Is the Make-Up Effects Artist a Fading Craft?

An ape make-up I created while in high school.

I recently saw the movie Argo. A great movie, by the way, but after seeing John Goodman playing John Chambers, it got me to thinking: was John Chambers part of a fading craft?

Discovering Screenwriting

Getting your script ideas fleshed out in writing.

Last year around this time, I was looking for a way to get some of my screenplay ideas fleshed out and written down. I have always kept a journal of ideas for films, but for the longest time they have remained just that - ideas. I wanted to be able to take some of those ideas and begin developing the storylines and characters.

The Evolution of Video Editor User Communities

The crowd at a Boston Avid Users Group Meeting.

Back in 1992 Avid had its first Annual International Avid Users Group Meeting. The meeting was a great chance for Avid editors from all over the world to get together and talk shop. Not to mention, it was a few days of workshops where an editor could learn anything from digital media management to compositing and effects.

Adding An Audio Mixer to Your Edit System

I use a 12-channel, 4-bus mixer in my edit suite.

Although these days a lot of what you're ingesting into you edit system is digital and doesn't require analog inputs. There are some cases in which you may want to ingest source from a BetaCAM, VHS or other format that predates DV. This week we'll discuss wiring a mixer into your edit system for analog I/O in a way that doesn't induce feedback.

Converting an SD Video Demo Reel to HD

A motion FX clip, produced in SD rebuilt as HD.

A couple of weeks ago we discussed posting your sample reel online, which is very important when trying to show off your skills. This week we'll discuss showing off your editing/production skills properly.