DV 6 - DV 10 Cameras & DR 1

I've created sections in Front Desk book for DV 6 through DV 10, which are the small Canon 1-chip CDD cameras purchased for use with Brian Nelson's classes. It should be noted that DV 9 was broken right out of the box. The tape mechanism will not retract into the camera.

I also created a section labeled DR 1, for the M-Audio Digital Recorder. If students wish to check it out, it should be logged on the newly created pages. Students may take out a handheld microphone, XLR cable, 1/4" XLR adaptor, and a set of headphones with the digital recorder.

Matt

NMC client spreadsheet

I created an excel spreadsheet listing all our clients, titled, "student info" in the NMC Documents folder. I have them alphabetically listed by last name and I inserted 3 columns (-1, -2, -3). We are initiating the 3 strikes yer out rule. So when someone is late, we cross out the column. Three times late? Their row gets turned red. Red the color of anger...and the color I turn when I have to tell someone their camera has not been returned so their reservation is cancelled.

So please when someone comes in to check something out, cross reference their name with the one on the excel list to make sure we have their info (and if not, add it), explain to them our late policy and confirm they know how to use the equipment.

Thank you.
Christophile

Charging Fees for Late Returns/Damages

As the semester winds on, we will continue to see a greater competition for resources; i.e., computers, and especially cameras.

This is why it is important that we begin to remind our customers of the late fees and the strict reservation time periods. We do NOT loan out cameras for 24 hours - we loan them out for 1 business day. We expect cameras to be back the following day, at 12 pm - NO LATER.

If they choose to do so, customers have the opportunity to pick up cameras at 9:30am. This means they can have a camera for 26.5 hours (we accomodate for more than 24 hours, but we will not bend for late returns).

If cameras are returned significantly late, and especially if it effects another customer, we WILL charge $5 - accepted in cash or check form - made out to the Center for Teaching Excellence. If the camera is broken, come see me, we have the right to charge the price of the camera.

An Excel sheet is being created on the workstation, and this will be used to track customers' records - Who's being naughty and who's being nice!?

Jason

NMC Wish List

Jason asked me to start a wish list of items for the NMC. I'm organzing the list into 3 categories, in decreasing priority level based on 80's tunes:

I Need You Tonight (INXS):
2-Button Optical Mice
Canned Air
Blank Media (DVD-R, CD-R)
XLR Cables

I Can Dream About You (Dan Hartman):
FCP Shortcut Guides
Pro Tools or Logic

King of Wishful Thinking (Go West):
50" Plasma HDTV
Digital SLR Camera
Larger Space

Matt

converting right-protected m4p's to mp3's

Hey guys-

Here's a lil quickie work around for converting songs that you've downloaded from iTunes to usable mp3/AIFF files.

-Burn a CD through iTunes of the songs you want to use. This will automatically convert the right-protected m4p files into AIFFs. An AIFF file can be imported to FCP and so forth.
(If you need an mp3, just import the new AIFF into iTunes and convert it through the advanced pull down menu. or vice versa.)

Thanks!

Color Printer & Pharos Machine Fixed

The color printer and the Pharos machine are now in working order. All customer printing should now be routed through the Pharos machine. All IP printing access from the machines has been removed. Please do NOT allow students and/or faculty to use their own printer paper in the printers.

Matt

Ghosting a Mac

http://www.bombich.com/mactips/netboot.html

Seeing as it is almost Halloween, I find this blog entry quite appropriate - This website explains how to go about ghosting a Mac.

Bad News: Printer and Camera

NMC: blogs
DV2 is broken. A tape is stuck inside and it keeps begging to be reset.
The color printer is also broken. It doesn't like glossy photo inkjet paper.

Summary: We only have two dv cameras available. Don't put glossy photopaper in the printer. It will melt.

Who's been messing with our karma?

*Amy

FX Process

A friend sent me this link...

http://www.buzzimage.com/en/work/film_fx

Color Printing from Illustrator

If you encounter problems printing from Illustrator, it may be that some of the fonts used in a particular document are not compatible with our color printer. The solution is to save the Illustrator file as a PDF, then open the PDF in Acrobat and print it through there.

Matt

New Spot for Headphones

Hola

Jason purchased some nice containers for the nice new headphones.

You'll see them behind the desk and next to the air conditioner/heater. Enjoy.

Calendar Crisis

NMC: blogs
The calendar is a mess. It is such a mess that it can't get a date. The times are not correct, there is no contact information.... it is destine to remain single forever. Unless, of course, we give it a little guidance.
Today I noticed that DV 1 is reserved for TWO people. When I went to try and call one of them, there was NO PHONE NUMBER. How's a calendar gonna hook up with no phone number? Such a recipe for awful dates and angry students.

Also- if someone is returning equipment at a time other than noon, put it in the calendar! I know this is a repeat email but we are still having problems...

*Amy

FCP -Problems

Some of you might find that FCP will not open on some of the computers from time to time. What you need to do is to erase all the Preference FCP Files from the computer in order for it to open up. here are the steps:
Users>Students>Library>Preferences>FCP User Data and then delete FCP Preference Files!
Viola!
sorry if you already knew this...it was new to me!

Flip4Mac

Hey guys, I'm losing my blogging virginity right now... I've never done this before. What fun! So, I wanted to give y'all a little info about Flip4Mac (since some of you have asked me what it is). Now, Flip4Mac trial version has been installed on all of the computers. This program allows us to view Windows Media Viewer files through Quicktime Player. It also can convert and export .wmv's to .mov's and vice versa. Flip4Mac operates as a plug-in through Quicktime and Final Cut Pro, not as a stand-alone application.

FYI: The trial versions will only export 1/2 of a movie clip (up to 30 seconds). A fully registered version of this is available on CRM-114 for those users who have the demand for working with Windows Media.

emailing blog posts

Hey again-

So, to encourage more participation with this blog (i know, i come off neurotic about it) I have set it up to email the ctenmc address everytime a new post is published–easy shmeasy marketing blitz. (hopefully we get some good responses and can disable this feature in the near future.)

Also, we are re-designing the daily logs so that there is no "problems and concerns" area on the bottom (since no one uses this area anyways). So the responsibility is on you to get the message out to your fellow nmc-ers when there is a problem with equipment or troubleshooting software, etc.
May I suggest the nmcblogspot, as a forum for this?–hint hint. (instead of the flaky-yellow-stickie notes covering the manager mac)

Thanks guys!

NMC 20th Anniversary plans

Hey guys-

Justin, Molly and i (CK) are working on plans for the NMC 20th anniversary in the Spring semester. Jason and I were talking about having it be an opening like event with food in the hallway and every station set up to showcase a different service (ie: Hal = beta capturing; Zero = editing; R2-D2=web design, etc...)

Any suggestions (volunteer help ;) are more than welcome.
Thanks!
CK

sofia's "marie-antoinette"

SO! another sofia coppola original for all the LIT lovers out there!
Marie-Antoinette includes:
kirsten dunst
jason schwartzman
music by new order...

a reviewer says:
"Her historical biopic plays like a pop video, with Kirsten Dunst as the doomed 18th century French queen acting like a teenage flibbertigibbet intent on being the leader of the cool kids' club."

Releases in the US: Oct 20th
(who wants to make this another nmc screening outing? -me!)

audacity podcasts

Check out Matt Marhefka's newest podcasts for Audacity!
New Media Cast