Reader Feedback: MediaStorm Guide to Downloading from YouTube and Vimeo

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.

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The Evolution of Video Storytelling Featuring MediaStorm and DCTV

This week Futures Lab, with a little help from Brian Storm, founder and executive producer of MediaStorm, and John Alpert, co-founder and co-executive director of the Downtown Community Television Center in New York, explores how the proliferation of mobile apps and devices impacts visual journalism. The two veteran storytellers share insights about the place of micro-video via apps like Vine and Instagram and the challenges of funding quality work. In the midst of a changing industry and constant innovation, one principle remains: a good story is at the center of everything they do. Keep an eye out for cameos from the rest of the MediaStorm staff.

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Brian Storm on Why You’ll Never Master Multimedia

Senior Producer Eric Maierson’s post “I Hate ‘Multimedia’” stirred up a discussion on what success in our industry looks like and what is required to get us there. We used your comments and questions to ask our Executive Producer and Founder Brian Storm (with thoughts from Director of Photography Rick Gershon) how visual storytellers can flourish in a constantly evolving industry. Do you hate ‘multimedia’ too? Hate is a strong word, but I would argue that word has become meaningless. It’s sort of like saying “awesome.” What does awesome mean anymore? Everything is awesome. Multimedia has been associated with my professional title for twenty years of my life. So, of course, the word means something to me. What I’ve seen happen is that it means something different to everyone you talk to. Eric made a bunch of good points about it being too small in scope. It’s about our industry, the way…

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MediaStorm Guide to Copy and Pasting a Clip Range in Premiere Pro

This article is part of a new series of posts with tips and tricks from our producers' experience working with Adobe Premiere Pro after years of working in Final Cut Pro. To read more about why we made the switch, check out this post. Today's post was written by MediaStorm producer Eric Maierson. A neat new feature in Premiere Pro is the ability to copy and paste a range of clips (or one clip) without first having to use the Razor Tool (C). To do this simply mark an In (I) and Out (O) on your timeline. Then, Copy (Command-C) and Paste (Command-V). Super easy, super helpful. Note that if a clip is already selected, you’ll simply copy and paste whatever is highlighted, not the range indicated by in and out marks. Use Command-Shift-A to first deselect all clips. To learn more about how our producers are using Adobe Premiere Pro see…

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MediaStorm Guide to Quickly Deleting Clips in Premiere Pro

This article is part of a new series of posts with tips and tricks from our producers' experience working with Adobe Premiere Pro after years of working in Final Cut Pro. To read more about why we made the switch, check out this post. Today's post was written by MediaStorm producer Eric Maierson. File this tip under I-should-have-thought-of-this-years-ago. First, some backstory from the MediaStorm Post-production Workflow. At MediaStorm, when we log b-roll we use two specific suffixes to identify our sequences. The first is RAW, which indicates that a timeline contains all the clips from a scene or day of shooting. So if a Finder folder contains clips from day one of shooting at a barn, the Adobe Premiere Pro sequence containing those files will be labeled Barn_01_RAW. We then log these clips, raising selects up one video channel as seen below. Next, we duplicate the sequence and replace the word RAW…

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