, Blending Modes, or Transfer Modes) provide alternate ways to blend together the pixels in two overlapping clips. They take some properties of the clip on top (such as its color or contrast) [...] Related posts:

Final Cut Pro Tips: Pretend You’re Always Going to TV

Joseph Nilo — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:49:49 +0000

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been burned doing what I thought was a web-only project for a client, but then they decided they wanted DVDs to play on TV, or wanted to broadcast some or all of the project. Then I had to go back and fix everything that was not broadcast-ready. [...] Related posts:

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RED Scarlet and Epic Cameras Delayed due to Economy

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:18:59 +0000

It seems the much-anticipated Scarlet and Epic cameras from RED will be delayed due to the current economic climate. From the message boards: The world is now officially in financial turmoil. Our accelerated schedule for Scarlet and EPIC deliveries seem to coincide with a dead market. I see no reason to continue to pay for rapid development [...] No related posts.

Self Contained vs. Non-Self Contained « Tips for Final Cut ProEditors

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:58:51 +0000

I found a cool blog called Tips for Final Cut Pro Editors, with great posts. A must add to your RSS feeds. A recent tip regarding Self Contained vs. Non-Self Contained QuickTime or Final Cut Pro Movies: A “Self Contained” movie is a video file. It’s got all the information it needs, you can move [...] Related posts:

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Setup & Preferences – User Preferences

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:57:36 +0000

This is an article in the Real World Editing series. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the setup and preferences in Final Cut Pro. “Boooring”, you might be thinking. “When do we get to start editing?” This is a very important step in the understanding of Final Cut Pro. It is a [...] Related posts:

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Final Cut Pro Installation

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:07:56 +0000

This is a chapter in the Real World Editing series. In this post, we’ll cover the installation of Final Cut Studio on your Mac. We’ve got to start somewhere! You might say, “Hey, I’ve already installed Final Cut Studio, why else would I be here?”. Right you are. But you might find a few of the [...] No related posts.

Real World Editing

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:54:19 +0000

I’ve decided to embark on a series of articles comprehensively covering Final Cut Pro (and, ultimately Final Cut Studio) called Real World Editing. One thing that I’ve found lacking in my search for video education, whether I was just learning how to edit, or wanting to enhance my skills as a colorist, etc. is “real world” [...] Related posts:

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Oh, the Memories . . .

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:37:18 +0000

This episode of the the Mac Pro Podcast (#20) “aired” about 3 years ago, in January 2006. I still can’t believe that me and Chuck and Dan used to create a weekly show with on cam, news, and tutorials. For free, even!! No related posts. No related posts.

A Better Finder Rename Screencast

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:02:58 +0000

I just produced a screencast for A Better Finder Rename from Publicspace.net — it’s a cool Mac app / utility and I wanted to share it with MMC subscribers. Find out more about the program at Publicspace.net. Also find out more about my screencast and viral web video production company: Hilo Media. Related posts:Telestream announces ScreenFlow [...] Related posts:

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MMC 012: Kinemac Tutorial Part 2

Joseph Nilo — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:39:47 +0000

This is Part 2 of a series of video tutorials on how to use Kinemac 3D Animation software for Mac OSX. View Part 1 Here. Direct Downloadколи под наем (QuickTime) No related posts. No related posts.

Final Cut Pro Tutorial Video Mashup

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:31:17 +0000

I put together a mashup of Final Cut Pro basic tutorial videos from YouTube. Learn how to become a video editor extraordinaire in these free how-to videos. Chroma keying, green screen, basic editing, audio for video, and more! Video player is below the fold. Enjoy! Related posts:Final Cut Pro Tips: Pretend You’re Always Going to [...] Related posts:

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MMC 011: Kinemac Tutorial Part 1

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:41:21 +0000

This is Part 1 of a series of video tutorials on how to use Kinemac 3D Animation software for Mac OSX. View Part 2 Here. Direct Download (QuickTime) Full Transcript Below the Fold Welcome to this series of tutorial videos that will help you get started using Kinemac. Kinemac is 3D Real Time Animation & Presentation Software for [...] Related posts:

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MMC 010: Screencasting Secrets

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:54:46 +0000

This video is a tutorial on Screencasting secrets – how to make a great screen capture or screencast presentations on your Mac. Direct Download (QuickTime) Full transcript below the fold - Screencasting is using screen captures (stills and movies) from your computer to create video content. We’re starting to see these pop up all over the web in [...] Related posts:

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HiLo Media Press Release

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:07:22 +0000

We just officially released our HiLo Media Press Release: Hilo Media: A New Kind of Production Company for a New Age of Web Marketing Two distinguished multimedia producers join forces to provide new solutions for the emerging world of viral marketing and product videos for the web. Asheville, NC (PRWEB) June 26, 2008 – Video producers Joseph Nilo [...] No related posts.

MMC-Recommended Gear

Joseph Nilo — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:10:29 +0000

I often get asked what sort of software and gear I own, use and recommend. I just added a page to this website showing my gear and some of the DV and HD cameras I have experience with and recommend: MMC Recommended Gear Related posts:MMC 010: Screencasting Secrets This videoMMC 011: Kinemac Tutorial Part 1 This is [...] Related posts:

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Keeping Busy with HiLo Media

Joseph Nilo — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:44:22 +0000

In my never ending quest to have zero free time, I’ve officially launched another company / collaboration – HiLo Media. After some collaborations with a fellow very familiar to Mac Pro Podcast subscribers . . . Chuck Heilig — we decided to launch a niche company that creates viral web videos out of company’s marketing materials. [...] No related posts.

News: HD Camera Lens Selection Guide Goes Online

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:00:54 +0000

www.HDCameraLensGuide.com Enables Broadcast and Professional Videographers to Select the Correct HD Lens for Their Camera and Application (Great Neck, New York–February 19, 2008) As High Definition video (HD) becomes the standard for broadcast and professional videographers, as well as a wide range of filmmakers, manufacturers are introducing a growing array of HD cameras that [...] Related posts:

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Outputting Standard Definition in FCP from the Sony XDCam EX1

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:00:11 +0000

Great article from the always-great KenStone.net about creating proper SD footage from the new Sony XDCam EX1. A good read whether you own the camera or not, and are interested in HD / SD workflows. Whenever a new technology hits the market there are always teething problems. In the case of new video cameras there are [...] Related posts:

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Compressor: Troubleshooting basics

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 18:43:31 +0000

Apple has a page available to help troubleshoot the (problematic at best) Compressor that we’ve all grown to love/hate. The most exciting adventure is the last step — Remove and Reinstall Compressor, which has you searching the depths of your system for all of Compressor and Qmaster’s little droppings. I’ve done this more times than [...] Related posts:

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Blast From the Past: Mac Pro Podcast 17 from December 2005

Joseph Nilo — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:39:34 +0000

I came across this file while looking at my Libsyn backend. Man, they hang on to everything! I can’t believe that we used to do a show this robust every week (for no pay!). I particularly like this episode because Dan gets on camera for a segment and the outtakes at the end are particularly amusing.Mac [...] No related posts.

Final Cut Pro Quick Tip: Hue Direction Control

Joseph Nilo — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:00:23 +0000

Another great Final Cut Pro Quick Tip from Genius DV: Ever wonder what the color circle with the arrow in when you get to a color selection decision in Final Cut Pro. It is called the Hue Direction Control. What it does is control the direction a change in color [...] Related posts:

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New Plugins for Broader DVCPRO HD and P2 Support Resources | Final Cut Help

Joseph Nilo — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:00:50 +0000

We reported recently about P2 cards now shipping with HVX-200 Cameras, now (troublesome) P2 management just got seemingly easier. I found this blog post recently: This is just awesome, Calibrated Software has a bunch of new plug-ins on tap that make it possible to work with MXF and DVCPRO HD codecs. This will streamline P2 workflow [...] Related posts:

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Quick Tip: Audio Mixdown in Final Cut Pro

Joseph Nilo — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:00:14 +0000

Here’s a quick tip on Audio Mixdown in Final Cut Pro that I found on the Final Cut Help blog. When outputting material to tape, an Audio Mixdown feature was a recommended precaution to ensure you didn’t drop frames. Choose Sequence > Render Only > Mixdown (or press Command + Option + R). You can also map [...] Related posts:

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Get Organized with Flow from Gridiron Software

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:00:54 +0000

I read about a great new and exciting (to me, at least) product from Gridiron Software called Flow. It has not yet been released, but it has won a “Best of Show” award at this past MacWorld 2008. Here is a great description of the product, but I recommend watching the overview video here: “Flow is [...] Related posts:

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Is Apple Shedding its Final Cut Pro Apps at NAB?

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:00:45 +0000

I found this great read over at Rougly Drafted Magazine, giving a great alternative viewpoint to the rumors that Apple might be selling its Pro Apps suite to a third party. A further interesting tidbit is the list below of the past release schedule at NAB’s gone by: NAB 2000 Final Cut Pro 1.2.5 with support [...] Related posts:

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Mac Mediacast 009: Using the Media Manager in Final Cut Pro

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:25:34 +0000

Direct Download (QuickTime H.264 "iPod" setting): Click Here

Media Manager Overview

I realized recently that nobody ever talks about one of the most powerful tools in Final Cut Pro-- the Media Manager. Here's a quick overview on how to properly use the Media Manager:

Right Click on any sequence in your bin and choose "Media Manager". The tool will pop up and give you information about your sequence and options for what to do with it. From top to bottom:

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Perian 1.1 Released

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:00:27 +0000

Perian is a swiss-army knife QuickTime plugin (hence their friendly little icon) that allows playback of many non-native codecs in QuickTime. The latest update touts the following fixes / additions: Major performance improvements TrueAudio, MP1, and DTS audio support Slice-based multithreaded decoding for MPEG-1/2/H.264 Apple H.264 now handles AVCHD/interlaced vide Compatibility fixes for QuickTime 7.4 and Leopard Objective-C GC compatibility Fixed a crash [...] No related posts.

Quick Tip: A Better Mac Volume Adjustment

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:00:10 +0000

I found this great tip from David over at MacSparky.com: Hitting the built in volume buttons on your Mac is great for quickly raising or lowering your volume but what about when you want to lower or raise the volume just a little bit. Once again Apple has a solution that they don’t tell anyone about. Hit [...] Related posts:

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Breaking News: Re-Launched Mac Roundtable

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:29:00 +0000

I was going to blog about this, but Don McAllister beat me to it: Some breaking news!! One of my favourite Mac podcasts has been off line since October last year, and that’s the Mac Roundtable. Joseph, Adam, Steve and Tim did a great job in bring mac news and opinions to the community, but due to [...] No related posts.

How to Make Reference Movies in Final Cut Pro

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:48:06 +0000

[From Reference Movies | Weekly Tip | Final Cut Help] Need to save some space? Reference movies allow you to work with your video clips or sequence files in other applications. Think of a reference movie as a pointer back to the original media, a lot like a link on a web page Learn More Reference movies are [...] Related posts:

16GB P2 card now included with HVX200

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:39:30 +0000

[From Studio Daily Blog » 16GB P2 card now included with HVX200] Panasonic is now generously including a 16GB P2 card with every HVX200 purchase, a $900 value. Effective December 1, 2007, this offer requires no mail-ins or anything of the sort: all HVX200 cameras include the card in box, along with a copy of Barry [...] Related posts:

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Yes We Can.

Joseph Nilo — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:43:00 +0000

We are not as divided as our politics would suggest. No related posts. No related posts.

Export Quality in Final Cut Pro

Joseph Nilo — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:00:00 +0000

I found a great article over at Genius DV about sequence settings in Final Cut Pro and how that affects export quality: Have you ever noticed that when working in Final Cut Pro with DV media, graphics and titles often have a poor quality look? There are two major reasons for this. #1 DV media uses [...] Related posts:

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Some direct Quicktime installer links

Joseph Nilo — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:00:00 +0000

From the Editblog: I’m sure by now everyone has heard of the drama surrounding the Quicktime 7.4 update and the havoc it causes with After Effects renders. If you have upgraded and need to downgrade then here are a few direct links to standalone Quicktime installers that I leave booked marked as it is sometimes hard [...] No related posts.

Tutorial: QuickTime Timecode Display

Joseph Nilo — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:01:00 +0000

This is a great tip from friend of the Mac Mediacast Brian Gary over at the most awesome-est website, KenStone.net: QuickTime is the engine that runs most (if not all) media related applications on the Mac, with Final Cut Studio being a prime example. You tend to hear often, “If QuickTime can open the file then [...] No related posts.

Review: Boris Continuum Complete AVX 5

Joseph Nilo — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:00:00 +0000

I am a huge fan of the Boris products and I don’t think I could live without my Continuum Complete 4 for Final Cut Pro. Here is a great review / overview of the new version of Boris’s suite of filters & effects. Yes, the review is centered around Avid and After Effects, but the [...] No related posts.

Tutorial: Menu button versatility with DVD Studio Pro

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:00:00 +0000

From Genius DV: DVD Studio Pro allows the menu buton of your DVD player to have various control depending on what area of the DVD you are navigating from. A common mistake is to set Menu1 up as a short first play movie, but leave the overall disc control of the menu button to go to [...] No related posts.

Drop Frame vs. Non-Drop Frame rate: An Explanation

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:00:00 +0000

From Genius DV: Drop Frame vs. Non-Drop Frame rate I have been asked many times to explain the difference between Drop Frame and Non-Drop Frame. I found a fairly detailed explanation the will hopefully help you understand the difference. US TVs display 29.97 frames a second. When NTSC was defined, they found out there were some problems [...] No related posts.

Using the Motion library in Final Cut Pro

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Great tip from GeniusDV: Much of the Library of production elements that are used in Motion, can be brought right into Final Cut Pro. My workflow often takes me into Motion to do a simple composite with something from the Motion Library, and then one day it hit me to just drag what I needed right [...] No related posts.

Canon HV30 Camcorder Review

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:01:00 +0000

The Canon HV20 is a favorite of many Mac Mediacast subscribers — the HV30 is a promising upgrade, with, most notably, a HDD-based system with no more mini-dv tape. Couple that with HDMI out and a pretty good picture for a cam in its price range, and you’ve got a top camcorder pic for filmmakers on [...] Related posts:

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Review: Sony PMW-EX1 1/2” 3-CMOS HD Camcorder

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:29:45 +0000

From ProVideo Coalition.com: Camera Log by Adam Wilt: The quirky first Handycam from Sony’s CineAlta group offers stunning performance. The US$6500 (street price) Sony PMW-EX1 is a six-pound, high definition Handycam with three 1/2” CMOS chips. It resolves a true 1920×1080 image; shoots both interlaced and progressive; records 1920×1080, 1440×1080 (HDV-compatible), and 1280×720 formats; and offers variable [...] No related posts.

Links to update your BluRay or HD-DVD Player!

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:35:11 +0000

From Walter Biscardi’s Blog: Amazon has put together a nice links page to update your HD-DVD and BluRay players. If you don’t already know, many machines require firmware updates to be able to play the latest discs, particularly the recordable discs, such as BluRay BD-R discs. If your machine won’t play that latest HD disc, check to [...] No related posts.

News: Magic Bullet Frames Now Shipping

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:42:53 +0000

I saw this press release and had to blog it — I am an avid user of Red Giant Software’s Magic Bullet Look Suite: Take Interlaced Video and Get the 24p Look of Film Right in Final Cut Pro, Motion or Premiere Pro (San Francisco, California–February 1, 2008) Red Giant Software, developer and publisher of professional digital [...] No related posts.

Media Manager in Final Cut Pro

Joseph Nilo — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 03:03:02 +0000

Just found a nice read at a nice blog I’d never seen before: MEDIA MANAGING TO SMALLER SIZES The media manager in Final Cut Pro is a powerful utility that doesn’t get as much mention as the other, sexier features that the suite has to offer. It allows one to recompress footage for offline editing or manage [...] No related posts.

Macworld Montage Video

Joseph Nilo — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:01:12 +0000

Direct Download Link (QuickTime)Flash Version Good pal & colleague Chuck Heilig shot some video while at Macworld this year. I was supposed to join him there so we could promote our new venture, HiLo Media, but, alas, I had to watch from the sidelines. Chuck is a great shooter; this video was shot on the much-heralded Canon HV-20. Enjoy the video! [...] No related posts.

Compressor Woes

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:00:00 +0000

A regular subscriber to the podcast & emailer with great tips — Phoenix-Brian — wrote to me his experiences and findings with some recent problems with Compressor. Having experienced these issues firsthand (haven’t we all wanted to throw our Mac out the window in dealing with Compressor?) — I wanted to share his email, which [...] No related posts.

Mac Mediacast 008

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:24:52 +0000

Welcome to Mac MediaCast episode 8. Direct Download Link (QuickTime / H.264 / AppleTV) In this episode: some quick Final Cut Pro tips. Full transcript below the fold – It’s been a long time since I’ve done a podcast because of a large project I’ve been working on — a cooking show for television. I figured I’m way [...] No related posts.

Moby Releases Music for Independent Productions

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:51:02 +0000

From Mobygratis.com: hi, i’ll keep this brief. this portion of moby.com, ‘film music’, is for independent and non-profit filmmakers, film students, and anyone in need of free music for their independent, non-profit film, video, or short. to use the site you log in(or on?) and are then given a password. you can then listen to the available music and download [...] No related posts.

Sorenson Squeeze Basic Encoding: A Video Guide

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:11:52 +0000

Sorenson Squeeze Basic Encoding: A Video Guide I am an avid user of Sorenson Squeeze — I thought I’d share this intro tutorial video I found over at Web Video Universe. I use Squeeze for the encoding of all my Flash & Windows Media format videos. No related posts. No related posts.

Bottom 10 FCP Tips … revisited

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:07:18 +0000

The Editblog » Bottom 10 FCP Tips … revisited Over a year ago I followed up a post about my top 10 Final Cut Pro tips with a lost of the “bottom 10 tips.” Really it was all about stuff that just annoyed me about FCP. That was written way back around v. 5.1.1. Over a [...] No related posts.

Apple Releases Final Cut Express 4: Is It Right for You?

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:01:20 +0000

Apple Releases Final Cut Express 4: Is It Right for You? Apple’s often overlooked mid-range video editor gets an update. With iMovie overhauled, Final Cut Express is now the best choice for Mac-using consumers. But does it have the power necessary for online video professionals, as well? With the release of Apple Final Cut Express 4, the [...] No related posts.

Unique Editing Opportunity . . . for Canadians

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:54:57 +0000

from Studio Daily Blog I read on the Studio Daily Blog that director Bruce McDonald is posting on his website all the raw footage from his film “The Tracey Fragments” for anyone to cut together. You can even enter a contest (if you’re Canadian) . . . but the material is still available for anyone [...] No related posts.

Podfade Update

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 22:00:37 +0000

It seems it’s been a little quiet around here lately, no? I’ve been getting emails to check and see if we’re still alive here at the Mac Mediacast. A quick update: I’ve gotten very busy with my company Nilo Media, as we’re in production on an upcoming PBS series called Harvest Eating. The rigors [...] No related posts.

Mac MediaCast 007

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:12:47 +0000

Welcome to Mac MediaCast episode 7. Direct Download Link (QuickTime / H.264 / AppleTV) Play Video in a pop up Flash Player: Click Here This episode we feature a quick tutorial and review on the new, more powerful photo editing tools in iPhoto 08. Full transcript below the fold– Hello everyone and welcome to Mac MediaCast 7 – with a [...] Related posts:

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creativepro.com – Getting Design Done

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:00:28 +0000

For those of you who are followers of David Allen’s GTD, Merlin Mann’s 43 Folders, et al., I found this interesting article on some tips in utilizing the GTD philosophy for creative professionals: From creativepro.com – Getting Design Done Focus on Creativity Speaking of focus, another big part of GTD is the idea that you should focus [...] No related posts.

MPEG Streamclip video converter for Mac OS X – New Beta available

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:00:51 +0000

Squared 5 – MPEG Streamclip video converter for Mac OS X The great freeware video utility MPEG Streamclip has released a new beta with the following enhancements: added compatibility with DivX 6.5-6.6 improved AVI and DivX playback, encoding and editing added an internal AVI importer improved iPod compatibility added the Open URL command with the Download button added an internal audio [...] Related posts:

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Demystifying HDV Workflows

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:00:51 +0000

For those of you who are “mystified” by the ins, outs, and quirks of HDV editing, the best remedy is this article from Creative Cow: Demystifying HDV Workflows Definitely not for the faint of heart or the technically challenged– this article digs into the mechanics of HDV as a format and how to better use it [...] No related posts.

Top Keyboard Shortcuts for Final Cut Pro

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:00:05 +0000

Top Keyboard Shortcuts for Final Cut Pro (from Genius DV): When it comes to learning shortcut’s for Final Cut Pro, there are hundreds of them. If you are new to the software, it is going to take some time to learn keyboard shortcuts. I’ll focus on a couple of important ‘keyboard shortcuts’ that are easy to understand, [...] No related posts.

Blog and Podcast Silence

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 20:10:47 +0000

Hello, all! Just a quick note that my blogging and podcast silence of late has a reason — a very nice and relaxing vacation in beautiful Isle of Palms, SC. I am back to reality, now, and will continue on with podcasts and blog posts in this coming week. No related posts. No related posts.

Troubleshooting Your Final Cut Pro System

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:00:35 +0000

Troubleshooting Your Final Cut Pro System I found this great page with a bunch of Final Cut Pro-related troubleshooting information. The author covers: • Regular maintenance • Simple things to check • Simple ways to prevent problems • Optimizing your system preferences • More advanced ways to prevent problems • Upgrades • Helpful repair utilities In spite of the article’s date (2004) this is a [...] No related posts.

Mac MediaCast 006 REPOST

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:42:33 +0000

This is a repost – there seems to have been some issues with the first post. Sorry for the inconvenience! Welcome to the Mac MediaCast episode 6. Direct Download (QuickTime MP4 for Apple TV – 160 MB) Open in Flash pop-up player: Click Here. This episode: iPhone Hangover. Screencast episode – edited in HD and ready for your [...] No related posts.

Macworld Magazine Presents FirmTek “Best Storage Product of the Year”

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:00:26 +0000

(London, England-July 12, 2007) FirmTek, LLC, a pioneer and leader in Serial ATA (SATA) storage solutions for Windows and Macintosh platforms, today announced that Macworld Magazine’s United Kingdom edition selected the SeriTek/2eEN4 as the best storage solution among all evaluated during the year 2006. Macworld Magazine’s awards have become the primary recognition event in the Macintosh [...] No related posts.

New Product for Video Camcorders Reduces Hand-held Movement

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:00:33 +0000

Baughan Productions is proud to announce its simple video stabilizer, “Levelcam”. Designed and manufactured in the USA, “Levelcam” is a valuable asset for amateur and professional videographers who use palm-sized camcorders.Small camcorders are perfect for grabbing quick shots, but they’re hard to keep steady. Abrupt movements like jerks, shakes and twitches spoil otherwise great video. [...] No related posts.

The Auto Save Vault in Final Cut Pro: How To Restore and 4 Lifesaving Tips

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 13:27:03 +0000

From GeniusDV: Restoring an Autosaved Project in Final Cut Pro When you begin work on a Final Cut Pro Project, the first thing you should do is give your project a name and save it so that the autosave function can work. Autosave will not work until you have named and saved your project first. If your [...] Related posts:

Quicktime Pro, Components, and the iPhone

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 13:09:30 +0000

Quicktime Pro, Components, and the iPhone … at Podcast Academy Paul Figgiani has written a great article at the Podcast Academy blog about some of the technical details regarding QuickTime video on the iPhone. As always from Paul, it is thorough, informative, and well-written. Read More Tags: iphone, quicktime, video, apple, mac, macintoch No [...] No related posts.

Panasonic HVX-200 in-field Advice

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 13:03:37 +0000

HD For Indies has an article on in-field advice on using the Panasonic HVX-200 HD camera. This is the camera we use at the Mac Mediacast and recommend most to people asking about a great prosumer digital video camera. A great read! No related posts. No related posts.

SimpleMovieX, the light-weight Video Editor

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:32:43 +0000

Aero Quartet has released version 3.1.1 of SimpleMovieX, the Mac OS X movie editor. With a feature set roughly similar to QuickTime Pro, SimpleMovieX extends editing capabilities to other popular video formats AVI, Google Video, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. The main advantage of native editing is speed and quality, since no re-encoding is required to save edited movies. This new version [...] No related posts.

Understanding Digital Video Architecture

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 12:00:49 +0000

Understanding Digital Video Architecture from Videomaker Magazine MPEG-2, DivX, AVCHD: These are just a few of the confusing acronyms of digital video. Let’s clear the air a bit To understand Digital Video Architecture, you need to start at the beginning. The beginning in this case is known as Video Compression. That is the start of this article; [...] No related posts.

Boris Continuum Complete 5.0 for FxPlug Now Shipping

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 12:00:00 +0000

Boris FX, the leading developer of integrated effects technology for video and film, announced that Boris Continuum Complete 5.0 for FxPlug (BCC 5.0 for FxPlug) is now shipping. Developed specifically for Apple’s new FxPlug plug-in architecture, BCC 5.0 for FxPlug is a brand new member of the Boris Continuum Complete product family. BCC 5.0 for FxPlug [...] No related posts.

Nice Collection of After Effects Tutorials

Joseph Nilo — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 13:00:34 +0000

Here at the Mac MediaCast we spend a lot of time talking about Final Cut Pro and Apple’s ProApps, but we’ve got to occasionally give some love to the industry-standard motion graphics powerhouse After Effects. I’ve compiled a couple of tutorials I’ve found lately into this post. For more great After Effects information and tutorials, [...] No related posts.

Final Cut Pro Trouble shoot basics | IndiesHD

Joseph Nilo — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 13:00:32 +0000

Final Cut Pro Trouble shoot basics | IndiesHD If Final Cut Pro isn’t starting up properly or performing normally, try these basic troubleshooting steps to remedy the situation. Please note that these steps aren’t exhaustive, and are not intended to cover any specific issue. They are fundamental, basic steps that are most effective in getting [...] No related posts.

Apple Kernel Panics, Random Crashes – How I Diagnosed My Problem

Joseph Nilo — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:01:02 +0000

So I’ve been harboring a dirty secret for a very long time – I’ve been plagued with kernel panics and crashes for a very long time on my PowerMac Quad Core G5. They’ve been going on for a very long time. Sometimes I’d have up to five a day. I’ve always just chalked them up [...] No related posts.

Soundsnap.com: Find and Share Free Sound Effects and Loops

Joseph Nilo — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:10:29 +0000

Soundsnap is a new online platform for finding and sharing free samples, sound effects and music loops. Designed as a resource and community for musicians, sound designers, producers, film makers and web/video game developers, Soundsnap provides user driven content for use in virtually any kind of media production. Users can freely download and upload content to [...] No related posts.

Apple Color: Auto Balance Feature

Joseph Nilo — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 12:38:28 +0000

Apple Color: Auto Balance Feature Walter Biscardi from Creative Cow gives us another basic-level tutorial on the Auto Balance feature in Apple’s Color. (don’t worry, I’m not going to accidentally podcast the video this time). A must see if you’re a Final Cut Studio user curious about the new powerful color-correcting application. No related posts. No related posts.

Chess, Chat and Cheap Gas: The IPhone’s Best Web Apps Reviewed

Joseph Nilo — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 11:52:37 +0000

from Wired: The Apple iPhone was only released into the wild a little over a week ago, and some killer apps have already surfaced.While the handheld device lacks support for native applications — the kind users can download and install — developers have been busy building programs for the iPhone’s version of [...] No related posts.

Secure Gmail Notifier Using Hidden Preference Setting

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:36:34 +0000

from macosxhints.com I recently found this tidbit at Mac OSX Hintsthat I wasn’t aware of and wanted to share it with everyone: I was shocked to discover that the Gmail Notifier, as distributed by Google, defaults to sending your Gmail password over the network in clear text every time it checks your inbox for new mail. This [...] Related posts:

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Telekinesis – iPhone Remote. Cool New iPhone Application

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:21:45 +0000

telekinesis – Google Code A friend recently sent me a link to this program, which I immediately installed. It seems very cool and promising so far. Definitely (in my opinion) one of the best iPhone applications I’ve seen yet. Here are its features: • Stream music and videos from your computer • Screen capture with mouse click and basic [...] No related posts.

No Mac MediaCast this Week: + upcoming Reviews and Stories

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:19:49 +0000

Greetings, all. I just wanted to make a quick announcement that there will be no Mac MediaCast this week. Life and business is getting in the way for all crew members. We’ll be back as soon as we can! I just wanted to give you some teasers of some upcoming stories, reviews, and tutorials I’m working [...] No related posts.

The iPhone: 2nd Impressions or How the iPhone Has Replaced My PowerBook

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 14:42:07 +0000

The iPhone hype train and subsequent hangover is beginning to fade. I thought I’d post my “2nd Impressions” now that I’ve had plenty of time to tinker with my little marvel. And yes, I am posting this from my iPhone. My wife’s ancient Windows laptop has finally died, so I’ve turned over to her my slightly-less-ancient [...] No related posts.

Color Correction Techniques for Greenscreen Compositing

Joseph Nilo — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 13:00:17 +0000

Tutorial From Creative Cow When it comes to greenscreen compositing, most people know that a clean and natural-looking matte is crucial to getting good results. Hours are spent tweaking the various controls, and many cups of coffee are drained trying to get that “perfect” key. The truth is that our elusive “perfect composite” is rarely [...] No related posts.

A Case Against Color

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 18:08:34 +0000

from Studio Daily Blog » A Case Against Color There have been quite a few articles around the web on some of the bugs/issues/user experiences with Color. I have sat through several sessions on a Final Touch system and knew what to expect upon booting up Color for the first time. It looked pretty much [...] No related posts.

Top 6 Ways to Increase Your Podcast Subscribers

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 16:15:43 +0000

I have a lot of podcasters as subscribers to the Mac MediaCast. One common question I get from them is “How do I get more people to subscribe to my podcast?” I’ve had the privilege over my years (!) podcasting to have had a lot of subscribers, get featured in iTunes on many occasions, and, most [...] No related posts.

Creating a Curved Path for Text in LiveType 2

Joseph Nilo — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 13:45:00 +0000

From GeniusDV When you first open LiveType, you will see within the Canvas Window a blue line representing an empty track. Type something into the Text Entry box located to the upper right of the Canavas In the Inspector Window. Making a Curved Track 1 While pressing the control key or right clicking if you have a two [...] No related posts.

How to use Motion 2 Templates in Final Cut Pro

Joseph Nilo — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:38:35 +0000

From GeniusDV: One of the new features in the Final Cut Studio 2.0 suite of programs is the ability to integrate motion templates directly within a Final Cut Pro sequence. This new feature really enhances the integration between Apple Motion 2.0 and Final Cut Pro 6.0. Learn More I found this nice tutorial over at GeniusDV. This is [...] No related posts.

Tips on Getting a Good “Ken Burns Effect”

Joseph Nilo — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:23:45 +0000

I recently came across this article, and it got me thinking about the Ken Burns effect, a.k.a. animating still photos for video: From Poynter Online – Meaning in Motion: Ken Burns and His ‘Effect’ Few of us will ever develop a technique distinctive enough to have it named after us, but most people serious about visual storytelling [...] Related posts:

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Building the Perfect HDV Key

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 13:15:32 +0000

Building the Perfect HDV Key at Creative Cow I found this great article / tutorial on the finer points of getting the best green screen key with your HDV footage. Green Screening / Keying is quite an art in itself – I’m learning more and more every time we shoot an episode of the Mac MediaCast in [...] No related posts.

Using VisualHub To Make Better-Looking YouTube Videos

Joseph Nilo — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 10:30:11 +0000

YouTube is hot these days, and even hotter now that it is viewable on everyone’s iPhones. But how do you encode better video for YouTube? As we’ve talked about on the podcast and on this blog, the big problem with YouTube videos is that you have to encode a lower-res version of your video to meet [...] No related posts.

Rumor: massive software updates for iPhone soon

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 13:13:51 +0000

From Ars Technica: Despite an apparent trend in positive reports about the iPhone, both from published reviews and firsthand accounts, there has been plenty of constructive criticism. Setting aside complaints related to hardware or the network (such as AT&T’s EDGE network), there have also been points made about software. John Gruber of Daring Fireball wrote [...] No related posts.

FCP, Avid, After Effects– Format Sizes and Megapixels

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 13:06:30 +0000

From GeniusDV: FCP, Avid, After Effects and Format Sizes and Megapixels Once again a few people have asked me about format and pixels sizes of HD and what they mean. So I thought a good review might help. Some of our current project we have needed some still pictures for print that would accompany the DVD [...] No related posts.

Mac Audio Programs (Part 2): The Big Three: Logic, ProTools, Digital Performer

Joseph Nilo — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 12:17:04 +0000

This is a continuation of a series of quick reviews and overviews of some of the audio applications available for Macs. You’ll remember from my previous article on the subject, some of the great features of Logic Pro 7– Apple’s pro-level audio and music production program. It includes the features pros expect, and more, including– Surround [...] No related posts.

Mac MediaCast 005 – iPhone Review

Joseph Nilo — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:35:35 +0000

Welcome to the Mac MediaCast 005 Direct Download Link (QuickTime – iPod / Apple TV) Watch Video in a Pop-Up player (Flash) Subscribe in iTunes This episode: Sunburn. We’ll have a video on waiting in line for the iPhone on iDay. And then, your first-look iPhone review video. Send your iPhone-related videos to the Mac MediaCast here. Please feel free [...] No related posts.