Sunday, December 19, 2010

Top Ten Cheap Mac Apps

Here is my Top Ten List of cheap or free mac apps. Listed in no particular order, since they are all equally great.

Voltaic HD $39.99 - AVCHD converter for those pesky MTS and M2TS files.

WhatSize $12.99 - Find out what files are hogging your hard-drive space.

Transmit $34.00 - Super fast FTP client with simple interface.

Transmission Free! - BitTorrent client for all your software pirating needs.

Monolingual Free! - Strip away unnecessary language packs and free up some hard-drive space.

Nicecast $40.00 - Turn your mac into a internet streaming radio station.

AppZaper $12.95 - The fastest and coolest way to uninstall an app.

Handbrake Free! - You've got DVD's, and you want to convert them for your mobile device.

MPEG Streamclip Free! - The video encoder that is faster than Apple's Compressor.

Super Duper Free! - Make a cloned backup of your hard-drive, protect yourself.

You're welcome America.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Face Off Debuts on Syfy

Face Off is a competition/elimination series exploring the world of special-effects make-up artists and the unlimited imagination that allows them to create amazing works of living art. The contestants are tasked with elaborate feature challenges including executing full body paint make up on models and creating their own horror villain. Not only will the show incorporate effects make-up, it will include a wide range of skill sets including prosthetics, 3-D design, sculpting, eye enhancers, casting and molding. Each episode involves incredible reveals of the competitors' finished work, and the drama of one contestant being sent home by the panel of expert and celebrity judges. It all culminates in one winner and one grand prize that will launch a career.

To determine who emerges victorious, Syfy has signed three-time Academy Award winner Ve Neill (Pirates of the Caribbean, Edward Scissorhands) and Hollywood veterans Glenn Hetrick (Heroes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files) and Patrick Tatopoulos (Underworld, Independence Day, Resident Evil: Extinction) as Face Off's judges. Actress McKenzie Westmore hosts the series, bringing poise and a rich history to her role as part of the Westmore family, whose name is synonymous with the makeup effects field.

Face Off is a production of Mission Control Media with Michael Agbabian and Dwight D. Smith serving as executive producers.

Series premiere Wednesday January 26 10/9C.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Tascam Portastudio for iPad

Way, way, way back in the day, I had a Tascam Portastudio 4 Track Recorder. It looked cool, but the sound quality was s%@t due to using analog cassettes. Fast forward to 2010, and we can now relive our 4 Track dreams, or nightmares, with the iPad version of the iconic Portastudio.

I gave my old Portastudio to Rebecca. I wonder if she still has it?

Pros: Retro Design, No Tape Noise.

Cons: No Bouncing Capability, Only Records One Track at a Time.

List Price: $9.99

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Airgrade - Coolest App Ever!

If you thought that the vWave-Lite app was cool, then you are going to love this. Airgrade, from the wizards at the Pixel Farm, lets you wirelessly control the Lift, Gamma and Gain of an image on your computer directly from your iPhone.

The resulting look can be saved in the ASC format developed by the American Society of Cinematographers.

And best of all, it's FREE!!!

Monday, December 6, 2010

Lightworks Public Beta

Lightworks, the old dinosaur of video editing, has made it's first step to relevancy with it's public beta of it's updated software. Long forgotten, but not yet dead, Lightworks was used to edit hundreds of Hollywood movies. It recently fell out of favor, having been replaced by Avid and Final Cut Pro. Hopefully this new version will spark some new interest in this old industry favorite.

Currently it is available only on the PC. Things will get really interesting in late 2011, when it will also support Linux and OSX.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

a Christmas Tree



A short film about my Mom's lovely Christmas Tree. Featuring a custom built IGUS camera slider. Filmed during the Thanksgiving Holidays, 2010. A Very Special Holiday Bokeh:)

Music by: Vince Guaraldi

No color correction or post processing.

Shot on a hacked Panasonic GH1 at ISO 100 to 640, 23.976 fps, with a Canon FL 55 f1.2, Canon FL 50mm f3.5 Macro with Life Size Adapter, Rainbow Imaging FL/FD Adapter.

IGUS 660mm Camera Slider, Bogen 3026 Double Action Ball Joint Head, 717AH Fluid Head, Benro C-298M8 Carbon HVC Flexpod.

Sansdisk Extreme Class 10 SDHC Card.

Edited in Final Cut Pro.

See it in HD on Vimeo.

See it in HD on YouTube.

P.S. If you look real close you can see me in the reflections, but at least I had my pants on, unlike these guys:)