Hand Draw Fonts with iFontMaker for iPad
by Eric on August 28, 2010
iFontMaker for iPad makes it easy to create your own fonts. After drawing your alphabet, simply send the file to 2ttf.com.
You’ll quickly receive a link to the company’s website where you can download your Open Type font.
My first effort – Fat Finger – is free to all.
Check out the gallery of staff favorites, too
iFontMaker is available from the iTunes store for $7.99
Words to Cut On
by Eric on August 22, 2010
Linear storytelling is about progression. It’s about the ordering of events to create a beginning, middle and end and thereby a compelling narrative.
As an editor, I constantly ask myself, how do I get from here to there?
One road post to look for are transitional words like but, however, and therefore. These words connote change. They pivot the narrative making them great words to cut on.
“I was was walking to the store, but” – walking-to-the-store image.
“I decided to go home. ” – relaxing-at-home image.
As a general rule, I cut after the transition.
The grammar of language and the grammar of editing flow together. Don’t overlook their connection.
Council on Foreign Relations Global Governance Monitor: Public Health
by Eric on August 14, 2010
The Global Governance Monitor: Public Health is the fifth installment of the Council on Foreign Relations Global Monitor. I produced the six-minute overview.
Copy Screenshots to the Clipboard
by Eric on July 18, 2010
At MediaStorm I take a lot of screenshots. I use the mac shortcut key command-shift-4 to capture a selection of the screen. Most of the time, I capture application settings that I send to my colleagues.
The problem with command-shift-4 is that it saves the image to the desktop, an intermediary step before I attach it to an email message.
Thanks to this TUAW.com article, I discovered a solution. If you use command-shift-4 + the Control key the screenshot will be sent directly to the clipboard, making it super easy to paste in to an email while keeping your desktop clean, too.
Driftless and Surviving the Tsunami Nominated for Emmys
by Eric on July 17, 2010
I’m very excited to announce that two MediaStorm projects I produced and edited have been nominated for the 31st Annual Emmy Awards for News & Documentary.
Driftless: Stories from Iowa by Danny Wilcox Frazier was nominated in the New Approaches to News & Documentary Programming: Documentaries category.
Surviving the Tsunami: Stories of Hope was nominated in the New Approaches to News & Documentary Programming: Current News Coverage category.
Congratulations also go out to my good friend and former colleague Bob Sacha whose MediaStorm collaboration with Reuters, Times of Crisis, was also nominated in the New Approaches to News & Documentary Programming: Current News Coverage category.
The project includes brilliant interactivity designed by Tim Klimowicz.
For a full list of nominees see the Emmy Award website.
MediaStorm’s Guide to Using Apple’s ProRes 422 Codec
by Eric on July 16, 2010
I’ve written a short tutorial detailing when to use Apple’s ProRes 422 codec.
You can read it here on the MediaStorm blog.
Two New Projects on MediaStorm
by Eric on July 3, 2010
In my haste to announce my new film Three Women, I neglected to post two other projects recently released on MediaStorm.
The first is Lisa Robinson’s Snowbound, which I produced and edited. The project was a bit of a departure as it’s the first non-narrative piece I’ve produced at MediaStorm.
From the description:
Snowbound explores the mystery of a winter landscape. This journey may lead one to discover a sense of peace in an often uncharted world.
View Snowbound here.
The second project is Airsick by Lucas Oleniuk. This piece was originally produced by the Toronto Star. At MediaStorm, I re-edited a handful of scenes and helped oversee the creation of new titles by the abundantly talented James Gundersen.
See Airsick here.
Interview with Tanya Workman
by Eric on June 28, 2010
I did a rather extensive with Tanya Workman on the process of creating my short Three Women.
Check it out on her blog here.
Things I’m Digging
by Eric on June 26, 2010
start.io – a minimal web-based RSS aggregator. Easily customizable.
Safari Extensions – a new feature with Safari 5. Empower your browser. Instillation instructions here.
zootol.com – a sort of delicious.com for images. Gorgeous UI that allows for easy posting across social networks.
Cloudapp – a menu bar app that allows users to store web pages for later cloud-based reading. Excellent as a way station for later consideration.
Plastic Bullet for iPhone
by Eric on June 20, 2010
Plastic Bullet is a $1.99 iPhone app from Red Giant Software, makers of the essential Final Cut color correction tool Magic Bullet Looks.
Unlike other camera apps, like the omnipresent Hipstamatic, Plastic Bullet offers no real way to control the look of your image.
For each picture you take, Plastic Bullet offers four alternate versions. Don’t like what you see? Simply press the randomize button and you’ll see four new choices.
Fortunately, most options are pretty stunning.