DSE

Updated mostly pix, there is a fun one of Heffro.

Again...you can use iMovie 08. It just takes a bit longer. I don't know if Premiere Elements is available for Mac yet, I don't usually hear about the consumer products much...If it is, then it too, has native AVCHD support on the Mac platform. It would really help if Apple would just give up their angst for MPEG LA and support MPEG formats. It will cost them a small royalty payment, but with MPEG being now the predominant acquisition format the world over...it would make sense to support it natively. Write a letter to your congressman. iMovie is a really great little tool, IMO.

The 580 II is the bomb, IMO.

With Voltaic/Shedworks, the latest iMovie, and various conversion tools (adds a little extra time) you can easily work with AVCHD files in Apple software. Adobe Premiere CS4 supports it natively. No Apple product supports MPEG directly without some form of re-heading or conversion. Either way, while Apple does make it a bit of a PITA compared to other NLE's, you can use AVCHD-acquired formats in Apple software/iMovie. [edit Apple software only specifically supports Sony and Panasonic camcorders, but I've successfully imported Canon Vixia footage.

Unfortunately, that's all a lot of people do, and then they sit back and criticize. They professionally call themselves "critics." Some critics are even really good with a camera. Or writing. Or production. Most of em' are just dumbasses with a megaphone. Gene Siskel tried to produce a film once...,It was a dismal failure that didn't even get picked up for distribution. It was shit. But he's known as one of the greatest film critics in the world. In other words, "read the book"=sit on your ass and criticize. It's easier. One never has to fear failure when one has never tried. At least Siskel tried. BTW, Siskel was a genius with a camera. He just couldn't write nor produce. Difference between he and those he criticized... he knew he sucked at filmmaking. And demonstrated an even greater respect and compassion for those that produce, act, and write films as a result of his own experiences. For which, Gene Siskel is still today one of the most highly respected film afficionados of world history.

AIC is pretty wanting in the quality sector. It's so damn soft...it's why Apple had to create ProRez. Both eliminate GOP issues which aren't problems for any NLE except for FC series software. GOP=temporal compression. You don't really have temporal options in FC, they don't guarantee frame-accurate cutting with temporal content. This is one of the major reasons I've slowly begun to completely eliminate FCP from our standard workflows. We're down to just a couple FCP systems now. On Mac, Premiere CS4 simply kicks FCP's ass from one end of the planet to the other, it's faster, doesn't need an intermediary codec, and handles mxf, avchd, HDV, RED, etc just fine, no conversions. And it exports AAF files that FCP can read, although no one can really read FCP-generated AAF files. Back to the original question from Longi, your import/capture options allow you to specify which compatible codecs to use.

Congrats to VideoFly for winning this one. He receives a couple of Acid libraries, each worth 79.00. We'll do this again real soon....

Don't use AIC, use ProRez, you'll be happier for it. This gets rid of the GOP that FC doesn't like. Additionally, you can duplicate a track, one to upper and the other to lower, offset them by half a frame, and reduce opacity of the upper track to 50%...I've actually never done this in FC, but done it in Premiere, Vegas, and Edius. It makes a substantial diff in quality.

I'm in Seb until the 4th

Blog on the invasion is up... http://www.skydivernetwork.org/profiles/blogs/sebastianchristmas-day Wish you were here. It's gorgeous.

Rigging Innovations gave me a large hackey, but the inside of it is some sort of foam. It's big, but lightweight. It's part of their wingsuit mod package.

thanks for posting the story. Beautiful that someone in our community would do this for you.

Wish you were too. Seems strange flying at a larger event without you as a big part of it. Miss ya, Scott. Thank you, Normiss. It's appreciated. Surprised anyone reads em' when they're more than a paragraph. The Blackberry Storm seems to take pretty nice pix, 'specially if you zoom just a tad.

Terrific lighting, beautiful composition. What lens did you shoot this with?

Nice work, Justin. Looking forward to seeing you back in Florida.

Mostly skydiving, but not entirely Many are from cell phones, so they suck in quality.

Updated...with lots of pix Vimeo HD is up now. (Also on YouTube)

Please use the SEARCH function and read the sticky at the top of this forum.

I've spent the past month around a couple people who can't pass the AFFI course because they've spent 800 jumps on their butt and never bothered learning to fly on their belly. But they fly "really, really well" except for that darn belly thing.... If you're freeflying "really well in proximity to others" at your jump numbers, then you likely haven't spent much time on your belly in the air. Skydiving is different than tunnel flying. I spent a lot of time in the tunnel too, learning moves entirely related to camera flying, and it did prep me well, but it didn't replace the actual skydives. Relative work means flying relative. Maybe it's relative to a four way, maybe it's relative to a spaceball. Maybe it's relative to a tandem. I haven't met anyone who "did really well" at anything t 102 jumps. Except me, of course. And then I learned the hard way how full of myself and how full of shit I really was. It wasn't until around 500-600 jumps that I realized how badly I flew compared to the people I wanted to emulate. Maybe you're different. And all that said, I didn't shit on your question, but rather answered your points straight on.

You may wish to reconsider if skydiving is for you. You may also wish to reconsider a moderate to high wingloading for a longer while.

Then don't be surprised when you next post here and people either mess with you, or won't answer your serious question. Gotcha!! Now I understand, you have MAD SKILLZ. We mere mortals have seen a few of these kind come and go, and seen a couple*really go.* What a shame the entire world has conspired against thee to slow thy progression when others of your skin have passed before you and hath perished. Sayeth they before, "I'm pretty good." And in that one question right there, you reveal more than you ever meant or wanted to let people here know about you. Anyone who feels they can run a marathon but don't see the importance of walking first is a fool. In your case, if you can't belly fly really well, relative to others, stay out of the air near others, and especially stay the fuck out of the air with a camera on your head. You're a danger to others thinking belly skills aren't important but that you're a "good" freeflier. You're not far from Eloy; go hang out with Omar, Amy, Sara, Jason, or Curtis. Show them (world champ freefliers) how mad your skills are, and ask them about flying a camera. They'll all put you on your belly. Dance starts with running starts with walking starts with crawling starts with muscle training. It's all about having a place to go back to when the world flies to shit, you can't even walk yet. See all of the above. In this case, "ignorant=arrogant." We've all been there. It only gets worse between 200 and 7-800 jumps. I know, because I was once there too and harsh mentors here at at DZ's other than my own helped me to figure that out. At least know I know when to know I don't know all the answers. Further, you'll come back to this post one day and regret the attitude you've displayed towards recommendations, the words of experienced skydivers, and the common sense that initiated the question in the first place. Merry Holiday/Happy Christmas/Festivus.

Sebastian, baby... Justin Shorb, Purple Mike, Jeff Nebelkopf, Phil Peggs, myself, Paul/Elana, SuperGirl Andreea, Scotty Burns....incredible view, terrific people.

It wasn't intended to be a skydive...but pilot and trainee on a check-ride for our 182 for the first flights of the season. Right flap locked down, left flap was freely moving. Pilot turns to me and says "I need you to get out now." I had asked if I could go along, and wore a rig as a matter of course. No goggles, alti, shades, etc. They landed uneventfully, turned out a cable had slipped. Not nearly as exciting as some of the stories before this one.

How did the low-timer person get allowed on a load and more specifically, how did the low-timer get put into a diving position that would allow them to pass more experienced wingsuiters? Was the instructor any kind of an "I"? (Birdman, PF, etc?)

There should be no drivers for any specific camera if it is DV, HDV, or Hi8 w/Firewire. Be sure your 1394 network is disabled. Be sure you're running the latest drivers for your firewire card. If your Firewire card/MOBO uses a VIA chipset, you might never get it to work with Pinnacle. Pinnacle is known for being very problematic; view their forums (or even search here) and you'll find many people have issues w/Pinnacle products.