Media Center
What is a Jump Cut?
You may hear the term “jump cut” used to describe an editing style that has become popular among YouTube producers in recent years. Having a single subject and camera angle suddenly switch positions or transition between sentences instantly rather than through fluid motion makes a video appear more active or lively. News vloggers use this [...]
35 Years Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
On May 25th, 1977, a few unknowing moviegoers at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles went to see a space movie. As the lights went out, they were transported to a galaxy far, far away. A vast Imperial star destroyer appeared on screen, stretching endlessly. What ensued was, of course, the epic tale of good [...]
Five Things to Check on Your Camcorder Before Recording
Recording video is a fairly straightforward process on most devices. Some pocketable camcorders make are simple enough to use that a single button is all you really need to press before capturing whatever it is you wish to have video of. Though these devices can certainly make life easier for most casual users, there is [...]
Why You Want to Own a Clapperboard for Video Production
For as long as people have been recording non-silent films, there has been one device that has been used on virtually every Hollywood set. This device is called the clapperboard. It usually appears as a thin board with a long skinny arm that runs along the top. When it is placed in front of the [...]
Become a Better Photographer
Photography has many meanings. Very few photographers, myself included, work primarily with analog film. The digital revolution has changed the face of photography forever, however, perhaps not always for the better. As with many things digital, one can argue whether all the facilities that come with it really improve one’s talent. The issue with software [...]
DSLR Video Recording Audio Tips
As advanced DSLR video technology becomes cheaper and cheaper, the idea of using a DSLR camera such as the Canon 5D Mark III to shoot professional video is quickly becoming a reality. Documentaries, commercials, and even feature films are beginning to embrace DSLR as the recording platform of choice. Consumer solutions including the Canon Rebel [...]
Who Was HAL 9000?
HAL 9000. I vividly remember the year 2001. Of all the things that occurred in that year, we all reminisce, of course, about the unreal events of September 11th. The human loss notwithstanding, 2001 was not at all the way Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke envisioned it in the seminal 1968 film 2001: A [...]
How I Consume the News (Without the Television)
While I was growing up, it seemed to be a family tradition to sit down for dinner with the TV on. Usually, the night’s news was what flashed across the screen. That was how I stayed current with the latest happenings in the world. Nowadays, I see a flaw with that method. I was really [...]
DSLR Cameras Vs. HD Camcorders for Video
Recently, I’ve found myself scouting around for a new prosumer video camera in hopes of finding something that is capable of capturing excellent video, above-average audio, and all with as little rolling shutter and moiré issues as possible. To my surprise, I discovered that HD camcorders are not the only big kids on the block [...]
Why $49 a Month for Adobe’s Software is Cheap
Back when Adobe launched its subscription software program during CS 5.5, I was excited to see that a company or individual could essentially rent the software at a fraction of the actual buying price. That means short projects or off-and-on necessity could make it possible for you to pay for just the time you use [...]
