MediaStorm documents Final Cut workflows for the Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D300

Since its release, the Canon 5D Mark II has become the de facto video camera for many photojournalists. Despite some technical challenges, like the ability to follow focus and the low-fi built-in microphone, the visual quality is simply stunning. Prosumer video gear just can't touch its filmic look or depth-of-field. For examples, check out the gorgeous work of Jeff Hutchens and Nacho Corbella in the MediaStorm workshop project Hold Out. More recent workshop attendees Deanne Fitzmaurice and Doug Grant also used the 5D to beautiful effect in Family Kocktail. It's not hard to understand why the Canon 5D Mark II, and now the Nikon D300, have become so popular. But to make these files Final Cut Pro compliant there remain a number of technical hurdles. To help with this, MediaStorm has documented our workflow with each of these cameras in two separate PDFs. These documents detail the transcoding process in Compressor, demonstrate…

Continue ReadingMediaStorm documents Final Cut workflows for the Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D300

Multimedia projects from Eddie Adams Workshop XXII now live

This past weekend, 100 students and well over 100 faculty and volunteers gathered in Jeffersonville, NY for the 22nd Eddie Adams Workshop. All of the students who attend shoot still images during the Workshop, and several are given the chance to also record audio and video for a final multimedia presentation. A team of producers, led by Brian Storm, Tom Kennedy, and Rich Beckman produced 10 multimedia stories this year. This year's multimedia team included: Jenn Ackerman, Kari Collins, Maisie Crow, Rob Finch, Sonya Hebert, Loup Langdon, Paul Myers, Stefania Rousselle, Steve Sapienza, and Melissa Wiley, with graphics by Jacky Myint and multimedia tech support from Bob Houlihan. See the projects on the Eddie Adams Workshop site. Congratulations to all of the students who attended Barnstorm XXII for a job well done!

Continue ReadingMultimedia projects from Eddie Adams Workshop XXII now live

Yale Environment 360 and MediaStorm collaborate on Leveling Appalachia: The Legacy of Mountaintop Removal Mining

During the last two decades, mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia has destroyed or severely damaged more than a million acres of forest and buried nearly 2,000 miles of streams. Leveling Appalachia: The Legacy of Mountaintop Removal Mining, a video report produced by Yale Environment 360 in collaboration with MediaStorm, focuses on the environmental and social impacts of this practice and examines the long-term effects on the region’s forests and waterways. At a time when the Obama administration is reviewing mining permit applications throughout West Virginia and three other states, this video offers a first-hand look at mountaintop removal and what is at stake for Appalachia’s environment and its people.

Continue ReadingYale Environment 360 and MediaStorm collaborate on Leveling Appalachia: The Legacy of Mountaintop Removal Mining

Register now- Online Symposium: Seeking Justice- Social Activism through Journalism & Documentary Practice

This looks like a fantastic opportunity to join together with an amazing group of journalists to hear speakers and have some great discussions- and you don't even have to leave home! Online Symposium: Seeking Justice - Social Activism through Journalism & Documentary Practice The Centre for Documentary Practice invites you to logon and join the world’s first online journalism and documentary conference on October 15th 2009, starting 12 midnight (GMT). Speakers include Ed Kashi, Jodi Bieber, Marcus Bleasdale, Shahidul Alam, Gary Knight, Adam Ferguson, Travis Beard, Michael Coyne, Masaru Goto, Jack Picone, Megan Lewis, and more to be confirmed. On October 15th we will connect an international community of documentary practitioners and journalists for one day, to share stories, to stimulate discussion and debate about our discipline, and to inspire each other to continue the fight for justice. Register now for this free online conference.

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MediaStorm Advanced Multimedia Workshops launch new projects

During the week of September 19-25, 2009, we brought 6 talented professionals together to collaborate with the MediaStorm team at the fifth MediaStorm Advanced Multimedia Reporting Workshop. See the projects produced during this workshop below or apply for the next round of Workshops. Family Kocktail by Deanne Fitzmaurice, Stan Alcorn and Doug Grant Kryssy Kocktail always dreamed of leaving her troubled family to join the circus. Now she eats fire and sits on an electric chair as a performer at the Coney Island Circus Sideshow. She also realized her dream of being part of a family. See the project. The Art of Attraction by Paolo Black, Melissa Pracht and Scott Lituchy The New York Post called them “The Best Buskers in New York City.” Street artist twins Tic and Tac perform their acrobatics in The Art of Attraction. See the project. Behind the Scenes by Maisie Crow MediaStorm intern Maisie Crow takes…

Continue ReadingMediaStorm Advanced Multimedia Workshops launch new projects