Site Relaunch

July 9, 2016

It took awhile but I've finally untangled the CSS mess that my last developer made for me. A few months later, some DIY elbow grease and a new site has arisen from the ashes of the old one. Refocused and retooled with a new mission.

This project began as a Blogspot site called "HD Cinema" back in 2007 when the industry was rapidly transitioning from film acquisition to digital. In those days the focus was on tape-based HD and the transitional technology between traditional ENG videography and digital cinema. After the paradigm shifted, the blog existed for several years as "negativespaces.com," then more focused on DIT-centric topics such as on-set monitoring, color science, and digital dailies.

In this latest incarnation I've expanded it to encompass all technical aspects of the entire photographic and filmmaking process — from capture, to securing and moving around mountains of data, and then taking it all the way through post production to its final state as a consumable media product.

Shoot >

Scene is captured with camera or camera-like device. For now at least..

Data >

Camera device gathers photons which are converted to electrons, converted to analog voltage, amplified and then finally converted to recordable digital data, often in massive quantity, which must then be effectively dealt with.

Post.

Data must be processed into viewable images by some sort of software. Digital images generally fall within two camps — one for viewing and one for making other images. More intermediary steps and more people involved in this process means larger and more complex post production pipelines.

Thank you for continuing to read my site! New content is close behind. If you're looking for my photography and travel writing, that work now lives here.

Web Overhaul

Updates a plenty—after 18 months of trying to make a living doing photo and writing assignments I found it simply wasn’t economically sustainable. In the era of free content, it's very hard to make a living doing this kind of work and much deliberation, I decided it was time to return to what I know best—this.

Making technology work for storytelling and storytellers.

Every flavor of video and digital cinema, high resolution photography and HDR, VR / AR, and emerging media that blurs the lines between it all. Whatever it may be, It's all on the table.

In an effort to expand my knowledge base and get a more complete picture of the entire media ecosystem, I’ve shifted my professional focus to post production and have taken a full time position in HBO's department of Post Delivery, Planning, and Operations. As the gap between set and post continues to close up, I've discovered the skills I developed as a Local 600 Digital Imaging Technician allowed for a smooth transition into this side of the business and I'm enjoying my new role.

Now that I’m officially “back,” going to NAB wasn’t an option and it was great to re-connect with so many friends and colleagues out in Vegas. I was humbled to learn how many people still refer to the technical articles I published here on this site, even years later. Not just DIT’s but camera and post people as well. Because of this, I’ve decided it’s time to refocus and relaunch my web presence.

I’ll be separating all my personal artwork / content to a separate site while this one will get a massive retooling. Not just this but I’m also committed to taking the time to R&D and publish a handful of quality articles a year here, guided by the simple thesis of “making this stuff work.”

Technology empowers artists and storytellers but many of the finer points remain over the average user’s head. Some of these facets can prove to be major roadblocks and even the root of costly disasters. If anyone in search of such niche information happens to find it here, than the effort was well worth it.

I’ve found these web projects drag on forever but with a bit of luck by end of summer, version 4?, 5? (I’ve lost track) of this site will be online as well as a separate site for my creative pursuits.

As always, I’m looking for contributors so if you have an idea for an article or something you’ve written that’s more substantial than for Facebook, etc., please reach out to me about publishing here.