AET Campus 2013

I've been teaching at Santa Monica College's "Academy of Entertainment and Technology" for over 9 years. Holy S#*t! Can it really be that long? Well it looks like our campus is about to receive it's much anticipated makeover.

Designed by Clive Wilkinson Architects of West Hollywood, this proposed redesign has already won a Los Angeles Real Creativity Award. This new complex will feature a new 30,000-square-foot building that would be added to the Academy site to house computer classrooms, a student radio station, production spaces, edit bays, new server room, TV studio and control rooms, art studio, café and a 180-seat auditorium.

In addition, the plan calls for a 34,000-square-foot, three-story structure to house KCRW, which is currently in the basement of the Cayton Associated Students building on the SMC main campus. All buildings are being designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification.

I like the futuristic Blade Runner styling. It's definitely going to be a great back lot for doing student film shoots.

Now if I can only find a parking space for my flying car.

HDR Video - Yay or Nay?

HDR photography has been steadily gaining popularity in the past few years. It's often used for creating toned mapped artistic photographs. This technique creates a painterly/hyper real version of the subject. It is also used professionally for gathering global illumination information that can be used to provide accurate lighting for 3D models.

HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging is usually accomplished by taking a series of photographs with varying exposures. Usually comprised of at least 3 pictures and up to 7 pictures, of the same moment in time. One picture is shot at a normal exposure, one at 2 stops underexposed, and one at 2 stops overexposed. These images are then combined in software to create either a tone mapped or HDR image.

Now that same technique has come to HD video. Using a beam splitter, that is commonly used for creating stereoscopic 3D imagery, the guys over at Soviet Montage have taken two Canon 5D Mark II's and creating what might be the first high dynamic range video. Using a one underexposed, and one overexposed technique, they have come up with something completely different.

If you find it visually attractive is really a matter of taste. But one thing is for sure, this is only the beginning. Get ready for a onslaught of HDR videos that will be coming our way. Hopefully this will help people forget all about the whole 3D rebirth.

I hope the porn guys don't get any crazy ideas.

Roku HD

One of the best deals in HD has to be the marriage of Netflix and Roku. For just $8.99 a month, Netflix will allow you to watch as many streaming movies as you can handle. No download limitations, and no late fees. Combine this with the idiot proof Roku HD box, and you have an instant HD theater capable of streaming thousands of movies instantly.

Video quality is about on par with VHS for the normal movies. HD streaming fairs much better with less artifacts and a sharper image. HD streaming is presented at 1280 x 720. Not quite up to Blu-ray specs, but definitely watchable. Considering that it loads in seconds, and that you don't have to drive down to the local corner video store, it is a little slice of digital heaven. I would give the HD video about a 7 out of 10, which is pretty good.

So simple even your parents could use it. Well, maybe not yours.

Pros: Simple design.

Cons: Not all movies available in HD.

List Price: $99.00

Click here to buy from Pixelphile's Amazon Stop & Shop.

Mac Classic iPad Stand

Don't have the coin to buy the sexy Joule iPad Stand? But you do have an old Mac Classic laying around collecting dust. How about you make it into a sweet retro hybrid? That's what a guy did in Japan. A big thumbs up for an original idea that keeps the old macs fresh in our memories.

Check out the video here.

Now where did I put my Dremel?

Joule iPad Stand

For the person who has everything, and by that I mean an iPad, comes the Joule iPad Stand. CNC machined from a piece of solid aluminum, this piece of modern art is available in three different finishes.

I'll buy you one of these, if you buy me an iPad.

Pros: Beautiful design.

Cons: About 1/4 the price of an iPad.

List Price: $129.00

Ninja Search

How many times have you heard somebody say "Google it"? Probably way too many times to count. This phrase has really become part of the American lexicon. But you aren't just like everybody else, that's why you use Ninja the deadly accurate all black version of Google, much like Blackle.

So next time you need to tell somebody to do a search, just tell them to "Ninja it".

P.S. Even though it might look cool, it doesn't generate as many accurate results as the standard Google. I guess that's the price of being a Ninja.

iPhone 4 vs HTC Evo - NSFW!

Funny video made by a former Best Buy employee. Former because he was fired shortly after making this video.

Not cool Best Buy.

iPhone 4 Short Film

Well it didn't take long for this to happen. Somebody has already shot and edited a short little movie on the new iPhone 4. "Apple of My Eye" directed by USC film student Michael Koerbel might be the first short film shot with the newest version of the iPhone. Obviously Michael has access to some nice equipment, and more importantly, knows how to use it.

The iPhone does an amazing job, considering that it is a fixed lens phone after all. It does seem to have some difficulty in maintaining the highlights and often resorts to just blowing them out. But then again, other "real" video cameras often do the same thing. All in all, a very impressive debut of a short film shot and edited entirely on a cell phone.

Los Angeles residents might recognize the location as Allied Model Trains in Culver City.

iPhone 4 vs Evo 4G

June is the month for awesome new smart-phones. The question is whether to go with the new iPhone 4 from Apple, or the new Evo 4G from Sprint.

Here are the specs for each phone.

iPhone 4
3.5" Touch-screen LCD IPS display, 960 x 640 resolution
5 Megapixel rear camera, VGA front facing camera
720p HD video recording
A4 Processor
Battery life: 7 hours of 3G talk time
3G and 802.11n Wi-Fi networking
Cellular Signals: Quadband GSM, pentaband HSPA
Bluetooth, GPS, Digital compass, MicroSIM
Proximity sensor, Light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope
Up to 32GB of storage

Evo 4G
4.3" Touch-screen TFT LCD display, 800 x 480 resolution
8 Megapixel rear camera, 1.3 Megapixel front facing camera
720p HD video recording
1GHz Snapdragon processor
Battery life: 6 hours talk time
4G, WiMAX, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi networking
Cellular Signals: CDMA, EV-DO Rev. A, WiMAX
Bluetooth, GPS, Micro SD support, Digital Compass
HDMI output
Proximity sensor, Accelerometer
8 GB included (up to 32 GB via Micro SD)
Built-in Sprint Overdrive Mobile Hotspot

I think it is really going to come down to which phone company you want to be tied down to for the next two years. I personally hate AT&T, so it will be a no brainer for me to go with Sprint and the Evo.

Hopefully, someday we will be able to choose the phone we want, rather than the phone carrier we don't.

Best Drummer In The World!!!

Okay, I lied, he's not the best drummer in the world. But he might be the most entertaining. Check him out as he takes a rather lame band into a completely different orbit. This guy cracks me up.

The drummer's name is Steve Moore, and maybe he can get a gig on a late night talk show as the band leader. Much more entertaining that frikin' Max Weinberg.

Aslan - King of My Living Room

I was messing around with a vintage Nikon SB-26 Speedlight that I bought about a year ago on eBay. I got it after falling in love with the tips and techniques of David Hobby and his blog, strobist. I thought it would be fun to shoot a couple of pix of my dog Aslan. With my good friend Marty acting as a light stand, we were able to capture a rather candid moment of Aslan in the living room.

I have had Aslan for almost a year, after my girlfriend, Laurie, wanted me to foster him. The plan was that he would eventually be put up for adoption. Well needless to say, that never happened. He was a shelter dog on the verge of being put down, but instead he ended up with me.

Please check out you local shelter for other great dogs like Aslan. You might just save a life.

For more information, check out the Shelter Animal Advocacy Fund Los Angeles.