Raleigh, NC - Vegas Users Group

Comments

Infinite5ths wrote on 8/15/2006, 10:39 AM
Hey Pete!

Well that makes 3 of us whose schedules work for those times. The RTP VUG is growing!!! Get in now on the ground floor!

[OK...marketing hat off...]
Opampman wrote on 8/17/2006, 7:41 PM
I'd like to get involved when the summer is over...I'm in Chapel Hill. I guess the Triangle Vegas group just grew by one. My wife also uses Vegas at work so she might be interested also.
Infinite5ths wrote on 8/18/2006, 5:24 AM
Wonderful Opamp! Welcome!! We would love to have you and your wife join us.

Jerry (TeeTime) and I are exploring some training resources on the subject of color-correction. We'd both lik eto learn more about this; and we suspect that many others would also. If we have a training event on this subject, how many folks would be interested enough to come?
xjerx wrote on 8/18/2006, 11:37 AM
I would be interested in some education....
Earl_J wrote on 8/19/2006, 8:01 AM
Hello everyone,
I guess I missed the first meeting by a week... 8-(
I just drove back - this morning - from Orlando, and the SCVE course there presented by Jeff Fisher... one word... excellent! jam-packed!

okay, two words... maybe three if you don't like hyphenated words... 8-)

Met Manny Frances and 8 other Vegas users/editors from around the country... a couple guys from MD, a couple participants from TX, a couple guys from FL...
Willing to share the experience at the next meeting - when is it? I'm in Cameron, just south of Sanford - Cary is about an hour away... I'm the outsider at the moment, so I'll drive... <wink>

Are we expecting monthly meetings? every 6 weeks? okay, maybe every 47 days and 9 hours...? < lol >

Nice to meet you guys... I was over on the DMN site once... this one seems a little more user friendly and easier to find... that DMN made me nuts!

Until that time...

Aloha y'all... Earl J.
"Just an old Maui boy with a poor sense of direction,
working his way home one state at a time;
currently working in the State of Confusion!"
Infinite5ths wrote on 8/19/2006, 9:06 AM
Howdy Earl! Welcome back. :-]

We haven't set a specific date yet for the next meeting; but we'd love to have you come. Jerry and I were thinking about trying to do a session on color correction. However, if you've got any other ideas, the gameplan is still wide open. We're shooting for monthly weeknight meetings, with some special events on the weekends.

I'm primarily a music/audio guy, so Vegas is still like a big unexplored playground for me. I'm open to just about any Vegas activities - instructional, hands-on, field-trip, comedic, commercial or otherwise. It sounds like you've got some serious contacts and a LOT more training than I do. So just open up and shoot with any ideas. I'll offer what I can in coordination, energy and brainstorms and we'll just see what happens at the next event. Jerry (TeeTime) is a great fella, and we've got some other really interesting folks here. I can't wait to see how this group develops!
Infinite5ths wrote on 8/19/2006, 1:32 PM
Well folks, I finally set up a blog for the RTP.VUG. It's not anything really fancy; but I've used this blog system before in a college class. So I have a basic idea of how it works. It should serve our purposes for now.

RTP_VUG Blog
Earl_J wrote on 8/19/2006, 2:04 PM
Was I here once before? Oh... you mean welcome back from FL...
I do remember TeeTime's username...
Just passed the online exam portion of the SCVE process...
I think I did well enough on the practical yesterday to get my certification... I was stumped on one function... brain lock... <sigh>

Weeknight meetings might be tough for me... unless it's a FRI and later in the evening... weekend events sound like fun... color correction is a superb choice...

Do you have a count for the number of Vegas patrons here on the message board? I guess four of us talkative ones in any case... which is a good start...

Yes, very excited about this group... we (Manny and I) did speak of getting more trainers in the Atlantic Coast... Orlando, Los Angeles, and Chicago need to be tempered with a few mid-south training sessions and events... it's growing... glad we're on the ground floor...

Let me think about an event... it appears you guys know each other a bit already... I have an idea, but need to think it through first...
Well, okay... it's more of a mixer sort of thing... each brings about 5 or 10 minutes of their favorite Vegas project to introduce the rest to the sort of job they do and the sorts of skills each has... you've mentioned your audio background - that's the part that has me stumped... so, that sort of relationship and loose mentorship interaction might be established at one of these events... or a short series of them... the time per demonstration will have to be tempered with the number of participants - or we could simply ask for two or three volunteers for each event (with perhaps an 8 minute video limit) - and perhaps 20 minutes for each demo in its entirety - so 3 individuals could show their wares, explain their equipment/workflow, and provide a short video of their favorite/most recent/best/worst project...

I also related an experience I have at Fort Bragg with Vegas to the instructor, and Jeff recommended I post it to the forum for others... I'll put it here first - since it appears to be home - and see what you guys think of it...

Until that time... Earl J.
Infinite5ths wrote on 8/19/2006, 2:17 PM
Terrific Ear!

If you're taking the SCVE, then you're WAAYYYYYYYYYYY over my head. As I explained to Jerry a week ago, I purchased Vegas mainly to use for entry-level audio/sound for video work. I do most of my audio work in Cakewalk Sonar 5 & Sound Forge 8. However, I'm interested in the video world, and I know that the film/TV market is one of the biggest markets for new music. So I figure it makes sense for me to get involved now rather than later. I've got plans to do some short film work, which of course will require some editing; but I'm nowhere near being able to take an SCVE test.

Long-range, there's no way I can be a professional violinist, an audio engineer, a pro video editor and all the other stuff I want to be. But I'd love to take along for the ride with you more experienced Vegas users. If I can help by organizing the RTP_VUG and/or offering enthusiasm and energy, then I'll be a very happy camper.

Ultimately, all of us work in the entertainment industry, whether professionally or just as hobbyists. So I think it makes sense to get a solid and organized group of folks together in the RTP. Vegas is a logical starting point; and it sounds like you might be one of the local Vegas gurus. We're lucky to have you join us. :-]

P.S. I like your event ideas. I'm a little scared of showing my "latest projects" to a whole group of Vegas users (with gurus and all); but I'm willing to try and to suffer any resulting embarrassment if it helps the group. :-)
Earl_J wrote on 8/20/2006, 5:34 AM
Hello Dibbster... fellow Fayettevillian <say that three times real fast>... 8-)

Send me an invite to the calender on Google...
I work at Fort Bragg in the USASOC History Office... on Son Tay Road...
are you anywhere near?

Perhaps we can carpool to the meetings from time to time...?

Until that time... Earl J.
Earl_J wrote on 8/20/2006, 10:55 AM
Please excuse me for jumping in...
I'd like to provide a perspective that may not have been considered just yet.
I work in a history office at Fort Bragg, NC. I have recently begun to offer our collections of images, documents, and digital artifacts in digital form to those who contribute their collections for publication in our books and magazines.
#1 - When I import an digital image, I want it to come in at full resolution to permit me to focus (pan/crop) to the point in that full resolution image to provide as clear an image at the correct resolution as possible. This provides me the ability to pan/zoom across a panoramic image at my discretion - I certainly do not want the program to guess at the resolution or crop point when I post it on the timeline.
#2 - Similarly, when I pull an image from a video provided to me in digital form, I also want that still image to come to me in as full a resolution as that video can provide. If any trimming, cropping, or resolution corrections need to be made, I'd like to make them myself.
Now, if the program is designed to provide me the opportunity to adjust those items before I post something on the timeline *or* when I create a still image from a video event, that would be fine. At this time, importing full resolution images and creating full resolution images from video events isn't a problem for me. As I said, I work in a history office and we desire full resolution for the best clarity and alternatives for use in our publications.
#3 - In the military, Powerpoint is the standard. On occasion, we have the opportunity to design powerpoint presentations to veteran associations and groups. I recently pondered the question posed by our senior historian - how do we give these viewers something special for their previous service and sacrifice. Enter Vegas. If you often do powerpoint shows for any reason, perhaps these techniques might come in handy for you.
a. Create your slide show in Vegas... make each slide of sufficient length to be easily selected from a medium view of the timeline... they may be on separate tracks if you desire... import maps, charts, schematics, blueprints, block diagrams, and the like in full resolution <larger than the viewing area.
b. Use a two monitor view from Windows... place the video preview on the larger screen that all the viewers will see... the menus and tools stay hidden on the primary monitor.
c. Place any generated media you want on certain sections of the images - to be selected by you when the time is right. With Vegas, you click on the image you want and it instantly shows without having to scroll through previous slides - or hunting for it on the left side of the ppt menu... the images are there for you to see right on the time line...
d. Here is the point where Vegas leaves ppt in the dust... if you zoom out on those larger than life block diagrams and such before you begin, when you get to those slides - the viewers will strain their eyes to read what's there - here's where you select pan/zoom from the video clip and zoom in on the specific spot you want to discuss... the viewers see the image zoom and pan in real time! For example, I present a shot of the entire Korean peninsula... as the historian speaks of Chang To on the eastern coast in North Korea, I zoom in and pan to the city and it comes into clear focus as he speaks... then he speaks of Pusan near the southern tip of South Korea, once again I pan slowly across the entire region and rest on the city of Pusan... PowerPoint can't do that... and that gives us the bang that most people don't see in a slide show... Ken Burns continues to live in the Vegas slide show!

Prior to the begining of the presentation and talk ... I can select a region of interest to all and run it as a loop - with or without its own music...

Give it a try - you'll bury your copy of PowerPoint... well, at least take it off the quick launch bar... <grin>

Until that time...

Aloha y'all... Earl J.
Earl_J wrote on 8/20/2006, 12:28 PM
Hello Mike,
not all that... just a tinkerer with a little bit of training...
the next level that is offered should be the really tough one, I imagine.
So far, it appears anyone with a passing interest and about a year's worth of Vegas video experience should be able to get certified as Editor... the in person instruction covered everything in the practical exam - and the online test gives a person three shots at it.
* * *
As before, weekdays are a tough drive... but I may be able to take a day off (at least a morning off) following a meeting... not sure about a weekly attendee, but making the weekday meeting will depend on how often we plan a weekend gathering - 6 to 8 weeks might be nice - I can do that... pending work schedule. We'll just need to provide early notification for others to plan accordingly... as well as schedule a place to meet. If we decide on Fayetteville or Sanford, I'll look for a good meeting spot... depending on eating or meeting arrangements.
* * *
Thanks for the kind words of encouragement...
* * *
I'm also a Christian-based endeavor... we're at 4MProductions.org.
* * *
Think Sanford might be a nice place for a weekend meeting? Fayetteville, Raleigh, and Charlotte might be able to attend - or perhaps Fayetteville might be a nice place for a weekend meeting... not to throw too many irons into the fire, but moving the weekend meetings around might give each a chance to attend... those we've heard from so far; there are probably others who haven't found the forum just yet, or haven't spoken up... <grin>
* * *
Don't worry about your display of projects... your credentials on your website bring you more than qualified to show us your work... as well as provide tips for good sound and music recording... by the way, I have an InFocus portable data projector that we can use for meetings.
* * *
I love your idea of taping the meets and making them available to others online... that might be a great way to share and get feedback from all other user groups... we're a group of video buffs, after all... <wink>

Until that time... Earl J.
Infinite5ths wrote on 8/20/2006, 7:52 PM
Earl,

That's encouraging news about the SCVE. Perhaps at some point in the future..... How much do they charge for the whole 1st level certification package & test?

I don't think we can have weekly meetings. That would be a bit much for me; and it would REALLY be asking a lot of out of town folks. Maybe some day that would be an option; but just starting out, I think that would be overkill. Monthly would be ideal, but a meeting every 6 weeks would probably work OK too. We'd just have to be extra clear in scheduling each date, so folks (like me) don't get the dates/months confused. :-p

...glad to encourage any time/way I can. I'm not a guru with any of this stuff yet; but I really believe that we can do some amazing stuff as a group/team/community here in the RTP. If my encouragement serves to help that vision along - then YAY!!

I will check out your site....sounds very interesting.

I'm certain that we could arrange a Sanford meeting. It's only reasonable for us to visit you if you're willing to make the drive up here. Do you have any neat/unique shooting locations out there? I'd like to do some hands-on stuff with cameras at some point, once we get several folks with decent equipment and good shooting skills in the group. ...about all I've got right now is an old Sony Digital8 cam with a nice Bogen/Manfrotto tripod & head (501 fluid head on 3021BPRO sticks). I know that seems a little backwards; but I can't shell out $2,000+ for a semi-pro level camera right now. Smooth pans are a BIG deal to me, followed by smooth/slow zooms & shallow DOF. I think these are the 3 most important qualities to distinguish "pro" video from amateur-ish stuff. Right now, the only thing I can afford its the smooth pans! :-] {If somebody has a nice camera, but needs a good set of sticks & a fluid head, I'll be happy to bring mine along.]

My projects are limited by the equipment I have. However, I just upgraded my PC from an older Athlon XP to a new Athlon X2. So now I can finally start to play with some of the FX & transitions, without spending my life rendering. I'll get better....just need to find fime....and money. ;-) In the mean time, I'm sure there will be PLENTY of room for folks to critique and make suggestions!

I hope we can make the video/webcast idea work for this. As you said "we're a group of video buffs". It only seems logical.... 8-]

Thanks for your input! I really appreciate your enthusiasm and your insights. Jerry has some leads that he's going to post to the board here some time soon. We're really starting to roll!!

Untll later.....cheers!
Earl_J wrote on 8/20/2006, 9:11 PM
Hello Mike,
I hear ya'... I like the notion of smooth pans and such...
There is a nice outdoor spot in the middle of town called the Depot... with a static engine with a working bell and outdoor covered stage with some picnic tables - a very nice restaurant and some shopping spots are right across the street... so it is a nice spot for everyone... we could build a picnic there as well... whatever. My old church even did a service out there once last year.
Nice grassy spot in front of the stage... rather a nice spot in the middle of a sleepy country town... it is right next to the train station, so we may have to endure a few real trains coming by at times... <wink>

Don't forget we have the google calendar now... we can post the date, time, and place way in advance so everyone can plan accordingly... I think the first few meetings should probably be where the most members live - we can't very well expect people to drive so far to meet strangers - we'll have to build a feeling of family first... at least friendship/fellowship... <grin>
I have a Canon GL2 with a Sony remote control tripod (Model 187, I believe)... fluid head, but not very sturdy - I often tie it down with bungee cords and sandbags to get it sturdy for sensitive shots.
I think I know what sort of field mixer I need, but would certainly like to know your feedback before I purchase anything... I'd also like to get another mic and some wireless adapters... your input there would be appreciated...

I'm thrilled about the next meeting... it'll be fun.

Until that time... Earl J.
xjerx wrote on 8/21/2006, 8:18 AM
Wassup guys!!

I'm getting excited about all this stuff! Can't wait till our next meeting and hopefully I'll be able to attend this time! Earl, I'm from Fayetteville so if you like we could car pool if neccessary, or just get together for jobs or whatever. I'm also a Christian based company...so that's exciting to hear there are some others out there in fayettenam...

..as for experience...not sure if I know deep secret things about Vegas ...but I have been using it since version 2.0 so that might help

...equipment...VX2000, XL1s, (soon to purchase XHA1), tripods, mics...and various random things...

I like the idea of showing work....critique is always good...and it would be good to see what others are doing..

...most days are good for me..its hard to tell because my schedule is different from day to day...but if I know in advance I should be able to get to most meetings.

jeremiah

oh..and here's my website (for kicks) JerFilm.com
...thanks mike...yeah...i'm definitely not a web guru...
Infinite5ths wrote on 8/21/2006, 11:19 AM
Hey Jeremiah!

The next meeting is scheduled for Sept 14th, 7-9pm. It's on the Google Calendar with links to a map and all that jazz. (Thanks again Kevin!). Jerry (TeeTime) has set up this event and it sounds like it will be REALLY cool.

I'm discussing some (rapidly developing) plans with Earl_J for a possible movie shoot in Sanford with a western theme and a really tight set (already built -- ready to roll). If we an get permission to shoot there, we've got some great ideas for part of the soundtrack and some interesing casting possibilities (including perhaps some live horses). Earl is making some contacts and I'm doing some brainstorming.

Also, just in case anybody out there is a radio buff: I've got some old Colins HF radio equipment. It's tube gear -- and HUGE (like each piece is as big as a large microwave). I plan to sell it; but before I do, it would be REALLY cool to use it as props for some vintage radio scenes or short films. I don't know if anybody is interested in something like that (kind an old Radio Boys or Tom Swift era techo-geek/suspense film concept) but I'd love to do something along those lines. I might make for some fun RTP_VUG shooting/editing.

Wow! ...using Vegas since Version 2??? That sounds like PLENTY of experience. :-) It sounds like your camera/equipment lineup is pretty impressive. This is wonderful!

Does anybody have any dolly/track/wheelchair type equipment? If we get this western concept film off the ground, we'll probably be able to use some stuff like that. Oh...and we need some lighting ideas. ...anybody here a lighting nut (or expert -- whichever you prefer)?

I'll check out your website. If folks can post their sites here, I'll review the thread and make a list to put on my website. That way we've got a little bit of extra advertising for each member -- and another way to look each other up. Thanks!

P.S. Jeremiah, if you put your website inside HTML tags, with your address, folks will be able to click on it to link diredctly to your page right from this thread. For an example link to your page see this text page: Link Example
Infinite5ths wrote on 8/21/2006, 11:41 AM
Folks, I just knocked together a starter website for the RTP_VUG. it's ultra simple, with just some links to our communications options and some of our members' websites. But it is a starting place, and it helps to keep our links in one spot. It's hosted on my site right now, so it does give me an unfair amount of marketing....but at least it's a start. :-)

I tried to pull as many websites as I could from user profiles, posts and emails. If I missed yours or you don't have yours listed, just drop me a note.

Oh...and if somebody else wants to host this (and/or register an RTP_VUG domain for it) that would be great. Just drop me a note (...contact info on the website), post here or leave a note on the blog..

THE RTP_VUG WEBSITE
Earl_J wrote on 8/21/2006, 5:29 PM
Hello Mike,
that collins rig is called a FRC-93 in the Army... I've burned out my share of fuses in that rascal... it was a mainstay of many SF basecamps in Vietnam... hooked through the MARS to permit many guys to call home right on their own PRC-77 out in the field... good power, good signal, but oh so heavy! also need to drag a great power source around for the 1K amplifier... how much you asking for it?
Jeremiah, hello - were you at War Cry up in Virginia this past June? Just curious... I'm in between churches now... back to Manna on Cliffdale Road for a while... good to have you aboard.
Yes, ideas are coming fast and furious... it'll be fun, that's for sure.

Until that time... Earl J.
Infinite5ths wrote on 8/21/2006, 6:06 PM
Earl,

I'm not sure of the model# for the transmitter, but the matching receiver is a 75A-3. The equipment is in beautiful shape, and from what I understand, it works great also.

I'm in the process of finding somebody to appraise it for me. I know basically what it's worth; but I need to get a solid idea of its condition before I feel comfortable pricing each piece. They would make great retro movie props in any case. ...probably a bit too recent for westerns though. (tongue in cheek)
TeetimeNC wrote on 8/21/2006, 6:10 PM
Mike, I have this trackless dolly: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=5392&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

It's pretty basic buy might be able to use it for the shoot. Actually, we might be able to figure out a track using PVC.

Jerry
Infinite5ths wrote on 8/21/2006, 6:19 PM
Sure...I built a greenscreen frame (for a friend) out of PVC not too long ago, and I used PVC to support my acoustic tiles in my last apartment (couldn't glue them to the roof -- landlord would have killed me). I used to work in a hardware store, so riggin' stuff up is one of my fortes. :-]

The dolly looks really cool! With all the folks we've got interested, we may have enough cameras to do several types of shots, dollies, etc. for each scene. I guess it all depends on what hands-on events we do. ...never hurts to have multiple options and angles. Tape is so cheap, relatively speaking......especially if I'm the stunt guy for any scene. (I hate having to break my neck/back/ankle/knee/arm/etc. TWICE just because the camera angle wasn't right....) :-)
Infinite5ths wrote on 8/21/2006, 8:39 PM
Hey folks!

I was just sitting here thinking.....Raleigh has an IMAX theater. There isn't THAT much IMAX format material out there. How cool would it be if we started creating IMAX shorts and features??? I mean think about it:

1) Raleigh bent over backwards to build an IMAX theater.
2) The first time I saw Star Wars was on an IMAX screen...and I've never recovered
3) IMAX is about as BIG SCREEN as you can get today
4) If our stuff is well received here, then there are IMAX theaters all over the place that would scramble to get our content
5) I think the IMAX in Raleigh is pretty closely associated with Exploris.....so if we plan to make our first film with kids as actors, we might have a REALLY good shot at getting a foot in down there. We might even be able to swing it as some kind of special education opportunity (i.e. how to make a movie, with an IMAX twist)
6) If we can make our work look good on an IMAX screen it will look good ANYWHERE. ...talk about a GREAT way to improve our quality standards.
7) Raleigh, having invested in IMAX as an economic incentive, will go CRAZY to have a local 'Hollywood' bunch RIGHT HERE IN RIVER CITY making movies for the city's very own super-theater.

....am I crazy, or just passionate? (Those who have seen "National Treasure" will appreciate that line...)

I know they've got fancy 15/70 cameras for IMAX film making....but since we're most likely going to be working in digital, we ought to be able to create a large-format image without the special cameras. (The aspect ratio is something like 1.43:1 which is right between standard 4:3 and 16:9.) Granted....SD probably won't look great, perhaps we'd need to jump to HD for the final productions; but I wonder what high quality SD would look like on an IMAX screen.... The idea seems worth exploring to me. Thoughts?
xjerx wrote on 8/21/2006, 9:40 PM
Earl J

No I was not up at War Cry..but my girlfriends sister was up there with the Manna youth group..

..i go to northwood on ramsey st. and do some video work there for our productions...i also play the trumpet :o) ...you get involved with any video work at manna?

jeremiah
TeetimeNC wrote on 8/22/2006, 4:51 AM
I've been in the projection room at the Raleigh IMAX. You will need a large truck to haul in one of their films :-). I've also projected footage I created with my GL2 onto their screen. You would need to figure out a way to hook 20 GL2's together, each taking 1/20th of the image, then composit those into a single image to approximate the resolution of the IMAX camera. Probably not practical.

Jerry