Production Now - Recently Updated Pages

CMS

TomySky — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:38:10 CDT

Content Management System: An application that allows you to edit a website "on the fly." Rather than editing HTML and CSS files directly, these programs provide an interface that allows you to edit the content of your site and then builds the pages for you.

Catchlight

TomySky — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:28:08 CDT

Light reflected off an actor/actress's eyes.

This tends to give them a more alive look, almost as if the catchlight is the spark of life.

Quarter Inch

TomySky — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:29:03 CST

An audio plug (or a cord with such a plug) that is 1/4" in diameter. Very standard. This is often used for connecting instruments to sound systems or headphones to 1/4" jacks.

These cables are usually mono, but can be stereo.

Spec

TomySky — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:34:40 CST

A "spec" project is done "on the speculation" that someone will end up picking it up or hiring you because of your work.

These projects can be anything from a script to a short, but often refer to commercials. A spec commercial is a demonstration of a filmmaker's ability in which he (or she) takes a well known product and produces a fake ad. The filmmaker can then add this spot to his/her reel to show prospective clients.

Spot

TomySky — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:32:45 CST

A TV commercial.

ND Filter

TomySky — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:56:55 CST

An ND (Neutral Density) Filter reduces the amount of light that passes through the lens. It is "neutral" in that it cuts down on all colors of light equally, thereby making the image darker but changing nothing else.

Zebra Stripes

TomySky — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:57:38 CST

An indicator on digital cameras for when an area of an image is over the prescribed amount of brightness and may be overblown. So named because of the "zebra" pattern the lines in the overblown areas make.

Codec

TomySky — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:08:43 CDT

Codec (short for Compressor/Decompressor) is the "wrapper" in which a file is contained. The computer must have the proper codec reader to be able to open the file. The computer does not know a file is an image unless it knows that the file is a .jpg, .psd, .png, etc. Then, if it has the proper codec for that file type, it can open the image.

This is true of all file types, be they a .docx or a .ac3.

HTML Layout

TomySky — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:26:50 CDT

HTML code has to be read by a computer, and so your page must define the "language" that the html is using so it can be properly interpreted by your web browser.

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">

From here on out, all sections of code will have a beginning and an end, known as the "open" and "close" of that section. The first section of your code is the html tag. So we open it with:

<html>

When we close this tag again at the end of our page, we will include the </html> command. So, we have <...> to open and </...> to close.

Inside the html section is the header area. So we open it.

<head>

Then we include the Title of the page, which is what is shown at the top of your browser window as the page name. Coders will often include indentations to indicate when something is inside of another section, just to make things cleaner and easier to read if they ever need to make changes.

<title>My Page's Name</title>

Notice how the title area is closed with </title> after the text is done.

Now we will open the style area. This is defined as "text/css" so that the browser again knows what kind of code it is looking for.

<style type="text/css" media="all">

You can tell a web browser not to display code within a  or "comment" tag. It is often used for coders to leave notes about what is going on within the code. It is also used for the style section.


</style>

This also ends the header area and begins the body of the web page.

</head>
<body>

There are many, many useful tags, but I'll start this out with just a few. I will likely add an html tags page at a later date.

<p> will "print" the text you type after it. You do not need to close this tag. It is the only one like it. It is also very common.

<b> used to be used for "bold," but now the correct code is <strong>. Don't forget to close it with </strong> when you are done with bold text.

<i> used to be used for "italics," but now the code is <em> for "emphasis." Again, close it with </em>.

<a href="...."> is the anchor tag. This code produces a link to another url. You type the text that you want to be included in the link after the anchor tags open, and then you close it to end the text link:
<a href="http://production-now.com">Get media help here</a>.

<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WBDpA9NxuXE/SKcq2zfHFlI/AAAAAAAAAzg/-pqOmBoGnwc/s1600-h/Crow.jpg"> This will pull up an image from a particular url or "image source." Use this if you want to display a picture. You will include this within an anchor tag if you want the picture itself to be a clickable link. Depending on how this is used, you do not have to close the img tag.

<div> we've already discussed.

And then at the end of the page, we close both the body and the html.

</body>
</html>

Since the body is within the html, we need to make sure we include the </body> before the </html>.

So, there it is. A very brief introduction to what you will see within html code.

HTML

TomySky — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:23:51 CDT

When writing code--be it for web, games, programs, or otherwise--I would recommend never starting from scratch or a blank slate. In fact, as you get more comfortable with the language and what does what, you should find yourself copying more and more and typing less and less. The adage applies: Why reinvent the wheel?

So start with a basic page. Find someone's simple site and copy the code (also known as the "Source" for "Source Code"). It is best to find a page that was hand coded by someone you know. Sit down and read the page, switching from the code to the web page to see what is what. This will introduce you to some of the general things in the code.

You will also need a code editor. If you're on a PC, Notepad will do fine, but an actual HTML editor will be very helpful because it will color code things for you, which is not only fun but helpful. If you're on a Mac you will have to download some HTML editor.

Then start tweaking the code for your own website. You can build the whole thing on your Desktop and make sure it works before uploading it to the web. Try to make the site look the way you want it to look, and when you don't know how to do something check online and ask around. There are many very helpful websites for writing HTML.

If you are more of a book learner, go to the library and check out some books on web design and HTML.

Remember, this part of coding is mostly for just the basic functionality of your website. You will make a new HTML file for every single page on your web site because HTML files hold the content of your pages. You can make things look pretty with CSS.

Ready to hop into the general aspects of HTML? Cool, let's move on to HTML Layout.

Coding

TomySky — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:19:47 CDT

One of the first steps to making a site is to code your page. If you are using a WYSIWYG, you won't have to worry about this. However, if you want a really great, clean, fast, awesome website that you built, you're going to want to get knee deep into code.

There are two major "flavors" of code: HTML and CSS. Granted, there are many, many more web-based languages out there, but for starting a website, you only need to focus on these two. Later on we can talk about Java, PHP, and AJAX.

All websites start with a bit of information known as the Head. This is where your code tells the computer (and the web browser that is reading your code) what your page is alll about, what it's going to look like, and how it's supposed to read it.

After this comes the Body. This is the part of code that gets translated for humans to read on their screens.

Surrounding these two sections is the HTML code which is the nuts and bolts of web design. This is the code that tells the computer what is what. Over the years people figured out more and more ways to make HTML also tell the computer how to make a website look a certain way, but it wasn't perfect and it certainly wasn't nice.

So along came CSS. This is the parts of code that tells your computer what things are supposed to look like and how they are supposed to behave. This controls the look and feel of your site, but not the content.

There is a growing idea among web designers that HTML should be content and content alone and CSS should be style and style alone. The reality is, however, that this is simply not possible as of yet. But the ideal is a good one to consider. If you design a web site properly you will be able to control the content in one file and the style in another. This makes for much happier coding and updates.

Resolution

TomySky — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:48:45 CDT

The ratio of pixels per size unit (typically an inch. see dpi).

Machinima

TomySky — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:42:25 CDT

A type of video production that utilizes capturing pre-rendered computer game-based animation (from games like The Sims, Halo, and World of Warfract). This can be done completely within a computer and does not require a camera, actors or sets.

Phi Phenomenon

TomySky — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:49:37 CDT

The perception of motion when viewing static visual stimuli projected in close proximity in sequence.

Christmas lights are a prime example of this: They appear to move around a window by turning on and off in sequence around the window.

There is a distinction, for those who want to get technical, between Phi and Beta "apparent motion." But for simplicity, I'm not going to leave it as is for now. If I get really bored or start getting hassled, I will update with more accurate information. But for now, we're leaving it at Phi.

GUI

TomySky — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:18:41 CDT

Graphical User Interface: The visual parts of a program, application or operating system that allow the user to interact with things visually or with a mouse. The visual representation of a programs functions.

Pronounced: Gooey.

Render

TomySky — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:17:24 CDT

The computer process of converting a complex digital video file into a playable file type.

While editing, it is not uncommon to have "unrendered" sections in your timeline, where an effect, composite, or title card can not be played back in real time. To be able to view this in real time, the computer must Render out a single reference video file that it will then play in place of the complex sequence in the timeline.

Rendering is also used to refer to the process of converting your timeline or video file from one type to another for DVD or online viewing.

Sides

TomySky — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:14:40 CDT

A Side is a small portion of a script, typically a single scene, or few scenes. These are used on set so everyone knows what is being shot that day, and also in auditions so the actor can focus on the scene they will be proforming.

Glossary

TomySky — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:10:56 CDT

This is the gateway to the definitions part of the Production-Now.com wiki. If you want to know what something is, or what a phrase means, please include it here so I can create an appropriate article.

E-Notes

TomySky — Sat, 10 May 2008 21:45:18 CDT

A list with links to every Production-Now.com E-Note posted to date:

"Software You Didn't Know You Had"
http://production-now.com/E-Notes/software_you_didnt_know_you_had.html
Sample.

"The Mac Myth"
http://production-now.com/E-Notes/the_mac_myth.html
Posted: Jan. 23, 2008 - "1.23 '08"

"Label Your Tapes"
http://production-now.com/E-Notes/label_your_tapes.html
Posted: Feb. 14, 2008 - "Valentines Day"

"Camera Action: Formats"
http://production-now.com/E-Notes/formats.html
Posted: Mar. 21, 2008 - "Good Friday"

"Microphone Stands: Five Uses"
http://production-now.com/E-Notes/microphone_stands.html
Posted: Apr. 28, 2008 - two days after "World Intellectual Property Day"

"Looking Good: Lights"
http://production-now.com/E-Notes/looking_good-lights.html
Posted: May 10, 2008 - "Pangea Day"

Sound

MrPete — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:30:43 CDT

Sound is often the most neglected part of student/low-budget films. But good sound can make something that looks mediocre seem like a professional project. By the same token, if your sound is lousy don't bother shooting in High Def because your movie will seem cheap even if you use a $100,000 camera.

So, how does one go about getting good sound? I'm not going to lie to you: It is really hard... most of the time.

There are several things you can do on-set that will help. Unplug the refrigerator (it's okay to do this for a couple of hours at a time) and other appliances that make noise, and stop the clock so it's not ticking or chiming the hour. Wear clothes that don't rustle much when you move. And keep the camera and mic close to the person talking. Make sure that you do not plug the camrea and the sound equipment into the same outlet or circuit, otherwise you are likely to get a "60 Cycle Hum".

Unfortunately, your equipment (your camera especially) is producing noise. This can end up on the tape. so watch out for that. It is a good idea to purchase some good, full ear covering headphones like the Koss UR-20s. I found them on-line for less than $20 but have not seen them recently. These will let you determine if there are sound problems.

Even though it may seem that an $800 vocal mic has to be better than a $25 one, this may not be true. First, I would not dare to use an $800 mic. What if I dropped it? What if it got damp? What if there was a power surge? What if it bounched too much in the car? I couldn't deal with such questions. Whereas, a $25 mic is not quite so much of a problem. Second, because more expensive mics pick up more sound, they pick up bad sound more too. For example, I went to a very expensive studio where the mics were so sensetive they picked up the sound of the electricity that was powering them. Now, come on, why spend thousands of dollars on mics that pick up noise that no one can/wants to hear? I can't imagine spending tons of money to get a sound recorded and then find out there is a hiss of electricity running in the background. Ugh. Whereas, I've used my dinky $25 microphones to record speech with a piano playing in the background that I didn't want to record. Guess what? I couldn't hear the piano and my voice sounded just fine. Sure beats having to build a "Dead Room".

When is it worth spending more for a mic? That extra cost doesn't always go into picking up the sound of a fly landing on your nose. Quality mics usually pick up less hiss, and more of the sound you want. How to find out? Try the mic! Even better, quality mics can survive a drop that leaves a cheap one useless. Look for a solid metal case instead of thin plastic. Look for a long warranty. I've got a $400 Sennheiser wireless mic that's been around the world several times. And it sounds so good compared to several others that we often use it even though it "costs" us a couple of 9 volt batteries every few hours!

Now, a very brief word on microphone cables: Get the ones with lifetime guarantees (Monster Cables). They cost more, but they work really well, and if they ever break just send them back for new ones.