The Podcast is launched - Out of Vision

With slightly more effort and considerably more technology than I'd expected, the wefpug podcast, now to be known as the wefcpod, is launched. As part of the vagaries of the host system, it needed a title, so it's called 'Out Of Vision'.

Episode one, and future episodes, are to be found at wefcpod.podbus.com
Tech notes are below.

I hope to produce one a month, in between our meetings, partly including the best bits of whatever happened, and partly looking forward to the next....

So the January 07 edition has an interview with US FCP guru Larry Jordan, who's coming on a UK tour next month - and is the special guest at the Feb 15th meeting - plus an extended chat with Pete Lawrence of BBC Bristol, talking about future plans (for kit and for people!) within the BBC. I hope you find something of interest to liven up your morning commute, or evening jog. There's also what I hope will turn into a regular feature - samples from a new CD of production music by a local composer, in this edition Claudio Ahlers.

Comments, suggestions, please append here (if you're a registered member) or email me at phil@brightfilament.co.uk
The next posting will contain further details related to the content.

Phil

Technical details: (revised 2 Feb)

I've not yet done all the necessary techy things to make this an automatic feed in the iTunes store. That's coming soon. Depending on how your browser is set up, clicking on the feed link http://wefcpod.podbus.com will open up your news feed browser (eg Firefox/NewsFire) or display a list of the mp3 files (there's only one there at the moment!) which will open in QuickTime.

If you are surfing with Safari, the url above, or feed://wefcpod.podbus.com - which it resolves into, gives an option to subscribe via iTunes which is the easiest way to receive the podcast.


The screen grab shows the display from Safari. Firefox will ask you what feed-reader (news aggregator) you want to use - more suitable for text than podcasts, but in, for instance, Newsfire, it works OK, producing its own downloads section.

You can make a manual subscription in iTunes:
follow Advanced>Subscribe to Podcast and type the URL in the dialog box. iTunes should then download the podcast and automatically check in future.


Eventually more text will appear in all the boxes, artwork too.
Bear in mind I'll be tinkering over the next week or so, apologies if the feed isn't available when you'd like it.

If all else fails - or you just don't want to bother with these subscription thingies, this edition can also be found the old-fashioned manual way at
http://wefcpod.podbus.com/Out_of_Vision_Ep1.mp3
but you'll find that a rather 'sparse' visual experience!

News of our next two meetings. Jan & Feb 07

It's a new year and the start of many, many more editors using Final Cut Studio in our region. This e-mail is going to our regular members and a few others I've had the pleasure of meeting during '06 in the training room. For their information, weFCPug (West of England Final CUt Pro User Group) is a monthly gathering of editors and film makers to share techniques and tips, learn about who's doing what and to have demos from leaders in their field. Last year saw evenings on Panasonic's new HVX200 camera and high definition in general plus many warm conversations on the merits of whatever Apple throw at us next. This year we promise some real treats. But first, news of the January meeting:

Monday 15th January at BBC Whiteladies Road, Bristol. (Please use the side entrance.) Start time 6.30pm for 7.00pm start. Usual wrap time about 9.00.

To include:

Richard on Steve Jobs keynote speech at Macworld, Las Vegas.

Phil on cyTV, IPTV and ad-hoc networking - fingers crossed for a live demo across the room!

and a special presentation from Pete Lawrence of the BBC talking about their switchover to using Final Cut Studio.


Sneak Preview of one month later:

Thursday 15th February (location as above) - NOTE THE DAY

To include:

Richard on new (and old) toys at Video Forum
Phil on his latest project, the weFCPug podcast - which might have even launched by then

and special guests, in person:

Oscar Stringer demonstrating I Can Animate

Larry Jordan (yes, THE Larry Jordan!) on his forthcoming seminars in Bristol - more information on this at the January meet

Please e-mail Richard to let us know you are coming to either meeting and, for February, I'm afraid pre-notification is a must. We expect to be very busy that night!

Since our inception 18 months ago we have been lucky enough to have had the use of Granada TV's facilities. Now that we have to move on we'd just like to extend a final thank you to Dave Blackham and his staff for accommodating us over all those months. Thanks Dave.

See you Monday 15th Jan,
Richard

Sign of the times?

As those who attended the last meeting will know, this unsolicited gift appeared on my doorstep. It's a sure sign of superior technology - Avid now have pens that LIGHT UP! All the better to write edit lists (or fault reports) in the dark.

We can but wait for the Apple retaliation - which may be coming in the MacWorld announcements later this month, of course. Pens which speak? Pens which edit on their own?

A timely reminder to all to -em- defer buying any new stuff until after the announcements, should there be any. Or then again, wait until NAB in Spring, or MacWorld next January....

What you DO have to wait for is the next wefcpug meeting. All being well, it'll be on Monday 15th, venue yet to be confirmed. The February meeting will also be around the middle of the month, for reasons to be announced shortly :-)

In the meantime, happy new 2007
Phil