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Assisted Editing Interesting Technology Item of Interest Metadata

Semantic Text Startup for Textual Analysis

Semantic Text Startup for: Cliff notes, keywords, key points and important facts derived from raw text. http://tinyurl.com/5sr5myk

One of the technologies I’ve been following, because I think it’s relevant to my goals with Assisted Editing (to take the boring out of postproduction). One piece of the “boring” is deriving keywords and concepts from spoken word (transcribed, of course).

Technologies like this, and others developed for the Library and Archivist industries, are becoming very sophisticated.

In an Assisted Editing context, the extraction of keywords (particularly) from a “chunk” of transcribed spoken word (let’s say an interview for a documentary), removes the need for a human to enter the keywords.

Having keywords is valuable because you can search for all instances of the keyword (to find common themes), which is something prEdit really does well, whether you’re going to build the initial outline manually in a tool like prEdit or Final Cut Pro, or use an Assisted Editing tool to get to a rough first assemble.

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Business & Marketing Item of Interest Random Thought

Professionalism is for Amateurs

Professionalism is for Amateurs http://tinyurl.com/45doktd

After making the case that “professionals” rejected the founders of Google, the founders of Apple and that amateurs created the “much bigger than the pro encyclopedia” Wikipedia, the article finishes with this clincher:

My reluctance to work with so called ‘professionals’ goes so far that whenever someone says “Lets do this the professional way” or “But that doesn’t seems professional” I can’t help but instinctively move in the other direction. If it seems professional to me it sounds boring and unoriginal.

Its the awkward people, the creative thinkers and the unconventional innovators that rule the world. Not the people who act ‘professional’ and follow the beaten path.

Re-invent the world; act unprofessionally!

But what really is a professional?

Continue reading “Professionalism is for Amateurs”

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Business & Marketing Item of Interest

Want a truly horrible customer experience?

Want a truly horrible customer experience? Buy from Wildform. The product is fine and does the job, but the experience of buying it, doesn’t measure up.

Continue reading “Want a truly horrible customer experience?”

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Interesting Technology Item of Interest

The Next 9 Jobs That Will Be Replaced by Robots

The Next 9 Jobs That Will Be Replaced By Robots http://tinyurl.com/4c66w5b

I thought this article was interesting because I’m always looking at the cutting edge of what can be automated. For me the interest is in thinking about how the cutting edge of technology will move into even more “creative” roles.

The jobs supposedly “on the line” (and they don’t mean tomorrow, but rather a little ‘down the line’):

  • Pharmacists – robots in two hospitals have filled 350,000 prescriptions without mistake. (Could human pharmacists boast that level of accuracy?)
  • Legal Discovery (Lawyers) because computer can analyze documents faster and for less than humans, and find information and connections that humans miss.
  • Drivers – as Google’s self driving car experiments (and those DARPA have sponsored) then commercial drivers may not be needed any more.
  • Astronauts (where I’m in favor of replacing human risk as much as possible)
  • Retail clerks – self checkout is growing.
  • Soldiers because in a smart war, it’s the machines that count and frankly if machines are killing machines, that’s a war I can almost salute!
  • Nannies and baby sitters.
  • Online sports stories from the basic scores.  This can probably applied to most other types of factual-based writing.
Continue reading “The Next 9 Jobs That Will Be Replaced by Robots”

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Item of Interest

FUJIFILM to feature facial recognition in lens

FUJIFILM to feature facial recognition, precision focus, telephoto lenses http://tinyurl.com/4jfyz9a

The TRACE facial recognition system enables a camera operator to set automatic focus parameters on one person’s face in a frame. When a subject walks into the frame, a box appears around that person’s face, and if the operator touches that person’s box, the lens automatically focuses on that face throughout the scene. The TRACE system will be shown as a technology demonstration with estimated availability at the end of 2011.

So, here’s my question. There are people who criticize the use of tools like First Cuts, Finisher and prEdit because they in some way diminish the role of the editor (from their perspective). Isn’t this much the same thing? Shouldn’t the camera operator be able to follow focus on a face? Isn’t that part of the job? If we have facial detection like that, couldn’t we add in a pan/tilt head and really follow?

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Item of Interest

The Terence and Philip Show, Episode 22: Thunderbolt.

The Terence and Philip Show, Episode 22 – Thunderbolt. http://tinyurl.com/4g9wkqy

You’ve likely heard about the new interconnect technology called Thunderbolt now that it is released, but Lightpeak during development at Intel. With two 10 Gbit/sec channels this has some interconnect power, at budget pricing. It’ll make a big difference when momentum gathers.

We also talk about the implications for hardware design, and whether or not there will be need for a “tower” configuration in the future.

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Distribution Item of Interest The Business of Production

Netflix To Enter Original Programming

Netflix To Enter Original Programming With Mega Deal For David Fincher-Kevin Spacey Series ‘House Of Cards’ http://bit.ly/ewSQgH

In yet another sign that modern distributors don’t feel like waiting around for the legacy industry (with the good content) any more. In a move that presages what could happen more widely, particularly if Apple and Google started into production.

There’s zero reason why any of the new content aggregators or distributors couldn’t go to the exact same producers and production companies that produce for the network and cable outlets, for exclusive content for their distribution.

EXCLUSIVE: Video streaming juggernaut Netflix is becoming an original programming player. In what is probably the biggest gamble in its 14-year history, I hear Netflix has outbid several major cable networks, including HBO and AMC, for  Media Rights Capital’s drama series House of Cards, executive produced and directed by David Fincher and exec produced by and starring Kevin Spacey.

Negotiations are still going on, but I hear Netflix landed the drama project by offering a staggering commitment of two seasons, or 26 episodes. Given that the price tag for a high-end drama is in the $4 million-$6 million an episode range and that a launch of a big original series commands tens of millions of dollars for promotion, the deal is believed to be worth more than $100 million.

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Distribution Item of Interest

Massive Research On ‘Piracy’ Debunks entire Foundation of US Foreign IP Policy

Massive Research On ‘Piracy’ In Emerging Economies Released; Debunks Entire Foundation Of US Foreign IP Policy http://tinyurl.com/6lfu6dp

I’ve long said that I welcome good research into the issues surrounding unauthorized distribution, because the “studies” sponsored by industry groups are elaborate hoaxes debunked by none less than the US Government Accounting Office.

I could quote sections of the article on the report but really, if you’re concerned about “piracy” and have believed any of the BS from the MPAA or RIAA’s debunked reports, then you owe it to your business future to read at least about the report. Either at the Techdirt.com article above, or over at TorrentFreak.com.

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Interesting Technology The Technology of Production

Why do we need lighting anymore? [Updated]

Last week I was a the official Storm launch at RED Studios. While Storm – the RED Digital Cinema Camera Production Hub – is undoubtedly going to be the “go to” app for  anyone working with RED footage, it wasn’t what set my mind thinking about lighting.

Before I get to that though, I was very impressed with Storm in every way (without having actually used it myself). Well thought out and priced appropriately, if you have to work with RED, you will end up buying Storm.

What set me thinking was the demonstration of RED Epic where the incredible low light performance and high dynamic range combined to kind of answer a question I’ve have had in my mind for a while.

Continue reading “Why do we need lighting anymore? [Updated]”

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Distribution Item of Interest Monetizing The Business of Production

Power to the People: The Democratization of Film.

Power to the People: The Democratization of Film http://tinyurl.com/4d6o3wq

This is a really good read by Jeff Steele that starts with how production has been democratized through the use of less expensive tools. That ignores a whole lot of costs associated with quality production that aren’t associated with less expensive tools of production, but let’s allow the point for the moment.

His primary point is that, while production is democratized, financing and distribution are not. Again, I wouldn’t argue.

Continue reading “Power to the People: The Democratization of Film.”