Eight New Tutorials on the MediaStorm Blog

More Premiere Pro Tutorials on the MediaStorm Blog

This Workflow Goes to X

Tim McLaughlin and have I updated the MediaStorm Post-production Workflow for Final Cut Pro X. Since we haven't yet produced a project using the software, this is our best guess at how to adapt our current methods and best practices.

From the MediaStorm blog:

The updated workflow is bundled with the original FCP 7 workflow and includes access to MediaStorm’s Apple Aperture Workflow and MediaStorm’s Final Cut Asset Parser. Everyone who previously purchased the workflow will receive complimentary access to the FCP X document.

Online access to MediaStorm's Post-production Workflow, including MediaStorm’s Apple Aperture Workflow and Final Cut Asset Parser, can be purchased for a one-time fee of $14.95.

Click here for details.

Guide to FCP 7 Autosave Vault

I've written a guide to using the Autosave Vault in Final Cut Pro 7. From the MediaStorm blog:

Final Cut Pro’s Autosave Vault is your insurance policy against crashes, lost work and just about any other mishap. In short, it will save your bacon.

The vault works by saving an entire copy of your Final Cut Pro project file at a regular, user-determined interval.

This post will explain how to set up your Autosave Vault, copy items from a backup to your working project as well as replace your FCP file with a backup file.

Read the full post here.

Two New White Papers on MediaStorm Resources Page

I've published two new white papers for MediaStorm. From the MediaStorm blog:

The first, MediaStorm Compression Workflow: From Output to Web-ready H.264 (PDF) details our new encoding process.

The other, Setting up Qmaster for Faster Transcoding and Compression (PDF) shows how to use Apple’s Compressor for faster encodes that utilize all of your computer’s processors.

Both papers can be found on the MediaStorm resources page: http://mediastorm.com/train/resources.

MediaStorm Online Multimedia Training

I’m excited to announce the release of MediaStorm’s online training.

From the MediaStorm blog:

You can select from three Training Modules – a Reporting Track, a Post-Production Track, or The Making Of: The Amazing Amy, or you can opt for a full subscription that includes everything (along with other Modules that we’ll be producing throughout the year).

Along with Brian Storm, I host three modules on post-production. Topics include pictured editing, using music, and editing techniques.

For more information, see the online training site.

How To (Hopefully) Resurrect FireWire Drives

A few weeks ago when I booted up my home iMac my firewire drives were curiously absent from the desktop. It was odd since they'd been working the night before. Fortunately, my system is still covered by Applecare so I called for support. Turns out, if you unplug your computer and let it sit for a good thirty-seconds, the firewire bus will clear. When I rebooted my drives were back.

Presto.

Copy Screenshots to the Clipboard

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.

How I Use Social Networks

A coworker recently asked which social networking sites I use. I thought I'd take the opportunity to break down my "strategy." Blogs I blog here at ericmaierson.com, of course, and have also written extensively for the MediaStorm blog. (See the tutorial section.)

I use the WordPress plugin, WP to Twitter to automatically update Twitter when I create a new post.

I also have two tumblr sites. Tumblr makes blogging fun; it's an easy way to repost things I find on the tubes.

I save pictures to my dropbox during the week then post on Sundays.

Finally, I am the proprietor of a single serving site, WhatIsTheMostImportantThingAboutMultimedia.com.

Twitter

I have three twitter accounts. The first is my personal and often neglected feed @gboy.  It's neglected because I spend most of my time curating @MediaStorm. There you'll find lots of links about photography, infograghics, Final Cut and tech news–particularly related to Apple.

Finally, there's my pet project @FCPkeystrokes where I tweet one Final Cut keyboard shortcut a day.

I use the facebook application Selective Tweets which posts my @gboy updates to facebook if they include the hash tag #fb.

My Twitter tools of choice are Tweetie for the iPhone as well as the desktop version.

I post, however, using the web application Hootsuite. Hootsuite provides an excellent bookmarklet that when clicked automatically populates a new tweet with the name of the current web site and a shortened link. The only drawback is the link creates an iFrame on the resulting page.

Photography

Flickr is the main archive for my photography online. I also use the online editing site Picnik for last minute color corrections. Picnik can be set up to work from within the Flickr interface. For more information on integrating Picnik see Flickr's FAQ.

Pictures I make with my iPhone, I email to the dead-simple blogging site Posterous which promptly posts them. Posterous can also autopost to a number of other social sites.

I've set up my account to post a link on twitter and repost images to Facebook as well.

Aggregation

I've just started using flavors.me which uses dropdown menus to compact your social network in to a very useful aggregation.

What Did I Miss?

I'm always on the lookout for new sites and cool tools so I've overlooked one of your favorites please drop me or add a comment below. I'd love to hear from you.