… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #1265: Dublin Core Metadata

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Dublin Core provides a standardized way to identify and find resources, including media.

The DCMI logo – note the use of 15 dots.

Topic $TipTopic

I was wondering about what Dublin Core metadata actually is. So, I looked it up.

The original Dublin Core of thirteen (later fifteen) elements was designed to standardize key labels about resources. It was first published in a report from a workshop in 1995. It was formalized into ISO, ANSI/NISO and IETF standards a few years later.

NOTE: “Dublin” refers to Dublin, Ohio, USA where the schema originated during the 1995 invitational OCLC/NCSA Metadata Workshop. “Core” refers to the metadata terms as “broad and generic being usable for describing a wide range of resources”.

The resources described using the Dublin Core may be digital resources (video, images, web pages, etc), as well as physical resources such as books or CDs, and objects like artworks.

From this initial paper, the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI) evolved into the role of “de facto” standards agency by maintaining its own, updated documentation for DCMI Metadata Terms. The DCMI Usage Board currently serves as the maintenance agency for the ISO spec.

For more than twenty years, the DCMI community has developed and curated Dublin Core Specifications. More recently, DCMI has become recognised as a trusted steward of metadata vocabularies, concept schemes and other metadata artefacts, and has taken responsibility for other community-created specifications. DCMI remains committed to this important work, and is actively developing more efficient and sustainable approaches to the stewardship of these standards.

EXTRA CREDIT

Here’s a link to the DCMI website.


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #1264: Where Premiere Stores Metadata?

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Metadata is great – but search is limited only to clips currently open in Premiere.

The Metadata panel in Adobe Premiere Pro.

Topic $TipTopic

You spend all this time entering labels and other metadata for the clips in your project. Where does Premiere store this data and can you use it again?

A great strength of Premiere is the extensive metadata (labeling) support inside every project. For example, select a clip, or group of clips. Switch to the Metadata panel and add labels for the selected clips. Finally, go to the Project panel and search for any of the terms you entered.

NOTE: A good option for adding metadata is to use the Dublin core fields. Learn more here.

This search is extremely fast and covers all manually-entered metatdata. So, whenever you need a clip, you can quickly search for it using the relevant metadata.

The bad news is that you can’t access this data outside of Premiere because this metadata is only stored inside each Premiere project. If a project isn’t open or if you try to use the Finder to find a clip, all this metadata is hidden.

One ray of hope is that if you drag a clip from one project to another inside Premiere, all its metadata travels with it.

EXTRA CREDIT

This inability to find clips based on metadata stored in Premiere is one of the key reasons asset management software exists. With a MAM, you enter the metadata into the MAM and can then search for files and transfer them with their metadata into different Premiere projects quickly and easily.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #1261: What is Automatic Speed?

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Automatic Speed plays every frame in a clip, but at the frame rate of the project.

The Automatic Speed option in the Retiming menu at the bottom of the Viewer.

Topic $TipTopic

You may have noticed “Automatic Speed” in the Retime menu. What does this do?

Automatic Speed plays every frame in a clip, but at the frame rate of the project. Typically, it is used to create extremely smooth slow motion.

For example, using a modern iPhone, you can shoot up to 240 fps video, depending upon frame size. However, when you play this clip back in Final Cut, that clip plays at “normal” speed, matching the frame rate of the project.

NOTE: Behind the scenes, Final Cut is dropping frames to make the video playback speed appear “normal.”

When you enable Modify > Retime > Automatic Speed, you are telling Final Cut to play every frame in your high-frame-rate video, but at the frame rate of the project. This has the result of creating a slow motion clip.

NOTE: You can also use the Retime menu at the lower left corner of the Viewer. It looks like a stopwatch.

The biggest benefit to this procedure is that, unlike normal slow-mo, high-frame-rate playback is extremely smooth and every frame is in focus.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #1260: How to Burn Timecode Into Video

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

This generator can display either project or source clip timecode.

(Drone image courtesy of Terry Holland.)

Topic $TipTopic

Final Cut Pro provides a fast way to add timecode to your review videos using a generator.

Add Generator > Elements > Timecode to the top layer of your project. Final Cut will automatically superimpose it over all lower video layers.

In the Video Inspector, you can change:

  • Whether to display project or source clip timecode
  • The position of the timecode
  • Font, size and color
  • Background color
  • The starting timecode number
  • The label that appears to the left of the timecode (“Fly-Fishing” in the screen shot).

This feature makes it easy for both you and the people reviewing your videos to be sure you are talking about the same point of your project.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #1259: Change Keyframe Ease In/Out Speed

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Bezier control dots adjust Ease In/Out speeds and the shape of the motion path.

Drag the Bezier control handle along the motion path to change the Ease In/Out speed.

Topic $TipTopic

I discovered this tip while researching a recent PowerUP webinar. We can change the ease-in / ease-out speed when animating objects in Final Cut using keyframes.

Ease In and Ease Out refer to the acceleration of an object when it is animated using keyframes.

  • Ease In. The speed of an object approaching a keyframe.
  • Ease Out. The speed of an object leaving a keyframe.

By default, all keyframes in Final Cut Pro have both Ease In and Ease Out applied. This means an object accelerates when leaving a keyframe and decelerates when approaching a keyframe.

Here’s how to change the speed of this acceleration after applying a keyframe:

  • Select the clip in the timeline.
  • Rotate the object to move the position of the rotation handle.
  • Grab the small white dot at the end of the thin white line attached to the keyframe. (This line is called a Bezier control handle.)
  • Drag the dot along the motion path line to change the Ease In / Out speed.

NOTE: Dragging the dot around the keyframe puts a curve into the motion path (the dotted red line).

EXTRA CREDIT

Once you’ve adjusted the Ease In/Out speed, you can unrotate the object to the angle you need.

Control-click a keyframe and set it to Linear to have a constant speed between keyframes.


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… for Random Weirdness

Tip #1252: Essential Tips for an Indie Film

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Patience is the watch-word when working on low-budget films.

Alone, starring Stephanie Barkley. (Courtesy of NoFilmSchool.com)

Topic $TipTopic

This article, written by William Hellmuth, first appeared in NoFilmSchool.com. This is a summary.

NOTE: This article – “Essential Tips for Filming Indie Sci-fi on a Tight Budget” – focuses on a sci-fi film. However, these tips apply to just about any low-budget film.

We only had $6,000 to produce a movie that was set almost entirely in outer space, with substantial production design and VFX challenges attached to it. In the end, we not only made our film, but we also got it distributed by Dust.

There’s a saying I’ve heard over and over: “Good, fast, cheap. Pick two.” I knew I needed Alone to be good and cheap. That meant I couldn’t have it fast. Since we didn’t have a lot of money, we had to wait until we could find the right designer and the right star, at the right price. It took almost a year before that happened.

I am terrible at VFX. I’ve seen a lot of sci-fi films get stuck in post-production hell because the director bit off more than they could chew. To avoid that, I wanted to capture as many VFX shots in-camera as possible.

No matter where you’re at in your career, you always have a certain amount of social capital. You’re always better off working with people who want to be in the trenches with you, and the best way to do that is to make sure they know and trust you.

Above all, when you’re working with a shoestring-budget project, be patient. Try not to hover on specific deadlines, because if you want something good and cheap, it won’t come fast.

EXTRA CREDIT

The article, linked above, has a trailer, more details and images from the production.


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… for Random Weirdness

Tip #1249: Use a Foil to Enhance a Character

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Foils are used to enhance our perception of a character.

Sherlock (image courtesy of PBS).

Topic $TipTopic

This article, written by Alejandro Medellin, first appeared in PremiumBeat.com. This is a summary.

A foil character is a simple, yet effective, literary device that uses two opposite characters’ juxtaposition to showcase their differences. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the term “foil” came about in the 1500s, and is based on the technique of placing a thin metal sheet, or foil, behind a gem to make it shine.

A foil character can be any character in a film that’s similar to another character, while also being different. Typically, however, foil characters exist to challenge or oppose the main character (or protagonist) of a story. A good foil character highlights the good and bad in their counterpart, shining a light on the foiled character’s personality without spelling it out.

A foil character and an antagonist are not mutually exclusive, but not every foil is an antagonist and vice-versa. An antagonist’s sole purpose in the story is to oppose the protagonist and their actions. Foils are similar, which is why there’s such confusion, but foils aren’t inherently against the protagonist. Instead, they serve as an opposite to contrast the protagonist.

A foil character’s primary role is to bring the character being foiled into sharper focus. By simply existing in the story and taking a different approach to a situation, a foil character can carry the narrative of the opposing character. Whether they do something or don’t, how the foil character reacts in contrast to their counterpart is a useful tool in character development and storytelling.

EXTRA CREDIT

The article provides more detailed analysis of foil characters in:

  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • Harry Potter
  • Iron Man & Captain America
  • Sherlock
  • Star Wars: The Last Jedi


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… for Random Weirdness

Tip #1248: The Creative Process of Filmmaking

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

2 Reel Guys: Dedicated to the creative process of filmmaking.

“2ReelGuys” hosts: Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan.

Topic $TipTopic

Several years ago, Norman Hollyn and I created a 32-part web series dedicated to the creative process of visual storytelling called “2 Reel Guys.” Learn more about this free series.

Norman was teaching at the USC Film School when we first met. Over that lunch, we decided to combine our skills and create a series of short web videos to help folks learn how to create films. Both of us felt that it wasn’t necessary to attend film school to be a filmmaker. But you DID need to know how the story-telling process itself worked.

Our goal was not to focus on technology, but story-telling. Written by Norman, hosted by Norman and myself and illustrated by the “2 Reel Guys Players,” we created the following episodes:

  1. It All Starts With Story
  2. Controlling Where The Eye Looks
  3. What Directors Do That Drive Actors Crazy
  4. Organization and Planning During Pre-Production
  5. Collaboration
  6. Directing Actors
  7. Don’t Be a Victim of Hit-and-Run Lighting
  8. Editing is Storytelling (Bad Master)
  9. Audio is More Important than Picture
  10. Planning Shots and Coverage
  11. Costumes and Wardrobe
  12. Use Color to Guide Emotions
  13. Camera Position and Framing (bad export)
  14. Dealing with Dancers
  15. Solving Production Problems
  16. Editing for Pacing
  17. Adding Music to a Scene
  18. Documentaries
  19. Sound Design
  20. Communicating With the Crew
  21. Comedy
  22. Directing Actors
  23. Communication
  24. Music Video
  25. Good Characters
  26. Location
  27. Staging a Fight
  28. Casting
  29. Lighting
  30. Emotional Turns
  31. Script
  32. Wedding Videos

Each show runs about ten minutes. Though technology marches on, telling stories remains the same from year to year.

If you haven’t visited this site, it’s well-worth your time.

Here’s the link.


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… for Apple Motion

Tip #1244: Hidden Ways to Rotate Elements

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Colors and icons assist in rotating elements.

Press Shift and rotate a video clip to constrain rotation to 45° increments.

Topic $TipTopic

Motion provides two hidden options which can assist in rotating elements in the Viewer.

We all know that the Motion Inspector is where we can make changes to a selected element. However, the Viewer itself provides controls that can speed rotation.

When you select a clip in the Viewer (either by clicking it in the Layers panel or in the Viewer itself) a dot with a line attached appears in the center of the clip.

NOTE: If you change the Anchor point in the Inspector, the location of this rotation dot changes as well.

  • Drag the small dot at the right end of the line to rotate the clip. As you do, the line color stays white.
  • Press the Shift key and the line color changes to yellow and the angle of rotation is constrained to 45° angles.

Also, see the small light yellow dot about 4 o’clock in the screen shot? This represents the starting rotation for a clip. So, if you don’t like the current rotation, you can always go back – provided you don’t let go of the mouse first.


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… for Apple Motion

Tip #1243: Hidden Clip Control Options

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Controls, behaviors, and filters are all available from this contextual menu.

Control-click a video clip in the Motion Viewer to reveal this menu. (Image courtesy of StandardFilms.com.)

Topic $TipTopic

There is a wealth of clip control options hidden in the Motion Viewer. The trick is finding them.

Here’s the secret: Control-click a video clip that’s placed in the Viewer to reveal the options shown in the screen shot.

NOTE: Clicking in the Viewer, without clicking on a clip, does not reveal this menu.

From this menu, you can select a variety of tools, behaviors, filters and other options.


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