Avid Studio for the iPad

While companies such as Avid and Adobe have attempted to capitalize on Apple’s Final Cut Pro X missteps by wooing users in need of professional video editing and production software, AllThingsD notes that Avid is pushing forward on the mobile “prosumer” front with its just-launched Avid Studio [App Store] app for iPad. 

The iPad obviously imposes some limitations on what can be done with the software compared with the full Avid Studio for Windows, but Avid suggests that it is full-featured enough to be used for editing on the go and is ideally suited as a companion to the desktop app.

The idea is that the iPad app and the desktop software are complementary, [Avid vice president Tanguy] Leborgne said, so that users who want to create and edit projects on the go can do so, but ultimately preserve them by taking them to the PC. 

The Avid iPad app does have some nice features, including an interface that includes a storyboard area and an editing timeline. And while some video editors rely heavily on customized keyboards or a mouse, others might appreciate the ability to pinch and squeeze videos and images to scale them on the touchscreen of the iPad, or the ability to move text and titles around with their fingers.

Avid Studio for iPad is launching with an introductory price tag of $4.99, which will increase to $7.99 after the first month.

University of Louisville Smoking Ban

On November 19, 2009 the University of Louisville’s Belknap Campus and UofL owned or controlled properties on the Shelby Campus became smoke-free. At this time smokers were alowed to smoke in designated areas until June 1st. During this grace period, the employee health management, Get Healthy Now, and Student Campus Health Services worked to connect students, faculty, and staff who wished to stop smoking with classes and smoking cessation products.

The Provost Shirley Willihnganz was the main person behind implementing the smoking ban. Willihnganz notified students, faculty, and staff of the policy on September 3rd in an email. Once June 1st, 2010 was here, the designated areas on campus were removed and the campus was supposed to become 100% smoke-free, but that was not the case.

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Despite the countless number of sins around the Universities campus, the no smoking policy is still having a hard time catching on. As you walk around campus you find cigarette butt after cigarette butt laying around on the ground, many of them right next to the “smoke free campus” signs.

On of the biggest reason that smoking continues to happen on a smoke free campus is the lack of enforcement. Take the University of Iowa for example. In July 2008, the school went smoke-free in accordance with the Iowa Smokefree Air Act, violations of which can result in a $50 fine. But so far, the university has ticketed only about 25 offenders. “Our campus is about 1,800 acres, so to think that we could keep track of who is smoking on campus at any given time isn’t really feasible,” says Joni Troester, director of the university’s campus wellness program. Instead, the school helps those trying to kick the habit by offering smoking-cessation programs and providing reimbursement for nicotine patches, gum and prescription medications like Zyban.

Willihnganz agrees that enforcement is an issue that needs to be addressed. “It’s something we’re looking into,” she states. The next step for the University could possibly be the hiring of security guards whose only job is keep people from smoking. This could mean an increase in tuition, which no student wants to hear about.

Despite signs being posted about every 10 feet, some students claimed they did not know there was a no smoking policy on campus. Dr. Willihnganz advice to students “approach those student who are smoking and simply ask them, ‘hey did you know that this is a smoke free campus?’ and ask them to put it out.” Easier said than done, but if the students want to carry this out, they will have to step up and help enforce it themselves…for now.

DSLR>Camcorders?:REVISITED

Last week I posted a piece on my experiences with HDV Camcorders and DSRL Cameras for video. I focused primarily on the image quality of the video but there are other factors to consider before buying one or the other.

Yes, I love the way the DSLR looks. This mainly comes from what type of lens you use and it’s generally cheaper that camcorders with interchangeable lenses. ITBUT, lets say you are looking to record for an extended period of time of something such as a wedding…

Generally a DSLR can only record for about 15-20 minutes at a time. This is mainly to do to the fact the sensors in them will over heat and automatically stop to avoid damage. Remember, it’s a still frame camera with a video bonus.

FOCUS. A camcorders auto focus features will prevail in environments such as wedding, and depending on your depth of field, this is a must. With a DSLR whose depth of field is not that great, small movements can cause your shot to quickly be out of focus. If you’re looking to set up on a tripod and leave your camera unattended, you might find these flaws in the DSLR.

AUDIO. Without great audio, you do not have a great video. The audio feature on any DSLR out there today is, well…just plain awful. You will not get great audio from your DSLR unless you record your audio separately (check out the Zoom h4n) and are comfortable syncing it with your video in post (check Plural Eyes for audio syncing). With a (professional) camcorder you typically have XLR inputs built right into your camera for great sounding audio, however some choose to record audio separately anyways, but it’s nice to have it right there.

So which should you buy? In my last post it seemed like I was encouraging you to buy a DSLR, but it seems like I’m pulling for the camcorder. I must be confused right?

What it comes down to is which camera is best for YOU? What type of filming do you see yourself doing? I do mostly documentary and interview type videos which is why I love my DSLR, but I dod sync my external audio in post. But I’m also in the pursuit to shoot short films soon. A DSLR will work…it will, but it would be nice to have a second video camera for certain shots.

I can not make this decision for you. Check your budget (it’s something we all deal with) and really think about your plans and goals as a videographer. Form your own opinions and do your own research. You’ll find the right camera for you.

DSLR>Camcorders?

Above are two still frames from an interview I shot using two different cameras. The one to the left was shot with a Sony HVR-A1U HDV video camera and the right was shot with a Canon t3i DSLR with a 50mm 1.8 lens.

Looking at the two you can probably tell which one looks better, the one on the right, agreed?

The Sony runs about $2,100 and the Canon and Lens were around $1,000. Based on the picture which would you rather have? Based on the price which would you rather have.

I think this is a good exhibit for the DSLR versus Camcorder debate.

What do you think?

Seven Splendid Coaches Still Awaiting The Hall of Fame Call

You win 1,335 games, more than any other coach in NBA history. You are directly connected with the league, as either a player or coach, for nearly half a century. You take three different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State — and make them relevant in the playoffs. You are Don Nelson and you still haven’t been voted into the Hall of Fame.

Admission to the Hall, which can be a long, confusing and often times arbitrary process, seems to be especially so for NBA coaches. A list of those enshrined includes many of the obvious choices — Red Auerbach, Lenny Wilkens, Red Holzman, Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, to name a few — and yet there are more than a handful still out there who should not be overlooked.

Don Nelson (1335-1063 career record): Does the fact that he’s never won a championship as a coach keep the door locked? Should that really be criteria? If so, how do you explain Jerry Sloan? From his early days in Milwaukee when his teams kept banging their heads against the Eastern Conference dynasties of Boston and Philly, Nellie made the game fun to play and exciting to watch. He implemented the “point forward” with the Bucks. In two different runs at Golden State, he was daring enough to use the likes of Rod Higgins and Al Harrington at center. While in Dallas, he helped pick a moribund franchise up off the floor and began the long process that led to the 2011 Mavs championship. Sure, he’s used his share of gimmicks, but the truth is virtually all of them have worked.

Gregg Popovich (797-383): The guy who inevitably puts Pop’s name into nomination for the Hall will have to answer to Pop. He doesn’t like the limelight or the notoriety; in fact, most of the time he sneers at it. He can be brusque and downright cranky. But none of those ia a good reason for keeping him from being enshrined right now. He is currently the longest-tenured coach in the NBA and ranks behind only Tony LaRussa of the St. Louis Cardinals in all four major American sports. He’s won four championships. Yes, the San Antonio Spurs are Tim Duncan’s team on the floor, but they are the embodiment of every single thing — defense, commitment, sacrifice — that Popovich believes in.

Bill Fitch (944-1106): The former Marine drill sergeant was one of the forerunners in the use of video scouting and analysis. He was meticulous in his preparation and usually got the most out of every team that he coached with his desire to play fast-breaking basketball. He retired in 1998 as the NBA’s winningest coach. His career record sank below the .500 mark only due to those final seven seasons trying to resurrect the sad-sack Nets and Clippers. Fitch took the expansion Cavaliers from 15 wins in 1971 to the “Miracle of Richfield,” reaching the Eastern Conference finals in 1976. He moved to Boston and in his second season led the Larry Bird-Kevin McHale-Robert Parish Celtics to the 1981 championship. Five years later, he coaxed a young Houston team with Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson past the defending champion Lakers and into The Finals. He’s one of the few coaches in history to take two different teams to The Finals.

Dick Motta (935-1017): Holding the distinction of being the rare bird among NBA coaches who was never a player at the high school, college or pro level should almost be enough to get him in the door to the Hall. But it was that emphasis on tough, in-your-face defense that forged his reputation over 25 years. He was named Coach of the Year in 1971, amid a stretch of leading the Bulls to four consecutive 50-win seasons. He moved to Washington and won a championship with the Bullets in 1978 and returned them to The Finals in 1979. Motta was the perfect fundamentals teacher to get the Dallas Mavericks’ expansion team up and running. Sloan and Rick Adelman, his former players, credited him for being a key influence on their own coaching careers.

Rudy Tomjanovich (527-416): The reluctant coach, he was pressed into taking the job of running the Rockets when Don Chaney was fired in 1992. In his first full season on the job (1992-93), “Rudy T” became the first coach in league history to take his team from the lottery to a division title in one year. Then he followed it up by guiding the Rockets to back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995. Tomjanovich was a pioneer in using a shooting forward (Robert Horry) to space the floor with 3-point shooting. An offense with a cast of long-range shooters finally enabled the Hall of Famer Olajuwon to live up to his true potential in the middle. Tomjanovich coached Team USA to the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. His hands-off, easy-going way deflected praise, yet veteran players loved his style. He spent only 13 seasons as a coach, but is one of only six coaches in NBA history to win consecutive titles. The others — John Kundla, Red Auerbach, Pat Riley, Chuck Daly and Phil Jackson — are already in the Hall.

George Karl (1036-703): He became the seventh coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games when he reached the milestone on Dec. 10, 2010. He’s probably traveled to more points on the map than any of the previous six to get to that plateau. Karl coached eight teams in three leagues on two continents and doesn’t seem to have changed since he came out of Penn Hills (Pa.) to play at North Carolina and then with the San Antonio Spurs. He can be moody, temperamental and brutally outspoken and honest. His direct style has often been said to burn out quickly, which accounts for all the moves. Yet, it wins games, which accounts for the longevity. It seems he’s being punished for the sin of no championships. But in 23 NBA seasons, he’s had a losing record and missed the playoffs only three times.

Rick Adelman (945-616): When you snap a team photo, Adelman is usually the guy in the background blending in with the drapes or the wallpaper. He’s not flashy and doesn’t carry around the cache of the big dogs named Jackson, Riley or Popovich. But for 20 seasons on NBA benches, Adelman’s offenses have been varied, innovative and very effective. His corner-post offense that got the Sacramento Kings close to the top of the mountain in the last decade has been adapted and adopted league-wide. He’s known as a players’ coach, not because he’s easy but because he adjusts his style to the talent he has on hand. He took Portland to The Finals twice, has had only two losing seasons and missed the playoffs just four times, the last two in Houston when Yao Ming was sidelined. If he keeps the string of success going in Minnesota, where he is reportedly the front-runner to take over the Wolves, Adelman might deserve his own wing in the Hall.

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Quit Being Trendy and Do Something Meaningful

So it’s November, or as many refer to it “No Shave  November.” The name is pretty self explanatory. It’s a month where many men (and women…eew) drop the razor for 30 days in an attempt to look like the hipsters whom usually don’t shave on a regular basis anyways. Beards have become more and more the norm as many in Hollywood and other celebrities are seen sporting them, which has really increased the trend of “No Shave November.”

But to others, this month is know as Movember. Movember (mo being slang for mustache) is a month long event for men to grow mustaches (not full beards) to raise awareness for mens health issues such as prostate cancer and depression.

Rollie Fingers of the Oakland Athletics

Since 2004, the Movember Foundation charity has run Movember events to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer and depression, in Australia andNew Zealand. In 2007, events were launched in Ireland, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel, South Africa, Taiwan and the United States.

Rules

The rules of conduct given on the Movember site are:-

1. Once registered at movember.com each mo bro must begin the 1st of Movember with a clean shaven face.
2. For the entire month of Movember each mo bro must grow and groom a moustache.
3. There is to be no joining of the mo to your side burns. (That’s considered a beard.)
4. There is to be no joining of the handlebars to your chin. (That’s considered a goatee.)
5. Each mo bro must conduct himself like a true country gentleman.

So instead of being trendy and trying to look different for 30 days, check out http://us.movember.com/ and do something with doing.