A company called Microvision is working with Motorola and others to integrate “Pico” projector tech into mobile devices like cellphones. Devices are apparently in the works, and their concept gallery shows what could be one of the more popular applications…iPod integration. Looks very interesting, hopefully we’ll see the resulting devices sooner rather than later.

Just a quick note for a fellow media blogger in trouble…Scott Simmons of The Editblog has been having intermittent web host issues for the past few days. I’m told they are working on it and will have things back up in due time. We’ll be looking forward to it…Scott is an accomplished editor and always has something interesting to say. Meanwhile, he’ll will be a guest on the Digital Production Buzz podcast tomorrow (Thursday) to talk about “What’s wrong with the young FCP editor.”

As spotted on bash.org:

sterano: Whats the difference between Raid_0 and Raid_1?
Steve: In Raid_0 the zero stands for how many files you are going to get back if something goes wrong.

From Season 12: Canada on Strike. Continue reading ‘South Park on Internet Distribution’

Via TechThoughts comes these top secret spy photos of a Mac Mini Pro. Could it be true? Is this the Mighty Mouse of Apple computers that users have been clamoring for? Here’s what Anthony had to say:

When I go to visit a developer friend of mine, I normally take no notice of what he’s got laying around his place. It’s crammed with junk. Stacks of software, boxes, manuals, shipping containers… half-built computers, cables, wires, hard drives… good golly… the number of hard drives.

But there, next to his keyboard was something that looked vaguely familiar, except it was so very tiny. It was the Mac Mini Pro that Mac users have been clamoring for for years. Was this a new test model? I became very intrigued an poked around.

Via CDM, here’s a CG-free short “Tron” remake. Very cool. Watch the video below.
Continue reading ‘Tron Fan-flick Made with Cardboard and Creativity’

There’s just a few days left in Avid’s “The Perfect Pitch” contest, entries must be uploaded no later than April 1, 2008 and community voting also closes on that date. The top 20 entries will be judged by a panel of industry experts and the winner stands to earn a trip to Sundance and the opportunity to pitch the film idea in earnest. So if you want to help separate the wheat from the chaff, time’s a-wasting.

Here’s a neat little utility for jailbroken iPhone and iPod Touch users. Touchpad Pro is an app that allows you to control your Mac or PC directly on your mobile device. Features include a landscape mode, multi-touch zoom, scroll, right-click, to name a few. You can get it here.

Ars Technica has a short article up about a possible patent dispute related to blue LED technology that could hamper manufacturers of products that use it…including Blu-ray disc players. Ars mentions specifically that this doesn’t just look like your average patent troll…there may be merit to the claims.

Given the scope of the claim, the number of companies named in the complaint is unsurprisingly high. Highlights from the list include Hitachi, LG, Lite-On, Matsushita, Motorola, Nokia, Pioneer, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony, Sony Ericsson, and Toshiba. Normally, a list of patent-infringing companies that includes world+dog is a good sign that a troll is at work, but the woman behind this particular lawsuit, Gertrude Neumark Rothschild, appears to be more than your average bridge-dweller. In fact, she’s an expert in LEDs and has been for longer than many of us have been alive.

The above named companies clearly have far too much invested in this technology to let a patent dispute stop anything…if judges determine that Rothschild’s claims are valid, there will surely have to be a hefty settlement out of court.

Hulu, NBC’s video service ala Youtube, has come out of beta today. No longer do you need an invite to use the service, it’s gone public as of Wednesday the 12th. For fans of NBC programming, Hulu rocks. And now that they are adding additional content providers like The Onion, I think they will be the service to beat in the coming months. Check it out for yourself at hulu.com.

“Annnnnnnnd wake!” This is pretty far off-topic, but I had to share it. The Directors Edition Digital Alarm Clock from ChinaVision is a digital clock designed to look like a high-end film slate. And yes, you mark the slate to stop the alarm. Sweet!

Specifications:
* 24 Hour Clock Display (Military Time), Hour, Minute, Second, Deci-Second Display
* Date Display (Day, Month, Year) 10 Minute Alarm Length
* Clapper Motion to End Alarm
* Built in Wall Mount and Destop Hinge
* Dimension: 185 x 225 x 26mm (LxWxD)

I must have one. Get yours here for $36. Oh, and a FreshDV t-shirt goes to the first person to hack the clock to display real data for use on-set.

(via PVC)

The Motion Picture Association of America released it’s “2007 U.S. Theatrical Market Statistics Report” which indicates record-level domestic and worldwide box office receipts. Filmlinker suggests that the data can be used by independent filmmakers to market their own projects:

“So why would an indie filmmaker care about this report? Well, beyond having a positive financial result from the medium that you work in - you can use those stats for your business plan. When pitching your project to potential financiers, it is always good to present a positive outlook in the industry that seeks investment. It’s arguably more difficult to convince someone to invest in your low budget film if the overall marketplace is on a decline.”

I noted that the average cost to make and market a major MPAA member film has risen about 6 million dollars over 2006’s $100.3 million level. Ticket prices have also risen, about 5% over 2006. The total number of films released has not changed significantly in the past year. Read the whole enchilada here (PDF), and compare to 2006’s report here (PDF). Another opinion on this new data comes via Norman Hollyn in an article entitled The Dismal Future of the Film Business.

Via Anthony over at Techthoughts comes this great little Conan O’Brien bit where he takes over the Late Night director’s role for a few minutes (while concurrently hosting). Gives a little insight into the process. Watch below.
Continue reading ‘Conan Live-Switches Late Night’

Canon’s amazing 1200/5.6L USM tele still lens is a beast that weighs in at 36lbs, is over two and a half feet long and sports a massive 9″ wide front element. Canon builds this lens on a special order basis and since 1993 has shipped less than twenty of them. No word on what it costs new (if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it), but B&H does have one used 1200/5.6 for sale for a cool $99,000. Just in time for Valentines Day…

“The viewfinder is surprisingly bright, and though somewhat sluggish as compared to the latest-generation Canon EF lenses, the 1200 was usually able to nail the focus on the first pass. The hard part is figuring out what you’re focusing on because the angle of view is so narrow. If you’re not familiar with the landscape you’ll find yourself peering out over the top of the camera every so often trying to figure out what you’re looking at. As for image quality, even wide open it’s quite lovely. Stopped down to f/8 and f/11 it’s actually quite remarkable. How remarkable? From midtown Manhattan we were able to read the street signs on the corner of JFK Boulevard East and 43rd St. in Weehawkin New Jersey when viewing image files at pixel resolution.”

“…Apart from a few minor cosmetic blemishes, this particular lens is extremely clean inside and out. Included with this lens is a leather slip-on ‘lens cap’, a fitted aluminum trunk case, and a prodigious measure of ego satisfaction. Pack mule not included.”

Simply amazing. I’d love to see this on the front of a 35mm adapter rig…

Via Motionographer comes this unique approach to incorporating a shot list and project details in a work reel. Sweet.