An odd thing happens when you Dynamically Link an After Effects comp into a Premiere Pro sequence. The AE comp takes on the framerate/interlacing of the PP sequence. This is how you keep that from happening.
Or, how to force Premiere to render your animation how you designed it.
For a more in-depth look at Dynamic Link and other Premiere features check out chrisfenwick.com. He’s a smart dude.
Read MoreI’m in the process of switching from FCP to Premiere Pro 5.5. One of my biggest concerns was how it handled input and output from tape. Maybe people aren’t using tape that as much these days, but I (and most of the people I know) still finish to Digibeta or HDCam SR. I couldn’t find anything online about it so I just gave it a try. And made a video. It’s HD so I recommend watching a bit larger to actually see whats going on.
I’ve never made a screencast, so there are a lot of awkward pauses and UMMMMMs. Sorry about that. I’m sure I’ll get better. I hope.
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There are a few things I do repeatedly. Once I do something enough times I usually try to find a way to automate the process. By automate I mean to find a system or tool that will do the work at the same level of quality (or better) in less time.
Project folder creation can easily be automated. After all, it’s just a set of hierarchical folders named appropriately. Some people keep a folder template called ProjectFolder on their desktop that they copy to their work drive whenever they start a new project. This totally works, and if this works for you don’t let me tell you otherwise.
I created a simple Automator script to do essentially the same thing, but it only takes one click and my naming scheme remains consistent.
Common sense tells us to keep a project and its assets organized – especially if we make a living off of these projects. Most people create a main folder, pile in a bunch of files and create subfolders as they see fit. This does create folder for each project, but it rarely has any kind of discernible structure.
Consistency: Aside from the chaotic nature of the ad-hoc folder structure is its lack of consistency. If you have to jump between projects in a day or have to revisit a older project it can hard to adjust to the scattered locations of files without consistent structure. Not to mention having to pass projects to other members of a team. The important thing to remember is that every time you are forced to think about the location of a file it takes mental energy that could be used for creating something. So being a better organizer can actually make you a better designer (or at least give you time to be).
Read MoreMany freelancers have dedicated spaces for certain types of work. I have an office for supervised sessions and tapedeck usage. Lets say I’m out of the office and a client calls wanting to change a logo and get a quicktime (or any number of small changes). All my footage lives at the office, so my only option is to pedal/drive a couple miles into the office for a 5 minute change. Or say No.
For the sake of being able to go above and beyond and preserve my few days at home, I wanted a way to get at my projects from home. This is why Remote Desktop was invented. But unless you are/have a networking nerd and a static IP, you’re out of luck. This brilliantly simple tip came to me from my office-mate Matt (a fantastic audio editor at Soundbyte).
iChat has an underused feature called Screen Sharing. It allows people to take control of your machine and fix things from another location. One person sends a request, you accept, they remotely control your system. If it we’re possible to rig the machine to automatically accept an invitation you could essentially remote desktop without any networking hassle.
Chax Again: Another reason to love [Chax][] is the auto-accept features. Until now I used it to accept files sent to me while grabbing my 3rd cup of coffee. Directly below that is the Auto Accept Screen Sharing options.
Security: To properly set this up, you need a dedicated screen name that will accept screen sharing from only your screen name. This allows you (and only you) to access the machine.
This article is about how to track what is said via iChat. If you want to know why it’s a good idea then keep reading. If you just want to know how to do it, download Chax and read the bottom.
Maybe it’s the South, or it could just be me never having time for meetings, but the majority of my business and idea sharing happens over email or the phone. In 3rd place is IM (specifically iChat for me).
Distraction: most people (myself included) find iChat a nuisance when focusing and trying to get things done. Every little popup and bloop takes you out of what you’re doing. So if you’re in “design mode” or doing something that requires focus, just quit iChat. It’s common sense. Instant Messaging is a distraction from what you’re doing, plain and simple. Don’t worry about trying to find a “more integrated solution that runs in the menu bar and uses slight color shift of the icon to indicate a message is received” or some other productivity hack/app that will supposedly change the way you chat forever.
Usefulness: iChat is a communication tool. So use it for what it’s made for. It’s quick, slightly less intrusive than a phone call, and you can easily transfer files. It’s like email, but more brief. Why email is more useful in a lot of workplaces is the paper-trail. If you archive or use folders you have an eternal record of what was said. But IM is gone once you close the window.
Chat Logging: Sure, the majority of messages sent are cat videos, and people falling down. But on occasion something useful happens. A client will send revision requests, deliverable lists, reference images, or any number of real project related material. So optimally there would be something that would track correspondence for future reference.
Chax: In the iChat prefs, there is a checkbox to Save Chat Transcripts. Problem solved right?
Arguably, the number one job of any freelancer is to get paid. You can’t make money if you don’t track your hours. There are countless methods of time tracking – from paper calendars to dedicated software. If you have a system that works, keep on using it. My previous methods failed, so this is what I worked out, and I’m kinda liking it.
The Problem: The majority of my work is broken down into whole or half day sessions (4 or 8 hour blocks). I need to make note of hours, date, and quick description of the work. I also need to track expenses like tapestock and couriers per job. To top it off I want to be able to cloud sync with something to feel a little more secure about the information that will eventually get me paid.
I tried a lot of iPhone and desktop apps and there just isn’t anything simple and reliable. Most apps require you to set up a job, define a client, set a rate, enter a session start-time, end-time, session name. Each with their own field requiring COUNTLESS clicking/tapping. And there isn’t anything that will sync over air with all my devices.
Solution: After a lot of trial and error, I decided I needed little more than a simple text editor to document all my hours/expenses. [SimpleNote][] is by far the best notes app on the [iPhone/iPad][simplenoteiphone] and it syncs wirelessly with all iOS devices. Install [NotationalVelocity][] on the desktop and everything is connected.
Create a note called Active Projects and just dump all your billables into it. That’s it. No fancy new app. Just text. I fought the simplicity for a long time, but it just works.
Formatting: Pick a formatting method and stick with it. Consistency is really the key to workflow. It doesn’t have to be Markdown, but just pick something. My current method is:
Network-Project Coordinator 1x :06 digi, 2x :12 digi, 2x Rush Courier
Markdown: Being new to the blog scene, I just discovered [Markdown][]. It’s a quick way to format an HTML doc with simple characters that’s easy to read. The Notational Velocity fork [nvAlt][], now supports Markdown so it works perfect for sectioning off jobs.
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