Rigler Digital Blog

Another Behind the Scenes Look At Paranormal Management Services

// December 17th, 2012 // No Comments » // Final Cut Pro

By Sonjah Patti, Executive Producer and Writer of P.M.S.

I wanted to make the smaller more condensed version of P.M.S because the story itself was so potent that in 12 pages people would be captivated and want to see more. Who am I kidding, I just didn`t have the money to do the full length. I sold my just paid off car new car, bought a 2000 Honda Prelude, and put the rest of the money in the bank to make this happen. It was going to be a small budget but a budget non the less. Then, life happened again. I had gotten word that my spouse and I had the opportunity to adopt which costs money. Adoption was another dream I had. My small budget went to micro budget because it got cut in half. Luckily, I was was prepared for the shoot mentally and the possible adoption.

With the micro budget came changes. Jo Sparkes, my writing editor and teacher helped me be able to handle the dreaded rewrite. Things had to change to fit the budget. I loved my story and didn`t want it to change. The story didn`t have to just some aspects for financial reasons. Jo’s book “Feedback, How to Give it How to Get it,” was a good reminder that having to change should not be taken personal. There is a difference in changing something because you “feel” you want to and shit I have to. Here I could walk away and keep my story as is, and as it is never get made. I could make some changes and watch it grow.

So, the flying back and forth from Phoenix to Los Angeles for planning with Jeff at Rigler Digital began. At the same time, the flying back and forth from Phoenix to San Francisco for a possible adoption began. I was racking up the frequent flier miles.

Enjoy Episode 2

P.M.S. Paranormal Management Services

// December 13th, 2012 // No Comments » // Final Cut Pro

These posts will be many in a series detailing the work of P.M.S. Paranormal Management Services

By Sonjah Patti, Writer and Executive Producer of P.M.S.

Why did I write P.M.S.?

Enjoy Episode 1: The Man With P.M.S.

Steve Jobs Tribute 1955-2011

// October 5th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Final Cut Pro, Tech, Web

Think Different

A true innovator and business leader passed away today Oct. 5th 2011.  I usually don’t jump on a bandwagon and blog immediately about events that happen.  With Steve Jobs passing away today I have to post something.  How many people can you say have actually inspired and changed your life?  It was Steve Jobs and the “Think Different” campaign that changed mine and my wife’s as well.   It’s 1999, we were newlyweds, and didn’t have a lot of money at that time.  I was a production coordinator for Walt Disney Television Animation, and my wife had a small position within a non-profit organization. (Hence, not a lot of money).  However, I had big dreams to create independent films and have my own company.  At the time people were still shooting indies on film.  In fact when I would tell people “no, I’m going to shoot this digitally”, I would get “you got to shoot it on film”.  Or the reaction would be “It’ll look like crap. . .Shoot it on film”.  My hesitation was the horror stories of other independent filmmakers losing their shirt, house, and dog –shooting on film.  Enter Apple, Steve Jobs, and a program called Final Cut Pro.  At first there were whispers about it.  A colleague stated, “My friend he’s an editor it’s amazing” or another, “It’s a game changer” or what I loved is my old cinematographer Vicente Baldwin “EFF..  Avid . . .everyone can make movies now”.  Because what kills an independent filmmaker (other than a bad script) POST-PRODUCTION–this is where you can lose your shirt.  Final Cut Pro and Steve Jobs democratized filmmaking.

So I really wanted an Apple, and I really really wanted to use Final Cut Pro with that Apple.  But let me set the stage for you–we are living hand to mouth in a North Hollywood apartment (bills, student loans). Our dog is a Marley and Me creature called Merlin and we’re stressed- so shelling out a few thousand didn’t seem an option.  It was a Saturday, we were heading to Los Angeles Farmer’s Market driving down Highland in Hollywood and we noticed a large skyscraper with the poster of Apple’s Chaplin’s “Think Different” campaign.  My wife and I both looked at each other and said “we have to do this.”  An epiphany of inspiration (or insanity).  We got an Apple loan the very next day and placed an order for a complete Promax system with Final Cut Pro.  I sold off some Disney stock – and purchased a Canon GL1.  It was hot in its time.

How did this one Saturday of inspiration change our lives? I got the tools to create three independent films.  We both jumped into Photoshop and web design.  My wife became so skilled that she ran her non-profit’s website and created two others while employed there.  She now manages numerous sites and touts her skills were from Apple and lynda.com  I now create industrials all within Final Cut Pro edited on a Apple.

Thank you Steve Jobs for changing our lives for the better.

Resources for Final Cut Pro: What Happened 2-Pop?

// May 31st, 2009 // No Comments » // Final Cut Pro

For those of you who have been following my blog/podcast you know I am an avid user of Final Cut Pro.(no pun intended) Recently for my podcast I went online to check out 2-Pop.com only to find out it is not as useful as it once was for FCP users.

Apple's Final Cut Pro

2-pop is more of a landing page for Creative Planet to promote their other companies. Yes there are articles and yes there is a forum, but the latest entry I saw was for February. Not an active forum in my book. To focus on the positive; I suggest Ken Stone’s website. He has a large number of tutorials. It is a very zenlike site laid out very clean. Each tutorial is the way I like it so a complete novice can understand step by step. Another resource is the Los Angeles Final Cut Pro User’s Group – ok lafcpug.org also done with care and tutorials by experts in the field giving step by step instructions.
However, where is my favorite place to get help with Final Cut well that’s easy: Creativecow.net. I like CreativeCow because their tutorials are video based with the program open and running. This helps by which you can start and stop the tutorial – view it as many times as you like. Richard Harrington is their expert and he does a great job.

My Own Digital Artwork – Past and the Future

// May 21st, 2009 // No Comments » // Cinema4D, Final Cut Pro

"Grape - Just Grape"

Until I set up a gallery page, I wanted to post a couple of pics of some past work.  Grape.  I wish I had some profound name for this guy but no.  Grape was done as a spec commercial for “California Grapes” The tools used: Cinema4D, Final Cut Pro, and the music I grabbed from Garageband.  I learned a lot from this project.  I learn best while on the job, books and tutorials are great but then you have to jump in and do it.  Here’s the completed video.

“Saucer Boy” is an idea created by Brad Goodchild.  Saw his idea and thought wouldn’t this be great in 3-D. Here he is in fighting mode. See video here. The ocean was created by a tutorial from 3-D World issue #74 pg. 66.  That magazine is worth every penny and why I love the U.K. and myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

Saucer Boy - The Experiment.

To recap this week’s podcast I disscussed Noupe.com Gotta love their post on the 25 spectacular C4D tutorials.  I’m on it.  Love the zebra tutorial. (more…)