10 Weekend Reads

Happy Fathers Day Weekend!

Here are some great reads to nourish your mind when you take some time away from drinking beer and searing meat on the BBQ.

• The big news this week is that Autodesk released the free Smoke 2013 pre-release trial. While it's way easier to use than previous versions, some tips on getting started can't hurt. Here are some great resources. If you find others, share them in the comments.

  • The Smoke Learning Channel is Autodesk's official YouTube channel.

  • Autodesk's Smoke Forums are a great place to get answers from longtime Smoke users.

  • The Smoke Training Blog, produces original tutorials and aggregates links to other training sources.

  • The Creative Cow Smoke Forums are pretty lively right now.

• I've heard people debate the merits of doing a demo reel. Some think it helps get more work, while others think you are better off sending prospective clients or employers targeted samples of your work. Personally, I think you should be doing both. Your demo reel should showcase your storytelling abilities and not just the work you have done. The work samples can be used to flesh things out and demonstrate you understand what the client wants. This article has 20 tips on creating a successful demo reel.

• While we are talking about honing our talents, if you shoot corporate or industrial videos it's worth your while to read Kylee Wall's 13 ways to shoot and edit better industrial videos.

• Some good tips here on producing b2b videos. My favorite is to think beyond social sharing by using YouTube's Adwords for Video.

• Regardless of what you are producing, you want it to be found. Here are some SEO tips on how to link to Your YouTube Channel for Maximum SEO Link Equity.

• Running your own business requires juggling more balls than you may have ever thought possible. One thing that can help you succeed with this is a keen focus on time management. Focus on the important things and don't get caught spending time on things where there are diminishing marginal returns. This post has some great tips on time management for video professionals.

• Here are great tips on how to shoot footage that will make an editor smile. Dylan Reeve has a great perspective on this, as he started out shooting before he decided that editing was his true passion.

• We all have our issues with the tools we use, but how many of us take the time to write them down in a constructive way. You have to appreciate the passion of Richard Taylor, who has listed his top 80 requests for Final Cut Pro X 10.0.6. Apple would do well to listen to some of these.

• Do you dream about new cameras? If so, check out Zacuto's Revenge of the Great Camera Shootout 2012. This shootout is about two things- what a camera is capable of and what a DP can do with his abilities to make it look great with all of his skills, experience and talent. The latter part of this is what makes the documentary great. Look forward to the next two installments in this 90 minute production.

• So you've watched the great camera shoot out and can't get enough right? Here are some thoughts on the shootout by NoFilmsShool. Philip Bloom also shares his thoughts on the shootout here.

Until next week.