Well, if we shoot really well with 35mm film...

FROM IMAX:
IMAX DMR starts by converting a 35mm frame into digital form at very high resolution, capturing all the detail from the original. IMAX's proprietary software mathematically analyses and extracts the important image elements in each frame from the original grainy structure to create a pristine form of the original photography. This is the most complex step in IMAX digital re-mastering.

The image on a 35mm film frame is comprised of a fine grain structure like that of all photographic images. This grain when projected on to the IMAX screen looks like a TV channel that isn't quite tuned to the station. Removing this grain while preserving the quality of the underlying image is the basis of IMAX DMR.

To create the brightness and clarity that audiences have come to expect from The IMAX Experience, IMAX uses a proprietary computer program to make the images sharper than they were originally, while colours are adjusted for the unique technically superior characteristics of the IMAX screen. The completed re-mastered film is then transferred onto the world's largest film format, 15-perforations 70mm.

What about if we "shoot really well with" HD cameras?? Surely they can do this with HD. It doesn't even have the film grain!

Then there are also the Regency Park film screenings. From what I understand, they have a "big screen" as well. Or, maybe we can find an old drive-in theater around here that needs some unique independent material.

How difficult would it be to set up a PROJECTED billboard or something somewhere? You know...like a non-stop film trailer.

Oh, by the way: Does anybody know anyone in the area (including students) who does digital animation? At some point, we're certain to be able to use that kind of content. The sooner we learn to integrate that into our work, the better. It would be really cool to have some animated content at the next meeting, so we can play around with the quirks of color correction when dealing with live and digitally created content together (linearly and/or layered). I know that Jerry has done a some facial animation stuff. ...anybody else do modelling, animation, etc.?

I just talked with Dave (my guitarist friend, former roommate, and masters student at Yale). He's all fired up about writing if we do a western (or just about anything else). I'm visiting him next week, so we'll have some time to brainstorm.

...just another thought:

I'm going up to CT to visit Dave in a week. I'll be up there for almost two weeks. For at least part of that time, I'll be at or near Yale with Dave. I know that Yale has some GREAT film resources. Does anybody know enough about what's up there to suggest what I should explore while there? I'd like to see if there's any useful information or any good contacts to make for the RTP_VUG while I'm up there. Dave will probably have some ideas....but I thought I'd ask here, in case you all have any general or specific ideas/requests.

xjerx and Earl J..... what can I say but it's a small world. I see you two guys talking about Manna, I've been going there off and on about 20 something years.

I actually do a small cell group on Tuesday nights on Video editing with Vegas.

Drop me a line at: kevin @ therapyplayground . com if you want to hook up.

I was originally hoping to meet up with Infinite5ths in Raleigh, but couldn't make it that weekend, and can't very well get up there on weekdays.

Well, Kevin, we'll just have to schedule some more weekend events then. Maybe we could do a weeknight and a weekend event for each month. ...or alternate for each month or something.

Eventually I can see us doing at least one weeknight meeting and one weekend event on a monthly basis. When our group is big enough, each of these (weeknights & weekends) will probably be self-supporting, perhaps with some overlap between actual activities. That way nobody has to come to ALL of the meetings to get something meaningful out of the group events.

Of course, when we get full project funding and a few feature films and/or a TV series or two under our belts, we'll just build a studio; and everybody can work at the studio. That would probably take care of any commute concerns. :-]

Hello everyone,
met with Tim Marsh over at his Circle M ranch and town... we had a very interesting 90-minute chat... some very intriguing concepts, and one that I think should work for us...
1 - before we jump in waist-deep, perhaps we should shoot a short film of our own to give us an idea about the work involved in a full-length feature; then individuals may decide on their own if they can commit to the drive to Sanford, the shooting in the heat or cold, dealing with youth talent...
2 - maybe we need to develope a series instead of one long project... then people can sign up for projects when they are free or have the time to commit to it... we'd hate to start all fired-up and then have people drop out because it has become too much work and not enough fun... much like a TV series, we can have changing actors with only two or three main characters who remain the same each episode...
3 - we'll need to plan for youth who may come for a time and then decide they would rather do other things and stop coming...
4 - Tim has a storage area of about 200 costumes and lots of hats and boots... all sizes adults to children...
5 - Tim's main concerns are lighting and makeup... my wife may be able to help with make-up - she is a beautician - but we'll definitely need help with the lighting...
6 - final target audience - do we need to incorporate comedy in with the seriousness of the subject - God does have a wonderful sense of humor... we need to depict that sort of thing into each episode...
7 - we can build in a sort of "Lion, Witch, Wardrobe" apsect to the story so the kids stumble upon the town and get transformed back to that time - so they can continue to speak and act as they do now and continue to refer to current events and popular stars/singers/groups...
8 - FOOD is always an issue - we may have kids and adults there for a whole day of shooting - we'll need drinks and food thoughout the day... who funds that?
9 - I'm waiting on a response from Tim about an opportunity for all of us to come down and see Tim in action...
10 - if we shoot a concept preview, then we can request funding and support from local churches... or they subscribe to the series, and in that fashion, they get a free video episode once it is complete with the opportunity to purchase more copies at a discounted price...

Email me directly if this sounds good to you, and you want to be involved... it's going to take lots of time - either shooting or editing - so please consider that; we'll discuss it further, no doubt - we have more questions now than answers.

Until that time... Earl J.

I'll go see if I can post this to the blog...

Hello Jeremiah,

No, I do not involve myself with video there...
I have been to the last two War Cry events and taped the sermons for transfer to DVD and contribute them to the church for sale or whatever...
I'm in flux between churches at the moment - we plan to move back to Fayetteville in the spring - and perhaps beginning to vist the Manna in Raeford... it's just a few miles from our Fayetteville home. I live in Spout Springs at the moment - half way between Spring Lake and Sanford.

I need to get the pictures of the Circle M posted someplace for you guys to see them - maybe photofish or snapfish or whatever it's called - you'll love the town... tim is planning on hosting a wild west show in OCT, so perhaps we can film that for kicks and get everyone a taste of what a big production might entail...

Any idea of when we want to get a weekend meeting scheduled? I can ask Tim if he'll permit us to meet there... we can base ourselves in the saloon... or maybe the church... (they're the two largest interiors with tables/benches) . . . you guys are gonna love it!

Until that time... Earl J.

BTW, my home email is: earlj@moniz.org

Mike,
if you can get your friend to create a blend of scifi and western guitar music, that'll be a great start...

Have a safe trip - if you haven't left yet...

Until that time... Earl J.

Hello Jerry,
for outdoor shoots as we anticipate, we'll need a stable system that can roll easily over rough/uneven terrain - a track system seems the only way to go - unless we build ourselves a few $14 steadicams...

We may be able to use it indoors - perhaps in the bank, the jail, the saloon, and the church... but not outdoors for the walking through town shots...

You'll see the terrain I'm speaking about when you see the pictures of the town...

Until that time... Earl J.

The company I work with ... www.trailblazerstudios.com
shot a short out there (the western set) its pretty cool...was shot on 16mm ...wish I could post it but I can't....but the place looks awesome!

jeremiah

Here it is...

Go to google - select video tab - search on "circle m town" with the quotes.

Click on result and enjoy - no sound...

Until that time... Earl J.

Hello all,
figured out the creating a new thread... come to the site and login; click on post comment to journal; a box will open with the ability to place a new subject in the box above.
* * *
Here is my proposal:
We meet on the day in OCT during which Tim Marsh will performing his wild west show to familiarize ourselves with the town, meet Tim, and get an idea about the equipment we'll need to shoot a "professional quality" project.
* * *
Then:
1 - we offer churches in the local area an annual subscription to our video adventures (30 minute epidodes - 3X a year) with contributions of money (amount to be determined) ...
2 - we'll use the OCT meet as a chance to bring our cameras and shoot a little footage of our own (unless Tim objects) to create a 3-5 minute trailer for our adventures to mail to the churches along with the invitation to to subscribe...

Subscriptions: 3 - bring a single copy to each church for free along with discounted prices for additional copies... 4 - permit the church to contribute their youth as actors and/or assistants for new epises... 5 - raise the funds for food and drink for each shooting session (I'm guessing one weekend - all day SAT and half-day SUN) - along with other incidentals for the shooting (digital tapes, bulbs for lights, cables, supplies for building dollies and tracks, and mailing fees) ... 6 - include the churches as sponsors for the final credits at the end of each epidosde ...

These short episodes permit each of us to try our hands at each item on the agenda - lighting, sound, camera, directing, editing, coordinator (youth, food acquisition, point of contact), distribution...in that fashion, we're only doing one thing for an episode and not a year and a half... I'm pretty sure we'll each find spot where we're using a strength and enjoying the work... as opposed to doing something one doesn't want to do and hating it because one is not being used effectively in a strength skill...

How are we doing so far? How does it meet with all your expectations?

Give us a little feedback...

disregard the part about making a new thread... it came over from livejournal - not intended for use here... dhoh!

Until that time... Earl J.

Hey folks!

I'm finally back from a week and a half in CT. I've got all kinds of stuff to report; but I managed to catch a head-cold & sore throat of some kind while I was up there (blasted cold northeast weather :-] ). ...still trying to get rid of it and get back to breathing again (...kinda a nice pastime).

At any rate, Jerry (TeeTime) reminded me that it's time to get all geared up for the SECOND MONTHLY RTP_VUG MEETING on Sept 14, 2006 from 1900-2100 (7-9pm for you non-military time folks). [Thanks Jerry -- this bug has really affected my head...I didn't forget the meeting; but I kept thinking....."Oh, I'll write the post tomorrow" -- We're almost there, DUH!!!!] The details are posted on our calendar. (Note: You have to have or create a Google account to access it. Just sign in and the link will take you to the correct spot.) You should be able to get the time, location, a map, etc. all from that calendar.

Jerry has suggested the following possible agenda, and I think he's right on target:

* Preview of VAAST Color Correction DVD (to get our appetites whetted and our wallets warmed up)
* Brief overview of Flicko video services
* Vegas 7 discussion
* Group info session & discussion about the video project idea that Earl_J has been exploring for us

I'm adding the following to Jerry's list:
*Discussion of the ABC 9/11 film that just aired on the network


OK folks......what else would you like to see/do on Thursday?? Are there any other logistics questions you need answered? Jerry, what resources can we provide to help the meeting run smoothly?

Don't forget to check out the RTP_VUG startup website. Ideas, suggestions, corrections, offers to help design the page (it won't take much to out-do me), etc. are WELCOME.

Earl_J

I just checked out the NEW version of the Circle M video on Google. The place looks AMAZING, and the music is pretty catchy also. Dave and I could do that kind of stuff NO problem. (P.S. For anybody who watched the 9/11 ABC video -- that piece the flamenco guitarist was playing in the Monday evening portion is a very famous standard classical guitar rep. Dave was playing it for me [again] just a few days ago in CT. He plays it even better than the guy on the ABC production soundtrack. So when I say "we've got some really great resources" I MEAN it.)

Looking at this Circle M place and evaluating the music resources I have access to just by myself is incredibly exciting. I can't wait till we get the round-table discussion going on Thursday.

If I recall correctly, Earl_J won't be able to make it for the Thursday meeting, so perhaps we can put together a brainstorming ideas list to show him at some point in the future. Also....Earl, do you have cell phone?? If we can find somebody in the group with the same carrier and a speaker phone, we might be able to patch you in from home for part of the meeting. ...would that work for you?

Hey folks! I just emailed another friend of mine in northern Canada. He lives in Sept-Iles, way up the St. Lawrence seway. He's been following some of my/our activities on my website and sound pretty excited about all of this. I was just thinking how cool it would be to shoot some stuff some day way up there. The seven islands (after which the place is named) are pretty gorgeous.

...anyway, hope to see everybody on Thursday. If you can't make it, let us know, so we can get some record of the meeting events emailed to you. I'd like to keep everybody in the loop, even if you can't get to any/all of the Thursday meetings.

Also, I saw some mention of an OCTOBER date for a visit to the Circle M site. Has a specific date been selected, or can we discuss one now?

Hi gang,

I don't visit this forum frequently but I thought I would check it for V7 comments. I usually just participate in the DMN forums. We moved to the Charlotte area earlier this year.

I'm a Vegas hobbyist since version 4. I may also want to come to your User Group meetings, but I can't commit for the moment. We're still settling in here and have lots to do.

Can someone please send me the Google calender invitation?

Any thoughts on holding the meetings during the day vs. evening?

Thanks.

Hey David!

Welcome to North Carolina!

We'd love to have you at the VUG meetings. Don't worry about making a commitment. Right now it's pretty loose and informal -- so don't feel any pressure. I think that Kevin will have to send the invite, since he's the VUG calendar admin. (Kevin, if I can send invites myself, let me know.....I haven't really explored this. If you don't mind managing the calendar, great. If you'd rather not have to keep an eye on it, just let one of us know.)

There has been some discussion of daytime/evening/weekend meeting times. Right now we've semi settled on monthly meetings on Thursday evenings (2nd Thursday of each month), with weekend activites. Depending on users' needs, that is still open to change. I can understand how commuting from/to Charlotte could be tough on Thursday nights. Would the weekend events be any easier for you to attend?

Take it easy getting settled in and enjoy to new location! Thanks for popping in here. Whenever you can make it, we'd love to have you in the group.

Thanks Infinite5ths,

Saturday lunch/early afternoon meetings would work better for me than Thursday evenings. But at a minimum maybe I could follow the meeting minutes and attend the activies on Saturday.

I think I made the calendar open for anyone, but you have to have a Google account (not neccesarily a gmail account mind you).

You can create a Google account here:

Create Google account

And I'll check the share permissions on the calendar.