questions for the editors

[lifelikecarcass]

I am not going to become an editor for a living, and if I did I'd get professional training to do it the way of the industry standard, as that is the way you do it I guess. But you could always just buy some books, or get a subscription to professional tutorial sites and learn to do it on your own. I'm not trying to tell you what to do here. I'm just exchanging information here, as that's the best way to learn. No offense intended. I'm not trying to steal your thunder here or anything. You make your own movies, so why wouldn't you want to know about better ways of doing things? It can only make your final output better and more polished. But if you have no desire to improve, then so be it. But I just edit my own things, and I do them however I want, so what's wrong with that? It gets done, and it gets done how I want, so it's fine. Are you joking? Or are you actually saying "I don't have to listen to anyone else, I can do things however I want"? Hey, do things however you want if that's what's important to you. I was just trying to help out and share some things I've learned over the years. I certainly wasn't expecting this response. I go to other boards where there are other digital artists, and we share information and learn from each other. Which makes us better at what we do. And I've never encountered that "I can do what I want, you're not the boss of me" attitude ever. We also honestly critique each others work. I would imagine that doesn't happen here, no? But hey, I still think you should look into rendering image sequences. You'll see that it just feels like the right way to do things.

[MinionZombie]

I think you're getting the wrong end of the wedge here. Don't take my tone as directly at you, I'm in a gruff mood in general today, so I appologise if I come off a bit short, but I have to be honest, I felt you were being condescending, especially with sentences such as "But if you have no desire to improve, then so be it." And nor am I saying I don't have to learn anything more, nor learn things from people - my short attitude to your post came because - to me at least - you came off as condescending, so I took offense, especially when I feel as if you're not fully reading my posts you're responding to, or understanding what I had been trying to say those few weeks ago in the original posts. I'll definitely not be seeking to become a professional editor, I find the process oftentimes tedious and really only prefer to edit my own footage that I've shot. Editing is merely a side salad for me, I edit my own little films, or do the odd bit of basic cutting to stock footage or whatever when asked to by those I work with, but that's where I leave it. Ultimately I aim to become a writer/director, and currently my main focus professionally speaking is acting as a self-directing cameraman/cinematographer. Back to our miscommunication though... First impressions come quickly, and I've felt some of your posts have come off condescending and 'I know better than you, therefore I'm better' ... I guess we share that in common as we both don't like that attitude, but it appears we've both misread one another and perhaps considered each other to be of that opinion, when in fact both of us aren't at all and are of similar minds. However... Like I said before, I'm in a grumpy mood this evening, so there we are and I reckon you probably haven't intended to come off as condescending. It just felt that way to me this evening as I'm not in the best of moods and have been seeing red with this computer (4 attempts to get it fully loaded left me gritting my teeth ). The internet is a tricky thing, and it's hard to judge context and intent through merely text, especially with new members such as you are at the moment (or at least I don't remember your name from the days of the Loom HPOTD forum. So, to stop myself ranting on, I appologise for my short temper this evening, and I guess you didn't intend to come off arsey or pious or whatever, so might I offer to scrap our initial miscommunicated introduction to one-another and start afresh?

[lifelikecarcass]

I guess you didn't intend to come off arsey or pious or whatever, so might I offer to scrap our initial miscommunicated introduction to one-another and start afresh? That's a good idea. I think we have different methods of communication that collided. You were talking about your workflow, and I was addressing the problems that I saw in it, from my perspective. Which is the way most of my discussions go. At the other board I go to people are always poking each other in fun about mistakes made, or being dense and not seeing a problem or process for what it is. It's actually lighthearted and meant to diffuse the tendency for some people to get defensive about things. It took me a little while to get used to it. I didn't intend to do that, as I assume that's not how it goes everwhere. I just probably unknowingly allowed that to happen. For that I apologize. I don't mean to be condescending or disrespectful. And I definitely don't think I know better. I just always try to figure out better ways to do everything, simplify a workflow or overcome workflow obstacles. I think it's the only way to grow when doing anything artistic. It automates the process in a way so you don't have to constantly evaluate and judge yourself. When you see a persons work where everytime they do something new you're more and more impressed with them, they tend to use that philosophy. I'm not trying to say that that's how things are with me. I'm just saying that I try to apply that frame of mind to the things I do when possible, and it seems to make all the difference. I also know how great it seems to me when I learn new ways to work in an app or workflow. And the image sequence thing is one of those things that I wondered why I didn't think of sooner. I guess it would behoove me to pay more attention to how I come across so the information I offer is accepted better. BTW, what are "the Loom HPOTD forum" days? I use to come here and read the fiction section and a few other subforums. I never registered cause I hated the way the forum was setup. It used an older or less evolved bulletin board format.

[MinionZombie]

S'all cool, Sir. Got off on the wrong footing. It's the problem with forum communication, not being able to see or hear people leads to a lot of potential problems that way, especially when entering a new community. HPOTD is quite chilled out 99% of the time, laid back and such. "Loom" was the name of the software that the forum ran on before HPOTD changed over to VBB two years ago, it was designed by the site owner Neil, but aye a couple of years back we moved over to this 'ere VBB thingymajig.

[lifelikecarcass]

It's the problem with forum communication, not being able to see or hear people leads to a lot of potential problems that way, especially when entering a new community. If it happens again where you think I'm being an a55hole, just tell me flat out. "I sound like an a55hole." I won't get offended. "Loom" was the name of the software that the forum ran on before HPOTD changed over to VBB two years ago, it was designed by the site owner Neil, but aye a couple of years back we moved over to this 'ere VBB thingymajig. Oh, sorry Neil. There was just something about the way the responses to threads appeared below the thread title like they did. I just didn't have the need to reply much as all I really did was read the fiction section. So I just didn't register. I was pleased to see that the forum was upgraded though.

[MinionZombie]

Interesting you should say that, there have been a couple of other folk used to VBB who didn't dig the Loom style. HPOTD coming over to VBB was pretty much my first proper introduction to VBB, so it took some getting used to, but now it's second nature and helps whenever I visit another forum to sneak around looking at posts like a right lurker. I'm such a whore for HPOTD, but I loves it...the precioussssss...*ahem*

[Danny]

*mixes dark potions and elixers, and the green goo from reanimator, and recites form an edlrich tome to perform the dark rite of thread necromancy* RIIIIISSSSSSSEEEEE! -ahem. So just an update on my part, form next week i will be editing using: I-mac 24" monitor superdrive 8x (dl/dvd-r/cd-rw) 4gb 667mhz ddr2 sdram 1tb serial ATA drive (yeah, terrabyte) 2.8ghz intel core 2 extreme wacom bamboo one tablet 5 X 6 inches (allways go with wacom) mini dv and dv, and possibly some hd-dv type stuff. adobe premier pro garageband adobe after effects and filming on a Sony HDR-FX1E HDV camcorder ...yeah mz, the first pic was right but at that angle i couldnt tell because no one uses that stupid thing above the mic holder, on ours its just aduplicate set of the buttons allready on the damn things.

[MinionZombie]

Bah. Panasonic DVX100B all the way. That Sony is the one you use in class, right? Damn I love getting a whole bunch of new tech, there's a thrill in dropping that amount of cash on grown up's toys and then getting it in the boxes, unpacking it all so carefully, placing it all out, getting it started the first time, exploring all the various bits and deeleys ... treasure that moment, Sir.

[Danny]

indeed i will sir.

[DjfunkmasterG]

I used to toy with the notion of making a zombie flick, but then everyone started making them or wanting to and I totally lost interest. It's to the point now where anytime I hear someone talking about making a zombie flick that I know it's just gonna be a total clone of something that's already been done. There aren't many unique ideas about zombie flicks because everyone wants to make a gory shoot 'em up machete mayhem flick. Too shallow for me. That is my biggest problem with Low budget zombie films. Everyone goes gore crazy and when they do it it looks friggin' phony and laughable. I had people say Deadlands didn't have enough gore, while some said it was just right and cut in such a way it didn't look hokey. Well, Gore fans will probably not like Trapped. I don't do the gore nearly as much as I did in deadlands and it is very brief when it does appear. I will be happy once Trapped is complete. I think it will be my last zombie film for a long time.

[Danny]

i havent watched deadlands in a while, but form what i remember it wasnt gore heavy at all, but that made the brief gore stints that much more graphics than if it was all the way through, something that was a fault with land compared to dawn day and night.

[MinionZombie]

Hmmm...duno about that... While Land had a lot of gore in it, when there was gore, it was either average (e.g. gun shots and the like - standard placement gore if you will, rather than set-piece gore). But when there were major gore scenes, more often that not, the cutting was quick and there wasn't much lingering. Now, Day on the other hand, perhaps has a lower frequency than Land, but there is a lot of lingering on gore moments - or at least it feels that way. Maybe how I personally remember these films in a 'first response' way. Day to me jumps to gore, Land jumps to a cold colour palette, Dawn is the mall (you could call it "mall porn" ), Night is grittiness. Deadlands on the other hand, cut around the gore swiftly or quickly, and didn't rely on it, it was an element of the whole piece, which to me anyway, focussed more on the stories throughout. Gore happened because it happened, it wasn't a case of having a scene just so you could have gore because you hadn't had any in a while, nor was it just having a scene to justify a gore scene. That can work generally speaking, but it's hard to pull off right, and mostly comes off as cheap. Anyway...losing train of thought...just watched "Into the Wild", so I'm in a kinda spacey mindset ... yeah ...