Friday, December 24, 2010

Pics from my new Camera!

Here are two pictures from my basic 10.5 Mpxl camera, saved as "art"!






Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Bought a basic digital camera yesterday, the Vivitar X024, which came as a "Kit"... with tripod, case, etc.  I'll carry this around to post pics online.  Better than my cell phone.  Comes with free software and seems to take nice shots and video.  Going downtown to try it out!  Next purchase a Digital Video Camera!

Saturday, December 18, 2010






My current Film is back in production!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Delay in the new film "Killer Raine"

Lost my windows "Movie Maker" files in a PC crash.  Now I have a new PC, faster and more reliable...Linux, not Windows!

I'll soon have a video camers and my own still camera to add shots to my web enhanced photos.  Thank god they made "Audacity" in Linux!

Back to work.

12-18-10 Today completed the Audio Mix segment for "Killer Rain"

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Happy Halloween!




Just in time for Halloween.... "I Hate Clowns" is here! Hey, look under your bed!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Quick & Dirty Halloween Avatars

I thought I'd make some "Halloween Avatars" for my Facebook page and Twitter accounts.  It was so quick and easy, I thought I'd pass on some basic information.  Each Avatar took about 10-15 minutes, tops!

First you need MS Paint and or a photo editing software like Photoshop,  Gimp or some clone...I use Serif Photoplus.

Choose a photo of yourself, full face is the easiest.  Then choose a clown, scary face, or draw your own.  Adjust the color tone of each photo so they are close in color and tint...a few mouse clicks will do this.

Then bring up the first photo in MS Paint, expand the 'canvas' by dragging the bottom right corner.  Then 'past from' in the edit bar the second picture into the larger canvas.  Adjust the size of the 2nd photo with the 'stretch/skew command.  Now both photos should be same basic size and color tone.


Using the 'select' tool, split one photo in half (you be join one right side and one left).  In 'edit' click on 'cut'.  Then paste and drag off to the side of the enlarged canvas.  Repeat cut command on the second photo, opposite half.  Past and drag this half and join it with the first.  Voila a combined avatar!

Now save and then open this 'avatar' into your photo editing software.  Chose the 'smudge' tool, and blue the connection 'line' of the two halves.  How detailed you want to get, determines the final product, but remember Avatars are usually about 100 X 100 Pixels in size.

Here is the final product of my four Avatars...not Hollywood quality, but not a lot involved to create.  So practice, have fun, and create!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

"Clowns" (working title) is coming for Halloween!

I am working on the soundtrack and film "Clowns", trying to get it ready for Halloween 2010 and make it as creepy as possible.  After all, we all hate or are scared of clowns, right?

I find it interesting if I think of a tile, it has already been used at least 2X before.  What is up with that?  i guess I could call it something not having to do with clowns, like "Dew Drops" or something?  Uh huh.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Working on Projects

I have been working diligently on my two latest projects, "Clowns" and "Killer Raine".  Basic layout is pretty complete, a few animations to go, sound track synchronization is a chore, but fun when it works.

As I work, I get new ideas and sometimes re-work sections.  Like last night at 1:30 AM a fix for an animation problem occurred to me. 

I need a microphone and/or head set because I want to try narration in part of the film and/or subtitles.  I have also been looking for ways to add actual film clips into the production in parts.  Once I have an actual digital video camera, that part may be moot.  Well, that's how things stand as of today.  Projects release date will be Christmas 2010.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Original Google movies moved to You Tube!

The original "films" of Revision 13 Productions are now all on you Tube in one place. Please enjoy, 2 additional films coming by Christmas 2010.

"Alone"

"Black Obscurity"

"God is God"

"The Warning"

"I Hate Clowns"

Sunday, July 18, 2010

The following Logos, are copyrighted images for the exclusive use of Revision 13 Productions. No other use, without permission, is allowed.




Revison 13 Productions, Copyright 2005 - 2010.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Obsession and Desire in Film Noir

by: Laura Eggers
What makes a good film noir romance? And how is it different from, say, a romantic comedy or romantic drama?

A romance in any genre surely must have plenty of trouble and complications to create enough tension to captivate audiences.

The difference in classic film noir lies partially in the universe which the characters inhabit. Whether it's a seedy dive bar, a stuffy New York apartment, or a fancy house on Russian Hill, the noir ambiance pervades.

But film noir lovers are different too. They're not just two schmucks in love trying to make it work.

Instead, our protagonist is usually overcome with an obsessive and/or fatalistic desire. And, it's usually the male (except in Joan Crawford movies), who is the one haunted and driven.

And that's why the femme fatale is so prevalent in noir. She may be consciously or unconsciously seducing him into her web for her own desperate needs or she may be merely using him to further her own position in an underground world of crime. She often "belongs" to some more powerful, even evil kingpin.

Problem is, she usually falls for the very guy she set out to use and then the two of them are really in trouble. So, either she follows her heart and goes with the ever-suffering protagonist, thus incurring some form of mortal or legal danger for both of them, or she nobly sacrifices her own happiness to save her beloved.

Either way, it generally doesn't end well. But oh, how we love identifying with those fierce passions run amuck.

Other variations of the classic film noir love triangle involve a real sweet girl or wife, our male protagonist and the femme fatale.

Another common characteristic of film noir lovers is that our main guy knows he's going down, but just can't help himself. One or both of the lovers may be headed towards self-destruction, yet feels powerless or lacks the will to stop it.

Why are we so fascinated with film noir romances? Perhaps it's the irresistible fatalism these characters are caught up in, where the fragile promise of desire consummated is supplanted by an inner torment taken to the nth degree.

And for our voyeuristic pleasure, here are five examples of some favorite doomed-from-the-start film noir love affairs:

1. Johnny (Glenn Ford) and Gilda (Rita Hayworth) in "Gilda" (1946). The pain is palpable in this complex love triangle. Johnny's best friend and boss is Ballin (George MacCready), a man whose new bride happens to be Johnny's ex flame. He can't bear the way she treats his friend, but is also tormented by his own rekindled attraction to her and vice versa.

2. Mae Doyle (Barbara Stanwyk) and Earl (Robert Ryan) in "Clash By Night" (1952). Mae Doyle tires of her new nice- guy husband and goes after his dark and moody friend Earl. They embark on a torrid, unhappy affair.

3. Mark (Dana Andrews) and Laura (Gene Tierney) in "Laura" (1944). Quietly intense detective Mark McPherson falls hard for the beautiful woman in a portrait who is supposedly dead. His obsession grows as he investigates her things and the men in her life.

4. Helen (Claire Trevor) and Sam (Lawrence Tierney) in "Born to Kill" (1947). He's a killer and she knows it, but Helen and Sam are fiercely attracted. She tries to avoid him since she's already engaged, so he goes after her rich sister instead. This only incites their passion and things get lethal.

5. Jeff (Glenn Ford again) and Vicki (Gloria Graham) in "Human Desire" (1954). Jeff's the nice-guy train engineer who gets sucked into murder and mayhem by the irrepressible Vicki, whose husband Carl (Broderick Crawford) is obsessed with jealousy and suspicion.

As these films illustrate, a film noir "romance" is rarely a just a sweet love affair which happens to be set in a dark alley. Rather, it's usually a desperate attraction between two otherwise alienated souls who find a rare kinship in one another. But due to circumstances of their noir universe (whether external or internal), it seems their union can only lead to destruction, whether to themselves or to others.


About The Author
Laura Eggers operates Film Noir Alley, a site which is a resource to help film noir fans find books, music, dvds and posters. Also delves into specific psychological aspects of film noir, such as strangest scenes, passions, obsessions, oddball characters, deviant relationships, and more. http://www.film-noir-alley.com. This article may be reprinted with this "About The Author" box included.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

10 Excellent Open Source and Free Alternatives to Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is a given in any designer’s wish list, and it comes with a host of features that allow for excellent and professional photo editing. The biggest obstacle to any designer who wants Photoshop is the price, which can be prohibitive. Fortunately there are a number of open source (and completely free) programs out there that do much of what Photoshop can, and sometimes more.

In this collection, you will find 10 excellent examples of open source and free alternatives to Adobe Photoshop.

This guest post for Six Revisions was written by Daniel Shain from LaptopLogic.com. At LaptopLogic you can have a look at the best gaming laptops and go through the latest laptop reviews.

1. GIMP

GIMP stands for “GNU image manipulation program”, and it is one of the oldest and most well known alternatives to Photoshop in existence. Although it doesn’t quite have all of them, you’ll find most of the features included in Photoshop somewhere in GIMP. GIMP is cross platform and supported by a large community.

If just having the feature set isn’t enough for you, there is an alternative based on GIMP known as GIMPShop. It’s the same as GIMP, except the layout has been structured as close to Photoshop as possible, so anyone making the transition should still feel right at home.

2. Krita

Krita has been lauded for ease of use and won the Akademy Award for Best Application in 2006. Part of the Koffice suite for Linux, Krita is slightly less powerful than both Photoshop and GIMP, but does contain some unique features.

3. Paint.NET

Paint.NET has grown out of a simple replacement for the well known MSPaint into a fully featured open source image editor with a wide support base. You’ll need Windows to run Paint.NET.
4. ChocoFlop

ChocoFlop is a design application designed exclusively for Mac, optimized for Mac architecture. It’s quick and fairly well featured. This program won’t always be free, but until a stable version is released (it’s currently in beta) they are allowing free use. The program works pretty well as is, and if you’re the type who doesn’t mind an occasional bug it’s certainly worth a look.

5. Cinepaint

Cinepaint is designed primarily for video often used to make animated feature films by major studios, but it is also a great image editor capable of high fidelity 32 bit color. Currently there is no stable version for Windows.

6. Pixia

Pixia was originally designed in Japanese but English versions now exist for this rich editor. Although the original focus was on anime/manga, it is a very capable editor in general. Some of the features are a little counter intuitive, but there are plenty of English tutorials available now if you want to give it a shot. The website seems to have changed recently, so be sure to use our link if you don’t want a Japanese error message. Pixia works for Windows.

7. Pixen

Pixen is designed as a pixel artist’s dream, but has expanded into a smooth and well featured overall editor. It’s definitely best at animation though, if that’s your style. Pixen is Mac (10.4x or later) only.

8. Picnik

Picnik is a web based photo editor that has recently taken off due to a partnership with Flickr. It has all the basic features plus a few advanced ones like layers and special effects. It is cross platform since you only need a browser.

9. Splashup

Another web based application, Splashup has a strong set of features (including those layers) and will remind you somewhat of Photoshop. It integrates easily with photo sharing websites and just like the above, is cross platform.

10. Adobe Photoshop Express

Adobe actually has a free web based photo editor of their own. It has all the basic functionality you’d expect as well as a few advanced features (sadly though, no layers), and interfaces well with a number of photo sharing websites. Again, completely cross platform.

Your favorite open source/free image editor?

There are many excellent open source and free alternative photo editors out there, and if your favorite isn’t on the list – why don’t you tell us about it in the comments?

Original Link

11. Art Weaver  Readers suggestion

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Calypso Cuisine Catering


Working on a new "catering" logo for a client, here is attempt #8....they don't vary by much, in a layout sense.  I varied the background slightly, kind and size of birds, size and style of font.  Just sent then to the client, and will wait to hear the feedback.



Friday, March 5, 2010

Evolution of a Logo

I've designed Logos since 1974, beginning with my first corporation "Beta Plastics, Inc", Then my next "Teckna Marketing Corporation", until finally the last of my own as Teckna Design/Builders.

I done advertising and corporate work, for major clients in the mid 1970's to 1980's in all types of media.

Since I began blogging in 2005, I have changed logos & avatars a few times.  It has been an evolution of my own basic appearence, and yes, I have obviously aged!




Friday, January 15, 2010

Website Design for Beginners

Define your audience and their needs

Defining the purpose and objectives of your website should be your first step. Focus on what you want your website to achieve. Create a profile of your intended audience and try to understand their needs and tastes, and design the site with them at the forefront of your mind at all times.

Take a look at competitor websites to gain an idea of what works and what doesn’t.

Easy navigation

In order to make your content easy for your intended audience to navigate, make sure the links to the main sections of your website are easily visible from each web page. You want to invite people to view as many pages of your site as possible, so make it easy for them to find each page.

A good way to help you visualise the structure of the site is to create a flow chart of the whole website on paper. Think about think about how your users might structure the information within the site to help them find the information they need easily. Try to keep the information on your first page a general overview so you don't bog people down with too much information. They can then click on the (clear and easy to use) links to view more information about the topics that they are interested in. Layout

Most web pages have a common structure consisting of a header and footer, a horizontal navigation bar along the top and / or a vertical navigation bar down the left of the page and a central section for the main content.

This structure is based on simple, easy-to-understand layout principles.

If there’s a lot of content, split it up into several different pages so your viewer doesn’t have to digest too much information on one page.

Keep text simple and to the point, and make sure grammar is correct – check and check again to avoid looking unprofessional. Text is more difficult to read on screen than in printed media, so it’s crucial get your message across in a succinct and easy to understand way. You should always keep your text blocks relatively small. Huge paragraphs are more difficult to read and may make your audience lose interest quickly.

Stick to 2 or 3 different fonts at the most – and make sure they are ones generally found on most computers. San serifs are easier to read on computer monitors so stick to these for the main text, and make sure your text is large enough for everyone to read. Bullet points, lists and relevant photos can help to break up the text.

Learn the basics of html

Learning the basics of html – even if you are using WYSIWYG software Front Page or Dreamweaver - will help you gain an understanding of how a web page in built, and deal with problems you encounter using the software. A good beginner’s guide to html can be found at: http://htmldog.com/guides/htmlbeginner/

Try and stay away from tables, and create the pages using layers (divs) and cascading style sheets (CSS). Tables mix ‘presentational’ data in with your content, which makes the file size of your pages unnecessarily large, as users must download this presentational data for each page they visit.

But by using structural markup to create web pages, you can keep the actual content of your page separate from the way it is presented. Table-based pages are also much less accessible to users with disabilities and viewers using mobiles and PDAs to access the Web.

And to change the layout of the site, all you need to do is change the style sheets; you do not need to edit the pages themselves at all. For more info about the advantages of using divs and CSS over tables, take a look at http://www.hotdesign.com/seybold/index.html

Using colour

Creating a balanced colour palette from which to choose your website colour scheme will help you to create a professional looking website. Bright clashing colours scream amateur.

If you are creating a website for a company with a logo, start here. Upload the logo to your host server and go to a colour palette website such as (http://www.colorhunter.com/) to create a palette, from which you can choose colours for the main banner, buttons and text rollovers etc.

And keep things simple and uncluttered - empty space makes colours stand out and text easier to read.

Optimising photos and images

Don’t use a graphic just for the sake of it – make sure there’s a reason for it’s presence, i.e. it improves the user’s understanding and experience. A site full of unnecessary graphics looks amateurish, and it can be an obstacle for accessibility tools such as screen readers.

Make sure the photos and images you do use are clear and well optimised to reduce file size and increase page loading times. One sure sign of an amateurish website is a page with a huge image that takes forever to load. And your viewer will probably click away from the site before they even get a chance to see it.

Creating clear, professional looking graphics GIFs are really grids made of tiny pixel squares. Data about every pixel is saved (so it's lossless), and you can save up to 256 colors. Pixels may also be transparent. A GIF may contain more than one frame, so it can be animated. It is a good format for saving images with fewer colors, like charts and small graphics, images containing text, and drawings. JPEGs are a good file format for images with millions of colors, like photographs, drawings with many shades, images containing gradients etc. For more information on optimising images for the web, have a look at this tutorial: http://inobscuro.com/tutorials/read/35/

Design tips:

a.) Use design to highlight functionality. For example; using gradients on button also helps make them seem more ‘button like’, different coloured mouse over text draws attention to links.

b.) Be wary of animation and sounds unless they serve a specific function. It is difficult to concentrate on reading what's on your site when there are things flashing on and off and flying around the page. And visitors with slow connections may resent that you wasted their time by forcing them to load animations and sound files against their will.

Some recent research does indicate that visitors assaulted by blinking ads are more likely to leave the site immediately, and are far less likely to bookmark the site, return to it, link to it, and recommend it.

c.) Don't use images as a web page background. Image backgrounds scream "amateur", because it's mostly amateurish sites that use them. They take longer to load and the text over the background image is usually difficult to read.

d.) Design the webpage including all elements within it for your audience. For example, create a chilled out mood for a massage / therapy website using colours like lavender and blue. Use darker, more restrained, stronger colours for a more traditional finance website.

e.) If your business doesn’t already have one, make a logo for your site, display it at the top of every page, and add a link from it back to your homepage. It will make your site look more professional and create a sense of branding to help people remember your site and recognise it as yours.

Going ‘live’

Hosting

When it comes to hosting, cheapest is not always best. For a small-ish ‘beginner’ website you shouldn’t need much bandwidth (unless you’ve not been following the ‘image optimisation’ guidelines!) But I wouldn’t recommend hosting your website with the cheapest offer available until you have checked that they can give all the support you may need as a newbie.

I would always recommend looking for a local contact telephone number on the website of the hosting company you are considering using, and ringing it to make sure there is an actual person at the end of it.

Ask if you can get technical help from this number – they may only communicate via email for technical support. If they give you another number, ask how much it costs per minute, and ring it to make sure there is someone at the end willing to help you as a beginner should you have any problems connecting to their server, uploading your files, or sorting out your email accounts.

You should also make sure email accounts are included in the cost, and, if you have any dynamic elements such as a search facility or enquiry form on the website, check that the server will support the PHP or ASP etc needed to allow this facility to work, and if that is included in the hosting price quoted.

Ftp

You can download free ftp software to upload your new website to your new hosting space from Filezilla (http://filezilla-project.org/) or Smart ftp (http://www.smartftp.com/), or you could try a free trial with Cute ftp (http://www.cuteftp.com/cuteftp/).

Search engine optimisation

Although professional web designers have the optimisation of the website in mind from the start of design and development, as a newbie, you have to take it one step at a time! So now you’ve design, built and uploaded your website, take a look at some of the ways you can now begin to optimise it for search engine ranking:

http://www.seomoz.org/article/beginners-guide-to-search-engine-optimization