FCP X – Initial Reactions

This is the second in our series of MediaStorm producers responding to the new FCP X. If you missed the first response, from Eric Maierson, you can check that out here. Well it's amazing how much difference a day makes.  Yesterday I had prepared a blog post about my qualified, yet upbeat first impression of FCP X.  Of that blog post, here's what I'll include; "I've been working in FCP X since it launched, and I've tried to approach it for what it is. A new piece of software that will have significant limitations, like all version 1 software.  In doing this, I've come to see the potential of the program. It's a young buck, but as it matures, I think we're going to be surprised at how robust it is.  Using metadata to organize and find assets is amazing. It's fast and efficient. I've been able to organize content quicker than…

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MediaStorm Interview: Lucy Nicholson

Lucy Nicholson is a senior staff photographer with Reuters. She was born in London and is based in Los Angeles, having worked as a photographer in Mexico City, Chile, and Northern Ireland. You attended our Advanced Multimedia Workshop in 2008 and produced “One Man Brand.” How has that workshop influenced your work since? I think MediaStorm creates some of the best multimedia out there, so just picking up their way of doing things was valuable. There's no one correct way to mix audio, stills and video for the web, so it was good to have people who really knew what they were doing give me a formula to start with. The course gave me a lot of confidence, and set a standard for me to emulate. I learn more every time I produce a multimedia project.  Your piece “Homegirl cafe” was a 2011 Webby Awards honoree. How did you find the story?…

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Final Cut Pro X First Impressions or “FCP, I Hope You Feel Better Soon”

With the major changes in Apple's new version of Final Cut Pro X, we've had a lot of people asking if MediaStorm is making the switch, and what we think of the program. This essay is the first in a series of MediaStorm producers responding to FCP X. Apple giveth and Apple taketh away. And with the release of Final Cut Pro X, Apple did a lot of both. Among the missing (at least for the moment): the ability to import FCP 7 projects. the ability to export only a portion of your project multicam support the auto-save vault And on and on.  To be fair, Apple recently promised to reintroduce absent functionality in future versions. It’s still painful to work with an incomplete toolset, particularly given that the toolset was doing pretty darn well just last week. Yes, FCP X is a 1.0 release but Apple is not new to this…

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MediaStorm Interview: Ricky Montalvo

This interview is the first of a series we will be conducting with former workshop attendees. The interviews are intended to gain insight into how these creative professionals approach their work and bring out the story in their subjects. Ricky Montalvo is a video producer for Yahoo! Studios and is based in San Francisco. Ricky is one of the few "one man shows" within the Yahoo! Studios group, where he shoots, edits and often produces content that runs throughout Yahoo!'s online network. You started out at Yahoo! working in project management and sales, and then decided to make a career change to video production. What sparked the change? Part of it was a passion for filmmaking in general. But I never went to school for that, so obviously trying to break into that industry proves somewhat tough. I decided to leave Yahoo and take some time off. I had been there for…

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Video Production Internship opening at Inc.com

Inc.com, the most respected website for entrepreneurs and start-ups, is seeking a video production intern to join its editorial team in its downtown Manhattan office. The ideal candidate has experience in video and digital production and editing, as well as a passion for new technology and the Web. He or she should be creative, resourceful, deadline-oriented, and a good interviewer. Knowledge of Final Cut Pro, Online Video Content Management Systems, and current video technology (HDDSLRs, audio techniques, etc) is essential. This a full-time, paid position where you may have the occasional coffee run (but we'll go out and get coffee for you the next day). A strong desire to work collaboratively in a constantly-changing environment is ideal. Some travel may be required. Responsibilities: Assist the multimedia producer on video projects, including but not limited to shooting, audio gathering, transcribing, and post-production Coordinate interviews for upcoming projects Produce and re-purpose interviews and other…

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