Slashdot Mirror
What OS and Software For a Mobile Documentary Crew?
jag7720 writes "I am part of a new project that will be filming a documentary. The project HQ will be in the US but it will take us around the world and will last approx 18 months. I am the IT guy and will be responsible for most if not all aspects of hardware and software (not to include editing). We are probably going to use Google mail/calendar/docs and unlocked BlackBerrys for communications. Computers use will mainly be for communications and writing. I am a huge advocate of Linux and Open Source and I want to use it if possible. What would you recommend for an OS platform for a project like this and why? Linux? Mac? Win?"
Windows and OS X are the two best OSs for guaranteeing that all of your hardware will be supported, and for allowing you to take a lot of powerful video editing capabilities around the world with you. You may be the IT guy, but you won't be the main person doing everything OS X would be a much safer bet for getting this job done.
I think you should set up a very very nice Mac desktop at your headquarters with a few TBs of storage on it and plenty of DDR3 memory. This machine, you should use for editing and processing your video. I am by no means an artist but it's no secret that is a strength of Macs. For storage and capturing, just bring some notebooks with Linux and TB external drives.
... start with some base footage and try some stuff out on a Mac and then Ubuntu studio before you make your final decision.
... you may be able to entice them for a little free support if they can use you as a shining example of open source in the documentary community. It also might be a frustrating pain the ass if you're used to Mac editing tools like every graduate in the arts seems to be.
You can try Ubuntu Studio if you're interested in giving Linux a shot in the former departments
Really, you should shoot an e-mail to the blender folks if you want to keep this documentary purely open source
I think there's other things like GordianKnot (not sure where this project is at right now) and Avidemux that are worth investigating if they aren't already on Ubuntu Studio.
Good luck! I love documentaries, especially independent ones!
My work here is dung.
If it's just communications (read: email and maybe IM) and writing, then who cares? Honestly. You can buy portable toys that do those two things for $30 in Toys-R-Us these days.
If you're the IT guy, go with what you're comfortable with. You're the one who's going to have to make it work whenever anything goes wrong.
Commodore 64 with an on-hook phone coupling.
If you are the IT guy, you get whatever machines and software the team say they need and have experience on to complete the project.
You'll want Final Cut Pro, running on OS X. I love Linux too (typing this in iceweasel, running Debian on my Mac), but OS X is the only OS that really works well for pro multimedia. It's the only reason I dual boot anymore.
Caveat Utilitor
I mean; I would've thought hardware would be much more of a factor than software. Netbooks etc; and like, really, whatever OS floats your boat the most.
throw new NoSignatureException();
For travel, battery life would seem to be an important factor. Windows (especially Vista/7) currently has a sizable lead over Linux in this regard, and that would certainly be my choice.
Even when we finally see the year of Linux on the desktop, Linux on the laptop is still a long ways off.
For communication and writing, consider Linux on a USB drive. If a computer breaks it can be replaced. Include proper backup tools and procedures, preferably including occasional backups to a server when a fast data link is available, so if a USB drive is lost or destroyed you can create a new one and ship it to the location.
I used to work as a videographer, then left and started an IT business based entirely on FOSS and my own work. The entire purpose of this business was to create a revenue stream so I could start a film business. In other words, I know FOSS well, used Linux almost exclusively on my servers and desktop for years, and know film and video well.
If you want to do ANYTHING with film or video editing, do NOT use Linux. While there are a number of great programs for editing audio on Linux and in the FOSS world, the video programs still lag behind. Many times there are issues with importing the video. (Trying to get video from my HD camcorder into any usable format on Ubuntu Intrepid was a nightmare!) There are some programs that show promise for video editing and DVD authoring, but even as late as Intrepid, many still had issues, wouldn't always burn to different DVD drives, had trouble importing more than one or two formats, or provided only a limited subset of editing abilities.
I started looking at Linux for AV work around 2001 or so and was disappointed by what was available. As time went on and I was doing my IT work for my business, I figured that by the time I was ready to do film work, FOSS programs would be as well. Sadly, 8 or 9 years later, they simply are not. Some people will say, "But xxxxx does a great job!" Yeah, it does -- if you don't need professional editing capabilities. As of now I haven't seen a FOSS video editing program that can even do what Adobe's Premiere did in 2000 for $600.
So a few months ago I bought an iMac and paid $250 for Final Cut Express. I'm stunned -- it's like I'm actually back in the world of film and video and have a program designed by film editors, not by programmers who want to tell film editors what they should need.
I love FOSS. I love it enough to say, "There are some serious problems in the FOSS world," instead of pretending everything is the best it could be. My experience is that in the Windows world the driving force behind new software is a company that wants to make something people can use so they make a profit. In the Linux/FOSS world the driving force behind new software is developers that love what they do but often are touchy when receiving criticism of their "baby" and are used to the console and do not focus heavily on the GUI design, expecting people to learn what they already know to use their programs. I'm not a fanboy, but in 2-3 months on an iMac, my experience is that the driving force of app development on Apple is users or companies that want to give the users the tools they need to do a job.
If you want to provide your people with tools that you, as a techie and Linuxer, like for philosophical reasons, go Linux -- but be aware that your creative people will spend more time adjusting and setting up and modifying their tools than they will doing their jobs. If you want to provide them with software that lets them do their jobs, instead of having to deal with settings and tech stuff, go with Mac.
... then why not Ubuntu? It's pretty clear it was built for that kind of trip, so should serve you well as you track down those Warty Warthogs, Feisty Fawns, Gutsy Gibbons, Hardy Heron, and Jaunty Jackalopes.
Just watch out for those Breezy Badgers: they love their curries, so you don't wanna stand down wind from them... :)
THE HONOUR OF THE KNIGHTS - CC Licensed Sci-Fi Novel
I am a IT Security Manager in a large Linux environment. That being said, I say go with OS X, yea I am a fan boy, but all in all the instant on with relatively low sleep power will help in a mobile situation. I have a new MBP 17 and I can attest to the fact that they WILL last for 8 hours with WiFi on. You have to cut the screen brightness down to about 2 bars, but it is usable. Charge over night and use it all day.
If your doing film then you are already going to have OS X with you on your trek. Might as well consolidate platforms. You won't have to build 100 tutorials or continually tell users how to do an apt-get in Ubuntu. Wireless manager on Ubuntu is not my favorite I have had problems with it.
My two cents at least.. Need another tech guy? 18 months around the world sounds fun.
Go with a quality PC running Adobe Premiere or Sony Vegas Pro. This will give you a lot more "bang for your buck" in a nice portable editing setup than a Mac running Final Cut Pro (particularly on a small documentary budget). Don't bother with Linux, it's video editing software is shit (sorry to be harsh, but it's true).
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
If you are using Panasonic HDV with P2 cards it doesn't transfer the data fast on OSX. It's (sadly) much, much faster on Windows. Speed is essential for Doc footage and P2, as there will be hours of it, and cards are very expensive. You WILL run into workflow problems with OSX unless you have stacks of cards and a full-time online editor. (You'll likely still run into some workflow probs with Windows too.)
If you are using tapes (and you probably should), then OSX and Final Cut will be your best option. Try also Circus Ponies Notebook as a means of scheduling. Or Celtx (free and open source) is also very good for a lot of projects. Never used it for a doc, but it should work well.
ask the people what apps they plan on using, and build everything around there.
these people are media people, they don't want to remember cryptic commands to do the simplest things
You are not supporting the editing portion of the project and your apps are mostly internet based (google) AND you are a linux lover...might as well go with linux. It should work on most hardware and the software relies on a browser, not the OS.
http://egotisticaladmin.com
Just do it already, you dweeb. You roll out the software, you're responsible for making it happen, for making it usable. If that takes user education, then selling it to the users is your job too. Can you?
But how deep in the bush are you going to be?
If you're going to be in harsh environments, get your hands on a hardened machine for communications. (Video editing...that's another story).
You could get your hands on an OLPC XO and install Xubuntu on an SD card (there's a specific build of 8.10 called XOBuntu if you want it). It's not fast--but for basic communications the battery life is very long and it's quite rugged. That and anything that puts out 11-25v will charge the thing.
They'll be traveling, working hard, dealing with all the crazy problems that come up in a project like this. They don't need the extra hassle of dealing with unfamiliar software just because you think it's neat. Find out what they use now, and make sure they can continue to use it as needed throughout this project.
-Lod
I actually make travel documentaries - when I was on the road, the most important thing for me was a computer that worked, not the OS.
The OS really shouldn't matter, but I would advise using a Windows machine with the crew. The advantages of the Mac platform are in the editing phase, so the Final Cut Studio advantages aren't a big deal.
The thing is, most of your equipment will work with Windows out of the box - we're talking things like field recorders and video capture. But the biggest aspect of Windows-based PCs that you're going to appreciate on the road is that when it breaks (and I've had a Mac break on me in LAX, and spent 2 weeks in New Zealand without a computer,) you can get a new Windows-based PC quickly and easily, so you don't have to change your workflow up. Since you're cloud computing for most stuff, just make sure that you have Google Gears and you should be fine.
----------
That should answer the original poster's post. That said, I think anyone editing on a Mac these days is missing out on a lot. Yes, Macs are still the standard for AfterEffects and Motion, but Final Cut Pro can't take advantage of multicore processing until you go through Compressor, and they can't take advantage of CUDA applications. That makes editing -slow-.
My personal workflow is Sony Vegas for a render to an uncompressed format, then Badaboom for render to MP4.
Though I'm thinking about getting Adobe Premiere Pro CS4.
I used to work for NetQoS. I no longer do, but want to keep the excellent karma attached to this account.
Are these guys stone mad? I'd hate to be at the mercy of the dreaded NO CARRIER message while writing some stuff. I totally don't get this obsession with doing everything through a browser when locally run stuff is much faster, more reliable and you don't need to block the ads.
But if you're trying to appeal to the hip metrosexual expensive coffee drinking iPhone using crowd then by all means use web apps exclusively, preferably from a Mac
a few atom based netbooks running OS X
- Good battery life
- lightweight
- stable *trouble free OS
*OS X 100% secure and virus free? Well maybe not, but at the moment nothing that would stop him. SO no need to worry about that while romping around the world.
PirateBay OS - We put Arrrr into DVD-Arrrr.
Mainly? Meaning they actually *will* want to do preview at occasions?
That's a no brainer: Mac OS X.
If they only want to communitacte and use the web, that's a no-brainer aswell: Get some cheap-ass netbooks that are cheap, small, light and don't break that easy.
If you're going into warzones, deserts or rainforests that's also - guess what? - a no-brainer: Get Panasonic Toughbooks. And some solar panels.
Another thing: If you're going on a 18 month tour as the prime IT guy and you have to ask this question I'd actually presume you're maybe the wrong guy for this sort of thing, no?
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
Here's a general comment: Applications should drive the OS decision, not the other way around. Find the software you want to use--play with it, work with it, and then if you have a choice, look into the OS.
Decades ago, someone mentioned that an OS is kinda like underwear. It should be there, it should provide support, but only the fashion-obsessed really spend much time thinking about it.
"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
As a former system administrator at a purely open-source computing cluster lab, I've had a lot of experience with various varieties of Linux on the desktop (both servers and workstations cycled through several distros). I would have to say that unless you have a great deal of time for testing all major computing tasks, Linux may not be the best option. Don't get me wrong, I love open source. However, the desktop reliability and the hardware compatibility issues tend to strike at the most inopportune moments.
::thinks back to how the sound failed in Ubuntu during an online meeting... ok fine, while video chatting with girlfriend::
After being the guy who pushed open source to everyone, I started realizing that for average computer users, it is simply just made life more difficult. If it wasn't an actual problem, it was simply getting used to a new interface.
I would say that if your users are comfortable with Linux and open source software, go for it. However, they are more familiar with Windows or OS X, that might be the best way to go (although not quite as cool or avant-guard)
Your job is not to be an advocate, it's to support your users to the best of your ability. That means steering them towards stuff you know how to support, but doesn't mean pushing them towards your favorite hobby OS when that's not a good match for them.
The most important thing is to support what your users need to do. For creative users, including writers, that means the tool they're familiar with. If they're used to Windows and Windows tools, give them Windows. If they're used to OS X, give 'em a Mac. Either way, give them a usable screen and a good keyboard - writers will likely kill you if their main writing machine has a plasticky 93% size keyboard.
The second most important thing is to make sure that the systems are available and the data is safe. Which makes Windows a PITA to support if you're not familiar with Windows administration (which is what it sounds like).
If it were me, I'd use Macbook Pros running OS X, with VMWare Fusion with unity mode turned on allowing me to run Windows (or Linux, come to that) applications, as though they were native apps. (Don't skimp on RAM). That way the machines can be shared by users who prefer different apps to do what they do, and you can take advantage of either the OS X level stuff or the underlying unix to do backups.
And a couple of cheap netbooks for emergencies, email, throwing in the back of a truck, that sort of thing. Then a bunch of robust, cheap media for ad-hoc backups (USB sticks, CD-Rs).
But I'm not your users. Ask them what apps they need, then work out how best to support them.
I'm of the opinion that especially for this kind of situation a convertible Tablet PC is the best choice. Docked, you get a terrific desktop. Remove it and you have an ultra-portable. Switch to Tablet PC mode and you have a note-taking and organizational tool without peer. Redock it and, with an external monitor, you've got your notes visible while working on reports or email based on them.
They are the best computer systems no one has ever heard of. (Thanks, MS marketing department!)
Definitely get MS OneNote on it! It is an absolutely killer application.
As pro Linux/BSD that I am, operating system should only be a small fraction of the choice. In reality, the quality of you hardware will be the most important aspect. You will need hardware that can stand up to the punishment of being on the road and banged around. You definitely can use Linux if you want, there are some good tools out there but to each person their own. Prior to beginning production, try sound/video editing and tools from various platforms and see what works best for you. If you want to make this documentary a partial advertisement for open source, by all means go for it and find ways to cleverly add it to the documentary. But, in the end, this is not about a "religious perspective," but completing the end product. That said, if ILM and Pixar can make feature length films on Linux, you can do it too.
if you try to impose your revolutionary concept of what platform the crew should be using. even if it is technically superior. you want to choose the platform they are comfortable and familiar with. beginning and ending of criteria. no, really
let some other guy be the iron fist of the future who imposes the IT juggernaut of tomorrow on an unwitting guinea pig of a film crew. i don't think you are in the position to be that person, unless your employment has some sort of nepotistic infallible guarantee of employment, like: you are the producer's son
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
If you will always be in the same location as all the systems you're outfitting, go with what you can provide adequate support for (Linux/Open Source, I presume).
If these systems are going to be scattered around the globe, go for Windows. Say what you will about Windows, but you'll find on-site support in damn near every country you travel to.
Macs might be a good option if they'll be deployed to major metropolitan cities only (NY, LA, London, etc.).
- Despite popular opinion, I am not perfect.
You're not on a mission to convert a sound engineer - or anyone else (hint: they don't care, they just want to get stuff done) to your particular favourite O/S, you're there to make sure all the important stuff gets recorded, stored, backed up and sent to base. If you can do all that and do it on a Linux platform then good luck to you, but the choice of O/S is the least important thing you'll have to worry about.
politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
You've got to consider compatibility very seriously. There will no doubt be the need to import and export different types of data between most of the computers involved in the production.
Although you say they wont be used for editing you'll most likely need to import and export EDLs, AAF or OMF files between your local and remote systems. Anything that streamlines that process is going to be useful.
Also I really don't think you should be advocating the use of Linux just because you like it. You must use the tools that the people need to get their job done with a minimum of fuss. It's not appropriate for you to use it as an opportunity express how cool you are by saying "Windows sux, I use Linux" or other equally tedious and pointless opinions.
I'd personally recommend either OS X or Windows depending on any dependencies elsewhere in the production and post production phases.
Or maybe he's just karma whoring -- you get karma for submissions, no?
Lets see...you are going to not be physically present to work either hardware or software problems and your people are. And you say you need to give them trivial capabilities that any OS can support and no special aps.
That tells me you ask them what they are used to and find the hardware with the best worldwide support and go with that. The browser will give you access to the apps they will be using. Who cares what browser. Or what OS.
Of course this presupposes that your guess that they will only be using the computers for email and docs and web access is right.
What if they decide 6 months in to edit on site? Or to need some not yet known app. What will set them up best to be able to do that? What choice of HW/OS will best set you up to adapt to unknown needs half way in to the project? And if you are going to consider that then you are back to guessing what they might want and need and you can't just provide the simple solution you thought you could.
Good luck.
I'd actually presume you're maybe the wrong guy for this sort of thing, no?
He's the director's son, you insensitive clod!
When you say "not to include editing," does that mean you are not choosing the editing software package but are choosing the machine which runs it? If so, what camera/format are you using? For example, if you are using an HMC150, it will affect your editing choices if you want to work without transcoding - something you might need to point out to your staff.
If these are just glorifed email/webterms, sure, you can pick anything and Linux might be ideal if they are getting thrown on very untrusted public networks. If that's the case, the question just boils down to: can the staff deal with using Ubuntu and Firefox - in which case, why Ask Slashdot - ask them! However, If these machine will be editing platforms or even dual use business machine+light editing/review(1) - you'll be using OS/X or Windows(2).
(1)yeah, even review. VLC has some HD problems, which are ffmpeg related as I understand, and may show up on other Linux/OSS players. My i7/GTX280/6GB RAM was choking on a Hitachi made 1080p H.264 demo yesterday using VLC (on Windows). OTOH, AVCHD 21MB seems to be fine straight out of the camera, FWIW.
(2)Remember that if you want to burn Blu-Ray discs in the wild, there are no Blu-Ray drives (let alone burners) available internally on MBPs.
Leben Sie jetzt die Fragen.
Mainly? Meaning they actually *will* want to do preview at occasions?
That's a no brainer: Mac OS X.
If they only want to communitacte and use the web, that's a no-brainer aswell: Get some cheap-ass netbooks that are cheap, small, light and don't break that easy.
If you're going into warzones, deserts or rainforests that's also - guess what? - a no-brainer: Get Panasonic Toughbooks. And some solar panels.
Another thing: If you're going on a 18 month tour as the prime IT guy and you have to ask this question I'd actually presume you're maybe the wrong guy for this sort of thing, no?
There are many issues here, but the conclusions is mostly the same, I'd warrant. On the road, support is difficult-to-nonexistent. If the documentary is going to be shot in remote locations, then the OP is not only the IT guy, but the network guy, the power supply guy, the spare parts guy, the software update guy, etc. If the documentary is going to be shot in not so remote areas, then much of the support can be purchased in larger cities, so less extreme planning is required.
Either way, the OP should be thinking not only about providing good service to his employer / collaborator, but also in maximizing his ability to provide that service. OSX is the way to go, IMO.
The greater issue, though, is planning for failures, rather than providing the best user experience. Everyone, neophyte or road-warrior, more-or-less can use WinXP / OSX / Ubuntu these days to use the web or send email or view documents. But what happens when things don't work? What happens when the laptop power supplies all get fried in a thunderstorm? What happens when you need data recovery after a laptop gets dropped onto hard pavement? What happens when the network stops working? What happens when one user's laptop gets a virus and it spreads to all the others? What happens when the director's laptop gets stolen with all of the shot notes on it?
Actually, that's the biggest nightmare the OP has to worry about: data loss due to theft. Not just the intellectual property losses, but the loss of time and expense of the crew, and perhaps loss of opportunity to re-shoot one-time events. Daily (hourly?) backup solutions with multiple layers of recovery and no single point of failure (like the IT guy -- what happens if the OP gets sick, or needs medical evacuation?) are required.
Also, my experience, with a fair bit of domestic US and international travel, is that Linux does not do well at all compared with WinXP at connecting to public wireless networks. The OP does not have time to tweak settings for a full team with each relocation in order to get service from the closest wireless network provider. For that reason alone, I would stay completely away from Linux in this application.
And another thing: the OP might want to think about getting everyone the same hardware, or, at most, 2 different configurations. More configurations, more problems, more headaches. Keep it simple.
Put my fist through my alarm clock with its ding-dong death inside my ear. - The Blackjacks.
i'm a linux fan as well, but it seems to me you need to be more focused on the hardware than the OS.
consider: ,,, ,,
power requirements
conectivity/netowrking
spare parts/harware failure
in this day and age you can find just about what ever software you need for any OS.
supporting the hardware will be what makes or breaks you.
This is not as simple as it sounds.
IIRC the Blackberry service depends on a particular APN being available to it. When you pop a prepaid SIM in from your destination country it typically won't come with that APN provisioned. This means phones calls, hassles, problems, and likely inability to work.
There's two "easy" solutions to this:
1 - Get unlimited "worldwide" Blackberry service from ATT/Verizon for $65/mo and have a separate phone with a local prepaid SIM in it for voice calls that is shared amongst the crew.
2 - Use an ActiveSync capable device as it merely depends on making an https connection.
My BlackBerry using friend and I were in Ireland and Northern Ireland last week. My iPhone worked quite happily with Vodefone IE and Orange UK SIMs. He couldn't get his Vodafone data working and had to call Orange and pay £5 extra to get his BlackBerry working.
If your people are travelling a lot and are not tech savvy I would go with option 1. There's only one device to swap SIMs on and the most savvy person can be responsible for it.
So if one of our solutions is picked will you be splitting your paycheck...sounds like you are in over your head and the Documentary group should have done more research into hiring an IT guy. Why not post your proposal and maybe we would pick it apart, other than request we do your job for you?
Good luck, and if anyone on slashdot works for free I have a ton of projects that need your input.
BTW. Does a 1000 monkeys === 1000 Free developers?
SSpade (above) is correct.
http://ask.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1238131&cid=28012601
(AND)
You have to be prepared for anything and that usually means the Production Coordinator's computer being hijacked by the DP (Director of Photography) and the Director for an informal "slice and dice" to see how something fades / cuts into another (QuickTime Pro) saving 45 minutes of stuff such as this.
As a former Motion Picture Tech (KeyGrip, DollyGrip) for over 25 years, I'm telling you, you better be prepared - anticipate their next need (hot spares) and make it look easy.
~hylas
Then they can use whatever OS he wants to install. If the field people aren't capable of clicking on the "EMAIL" and "WORD PROCESSING" icons and using whatever program pops up to do their email and writing tasks, they shouldn't be in the field. The IT guy says absolutely nothing about editing in the field. Other than to say that the editing is not part of the equation. If there are other issues like transferring data from recording devices, syncing or tethering blackberries, reviewing footage, etc., then the platform is determined by those factors. Provide whatever is needed to do those tasks.
Honestly. I also love Open Source/linux. The biggest service i could do to convince people that this is good was to not advocate - actually i am quite good in scaring people off linux whom i thin kwould not get happy with it- but just make it work at exactly the places where it world best (yes, even my boss, and hard-core windows lover saw a certain advantage after our servers running w/o trouble on cheap HW for several years, whil;e the Novell/NT solution we used before was a pain in the ass).
I guess the task you describe is your job. Your job is not to advocate, but your job is to provide the team with computers. From what you say it is the best to settle on some hw which you can buy (to replace lost/broken ones) around the world - with OS preinstalled to keep you from doing importanty work. So yes, that would be windows. In a bigger city it takes you 15 minutes to get a new, working, installed machine.(DONT come with "yes, i can install Debian in 15 Minutes". ME too, but i wont get the wifi running in 15 minutes if the manufacturer decided the old chipset to be to expensive by 5 cents).
i suggest to carry one wireless AP with you, and maybe a small linux server (laptop), if internal communication involves sharing documents, depending on the requirements. i also suggest you think about backups.
The article's is too vague about the terms of reference.
I wouldn't make recommendations simply because I don't know enough from the submitter's description to understand what their requirements are. At the very least:
Which countries?
Where in these countries - rural or urban?
How long is the deployment?
How big is the team?
Are you relying exclusively on Blackberries/GSM or will you be using backup satphone/data?
GSM data can be strange, depending on the country and provider.
IOW, there is not enough information to provide a recommendation. Also, as much as I love Slashdot, this is the wrong place to ask. Too much noise to signal.
Let me get this straight - you'll be traveling all over the world, exposed to who knows what networking and virus-prone environments, and don't already know that the Mac is your best starting point?
A Macbook Pro for anyone doing real work (viewing dailies, making storyboard or layout suggestions, doing any ancillary work actually associated with the film); smaller Macbooks for carrying around the set to do story work, check e-mail, etc., and a few minis should give you everything you need in the field. ANyone who needs to run another OS can do it via Parallels or VMWare, etc. (even VirtualBox for free if you want to). Film and Macs go together and this will produce the most comfortable, secure and performant working environment. (Plus, people will actually LIKE their machines and using them!)
f you want to spend your time debugging viruses picked up from hotel networks and doing IT support for obscure Windows problems while you should be working, that of course is your business...
I would suggest Mac, and I hate macs, but it has its advantages.
1. Everyone will be familiar with it
2. Amazingly fast boot up
3. Good support for the things you will be trying to do.
Windows is familiar, but slow to boot up. Linux has an alright boot up speed, but I assure you that those who are not familiar with it will become frustrated, and they might resent you for it.
Let's face it, some of these guys are going to be in places they are unfamiliar with, dealing with a lot of problems inherent in any filmmaking endeavor. Let them have something they know so there is one less headache.
OpenGoo.....
http://www.opengoo.org/
Works FANTASTIC. can be worked from afar easily with a netbook and an iPhone.
I'd give crews phones for comms, and netbooks that can be tethered to the phones so they dont hate you by being forced to type and read things on a useless phone screen.
Plus your people can use a local wifi location to use the netbooks for check-in/faster access.
P.S. Also look at http://celtx.com/ for your screenwriting and other production needs. It also works offline so they can collaborate on any scripts for segments easily.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
For just 'communications and writing', I would say get a bunch of small netbooks and some extras in case a few go down. You can get quite a bunch of inexpensive netbooks for the cost of just a couple of expensive macbooks
:).
In the field you have to be prepared to handle pretty weird stuff, choose an OS that presents the least obstructions. Use a popular distribution of Linux, you don't want to be in the middle of the Congo and make a satphone call to Microsoft or Apple support
Get one or two laptops running MS and OS X in case someone absolutely needs software that only runs on these or if you get a hold of some hardware that only works on one of those
You lazy bugger - RTFM!
Use the OLPC http://laptop.org/en/laptop/index.shtml and give it to a kid when you are done.
1. Military strength.
2. No battery recalls to date.
3. Recharge from car battery.
4. Built-in wireless with 801.11s (mesh)
5. Video camera.
6. USB ports
7. 1GB flash memory (expandable) instead of hard drive.
8. Open Source BIOS.
9. Linux.
"Old bag" has more than one meaning.
If all your trying to do is run some apps for email/web/im basic text, I would look at the eeepc's.
I just picked up a 1000he last month and I'm happy dual booting xp home and eeebuntu. by default it likes my software and I get a solid (tested on 5 flights and various trip) 5.5 hours of battery running either linux or windows. the hardware is sub 400 dollars with a memory upgrade, light weight and should meet your basic needs. It doesn't have a CD/DVD player though so I'd recommend investing in at least a hand full of external dvd's and some thumb drives.
Within the arms of tragedy, there is little comfort in being right.
As the IT guy, your job is to optimize the productivity of the people who are getting the film made, right? Therefore you need to do a survey of everybody and find out what software they are all familiar with, and then you need to use that. If you need to train them on new software, then that is not only a waste of your time, but much more importantly, it's a waste of their time. Don't use this as an opportunity to push your agenda. Just get them working immediately using whatever software they are currently comfortable with.
I have been involved with some short film production, and Final Cut Studio 2 on Mac OSX was very smooth to learn. I started out with Windows machines, and am famililar with Sony's Vegas video editting suite which I also ascribe to for it's ease of use/learning. Check 'em out. If you have a decent budget, there is nothing like a fully loaded Mac Pro with Final Cut Studio 2 and Aperture, with the 30 inch cinema display or equivalent.
Talk with your crew you are going to support.
Gather up the apps and OSs they presently using.
Choose an OS that supports their apps.
You should be as self reliant as your budget can allow.
Make sure equipment can do all tasks, even if one is more optimized for it. If something goes down another machine on hand can be used. If possible make them exactly the same and carry an extra cloned drive. Carry an extra of common items most likely to beak, be stolen or left behind. Have a plan in place for a catastrophic failure or theft of equipment and have a process in place to be able to quickly ship a replacement while you make due. Never assume anything can be obtained locally, and even if it can, if you can carry on for while, often shipping is better and you get exactly what you need. Backup like crazy and have multiple crew carry a copy and never ever store it with the equipment.
Good luck and have fun!
I've done this before. 16 months in se asia. The most important thing is protecting your footage. Using Mac laptops has made the process easy. Apple's ethos is everything Just Works, and nowhere is that more important than on a independent project, where getting a virus, or having windows go on the fritz can bring production to a stand still. There is a reason the industry standardized on the company that can provide an integrated solution from hardware, to OS, to editing suite. We shot almost 150 hours of footage on a dual system: The camera recorded to HDV tapes, plus a FireStore DTE drive simultaneously. We'd mail the master tapes back to the home office, and be able to quickly copy the footage from the FireStore onto our raid (two firewire hd's gaft-taped together setup in a RAID 1) for backup and review (it's important to be able to look back over past footage when you're working over such a long time period). Add in the fact that FireStore lets you log info metadata from a laptop (over bt or 802.11) as footage is being recorded and you have the ability to run a very fast paced but safe and secure production. You may want to also check out Gorilla or EP Scheduling and Budgeting which are Mac/Win only. Good luck!
If you need to ask something like this on slashdot, I rather think they've hired the wrong IT support.
OS seems somewhat immaterial. From what you're saying a bunch of netbooks would not be bad. I've used MediaWiki for script collaboration with some custom tags and it's really not bad. Use google apps on top of that and you've got pretty much everything you should need.
Macs are expensive but you can dual boot the machine using boot camp to have access to a windows or linux OS all in one laptop. I would also taking a linux live disc or flash drive with your prefered linux distro so you can have access and/or troubleshoot hardware issues.
Have you looked at what others have done in this space? For example http://www.ms-starship.com/star.htm These guys were three years at sea runing an extensive network of computers, sending regular posts to their web site and accumliating many terrabytes of video and still data.
However not everyone has this budget or level of support. Decide on the featuers you need and select a solution based on this not based on your personal prefernaces for one OS/Application solution or another.
If you are buying equipment at random and not considering whether or not is is compatible, I would completely agree, but with so many Linux HCL web sites out there, "lack of support" is unlikely to be a barrier. Linux tends to have best support for the highest quality equipment, and particularly great legacy equipment no longer supported by other systems. But if one is serious about picking good equipment and are not presently tied down with any vendor lock-in, then it is all a matter of personal preference.
If you want the highest quality equipment, and time is far more precious than money, I'd say Mac. If you are looking for most economical and you have a small staff that is open minded to learning, I'd say look at the features available among Linux A/V Software and see if it will meet your needs, and check the documentation to ensure that you don't need to be a Linux guru to understand it. Next, Check the Linux HCL (Hardware Compatibility List) for the best reviews, then find what equipment is the cheapest that meets all your needs. Word of warning, always look at the pros and cons and see which ones meet your bottom line. Some well reviewed stuff may be missing an "minor" feature you need, and sometimes poorly reviewed devices are rated as such because they are missing some non-critical "major" feature, like only have one supported output. If that output type meets your needs, who cares which inferior transfer method isn't supported. I am sure other people will have good arguments for Windows and Mac, so I will leave that to them, but if you are seriously considering Linux, I would highly recommend checking out and having this same discussion at the Ubuntu Multimedia & Video forum and the Multimedia Production forum.
Want Big Business out of government? Take away the incentive and start by getting government out of big business!
You need to use BeOS. It's really the greatest Operating System evah!
Of course, you are asking for professional video advice on Slashdot, so don't complain if you get terrible advice.
- For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat
Well, first of all, because the original article specifically said "not including video editing" - this whole discussion doesn't really address the original question.
That said though, there's nothing wrong with extending the topic a bit ....
It sounds to me like you're talking about creating a lot of special f/x and so forth, for video, vs. spending the majority of your time editing and cleaning up live footage.
I can't imagine why you wouldn't just buy a Mac and Final Cut Pro (or even Express if it meets your needs) and be done with it, if you're editing a lot of live footage?
Considering OS X is a Unix OS to begin with, I have no doubt it's POSSIBLE to do whatever you need to do in Linux, and after struggling through the learning curve, someone can make it happen. The point, though, is usually that you want the least headache and hassle possible, while getting the most usability. Final Cut is an industry standard for working with video, and many good plug-ins are available to add to its capabilities. Apple has a vested interest in spending time and money to keep new versions of it as compatible as possible with new video formats and communications protocols in new cameras, too. The open-source developer, by contrast, is usually only motivated if he/she personally buys something that doesn't work.
If you need the features just add them yourself.
I've coded entire video editing systems in less than 20 minutes, and they were way more functional than anything from Adobe. I've also created full featured sound studio software in about 7 lines of code. You must not be very technical.
my experience is that on FOSS there's too much time spent working with tools than using tools to do the work
I have had similar experience in that there are always way more options and ways of doing or learning things that you can spend all your time figuring it out and get nothing done. Discipline in outlining what do you need to know to get the job done right is really a challenge, and I think that Apple thrives to give you the best options with the least amount of worry at what seems to be the cost of unnecessary alternatives. Apple is really great at simplifying the top down approach of "What can the software do?", "Which features are going to be most useful to my project?", "How do I go about implementing them?" steps. Apple makes that a very narrow and logical path to follow, and teaches you stuff along the way. If you try to take the same approach with Linux/OSS, you will find you can spend all the time in the world reading through documentation of many pieces of software with all kind of features that can often spark the imagination, but can make you feel dizzyingly hopeless.
When I approach a major project, I will designate a limited amount of time to just surf through what is available to get things started planning wise, then totally forget forget it and start WRITING DOWN what specific tasks will need to be completed at each stage of development. Next, what is the best tool for completing that task, and evaluate how well I know the tool, and how much time may be necessary to learn a good tool I have not used before. Next, find the smallest possible example that would allow you to test a "proof of concept" and see if it is possible to take some info/footage/whatever and move it through each of the stages to a quality level of completion without having to mix steps, go backwards, or whatever. Then people can be broken into teams, you can show them what they are going to get footage/info wise, the tools they are going to get, how they are going to use them, and who to pass it onto when it is finished.
Typical business organization / delegation type stuff, I just think it really needs to be pointed out that Linux is by design aggressively in support of the bottom-up engineering principle and it is easy to see that ignoring that reality can manifest itself as a load of nightmares.
Want Big Business out of government? Take away the incentive and start by getting government out of big business!
All those arsty fartsy types like using Apples cause its cool. Wouldn't be caught dead using Windows.
Sure I am going to get flamed for this, but as much as I can understand the argument, just reading The Fountainhead, and "out of context", you sound like you could be quoting any of the big businessmen from the novel. I was thinking as I was reading the book that the way they were speaking was for dramatic effect, but that people don't actually speak that way, but I guess I have been humbled today. Thanks.
Want Big Business out of government? Take away the incentive and start by getting government out of big business!
NEXT!
I've done a LOT of producing around the country and around the world, and you can never, ever, assume that your users are going to have internet access, unless your producers are sending teams out with their own satellite uplinks.
Even in places only 40 miles outside of LA, we've been in places where our Verizon or Sprint cards have no coverage.
That said, please make sure your teams use tools that either have online AND offline capabilities, or they'll have to stick with PDF'ing docs back and forth. Currently, Google Calendar doesn't support offline event creation, so it's kinda a non-starter.
Any mission critical documents like schedules and shot logs, have to be usuable offline - so your teams should build their workflow requirements around that fact.
Unfortunately, at this time there are no good scheduling and shot logging applications that have good offline use and online synchronization that I'm aware of.
Best of luck to you and your teams!
If there's some urgency involved, and you're most comfortable with that setup, then by all means! Personally, I made a conscious decision to do business on an open platform where possible. This isn't out of ignorance or inexperience or inefficiency, but rather, it's my preference after using high-end Macs and Windows machines for years. I was sick of dinking around with proprietary software licenses, and I was starting to see that if I could make a Linux setup work, it would be a huge convenience for me, business-process-wise.
As it turns out, there are additional benefits, like more money left over to use on hardware items like faster hardware, camera lenses, and mics. And more money for higher rent at a nicer office.
Working with my colleagues is interesting, because they don't really understand just how my platform works, so I can ask them to use a non-proprietary file format for file interchange, and it just makes them more curious (it also helps that I'm not a jerk about it). They are using Macs and PC's that *have* to be faster and more expensive; they're paying a premium for not really wanting to know how video or graphics formats work. If I set them down in front of something like Cinelerra, they'd probably give up as soon as they couldn't work with FLV files, for example. So there's a premium that they pay for wanting to be sloppy and fast.
One documentary guy I work with right now is sending everything to me in FLV format, even though he knows I am still going to work with his video before it goes live. He read a book or attended a seminar that taught, "if you do video online, you've gotta work with FLV." He uses a very expensive setup, but when I throw him what he sees as a "curveball," like "can you send it in this other format instead," he'll need that explained over the phone. Twice.
As far as hardware support goes, I ask other Linux video pros (some of them *amazingly* knowledgeable about video) for recommendations. It's the old-school way: Rather than reading online reviews and running out to buy something, I do a the research and I know what it'll do when I plug it in.
It's a more deliberate business process, and it makes me look like I really care a lot about such little things, but that's exactly the reputation I want to build.
I did 6 countries in 6 months last year, relocating weekly. No laptop.
How?
Nokia N800 with a GPS receiver and swapping SDHC cards with my camera to upload daily images to my server back in the USA every night. The N800 supports IMAPS mail, almost all web sites, flash, and uses WiFi for connectivity. I brought an iGo Bluetooth keyboard with me to help with touch typing.
You won't be editing anything but text on this thing, 2.5"x4" just isn't good for hat, but that isn't the purpose. Weighing less than 0.5 lbs with 2 days of battery life, it can't be beat! BTW, I'd get an N810 now.
So, I did a few overnight trips ... like the 1 night near Iquazu Falls, Argentina with just a daypack worth of stuff. Used the N800 with Skype to call Travelocity for hotel reservations from Buenos Aires for free. Flew from Buenos Aires in the morning, headed directly to the falls with all my stuff, hiked for 7+ hours and saw the most amazing water falls on earth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L8845utZI4), then caught the bus back to my hotel. Checked email, blogged about the trip, read some RSS, then showered, and headed back to the falls for a moonlight falls dinner and tour (available during the full moon). The next morning, packed everything into my daypack, checked out of the hotel and walked all around Puerto Iguazu ( the town ), before catching the flight back to BsAs. BTW, just stay at the Sheraton in the park, yes it is pricey, but I didn't and regret all the time screwing around that town for nothing.
Today, I'd have to look **very** hard at a netbook and I'd definitely get a real hard disk inside it.
If the other people want to carry a 17" macbook - LET THEM. That weight isn't your problem.
If you have to ask this question
1.) You shouldn't be working in film.
2.) You are taking a job away from a competent union member who is working in the documentary arena and has had the experience travelling worldwide and knows the process.
3.) slashdot is a terrible place to ask this. You need industry specific domain knowledge, not random asshattery from a bunch of trolls.
If your applications are google centric and your not doing anything intensive (video editing) then you should be good with an iPhone and keyboard.
http://hackaday.com/2009/03/24/external-keyboard-with-an-iphone/
I don't see a way to do it with the G1 but I would think you could.
Of course if your storing data from camera's etc... then you will need a small NAS or USB/eSATA storage system. You can make your own or buy something about anywhere these days.
Having to work for a living is the root of all evil.
From a hardware perspective, I highly recommend Apple, specifically a Macbook Pro. I did 6 months in North / West Africa in 2007, and besides having to replace a hard drive in the field, everything kept working. During this same time, we had to replace a wall in a datacentre that we were working in because it got mortared.
Whatever you get though, make sure that you have the same for the whole team. Avoid the temptation to mix and match kit - that will just buy you support nightmares in the field. If your budget can bear the extra cost, be sure to carry at least one spare machine.
Far more important than your hardware and your software is your processes. Your post says that this will take you all over the world. If that's true, your communication strategy might not be appropriate. Many places have no roaming agreements for US and European cellular operators, so your Blackberry's may be nothing more than paperweights in a lot of places. You should be able to get mobile data solutions on a country by country basis that will tide you over though.
For your google solution, I would suggest coupling that with good offline tools and at least 1 alternative account to Google. You don't want to be stuck in some hellhole looking for help getting out and have Google be having one of its off days.
Last, but CERTAINLY not least - backup. Backup Backup Backup. For every gigabyte of disk that you have in a machine in the field with you, make sure you have at least the same amount in external portable storage for backups. That way you can always get back up and running if you need to.
Oh, and the bad news - if you're the IT guy, you might want to read a couple of books on project management. Like it or not, at some point in this project, you're going to find yourself trying to herd cats and unless they're all seasoned field workers, you're probably going to end up becoming 'Mommy' :D
I am taking a course on digital film making, yesterday one of my teachers (who has produced and directed successful shorts and whose day job is in a film production company) was trying to show us one of her films in order to illustrate some points.
He spend the best part of half an hour to figure out how to play a DVD in a Windows machine. The reason? She is an Apple user. Things that to most people in the classroom appeared to be "natural" (i.e. they have only used Windows ever) were a complete nightmare for the Apple user.
If your crew is completely computer illiterate (unlikely) use Linux.
I don't care what all other people will tell you, because they are simply wrong: the way Windows, Apple, or Linux do things is not natural, user friendly or in any objective way better than each other's, people simply become familiar with a tool and that means such tool will be the one "user friendly" to them.
If the tools you need exist in Linux (for what you mention they certainly do) use Linux and save money, a great commodity in the filming industry more often than not.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
Hi, How about using an online video editor like the one at http://www.mixandmash.tv/ - it will go well with the use of Google mail/calendar/docs. It will also go well with sharing and working collaboratively without having to deal with the issues of storage etc once the footage is uploaded. As far as out put goes, i know they can render up to 1080i, so quality wont be so much of an issue. This also removes the issues of OS, Software and storage. The web and browser is now your platform. You could preview the functionality of MIXandMASH.tv at http://www.mixandmash.tv/site/index.php?view=Video_Factory
Another thing: If you're going on a 18 month tour as the prime IT guy and you have to ask this question I'd actually presume you're maybe the wrong guy for this sort of thing, no?
I concur. Any IT guy should automatically know the correct answer to any given subjective question.