Before any editor start editing his film, there are always steps to be taken so that nothing becomes unorganized. There is nothing more frustrating for an editor than being unorganized and all of sudden having all of their media go offline because some files were not where they were suppose to be.

This article is mainly about my version of how I work before I start editing. Not everyone is the same and some will have other preferences.

So before I start editing I like to create a master folder. This master folder will be the title of the project and will hold everything I will or might use in the project. From video footage to b-roll to any music I might use. And in the master folder, I will have different categories and these categories will have sub categories of their own. For example,

Master Folder > Video > Interview > interview Video clip

I think you get the idea. I will do this for every type of media that I plan on using. And we'er finally ready to open up Final Cut pro, but we'er not ready to start editing yet. After Final Cut is open, you have to set the scratch disk. To set the scratch disk go to Final Cut pro in the top left hand corner and choose system set up. And there you can set your scratch disk. The scratch disk is the folder where you will save into. After you started editing, I'm sure you are going to want to save you project. Set the scratch disk to your master folder and it'll always be there.

Once you have that set up, you can move all you files into Final Cut pro from Your master and You're ready to start editing.

I hope this helps in any way. And remember this is just how I like to work. Every has their own way of doing things. Good Luck and Have fun editing.

Read more ...

Welcome to another equipment review. Today we'll be taking a look at our Sennheiser EW 100 G3-G omni-directional EW system. This Mic is everything I thought it was going to be and more. When doing interviews, the audio is clean and almost static and noise free. Sure some editing can be done to clean it up more but the mic is great. My experiences with audio is new, but I can say I have never gotten audio like this. A more in depth review will be coming soon, but for now I'm still trying to learn how to use the mics to its full capabilities.

Read more ...

Being an ambitious film maker, I tend to jump the gun and want to start production right away and try to make it work as I go. Total disregard for Pre and post production. Because of that, I tend to mess up as do most people who are like me, due to the lack of preparation. I now definitely know that to be a successful videographer is to be a well planned and organized videographer. And pre production means writing the script, planning, story boarding, and making sure you are ready to start production. The steps of of Pre production... coming soon.

Read more ...

Before my experiences with the San Diego Futures Foundation and joining the Diversecity Tech team, I was a student and a struggling videographer.  Video equipment was hard to come by and very expensive. 

But with the support of the San Diego Futures Foundation and the DiverseCity Tech social enterprise program, I have been given the opportunity to utilize  new equipment that could change the dynamics of production for this company and improve productivity.

We have many new toys but one that I was most excited about was the Cinevate DSLR shoulder rig for my Canon 5D Mark II. The rig was smaller then I had expected but when adjustments were made to the shoulder pad and railings, it felt exactly like I thought it would.

The handles were very durable and had excellent gripping. And it was very light, so it wasn't a burden to carry around.  Once my camera was mounted on top with the special quick release plate, it was a whole new experience. The test shots I took with it were absolutely amazing and very stable.  As a videographer I felt I had evolved, in fact I had.

For many new cinematographers video equipment can be very expensive and extremely hard to come by, forcing most to settle for 3rd party lower quality equipment that has a short life span.  It's true what they say, "you get what you paid for", and for about $1000 plus, I have a reliable piece of equipment that has yet to fail me.

Is it the person that makes the videographer or is the the equipment that makes the videographer?

Read more ...

On Saturday March 19th, Calvin and I (Kevin Tran) got the chance to film and document the Get Connected Technology Fair At Frank Wright Middle School in Imperial, California, hosted by Family Tree House.  What an event it was.

It was nothing like I had expect it to be. The fair consisted of booths from many different organizations, games and televisions sets provided by Game Stop, contests with prizes, rides for the kids, and even a live band to entertain the guest. Everyone was having fun. And never have I seen so many prizes given away. San Diego futures foundation donated laptops, xbox 360, and so many other great prizes to be raffled off.

It was good to see that this fair was really making a difference. As I sat at the SDFF booth, many attendees came to the booth and took our survey, and I noticed that many people put down they don't have any internet access at their home. And the thought of not being connected to world through the internet is like living in the stone ages, well to me that is. 

Internet makes a difference, and I feel the fair made a difference to these people. Pictures will be uploaded soon, and thanks to everyone who made this event possible especially Family Tree House for hosting the event and allowing San Diego Futures Foundation to participate. A video highlighting the event will be upload soon.  Stay tuned so we could share the fun times with you.

Read more ...