Courses and guides on DSLR cinema/photography

FutureLearn course - see below

This post has a few links for online courses and other resources (even ... books!) which will help you get to grips with (cinema)photography, and especially as constructed through using DSLR cameras.

CREATIVE LIVE:

Its no freebie ($150 or over £100), but this looks like a useful option to consider if you want to go deeper into cinematography than we can cover on the course. Having looked at the 5 day course materials, available to refer back to after completion, I'm tempted myself.

The blurb

Course link. 

MORE LINKS BELOW THE LINE

Downloading YouTube clips UPDATE

https://www.4kdownload.com/products/product-videodownloader


https://ytmp3cc.cc/

https://mp3-youtube.download/en/converter
OR
https://youtube-mp4.download/en/converter


https://9to5mac.com/2019/07/06/mac-video-editor-4k-videoproc/

A SoundCloud site is detailed at the bottom.

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http://convert2mp3.net/en/index.php
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https://www.onlinevideoconverter.com/mp3-converter
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OffLiberty provides a simple service: paste your link in the search bar, select audio or video and click on the result when processed to start the download.

1: Paste the link into the search bar, hit return

2: It will process...

 3: Left-click on the video or audio option (yellow box) to download

...........................................................................................................................................................
ClipConverter, which I've previously used, has an issue - it launches new windows which seek to install viruses.
So, another option: http://en.savefrom.net/

Also: http://www.onlinevideoconverter.com/

I've tried it out just the once so far, but seems to work fine...

***use the website, DON'T install the browser add-on!!!***
I did that yesterday and my anti-virus caught a trojan. No issues with the website so far (6 months of using) though...

SOUNDCLOUD

https://scdownloader.net/

Final Cut: How to reverse or flip by 180 degrees

There is a straightforward reverse tool in FCPX that enables you to play a clip backwards. Flipping the clip 180 degrees is something different - if a character is looking left, flipping it means they're now looking right.

This is a great option for music video in particular. It can be used to effectively create additional shot variety. It can also be used for comic (or simply wow factor) effect when using more than one layer of a character or action.

I'll link to a student post when it becomes available, as this tool has been used to great effect for one of the videos from the 2015 Music Video Day (Christina Aguilera's Candyman), the viral-style green-screened video we previously would have shot on Creative Arts Evening.

Here's where I found the really simple (but ingenious!) instructions on how to do so - as the site seems to be partially blocked by the web filter, I'll include a screenshot below, but it is worth checking out the page, and maybe looking for other tips on this site.

Best laptop for a student to buy?

Another TechRadar list, with the advantage that they keep updating such lists.

The 13" Macbook Pro features in there - a word of caution. I've edited two 90 minute documentary films, one on a 13" and one on a 15" Mac Pro. I ended up in physiotherapy after scrunching over the 13" for several intensive weeks of near non-stop editing; the screen size necessitates constant zooming in and out and resizing Final Cut windows.

The 15" does too! If you're able to connect to a monitor at home, do so! The portable screen expander I blogged on yesterday might be a big help too (haven't tried one out myself).

The 13" is MUCH better value than the 15", but that small screen size is a big issue for video/image editing!

I've blogged separately on Macbooks - just make sure you get minimum 8GB of RAM!

Article link below the line

Gadget to extend your laptop screen

Neat gadget that allows you to extend your laptop screen - very tempted myself:

http://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/peripherals/this-new-gadget-will-revolutionise-productivity-on-your-laptop-1298084

DSLR buying guides

It's just one among many, but I like the fact that the TechRadar reviews are kept well updated. Links below the line
UPDATE:  I've gathered quite a few recent (2015) lists of recommended DLSRs, including some focussed specifically on video quality, below...