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Ideas For Creative Movie Props? (Page 9)
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subego  (op)
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Jan 21, 2022, 02:27 PM
 
Python, JavaScript, and AppleScript all seem about the same level of “not difficult”.
     
ghporter
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Jan 21, 2022, 10:25 PM
 
Yeah, Java Script is easier than straight Java, which likes to play with stuff on a hardware level (like C).

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
subego  (op)
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Jan 21, 2022, 10:39 PM
 
After Effects uses JavaScript. Logic uses nothing.

My home automation software used to use AppleScript, but since Apple hates AppleScript for some reason, they ditched it for Python. I’m thankful, because if it didn’t force me to learn some basics, I’d have had no idea I could use it to brute force Logic with a string of keyboard commands

It’s the opposite of elegant, but gets the job done if I feed it right (no error checking). The worst thing about it is how long it takes to finish. I’ve put in ridiculous sleep times in case it hangs a bit opening or saving a file.

I started to learn Java at some point, and then decided I’d be happier “going native” with obj-c. Yeah, umm… kinda sorta stalled out.
     
ghporter
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Jan 22, 2022, 11:01 AM
 
"Elegant" in programming is not always a good thing. Elegant code is often less efficient than "brute force" where that's appropriate.

I had a college professor demonstrate an "elegant" way to walk through a linked list in C. He used 4 lines of code to do what should have been done in a single line - the textbook example of how smooth and terse C can be - and introduced many places to make a mistake. Which he took advantage of at least once. Yes, he explicitly showed the steps involved, but...

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Thorzdad
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Jan 22, 2022, 11:20 AM
 
Sometimes you need to show students the long way around, so they can better understand the efficacy of the shortcuts. Kind of a “know the rules first, so you can break them right” thing.
     
ghporter
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Jan 23, 2022, 11:37 AM
 
I agree. If he’d done it right, and not made coding errors in his demonstration.

The thing is, he was supposedly teaching “object oriented programming with C++”. He didn’t create a “linked list object” or anything like that. He just put a bunch of overly long, not-well-written code on the board….

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
subego  (op)
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Jan 23, 2022, 12:42 PM
 
The big thing annoying me about it is the pauses I necessary so the script doesn’t get ahead of itself. I originally had it at 2 minutes total for extra safety. Shaved that down to a minute. It should really take 20 seconds or less.

The wildcard is the size of the movie file. The bigger it is, the longer it takes for Logic to open it and extract the audio.
     
subego  (op)
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Jan 23, 2022, 03:21 PM
 
My script is now mysteriously typing a period where it shouldn’t.

There are worse places it could do that, like in a filepath, but it’s still pretty annoying.
     
subego  (op)
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Jan 24, 2022, 04:05 AM
 
Aaaaand, I’m a moron.

The formula I’m using in Excel to generate a filename from the logs is adding an extra space. I looked directly at it in a monospaced font and it still didn’t register.

The period? That was MacOS autocorrect “fixing” my two spaces. Kinda surprised that’s turned on in a save dialog.
     
ghporter
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Jan 24, 2022, 08:52 PM
 
Yeah. File names should NEVER be “corrected.”

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
subego  (op)
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Jan 24, 2022, 09:02 PM
 
Especially with a period of all things.
     
subego  (op)
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Jan 24, 2022, 09:08 PM
 
I just manually tested it to be sure it wasn’t an artifact of the Python module I’m using for keyboard input. In Monterey, in Logic Pro, it does indeed autocorrect two spaces into a period in the save dialog.
     
Thorzdad
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Jan 25, 2022, 11:32 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Especially with a period of all things.
At least it didn’t put the period at the start of the filename.
     
Laminar
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Jan 25, 2022, 01:16 PM
 
Ha - THAT would have been a fun one to figure out.
     
subego  (op)
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May 9, 2022, 05:43 PM
 
I’ve been wanting to show stuff, but don’t want to ruin any surprises.

I figure the cat’s out of the bag on this one though…





Edit: Thanks again to reader for the packing peanut idea which made it possible!
( Last edited by subego; May 9, 2022 at 06:39 PM. )
     
subego  (op)
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May 22, 2022, 12:36 PM
 


“No, no. Fire is good.”
     
subego  (op)
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Jun 2, 2022, 01:44 PM
 
Sorry for the massive vertical.

Here’s a bit of a frame from YouTube in 4K:



Same bit in 2K:



Fuck you, Google.
     
Laminar
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Jun 2, 2022, 04:08 PM
 
Is that just awful compression?
     
subego  (op)
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Jun 2, 2022, 05:43 PM
 
Yup.

Compression can choke on grain, which makes sense because grain changes every pixel on every frame. Been an issue we’ve had to deal with for decades now. As such, we’ve been diligently putting every single shot on YouTube and checking to see if it’s a problem before we start editing with it.

My assumption was if the YouTube compressor was handling the 4K grain, their 2K downsample would handle it just as well.

The algorithm YouTube uses for the 2K downsample is optimized for speed. That gets done in about a minute. The 4K can take an hour, so it appears that’s tuned for fidelity. This was right in front of me, but I didn’t put together the implications until now. I have watched other clips we uploaded that YouTube downsampled to 2K but they were never this bad.
( Last edited by subego; Jun 2, 2022 at 06:12 PM. )
     
subego  (op)
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Jun 2, 2022, 07:05 PM
 
Just went though everything we’ve completed. Doesn’t seem to be an issue anywhere else thankfully. This shot had more aggressive grain on it than we normally use in an effort to hide other problems.

That was scary.
     
andi*pandi
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Jun 2, 2022, 08:15 PM
 
Is this why other artists use vimeo not youtube?
     
subego  (op)
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Jun 2, 2022, 08:30 PM
 
FWIU, yes. They don’t put on as much compression, but you have to pay them.

We plan to do that, but assume YouTube will give us a bigger reach.
     
reader50
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Jun 3, 2022, 12:51 AM
 
I haven't done anything fancy with YouTube, so this might not work.

Can you add the 4K version after the fact? ie - upload a 2K version. Perhaps with extra contrast applied to that one background. Then "discover" a 4K master, and update your video. The idea being that YT keeps the 2K version you tweaked, instead of downscaling it from the 4K.
     
subego  (op)
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Jun 3, 2022, 01:27 PM
 
AFAIK, YouTube won’t let you update a video in any way other than reuploading, which puts the reupload on a brand new page.
     
subego  (op)
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Jun 11, 2022, 02:21 PM
 


The Ring? What ring? I haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re talking about.
     
subego  (op)
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Jul 28, 2022, 04:54 AM
 
YouTube’s privacy settings are such the easiest way to manage our sooper-secret, backstage channel is to have it public, but hard to find. People have started stumbling across it anyway and we have 10 subscribers now.

Also, about halfway done with post!
     
subego  (op)
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Aug 17, 2022, 03:49 AM
 
Check this butterfly fucking flying into my mask.



     
Laminar
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Aug 17, 2022, 08:59 AM
 
Remove technology, increase nature. Seems like a win-win.
     
subego  (op)
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Aug 17, 2022, 09:12 AM
 
One will work for pollen, but the other two want scale.
     
subego  (op)
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Aug 17, 2022, 03:38 PM
 
I should have seen this coming.

I got rid of the duplicate butterflies since we don’t negotiate with butterfly terrorists, but the real butterfly disappears when it flies in front of the gas meter, so I roto the sucker back in.

Director says “can we nuke the butterfly completely? It’s distracting.”
     
reader50
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Aug 17, 2022, 04:08 PM
 
That's an electric meter. I know, it's shocking.
     
subego  (op)
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Aug 17, 2022, 04:09 PM
 
D’oh!
     
subego  (op)
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Aug 23, 2022, 06:15 PM
 
Holy crap. Just uploaded the last 20 shots to YouTube for sign-off. I figured this would be in November or something.

Still have three official effects shots, then I spend the rest of the time until it’s edited doing unofficial ones, like erasing unwanted cars driving through a shot.

As far editing goes, 60% done!
     
andi*pandi
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Aug 23, 2022, 07:30 PM
 
I feel like when this is released we should throw you a party.
     
subego  (op)
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Aug 23, 2022, 07:34 PM
 
Awwww… thank you!!!
     
subego  (op)
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Sep 24, 2022, 06:57 PM
 
So, it’ll never be done, but it’s done enough I’m in the process of kicking the soundtrack out the door.
     
ghporter
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Sep 24, 2022, 07:12 PM
 
Movies are never finished. Sometimes they escape.* Same for books, records, and so on.

Plays are worse; the playwright can tweak, adjust, and rewrite for every single performance, but they are never done.

*Paraphrased and misquoted from multiple sources; some say "abandoned", others say "surrendered".

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
subego  (op)
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Sep 24, 2022, 08:04 PM
 
Originally Posted by ghporter View Post
Plays are worse; the playwright can tweak, adjust, and rewrite for every single performance, but they are never done.
What made this hit home for me was the musical Wicked. The actor who played the Wizard in the production I saw had a schtick which can be best described as “Fred Willard”.

Somewhere along the line I learned on Broadway the role was played by Joel Grey.

Those… are very, very, very different plays.


This I surmise is why a lot of TV and movie people still do theater. They’re allowed to shape the thing in a way they can’t in their day job.
     
Thorzdad
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Sep 25, 2022, 09:13 AM
 
Very little art of any sort is ever “done”, if you’re the creator. This is because art isn’t a given thing you bolt together and end up with an object. There’s always some aspect you can improve or tweak, or rework, or, or, or etc. It’s a maddening rabbithole.

You have to develop a sense that the thing is “finished”. That still doesn’t stop you from getting those “Doh!” moments of something you should have done. They’re all your children, and all you can ever see are their flaws.
     
subego  (op)
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Sep 25, 2022, 12:13 PM
 
One of the reasons I hooked up with my partner is he has an excellent sense of that.

Left to my own devices, I’ll tweak and tweak, get bored, and never release it.
     
andi*pandi
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Sep 26, 2022, 02:30 PM
 
perfect is the enemy of done.
     
subego  (op)
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Oct 1, 2022, 02:13 PM
 
Shit’s starting to get real.





As a minor irritant, the hitbox for closing Apple Music is impossible to tap. I tried over 10 times.

A larger irritant is the iTunes Store only gives links to Apple Music
     
andi*pandi
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Oct 2, 2022, 10:04 PM
 
huzzah!

which track do you think is best?
     
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Oct 2, 2022, 10:50 PM
 
"Follies of 2022" - does this mean the Dream Recording Studio is still around? Sorta, kinda?
     
subego  (op)
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Oct 3, 2022, 03:21 PM
 
Sorta, kinda.

I have an extremely stripped-down “portable” version where the guts fit in a suitcase, and I pull whatever else is needed out of storage. Set that up in our rehearsal space to record most of this… in 2018.

This was originally supposed to be Follies of 2020, so COVID sucked two years out of it. Likewise, our rehearsal space has transformed into our “remote work mixing/editing suite”, which to be honest turned out to be a good thing.

Along those lines… I need to give the album a fresh play to pick my favorites. It’s been a loooong time since I’ve given it a critical listen.
     
subego  (op)
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Oct 4, 2022, 08:23 PM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
huzzah!

which track do you think is best?
I was finally able to give it my first real play-through.

The best track is the last one, “Lizard in the Wings”. I’m actually taken aback by it.


It should be available everywhere. This is probably the most frictionless way to give it a listen:

     
subego  (op)
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Oct 30, 2022, 06:29 AM
 
I just gave the whole thing my first real viewing.

My opinions range between massive disappointment and being moved to tears. As far as the latter is concerned, the two girls and our singer put in some superlative performances.
     
subego  (op)
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Nov 3, 2022, 02:15 PM
 
Starting to look like Monday might be the date for the first episode! There are 16 total, and I believe the plan is to have three a week (MWF).
     
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Nov 3, 2022, 06:58 PM
 
So it's a miniseries? I'd thought all along it was a movie.

I hope all the later episodes are already complete. If they aren't -- starting a release schedule is going to amp the pressure up.
     
subego  (op)
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Nov 4, 2022, 04:53 PM
 
It’s a movie, but that’s such a huge time commitment we decided from the outset to serialize it. Our ambitious goal was also to have each installment to stand on its own. Some of them achieve this better than others.

Once I get the episode I’m working on done, which should be today, we’ll have five in a row banked. That’s 11 days before the next one is due, so there’s pressure, but I’ve got a lot of runway. Likewise, the remaining episodes are all close enough to done they could be released as-is, and probably will be. At this point I’m only looking for obvious things which can be fixed quickly.
     
 
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