It's 85 degrees here in NYC today - wow, what a difference a few days can make. I think I have that disorder - SAD or Seasonal Affected Disorder. I feel 100% better in the summer. A long winter is not good for me. Glad to put that behind.

Adobe is shaking up the industry with a lot of news. Their CS3 production suite is a killer! I'm not a fan of Premiere, but it sure has come a long way - perhaps worth another look.

Adobe has a technology coming out called Apollo. It basically allows developers to write web/desktop apps. You can "detach" an application from the web, use it offline, and when you are back on line you sync right up. Welcome to thin clients!

Another Adobe tool coming out soon is Adobe Media Player - a show stopping game changer for sure. Have a peak on their wiki and read the faqs. It'll launch sometime this summer. Again - game changer. http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Media_Player

I cracked open my copy of Composite Lab Pro and I must say - despite one real issue, it works really well and will output uncompressed avi with alpha (for use in creating transparent flash videos). The "issue" is that you must work with pre-edited clips. In other words, you can't trim in this application (the audio goes away if you do). Not a huge issue (I edit my clips first in Vegas) but an issues that needs mentioning. Game changer? No. VERY cheap alternative to AE and Ultra - absolutely. I've added a CLP tutorial to the "Ultimate Tutorial."

I've been working on my video "My Day in 60 Seconds" and it's coming along. I shot it using my RCA Small Wonder camera. I'm editing on Vegas and should have it done soon. Look for an announcement soon and sign up page for the Video Challenge!

I also posted some video on the Join Now page (I was challenged to put some video there since that IS what I'm advocating!). It turned out OK. I took my PC100 to Ogilvy and had my assistant film me in one of the edit rooms. One thing you can't do with the cheaper cams - adjust for monitor flicker! My PD-150 can handle this expertly, however the PC100 had all 3 screens rolling like mad. I added some "fake" screens to two of the monitors to eliminate the roll. By the way, the video is playing back from S3! Too cool.

I've been working in Final Cut Pro all this week. It really is a fantastic NLE. With the new Apple Studio coming out soon, which includes COLOR, a color grading application, Apple Studio is an amazing combo. Adobe vs Apple? Well, Adobe's suite will be available for PC and Mac but Ultra and DV Rack will not be in the Mac offering. Apple Studio? Mac only.

One of the coolest things to come out of the professional film/video world is the Red One video camera - I say video but the "thing" shoots 4k images. That's film resolution for all practical purposes. The neatest thing about the Red camera is that it shoots any resolution you want. This means a lot of flexibility for film makers. Check out their web site. Peter Jackson just shot a test film using the cameras. http://www.red.com/ (So ugly it's beautiful!)

Another friendly reminder that the Charter Membership drive has been a HUGE success and it must now come to an end. A little less than one week from now, the sign up fee will be instituted. So, if you haven't done so yet, lock in your Charter Membership for life by joining today.

All the best, Perry http://www.AskMrVideo.com