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Mark Suszko

COW Leader
20-plus years writing, directing, shooting, editing corporate video, government video, commercials, PSA's, DVD's music videos, forensics and the occasional wedding.

I shoot news, documentaries, and many, many training pieces. I have some minor r... [more]
Member Since:
December 22nd 2002
7933 Posts
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Location:
Central Illinois
Friends:

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Star Tours
by Stephen Smith 4 days ago
Since this is the Star Wars Pancakes forum I felt it was best to post this here: I just got back for Disneyland and loved the updated 3D Star Tours. If you haven't been it is a must. For those that do
Re: Star Tours
by Mark Suszko 3 days ago
How many Bothans had to die to get us THIS information
More Prometheus Hype
by Scott Roberts 1 month ago
Check out this cool "promotional" video about Weyland Industries latest android model, David 8 (Michael Fassbender):
Re: More Prometheus Hype
by Mark Suszko 3 days ago
http: slyoyster.com movies 2012 introducing-the-yutani-corporation-kind-of
Re: How to light subject (interior shot) and expose for background through window (exterior)?
by Johnny Robinson 6 days ago
I think it would be really cool to find a black sheer fabric to use. Problem is I have visited every fabric store and drapery store and none of them are near dark enough. I am really interested in a q
Re: How to light subject (interior shot) and expose for background through window (exterior)?
by Mark Suszko 4 days ago
Any more details on the frame, pictures, maybe
Mac users: just curious...
by Alan Okey 1 week ago
While I hope to take advantage of the recently announced Smoke 2013 lower price goodness in the near future, I do still use Combustion on occasion mostly due to my familiarity with it. Every time I op
Re: Mac users: just curious...
by Mark Suszko 4 days ago
I had it but stopped using it when I got Motion. This week had to replace the system drive and re-load everything from scratch, and I did not bother to re-load Combustion, as I hadn't touched it in li
How to Produce Faster, More Tricked-Out Photo Montages
by Thomas Hughes 6 days ago
When a high-end client wants a really tricked out photo montage, I create it in FC and pull out all the stops. I treat each picture with different looks, layers, speeds, motion, floating titles, etc.
Re: How to Produce Faster, More Tricked-Out Photo Montages
by Mark Suszko 4 days ago
Thomas, you might want to look at building templates for this stuff in Apple Motion or using AfterEffects. Right now the COW is promoting some very cheap AE template collections that look pretty sharp
Building an in-house studio...
by Mike Little 6 days ago
Hi! I have been doing some light video work for my company for a couple of years. I usually just go into someone's office and they talk about something important to our clients, I edit it a bit, then
Re: Building an in-house studio...
by Mark Suszko 4 days ago
Don't paint the walls white. You want flat black or at least neutral gray. Black keeps down stray light reflection and lets you also shoot limbo shots. Gray is almost as good, also you can wash gray w
I was an extra in Orson Welles' last film
by curtis miller 6 days ago
In 1973, my older sister got hit on by a guy in our apartment complex in Tempe, AZ. It was an appealing date idea he had, being extras in a movie! Not caring much for her suitor, Sandy asked him if he
Re: I was an extra in Orson Welles' last film
by Mark Suszko 6 days ago
http: www.guardian.co.uk film 2011 jan 23 orson-welles-last-film-release If anybody should cut this to finish it, it should be Peter Bogdonaovich. Or possibly Marty. I would love to see it myself. It
Another switcher question
by Doug Collins 7 days ago
I am going to be working on a contest next August and need a very simple switcher that can handle a camera and a computer (for power point graphics) to go out to a projector. Preferably something inex
Re: Another switcher question
by Mark Suszko 6 days ago
If SD, you have tons of choices for good used switchers on ebay and etc. or you can purchase new ones for around a grand that are very nice.
Dark Shadows
by Mark Suszko 2 months ago
I didn't think this looked very good at all until I saw the trailer for it this week. The trailer, if true to the film, suggests a delightfully quirky and comedic romp, rather than an attempt to do st
Re: Dark Shadows
by Mark Suszko 6 days ago
Obligatory: http: www.collegehumor.com video 5941081 tim-burtons-secret-formula
Profit Percentages
by Sam Lesante Jr. 1 week ago
Hi fellow cows, I posted this in the Indie Doc forum but maybe you guys can give me some insight too :) Is there a standard % that is suitable for the "talent" in your doc I am already giving 15% to t
Re: Profit Percentages
by Mark Suszko 7 days ago
Before you shoot another frame, get something down in writing and signed. For docs, some give their material interview for free, others get an "honorarium". Calling it an honorarium allows it to sound
Motion problems/ kernal panics
by Mark Suszko 7 days ago
Apple Motion 4 is crashing from kernel panics every time I ask it to do anything like save, export, import. Re-loaded the OS. Re-loaded Motion 4 and ran the updates. Still happening. FCP7 and FCS 3 is
Re: Motion problems/ kernal panics
by Jerry Hofmann 6 days ago
Sounds to me like a clean install needs to be done. "Reloading" isn't clean don't think if I understand what you did... you need to erase your startup disk to perform a clean install or use a new or e
Kernal panics in motion 4 - what do?
by Mark Suszko 7 days ago
Apple Motion 4 is crashing from kernel panics every time I ask it to do anything like save, export, import. Re-loaded the OS. Re-loaded motion and ran the updates. Still happening. What do Engineer is
Will I finally see a movie before Scott Roberts does?
by Mark Suszko 2 weeks ago
Avengers, 3-D tonight, 7:40. Over 2 hours run time; better not buy the BIG soda.....
Re: 52% saw it in 3D
by Mark Suszko 1 week ago
The movie's box office crossed the billion-dollar mark this weekend. If I went to see it again, I would watch in 2D. Avengers was my first experience of 3-d where the projection power was too weak and
Length of cuts when editing a conference
by Jonathan Vincent 2 weeks ago
I am editing a conference and there are two cameras. I do not know how long I should linger on one camera. I was always taught to cut every 5 seconds but this just does not seem the case for a simple
Re: Length of cuts when editing a conference
by Mark Suszko 1 week ago
Okay, I'll give you that, but then how do you know when and how it "works" What's the definition of "works" here Not trying to be argumentative or pedantic. But my point is that, we have some kind of
Map Zoom Plug in or Resource?
by Lucky Haskins 1 week ago
I have to do a segment in a film I am doing where I start at a global view of a state (say California) and then have to do a quick zoom to a city, say Sausalito. Could be a Google type aerial map or a
Re: Map Zoom Plug in or Resource?
by Mark Suszko 1 week ago
You don't really need a plug-in, you just set 2 or more key frames to fly your 3-d camera down to the close-up. This works best if your initial image is as high-rez as you can get. If you have to jump
audio copyright
by Kevin Gilfillan 1 week ago
First post, and video editing is 1% of my job -- so please be gentle. :-) I used an audio clip I found in FCP X for a video I uploaded to YouTube. I got a notice of copyright infringement. The track i
Re: audio copyright
by Mark Suszko 1 week ago
It's been a while since I read Apple's shrink-wrap agreement, but my gut says those effects are free for us to use for broadcast. Lord knows, I've heard them on the air enough times. It's not at all u
How would you handle this?
by Alex Vachon 1 week ago
Hi all, I shot some testimonials using a white backdrop. In my wide angle shots, I can see a few shadows and ripples on the backdrop. How would you get rid of them Your help is appreciated. Here's a p
Re: How would you handle this?
by Mark Suszko 1 week ago
8-point mask with the edges highly feathered, over a layer of white gradient, the gradient sampled from the original wide shot. You could also try playing with the blending modes. You could also hand-
How to test SD Title Safe on an HD TV?
by Scott Rinehart 2 weeks ago
Is there any way to show someone definitively on an HD flatscreen T.V. that my graphics are going to get cut off (here in the office) BEFORE it goes to broadcast So, I've been going back and forth wit
Re: How to test SD Title Safe on an HD TV?
by Mark Suszko 1 week ago
However "differently abled" your employers are, you probably need a more elliptical method of describing their "perceptive limitations" in a world-wide, unerasable internet forum. Just saying.
Tutorial: Save This Script By John Morley and Mark Suszko
by Mark Suszko 3 weeks ago
Indie Film & Documentary Save This Script By John Morley and Mark Suszko Great videos start with a great script. Sometimes, the scripts are not so great. We're script doctors, come watch us operate.
+3
Walter Soyka liked this 2 weeks ago
@Jeff Breuer
by Mark Suszko 2 weeks ago
Jeff, we're interested in any specific problems readers like you want addressed for the next installment. Just leave actual names out of it, but if you have faced a script problem, tell us about it an
Motion 4, once stable, now stable as Charlie Sheen, crashes instantly at any action
by Mark Suszko 2 weeks ago
Motion 4, OS 10.6.8, quadcore intel xeon, 32GB 800 mhz RAM This install was working well until some recent problems tied to an IO HD forced re-loading FCS 3. Motion 4 will load, and you can drag asset
Re: Motion 4, once stable, now stable as Charlie Sheen, crashes instantly at any action
by Mark Suszko 2 weeks ago
Copy-pasted from the top of the latest crash report: Process: Motion 12839 Path: Applications Motion.app Contents MacOS Motion Identifier: com.apple.motion Version: 4.0.3 (729) Build Info: Motion-7290
How to fill a forest with Fog
by Ty Yachaina 2 weeks ago
Hello Everyone, Ok, for my next step in this film im making I need to have a "Foggy" forest. The foggier the better. We dont have a budget, so at our dispospal will pretty much be 3 basic fog machiene
Re: How to fill a forest with Fog
by Mark Suszko 2 weeks ago
It's not optimal, but yeah, I think that's what I'd do. Then I'd spend quite a bit of time in photoshop masking between trunks and branches and adding layers. Then throw the whole mess into a composit
Lighting kit for Interview
by diyana tahir 2 weeks ago
What are the recommended lighting kit to get this quality of video interview shooting http: www.youtube.com watch v=LjVBM5y2BzM Thank you www.diyanatahir.com
Re: Lighting kit for Interview
by Mark Suszko 2 weeks ago
My problem is less with the key being on the wrong side, and more with the camera framing and "look space" being wrong.
Tutorial: "Save This Script"
by Mark Suszko 2 weeks ago
http: forums.creativecow.net readpost 12 858185
Soon.
by Mark Suszko 4 weeks ago
I can't say more just yet. But it's not a joke. A gimmick, sure, maybe, but not a joke.
Re: "Soon" is Now.
by Mark Suszko 2 weeks ago
And here: http: magazine.creativecow.net article save-this-script-by-john-morley-and-mark-suszko I've used what I've learned from John's corporate scriptwriting book for years, so it is really a treat
I think you're going to like it
by Mark Suszko 4 weeks ago
But you're going to have to wait. Not too long, I hope. Keep watching this space.
Re: I think you're going to like it
by Mark Suszko 2 weeks ago
http: magazine.creativecow.net article save-this-script-by-john-morley-and-mark-suszko
Reality TV Show Pilot - Artist Fee
by Nicholas Cook 3 weeks ago
I am an attorney who does not deal with a lot of television contracts for artists. I have a new client who has been approached by a production company to film a presentation for a reality tv show. I'm
Re: Reality TV Show Pilot - Artist Fee
by Mark Suszko 3 weeks ago
Probably the best advice to give him or her, in their best interest, is to decline the task and put him or her in contact with an entertainment lawyer; these things are too specialized for a general p
Removing footsteps, creaking floorboards, etc. from dialogue recording
by James Winslett 3 weeks ago
Hi there, Total noob to sound editing. Our team just got back from a music video shoot in Italy. We're not used to working with sound as we usually just use the audio track the artist provides us and
Re: Removing footsteps, creaking floorboards, etc. from dialogue recording
by Mark Suszko 3 weeks ago
No, just the "gu" part: I missed out on the rest of the classes:-)
What kind of subject release for alzheimer's patient?
by Stephen Pickering 3 weeks ago
Hi there, I'm in pre-production on a documentary about Alzheimer's disease. I plan to film a different patients in the homes of their caregivers. Depending on the severity of the Alzheimer's affect on
Re: What kind of subject release for alzheimer's patient?
by Mark Suszko 3 weeks ago
You want them to show you they have a durable power of attorney, which gives the caregiver all the contractual power. The patient's competency is then never an issue; it's between you and the caregive
Converting a Youtube video clip to import into FCP
by Rachel Miller 3 weeks ago
Hello, I have tried downloading several Youtube video file converters and I've had no success. I've also tried playing a little of the youtube video clip then selecting "Activity" under the Window men
Re: Converting a Youtube video clip to import into FCP
by Mark Suszko 3 weeks ago
clipconverter.cc is what I use. Then for formats it doesn't have the ability to output, I cross-convert using MPEG Streamclip.
2-camera shoot: both interlaced or 1 progressive?
by Fiona Ashe 3 weeks ago
Hi, I'm shooting with a Sony Z1 and a Sony Z7. Since the Z1 doesn't shoot progressive, I have to shoot interlaced on it. Should I then stick to interlaced on the Z7 as well in order to ensure the foot
Re: 2-camera shoot: both interlaced or 1 progressive?
by Mark Suszko 3 weeks ago
I think I would. You can convert one in post to match the other, but that could take some time and still might not match the look as well.
+1
LA County 571-L
by Laurent Phillipe 4 weeks ago
Hi Everyone, Has anyone encountered the 571-L unsecured business property tax in LA County, California It is the most asinine anti-business tax we've ever seen. You're required to itemize every single
Re: LA County 571-L
by Mark Suszko 3 weeks ago
He got his hand gestures ( I mean, "gesture"), from the Trump school of screen gesturing.
Zooming on multiple clips (FCP 7)
by Jordan Morris 4 weeks ago
Hi all, Scouring the internet to no avail, but I'm looking for a way to use a keyframed zoom (scale in the motion tab) atop multiple clips. More specifically, I've got an animation built on the timeli
Re: Zooming on multiple clips (FCP 7)
by Mark Suszko 3 weeks ago
Copy-pasting the date from a master clip *should* work. You could try another workflow like having iphoto or Keynote, Apple's version of Powerpoint, do the slide moves and export them into an already-
No Convergence of iOS & OS X
by Andrew Richards 4 weeks ago
Reading MacRumors reporting on today's Apple financial results conference call, this jumped out at me: Q: Can you talk about how you think about the markets for tablets and PC devices going forward Yo
Re: No Convergence of iOS & OS X
by Mark Suszko 4 weeks ago
I have to chuckle at Apple Prognosticators because they remind me of the "Kremlinologists" at State, NSA, CIA, etc. who's job was to use whatever ouija boards and other data sources they could find, t
Talking heads with zillions of cuts
by Anthony Atkielski 4 weeks ago
Why are there so many videos around these days that show a person talking to the camera with cuts every second or so I thought it was bad to cut to an identical shot. The cuts are often between senten
Re: Talking heads with zillions of cuts
by Mark Suszko 4 weeks ago
MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!MOM!... ...so you see, it IS pretty MOM! damn MOM!annoying..... and only to be used MOM! sparingly.
Eggcrates
by Harry Bromley-Davenport 4 weeks ago
Hi there - I own three 2k Ianiro Blondes with barn doors and I'm looking for a better way to control them, so I'm looking into Egg Crates Grids. B&H sell a 1" grid and a 2" grid (about $100 each) whic
Re: Eggcrates
by Mark Suszko 4 weeks ago
Why are eggcrates so ruinously expensive
Creating Music video - Editing
by Pavel Pavlov 4 weeks ago
Hi! I want to start editing music video. I have a media(a lot of clips video from 5D with singer in other make-ups and clips with dancer and master audio clip). Can you share with me your workflows, t
Re: Creating Music video - Editing
by Mark Suszko 4 weeks ago
You have framed the question in such a broad way, it is hard to give an all-encompassing answer. The edit will be driven in part by the style of video you want to make. Is it all performance Is it all
Chroma Key on Multiple Images. does anyone know how?
by pijus balpijus 4 weeks ago
I'am working with short animated clip, in FCE 4 actually, and i need to make animated character to move in real footage. I have finished 700 pictures of that character, so what i don't understand is,
Re: Chroma Key on Multiple Images. does anyone know how?
by Mark Suszko 4 weeks ago
If the lines on the characters are closed circles, re-coloring the outside white area green can be done in a few seconds with a flood fill tool in photoshop. You can build an automated action for this
Multi Media presentation software with live video incorporated.
by James Elliott 1 month ago
I could use some help on this particular problem, I need to set up a VIP room for lack of a better term. This room needs to include a single screen with a quad layout. I need the ability on the fly to
Re: Multi Media presentation software with live video incorporated.
by Mark Suszko 4 weeks ago
The attractive part of that setup is you can independently work on each input with it's own originating device. You'd have a desk in their "war room", or adjoining, with a couple of laptops and PC's p
Filmmaking not a hobby; filmmaker wins case against IRS
by Bob Cole 4 weeks ago
Also posting this in Business & Marketing, because the COW lacks a "law" forum. On April 19, Producer Director Lee Storey won her case against the IRS, which had claimed that her documentary work was
+1
Mark Suszko liked this 4 weeks ago
Re: Filmmaking not a hobby; filmmaker wins case against IRS
by Mark Suszko 4 weeks ago
I am always surprised by how few IRS agents contribute to these forums, since they know our business so well:-)
Article: Is the New Blackmagic Cinema Camera the HDSLR Killer?
by Marco Solorio 1 month ago
DSLR Video Is the New Blackmagic Cinema Camera the HDSLR Killer Marco Solorio of OneRiver Media dissects Blackmagic Design's new Cinema Camera to see if it is in fact, the much-anticipated HDSLR-kill
+3
Tania Freimuth liked this 3 weeks ago
Re: Is the New Blackmagic Cinema Camera the HDSLR Killer?
by Mark Suszko 4 weeks ago
Once it is encumbered with all the rails, matte boxes, French Flags, viewfinders, cages, auxiliary grips, hoods and eyepiece shades, focus whips and assorted "stuff" that turns it into another nod to


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