New York City Final Cut Users Group http://www.nycfcug.org Mon, 16 May 2005 19:34:04 +0000 en <![CDATA[Divergent Media Releases ClipWrap – m2t to QuickTime conversion]]> http://www.nycfcug.org Divergent Media announced today the immediate availability of ClipWrap, a Macintosh application that batch converts m2t files to QuickTime HDV files for immediate editing.

Brooklyn, NY August 19, 2008 - Divergent Media announced today the immediate availability of ClipWrap, a Macintosh application that batch converts m2t files to QuickTime HDV files for immediate editing.

About ClipWrap


HDV has quickly become the economical, flexible, high definition format of choice. The availability of disk-based cameras and third-party direct-to-disk recorders has only increased the format’s popularity. However, the primary recoding format of these devices, m2t transport streams, can’t be opened by the most popular video programs. ClipWrap is a Macintosh application that batch converts these m2t files into QuickTime movies that can be used in any QuickTime-based application, including Final Cut Pro.

"Before ClipWrap, if you received a clip in m2t format, there were a myriad of conversion tools available—each with signifiant drawbacks. Many of them were slow and left you with a clip which took up much more disk space than the original and a generation of image loss. Others work with only a single brand of cameras,” said Divergent Media CEO Mike Woodworth, “ClipWrap is the first solution which quickly converts any HDV m2t file to QuickTime with zero image degradation.”

ClipWrap quickly and easily “rewraps” your m2t files. The original video data of the camera-acquired clip remains intact—ClipWrap simply places this video data within a QuickTime container so it can be read natively in any QuickTime-compatible application. With ClipWrap, m2t files can immediately be converted for native HDV editing in Final Cut Pro. Because ClipWrap doesn't alter the video data in any way, there is zero image loss and the speed of conversion is as fast as a file copy.

ClipWrap Features


-Rewraps - Doesn't Transcode
ClipWrap rewraps the video samples from your existing m2t files without re-encoding them. This means blazingly fast convert speeds and no image degradation.

-Automatic Format Detection
ClipWrap speaks m2t so you don't have to. It automatically parses the file's format and chooses the proper output format, so there's no hassle trying to determine the proper settings (frame rate, image size, gamma levels, etc).

-Full Timecode Support
Timecode is recreated in the new QuickTime movie, so you can recapture from tape later if necessary.

-Supports all m2t formats
Now you're not limited to specific HDV cameras, you can rest assured your m2t files will be compatible with FCP when it comes time to edit.

-Automatically recombines spanned files
If your direct to disk recorder splits files every 4GB, ClipWrap automatically detects these spanned clips and will recombine them into a single seamless QuickTime movie.


Pricing
ClipWrap is available immediately for the suggested retail price of $49.95. A limited trial can be downloaded from www.clipwrap.com. ClipWrap can be purchased for instant download at www.clipwrap.com/store/

]]> <![CDATA[Red Giant's Announces New Tool: CameraShake]]> http://www.nycfcug.org Red Giant Software Offers Camera Shake, Jitter, and Noise Removal Tool
New Product Included in Magic Bullet Suite 2008

San Francisco, CA, August 11, 2008 – Red Giant Software, with popular products Magic Bullet, Knoll Light Factory and Trapcode, today launched Magic Bullet Steady, a new tool to remove camera shake, jitter, and noise. Magic Bullet Steady is a plug-in for users of Final Cut Pro 6 and After Effects CS3 (Mac and Windows). The stabilizer function removes unwanted camera movement which can be distracting and disturbing to viewers. Magic Bullet Steady is also included in the newly updated Magic Bullet Suite 2008.

Magic Bullet Steady offers powerful algorithms which analyze the video, detect motion, and apply one of four filtering modes. The result is a smooth, stabilized motion that preserves camera pans and other desired movements while eliminating jarring shake. A second filter removes noise and other low-light artifacts. Priced at $199, Magic Bullet Steady is available for purchase from http://www.redgiantsoftware.com.

Highlights



Stabilization
Camera movement and tough shooting conditions can cause distracting, jerky motion; and film sprocket damage on old footage can cause gate jitter and weave. The Stabilizer feature uses a software-based 2D translation to repair this type of footage in near real-time.

Noise Reduction
Too often, noise reduction means everything gets very blurry. Not so with Magic Bullet Steady. It uses spatial and temporal data to work out true image values, and customizable settings give you control over block size. Adjust the optional detail protection feature to find the right results for your desired output.

Blistering Speed
Compared to the built-in stabilization features in After Effects or Final Cut Pro, Magic Bullet Steady yields great results in record time.

Why to Buy

• Use instead of a Steadicam on small projects
• Add sophistication to amateur or archival footage
• Faster than built-in solutions available in the host applications

Pricing and Availability

Magic Bullet Steady is available now for $199 USD and supports After Effects CS3 on Windows XP/Vista and Mac OS X. The software also runs in Final Cut Pro on Mac OS X. This software is included as part of the updated Magic Bullet Suite 2008.

About Red Giant Software

Red Giant Software LLC (http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/) is a San Francisco-based company that develops professional tools for digital video production. Products are available as plug-ins for popular video editing and effects applications including After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro, and Avid. All tools are based on production-proven technology developed by visual effects veterans.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. ]]> <![CDATA[Philip Hodgett's "HD Survival Handbook"]]> http://www.nycfcug.org
From essential background information a video professional is expected to know, to summaries of the latest gear that would take you hours of research on the web, this handbook has it covered. The HD workflows area will help you avoid the pitfalls that have trapped so many others and be ready to meet your customers' demand for HD.

As you transition to HD, you'll find the HD Survival Handbook a valuable guide and reference to the technologies in use so you can make intelligent decisions for your needs. It also serves as a guide to workflows in Final Cut Studio. (While the Production and Distribution sections will benefit everyone moving to HD, the Post-Production workflows are Final Cut Studio specific, but even in this section the discussion on storage types, connections and archiving are common to all NLEs.)

Extensively researched... Lavishly illustrated... Affordably priced...
]]> <![CDATA[MEWShop: One-Day Masterclass Series]]> http://www.nycfcug.org Filmmaker's Guide to DVD Studio Pro
Create a DVD worthy of what's on it!
Saturday, 16 August, MEWShop

This one-day DVD Studio Pro Master- class shows you everything you need to get your projects on DVD with the professional quality your film or reel deserves.

You'll take an actual feature-film project and construct a professional DVD with all the industry-standard features, including:

· Deleted scenes
· Directors' commentary
· Subtitles
· Photo Gallery
· Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound
· Easter eggs
· Scene selection menus
· Animated transitions and more!

Other topics will include:

· MPEG2 compression techniques to squeeze more quality out of your video.
· Menu Design and DVD burning strategies.
· Duplicating your DVDs vs replicating them and what's the difference?
· Making your DVD represent you as a filmmaker.

Taught by Chris Biggins, Apple Certified Master Trainer in Final Cut Studio and DVD designer/author.

Each student gets their own workstation.
Experience with Final Cut Pro is recommended.

ONE DAY MASTERCLASS:
Filmmaker's Guide to DVD Studio Pro
Saturday, Aug 16th, 10am to 5pm

Manhattan Edit Workshop
80 Fifth Avenue (corner 14th street)
Suite 1501

Course cost: $299.00

discounts for MPEG, ifp, NYWIFT and Mopictive NYC members

Please call 212-414-9570 for details.
Register online (link above) or call 212.414.9570]]> <![CDATA[Four Weeks Four Hours, a NEW film by Alexis Van Hurkman]]> http://www.nycfcug.org
Come see its New York screening in the
NewFilmmakers Series

Wednesday, August 13th at 10pm
At the Anthology Film Archives theater


32 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10003

About the film:
Four Weeks, Four Hours tells the simultaneous stories of two women stranded in the desert on opposite ends of the earth.

When her plane crashes, a photographer on assignment finds herself lost and alone in a war-torn middle-eastern country. Her ability to survive is sorely tested as she treks back across the border, with the memory of the dead pilot her only companion.

Halfway around the world, a car breakdown strands an affluent wife along an abandoned stretch of road in the American southwest. Impatient and unaware of the danger, she resolves to walk back for help under the blazing noonday sun.

Both women are pushed to the limits of their endurance and beyond – the photographer over four weeks, the wife within four hours – as each story unfolds. Their contrasting instincts for survival mean the difference between life and death.

About the Director:
Alexis Van Hurkman has written, directed, and worked in postproduction for over 14 years. Alexis has penned four feature length scripts—FOUR WEEKS, FOUR HOURS, DATING THE DEVIL, THE VAMPIRE HUNTERS, and WALKING TO FRACKVILLE, and has directed several short subjects including PEACE AND QUIET and the radio serial DEADPAN ALLEY. Alexis also collaborated with the video artist Harrel Fletcher on THE FORBIDDEN ZONE, which premiered at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Exhibit, (Super)extra[meta], and has shown in venues around the world including the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, in their 2004 biennial exhibit of emerging artists. FOUR WEEKS, FOUR HOURS is his first feature-length production. For more information, go to alexisvanhurkman.com.
]]>