February 2014 – Latest News from MediaStorm

Photo by Sebastian Liste/Reportage by Getty Images

Congratulations to the 2014 Alexia Foundation Grant Recipients

Post author:Cortney Cleveland
Post published:February 27, 2014

Photo by Sebastian Liste/Reportage by Getty Images

Today the Alexia Foundation announced the recipients of the 2014 Alexia Foundation Grants: Sebastián Liste for the professional grant and Mehran Hamrahi for the student grant.

Liste, who lives in Alicante, Spain, will receive the $20,000 professional grant for his project, “The New Culture of Violence in Latin America” which is an investigation of crime, punishment and security in Latin America. The Alexia Grant will allow Sebastián to produce the final coverage in his five year study of violence in the region by exploring the issue in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, where communities have endured years of violence from drug wars, criminal gangs and the illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons and people. Sebastián’s work will raise awareness of the gravity of the current situation that impacts millions of citizens in the region and will impel political and media leaders to pay vital attention to this important issue.
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MediaStorm Welcomes Summer Intern Randall Rodriguez

Post author:Cortney Cleveland
Post published:February 26, 2014

MediaStorm is excited to welcome Randall Rodriguez to our team as a Summer 2014 motion graphics intern. Randall is a motion graphics artist with a ravenous appetite for art, information and storytelling. This appetite bred a desire to not only consume, but create the meaningful content that became a fixture in his own life. Randall was born and raised in Orlando, FL. Drawn to street art and graffiti from a young age, he found his true home when he took his talent to the computer. Randall has worked developing motion graphics for nationally touring musicians RPM. He has also worked in television, being part of a creative team which successfully pitched multiple shows to major networks. Randall earned his Bachelor's in Digital Art and Design from Full Sail University.

Worth Clicking: Olympian Helmets, Photographers Talk Back, Cool Apps & A “Get Better” Attitude

Post author:Cortney Cleveland
Post published:February 21, 2014

All links are hand-picked by the MediaStorm staff for your enjoyment this weekend. Cheers! 45 photographers pick their best photo apps. [XYO Blog] Follow This American Life producer Miki Meek's Instagram travel diary. [New York Times Magazine] Young people swap clothes with grandparents and parents for charming photo series. [22 Words] Shaena Mallett, a documentary and fine art photographer, captures feelings of deep loss in You Were Here. [A Still World] John Stanmeyer, World Press Photo winner for contemporary issues, talks through his award winning photograph. [thinkTank Photo on Vimeo] Industry leader MaryAnne Golon of The Washington Post interview and photo journal. [NPAA] The incredible benefits of a "get better" versus a "be good" mindset. [99u] Olympians get creative with helmut designs. [Imgur] Sochi Photo Firehose streams Olympic photos as they are downloaded. [New York Times] A disturbing look at the violence faced by the LGBT community of Russia. [Human Rights Watch on YouTube]

Embracing The Gap

Post author:Eric Maierson
Post published:February 20, 2014

I bought my first copy of Adobe After Effects in 1999.

I’ve also upgraded to versions 7, CS4, CS5, and CS6. I’ve spent dozens of hours watching all kinds of tutorials on lynda.com, tutsplus, and elsewhere.

So how come after all these years, when it comes to motion graphics, I’m still such a novice?

I think the answer is twofold.

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Reader Feedback: MediaStorm Guide to Downloading from YouTube and Vimeo

Post author:Eric Maierson
Post published:February 19, 2014

I received some important feedback regarding my post from several weeks ago, MediaStorm Guide to Downloading from YouTube and Vimeo. “JY” writes, “KeepVid actually doesn’t work great on Mavericks because it has Java disabled/uninstalled.” This is true. Because Java has been used to launch attacks on Macs in the past, Apple decide to not pre-install it on OS X 10.9 (Mavericks). You can still download the software but for security reasons you may choose not to. Fortunately, when it comes to downloading videos, there are a plethora of alternatives to keepvid.com. We received recommendations for the free ClipConverter as well as MacX YouTube Downloader. A tutorial for the latter can be found here. My good pal Leandro Badalotti suggests the Torch Browser, which allows for downloads from more sites than just YouTube. Let us know what alternatives you’ve found in the comments below and thanks, as always, for the feedback.