Just found this really nice video infographic for Google Maps. Really nice use of textures. Check it out.

2 spots I made for DramaFever.com to announce the release of their iPad-Optimized website. (Editing, color, animation). This version features footage with actors shot outside their office in New York. It has a dual message. The first is simply the fact that DramaFever.com is now available as an iPad-optimized site. It briefly demonstrates the interface and also pushes the importance of this new feature by showing how you can now enjoy the site in a coffee shop, outdoor cafe or anywhere your iPad can get a signal.

This version is more ‘graphical’ with a simpler message which is very clear to current DramaFever.com subscribers. It features simply imagery of Korean TV dramas on the iPad in full screen mode. Again, this celebrates the fact that content which was previously limited to PC or laptop can now be seen on an iPad.

I’ve been trying to take breaks from motion design and do some editing. Here’s a trailer I did for Korean hit drama Secret Garden. It’s for English audiences who use the DramaFever.com streaming site. I had to sort through the first 6 hour-long episodes to get enough clips to tell the story. What a chore! Okay, it wasn’t that bad. I have a thing for Ha Ji-Won.

I recently tried to open a trailer I had been editing and was met with crash after crash. I put a lot of work into that and had just gotten past a tricky edit. I was preparing to get pissed. I rebooted and thankfully the project opened just fine. But that was almost a disaster. I checked to see what my previous version of the project looked like. (Every now and then I use Save As and add a new number after the file name.) When I opened my “Gumiho4.prproj” I saw that it looked nothing at all like “Gumiho5.prproj.” Apparently I had been so absorbed in a tricky edit that I just kept saving and didn’t bother to increment. I decided I never wanted to go through that again.

Increment and Save
I looked up File/Increment and Save and that feature seems to be gone now from version CS5. (Please tell me if I’m wrong.) Well, we’ll just have to do it by hand then. Every time you save, save twice. First, just File/Save. And immediately after use File/Save As and add a higher number at the end of your file name. Why save twice? Because if you only do it once (and increment) the differences between your last two projects will be greater (depending on how often you do it.) If something happens to your last file, know that your previous file won’t be so different. And that means less lost work.

Use Auto Save
You can tell Premiere Pro CS5 to automatically save your project as much and as often as you like. In Preferences, choose Auto Save. In the new dialogue check Automatically Save Projects. Next, enter how often you want Auto Save to work (in minutes). Finally indicate the Maximum Project Versions you want. (Auto Save does the same thing as Increment and Save; it adds a higher number after each file name.) Auto Saves are saved in a new folder kept with your project called Adobe Premiere Pro Auto-Save.

If you choose to Auto Save every 10 minutes and set Maximum Project Versions to 6, then the last hour of editing will be pretty safe.

Do both
After Premiere Pro has Auto Saved the set number of project versions, it will begin to overwrite the older files. So in our example, after an hour instead of yourproject-7.prproj being created, yourproject-1.prproj will be overwritten. Auto Save only protects you in the short run. But if something does happen, and you’re a quick editor, you’ll be really glad you had Auto Save set to save often.

Lots of faux camera tricks to love with the opening of Japan‘s Liar Game tv drama.

Have you ever considered using web backgrounds in After Effects?

There are a ton of sites out there offering free tileable patterns meant for use on the internets. Many of the collections look amazing. And many of them are large enough to use in HD video projects.

And while background tiles are automatically repeated for you in your site, we have good ‘ol CC RepeTile to do the same thing in After Effects. You can use this effect with these free assets to extend and repeat your tile as big as you like. Texture text, create environments and backgrounds for a unique look in your AE projects.

Thing is… become a collector and snatch up the free files while you still can. The above video example was made using excellent patterns from a site called PatternWall.com.  I liked them so much I grabbed and saved as much as I could but I eventually had to call it a day. I always thought I could go back to get more. When I tried I found the site has gone. Maybe their just late with one payment, or maybe they’re never coming back. My point is if you find something good, save it right away. Even if you don’t have an immediate use for it right now, you could start a library and get it when you need it.

PatternWall.com may be away right now you can start your tileable pattern collection at WebTreats.