As an editor, there are two ways a project can be very difficult to manage. 1) if you don’t have enough footage, and 2) if you have way too much footage. Challenge is definitely the latter. With just 3 days of shooting so far, we have over half a terabyte of source footage in five separate acquisition formats, 3 different resolutions, and all of it has to live in one searchable project with appropriate markers and metadata. Just keeping a handle on what we have s a huge task on this project.
So, at about 9pm, after a full day of shooting and data wrangling, I had basically nothing in my timeline in terms of story for this rewind. I knew I had great content, but couldn’t get it to weave together. Worry was beginning to set in, but soon thereafter God provided.
After a short walk outside to reset my perspective, the helpful input from some friends, and the sheer Grace of the Spirit, this edit came together faster and more clearly than the others so far. The joy was palpable. At one point, I even startled a convention center janitor with my singing… turns out we both thought we were alone. Pretty funny. Very gracious.
So, enjoy the rewind. I know I did. As time goes on, I have a feeling this edit will stand out in my mind as a milestone of God’s grace not to be forgotten.
Already, we’re exhausted from production, but God continues to provide endurance and ability. I even got a 20 minute nap in between sessions today. It’s amazing to be a participant in what is developing here in Columbus.
This Wednesday, May 26, I have the privilege of presenting an hour long demonstration showcasing the top new features of Adobe’s latest release; After Effects CS5, on behalf of Adobe, Easel Solutions, and The Minnesota After Effects User Group. It’s going to be great!
When you come and stop by, this will be more than a traditional software demo. Of course I’ll be showing off some of the latest features of the application including native 64-bit support, auto-keyframe, and built-in LUT support, but I’ll also be doing an in-depth demonstration of the rotobrush and how to use it with “real world” footage.
During this free event, I’ll be presenting two sessions (11-noon and 3-4) along with participating in question and answer sessions between demos. There will also be free food, drinks, and a chance to win your very own copy of Adobe Creative Suite 5 Premium. I’d love to see you there.
Here’s a short promo I put together for the new series we’ll be starting at Calvary this weekend. I’m really excited about it.
As far as the project goes, I had a lot of fun playing with Depth of field on the title animations and incorporating live action smoke and dust with the particles to make everything sit together.
Anyone interested in seeing this as a tutorial? :) Yay, Nay, or Meh? Leave a comment and let me know.
I went to NAB with two goals: First, I wanted to touch a bunch of gear that I’ve only had the opportunity to read about – things like technocranes, enormous switchers, and 3D camera rigs. Second, I wanted to meet face-to-face with a bunch of my motion graphics friends and heroes from around the world; many of whom I have worked with remotely, but never met in person.
Some of my personal show highlights included watching C4D demonstrations at the Maxon booth, getting to (briefly) play with a working prototype of the 5K Epic-X, and talking with some members of the After Effects development team about what I’d like to see in future releases.
All of this was amazing – and it made the trip a worthwhile success. After this year’s experience, I’m definitely planning on making NAB an annual event.
But even with all these wins, I left Vegas feeling pretty small – which is a really gracious thing. After all, the whole experience is designed to make you feel significant – at least temporarily.
And here’s what I thought was really interesting; the Stratosphere, the hotel where I stayed, did a great job of advertising their 108 story casino tower and it’s “breathtaking views” above the strip. They knew that a change of even a couple hundred vertical feet could radically change a person’s perception of reality. From the street level, all the buildings look enormous. But from just a little higher up, relative to the surrounding mountains, we begin to see how insignificant we really are.
So this is what fascinated me; if the deepest joys in life came from chasing everything that Vegas has to offer, there would be no need for an observation deck on the Stratosphere tower. It simply wouldn’t exist. We wouldn’t long to see splendor, or beauty, or have our breath taken away by a desert sunset. Instead, we could all stay happily indoors forever playing with our software, shooting our cameras, or playing the slots without the slightest longing for something greater.
But the reality is this: we long for something great – something that will last forever. And the biggest exhibitions, casinos, or personal successes can never fill that gap. At least not for long. As one of my other heroes says, “even the Grand Canyon will not do. We were made to enjoy God.” And looking out my window at night, over the streets and to the surrounding mountains, helped me remember that all of this without Christ, will never satisfy me.
So, I left Vegas feeling happy and small.
I’m thankful for the experience. I’m thankful to be home. And I’m thankful I get to do what I do. Being around the most advanced production equipment on the planet and the people who know how to use it masterfully, only further reinforced my gratitude that life does not consist in the abundance of my possessions.
