Back In Action!

So ever since the beginning of this past fall, I've been without a workstation.  My previous MacBook Pro died on me which was extremely frustrating.  This was apparently due to the 2008 models having a faulty logic/graphics board in them.  Shame, the little guy made it through Iraq with me!  Well I tore into it and took out all the useable parts I could use for my new build.  Funny enough there was still sand from Iraq once I opened it up.  I decided to make a new Hackintosh build that would better serve my purposes for editing and motion graphics/visual effects.

If you have never built a Hackintosh before it's a really rewarding, though at times frustrating experience.  I used tonymacx86 as well as InsanelyMac to help me sort out the parts that were compatible with the Lion OS I purchased and to help make a successfully bootable machine.  The parts I took out of my old MacBook Pro were the two hard drives (I had previously installed an SSD in the disk drive slot), the IR adapter, bluetooth adapter, and WIFI adapter.  With the IR adapter I stripped the wires and soldered it to a USB cable.  Once plugged in OSX recognized it immediately and I was able to control my computer with my Universal Remote.  Fantastic!  The WIFI adapter was used in conjunction with a PCI Express adapter to give me WIFI access that OSX also recognized immediately.  Still have to get around to the bluetooh adapter.  My Hackintosh is up and running and boy is it fast.  Not to mention it is way cheaper than a Mac Pro which I had previously owned but sold a while back.  So I have a great workstation now to get back to work doing what I love!  What's really great is the flexibility I have to dual boot both Lion and Windows 7.  This is so helpful as not all the programs I use/will use in the future are available for both operating systems.  Plus I like to get my game on here and there!  I will post the parts I used at the bottom of this post for any interested people out there.

Now that I am back up and running, I am also putting the shoulder to the wheel so to speak.  I can finally finish my short film I shot last spring, and also start dabbling in all the new CS6 goodness.  I am using the trial to see if I would like the Creative Cloud subscription and the updated apps in the Creative Suite.  I must say I am a fan.  I will be signing up for an annual plan once my trial is over.  I have already started a new little visual effects composition that I will be posting up soon.  Below is a screenshot of what I am working on.  From the after image it gives you an idea of what I plan to do.  Think Mars/Death Star Trench Run....and that's all I am going to say.... :)

 

-Hackintosh Build-

Case:  SilverStone FT02

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD7-B3

Power Supply:  Corsair 1200w Modular PS

Processor:  Intel Core i7 2600k

Heatsink:  Corsair H100  

Memory:  16GB Corsair Vengence DDR3 1600

Graphics Card:  NVIDIA Quadro 4000 2GB 

Hard Drives:  120 GB OCZ Vertex 3 SATA III, 120 GB OCZ Vertex 2 SATA II, 3TB Seagate 7200 RPM

BluRay Drive:  LG BluRay Burner

* Make sure to shop around when making your build, as I found great deals on most of these parts.  I ended up spending drastically less than I would have if I had purchased a new Mac Pro, and it performs pretty much on par with a high end Mac Pro. *

Inspiration

It's no small wonder that I am, like many other motion graphic and visual effects artists, inspired by so much of the work that is uploaded onto Vimeo.  The creativity and expertise, not to mention the willingness to share their knowledge, by so many on Vimeo is incredible.  Video CoPilot was one of the driving forces in inspiring me to take a chance and dive into motion graphics and visual effects.  It is an aspiration of mine to one day be able to work on the level that Andrew Kramer is at, and to be able to give back to this growing community of artists like he has done.

Today when I popped onto my computer, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Andrew Kramer posted his newest title sequence for Fringe.  Needless to say it was really awesome but it also demonstrates the techniques and tools he used to create the sequence.  Perhaps the most exciting part is we get to see the use of Video CoPilot's new Element 3D After Effects plug-in they have had in development.  Can't wait to get my hands on that as I love many of the plug-ins they offer like Optical Flares.  

On a sidenote, Adobe is releasing CS6 soon and perhaps the most interesting part aside from the obvious innovations they are introducing is the idea of the subscription based Creative Cloud which offers the use of the entire Master Collection for a monthly fee (based on certain factors such as being a previous CS owner, student, etc.).  I'm thinking I am going to hit up the subscription based offer rather than buying outright.  What are your feelings on the matter?  Subscription based or buying outright?

Below is the title sequence mentioned as well as another video of an artist's demo reel, Max Burman, that I find inspiring as well.  Enjoy!

NYC Trip Take 2

Well I headed to NYC once again in the hopes of securing a job out there doing something with motion graphics, visual effects, color grading, or editing.  Needless to say it didn't happen.  It's definitely hard in this economic climate for sure.  On the upside I did take a number of pictures and will be adding to the photography section in the future.  I also tried my hand at making a short time lapse while I was walking around.  Not a traditional time lapse but I think it might look neat.  Stay tuned for all of those!  Waiting to hear back from a number of positions I have applied for so I'm keeping my fingers crossed and my spirits high!  Here's hoping third time's a charm!

NYC Trip

I recently went to NYC for six days.  My main purpose for going was an interview I had lined up and to job hunt while in town.  While unfruitful in relation to my main purpose for being there, I also wanted to first and foremost pay my respects at the World Trade Center Memorial.  That day left it's mark on many lives and for me personally, prompted me into entering into the service.  

Secondly, I wanted to go to the Occupy Wallstreet protest to show my support for the many issues that they are standing up for and that I share as well.  I ended up taking a number of pictures while there to try and capture the atmosphere and vibe of the crowd.  The night I got there many unions had came to show their support.  People from all different backgrounds were there demonstrating what they believed in and wanted to change.  This trip was amazing on many levels and pretty unforgettable.  It helped me decide where I want to take my professional career.  Amazing how people and places can have such a profound impact on you and the choices you make in life.

I have put up a new page on my website for all my photography work.  The initial pictures posted are of my time at the Occupy Wallstreet protest.  I have included the before and after color correction of each image.  I will be putting up more pictures in the future, so as well as the other sections of my site, stay tuned for more of my work.

http://www.david-eden.com/photography/

More Title Treatment Fun

I just completed my latest work.  This was really fun to make and allowed me to build on my skillset and incorporate past ideas I had already from my preliminary work for Til Death's titles.  I tried to keep an eerie foreboading vibe when I developed this from concept to fruition.  A friend of mine, Christina Hitchcock, is completing her short film Soul and submitting to the Scary Cow Productions film festival in San Francisco.  I was originally supposed to have more of a presence in the production but life got in the way, so I was so happy to at least be able to offer this contribution.  She asked if I could create around a 10 sec title card for the film.  Keep an eye out for this cinematographer and check out her website to see some more of her work!  

Soul Title Treatment