Michael Rubin, an author of books on Mac and editing, has decided to give away his Droidmaker book for free!
The book describes in detail the development of nonlinear editing (NLE) and computer graphics. The book is written from his perspective of working with Lucasfilm and Pixar.
I think this could be a valuable tool for independent filmmakers too, after all, the cost of doing computer effects has been falling steadily.
When I recently reviewed Apple’s new iMac G5, I was impressed with it’s performance. As a sort of disclaimer: I’m a PC-person really so although I love Macs, I’d rather have a more open system.
Naturally, I wanted to check out the beast inside Apple’s PowerMac Quad. It has two dual core PowerPC processors running at 2,5GHz. Here’s a benchmark test:
Definitely has the WOW effect in terms of Gigaflops but what’s the improvement for the applications you’ll be using:
All in all, the improvement over Apple’s PowerMac G4 is about 3.7 times. Considering the video coming out of the new Panasonic HVX200 is 100Mbps DVCPRO HD, you’ll definitely will need this additional horsepower.
Even if you stick to “regular” HDV cameras, you’ll find it a lot faster to edit on a dual core PowerMac G5. Most of us are no Walter Murch but if you spend 6 months working on the edit, you’ll be able to save substantial time if you upgrade to the new beast. Starts from just $1,999!
Update: Jonathan at VFCPUG Online has already ordered one, so I’m harassing him to do a review 
When Apple released the new video iPod last month, it created such a buzz that no one seems to have noticed another “premiere”: the new iMac G5.
Regardless, professional reviewers did their job and gave the new iMac top ratings:
The combination of the new, improved hardware, plus Front Row, makes the iMac G5 the best consumer desktop you can buy this holiday season, period. For mainstream consumers doing typical tasks — Web surfing, email, office productivity, photos, music, home videos, etc. — it’s the finest desktop PC on the market, at any price. …the top-of-the-line model, with a 20-inch screen, is now $1,699, down $100 from its predecessor. The 17-inch model is still $1,299, despite the added features.
The new iMac G5 has native support for HDV editing as well as DVCPRO HD, the 100Mbps standard used in new “Varicam” – the Panasonic HVX200.
If you’re a serious editor obviously you’ll need a more professional platform but if you’re going to edit your first short, the iMac makes a lot of sense. Apple did price it competitively to other desktop systems so you should take advantage of this iMac.
I recently got the chance to view this DVD. Now, before you go looking for it in Blockbuster, this is not something you’ll find anywhere but on the Internet. Hit your favorite BitTorrent site and you should be able to find it pretty easily. Check out this lightweight BitTorrent client.
Additional information about the movie is available here – Deleted Magic. Here’s a short summary provided by Garrett Gilchrist, the guy behind it:
This DVD is an interesting see for Star Wards fans but it’s even more interesting to filmmakers who already have their footage in the can and are moving into post-production. If Lucas had the guts to cut Biggs Darklighter’s scenes, you should be able to trim your masterpiece here and there too!