Read more about the article Check Every Output

Check Every Output

Here’s a simple tip I’ve learned the hard way: check every output. And by check I mean watch your files from start to finish every time. Because no matter how conscientious you are, it’s just too easy for typos and sound pops and other gremlins to slip by. Checking every output is the only way to catch them all. Once, at the very end of a Storytelling Workshop, I made some last minute structural changes to our team’s project. I did not have time to check my work before the final screening. Everything was out of sync and everyone saw it. It was a disaster. Check every output. Prior to the ICP Infinity Awards, we played back all of the projects on a large TV. Among the discoveries: white edges on photographs that went unseen on a smaller monitor, low-res footage that had not been replaced, watermarked video. We caught these mistakes…

Continue ReadingCheck Every Output
Read more about the article Deadline for MediaStorm Summer Internship Extended to January 17th

Deadline for MediaStorm Summer Internship Extended to January 17th

We’re currently accepting applications for our Summer 2014 internship. If you’re motivated, highly organized, and passionate about multimedia, we’d love to hear from you. The internship generally runs from May to August, but start dates are flexible. We’re looking for applicants with experience in multimedia production, design, motion graphics, and/or web development. Internships are paid.

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted through our online application form. Applicants should be prepared to supply:

  • Links to pieces produced/collaborated on (please indicate role in each)
  • Available start/end dates
  • Hours/week available

Applications are due January 17, 2014.

(more…)

Continue ReadingDeadline for MediaStorm Summer Internship Extended to January 17th
Read more about the article Software Inventory 2014

Software Inventory 2014

I thought the start of the new year would be a good time to review the software I use most frequently at MediaStorm.

The Essentials

Adobe Premiere Pro CC (starting at $19.99 a month) – Back in October of 2012 MediaStorm announced our decision to use Premiere Pro, not FCP X. With the advent of CC, the updates are faster and the software keeps getting better.

Aperture (Mac App Store, $79.99) – Aperture is Apple’s workhouse picture-editing software. While it’s due for an update, we’ve been relying on Aperture for the better part of a decade. For an extensive guide to Aperture see the MediaStorm Post-production Workflow ($14.95).

Keyboard Maestro ($36.00) – Keyboard Maestro is a macro utility. When a user inputs a single keyboard shortcut, Keyboard Maestro will respond with a series of predefined actions. This small application really increased my logging speed last year. See MediaStorm Guide to Super Fast Logging with Premiere Pro and Keyboard Maestro.

PluralEyes ($199) – Essential software for syncing multiple audio or video sources. See MediaStorm Guide to Creating Multi-Camera Sequences in Premiere Pro, Part 1.

Final Cut Pro 7 – Apple’s venerable editing software is no longer available for purchase nor is it in heavy use around the office. But with nearly 40 TB of legacy projects, it’s still critical to have a copy on our production stations.

(more…)

Continue ReadingSoftware Inventory 2014
Read more about the article Andrew Ellis Joins MediaStorm

Andrew Ellis Joins MediaStorm

  • Post author:

MediaStorm is excited to welcome Andrew Michael Ellis to our team as the Director of Photography. Andrew creates films that highlight injustice and challenge stereotypes through humanizing, intimate storytelling with award winning cinematography. His documentary Figure Father grapples with the emotional challenges of reentry from prison, while his quirky comedic portrait documentary Eleanor Ambos Interiors flips ageism and gender stereotypes on their head. As Andrew’s films tour the film festival circuit he still values film education, teaching cinematography at New York University and creating a film education program for an NGO in Southern California that works with undocumented immigrants. Andrew’s latest film They Came at Night combines stylized fiction filmmaking with concrete social advocacy strategy for communities devastated by war in Central Africa. Andrew co-founded the art collective Nomadique and is now the full-time Director of Photography for MediaStorm, a digital storytelling agency based in Brooklyn.

Continue ReadingAndrew Ellis Joins MediaStorm
Read more about the article POYi Competition Deadline Approaching

POYi Competition Deadline Approaching

The countdown is on to submit entries for Pictures of the Year International's 71st anniversary competition honoring the world's premier documentary photography, multimedia, and visual editing. This year's competition features 44 categories in the divisions of news & reportage, sports, multimedia, editing, publication, and premier. The entry deadline is Thursday, January 16, 2014. About Pictures of the Year International Pictures of the Year International is the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism program in the world. When you enter POYi, your work reaches out to citizens worldwide and becomes a part of visual history. See the new Call for Entries on the POYi website. Or follow their Facebook page for updates.

Continue ReadingPOYi Competition Deadline Approaching