ImageCutter

So as the debate still rages over Apples latest version of Final Cut, and editors consider moving to new software, I am reminded of my migration from AVID DS to Final Cut 4 years ago. As those of you familiar with the DS know, I really wasn't able to bring previously produced projects over to my new editing platform. So after I became comfortable with the new software I developed a procedure for saving my projects that would allow me to easily migrate to any new editing system in the future. I created a checklist of all the files I would need to edit the project on any another system. Feel free to copy it and modify it for yourself, it has already saved my a number of times. Project:__________________________________________________ Date: Client:_____________________________Division/Department__________________________ Producer________________________________ Editor:_____________________________ CHECKLIST: Final Master QT ProRes422(HQ) or Native PhotoJPEG or Animation Final UNFON

I recently finished a music video for the song Out of Many. It has been very well received and is currently on it's way to the White House. Please read the letter to President Obama below, and check out the video at Out of Many February 17, 2011 President Barack Obama The White House Washington, D.C. Dear President Obama, This is our moment, this is our time… is a phrase you spoke at your victory speech in Chicago. This phrase inspired a collaborative project here in Connecticut that includes some amazingly talented musicians from the Nutmeg State. I have co-written a song with Joan Spear titled, Out of Many We are One, with words and phrases collected from your stirring speeches in Chicago and Washington, D.C. This song is a gift to you because your message of unity and change inspired us to create a song. It is our hope that this song can become an anthem that will spark a new direction for America. Out of Many We are One was written to be given away, to inspire, to initiat

Recently, I was asked to put together a demo which showed the many different interview styles we have used over the years. Traditionally you have two ways to do that, the first being a music video. Pick a track and cut together a series of examples of different shooting styles. The second choice is to string together segments from a variety of projects again showing the different shooting and lighting styles. Been there done that. So I decided to take a less travelled road. We have been marketing ourselves as storytellers for the last 18 years so why not demo that talent as well. I opened the video archives and told Our Story using selected clips from different projects we have produced over the years. Enjoy!

Recently, the documentary I edited for Connecticut Public Television received an Emmy. Here is a description of the program taken from the press release. In the half-hour documentary, Living Modern in Connecticut, host and producer Diane Smith tells the story of notable buildings, erected in the middle of the Twentieth Century. They range from the Glass House in New Canaan, to the Phoenix Companies’ “boat building” in Hartford, to a hockey rink shaped like a whale in New Haven, and a “floating tower” on Long Wharf. The world-renowned architects who designed these buildings took advantage of new technologies and materials to reshape our cities and suburbs. But, just 50 years later, many of these landmarks are threatened. As the documentary makes clear, historic preservation has progressed far beyond saving that colonial home on the town green. In a stunning review of the bold and innovative designs that set modern buildings apart, Smith tracks the history of the modernist movement in

Recently, I attended an excellent HD Workshop & Mini-Expo presented by Digital CONNtent Creators http://www.digitalct.org/ at Tripeg Studios in Hamden, CT. This event was very informative and I am still amazed by how rapidly the technology in our industry evolves and grows. There is no question that in order to survive these changes you must understand and embrace them, so thanks to Keith Larsen and the rest of the crew that put this show together. This November marks my 25th anniversary in this industry and throughout my career I’ve witnessed the many changes in the tools we use to do our jobs, but how we do it remains the same. The expertise we employ, lighting directing, scriptwriting, producing, editing have changed little over the years, and it is these skills that we need to be continually honing and refining. While it is important to remain current with the tech used in our industry, knowing how to effectively apply our talent and creative nature to the project is still the

Lighting is a key element in creating compelling images. The most effective films have always used lighting as a tool to evoke emotion. This video features many of the best in the field of cinema lighting and is full of illuminating commmentary. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6snm0mHkfSE