The studio system of moviemaking (what we all call "Hollywood") has suffered some major blows in the last few years. Despite the success of blockbusters like Avatar and Ironman 2, many major (read expensive) films have failed to draw large enough audiences to offset their costs, and studio revenues are suffering accordingly. Studios have latched onto new technology like 3D (more on this topic later) as a way to raise ticket prices and lure patrons into theaters. The high costs attached to studio filmmaking has led to a risk-averse system pandering to a "lowest common denominator" audience, giving us sequel after sequel, and remake after remake, with very little original thought in their products.

The one bright spot in the film industry is that of independent (known as indie) films. The film festivals are bulging with massive quantities of high-quality indie and documentary films, and some have enjoyed major success at the highest levels, like the Academy Awards and Golden Globes (The Hurt Locker and The Cove are good examples).

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The Apple iPad, released this week, is a real game changer in the computer industry. Not because it is a tablet computer...there have been plenty of those...but because it is so un-computer-like. The iPad is a truly portable, and very affordable device that requires virtually no computer skills to use.  

Running the extremely intuitive iPhone operating system, the iPad does not require a mouse, keyboard, or other input devices to perform basic functions.  People can read an article, surf the Web, check their email, watch a video, or play a game simply by making a few basic gestures with their fingers.  Of course all this capability has been available on the iPhone for several years, but the difference-maker is the beautiful 10" iPad screen.  All that screen real estate, combined with great battery life (12 hours of continuous video playback!), in an extremely portable form factor, means that the iPad will soon be the device of choice for commuters, business travelers, those with young children, students, and computer-phobic individuals of all ages.

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Post-production is the catch-all term for all the steps in the production process that come after filming. By the time most projects get to post, the crew is long gone, the set is taken apart, and the gear is stowed...but a lot of hard work remains. Post is where all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle must come together to form the final product.

These days, the post-production team has to deal with a lot of issues that didn't even exist just a few short years ago. The transition to HD and the trend toward shooting with ultra high-resolution digital cameras (like the RED ONE) instead of film have really changed the acquisition process. On top of that, the proliferation of final delivery options (theatrical release, SD and HD television, DVD, Web, mobile devices, etc.), has dramatically increased the need for editors, animators, visual effects artists, and colorists to understand and work with a mind-boggling array of digital file formats, aspect ratios, frame rates, resolutions, codecs, and workflow processes.

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