conigs

I was digging through some Final Cut Pro plist files for a new tool I’m working on and I stumbled across this: a string labeled “FutureOfFCP.”

This is the super last version of Final Cut Pro. For realz. No more updates… ever!

Hope you like FCP v7. Because that’s the last one you’re going to get.

Okay, sarcasm aside, can we stop focussing on when the next version of FCP will come out or how much Apple cares about pro users or what the discontinuation of the rack-mount Xserve means. Instead, just use the tools you have available right now to make your living or finish your projects. Trust me, you’ll be a happier person. We need more of those.

We keep getting lost in the technical details. I don’t want to go to a panel to hear what role Avid/FCP/Adobe played in your post-production pipeline. I don’t want to be sold to. I’d care more about the creative decisions and obstacles overcome in the process.

[End rant about Lost editors panel at the Savannah Film Fest next week.]

Please. No.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/microsoft-and-adobe-chiefs-meet-to-discuss-partnerships/

Music for Designers:

Interesting find by @odd_enough. A tumblog with random music to design to. Now I just need a script to go through it like a playlist on random.

One of my biggest complaints against combined reels (e.g. editing/vfx/mograph/color) is that I have no idea what I’m looking at most of the time. Is this a shot you color corrected? Did you do vfx on this shot? Is this an edited sequence or just a combination of shots?

The other problem is that if someone is looking for an editor, they won’t want to spend time reviewing vfx. If they’re looking for a colorist, motion design skills don’t matter so much.

So if you have multiple skill sets, present them separately. 

As a designer/editor who often develops scripts & utilities to make work easier, I can really appreciate what Andrew Hake has put together. I’ve covered AERender before, but realized I never posted a link to his R&D page where he hosts all his useful utilities.

Some of my favorites are AEae (opens multiple instances of After Effects), AERender, difference, and projector (pairs nicely with Post Haste, eh?).

If you have the means, I highly recommend throwing a donation his way. I know from experience these utilities were probably born out of his own needs and frustrations, but it’s nice to know others appreciate your hard work.

So Gfx Hotkeys ($2.99, iTunes link) was just release a few days ago. A nice little app for quick reference to keyboard shortcuts, complete with search and organized by function. Very handy. The following apps are included:

• After Effects CS5
• Cinema4D r11.5
• Final Cut 7
• Maya 2011
• Photoshop CS5
• Flame 2011
• Smoke 2011
• NukeX v6
• Illustrator CS5

With the potential for more to be added.

As I noted in an email to the developer, I’d love to see the following two preferences be added:

1. Select which OS shows first in list view/
2. Toggle glyphs for cmnd, shift, option, ctrl. 

Still, this will be an incredibly useful app.

The origin of the NBC peacock logo?

Great animation by Nathan Love (in collaboration with NBC Artworks).

less sleep. more pixels.

Inpsired by @fakeup

Slowly but surely getting more time in C4D. Just a quick simulation with an attractor and Mograph 2 dynamics.