Celtx 2.0 Released!

Wow! What a jump, right from 1.0 to 2.0! Well, either way, I've been using the new Celtx for about 2 hours now and haven't found any major bugs, time will tell as we drift into the late night hours of drafting ideas we'll see.

In this 'mostly under the hood' update (think OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" ) we do have the addition of a "Toolbox" option that allows developers to create plug-ins for the software. Celtx has followed Apple's iPhone development path: anyone who wishes to create tools for the freeware "open-source" software must have their 'Tool' autherized by Celtx Corp before it's allowed to be released for the plateform.

I will note that a lot of smaller options have been improved upon; highlighting and moving text works a lot better and the calendar / scheduling part of the software, once a chore to work with now feels less like freeware and more like a professional application.

Speaking of pro-apps, Celtx has also announced "Celtx Studio"; which they cite as:

"... a powerful new way to store, manage and collaborate on your projects. You'll be more creative, more productive, and better prepared with a Celtx Studio — which will help you save money in production."

I have not signed up for the free Beta yet (it ends later this month, after that Celtx asks for a $50 annual fee to help maintain the server) but I plan to do so this week. Although the server seems to be their solution to "collaborate" on files, I think Celtx could have found a simpler, in application way to monitor writer collaboration. If not at the very least, a "track changes" function that shows differences between drafts.

Overall, not quite a Movie Magic or Final Draft killer yet... key word being YET...

Oscars!

Winners Announced for 81st Annual Academy Awards!

Favorite gag: Craig's List Dancers and Ben Stiller (sorry Joaquin). Hmm, the low-budget dance gig was funny, but next year, can we make the Oscars look less like the Tonys? Or at least make it less than 3 1/2 hours long? I will say I dig the new look for the Kodak theatre!

I would like to add two names that I believe were left out of the tribute montage this year:
Don Lafontaine (the movie trailer voice) and Majel Barrett Roddenberry (TV actress and wife of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry).

Ron Moreno, Actor

Just completed a website for my good friend and very talented actor Ron Moreno.
www.ronmoreno.com, check it out!

Also, check him out on IMDB.

UPDATE Sebsky Tools

Recently I received an email thanking me for posting a link to download the program Sebsky Tools. After doing some research I have discovered that Dharma Films is no more. Since I believe this tool to be so important I have provided a download of the last known release of the software.

You can click here to download

What's On Your Plate premieres at Berlin Film Festival

Catherine Gund's documentary "What's On Your Plate" (edited by Nancy Kennedy) premieres at the Berlin Film Festival February 13th at 9:00am! Congrats everyone on the WOYP team!

"WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE? is a witty and provocative documentary produced and directed by award-winning Catherine Gund about kids and food politics.

Filmed over the course of one year, the film follows two eleven-year-old African-American city kids as they explore their place in the food chain. Sadie and Safiyah take a close look at food systems in New York City and its surrounding areas. With the camera as their companion, the girl guides talk to each other, food activists, farmers, new friends, storekeepers, their families, and the viewer, in their quest to understand what’s on all of our plates."

Known Issue Alert: Avid Media Composer

Just a heads up on the Media Composer front. If you're working on a PC/Windows based Adrenaline system do no repeat DO NOT attach / mount a firewire based drive to your system, even if it is on a separate bus.

Over the last few weeks we have experienced (at random mind you) any one of these results:

1) Software crash of the Avid; looses all changes, corrupts project, have to go to attic.
2) Hardware crash: forced to shut all hardware attached to computer down, switch off power, wait five minutes and turn it all back on.
3) No crash, but renders the audio card of the computer useless.

The solution to this is a huge pain in the ass. Shut down Avid. Switch off the Adrenaline board. Attach drive, etc.

Haven't found this to be a problem with the software-only version so I assume it must be some bug with the hardware?

Just a warning! Oh man, Avid, I didn't I just write you a thank you posting?

Sequence Summary Report: Thank You Avid!

Among certain circles Avid doesn't have the best rep right now; they've been lacking in both user and hardware support as well as really allowing their product to be out-sold by FCP to a much younger generation (read: the next generation) of editors. BUT they're still kicking, check out their new feature in the Media Composer that could help save you tons of time and money.

Finally they hath put new and useful features into Media Composer! Anyone who has ever worked as an assistant editor or had to bring something through the online themselves knows how wonderful and useful a Sequence Summary Report can be. No more scratching one down by hand!

I've had now the pleasure of using this tool once, and working hand in hand with the Avid consolidation function is a great way to make sure you have everything before you show up to your expensive online session and realize you DON'T have that still image of Joe Stalin with Churchill.

So a very huge thank you to Avid for creating a useful tool! Fix your business plan before you tank so we can keep enjoying your products.

Read on: at Avid InFocus

On a side note:
APPLE: WHERE IS MY “PRINT BIN” BUTTON!