Video

Recent Video Work for Quartz: Bill Gates Interview

My work, Seattle, Video

 

I recently assisted the talented crew at Quartz, which is a new and quickly growing news portal packed full of talent poached from other top publications. They’re making a name for themselves with a weird, awesome news app and their fresh, interesting videos. Last week, we visited the office of Bill Gates to hear about his upcoming annual letter, which was finally released today.

 

Here are three videos from that day’s shoot: Clean Energy, India, and Africa. Quartz does a great job with its video animations.

360-Degree Video Camera Reviews: Samsung Gear 360 vs Nikon KeyMission 360

Tech stuff, Thoughts, Video

So far, the two most exciting camera announcements of 2016 are the 360-degree cameras from Samsung and Nikon. Nikon first inspired us with its announcement at CES in early January, showing off the weirdly-named yet tempting KeyMission 360. Samsung just announced the Samsung Gear 360 yesterday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, with the help of Mark Zuckerberg on stage. Clearly, camera makers have invested much in the belief that 360° video is soon going to play a larger role in our lives.

Cameras that record 360° are not brand new, and tons of options already exist, like the leading Ricoh Theta S. However, the quality of even the Ricoh is pretty low. You can duct tape together (or buy a rig to mount) six GoPros and stitch the footage all together, but then you’ll be bald after you tear all your hair out while stitching that together on the computer 🙁

You could also rob a bank to afford the Nokia OZO. It’s only $60,000.

So, that leaves us with the Nikon KeyMission 360 and the Samsung Gear 360. What’s the catch? Neither have a release date or price. However, I’m expecting to see them in the $500 range and the companies have said they will come out soon. Samsung says the Gear 360 should come out in the second quarter of 2016 and Nikon says “this spring,” so I’m guessing they’ll be competing fiercely for our $$ and that might mean lower prices.

What are the pros and cons of each? Well, it’s unclear whether the Samsung Gear 360 will be usable with mobile devices not made by Samsung. The camera comes with an app that allows for extended controls when using a Samsung device, but there’s no mention of iOS or other Android devices. It does appear that you can still use the basic functions of the Gear 360 without any mobile device, and then transfer your footage via USB to a computer for sharing.

The pros of the Samsung Gear 360? MicroSD media storage, smaller than a baseball, and 3840×1920 HD footage.

The pros of the Nikon KeyMission 360? It’s a true “action camera,” in every sense of the phrase. It’s built to go underwater to 30m and it’s dust, shock, and cold weather proof. The best feature: UHD 4K video footage. Cons: We’ll see once we get our hands on it. Right now, the Nikon KeyMission 360 is the leader of the pack in the realm of prosumer 360° cameras.

Red Giant Shooter Suite 12.6 Review

Gear, Multimedia, Tech stuff, Thoughts, Video

Red Giant Shooter Suite, now available in version 12.6, is a suite of six plugins/programs that offer an array of video editing tools. I took it for a spin and will explain what’s in the package in case you are shopping around for tools like these. Here’s what you get for $299 ($149 for an academic license): PluralEyes, Offload, Denoiser II, Instant 4K, LUT Buddy, and Frames. Below is a quick breakdown of each of those.

 

PluralEyes 3.5

Red Giant PluralEyes is technically an entire program of its own, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility. It was the first Red Giant product that I had ever heard of and has always been a reliable solution for synching audio and video. It’s a classic. If you learned on Final Cut Pro 7, like I did, you probably learned to use PluralEyes when syncing your DSLR footage with the external audio that you recorded. PluralEyes has always been great and continues to be one of the best in the game. If you use Final Cut Pro X, as I do, you know that there is now a built-in audio sync feature. So for me, I don’t really need PluralEyes. Some FCPX users will still use PluralEyes because you can actually still sync inside PluralEyes and then export a sequence for use in FCPX, but I don’t really need to use that step. As far as compatibility goes for that sequence exporting feature, PluralEyes does work with the major video editing programs: FCP7, FCPX, Premiere, Avid, and Sony Vegas.

 

The PluralEyes interface

Above: A detail of the PluralEyes interface

 

LUT Buddy

Red Giant LUT Buddy will generate Look Up Tables for use in Adobe After Effects and Premiere. Essentially, Look Up Tables are little formulas for color that help you get your footage to look good in its final medium – which could be actual printed film, for instance. Let’s say you have color corrected your video project and it looks good on your calibrated monitor. Well, when you print it to actual film it may look different due to the color cast, contrast of the film, etc. It’s kind of like when you have a photo that looks good on your screen but when you print it out it’s too dark, etc. This is an age old problem for photographers. Anyways, LUT Buddy is popular industry tool for using LUTs.

 

Offload

Red Giant Offload pretty much works with every camera/memory card system out there, according to Red Giant. What it does is manage the import of your media. For me, this is the one inclusion in the Red Giant Shooter Suite that isn’t a must have. The program does verify the files and make sure that everything was transferred, which is kind of comforting. Sometimes I scroll through the finder on my Mac and look to see if everything made it, and might even check the size of the folder to make sure it’s correct, so I guess Offload would, er, offload some of the stress of making sure my precious media assets are safe and secure on my drives. You can also program it to create an automatic backup upon import.

 

Denoiser II

Red Giant Denoiser II might be the most aptly-named and straightforward tool in this collection. It, well, it denoises your footage. It’s a solid addition to your kit and can help with those clips shot at high ISOs that you’ll want to clean up without losing detail. Just like the noise reduction slider in Lightroom.

 

Instant 4K

Red Giant Instant 4K builds upon the older Instant HD, which made HD footage out of smaller resolution footage. Instant 4K makes high resolution out of HD and smaller resolution footage and is supposedly four times as fast as Instant HD was. Basically, the program has an algorithm that takes your footage, be it SD, HD, or whatever, and creates new pixels, adds sharpening, anti-aliasing, etc. to create new high resolution footage. You just pick whether you want to output your footage as 720p, 1080p, 2K, or 4K.

 

Frames

Red Giant Frames can de-interlace your interlaced footage to output as 24p. I believe this feature is built into Adobe Premiere, but Frames has added features for cropping and broadcast details, like NTSC, PAL, HD, etc.

I think this is a good package, and there is a significant savings in choosing the package deal; however, you can of course pick and choose from these six and select only the tools you want. Personally, I would skip Instant 4K, only because I would generally just shoot 4K if I needed 4K. Of course, it’s probably meant to help you in a pinch when you have a 4K project and maybe just one or two clips from an HD camera, but if that’s the case then I probably wouldn’t use the tool enough anyway. All in all, these are all fine products and I don’t see any red flags that I would want to pass on to my colleagues, so, happy editing and good luck.

 

Red Giant Universe Review

Tech stuff, Thoughts, Video

 

Red Giant has done a few things right over the past year since it launched Red Giant Universe, its new subscription-based collection of editing/effects tools for filmmakers. In my opinion, the key to Red Giant Universe’s success (since it’s a subscription service) lies in its ability to add new and interesting tools, and they’ve done just that. In order to produce useful tools, Red Giant has utilized Universe Labs, where users can vote on potential new additions. So far, Red Giant has added a Compound Blur effect, an Exposure Blur Transition, a PixelGlow EZ effect, and a Soft Wipe transition. I think it is really cool that Universe doesn’t just add new tools periodically, but it actually listens to its customers and adds tools that the community members are asking for.

 

 

Other than keeping things fresh, Red Giant made the right choice in creating Universe as a subscription-based service. You can opt in at no charge for access to the basic tools and to vote, or you can choose from the followed paid options: $10/month, $99/year, or a $399 one time payment. The paid options allow access to a premium set of tools, of course. I enjoy using subscription services because they automatically update and I no longer have to worry about spending large amounts on new versions of the software.

 

 

I use Final Cut Pro X, so I can only speak to the Red Giant Universe experience in Final Cut, but Universe is also compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Apple Motion, Sony Vegas Pro, Davinci Resolve, and HitFilm 3 Pro. Within Final Cut, the Universe tools are supposed to be much faster because they are GPU-accelerated. I honestly can’t tell too much of a difference on my current iMac, but I do think this is a good design that will allow for quicker plugins as I update my hardware.

 

I counted almost 90 tools, and of course this number will only increase with time. I’m pleased with what I’ve seen so far, and some of my favorites include Turbulence Noise, Streak Blur, Texturize, and OverLight. They are not all mind-blowing plugins, but everything is useful. Some tools might parallel what you’ll see prepackaged in Final Cut Pro X, but you will also find plenty of new tools that are much more creative than the prepackaged options.

 

My suggestion is: go for it. At the very least, you can spend $10 for one month and decide whether or not you like it. That option within the subscription model is, to me, really empowering.

 

 

 

 

Red Giant Magic Bullet Suite 12.0 Review

Gear, Tech stuff, Thoughts, Video

Red Giant just dropped an update to its ever-popular Magic Bullet Suite, which includes Magic Bullet Looks 3.0, Magic Bullet Colorista III, Magic Bullet Mojo 2.0, and Magic Bullet Cosmo 2.0.

 

(Above image credit: Red Giant – Magic Bullet Looks screenshot)

 

If you’re not already familiar with Magic Bullet Suite, it is a set of tools for color correction, finishing, etc. for filmmakers. It’s a robust addition to what you might find built in to your video editing software, such as Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple Final Cut Pro.

I generally use Final Cut Pro X and I’ve found that it has some nice basic color and finishing tools, but Magic Bullet Suite 12.0 can really take your visuals to the next level.

Here are some pros and cons of Magic Bullet Suite 12.0; review them and see if the $799 is really worth it to you:

Pros:

  • Versatility: It’s compatible with Premiere, After Effects, and FCPX
  • The tools are robust: Change someone’s shirt color!
  • Tools are available from within your editing software: You don’t need to launch anything else

Cons

  • The price tag is a bit high for independent shops like my own
  • The tools vary from application to application, as they say: “All of the tools work in Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects and more  – but it varies by host application.”

 

(Above image credit: Red Giant – Magic Bullet Mojo screenshot)

 

All in all, Red Giant’s Magic Bullet Suite 12.0 is definitely a top notch collection of tools. You really can’t go wrong, if you can afford it 🙂 It does seem silly to run $799 Magic Bullet with my $299 Final Cut Pro X, but that is what filmmaking has come to these days, and you do indeed get what you pay for when it comes to Magic Bullet. Wait, what does that mean about the low price of FCPX … ? That’s a topic for another blog post …

Polaroid Cube Review

Gear, Multimedia, Still photography, Video

The Polaroid Cube is an amazingly affordable little video camera that is going to capture a lot of potential GoPro consumers. It is essentially a stripped down GoPro with the basic features you need: 1080 HD video capture and 6MP still photos. You can also put it in an underwater case or use the built-in magnet to attach the Polaroid Cube to metal objects. Other accessories are available, too.

At $99, the camera makes a lot of sense when compared to GoPro models ranging in price from $130-500. Coincidentally, GoPro has just released a new comparable camera, the entry-level HERO, that hits that lower-end $130 price point … Have a look at this Polaroid Cube review and decide for yourself what fits you.

Polaroid Cube Review: The Basics

 

The Polaroid Cube is a little cube with a lens, and not much else. This is great, in my opinion, because it keeps filmmaking fun, easy, and accessible. That’s the point of a camera in this market; if you want something more professional for, say, an interview, you probably already own a DSLR or something better.

Here’s what you get: A tiny, 1.4″ cube of a camera that weights 0.1 pounds. It’s got 32GB of internal memory and a slot for a microSD card. It records sound, but that might not be as important to you as the video quality. The video looks a little better than a GoPro does, from what I’ve seen, but the still photos aren’t going to be as good.

The pros: It’s tiny, light, and easy.

The cons: The Polaroid Cube only comes with a magnet mount, so you’re going to have to bust out the gaffer tape or buy accessories to mount this thing on a tripod or anything non-metallic.

 

Polaroid Cube vs GoPro HERO

(Above: GoPro’s entry-level HERO camera)

So, what do you want to buy? You’re getting essentially the same thing with both cameras. When it’s Polaroid Cube vs GoPro HERO, I recommend the Polaroid Cube. They are both basic, useful HD video cameras. If you want something that can shoot in 4K or has remote capabilities via wifi and mobile apps, then go for a higher-end GoPro, but if you’re staying in the entry-level range, stick with the Polaroid Cube. Review them for yourself though, and let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

Sniffing for Whale Scat | Recent Work for The Wall Street Journal

Education, Multimedia, My work, photojournalism, Published work, Still photography, University of Washington, Video

Conservation Canines invited Wall Street Journal reporter Joel Millman and I along for a whale scat collecting trip out in the San Juan Islands recently, and we were joined by Tucker, a black lab mix, who helps researchers find whale poo. His nose can catch whale scat that can be hard to find, and much smaller than you might expect.

The orca whale crew is affiliated with the University of Washington, and is part of a larger project that uses dogs for many different kinds of searches. The orca crew can use the whale scat to test for many things, like identifying individual whales, checking for stress, pregnancy hormones, diet, and more.

I shot photographs of the recent trip as well as footage for a short video, which is below and was edited by John Hubbell. Also, check out the article at WSJ.com. Thanks for looking.

 
Video:
 

 
 
Photos:
 

Deborah Giles, who goes by her last name “Giles,” searches for whale scat aboard a research vessel near San Juan Island, Washington on July 16, 2014. Giles works for Conservation Canines and searches with whale scat detection dog Tucker, a black lab mix, for elusive samples of whale scat for research purposes.

 

An orca whale surfaces nearby as whale scat detection dog Tucker, a black lab mix, sniffs for whale scat.

 

Elizabeth Seely holds binoculars and searches for whale scat.

 

Tucker follows a scent.

 

Liz and Giles scoop poop.

 

Whale poop can be tiny.

 

Tucker’s reward is a little bit of time with his green ball. He goes crazy for it.

 

The whales play, too.

 

Tucker takes a nap while locked back in the crate. He stays in here during any down time.

 

I’m telling you, whale poop is tiny.

 

Loading poop into plastic test tubes.

 

Liz holds a sample.

 

Into the centrifuge it goes. We’re doing science here, after all.

 

Dumping out some extra water (no pun intended).

 

A glorious sample shines in the sun.

 

Giles sports a wildly inappropriate shirt.

 

Giles and Liz catch sight of some more whale scat. Their own noses are good enough that Tucker may often stay in his crate.

 

Tucker is out this time, though.

 

The nose, at work.

 

Orca whales, presumably pooping, near a whale watching tourist boat.

 

There is the treasure.

 

A nice sample. Their notes include a list of the following description options: “snotty, wispy, mucusy/slimy, stringy, piecey.”

 

Liz passes a sample to Giles for storage in the cooler.

 

Giles, right, with Liz and Tucker on the dock.

 

 

 

 

Soccer, Made in America | Recent Work for The Wall Street Journal

Multimedia, My work, Published work, Seattle, Video

 

 

 

This was a fun one to work on, especially since I love soccer so much.

Matthew Futterman of The Wall Street Journal wrote a nice in-depth piece about the transformation of the U.S. men’s national team and the influence of coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s attacking style. I contributed by filming interviews with current Sounders coach Sigi Schmid, along with players Clint Dempsey and Brad Evans.

Have a look at the piece on the front page of today’s issue of The Wall Street Journal, or see it online with great interactive features, including my video work.

Thanks for looking.

 

 

 

TrackX Review For Final Cut Pro / SliceX Review For Final Cut Pro

Gear, Multimedia, Tech stuff, Thoughts, Video

(Can you spot where an object was removed in the frame grab above? And no, I would never use this for a documentary project, but it could be useful otherwise!)

 

The creators of TrackX and SliceX recently sent me copies for review, and they seem like quite useful products. Developed by Mocha, the TrackX/SliceX combo of plugins for Final Cut Pro X offer some great effects without ever having to leave FCPX. The bundle runs $149 or $99 each. Normally, to achieve some of these tricks, you might have to open another program like After Effects, which also happens to require a subscription to the Adobe Creative Cloud. With this TrackX review and SliceX review, you can learn a bit from my experience testing the two products out and see if they are right for you.

SliceX Review

First off, SliceX has a lot of features, which is nice. In the video below, you can see a little demo of the Object Remover function. In the first clip, try to see if you can notice anything missing. The removed object will return later in the clip.
 

 

SliceX tools include: Blur Shape Mask, Color Correct Shape Mask, Depth of Field Shape Mask, Object Remover, Pixelate Shape Mask, Shape Mask Layer, Skinfix Shape Mask, and Vignette Shape Mask.

The tools in this plugin are quite easy to use, as it only took me about two minutes to install the plugin and start removing objects with the Object Remover function. They probably aren’t going to be as robust as After Effects and other competing stand-alone visual effects programs, but they are still nice and worth the $99 price of SliceX. I’m pretty excited to use some of these tools in upcoming and current video projects. I had a great time learning how to use Slice X; review it for yourself though and let me know if you think it’s right for you.

(Below: The SliceX Official Tutorial)

 

TrackX Review

TrackX is pretty awesome and straight forward. I’ve been wanting to do this for some time, and now I have a simple plugin that lets me track text to a moving object in the frame. It’s great.

Another effect that I’ll mention in this TrackX review is that, using the same technology, you can track a video clip to the surface of a screen. Imagine you have a computer screen or an iPad in one of your clips, and you want to make it look like a certain clip is playing on that screen. TrackX makes it easy to add any clip onto that screen. See below for an example in a video provided by the TrackX creators:
 

All in all, I have to say that these plugins are a good deal at $149 as a bundle. They accomplish very targeted goals, which means that a more robust stand-alone program might be a better choice for general visual effects creation; however, for a couple of quick solutions, TrackX and SliceX work great for quickly elevating your productions to a high level.

Into the Mud: Video Work for The Weather Channel

Multimedia, photojournalism, Published work, Video

“If I close my eyes for more than five seconds, I see that wall of mud.”

Robin Youngblood faced certain death yet survived the devastating March 22 mudslide near Oso, Washington. You can listen to Robin’s powerful reflections on her experience below, along with words from Kris Langton, who helped rescue four people.

I interviewed the two for an in-depth online feature for The Weather Channel that you can see here at Weather.com. Be sure to set aside some time to read the powerful written piece by Stacey Solie.

You’ll also see a lot of photos by me and my colleagues, made throughout the two weeks following the tragic first day.

Robin Youngblood stands for a portrait on April 3, 2014 in Marysville, Washington. (Photo by David Ryder/weather.com)

 

Video: Prison Pet Partnership | Recent work for The Wall Street Journal

My work, Published work, Video

 

Some recent video work of mine was recently published in The Wall Street Journal, telling the story of the Prison Pet Partnership at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, Washington. The program allows inmates to learn job and life skills while providing kennel and grooming services to clients from the surrounding community. In addition, unruly dogs from other programs (who might otherwise be put to sleep) are able to have a second chance by entering the prison’s training program.

There is also a great article by Joel Millman and photos by Stuart Isett. Robert Libetti edited the video very well, as usual. See the package here online, or watch the video embedded below.

 

Recent work for UW Bothell: Science, Technology and Society major

Education, Multimedia, My work, Published work, University, University of Washington, UW Bothell, Video

The latest video in my series of promos for the undergraduate Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences majors at the University of Washington Bothell is below. Take a look and learn about the Science, Technology and Society program.