Posted May 4, 2011 at 3:20am
, Edited May 4, 2011 at 3:21amLink
Me? Well, just started (2 episodes in, mind you) watching Twin Peaks. Never got to see this series prior till recently it popped up on Netflix streaming. I've heard great praise of the show and from what I've seen so far, it's looks like I got an interesting trip ahead with it.
Been looking into a good video editor. Not really know what for, but I just like to know how to do things. I can edit some pictures and sound, so time to put it together yeah? Anyone out there got any suggestions on what's some good software for it?
Also, been looking for a new job. Got an appointment for one on Thursday. Not something that I've ever dealt with, but plenty of experience around what they demand. I always like trying new things and being hands on. Also the job would allow me to have a better time away from work, maybe improving my life in general.
Anyways, what's new with you? Reading a new book? Tried eating that food piece you've been avoiding? Go down a new street? Discover a new species?
Good luck with that job interview n8. Let us know how you get on...
Me... I'm in the middle of buying a new house. Should exchange contracts later this week... then we've got to wait for the seller to find a house... supposed to complete the move within 6 months... rather a s-l-o-w and stressful process here in the U.K.
Went for a walk around my local countryside on Sunday... got lost and ended up walking 30 kilometres (18 miles). Went in a dodgy pub half-way round to get refreshment and interrupted the yokels doing some kind of rural drugs deal... made a swift exit.
Saw and photographed my 43rd species of resident UK butterfly in a forest the other day. It was the Pearl-Bordered Fritillary. We have only 58 species, but many are rare and geographically diverse - in contrast, I spent a week in central-southern Florida last November and saw over 40 species in just a couple of afternoons. Still.... the quest continues... gotta catch snap 'em all!
Gonna go to a executive function coaching meeting after school today.
That "project in the basement" thing I talked about in that one interview just happens to be making more space in between the stairs and the washing machines, making a cool rec space, you could say.
I like 3rd quarter at my college, even though I have to wake up earlier than last quarter to bike to school -- which takes 4 miles! Exercise FTW!
Besides my 3 long alternating classes at school (Advanced English, Economics, and an online art class), I also have to juggle two language classes: Latin on late Thursday afternoon, and Chinese on 10:30 am. The juggle of the normal classes ain't bad, but I'm worried about my languages all the time. MUST. PRACTICE. MORE.
Finally, I'm gaming less, but mostly because Playstation Network is currently down from hacking and maintenance. Yay. :/
Otherwise, having a good time.
Snow finally gone *knocks on wood*. Hopelessly obsessed with CityVille.
Now that we have a workable TV and cable, I'm watching 'The Game of Thrones' on HBO.
Would have to recommend it. (Tho I wouldn't watch it in front of parents... hint hint)
Getting my gardens together. Kinda jealous of celery's butterflies. We have 3 or 4
that I know of around here. Ah well, at least the hummingbirds will be here soon.
As for me, I've been wrapped up in high school testing. Just bombed the AP US History test, and I'm studying for a couple of SAT II tests in June. I watched a couple of Korean dramas over the Easter break, and they were REALLY good. And I'm following the NBA Playoffs (let's go Bulls!). What else... nah, nothing else off the top of my head.
Oh, it's the allergy season for many of us, and just a tip if you don't already know, the worst thing you can do about itchy eyes is rub them!
Good to hear from all you guys. Been doing pretty good on my part. Got a job at the beginning of January, pretty much why I've been mostly away.
About the video editing question, N8. The best video editing software is Apple's "Final Cut". It costs $999, but if you are serious about video editing, THIS is the industry standard. A lot of major films are edited in Final Cut, many of them Academy Award winners and nominees. Don't be intimidated by this though, like many Apple software, Final Cut is SUPER easy to use. I learned to use and edit my first video for TV in Final Cut in about 1 hour.
Final Cut is only for MacOS and its pretty expensive. So if you're just in it for the fun, then you might want to get it from a "friend".
Another video editor is Adobe Premier. It's pretty good, Final Cut was formed by a team originating from Adobe Premiere. But Premiere ain't as user friendly as Final Cut. If you put some time on it, you'll get it down. But, from experience, Premiere ain't as intuitive. However its still a great software and it costs $800.
Those two softwares are purely video editing. Though you can pull off some pretty cool things with them, if you want to make green screen effects and more complex visual and special effects then you aren't going to be able to accomplish that with Final Cut or Premiere. At least not as easily. For that, there is no equal, Adobe After Effects is the beast. You can make pretty much any visual and special effect with Adobe After Effects. You can edit video in After Effects, but keep in mind that it was not made for that and its not a good video editor. After Effects costs $999.
That is my experience with video editing in the industry. The software is expensive. If you're heading a team for TV or film, then a $1000 here for editing ain't a big deal. But if you're you editing in your home for your friends, well Iv'e seen many opt for pirating. I've also heard a lot people talk about Sony Vegas editing software, though I've never used it. Still, Sony Vegas costs $600, and although its a little less than the others; I feel the money is better invested in some top of the line software.
If you don't want to buy anything or "borrow" anything, and just want free software... Then Windows Movie Maker comes with your Windows PC. It's utter crap, but it works. If you have a Mac, iMovie from Apple is amazing. For a free software, you can do some pretty amazing things in iMovie. If you don't have it, it shouldn't cost more the $40. iMovie has a lot based on Final Cut, seeing its from the same company. It's a pretty awesome software for beginners. It's MacOS exclusive though.
I hope that helped if not at least helped you sleep a while. :)
Thanks for the incite Josean. Some great info. :)
I recently found Lightworks. I haven't given it time as I have been busy, but it seems like it's a good place for me to start.
The weather has been utterly miserable in the UK for the last week... so today I was finally bored enough to take a trip into town to do some shopping.
I bought a new doormat, as my old one has grown old and shabby. The main purpose of which is to make my hallway look nicer when you first arrive - since I'm trying to sell my house at the moment.
Anyway, I get it home and unroll it by the door - and would you believe it? - it's too big! Who knew there was more than one size for a doormat? So now I gotta take it back and get another one...
(this message is brought to you by the 'Real Life Is Excruciatingly Dull' Information Service)
So, what happened on my Memorial Day weekend...
Last friday, I went to the awesome arcade Nickle City with a buddy, and had fun there. We played and challenged others at Metal Slug, Fighter's History, Arctic Storm, and various others. I also saw Kung-Fu Panda 2 on Sunday with him, which was much better than I thought it'd be. (I still have a vandetta against Dreamworks tho for ruining Shrek and for being owned by Viacom, but w/e)
Me and Dad (Dad especially :P) are currently bustin' our butts on this project in the basement: A rec area right next to the stairs, which is also parting of making the house look nicer. Dad already got the projector set up, and we busted alot of walls! I have been and still have to drill this enormous hole in the wall outside, which gets our new drier better working and less smelly.
Also I found out about some cool barbecues i could go to every friday, even tho the first one was yesterday. And I went to it. ;P
I am currently looking for a couch for my rec room, but it has to be a particular size (63' long or less), which makes things a little pesky.
Posted June 8, 2011 at 9:39am
, Edited June 8, 2011 at 9:40amLink
I've been showing people around my house - as I'm trying to sell it. We don't get Realtors in the UK - we have Estate Agents who are meant to do the same job, but you have do all the work yourself, then pay them twice as much... sheesh.
Anyhoo, I've realised just how odious and impolite most people are. One chap brought his 80-year-old father-in-law with him. Every room we went into he said something nasty. "How do you live in a house this small?", "This garage is still under construction", and worst of all, "Your garden is not properly maintained."
I nearly threw him off the property at this point. My garden is my pride and joy. It contains rare and beautiful plants that would cost upwards of $30,000 to replace and I have the UK National collection of two species - Rhodohypoxis and x Rhodoxis.
I'm told that this is a tactic used by some people - they criticise your house to make you see its inadequacies - then put in an offer to buy much lower than the asking price. This tactic won't work on me... I wouldn't sell my house to this guy now, even if he offered me a million pounds... what an utter WANKER... :)
Anyway, last weekend, I took the SAT with confidence and proper studying AND went on a long 50-kilometer bike-ride for this thing called the "Sequoia Century." It was all good fun. Pretty triumphant weekend. :)
building hotrods man.....1968 mustang ...64 International scout build...and getting ready to build the 69 charger we got.....im a car geek now but video games will never leave my life XD
Went to see this play last night. All the actors spoke Russian and a little electronic screen over their heads showed the translated text.
One of the lead actresses had fallen ill... so they flew in another at short notice... and she didn't have time to learn the part. So she carried a folder with her part written down and kept looking at it as she said her words.
Finally got a date to move into my new house... December 1st. Woohoo! It might sound a long way away to you... but when you get to my age the months just fly by ;-)
Finished my patio area, fire pit and cheaply made gazebo....*wipes brow*...and hosted an Independence Day party at my house! Ones own labor really does pay off, I had a blast. Bar-b-cue, a few cold ones, and a s'mores influenced fire. Couldn't be better.
Came back from my trip in Japan.
On my trip, I:
1. Went to a couple of arcades playing some games probably never to be released in the USA
2. Witnessed the awesomeness that is Akihabara
3. Saw a few temples in Tokyo
4. Stayed in some Ryokan hotels. One of them had a hot spring INSIDE THE PLACE!
5. Saw some tsunami-quake ruins in Sendai
6. Last day in Tokyo, went to the kabuki theatre. First class tickets, they were the only ones left. But it was worth it, MmmmKAY?! XD
Kabuki was the name of the cat which was the first critter to move when I played the original Animal Crossing. He was a grumpy so-and-so but I never let him move out.
Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip so much, Eben, and great to have you back :)
Went to Rhode Island again for the St. Mary's feast in Cranston. Also had my daughter's baptism there too. Even though I'm atheist... the service was done nicely and I'm glad for her(by my wife's Grandfather - the deacon). I lost my DS on the way there(put it on the roof of the vehicle), damn.
My birthday just passed(12th)...wasn't too eventful. Got a couple of guitar related gifts, nice! That weekend, I got a new "replacement" DS from my In-Laws. That was very nice of them, but they didn't need to do that.(THANKS MA & POPS!!!)
of 12 badges
Been looking into a good video editor. Not really know what for, but I just like to know how to do things. I can edit some pictures and sound, so time to put it together yeah? Anyone out there got any suggestions on what's some good software for it?
Also, been looking for a new job. Got an appointment for one on Thursday. Not something that I've ever dealt with, but plenty of experience around what they demand. I always like trying new things and being hands on. Also the job would allow me to have a better time away from work, maybe improving my life in general.
Anyways, what's new with you? Reading a new book? Tried eating that food piece you've been avoiding? Go down a new street? Discover a new species?
of 18 badges
Good luck with that job interview n8. Let us know how you get on...
Me... I'm in the middle of buying a new house. Should exchange contracts later this week... then we've got to wait for the seller to find a house... supposed to complete the move within 6 months... rather a s-l-o-w and stressful process here in the U.K.
Went for a walk around my local countryside on Sunday... got lost and ended up walking 30 kilometres (18 miles). Went in a dodgy pub half-way round to get refreshment and interrupted the yokels doing some kind of rural drugs deal... made a swift exit.
Saw and photographed my 43rd species of resident UK butterfly in a forest the other day. It was the Pearl-Bordered Fritillary. We have only 58 species, but many are rare and geographically diverse - in contrast, I spent a week in central-southern Florida last November and saw over 40 species in just a couple of afternoons. Still.... the quest continues... gotta
catchsnap 'em all!of 15 badges
That "project in the basement" thing I talked about in that one interview just happens to be making more space in between the stairs and the washing machines, making a cool rec space, you could say.
I like 3rd quarter at my college, even though I have to wake up earlier than last quarter to bike to school -- which takes 4 miles! Exercise FTW!
Besides my 3 long alternating classes at school (Advanced English, Economics, and an online art class), I also have to juggle two language classes: Latin on late Thursday afternoon, and Chinese on 10:30 am. The juggle of the normal classes ain't bad, but I'm worried about my languages all the time. MUST. PRACTICE. MORE.
Finally, I'm gaming less, but mostly because Playstation Network is currently down from hacking and maintenance. Yay. :/
Otherwise, having a good time.
of 12 badges
Anyways, saw the The King's Speech. Well produced, great movie.
of 15 badges
Now that we have a workable TV and cable, I'm watching 'The Game of Thrones' on HBO.
Would have to recommend it. (Tho I wouldn't watch it in front of parents... hint hint)
Getting my gardens together. Kinda jealous of celery's butterflies. We have 3 or 4
that I know of around here. Ah well, at least the hummingbirds will be here soon.
of 7 badges
Celery, that's disgustingly amazing!
As for me, I've been wrapped up in high school testing. Just bombed the AP US History test, and I'm studying for a couple of SAT II tests in June. I watched a couple of Korean dramas over the Easter break, and they were REALLY good. And I'm following the NBA Playoffs (let's go Bulls!). What else... nah, nothing else off the top of my head.
Oh, it's the allergy season for many of us, and just a tip if you don't already know, the worst thing you can do about itchy eyes is rub them!
of 14 badges
About the video editing question, N8. The best video editing software is Apple's "Final Cut". It costs $999, but if you are serious about video editing, THIS is the industry standard. A lot of major films are edited in Final Cut, many of them Academy Award winners and nominees. Don't be intimidated by this though, like many Apple software, Final Cut is SUPER easy to use. I learned to use and edit my first video for TV in Final Cut in about 1 hour.
Final Cut is only for MacOS and its pretty expensive. So if you're just in it for the fun, then you might want to get it from a "friend".
Another video editor is Adobe Premier. It's pretty good, Final Cut was formed by a team originating from Adobe Premiere. But Premiere ain't as user friendly as Final Cut. If you put some time on it, you'll get it down. But, from experience, Premiere ain't as intuitive. However its still a great software and it costs $800.
Those two softwares are purely video editing. Though you can pull off some pretty cool things with them, if you want to make green screen effects and more complex visual and special effects then you aren't going to be able to accomplish that with Final Cut or Premiere. At least not as easily. For that, there is no equal, Adobe After Effects is the beast. You can make pretty much any visual and special effect with Adobe After Effects. You can edit video in After Effects, but keep in mind that it was not made for that and its not a good video editor. After Effects costs $999.
That is my experience with video editing in the industry. The software is expensive. If you're heading a team for TV or film, then a $1000 here for editing ain't a big deal. But if you're you editing in your home for your friends, well Iv'e seen many opt for pirating. I've also heard a lot people talk about Sony Vegas editing software, though I've never used it. Still, Sony Vegas costs $600, and although its a little less than the others; I feel the money is better invested in some top of the line software.
If you don't want to buy anything or "borrow" anything, and just want free software... Then Windows Movie Maker comes with your Windows PC. It's utter crap, but it works. If you have a Mac, iMovie from Apple is amazing. For a free software, you can do some pretty amazing things in iMovie. If you don't have it, it shouldn't cost more the $40. iMovie has a lot based on Final Cut, seeing its from the same company. It's a pretty awesome software for beginners. It's MacOS exclusive though.
I hope that helped if not at least helped you sleep a while. :)
of 12 badges
I recently found Lightworks. I haven't given it time as I have been busy, but it seems like it's a good place for me to start.
of 18 badges
There's nothing much happening with me. I shan't complain - I like a quiet life.
Weather in the U.K is miserable, so no chance for much nature spotting. House sale still dragging on.... that's about it.
...oh... my brother's family has a new pet dog... they've called it 'Ledley'.
of 13 badges
Hot, dry, and extremely windy for the past few weeks.
Which contributed to burning a city to the ground.of 10 badges
of 9 badges
And I'm still not a mod. :'(
of 18 badges
Yo Ben! There's always hope... don't give up trying :)
of 18 badges
The weather has been utterly miserable in the UK for the last week... so today I was finally bored enough to take a trip into town to do some shopping.
I bought a new doormat, as my old one has grown old and shabby. The main purpose of which is to make my hallway look nicer when you first arrive - since I'm trying to sell my house at the moment.
Anyway, I get it home and unroll it by the door - and would you believe it? - it's too big! Who knew there was more than one size for a doormat? So now I gotta take it back and get another one...
(this message is brought to you by the 'Real Life Is Excruciatingly Dull' Information Service)
of 15 badges
Last friday, I went to the awesome arcade Nickle City with a buddy, and had fun there. We played and challenged others at Metal Slug, Fighter's History, Arctic Storm, and various others. I also saw Kung-Fu Panda 2 on Sunday with him, which was much better than I thought it'd be. (I still have a vandetta against Dreamworks tho for ruining Shrek and for being owned by Viacom, but w/e)
Me and Dad (Dad especially :P) are currently bustin' our butts on this project in the basement: A rec area right next to the stairs, which is also parting of making the house look nicer. Dad already got the projector set up, and we busted alot of walls! I have been and still have to drill this enormous hole in the wall outside, which gets our new drier better working and less smelly.
Also I found out about some cool barbecues i could go to every friday, even tho the first one was yesterday. And I went to it. ;P
I am currently looking for a couch for my rec room, but it has to be a particular size (63' long or less), which makes things a little pesky.
of 18 badges
I've been showing people around my house - as I'm trying to sell it. We don't get Realtors in the UK - we have Estate Agents who are meant to do the same job, but you have do all the work yourself, then pay them twice as much... sheesh.
Anyhoo, I've realised just how odious and impolite most people are. One chap brought his 80-year-old father-in-law with him. Every room we went into he said something nasty. "How do you live in a house this small?", "This garage is still under construction", and worst of all, "Your garden is not properly maintained."
I nearly threw him off the property at this point. My garden is my pride and joy. It contains rare and beautiful plants that would cost upwards of $30,000 to replace and I have the UK National collection of two species - Rhodohypoxis and x Rhodoxis.
I'm told that this is a tactic used by some people - they criticise your house to make you see its inadequacies - then put in an offer to buy much lower than the asking price. This tactic won't work on me... I wouldn't sell my house to this guy now, even if he offered me a million pounds... what an utter WANKER... :)
of 15 badges
^ "garden not properly maintained!" What a crock.
Anyway, last weekend, I took the SAT with confidence and proper studying AND went on a long 50-kilometer bike-ride for this thing called the "Sequoia Century." It was all good fun. Pretty triumphant weekend. :)
of 3 badges
of 18 badges
Went to see this play last night. All the actors spoke Russian and a little electronic screen over their heads showed the translated text.
One of the lead actresses had fallen ill... so they flew in another at short notice... and she didn't have time to learn the part. So she carried a folder with her part written down and kept looking at it as she said her words.
It sounds awful but it was actually quite good...
of 18 badges
Finally got a date to move into my new house... December 1st. Woohoo! It might sound a long way away to you... but when you get to my age the months just fly by ;-)
of 9 badges
of 15 badges
On my trip, I:
1. Went to a couple of arcades playing some games probably never to be released in the USA
2. Witnessed the awesomeness that is Akihabara
3. Saw a few temples in Tokyo
4. Stayed in some Ryokan hotels. One of them had a hot spring INSIDE THE PLACE!
5. Saw some tsunami-quake ruins in Sendai
6. Last day in Tokyo, went to the kabuki theatre. First class tickets, they were the only ones left. But it was worth it, MmmmKAY?! XD
of 15 badges
of 18 badges
Kabuki was the name of the cat which was the first critter to move when I played the original Animal Crossing. He was a grumpy so-and-so but I never let him move out.
Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip so much, Eben, and great to have you back :)
of 9 badges
My birthday just passed(12th)...wasn't too eventful. Got a couple of guitar related gifts, nice! That weekend, I got a new "replacement" DS from my In-Laws. That was very nice of them, but they didn't need to do that.(THANKS MA & POPS!!!)
b.t.w.- The Dell's Lemonade was great!