Why We Teach Avid: Storytelling on the Cutting Edge

Check out this great interview with up and coming Hollywood editor Robin Buday, courtesy of Avid's official Vimeo channel!

Storytelling on the Cutting Edge: Robin Buday from Avid on Vimeo.

10 Things You Can Do to Stand Out on Set

Writer Jon Kline has published an article on MovieMaker.com titled "10 Things a PA Can Do to Stand Out." While directed at Production Assistants (very likely your first professional production gig), many of Kline's 10 tips can be applied to any position on any crew, and practically in any field.

1) Show up ready to work.
2) Be prepared on set.
3) Don’t step on toes.

Read the rest here.

Cinema's "cross-media" reinvention

From Reuters: In a keynote speech at the BFI's London Film Festival's technology conference Power to the Pixel, movie producer Ted Hope calls for a new era of interactive, immersive cinema.



Watch on Reuters.com

Tutorial: Create a Terminator-Style HUD with Expressions

From AE Tuts+: "Ben McEwan has created a 3 Day Series crammed full of useful expressions to create the UI found in the Terminator. He'll skim over some of the basics of shape layers, as well as touch on some more advanced stuff like displacement mapping."

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Tutorial: Advanced Lighting and Caustics with Mental Ray and Maya

From CG Tuts+: "In this tutorial you will learn how to use the 3 indirect lighting systems in Maya (Global Illumination, Final Gathering, and Irradiance Particles) and caustics. You will learn how to solve common problems and reduce rendering times while creating hi-quality images. At the end of this tutorial, you will have gained enough experience to decide which of the 3 indirect lighting systems is the most convenient for any situation."

Featured Project: Viva La Vida

This week's featured project is Ryan Loveland's awesome effects-laden music video for Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," produced for last semester's DFVA254 Motion Graphics class. Look for appearances by some of UAT's best and brightest - Mr. Loveland himself as the singer, Jusin Gagen on violin, Kalki Khaira on acoustic guitar, Ryan Andrews on drums, Kenny Rayl on keyboards and Justin Savino on electic guitar.



YouTube Link

Call for Volunteers: International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival

Call for Festival Zombies! (EXTRA CREDIT FOR CURRENT STUDENTS!)

The 2009 International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival is creeping up on us! The festival takes place at the MADCAP Theatres (Formerly Harkins Centerpoint) from October 15th -- October 18th. We can’t capture our audience without the help of our amazing Festival Zombies. In exchange for a commitment of at least Sixteen (16) hours, Festival Zombies will receive a festival t-shirt and a full festival pass (excludes the opening night screening). In addition to the various positions you can help out with during the festival, there will also be pre-festival volunteer opportunities.

We’re putting a shift schedule together now and will be starting our Festival Zombie Orientations soon. Those of you who have volunteered with us before will not be required to attend an Orientation (Online Scheduling will be available), however if you will be transforming yourself into a Festival Zombie for the first time this year, you will need to attend an orientation. The One (1) hour spent at orientation will be credited to your Festival Commitment.

We've scheduled a FINAL Festival Zombie Orientation to go over the specifics and answer any questions you may have. This is also an opportunity to sign up for the shifts you'd like to work.

* October 3, 2009 at 1:00pm

Orientation will last about an hour and will take place at the Phoenix Film Foundation offices located in the Metro Arts Institute, 1700 N. 7th Ave Suite 250. The building is on the NW corner of 7th Avenue and McDowell.

Please email volunteer@phxfilm.com to reserve a space or if you have any questions.

We look forward to seeing your ... Blood and guts, spewed all over the place. Looked like spaghetti and meat sauce ... at the upcoming Festival!

Please email mailto:volunteer@phxfilm.com with any questions; visit the Volunteer Schedule at: http://PFFVolunteer.com

David A. Lucas -- Volunteer Director
Phoenix Film Foundation
1700 N. 7th Ave, Suite #250 Phoenix, AZ 85007
-- David@PhxFilm.com
-- (480) 236-0782 (c)