MediaStorm’s Guide to iPad Compression for the Web

With the advent of Apple's new iPad, cross-platform multimedia producers have an opportunity for an additional means of distribution. Much has been made of the iPad's functionality, and its limitations. But there's little actual documentation on the best way to encode for this device, particularly from Apple. The following steps outline MediaStorm's compressions settings for web-based iPad playback. That is, this is our best practices for creating H.264 QuickTime files for the web. To begin, open Compressor. (Note: If you don't have Compressor, part of Final Cut Pro Studio, you can also use QuickTime Pro 7, available from Apple for $29.99.) In Compressor's Settings window (command-3), click the plus button on the right side. Choose QuickTime movie. A new custom setting will appear in your window named Untitled QuickTime Movie. Double click it to open the settings in the Inspector window. In the Name field, rename the setting. Make sure to include…

Continue ReadingMediaStorm’s Guide to iPad Compression for the Web

MediaStorm’s Guide to Final Cut Pro Resources on the Web

Final Cut Pro is a rich application, offering vast possibilities to those who take the time to learn it well. With that goal in mind, here is a list of some of the most important Final Cut Pro resources on the web. Apple Final Cut Pro Support - Apple's repository for Final Cut white papers as well as troubleshooting information and how-to documentation. Final Cut Studio Resources - Apple's comprehensive list of support and resource links related to Final Cut Studio. Apple Final Cut Studio Discussion - This is the best place to turn when looking for answers to very specific technical problems. Final Cut Video Training Lynda.com - The fountainhead for all video training. This subscription-based site offers extensive classes on all of Final Cut Studio's applications; a great place to learn the basics. Ripple Training - Ripple Training sells both DVD-based tutorials as well as screencasts that are downloadable via…

Continue ReadingMediaStorm’s Guide to Final Cut Pro Resources on the Web

MediaStorm’s Guide to Backing Up

There are two types of people, the saying goes, those whose hard drives have already failed and those whose will. That's why it's important to have redundancy. For every drive you use, you should always have a backup. At MediaStorm, we keep our system software–the OS and all applications including Final Cut Pro–on a drive named A. The media for our projects reside on a B drive. We have a duplicate of each that is backed up religiously. A gets backed up to A_backup; B to B_backup. For that task we use SuperDuper! from shirt-pocket.com. The application copies the entirety of the drive to it's respective clone. In other words, you are mirroring the whole drive, not just backing up specific folders. SuperDuper's! one window interface is quite simple. Simply choose the drive you'd like to back up from the Copy pulldown menu and the backup destination from the to: menu. Choose…

Continue ReadingMediaStorm’s Guide to Backing Up

MediaStorm’s Guide to One-Frame Audio Fades

In previous blog posts, I've described the cure-all properties of the one-frame fade. (See Ten Ways to Improve Your Multimedia Production Right Now and Ten Tips for Working with Music in Multimedia). Here's how to set up a one-frame fade as your default audio transition: Open the Effects window (command-5). In the Audio Transitions folder, note that one of the transitions has a line beneath it. The line indicates that it's the default transition. If you have not previously changed the fade time, you'll see '00:00:01;00' in the length column. That's a default time of one second, zero frames. Highlight the number in the length column and enter '1' (just the number, no quotes). Then, press return. Your default transition time should now be set to one frame. Sometimes though, due to a Final Cut bug, you may find that when you now select an audio edit point and add the default…

Continue ReadingMediaStorm’s Guide to One-Frame Audio Fades

A Guide to Getting Good

Here's the secret to getting good: practice, a lot. It's that simple and that difficult. People tell me they want to produce work like MediaStorm. You can. Yes, we are fortunate to work with many incredibly talented photographers. But the storytelling techniques we use in our work are not revolutionary. They're the same techniques described by Aristotle in his Poetics, 2000 years ago. What's different is that we work our stories. We watch and re-watch literally dozens of times, replacing soundbites, removing the inauthentic, rearranging, restructuring, often for weeks at a time. Sometimes it feels endless but in the end, it works. And it can for you, too. When I produced Driftless by Danny Wilcox Frazier I worked more hours than I thought I could. But I did. And in the end, I became a better editor for it. And the same applies to you, if you put in the hours. Malcom…

Continue ReadingA Guide to Getting Good