CasablancaExpert

Casablanca Expert Community eNewsletter for February 2012

I just sent out the February 2012 FREE Casablanca Community eNewsletter.... with some free tips and the free links to your free TWO hours of Casablanca How-tos and Tips. If you're a subscriber, check your email -- if you're not, you can sign-up now in the upper left corner at my web site: www.CasablancaExpert.com

Among the items mentioned in this issue:

* The link to the two 1-hour FREE streaming video recording from the Casablanca 12+ Tips Webinars

* Invitation to 'visit' the Casablanca virtual Museum, a beginning collection of on-line images, info and video from the earlier days of our beloved Casablanca

* Link to download your free 4-page PDF document that lists all Effects found in your Special and Image Processing Effects Lists.

* News about my newest tutorial DVDS, providing intenive learning on the Bogart V4 platform.

And if you join my Newsletter list today, you'll receive the links to this information in an instant email back to you (well, almost instantly... within minutes).

Special, Free Casablanca Webinars This Wednesday

To celebrate the 3rd Anniversary of the Casablanca Expert website and community, Chet Davis is hosting this special webinar chock full of tips for the Casablanca video editor. You can register below and you'll see Chet's Casablanca screen on your computer!

Chet will have a big bag full of tips ready to share but he's hoping those who join us for this special session will ask Chet to teach them what they're eager to learn!

This is your opportunity to ask the Casablanca Expert your question, to have him show you live how to do some software operation or trick.

There will be one session at 7:00AM Pacific/10:00AM Eastern and a second, completely new session at 7:00PM Pacific/10:00PM Eastern.  

The recording of each session will be available to those who sign-up for either session -- and will also be available in the Casablanca Expert Members Archives (for member/subscribers).

Register for a session now by clicking below:

Morning
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM PST

Evening
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM PST

Chet Davis to Present Two Special Sessions at the MGT 2012 This March

You may know the MGT 2012 (March Get Together) has announced it's schedule of presenters - and I am happy to be presenting two sessions for this year's event.  Unfortunately I will be unable to attend this year's Casablanca Conference taking place in the QuadCities of Illinois/Iowa but  I will be presenting 'virtually', in a pre-recorded session taped specially for my friends who are attending the MGT.

I will be presenting Monday a session titled 'Bogart 4 - What's New and What's Hot' and on Thursday, a new session I am calling 'Casablanca Eye Candy' !

You can check out all the presenters and the sessions on the MGT web site here: http://www.marchgettogether.com/2012_Schedule_for_MGT.html

If you're on Google Plus - please add the new Casablanca Expert page to your circles

Just launched the Google Plus page for Casablanca Expert. If you're also on Google Plus, I would invite you to add Casablanca Expert to your Circle! If you do not know much about this newest Social Media site - check out the introduction here: http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/

Free December eNewsletter Sent Today - Did You Receive Yours?

The December free Casablanca community Newsletter was sent today via email. If you did not see your copy yet, check your spam box to see if it's sitting inside.  But if you're not yet a subscriber to this free monthly email news flyer - sign-up today right here:

The Early Years of Macrosystem & Casablanca

Yesterday on the Cassie Tips ListServ, one of the list members posted that the original Casablanca Classic affectionately known as 'The Cassie' was based on the original Amiga computer).

 

Jorg Sprave CEO of MacroSystem AG posted the following account of the company's beginnings:

The Amiga was always used for early digital video applications, but in the early days it was not possible to store motion video inside of the Amiga. People used it for overlaying analog video with digital images and animations, for titling and so on. That wasn't possible with PCs and Macs at that time, as only the Amiga had video compatible outputs (composite and, later on, Y/C). PCs used VGA and an even more limited standard called "TTL" (black and white graphics).

Lots of video related products were available in the big days of the Amiga. Genlocks (devices that synchronized/overlayed external video sources with computer graphics), the famous Video Toaster (a switcher with overlay, basically four genlocks on a card), the DCTV (graphics enhancer box) and so on.

MacroSystem also had some successful products, namely an audio card (the "Toccata") and a video digitizer card (still images only, the "VLab").

Then, when Motion JPEG compression came along, we introduced the VLab Motion card. For the first time ever, people could record life video and audio inexpensively to the harddrive of an Amiga! We offered it with an editing system called "MovieShop", a complex piece of software that features a full blown timeline, time code, EDLs, the whole deal. Much like some of the "pro" software systems (Avid, Adobe and so on) still work.

Then, Commodore went down, back in 94. A disaster for us, as we had lost our vehicle when we finally had a strong product.

We looked at alternatives, naturally, but found none. PCs and Macs, not enough throughput. Silicon Graphics workstations were way too expensive. So we decided to make our own Amiga clone, the DraCo. We licensed the AmigaOS from the various new owners of the almost defunct Amiga Inc. (it changed hands quickly and often).  

The DraCo worked well, but after a year or two, we realized it was too complex for our kind of user. We did not have the Hollywood type cutters that spent three years in college to learn editing. We had the hard working wedding/event video guys (and gals) that needed fast output, and had no time to learn complex user interfaces.

So we threw the computer parts of the interface over board and re-packaged the DraCo into the first Casablanca. The storyboard replaced the timeline, which made it so much easier to edit. No clap down menus, and a clean work flow. People loved it. We were very successful.

Problem was that the AmigaOS (and therefore also the CasablancaOS) required a CPU type that was a dead end, the Motorola 680xx. We employed the last and fastest type they had, the 68060, clocked at 25 MHz. But Motorola had decided to discontinue that line. So there was no choice, we had to look for a new platform.

We found it with the VXWorks OS, and Intel x86 compatible CPUs. Using special hardware codecs (made by CCube), we had the gen 2 machines. Those were suffering from "childhood diseases" at first. Lots of customers were angry with us, as they immediately expected the same stability we had achieved with the very mature, but discontinued gen 1 line. But that wasn't the case, as always when a new system comes out. The gen 2 machines gotten very mature stable and powerful over time, though.

Then, HD came along. Another platform change was called for. So, we brought out BogartSE, based on Linux. Same initial problems, same maturing over time. History always repeats itself.

That is the true story, short version!

Jörg

I have posted an account of Macrosystem history of it's more recent years, copied from the company's less accesible english language website.  You can view this in the free resource area on my website here: Macrosystem AG - Company History (1991-2005)

Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful for the continued opportunity to connect with many creative and kind people in the Casablanca community.

On this special day I wish you and your loved ones a very

Happy Thanksgiving!

Casablanca Expert eNewsletter for November 2011

Today I sent out my free monthly email Newsletter for the Casablanca (video editing) community -- if you did not receive your copy, please check in the Junk Mail folder of your email program and if not there still, let me know so I can check the email distribution list. If you've not yet signed up for this free email newsletter, here's your opportunity:

Email Marketing You Can Trust

And you can read today's Casablanca Expert eNewsletter via the link below...it's chock full of information, news, and even several useful tips! 

Casablanca Expert eNewsletter for November 2011

 

How do You Respond to a Request to Create a Video for Free?

I came across a blog post from a professional photographer last month who addressed the issue of how do you reply when asked to provide free services.  You can read that post by Michael Zhang here on Petapixel.

I know videographers get hit up regularly with these requests as well - there's the line by non-profits who say 'it will be good experience or good exposure for you'.  That may be the case - but if videography is part of or is your full-time business we must be careful about 'giving away' our craft. I agree with Michael as he states in the previously mentioned post that there is nothing wrong with giving back to your community, providing your service for your chosen charities - but you have to draw the line somewhere. 

In this spirit - perhaps we all should have one of the following shirts in our closet, ready to pull out at that moment when asked by someone who things that you should work for them for free.

By the way - this is a real shirt, available in black for $15.00 - $19.99 at The Shirtlist.com.  Awesome!

Videographer or Video Producer or What or Who?

To keep up with video and technology I subscribe to a whole lot of feeds and services... and sometimes it's an article that intrigues that leads me to a blog or other website that features yet another articles on a different site.  

Today I came across a blog post that totally fit into a conversation we had on the Casablanca Coffee Klatsch recently. We were discussing the names we used to call or describe what we do to clients or to friends, family and community.  

And for a LONG time I have been using the term videographer. 

It is an accepted word in Webster's dictionary and basically means one who records images with a video camera.  Now that fits a good part of what I do and what a lot of colleagues do - but really, it's just one part.

As folks who create videos whether for passion, for fun and/or for profit - we have to take that video recording and fashion it into a completed video presentation. That involves editing, titling, audio, DVD authoring, etc.

So the term videographer really is only a fraction of what we do, or who we are.  Back to what I started with today -- here is a post by a colleague I have read his stuff before... Ron Dawson of Dare Dreamer Magazine.  His article that got me started today: Are the Myriad of Names in Filmmaking Helping or Hurting the Industry?

If you're at all intrigued by this conversation you'll enjoy his thoughts as well.  And I should point out that one of the folks who left a comment on Ron's blog shared what is the most important thing... if you're doing this for profit, the most important consideration is by what name or title is your prospective clients looking for you?