Pro Video Coalition (PVC) dishes out the latest in graphics, workflow, video production, emerging technologies and much more. PVC serves as a community hub for those working in motion graphics and video production. Featuring a diverse group of writers, covering an even more diverse group of subjects. Reading is fundamental, and this is a fun place to start. More after the jump.

Tags: Resources

Dean Velez over at Motion Graphics Lab has posted an interesting Broadcast Graphics Questionnaire which he uses to gather useful information from potential clients. While I'm not sure many clients would have the time to fill out such an extensive set of questions, they would be useful to keep in mind as you move forward with larger projects. Many of these questions you will find answers for with typical opening conversations with the GM, News Director, CSD, Art Director and their staff. A good resource for those hoping to get into this kind of work. Read more after the jump.

Tags: Resources

A little Friday morning pick-me-up to get you through the day. The Inspiration Room does exactly what you would assume it does. It serves up phenomenal design from around the word in hopes of inspiring new and innovative design from its viewers. Go grab your morning cup of joe, set a render in the background and feed your mind with the tantalizing graphics at The Inspiration Room.

Tags: Resources | Inspiration

A quick reminder for those looking to get into or move around in the world of Broadcast. As previously noted MySpace can be a great resource when it's time to start looking for work. Sometimes the best jobs can be found off the beaten path. Follow the link for a quick search of what's out there right now.

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The Who's Who and Who's Where in the world of entertainment marketing. Kate Bacon runs Well Dunne!, a blog that features news, profiles and tidbits about the creative people behind the scenes in Television and Network Cable. Kate has recently announced the formation of Well Dunne! Talent, a boutique agency to represent Creatives, Managers, Producers, & Designers. From helping you get your project done to helping you get a new job. Kate is the go-to person when you're in need of an extra hand to get it Dunne! Read more after the jump.

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From Apple to Zillow, LostRemote mixes a healthy portion of Technology and TV Industry News. Tracking: Local, National, and Web based content to spotlight how converging technologies are reshaping television as we know it. Read more after the jump.

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A News Portal providing useful information for editors and journalists seeking the latest in the world of Broadcast. Not limited to television alone, it's a great way to stay informed with some of the emerging technology and media delivery methods that could become part of your newsroom in the not so distant future. More after the jump.

Tags: Resources

Quickly becoming the HD choice for online streaming, newcomer Vimeo is giving YouTube a run for its money. Free to join, massive amounts of free storage, and easy hyper-linking has early adopters taking notice of what a great venue it is for showing off their HD work. Check out some of the HD News Promos already posted after the jump.

Tags: Resources | Inspiration

Feed your mind with inspiration from every corner of the world, wait the world is still flat right? Venturing into experimental and down right cinematic some of these clips should help get your creative juices flowing. More after the jump.

Tags: Resources | Inspiration

As is often the case, prep time for promotions is all but non-existant, even worse during sweeps. You write the script, get approval, shoot the talent and in a few hours it's on the air and you are on to your next miracle of television. Getting the script into the talents hands ahead of time can be tricky. Maybe they are out in the field on a story? or on location for an interview? Many times, aside from a quick glance in email the day of is the first time your talent has had to read and try to memorize the script. But what if you could use the same tools the News department uses to get through their shows? It's no secret Anchors use a prompter help them along, and now thanks to PromptDog and PromptPuppy from DVCreators you can too. PromptDog(Puppy) turn any regular laptop into a cheap and portable solution for your prompting needs. Copy and paste your script or just drag it in and you are ready to go. Full speed control, editable on the fly, the kind of tool I wish I had had when I was producing. Did I mention it's affordable? and cross platform? Yeah, nice. Read more and watch the demo after the jump.

Tags: Resources

News Hound alert! Designed for Assignment Editors as the go to place for quick access to industry resources, research sites, news papers and news gathering services around the world. You can customize the page with localized resources as well. A pretty interesting idea, one that could definitely be of help to anyone in News.

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Tutorials is the name of the game. Featuring video tutorials for creative professionals, walkthroughs and previews on upcoming products. AdobeTV is your one-stop-shop for everything Adobe related. A definite resource for beginners and pros alike, feed your passion with a little help from some of the industry's best.

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Some of the top Broadcast Designers in the biz, open up their bag of tricks. Showcasing ways to buck the trend when it comes to fresh approaches in Broadcast Design. From the invisible package to the basic cold open... they use real-world examples to help illustrate concepts that can work at any level of television. Read more after the jump.

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Yesterday we took a brief look at some of the changes facing Producers working in the News place. Looking at ways to stay ahead of the curve. The fear of extinction isn't limited to Producers only, Broadcast Design firms are feeling it too. Ann Fisher a frequent contributer to Post Magazine looks at how traditional Broadcast Design firms are reaching beyond the typical Live at 5:00 mainstays to stay competitive with changing conditions. Lower budgets, faster turn arounds, a weaker market... are some of the things facing today's "it" shops. Read what they have to say after the jump.

Tags: Resources | Articles

As the lines between Producing for News and Producing for Web blur, many Promotions Producers are being forced to adapt with the changing landscape. Digital content management, file manipulation, compressing for different delivery options. Writers, Editors, and anyone involved with the production of News are having to become experts in things that were more inline with I.T. work than anything else. So how do you get your brain wrapped around these concepts? Where do you start? How do you stay ahead of the curve? That's easy, look to the web. Read More...

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Over on the Avid Community forums you will find some help with technical questions or how do I? questions. One other thing you will find is a nice collection of tips for editing on Avid systems, the people over there were nice enough to gather the tips up and offer them as pdf's for download, so you can read 'em at your leisure. Some of the editing techniques are universal even if the entry is a bit old, useful tips regardless of your chosen editing system.

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If there is only one link you click on today. This should be it. Jon Yeo, one of the designers behind SKY 1's 2008 re-brand popped his head in over at Motionographer to comment on the Freefarm Showreel 2008 that was posted a few days ago. His post seems to have gone unnoticed for the most part. Let me tell you, this is the kind of thing you need to check out. Jon has posted an in-depth behind the scenes look at how this package came to life. From initial pitch frames, to logo comps all the way to the finished product. Inspiring? yes. Enlightening? absolutely. It's rare when you get this kind of access to the workflow and thought that went into creating a package like this. A must read for any Broadcast Designer. Go check it out. (Via: Motionographer comments 9/26, I'm bumping this back up cause it deserves the attention)

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FCP, Avid, a little shooting mixed in for good fun. If you're looking to polish your editing skills, The Editblog is a good place to start. There is some good stuff in here, bookmark it, love it, you know the drill.

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Alan Stewart covers the basics of working in 24p on an Avid based editing system. Explaining what 24p means, how reverse-telecinie works, and the differences between interlaced footage and progressive scan. Useful for information for FCP users as well.

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More Motion Graphics than Broadcast Design, but still loaded with useful tidbits you can adapt for your needs. Cinema, After Effects, they got you covered. A quick note about upcoming posts, we've been leaning heavily to the graphics end this last week. I think we've had a nice mix of useful nuggets to browse through, so expect the coming week to lean back towards more editing and promotions content to balance that out. We've got some good stuff coming up. A reminder for readers, if you have link suggestions you'd like to share with your fellow newshounds, you can always drop me a line here to contribute (credits and link-backs supplied in return).

Tags: Resources

A quick highlight on one of the permanent links in the sidebar. AEScripts.com is the brainchild of New York based Designer Lloyd Alvarez. Lloyd has made a name for himself in the AE community as the go-to-guy for workflow management scripts. The kind of scripts that leave you wondering why you didn't do things like this before. From Magnum his edit detection script, to his industry favorite BG Render Script, they all came about as a direct response to cries for help from fellow AE users, including his latest Zorro-The Layer Tagger. Step up to the next level of After Effects efficiency and make your way over to AEscripts.com. If you're in a giving mood make sure to buy Lloyd a beer for his efforts on your way out. (Courtesy: Jason Brown)

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Up for a quick trip down memory lane? Check out Videopia's The Joy of Interlacing. D. Eric Franks breaks down the why? where? and what? behind interlacing in video today, entertaining while educating. Understanding interlacing is a must for any video professional. Not paying attention to field order can lead to some unsightly results. Some of which we see everyday on local and national broadcasts, and it's easily avoidable. Sooo... kick back for a sec. and marvel at this thing we call Television, who knew interlacing could be so much fun?

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Float on over to AEnhancers.com for some magical C4D goodness. FREE to you, courtesy of Paul Tuersley, a set of scripts that facilitate the export of a 3D camera from After Effects into Cinema 4D. These scripts require AE version 7.0 and C4D R9.6, or greater to work. Make sure to thank Paul for his contribution to the Motion Graphics community. He has opened up a lot of options for us by taking this project on.
(Via: Creative Workflow Hacks)

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I want to take a moment and point out that starting today I will be part of the team hosting the Motion Graphics - How Do I? forum on CreativeCOW. Joining a talented group of designers who have been contributing back to the community for as long as I can remember. Please swing by to say hello and be part of the conversation over on CreativeCOW.

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Following up on a previous article. AIGA (The American Institute for Graphics Arts) founded in 1914, is an amazing resource for designers looking to expand into the world of freelance. On their site you will find a Standard Agreement that you can use as a basis for your design business ventures. While you're there look over all of the other resources they have available and see if becoming a member might be something you would be interested in. Membership does have it's benefits. (Via: Mograph.net)

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Every once in a while you run across a plug-in that makes you go WOW. Usually one that automates something that would normally be a tedious but necessary process. Light Wrapping is one of those processes. When compositing elements into a scene you should try to replicate the way light wraps around an object, giving it a more natural look, and helping to sell it as real. Jerzy Drozda (of Maltaannon.com) takes that process and simplifies it for you. A real time saver and it's cheap to boot. For some additional After Effects gold make sure to check here.

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Call it a necessary evil. Charts & Graphs! Not the most exciting News graphics to build, but important none-the-less. The people over at AE Portal News have rounded up the best of the best for you. Expression driven, nice little sliders, some slick tricks to make building these elements as easy as pie

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Can MySpace really help me get a job??? Yes Timmy, it can. If you know where to look. Oh, and if you lose those scantily clad party pics from your profile! Follow the link, type in your chosen profession, and marvel at the results. Companies have been taking note of the power of Social Networking, and are hitting unconventional places to find their next hire. Why shouldn't you? (Submitted By: Temple Muse)

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What kind of stuff do we like around here? FREE stuff! Dean Velez over at Motion Graphics Lab has graciously posted a set of 18 animated After Effects backgrounds for you to use. What's the catch? The catch is, they are only available for free until October 1st. Sooooo grab 'em while they're hot! Make sure to check out Dean's other offerings while you're there.

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Poking around a little more... I noticed that Digital Rebellion also has a blog, and not just any ol' blog, but one targeted at Final Cut Pro users! With a little bit of After Effects sprinkled in for flavor. I'm a bit late to the game with this one, evident by the pages and pages worth of juicy tidbits. None-the-less a nifty site I'll be frequenting from now on.

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Title kinda says it all doesn't it? Covering the basics, Photoshop for Video is a great starting point for those hoping to get into video graphics. The tutorials are very accessible and informative. Even if you consider yourself a pro, there might be a few things in here to help streamline your workflow.

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MotionWorks has a great cheat sheet of sorts, with some of the typical terminology you'll hear on your ventures through Broadcast. Scroll down through the comments for additional ones noted by readers. To compliment that list, Digital Rebellion has their glossary of Post Production terms that should have you talking like a pro in no time (or at least understanding them a little better). Both sites offer additional content, like tutorials and useful tools that make them both bookmark worthy.

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If you haven't already, make your way over to the Goodies section of the site. You'll find a few useful C4D setups for use in your projects, FREE of charge. Please read the terms & conditions included with the files before using them. These are News Pre-pro elements that I have set up over the years and I figured I would share them with you. Enjoy!

Tags: Resources | Cinema 4D

Continuing todays tutorials theme. Make sure to check out TVGrafx.com for a nice selection of Cinema 4D & After Effects tutorials. You can also purchase additional offerings covering C4Ds multipass rendering here. Nice stuff!

Tags: Resources | Tutorials

While not meant for serious News applications, Andrew Kramer (Video Copilot) has posted some nice CNN style lower thirds for use in your video effects projects. While your there, make sure to check out his great selection of video tutorials, many of which can be adapted for News & Promotional needs.

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Hosted by industry pioneer Joe Torelli. Apple is serving up a two-part Seminar on new and innovative ways to improve your Final Cut Pro workflow. Targeted at those in the trenches, it features tips on editing faster with shortcuts, accessing tapeless media, adding effects and more. A must watch for anyone interested in finessing their craft. Oh, and it's FREE. So go check it out!

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While we may not be a gossip site, News Blues certainly is. Usually a pay for access kinda site, they have graciously opened up their archives, FREE of charge until September 28. So get on over there and start digging. (via: idopromoz)

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From Designer Jason Brown (Owner of Global Animations) comes the first in a series of tutorials targeted specifically at those getting started in the world of Broadcast Design. Focusing on setting up the Shadow Caster feature in Cinema 4D. Jason explains a quick way to achieve higher quality shadowing in your scenes.

Tags: Resources | Tutorials

A forgotten gem of the C4D community... or at least it seems to be. Deepshade has been around since the early days of Cinema 4D. When the Electric Image crowd was making their jump to the then, new and intriguing package. Serving up a plethora of pre-built shaders and lighting rigs, Deepshade was the place to go when you were in need of some quality texturing options. Eventually rolling into Maxon's main site, it is often overlooked for the great resource it really is. Bookmark it, reference it, love it!

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I know of a lot of designers looking for ways to make some extra cash. But amazingly enough most of them don't know where to start. The simple fact is that as a designer/editor you have a skill not everybody has, and depending on your work situation you could be missing out on some great opportunities. Read More...

Tags: Resources | Articles

Here are some quick techniques you can follow to improve not only your shots, but your editing as-well. Courtesy of the Behance Network.

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After Effects giving you a headache? Jonas Hummelstrand has put together a nice collection of tried and true remedies that might help you pinpoint the issue. Troubleshooting is part of the process, and getting a little more knowledgeable on how to fix common problems may make your life a lot easier.

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Step 3: Knowing your dimensions

As important as rendering to the right codec is, if you don't have the right dimensions, frame rates or field order... it won't really matter much when it comes to delivery. SD or HD? D1, 1080i, 720p? What the heck am I building? Improper dimensions can lead to its own set of issues. Read More...

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As tape goes the way of the dinosaur more and more news content is going digital. With that comes a slew of different codecs to over complicate the process. Getting it all to work... is an art form on its own. If you're an editor or a designer in a news environment, you've no doubt run across your share of problems embracing this change. Sometimes it's as simple as the wrong codec for the hardware, or the wrong dimensions, field order or something completely different. But how can you tell without having to become an expert? Read More...

Tags: Articles | Resources

Updates, updates! GrayMachine, known as a great resource for aspiring motion designers has overhauled their site. Loaded with awesome tutorials and in-depth articles, they have stuff you won't find anywhere else. While not specifically targeted towards news artists, the techniques showcased there can be adapted easily to any workflow.

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A new resource for the C4D community recently popped up. Steve Andrus, "supafraud" on the Mograph Forums has been hard at work bringing C4Dmodels.com to life. The site acts as a free C4D model depot. Where you can upload models you have created, motion and all. Or download user contributed files. Tutorials and Materials round out the offerings. It's slim pickings at the moment, but the content is sure to grow. Go check it out.

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Want to see how the competition stacks up? The Design Directory serves up a who's who in Broadcast Design. While not a complete list by any means. It's a great place to start.

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Following up yesterday's post on pre-animated opens. Here's an interesting concept, royalty-free After Effects files. Rerendered.com allows you to sell your setups, or buy from a wide range of pre-built projects. Dimensions, durations, and 3rd party plugins are listed with every file.

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Depending on the size of your market and station needs, it's not always easy to get a mind blowing open the second you need it. But don't fret, there are options. Dosch Design makers of some fantastic 3D model libraries, have you covered. One step beyond the typical Jump Back. DOSCH 3D: Logo Animations available for C4D, 3DS Max, and Lightwave come with 25 pre-animated opens ready for you to tweak. Fully customizable, they offer more flexibility than you'd expect from a product like this. In a pinch, a heck of a resource not to use.

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We often forget that there are a lot of resources online for equipment we build for every day. Even if you are not operating the equipment, it's always good to know how to build for them. Avid has a very nice forum set up for Deko users and On-Air graphics in general. A great resource for any designer. Streamlining your workflow, means more time to design, edit or write, I'd say that's worth the effort. Duet (Chyron) users can find similar resources here.

Tags: Forums | Resources

A submission by tvNewshound (thanks!) tvnewsday.com covers the in and outs of the TV biz. I'll admit this is a new one to me so I'm not too familiar with it's content. But they seem to have a comprehensive look at the daily workings of stations near and far. Job Listings? check! Promotions? check! This one is going to make it's way to the Useful Links column quickly. Thanks for the tip!

Tags: TV News | Resources | Jobs

Looking for a Job in TV? Start here. Graeme Newell and his team over at 602 Communications have made themselves indispensable to the News Industry. With innovative workshops and focused research. 602 can give your station the edge in needs to be ahead of the pack.

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Creative COW is a wonderful resource for Designers and Editors alike. Even though they don't target "TV News" needs specifically. There is a lot to be learned from the wealth of knowledge in their tutorials, articles, and in-depth forums. The tutorials are very easy to follow and range vastly in subject matter. Read More...

Tags: Resources | Tutorials

I've avoided joining any online sites like MySpace or Facebook mainly to keep a low profile. It didn't seem like they would offer much to me, and having people know what I'm doing every second of the day was, well not very intriguing. That is, until a good friend clued me into LinkedIn. Read More...

Tags: Resources | Socializing