Why are there not Ergonomic Editors keyboards?

So I have been an editor for a long time now, and I spend so much time on a computer that at times I get massive Carpal Tunnel attacks. I have figured out solutions, and my main one is to use an ergonomic keyboard. I currently use a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000.

In fact I own 2. And I carry one to work with me ,as well as Kensington Expert Trackball as I never really got why you would need a wireless mouse or especially trackball.

 Of course at home I still use my last (my 3rd) Microsoft Trackball Explorer, which they stopped making years ago, and now sells for around $200 on ebay for a used one, and will never be replaced as the best Trackball ever made. No idea what I will do when my current one dies, but that is a bit off topic of this post.

So back on topic, I always use an ergo keyboard, and have an Aeron on home to help with my wrists (as well as some exercises with rubber bands I do when things get bad), but I would love to have an Editing keyboard. Yes I know most of the keyboard shortcuts I use on a regular basis, but there are still some in Premiere I don’t know or think about and would love an a Premiere Pro editing keyboard, but they tend to be the standard Apple keyboards, which are flat and have no key travel (I like my keys to click and loved the old apple clicky keyboard) and they hurt my wrists! WHY OH WHY HAS NO ONE MADE AN ERGONOMIC EDITORS KEYBOARD?

I mean most editors spend way too much time on a computer, so you would think someone would do this! So if anyone is listening an Ergonomic Editors keyboard would be AMAZING! AS would someone copying the Microsoft Trackball Explorer, though unless I someday become a billionaire I doubt either will ever happen! Oh well.

DJI Osmo, a stabilized action cam for $649!

The newly announced DJI Osmo stabilized action cam for $649 really blows my mind! It is basically a 4K GoPro with full image stabilization and some cool still features as well. And it can also be used with the $2100 X5 which can use 3 interchangeable lenses, but really I think this is more to get individual shots that raise the production value enough that you don’t mind that it is basically a GoPro because the shots are so cool.

I would love to get my hands on one of these! It would be amazing!

Adobe Upgrades SpeedGrade update, but still not multi-monitor support, SpeedGrade needs an interface upgrade now!

Eric Philpott at Adobe blogs has the info on the latest update. While I am excited for some of the updates, especially LumetrinColor changes in Premiere carrying over to SpeedGrade, overall I am completely dissapointed.

I have really come to love SpeedGrade, and it’s ability to put the grade as filters on clips, but the program needs an interface overhaul! The fact that it is still a single monitor program is unforgivable! You need to be able to move the viewer and scopes to a seperate monitor as you see fit! I want my controls and timeline on one screen and 3 scopes and a viewer on a second monitor (the viewer for doing masks, which you really can’t do on an external video display). 
Sure DaVinci is a more powerful program, but the integration with Premiere and not having to render out your grade is amazing, but Adobe needs to stop porting it’s features into Premiere, and fix it’s interface!

Problems with MXF files that have been imported into Final Cut Pro X

So I was given some footage with absolutely no knowledge of how it was shot, or what format it was, but was not worried as I have am running Adobe Premiere Pro CC. Unfortunately I was wrong.

They all appear to be quicktime movies, but will not open in anything, or if they do only audio appears. And when I opened them in VLC it says it is a missing XALG encoder.

The only thing I could find on this issue is this unanswered post at Adobe Forums, and it seems to be my exact problem.

It turns out these are MXF files shot from a Sony Camera, and they were brought in through Final Cut Pro X (which I do not have on this machine), and it wrapped it in an MOV with the XALG encoder. The strange part is I do have the latest version of Motion so that I can get the Apple Pro Codec Updates, so you would think it would have the codec to play the video, but even motion won’t open this quicktime movies.

Luckily I was able to get the person with the footage to send the original cards that the footage was shot on, and was able to copy them over and import the MXF files directly into Premiere Pro with no problem, but I can’t seem to get the MOV’s that Final Cut Pro X to open in anything. I figured Motion would do it, and was thinking maybe Compressor, but if Motion can’t do it I am not spending the $50 on compressor, and certainly not paying Apple for Final Cut Pro again because it made some video footage useless.

This is a huge issue. Final Cut Pro X should not do anything to the files it imports, it should just play them all natively. That it wraps them in another file that makes them unusable by other programs makes me dislike this program even more.

No Film School on why Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be shot on the RED WEAPON 8K.

No Film School has a good article on why Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be shot on the Red Weapon in 8 K.

It includes James Gunn’s post on Facebook, which is really interesting, and I love what he is saying about Film and Digital. How he is not trying to replicate film and just finds it easier to do digital work when it is all digital (which is always what I felt, and what made doing a film like Star Wars The Force Awakens on film seem a little ridiculous). It also for Long Takes and for the small size of the body.

Kodak is releasing a new Super 8 Camera!

One of the surprise announcements of CES this year was Kodak’s very cool new Super 8 Camera! It will be $400 and $50 for a cartridge of film that you send and will be processed and that includes a digital scan as well! And it records sound to SD card.

Not only is this cool because most thought this format was mostly dead, except for Pro 8 Film (which crazily will do up to 5K scans).

I hope this gets some use at Film Schools, though I bet most have moved to digital.