NAB SHOW 2010 CONFERENCE

3D movie making is here!

If there is one thing to say about NAB 2010 it is, “The guerilla filmmaker can make 3D movies just like the pros.” That’s right, NAB this year was a winner if you are the budget minded Broadcaster, Filmmaker, Content Creator or are just getting started in the business of media content development.







The Stand-Out Companies were Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Arri, Autodesk and Adobe.

In an exhibit space of 1.9 million square feet, the NAB show kicked off with an exciting keynote address by SONY’s CEO, Hiroshi Yoshicka. The word…3D is here and here to stay. Receiving an award was none other than BACK TO THE FUTURE star Michael J. Fox. Michael has inspired many with his fight as he lives with Parkinson’s disease.














Walking the convention floor, the leaders of technology began to stand out quickly.

The cameras of choice were the CANON 7D and 5D, the ARRI ALEXA and the PANASONIC AG-3DA1 3D.

Each has a specific market in mind.
1.Guerrilla Filmmaking
2.Feature Filmmaking
3.3D Content Creation

The CANON 7D and 5D was the talk of the show and was at almost every booth you walked up to. Unsurpassed HD quality and a very simple workflow made this camera the choice for guerilla filmmakers.

For the feature filmmaker, the ARRI ALEXA may be the camera that kills film. Aimed at the RED ONE, this camera has depth of field and requires no extra processing of content.

3D movie making is ready for the world and the PANASOINIC AG-3DA1 is the one camera that will be the major force in that happening. This camera can shoot ‘ready to edit’ 3D footage straight from the camera.








SONY, AUTODESK, and Adobe just released the latest versions of their award winning production suites. SONY VEGAS PRO 9 new version includes some new advance features, in particular a new plug-in called MAYHEM and real import of CANON HD files.

ADOBE just released the new CS5 suite at the show. CS5 After effects was the rave. It has a powerful list of new features, two of which are MOCHA for AE and DIGIEFFECTS free form.

Mac users have been added to the list of high-end finishing platforms. AUTODESK is laying down the red carpet for them. The New release of Smoke for the Mac OS X is a 64 bit power house with a seamless workflow for various grades of content.

All suites include the effortless import of 3D content and converting 2D to 3D.

NAB was winner hands down, just two words left to say…

STAY TUNED!

Living Arts Institute Participates in Health and Wellness Fair

The Living Arts Institute was one of 90 exhibitors at the Natural Triad Health and Wellness Show on April 10 at the Greensboro Coliseum. Students performed free chair massages and blood pressure checks, and faculty and staff networked for admissions, externship opportunities, and job placement.





The event was sponsored by Natural Triad magazine, a monthly publication that focuses on “natural health, complementary and alternative medicine, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, and the products and services that support good health.” Publisher and event organizer Matt Mulinic said that in its second year, this year’s fair “blew the doors off last year’s attendance.” Mulinic estimated that well over 12,600 residents from throughout the Triad had entered the exhibit hall by mid-afternoon, up more than 1,500 from the year before.

“We’ve done at least 200 blood pressure checks,” said Patricia Carter, R.N., who supervised Medical Assistant students Barry Atkins, Molly Hampton, Debra King, Debra Petree and Georgia Temple. LAI was the only exhibitor providing blood pressure screenings, though the school was one of many providing chair massages.

“But ours are the best,” said Assistant Campus Director Lauren Whitaker, who staffed the event along with Professional Services Co-Directors Ben Hatch and Heather Schicker. “I just had a 70-year-old woman tell me that the chair massage performed by Sam Crowell was the best she had ever had.” In addition to Crowell, massage therapy students Danita Bohannon, Tracy Dixon, Sandra Gallimore, Mary Gore, Endia Lewis, Sheri Myers, Gene Perry, Shelly Rignola and Bethany Voyles participated in the fair.

Along with the services provided, LAI offered coupons for free massages. “Students are required to perform clinical practice as part of their curriculum,” Hatch explained. “Members of the public can come into our facility and get a one-hour, full-body table massage.” Though the school will begin charging $20 for the practicum massages, those who bring a coupon from the health fair will not be charged.





Schicker said the health fair offered valuable networking for both students and staff. “I’ve met representatives from chiropractor’s offices, spas, and clinics that are going to be hiring, or could use an extern. We will definitely be following up on a lot of contacts that we’ve made here.”

LAI also offered two spa baskets as door prizes. Participants who completed a school interest card will be contacted by an Admissions Representative. The first two who complete a guided interview at the School will receive a basket, which contains massage oil, a spa towel, spa sound machine, stress relief wrap, back massager, aluminum water bottle, and LAI logo coffee mug.

Living Arts Institute, located at 1100 South Stratford Road in Winston-Salem, opened its doors in January 2009, offering day and evening diploma programs in Medical Assistant, Medical Billing and Coding, Medical Administrative Specialist, and Massage Therapy. It is a branch campus of Living Arts College in Raleigh, which confers baccalaureate degrees in photography, filmmaking, animation, audio production and interior design.

Jazz Guitarist Inspires Student Audio Engineers

Jazz guitarist Scott Sawyer brought his musical knowledge and expertise to the Living Arts College (LAC) recording studio this March for Jason Richmond’s project studio class. Accompanying Scott were bassist Matt Brandau and drummer Dan Hall, of the Chapel Hill rock group, Old Ceremony. Scott Sawyer is an internationally recognized guitarist with a host of recording and performing credits. He has shared the stage and recorded with many notable artists, including Nneena Freelon, Charlie Byrd, Oteil Burbridge, Jon Metzger, David Murray, Scott Ainslee, Ghezzi, Bob Cranshaw, Gongzilla, Willie Pickens, Ed Thigpen, Bill Anshell, and Lois Deloatch. His latest album “Go There,” featured bassist Oteil Burbridge (The Allman Brothers), Charlotte bassist Ron Brendle, Kofi Burbridge (Derek Trucks Band), and Kenny Soule (DAG).





LAC Students’ Trey Thomas, Terrence Long, Kevin Spence, and David Pruitt were amongst those that participated with the set up and tracking of the trio. The trio was set up in a circle in the B2R studios just using baffles to separate them. Tracking utilized the Toft console in the B control room, as well as the newly added API and Great River preamps. The group began the recording by playing several free improvisations then moved on to re-workings of several pop tunes, including John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy,” and Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue.” Scott and LAC students experimented with a song by Matt Brandau and a groove based on Tom Waits’ “Sins of My Father.” The day ended with a jazz standard by the great jazz bassist Charles Mingus, titled “Nostalgia in Times Square.”




Students were both honored and inspired by Scott’s visit as it was not just a recording lesson, but a music one too. He spoke of his experience in the music industry and recording processes between breaks. The session gave students the opportunity to work hands-on with notable and highly talented musicians. The ability to learn the art of recording while working with the “best of the best” provides students with the experience they need to be successful in the recording business.

Scott Myers speaks to LAC students

Students at Living Arts College were treated to an evening with Hollywood screenwriter Scott Myers. Mr. Myers is credited with having three of his scripts produced into major motion pictures. These include K-9 starring Jim Belushi, Alaska starring Thora Birch, and Trojan Wars starring Jennifer Love Hewitt. Mr. Myers has written over twenty other screenplays for major Hollywood studios and has developed numerous network television shows in his twenty-five year career in the industry.




Mr. Myers spoke with LAC digital filmmaking students about the purpose of every character in a script and how important this was to the overall process of writing. He used the film The Wizard of Oz to analyze each character’s role in the overall structure of the story. After his two-hour presentation, Mr. Myers fielded questions from students on a wide range of topics, from writing to selling scripts. All the students were extremely delighted with the experience and thanked David Acuff for organizing the event.

Mr. Myers currently resides in Chapel Hill where he is Executive Producer with Distillery Pictures. In his spare time, he teaches a scriptwriting course at UNC-Chapel Hill, as well as a UCLA Extension course where he received the Writer’s Program’s Outstanding Instructor of the Year award in 2005. David Acuff, Digital Filmmaking Instructor at Living Arts College met Scott Myers while working with him on a project at Trail Blazer Studios in Raleigh, NC.

No Drawing Required




No longer will Digital Filmmaking students who think that they “can’t draw”, need to worry when it comes time to produce storyboards for their film projects. Digital Filmmaking students at Living Arts College now have the same previsualization capabilities as any Hollywood production studio, thanks to FrameForge Previz Studio 3 software recently installed in the department’s computer lab. Students are very excited to find that FrameForge Previz Studio 3 enables them to create a virtual set in the computer with the freedom to place any number of virtual camera positions, angle or height desired. Each camera features full Pan/Tilt, Dolly, Zoom, Roll, and Crane control.

FrameForge Previz Studio comes with well over one thousand World-Ready™ objects from a simple drag'n'drop library including everything you need to build exteriors, homes, offices, whatever. Students can explore each shot before they start shooting. Previsualize your project with FrameForge Previz Studio 3 and your printed or exported storyboards will not only be optically-accurate, but they'll give your cast and crew a true representation of your directoral intentions, including the technical information required to create that shot on location.




Students can quickly and easily create sets that give real world information with stretchable snap-together walls. Add movable, hinged single and double doors that open to any angle, and movable, completely sizable windows.

The Shot Manager allows students to view, rearrange, delete and edit any of your stored shots. Decide you want to tighten up a close-up, or give someone more headroom? Just double-click that shot and you'll be taken back to that set, exactly as it was when you first snapped it-including all actors, props and camera positioning. Make any changes you want and snap it again to replace the old version. Students can add movement arrows and camera framing boxes-which designate zoom or pans within a shot-to your shot, then stretch, scale, flip, and tilt these arrows/boxes to create just the look you want.

The digital film students at Living Arts College jumped right into working with the new FrameForge Previz 3 software this week. They all agree that this software will be a tremendous asset to their future productions.

James Perry Fundraiser at Riverwood

The James Perry Fundraiser Golf Tournament was held on Friday, April 9th at the Riverwood Golf Club in Clayton, NC. Living Arts College (LAC) was represented by a contingency of three golfers: Gordon Russell, Director of Education, Craig Brandwynne, Audio Co-Program Coordinator, and Cole Russing, Digital Filmmaking Instructor.



James Perry

The event was organized by Tommy Ballard of Rex Hospital to help with the expense of James Perry’s upcoming kidney transplant. James could not be present, however, his son and daughter read a statement on his behalf expressing his tremendous appreciation to all who participated. The tournament was a great success. Living Arts College’s team finished with a four over par in the face of cold, windy, and wet weather conditions on the front nine. By the end of the 18 holes the skies had cleared and everyone sat down for a BBQ lunch.



(from right) Gordon Russell, Cole Russing, Craig Brandwynne, and Tim Blake

2010 AIGA Raleigh: Student Portfolio Review

Saturday, March 27, students from regional schools all over North Carolina converged at Durham ad agency, McKinney to meet local design leaders and endure the equivalent of four 30 minute mock interviews.




"This is where the local interactive media arts and design industry is at.” reported Vincent Gardner, Living Arts College (LAC) Senior Instructor and AIGA Raleigh Education Director.



"The event was a great success.” stated LAC AIGA Raleigh Student Group representative Chelae Cummings. Chelae volunteered along with over 15 students from local student groups to help coordinate the event. Chelae has been a force of creative excellence at the College and influential in keeping the LAC AIGA Raleigh Student Group active and involved.

Seating was limited as over 10 local schools participated with 39 total desks being available. Living Arts College had four student desks: Nathan Wellman, Kirstin Wiltjer, Maria Hartman and Gerri Fernandez all seemed energized by the end of the afternoon and could not stop talking about what their reviewers told them.

Tiffany Johnson and Shako Oteko, additional LAC students, participated as volunteers.

“It was great!” reported student Shako Oteko.




College staff and creative professionals from across the country work together to help students develop their portfolios and to prepare them for job interviews. Overall, LAC students were more than prepared for this event.

The event helps students not only develop their body of work, but also (and perhaps just as importantly) in developing their network of contacts.

“When students go to events like this they see what can make them stand apart from the crowd.” stated Chelae Cummings.



At LAC, students are exposed to an intense curriculum of professional development, including creative, professional, business and technical know-how.

"This special focus makes the difference for students when interviewing!" reported Review Panelist and LAC Assistant Campus Director, Matthew Kelly.