Prolost: ' Pimp Your After Effects'

DV Rebel's Guide author and all-around digital video guru Stu Maschwitz has published this handy guide for squeezing the most out of his favorite compositing software:

After Effects is a professional tool by any measure, but it is designed for a broad user base. So an artist who plans to push it hard will want to tune the application accordingly.

Read it, bookmark it, and start pimpin' out your After Effects today!

Instructables: Make a Cool Tron-like Daft Punk Helmet

For the budding prop-makers and/or lovers of Tron Legacy and Daft Punk, here's an awesome step-by-step Instructable for building a replica of Guy Manuel's iconic helmet written by propmaker Fennec Cooper. Fennec takes you through all the materials and tools he used, plus the steps for building a prototype, creating a mold to cast copies, detailing, painting, and lighting. Even if you don't ever build this particular prop, the methodology can work for any other type of helmet or armor piece you might think of.

Art of the Title: 'Mad Men'

Art of the Title has published this great look behind the scenes of the iconic opening title sequence for AMC's "Mad Men." A must-read for all aspiring motion graphics artists!

DV Internships: November 2011

Here are the latest internships for Digital Video (and related fields), courtesy of our friends in Industry and Career Services:

Job ID:	2582
Job Title:	Digital Video
Job Type:	Internship - Unpaid
Full/Part Time:	Part Time
Openings:	1
Salary:
Skills Required:
Description:	Video Production Wizler Duties Include Create, from start to finish, several short videos The videos will be product reviews and commercials. Creative opinions are welcome The video will be featured on the home page of Evil Controller as well as Youtube How To Apply Send a resume to Phalene Leichtman. Looking to hire as soon as possible! Employer Website: Wizler Posted 11/18/2011 Expire 11/25/2011

---

Job ID:	2581
Job Title:	Events Intern
Job Type:	Internship - Unpaid
Full/Part Time:	Part Time
Openings:	1
Salary:
Skills Required:
Description:	Publicity Intern San Francisco Film Society Duties Include Conducting research into special interest media outlets Contacting press to establish and maintain contact Gathering and organizing materials for film programs such as photos, press kits, and synopses Providing press materials to media contacts and facilitating interviews Maintaining video library including copying, labeling DVDs and checking them out to press Entering and updating data (mailing lists, contact info, etc.) into electronic databases and other computer-based systems Preparing press clipping reports and assisting with ongoing clippings archive project Preparing press releases and press kits Onsite event support at festival venues, including screenings, receptions and special events; and miscellaneous projects Skills Required Flexible, energetic, detail-oriented, team players with good organizational skills and a passion for cinema Macintosh experience helpful, especially FileMaker Pro, Photoshop, Google apps, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and image scanning Good writing and telephone skills essential Knowledge of second language is a plus How To Apply Send a resume and cover letter to Bill Proctor Employer Website: San Francisco Film Society Posted 11/18/2011 Expire 1/18/2012 Location: San Francisco, CA

---

Job ID:	2580
Job Title:	Digital Media Artist
Job Type:	Internship - Paid
Full/Part Time:	Part Time
Openings:	1
Salary:	$0-$8 Hourly
Skills Required:
Description:	Graphics Internship Wizler Duties Include Create website banners both static and flash Video editing for Youtube videos Website graphic design, which could be a full website design, or just bits and pieces of pages Facebook fan page design Skills Required Photoshop, with the ability to create organized and layered Photoshop files for hands-off to developers Video recording using a digital camera, and being familiar with lighting and sound for Youtube videos Video editing skills will also be required for final cuts Illustrator HTML/CSS, basic understanding, no programming required Intern will be responsible for having the following programs: Photoshop, Illustrator, & video editing software How To Apply Send a resume and cover letter to Phalene Leichtman Employer Website: Wizler Posted 11/18/2011 Expire 12/18/2011

---

Job ID:	2567
Job Title:	Digital Video
Job Type:	Internship - Paid
Full/Part Time:	Full Time
Openings:	2
Salary:
Skills Required:
Description:	Web and Video Developers New Amsterdam Consulting, Inc. Duties Include NAC is seeking a team of students to help prepare materials for a new initiative. We needs students to: 1.Produce a 5 minute video on the project 2.Build a business card Web site for the projec Skills Required Web developers must be self-motivated and able to take direction from a seasoned application developer Video production interns must be able to tape and edit. In addition, they must be able to create and incorporate computer animation into the video How To Apply Send a resume and cover letter to Brad Snyder Employer Website: New Amsterdam Consulting, Inc. Posted 11/8/2011 Expire 12/8/2011 Location: Scottsdale, AZ

UAT Takes Home Four Awards at IFP/Phoenix 'Breakout Film Challenge'

On Friday November 18th, IFP/Phoenix hosted the screening and awards party for its latest filmmaker challenge, the seven-week "Breakout Challenge." Rather than giving filmmakers a prop and line of dialogue that they would be required to use (as is the case in a 48-Hour Film Challenge), IFP/Phoenix gave filmmakers some themes to choose from AND some additional deliverables to produce. Instead of just making a 5-minute film, participating filmmakers also had to produce a 30-second teaser trailer, a poster, a press kit, and other marketing materials.

Two teams of UAT Digital Video students participated.

The team of Erica Faccone, Bryan Simcox, Wes Peterson, and Sean Walter produced the drama "Wish You Were Here," which took home the awards for "Best Use of Theme" and "5th Place Film." Here's their trailer:



Meanwhile, the team of Trevor Spotted Eagle, Samantha Hammond, Jamil Abubakar, Caleb Evans, Ib Gillett, Jared Oppie, Tyler Dennis, Ariel Navarrette, and Paul Rosario, working under the supervision of Professor Paul DeNigris, produced the sci-fi thriller "Reset." Their film won awards for "Best Visual Effects" and "3rd Place Film." Here's the trailer for "Reset":



Congratulations to both our teams!

Cruzine: 'Freebies from Daily Inspirations no. 21 – 40'

I'm a sucker for free stuff, especially free textures, vectors, and fonts. Here's a cool collection of useful freebies from Cruzine, including blood (my fave), lightning, ink drops, Spanish football club logos (!) and more. Happy downloading!

Hope For Film: 'New Platforms Available For Direct Distribution'

Veteran indie producer Ted Hope has aggregated a list of 30 or so platforms for what he calls "do it yourself" or "do it with others" distribution. The list includes crowdfunding stalwarts Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, peer-to-peer networks, distribution aggregators, and more. Just goes to show - the distribution landscape is wide and varied these days. Check out Ted's list if you're thinking about making an indie film any time soon.

Exposure Guide: 'Focusing Basics'

Here's a handy graphical guide to the relationship between lens aperture and subject distance to depth of field. Worth a look even if you think you have a good handle on it! Check it out here on Exposure Guide.

Networked Blogs: 'Inventing Your Career'

Here's a blog post I saw that I thought would help anyone looking for that career stepping-stone right out of college:

I know for certain that when you invent your own career, you consciously choose to leverage your own talents, your own skills, your own preferences – rather than contorting yourself to fit into a narrow job description of someone else’s design.

Read the rest here. Great stuff.

Motion Design Center: 'What is Motion Design?'

For more info, check out Motion Design Center's website.

PremiumBeat: '25 Excellent Post-Production and Video Editing iPhone and iPad Apps'

PremiumBeat.com has published a handy list of 25 great film and video production apps for iPhone and iPad, including one of my favorites, "Movie Slate." Many of the apps support Final Cut Pro (fellow Apple products after all) but a good number of them are software-agnostic and extremely useful.

Read the full list here!

Considering the move to Los Angeles?

If you're like many UAT Digital Video students - or film students in general, for that matter - you're probably considering moving to Los Angeles after college in order to get your career going. Wise move. (And if you're not considering the move, as yourself "Why not?") Well, here's the resource you've been looking for: I'm Moving to L.A., a website specifically for you. (The site's subtitle is "Real advice from real people on how to live and survive in Los Angeles.) Bookmark it now!

'PressPausePlay' - a timely documentary on art, technology, and digital culture

Go to the film's official site to download the free version or purchase on iTunes or Amazon.

60 Minutes Overtime: 'Filming mountain climber Alex Honnold'

What do you need to film a segment on a rock climber who scales thousand-foot sheer cliff faces without a rope? Fourteen cameras and nerves of steel.

ICG Magazine: 'Raging Bulls' Examines the DP-to-VFX Workflow on 'Real Steel'

International Cinematographers Guild (ICG) Magazine takes a good in-depth look at the VFX-driven cinematography workflow on the recent sci-fi boxing movie Real Steel. The film was lensed in HD by Mauro Fiore, Oscar-winning DP of Avatar, and the workflow leveraged and advanced many of the tools developed on that picture.

Bringing in a VFX-heavy feature for $80 million is no mean feat, and Josh McLaglen, a veteran of the some of the most complex logistical films in recent memory, points to the unique workflow as a big part of that process. “If you’ve got two ordinary people talking over coffee or even fighting each other for most of your movie, our production paradigm is unnecessary,” he concludes. “But if two of the four main characters are paranormal, it makes really good sense, and is a cost-effective methodology for budgeting complex films. Avatar was translated virtual-to-virtual, only rarely with humans being interactive. But this one is going virtual-to-live-action in the real world. To accomplish that, I think we used the tools better this time.”

Read the entire article here. Also of note is this fxguide "Case Study" on Real Steel and the accompanying fxpodcast.

48 Hour Film: 'The Taste of Lies'

UAT Digital Video's entry into the November 2011 Inter-College 48 Hour Film Challenge, hosted by Grand Canyon University. The film took home the 'Best Director' award for director Trevor Spotted Eagle.

The parameters were:
- line of dialogue: 'I enjoy the taste of lies.'
- prop: a snowglobe
- character: Harry Colon, linebacker
- genre: mystery

Written and directed by Trevor Spotted Eagle
Cinematography by Jared Oppie
Edited by Nicolas Vereen

Starring Annie Winn

fxguide: 'Incredible, Invisible Effects'

Here's a great article that breaks down some of the not-so-obvious effects work in recent films such as Drive, Contagion, Killer Elite and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. As usual fxguide does a bang-up job of going into the nuts and bolts of what makes these sequences work so well. Read it at fxguide!

UAT Digital Video student wins 'Best Director' in GCU-hosted Inter-College 48 Hour Film Challenge

UAT Digital Video student Trevor Spotted Eagle picked up the 'Best Director' trophy Sunday evening on the campus of Grand Canyon University at the awards ceremony for the latest Inter-College 48 Hour Film Challenge.

The challenge began on Friday evening when 4 teams from GCU and 1 team from UAT were given their marching orders; films were required to include:

- line of dialogue: "I enjoy the taste of lies"
- prop: snowglobe
- character: Harry Colon, linebacker

Each team received a different genre, and Team UAT's was "mystery." Working all weekend, the team produced the slick psychological mystery-thriller "The Taste of Lies," which featured a detective character tasked with solving a murder her own alter ego had committed.

This was the third matchup between UAT and GCU in the Inter-College 48 Hour Film Challenge, which began as a twice-yearly tradition in 2010. One of GCU's entries "Narwhal" took home the 'Best Actor' and 'Best Film' trophies this time around. UAT will be hosting the next installment of the challenge in April or May.