Hey guys!

Check out my vlog! It focuses on positive news in the Seattle area! The Weekly Brew!

Converting HD to SD (16:9 to 3:2)...and what we need at the beginning of our pieces

Hey guys,

As Nicole explained on Thursday, we have to convert our HD videos to SD format so we can play them back in the studio. Here are the exact directions (I tried this both on FCP 6 at school and FCP 7 at home):


*Make sure you've done all of your editing to the piece because when you create the 3:2 version you won't have individual clips...it will look like one long clip. However, you may want to wait to add lower 3rds and graphics because the sizing will be different.*


1. First, you want to save your current HD video so you don't confuse it with the SD version you're going to create. In the browser, rename your sequence to "16:9".
2. Now create a new sequence (Apple + N) and name that "3:2".
3. Highlight the 16:9 sequence and look at the sequence settings (Apple + 0). In the middle of that page you should see the editing timebase. Remember that number because you'll need it for the next step. Close sequence settings.
4. Now highlight the 3:2 sequence and look at the sequence settings (Apple + 0). Make sure that the editing timebase is the same as it was for the 16:9 sequence. Also, make sure the aspect ratio is "NTSC DV(3:2)" and the compressor is "DV/DVCPRO-NTSC". Close sequence settings.
5. Double-click the 3:2 sequence...the timeline should be blank. From your browser, drag the "16:9" sequence into the 3:2 timeline.
6. You may get a pop-up. Click "NO"
7. In the canvas, activate the wireframe (W). Drag the corner of the wireframe out so that the top and bottom of the image fills in the black rectangle.
6. Render the piece.
7. In order to save what you've done go File -> Export -> Quicktime Movie
Name the piece as follows "Your name_title of piece_running time"


Within the piece, we should have the following before the video starts:
-30 sec of color bars (video generator -> bars & tone -> NTSC -> make it 30 sec and drag to beginning of timeline)
-10 sec Slate- "Title of piece_running time_outcue(last 5 words of piece)_your name"
-5 sec of black
-your piece with 1.5 - 2 seconds of padding

Shooting Sched

Hey Guys!

Is anyone still without a partner?? I was JUST able to set up my interview yesterday...and it's not until Tuesday morning (I also need to go to Queens to get b-roll at some point before that). Soooo, was wondering if anyone can go with me and I'll help out on your story as usual.

Let me know.
Thanks!

Lana
347-461-0028

Brian Williams hits five-year anniversary as anchor for NBC Nightly News.

Here is a great collection of Brian's work. Thought you guys would enjoy this as much as I did. :)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/02/brian-williams-hits-five_n_376720.html

How to upload pieces to the web

Hey guys,

So I told a few of you that I would post the step-by-step instructions that Nicole gave me on how to put our pieces up on vimeo...so here it is:

1. In Final Cut Pro
a. File -> Export -> Using Compressor

2. In Compressor
a. Window (on the toolbar) -> Layouts -> Standard 1440 x 900

b. In settings window (on bottom left)
- Open the following folders:
Apple -> Other Workflows -> Web -> Streaming -> Quicktime 7 compatible

-Drag H.264 800Kbps Streaming to the sequence window at the top

c. In inspector window (to the right of settings window):
- click "frame controls" button (3rd from left)
- turn frame controls on
- set "resize filter" to best
- set "output fields" to same as source
- set "deinterlace" to best
- set "rate conversion" to better
- leave all other fields unchanged, press save as and name it

d. In sequence (at top)
- right-click "source" -> destination -> other -> save to hard drive -> name it

Submit
Submit

Now when you set up an account on vimeo or youtube or whatever you'll have the piece on your hard drive so you can pull it from there and upload it directly to the site.



Also, for those who use FCP 7 at home...here is how you take a project from FCP 7 back to FCP 6:

Saving in FCP 7:
File -> Export -> XML -> Version 4

Opening in FCP 6:
File -> Import -> XML



Hope this helps!
Lana

Weekend Editing

Hey Guys - Nicole wants everyone to know that they should try to get as much edit preparation and screening done over the weekend. On Monday, the lab is going to be very difficult to get into before 5pm because of classes and students who have already set their times. The lab is open until 1AM Friday and from 10AM-6PM on Saturday and Sunday.

What the White House is saying about the media.

Friend --

Over the past few months, two things have become clear about the fight for health insurance reform:

1. Our opponents will create and spread outrageous lies to try to stop President Obama from creating real change.
2. We just can't count on the media to debunk them.

As President Obama described recently:

If somebody puts out misinformation... then the way the news report comes across is, "Today, such-and-such accused President Obama of putting forward death panels. The White House responded that that wasn't true." And then they go on to the next story. And what they don't say is, "In fact, it isn't true."

We've already made historic progress, and momentum is now on our side. We'll be able to keep moving forward if all Americans know the real facts about reform.

So we'll need to double our own efforts to get the truth out. That means more organizers running door-to-door canvasses and phone banks to educate our neighbors, more events to spread the word to Congress, and more ads on the air to counter the smears. And we'll need the money to pay for it all. Please chip in $5 or more to make it happen.

There's no doubt that the better people know the facts, the more they support reform. Real reform will bring stability and security to those who currently have insurance, provide affordable coverage to those who don't, and bring costs down throughout the system -- all without adding a dime to the deficit.

But our opponents' frightening smears can be pretty convincing too -- if folks don't know that they're false.

Stepping in when the media fails is a daunting challenge -- but this community has already come together and accomplished feats no one thought were possible. We did it for last year's election, and we're already doing it again as Organizing for America. In the three short months since we launched our first organizing drive for health reform, OFA volunteers have held more than 18,000 events in every part of the country to spread the truth about reform and the need for change.

We'll all need to step up to continue our amazing momentum -- and right now that means chipping in to make sure we can keep organizing hard to spread the truth and pass real reform in 2009.

Please donate $5 or more to get the truth out:

https://donate.barackobama.com/MediaDonate

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America