Connor Cut This.

Y&R SF
Creatives: Brad Berg, Scott Larson, Paul Carek, Chris Toffoli.
Produced by Debra Trotz.
Directed by Pam Thomas.
Cut by Connor.

A nice and fresh comedy spot for the NCAA - "Scouts".

The link is here.

HD-XXX

In my first post of the year, I ruminated on the ensuing onslaught of HD and Internet "technicals"(new word alert) in our business. Add to that this wrinkle, so to speak, that was reported on in the New Yawk Times.

In Raw World of Sex Movies,
High Definition Could Be a View Too Real

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 21 — The XXX industry has gotten too graphic, even for its own tastes.

Stormy Daniels says she isn’t sure “why anyone would want to see their porn” in high definition because it makes the picture so crisp and clear.

Pornography has long helped drive the adoption of new technology, from the printing press to the videocassette. Now pornographic movie studios are staying ahead of the curve by releasing high-definition DVDs.

They have discovered that the technology is sometimes not so sexy. The high-definition format is accentuating imperfections in the actors — from a little extra cellulite on a leg to wrinkles around the eyes.(Full article here.)

Too much of a good thing?

TV Commentary

When watching the second episode of the second season of Ricky Gervais' Extras"(HBO), I found myself fighting the strong urge to look away. I wanted to look away from the very uncomfortable scenes that Gervais has an acute talent for writing: soul cringing, embarassing moments of being caught lying, capitulating, giving in to tendencies loathed in others, and on and on. I made it to the end and thoroughly enjoyed this portrait of very human foibles and did not look away.

Then it was time to turn my viewing eye to "Rome"(HBO), the series depicting the lives of those who ruled, loved, ate, drank, plotted, murdered and suffered during the time of it's empire. Filled with all the noteworthy gore, mutilation, blood that HBO affords it, "Rome" doesn't have the same effect on my as "Extras". I watched each minute of "Rome" almost unblinkingly(despite my growing distaste for violence in movies).

Watch the shows and see what makes you blink...if anything.

One interesting side note. The actor, Guy Henry, plays Gervais' producer Iain Morris in "Extras" and Cassius in "Rome".

Watching too much T.V.? Possibly.
Or may just too much British produced tele.

'07

We find ourselves at the beginning a yet another year.
What will be in the offing this year? To which I answer: Big pictures and little pictures. Big ones in HD and little ones streamed on the internet. Over the course of '06 many of us here at Filmcore(and many of you too) dealt with finishing spots in HD and finishing them for the internet. Now, standards abound for HD and internet mastering. I will cover none of it here. I will say that despite the standards, creating these polar opposite formats is a task filled with unending education, pitfalls, and misplaced elation at thinking you have it down when you are nowhere near having it down. For an idea of what questions must be answered peruse the following:

HD? What are the specs for CBS? FOX? NBC? ABC? ESPN? 720P or 1080I? 480P for FOX? Interlaced or Progressive? Did you protect for 4:3? Center extract? Pillarbox? Letterbox? Why shoot film? Why shoot HD? Why print HD to film and then finish in HD? Should we finish grfx HD and SD? 5:1 mix or stereo only? Does it look funny?

INTERNET? Is it streaming? Or a Banner Ad? What bit rate? What size? Does that match 4:3? Crop the sides? What information do we lose? Will there be strobbing? Is it a :15? :20? A :33? What's the media buy? Does it matter? Does it matter!!!? Why does it look funny?

Good luck and good spots to you all. We are here is to answer your questions in regard to the above. For the answers we don't have...we'll make them up.

On that note, take a look at this. The ultimate stock/rock footage video.