New Website!

Well, what do you know? I’ve got a new blog on a new website, www.benjamindbailey.com! Come and check it out!

New website!

New Macbook from Apple! (Video)

Check out the new Macbook from Apple!

http://www.viddler.com/explore/cdevroe/videos/489/

Some more news: Updating www.ShadrachYouth.org website, need to prepare to DVD projects to burn, making a game in Blender 2.48 (bouncing mushroom platformer,) listening to music on Playlist.com (check out my playlist,) and looking forward to what the future holds.

Best wishes, God bless,
-b

Dr. Narendra Singh – 2008 Interview (a new film!)

Hey guys!  We now have a new film!  It is an Interview with Dr. Narendra Singh, an Indian evangelist. Great thanks to him for giving up his time so I could interview him! It is highly appreciated, and I hope this video will bless those who view it.

Dr. Narendra Singh – 2008 Interview from Minosa Films on Vimeo.

I edited the film using CyberLink BD Solution PowerDirector Express. The text images were made in Inkscape.

The opening title is too long, I could add music to the intro/end text, and the file size is larger than optimal, but unless it causes problems or I feel highly necessary, I may leave this video as the final version.

I would re-encode it with a greater compression, but may have to do that later (hardware complication.)

Thanks!

-b

P.S. If the video loads too slowly, try turning off HD (hover over the Vimeo video) or let me know via a comment or e-mail!  If it is too difficult for people to view I will endeavor to re-encode it (with some tweaks on the video as well, while I’m at it,) for you.

P.P.S. Sorry, WordPress can’t embed Vimeo videos. 😦 Oh well… 😀
EDIT: fixed it! Check out what dalas verdugo has to say here: http://www.vimeo.com/forums/topic:1221

New blog theme and header – sweet!

Praise God!  The new blog header design is done, and, viola!  I chose a different them – much darker colors and better fitting for that “media look”.

See a screenshot the Minosa Films “ninja moon” themed header (below.)

"Ninja Moon" new header theme for the Minosa Films blog - screenshot of Blender

I did the project in the free, open source Blender (www.blender.org,) with post work (adding copyright I forgot) in the GIMP (www.gimp.org.)

For those of you who are not familiar with Minosa Films and what it used to look like, please see the below image of what the Minosa Films blog looked like a few hours ago.

The old look of the Minosa Films blog

For video editing, etc., I’ve been looking into Apple FinalCut Pro.  Looks pretty sweet.

Feeling techy, looking forward to the future.  Praise God.

Hope all is well, fellow film makers!

-b

Working on new Minosa Films blog header

New design WIP - Minosa Films blog header (Blender's node editor.)

Recently I have been working on a new header design for the Minosa Films blog.  It is not done yet, but it is turning out well.  I am using render layers and compositing them together, which is a first for me.  Praise God!  The theme is darker and has a moon, branches, the words “Minosa Films” and a nifty little design behind it.

Originally I was designing this in a hope to make an animated Minosa Films title intro for a promo video about Minosa Films.  I could make it theatrical like a silver screen trailer, or I could make it more instructional, like an interview or special feature.

I need to get back to solving the mystery of a successful video workflow.  My current progress on that is:

Import HD SP video file (.tod) into PowerDirector Express.
Drag video file onto the timeline.  Hit produce.
Go through a number of options and choose to export as an MPEG2 (for DVDs.)
Wait for it to render.
Import .mpg file into Adobe Premiere Pro 1.0.
Place on timeline.  There are no apparent “hiccups”.
Export video to .mov (Apple QuickTime.)
Play video in Media Player Classic – it works.

Goals:
I would prefer to someday edit in full HD; use a faster (better) conversion method; buy and use a newer, different, HD compatible non-linear editing (NLE) app; edit .avi (or .mpg if I choose to);  export to .avi, .mpg. with no  errors when opening in MPC (Media Player Classic,); be able to use After Effects (AE) in conjunction with Premiere (currently when I export from After Effects I get a jittered effect to the video and some artifacts.  Most unpleasing and… terrible.)

Goals in list form:

• HD
• Best conversion method (no conversion if possible.)
• New NLE software
• No editing hiccups
• Excellent file export
• Cross-software use

But for now, no HD!  No fooling around with the unnecessary.  😉

Thanks for listening,

God bless, prayers,

-b

New Film Ideas

This evening a new idea came on how to extend the short film “Is This Love?” (not yet filmed.)  With this extended beginning sequence you will get a better awareness on the beliefs of the two main characters and (hopefully) get some background story on both of them, as well as setting up the film better for the climax.

Besides that it there are some other ideas floating around, not so much ideas as concepts.  The difference (in this situation) being that ideas would imply actually having some sort of film plot or overall concept, whereas film concepts would be “Oh, wouldn’t it be cool to make a sci-fi film!” or “Hey, we have to film here“.

So, anyhow, whether they be ideas or concepts, or some of both, they are circulating around some.  For instance, recently I have seen that others are/have done sci-fi (science fiction) films, and it would be really neat to do a good sci-fi film, totally unique and more realistic than “Star Wars” or “Star Trek”.  Also, I have brainstormed with a friend a little about doing film about brother inventors.  Filming in old rural towns is a wonderful location solution, and such buildings as the Whipple Company Store & Museum (www.whipplecompanystore.com) would provide an interesting backdrop for a story (or at least to be included in the film at some point.)

After looking at some success stories featuring the Adobe products I can get pumped up and scared at the same time.  “Wow, look, you can make your film dreams come true right at home on your own desktop computer”, and “Oh, yikes.  You are mentioning things I have no idea of how to meet” and “They have a whole post-production crew”.  So you are confronted both with the beauty and mystery of the challenge – the hope and the fear.

I am looking very keenly on a certain model for the HD camcorder.  I know which one I will most likely buy, and I may make the purchase very soon.  News on that later.

Looking at the Adobe CS3 Production Premium (http://www.adobe.com/education/products/creativesuite/production/,) which would be a great solution but would mean a lot more saving up again.  ;D  Oh well, that’s OK.  A different option is the Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum Edition 8 (http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/products/product.asp?pid=447) which I am wary of, considering I have no personal experience with that software and would be much more comfortable saving up for a product that I know will meet a great many of my needs (than one I might wish to upgrade from in five days – but I can’t effectively say, since I am not a Vegas user.)

As you can see, things are happening even when they don’t look like they are.  🙂  All I can ask of you now is your prayers and I humbly beseech your support.

I know you will not always be able to act in a film, be there on filming days, or understand why I am so insanely driven to complete a film, but I ask you to bear with me and be as dedicated as you can.  Without you I don’t have a film.  I need you.  I could make solo documentaries, interview people, or even do one-man films – but not a full cast and crew short film.

We will see what happens.  Likely it will be a few of us who stick together and make it all happen, but I do appreciate it whenever any of you can help.

Thanks!

Regards,

-b