Friday, February 27

The Players' Tribune

Hey everyone,

For my blog post this month I just wanted to share a cool website I came across recently, The Players' Tribune. It's a relatively new sports multimedia venture started and ran by none other than Derek Jeter. Although I’ll be the first to admit that I am the not a Derek Jeter fan (at all), I think this is a pretty great next step for a newly-retired superstar athlete. The site is a place for both up-and-coming and big-time athletes from all sports to share their own personal stories and sometimes even break news to the public in a longer and more personal way than a 140-character tweet. Contributors to the website already include names like Kobe Bryant and Russell Wilson. Jeter talked in depth about the hurdles he has faced launching his own multimedia company in this TechCrunch interview.

There are plenty of critics of The Tribune as well, taking the side that this is just another outlet for athletes to feign authenticity and the ability to relate to the general public. Whether this multimedia venture is just another venue for fans to glorify these superstar athletes or not, I definitely find it entertaining and at least somewhat unique. With a very aesthetically pleasing website, I don’t think anyone can deny that it’s at least pleasing to the eyes and fun to look at, if nothing else.

Also, here is my favorite example of an awesome article that The Players' Tribune has produced so far, in which Larry Sanders explains why he chose to retire from the NBA recently at the age of 26. The article also includes a five minute video of Sanders just talking to the camera about his thought process.

Sound Effects

Hey SMDC'ers

Ever feel like you need to add some pizzazz your video project or sound tracks? Then there are wonderful things in store for you! freesound.org is a great resource for thousands of different sound effects from car horns to the sound of picking up coins off a wooden floor, freesound.org has it all! All it takes one click of your mouse to have the liveliest video or sound track around town!

(Here's the link to someone picking up 7 quarters off a wooden floor): http://freesound.org/people/sethlind/sounds/265033/

Have a great weekend!


Learning Premiere Pro

Last semester, for my tutorial video project, I was forced to step out of my iMovie comfort zone and explore the world of Adobe Premiere Pro.  Having not been familiar with many Adobe products, the functions were quite new to me and it took some time to get used to the Adobe interface.  Whenever I am learning a new software, I find it helpful to play around with different tools and settings to figure out what the software has to offer.  And of course, there are many online resources that explain everything if you get stuck.

Premiere Pro has a different project layout than iMovie.  The image below shows it's basic layout.  It is important to understand each panel so you know where different features can be found.

There are many video tutorials and webpages with detailed information about using Premiere Pro for anyone from beginner to advanced users.  It is always good to familiarize yourself with the basic functions of popular software so that we are all better prepared to help users when they have the same questions.  Adobe's Help website has many short video tutorials that are a great place to start for getting familiar with the Premiere Pro software.  This MediaCollege website also has brief descriptions of Premiere Pro features that are useful for finding quick answers to problems with the software.  The best way to learn a software is to try it out and gain hands-on experience working through common issues and then referencing other resources.

Thursday, February 26

Student Interns Positions for Summer 2015 in Boston Area have March 5th Deadline

For  communications students who may be interested, Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is seeking interns.
The Dana-Farber Communications Department is seeking editorial, interactive, photo, video, and media relations student interns for summer 2015. To apply, please send your resume, cover letter, and 2-3 writing samples (or visual samples for photo/video positions) to student_internships@dfci.harvard.edu by March 5. Interns must be able to receive course credit for their internship.


Additional information about the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is available on their website.

Wednesday, February 25

Photoshop Tutorials and Web design

Hi everyone,

Do you need to learn how to use Photoshop, or maybe just brush up on your basics? Well Six Revisions has the one stop shop of basic Photoshop tutorials all available for free!

The links to these tutorials are available at http://sixrevisions.com/graphics-design/35-basic-tutorials-to-get-you-started-with-photoshop/

These tutorials include, how to retouch photos, an overview of the painting tools available, understanding how to use layers, and more.

Six Revisions also has other free tutorials for web developers and designers to use. Such as the Google Chrome DevTools, JavaScript, CSS, Meteor, and many many more.

For the designers out there they also have an entire library of free icons, design templates, and UI kits.

Best of luck,

Joel Tylecki

Tuesday, February 24

Super CSS Lesson 1: Intro to WebKit

Hey guys, Nate "Top Dog" Tlaseca here. Today, I'm going to teach you about a little feature known as WebKit and how it can help make your website beautiful.

What is WebKit?

WebKit is a web browser engine used by browsers such as Safari and Chrome. You can make use of WebKit features such as animation, transform, transition, and more through the use of the -webkit prefix in your CSS. Other browsers have the ability to use WebKit features, but use their own CSS tags to ensure browser compatibility such as -moz for Firefox, -o for Opera, and -ms for Internet Explorer.

All WebKit features will (most likely) use the same -webkit prefix once they leave the experimental phase and are implemented in the browser, but until then, you should always use each vendors custom prefix to make sure these cool features work. For our first lesson, I'm going to show you how to use -webkit-transition and -webkit-transform, two features that have lots of applications and are fairly simple to use.

Set Up Your HTML Page

Typically, you would put your WebKit styles in a CSS file, but for simplicity, we're just going to use the style tag in the head of the HTML page. Your basic HTML template should look something like this:
<html>
<head>
  <style>
  </style>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>
Great! Now, let's insert some text within the style tag to create a WebKit transition.

Creating the Styles

We're going to create a basic box to demonstrate the -webkit-transition feature. Here's what mine looks like:
.box {
  display: block;
  width: 50px;
  height: 50px;
  background-color: #333;
  -webkit-transition: width 1.5s, height 1.5s,
  background-color 1.5s, -webkit-transform 1.5s;
  transition: width 1.5s, height 1.5s,
  background-color 1.5s, transform 1.5s;
}
.box:hover {
  background-color: #FF8888;
  width:200px;
  height:200px;
  -webkit-transform:rotate(360deg);
  transform:rotate(360deg);
}
Let me explain each part for you. First, I created a class of .box so that I can assign a div in the HTML's body a class of .box later. This will allow us to apply these properties to the div.

Next, using the -webkit-transition tag, I defined what I want box to do once the WebKit function is activated. The width, height, and background color will change over the course of 1.5 seconds, and the box will also transform (in this case it will rotate) by an amount that I defined in the next segment.

See how transition follows -webkit-transition? This is the browser compatibility I was referring to earlier; transition is the shorthand method of writing -webkit-transition, -moz-transition, etc. For this demonstration, I'm only using -webkit-transition to cut down on the length of the code.

Finally, .box:hover determines what I want the page element to do once I hover over it. Notice how I have a line corresponding to each property following the -webkit-transition property. Once I hover over the box, the box will switch from using the properties under the .box segment to the properties under the .box:hover segment. You can use :hover property without using WebKit features, but the WebKit features will give more interesting results. We'll take a look at the final result after one more step.

Creating a <div>

This portion of the demo is really simple. All you need to do is insert <div class="box"></div> after the <body> tag, like so:
<body>
 <div class="box"></div>
</body>
And that's it! Save your HTML file and open it up in the browser. Hover over the gray box below to see it in action. 


I'll be back next month for a new edition of Super CSS. See you then!

Unlock Your Inner Creative Genius

Hi guys!
I know the range of students working here at the SMDC is pretty vast, but no matter our expertise, we are all creative everyday as we go about solving problems. A friend recently asked me about my personal creative process as a designer/art director, and I shared this post with him to help explain one of the ways to go about "being creative." You should all check out this article that breaks it all down into a few simple steps. This process can be applied to an infinite amount of problems we come across daily including: your SMDC semester project, helping a student with an issue you may be unfamiliar with, brainstorming research paper topics, starting a fundraiser.. The possibilities are endless!

http://www.creativebloq.com/creativity/unlock-your-inner-creative-genius-5-simple-steps-11514005

Monday, February 23

What to do in case of sever weather

Oh the weather outside is still frightful...

As we all know, the weather lately has been absolutely unpredictable, from 45 degree days then plummeting down into the teens.  Not to mention the piles of snow and ice that have caused treacherous journeys to class, work, or wherever you may be headed.




It's important to stay updated on class cancellations and building closings. In the case that class is canceled or university offices are closed, there is a chance that the library may remain open. To find out if there is a school closing you can always check UD's home page as well as the UDaily website.

In order to find out if the library is still open in inclement weather, you can call 302-831-2000 or email lib-multimedia@udel.edu. Safety is an important priority at UD and we want to make sure you are not risking your well being to come into work.  If the weather is too severe that you do not feel comfortable coming in, you can contact a supervisor at 302-831-8832. You can also refer to the library homepage  to stay updated on general library hours and closings.

I hope this post was helpful in figuring out what to do in the event of inclement weather!

Stay safe,
Lize

Classes and Location of Resources

Hi Everyone.

Have you ever had a student come up to the desk and ask where their class is being held?



Well there is an easy way to check. If the teacher has reserved a computer lab on the ground floor (Room A or Room B), you can click on the reservations tab and see if there is a time slot reserved with that persons name and or class name. Also just a little reminder that the Viewing Room is through the doors of the Film and Video Collection and back to the left.

I know these are things that most of us probably already know, but it seems we have a lot of students come to the desk with this question. This is just a friendly reminder.

Tianna

Friday, February 20

A Clockwork Apple



                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                          


Greetings iComrades,
 
Ever since the great revolution of 2015, our glorious iNation has been striving to implement the greatest and most individualistic technology possible. As we are the true home of Macxism, we must shine as an example of human progress for the entire world. Once the technological paradise is achieved here, our example shall spread to the rest of the planet until all the world is a Macxist utopia.

Recently, our daring scientists in the State Bureau for Progress have released the newest version of the Mac operating system, Yosemite. Because our dear leader cares so much about you, and wishes to treat you all as members of his iFamily, he wishes to explain why he has blessed you all with this startling innovation.

As part of our drive to make sure that everyone is an individual, and as creative as possible, we have decided that it is in the interest of everyone that all collaboration between individuals should be as limited as possible, particularly amongst anyone who refuses to upgrade to the newest operating systems. While the Yosemite operating system has many improvements to help each and every iCitizen contribute to the destiny of the iPeople, it was primarily for the reason of limiting collaboration that we introduced Yosemite.

The Maverick operating system, itself a technological marvel in its time, is in the past, and as Macxism always keeps marching forward, so must we leave Maverick behind. All reactionaries who attempt to edit movies on it AND Yosemite are barred from editing their iMovie projects in Maverick ever again, as we believe that this indicates a refusal on the part of those same reactionaries to progress and fully embrace the iEthics which must be unceasingly obeyed by every member of our iState, so that Macxism's bright future is secured. Anyone attempt to open an iMovie file in Maverick after using it in Yosemite will be blocked, and the iCitizen who attempted it will be referred to the Ministry for State iSecurity by the officers of the Ministry of iTruth.

Remember, iComrades, anyone who refuses to use the latest version of the Apple operating system for all of their iMovie needs does so out of a reactionary, traditionalist hatred of change and should rightly be suspected as an agent of the Microsoft Imperialist barbarians. If you see these same people using a computer with the Yosemite operating system, they may be spreading Microsoft lies to slander our great state. Do not let them do this, iComrades!

Also, to the students at the Steve Jobs Memorial University, we remind you to vigilant of any iCitizen using a Microsoft product. The iCitizens are not hip, we repeat, they ARE NOT hip, nor do they realize the incredible value that our company creates for our glorious state. As such, anyone who fails to report any usage of a Microsoft product will be treated as if they had used a Microsoft product itself.

iComrades, you have been warned.

Praise be to Jobs



New Equipment at the SMDC: Portable Power Kits

Small enough to fit in your hand with one AC outlet and 1 USB port.
Do you have class in a giant lecture hall? Is your laptop cord just to short to reach the wall? Are other people just hogging up all the outlets? Well worry no more! With the new Portable Power Kits, anything is possible.
It's almost like living in an informercial!
The Power Kits are a small portable charger that will allow you to charge laptops, phones, and other devices that can be connected via AC outlet or USB port. These kits can be borrowed for 4 hours at a time and will make sure you never end up with a dead device again! So come to the SMDC and harness the power today!
...but not like this. This looks very unsafe, we would never do that to you. Promise<3

Thursday, February 19

(Mostly) Free Pictures?!

I'm assuming we have all heard of the wonderful website Creative Commons and how it makes searching for pictures, video, and music that other people have so generously made free (with attribution at times) to the public extremely easy. However, it also has a limited source of websites from whence it can pull/send you to, making it hard to find exactly the right picture you really really wanted for that one project, meaning you'd have to start all over again from scratch because you needed that picture for that specific idea to work and ~whew~ the stress of it all.

Well, I might have just found the solution to your free-for-use picture (yes, only picture, sorry guys) searching problems.

There is a nice little post of 20 Websites to Find Free High-Quality Images on Hongkiat.com and let me tell you, these websites have some absolutely gorgeous photos. And they're all free (some with attribution of course). Really need a food picture of the ilk put in food magazines? This list has a site for you! How about something retro? Something scenic? A picture with a certain dominant color (yeah, one of these sites lets you search by color, what a cool idea)? All of these are located in the list I linked above (I'll put it here too, just for your convenience).

So, the next time you're freaking out about not being able to find that perfect picture, hopefully you'll remember this post, take a deep breath, surf those sites, and create the best project you possibly can!

Wednesday, February 18

Adobe Flash and Source of Tutorials

Today, I decided to look at Adobe Flash Professional, as I do not have too much experience with that software.  I had been interested in interactive media capabilities and creating websites that can show off such capabilities.  Quickly, I learned that Flash had even more to it than I had thought.  However, there are traces of other Creative Suite software that I have used like Photoshop and Illustrator, which proves the point that it is always beneficial to start somewhere because the skills you pick up in some programs will probably transfer to unexplored yet similar programs.

Anyway, I greatly benefited from using the site, "Infinite Skills Blog" for Flash tutorials.  Under the Media and Design tab, you can search from an index of over 60 programs.  After selecting Flash CS6 (The version on our computers), I was able to go through the available tutorials and find simpler ones for things like layers and creating symbols. The tutorials were about 5 minutes long, which I thought was just enough to scratch the surface.  I would assume more difficult topics go into greater depth.

Here's the link for the homepage of the website, feel free to explore tutorials for not only Flash but many of the other multimedia and design software!


Tuesday, February 17

Who Uses Photoshop?



    There is a wonderful link on Photoshop’s website titled “Who uses Photoshop.” This shows just how influential Adobe products are, no matter what your major or occupation. Artists use it to create posters, edit photography, or start an animation. Medical professionals use Photoshop Extended to draw attention to certain elements in images in order to study diseases. Industrial designers create mock-ups of infrastructure that will later be built on a grand scale. Photographic crime scene evidence can be efficiently processed to aid forensic technicians. Photoshop is no longer simply an artist’s tool, but an interdisciplinary program that is able to transform the lives of people in every field.
    At the Student Multimedia Center, we offer tutorials in a wide array of Adobe products, including Photoshop. A beginner course is offered on Friday, February 27 at 10:00 AM, and a more advanced class is available on March 5 at 7:00 PM. Waiting lists for both are available currently, so do not hesitate to sign up!
    If you are unable to make the classes, those behind the desk at the Multimedia Center would be more than willing to help with any Adobe questions you may have.

Read more about the different uses of Photoshop in a diversity of fields here: