Life update – November 7, 2009
Posted by booncunian in Film, Life, Mac, Movies, Movies, Projection, apple, blog, cinema, computers, videos, work.add a comment
Film did not got in the short film competition, im thinking there may have been a chance that is was removed due to breach of the rules or that its was just not very good, I would have liked to have gone down south for a day out but think I got a lot from doing all this work in the film so may be next year I’ll get other people who really want to enter something.
Im now one day away from starting my 2 weeks holidays and for the first 4 days it will be nothing but Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 but for the remaining 10 days I will be in Nepal, I have a friends wedding to go to but thought I would take a little longer over there and have a little break. I am really looking forward to the change in life for a week or so, I think it will be a unforgettable time.
The World of apple, Macbook pro to be more specific keeps getting better and better. The thing that had hit me in the past few days is the power of this thing, not just one thing but every component is very quick. I ran a screening for a friend last night from my mac and lets be honest running a video is not very demanding. To get the equipment set up I had to run a virtual windows 7, at the same time I my desktop running 1440×900 and my extended desktop running at 2048×1080, then I opened mail and it did not even slow down.
So I can see most people running macs through Tv’s or home projectors, I get to play with some more high end stuff, last night for this short film I had my mac plugged in to a £4000 scalier which was plugged in to a £35000 NEC2500 putting a 2048×1080 image on a screen 35 foot wide with 15 fLB on screen. We are the Avatar trailer of my mac as a test and it looked as good as what we get from our digital servers.
Im also now loving my new 3Gs, its just a nice quick update, I think the camera takes a much better image and even the video looks good.
As for word its been a few hard weeks, a nightmare of a film festival for 3 days did take a lot of attention but the rest of the building still needs running so I think they way im feeling now looks as if I ran at 150%. How ever much hard work it was it was still interesting and challenging and its nice to have a challenge every now and then. We ran Digi Beta, Beta Cam, Beta CamSR, 35mm, dvd, Blu-ray and some stuff in NTSC making things more complicated. The problems did not come from the different media but in the frame rates everything was set at, as the player was a loan and not through us we could not play 23.98 and 24 fps, so any tape in this frame rate would not play or go out of sync, its just hard when you care about what you put in screen.
So apart from feeling knackered from a very busy week, I have the flu and have only just started to feel better from the jabs for Nepal. I could do with starting to feel better before I do the midnight at Game for MW2,
Short film October 1, 2009
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So for the past 3 years the company I work for hold a yearly short film competition, and for the past 3 years I have let it go by with out doing anything for it.
So I work with a lot of people who film and cinema is an interest to them, perfect for someone who want to make a short film, must be bursting with ideas, no so much. A lot of talk and not so much action. I didn’t really have an idea for a film and I don’t like things like scripts but I was going to be dammed if I was going to let another film festival pass be by so I entered.
For some reason after thinking got a good few days I did come up with a film idea but its very dark and depressing, starts with love and ends with loneliness. I don’t know why I would come up with this but again I didn’t want to do story or script I wanted to shoot it and edit it but my hand has been forced as there was no one wanting to do a film.
So most of the footage has been shot and I would say I need a little more and then the rough edit will be done, I have a few people going to look at it as a fresh set of eyes would help, also got a friend who edits very well who I thought of getting some help off just to make it look smother. You know I don’t expect to win anything, my plan has been to learn final cut pro and I have done in the past few weeks, then I move on to the sound side of things then the rendering/exporting side. I think the film will be ok when finished but that’s what happens when im filming it while being in it and thinking of the idea and script and then editing it, it would have been nice to work as part of a team to put something together but we will see how it all comes out
iphoto training September 11, 2009
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so apple offer some free training when you buy a mac, you can go to your local apple store and book in for some free training on most things. i decided to go in for the iphoto training, im good with computers but having a new mac its all slightly different to what i am used to.
i have to say that the iphoto software is very well though out, just being able to manage so many photos in a very easy way is perfect. the smart folders are just fantastic giving you the power to filter all of your photos in a very quick and easy way.
the faces part of iphoto is amazing, just tag a few photos of different people then iphoto runs off and finds more photos of that person.
im thinking its going to take a little time to go through all of my photos but once its done i think my life of photos will quick and easy.
the first few days of mac’ing it up September 8, 2009
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so its taking some getting used too, i know it may sound odd but things are just a little too simple, uninstall a program, just drop it in the trash, that little thing took me about 20 mins to work out.
i have to say even with the software i am feeling the 2.8 duel core, 4GB ram and top end graphics card its just soooo nice, the screen, keybourd, just everything.
now the software is takeing some getting used to, i think its just finding out the little things that every mac user knows and im sure i will get there in the end. im looking forward to getting stuck in with final cut pro, i happy with premier pro but whats the point of having a mac and not using the best?
Macbook pro September 7, 2009
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well the day has come, after waiting for some time i now have a new macbook pro, not just a normal macbook pro but the top of the line, 2.8ghz, 500gb hard drive, 512mb GPU, 4gb ram macbook pro.
i have to say its just fantastic, one of the nicest pieces of hardware i have ever had and i dont think words can quite explain how happy i am.
Action! August 31, 2009
Posted by booncunian in Bands, Film, manchester, music, night out, videos.add a comment
So the past few weeks have been very buisy, I have been helping a few friends with filming, I say helping but its more of moving stuff and holding stuff but I’m glad to help and it lets you watch people who know what they are doing, I think I have picked up quite a few things just by helping out.
Working in the sets gives you a good idea how much work goes in to the preparation of filming, lighting can take hours just to get right and once it is you find you have 10 very hot lights in a small room and with 6 people , and have never felt heat like it. But also looking at the camera work and how different people frame different shots. Its very inspiring, I don’t think I’m much of a script person but I do think I would enjoy camera work.
Work have a short film festival every year and its coming up in the next few months so I’m thinking of may be doing something. Ive been trying to get a few people on board from work but its not moving as quickly as I think it needs to for it to be workable.
So Gigs, I got to film Dr Tid and the triple 8’s album launch on Friday night at Centro Bar on Tib street. First the Gig which was very good, its a nice venue and I think this night went off very well. The filming was something a little new to me a long with the broadcast quality cameras, I did find the more I drank the more risky shots I went after, I hope once they have the footage it works out well, if not I don’t think I will be asked again. It was also the last time Arm rug would ever play, it was good to see them back and doing what they do best and it had been some time since I watched them play.
They also got a little air time this weekend on BBC Manchester radio, have a listen here, its 2:20 in and Shmoo also got in there just after.
MacBook Pro July 22, 2009
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Ok I love computers, always have, think I got that from my dad with his old 486DX2 with turbo. I love messing round with them and building new systems, its just something that’s has always entertained me.
With the interest in computers and the skills you pick up from just working with them a lot comes the “can you help” problem. Well its not a problem but I do tend to help out more and more friends and family members when it comes to things not working, I don’t mind but sometimes it is like I speak a different language.
So to the Mac, my Step mum uses her laptop for design and work but its a old laptop that has needed to be upgraded for some time in my opinion. She has been interested in getting a Mac and one day in conversation she asked how much one would cost, I told her it would be around £2000 as she would have to me one so when I get called I know how to fix the problem. She said yes! Now I don’t want the low end macbook as my laptop had a better spec, I asked for the mid range pro, yes!
Now until I have it in my hands nothing is for sure, this is true but there is a bigger chance than last week of me getting a macbook pro.
I have to say having a iphone apple are good at what they do, and with the ability to run windows 7 as part of the boot camp you get the best of both worlds. Just hope it comes true.
Friends moving on July 22, 2009
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I just hate it when friends move on, not for them for me. It hasn’t happened too often but a few times in the past few years. I’m talking about friends who you just know and have something to say once or twice a week but friends who you see 5/6 times a week. The people who you talk to and would trust.
We its here once again, I have worked with him for the past 5 years, its not like he is going to be moving a few hour’s drive away, its a 17 hour flight! People say it wont be the last time you will get to see him and I have to say they are right but not by much, I think due to the distance it just feels shit but I understand why he is moving.
If you think about it you love your family but you don’t get to pick who they are, you friends on the other hand are the people you get to pick, and normally its by chance that you meet or get on, that’s what I like about it, nothing is forced or predetermined it’s just fate
Still crap tho
Moon July 8, 2009
Posted by booncunian in Film, Movies, cinema.add a comment
Ok the 17th of July is a big day in the movie world, yes there is some sort of wizard film coming out, think its manny potter or something like that but there is also a limited release film coming out called Moon.
This movie looks like it could be something really special, its the 2nd film Duncan Jones (the son of David Bowie) has directed so he is somewhat of a unknown director but looking at the trailers and the small clip on Apple it looks very good. I do like the fact being David Bowie’s son you don’t see this fact all over everything, he is not trading on his dad.
Ok what its all about:
“Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet’s power problems”
It looks like a true sci-fi which we see less and less off in the cinema of today, the last time I got this excited about a sci-fi would have been sunshine and that lived up to expectations.
Check out Duncan Jones web site and see if the movie is going to be playing in your area.
Im back July 2, 2009
Posted by booncunian in Film, Movies, Projection, cinema, manchester.add a comment
As the title says im back, I have not been any where just been very busy.
So work, none stop. Just finished installing a new NEC 2500 with a Qube server on one of the biggest 3D digital screens in the uk, it just takes weeks to sort this stuff out and get it all in and then work out how to use it and then train one of the biggest team in the uk on how to use it. For the 3D side of things we are using a XL unit which recycles the light lost going through a polarizer so gaining 12% of light, it looks just fantastic and thats just not the 3D but the 2D. At the moment its running Ice Age 3 in 3D so not really the best test for it and a shame as Public enemy is out and was shot in digital as Michal Mann (one or two n’s?).
So the projector is fantastic, the server is another thing. Not the best but I dont think the worst, all we can do is try it.
So keeping on the movie topic we are now in the summer block buster time, we had Wolverine which didn’t do too well (I thought it was ok), Star Trek which did some really good business (I thought it was very good) this week we have Ice Age and public enemy (which I have yet too see) and in a few weeks we get Harry Potter which im going to go out on a limb here and say it may do ok. BUT why do the mass going public think thats the only film out that week? Well its not, Moon is out and after years working in cinemas I have a sneaky feeling that this film could be something really interesting, a film that no one knows where it came from then BAM it’s something everyone is talking about.
So lets catch up, I have the next 2 weeks off from work. Im not going anywhere, well may do some camping at some point. It more of a relaxing holiday with good food, Manchester festival, time on my bike and a good time to catch up on the movies I have missed for the past few months. I read there is some sort of festival on in Manchester for a few days, I know the main square and the gallery are involved and I also spotted there is an outdoor cinema in spinning fields that I just think I will potter down to, and as my girl friends knows I will be trying to pop my head in to the booth, thats if they even have a booth, im betting its going to be a digital projector but im happy with that.
So biking, its good, its killing me but im thinking in a good way. I seem to have a set route now, head out of Manchester on the cannel intill I get to the far side of Trafford park then back in on the roads. Got a app thing to track the time and distance. It works well, I’m seeing my distance increasing and the time decreasing, that’s got to be good, right??
Right I’m going to watch some tennis, not really my cup of tea, I would be much happier watching Life season 2 but we share the TV, think its a 30/70 split in her favour, but that’s love. x
