Prof. Stephen E. Dinehart IV

Exciting news from Runway! They've just introduced Advanced Camera Control for their Gen-3 Alpha Turbo model, enhancing our ability to direct AI-generated videos with greater precision. 🎥✨ This new feature allows creators to specify both the direction and intensity of camera movements within their scenes, enabling more intentional and dynamic shots. Whether you want to execute horizontal pans to arc around subjects or apply zoom effects to unveil new contexts or narratives, the control is now in your hands. Plus, you can combine various camera movements and adjust speeds to create truly engaging and customized video outputs. Keep in mind, Advanced Camera Control is exclusive to the Gen-3 Alpha Turbo model. To access this feature, you'll need a subscription to Runway's Standard plan, priced at $12 per month. This is a game-changer for anyone looking to elevate their AI-generated content! 🚀

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Hi all. I want to share another magic item I've created for an upcoming D&D 5th edition supplemental item module that I'm working on. This item is called Viridis, which loosely means Green, and is inspired by Emerald Dragons. Since I'm not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast, I'll be removing any Forgotten Realms lore I desribed when it's included in my upcoming module—it's just for my current campaign haha. About the weapon, I wanted to make it a Halberd because 5th Edition D&D doesn't currently have any unique magic halberds ha. I've always been interested in some of the less used weapon types in D&D. D&D Beyond Link to the item: https://lnkd.in/eex9H2mP

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Rev up your engines! The Need For Speed Unbound Vol. 9 update is here, bringing fresh gameplay experiences and enhancements to your favorite racing game.

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🎮 A lot of new entries in Newzoo's Top PC and Console games in November! Thanks to Brett Hunt for putting this together! Engagement Highlights While there wasn’t a major shakeup in the ranks, Fortnite’s Chapter 2 Remix, as well as in-game concerts from Snoop Dogg and the posthumous Juice WRLD resulted in enough growth to fend off the impressive launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.     The impact of both titles on the rest of the top 20 was profound as League of Legends was the only title to see player growth through the month of November, thanks to the release of the final season of Arcane on Netflix.    While EA Sports FC 25 has found itself at #11 in engagement, EA FC 24 still finds itself at #14, displaying its continued longevity and perhaps pointing towards players slowing down their purchase of new titles in annual franchises. The titles are now both fending off competition from the Cristiano Ronaldo-partnered UFL, which launched on December 5.    Revenues Movers & Breakthroughs  Dragon Age: The Veilguard   BioWare’s latest fantasy RPG has launched into the top 5 in revenues, leading the pack on PC and ranking #10 position on PlayStation. Set ten years after Dragon Age: Inquisition, the game follows the protagonist Rook as they attempt to stop the elven trickster god Fen'Harel from destroying the Veil that imprisons amoral elven gods.    Farming Simulator 25   The latest entry in the Farming Simulator franchise finds itself at #6 in the rankings and has placed top 10 across each of PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. This version introduces new crops like rice and spinach, new animals such as goats and water buffalo, and features three new maps in North America, East Asia, and Central Europe    S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl    Despite its launch on Game Pass and the risk of cannibalization, it shows strength, breaking into the rankings at #7 overall. The game offers an immersive survival-horror shooter set in the post-apocalyptic Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.    Microsoft Flight Simulator 24   While the game experienced launch day issues, Microsoft’s flagship simulation franchise remains a consistent buy for digital aviators at #11. The game offers unparalleled aircraft variety and realism, advanced flight planning and navigation tools, and has added new career and mission systems.    Mario & Luigi: Brothership   This turn-based role-playing game jumped in at rank #13 overall, and #2 on the Switch. The game follows Mario and Luigi as they explore the world of Concordia, aiming to reunite the land after.    Other notable breakthroughs outside of the overall top 20 are Planet Coaster 2 (PC, #14), a theme park simulation game where players can build and manage their own coaster park, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered (PC, #15), which features enhanced graphics and new content for the original action-adventure game, and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (Switch, #9), a full remake of the classic RPG with updated visuals and new story elements. 

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I get asked all the time the difference between corporate event audio and rock n roll audio..... Here's my two cents. CORPORATE EVENTS: aka talking heads: Pros and Cons: Pro: It's rinse and repeat: In the A/C on Carpet, rarely more than 4 microhones to mix on at once. Generally only a quick collection of videos with audio playback. Cons: Audio techs have a stress level higher than usual due to silence. There is no where to hide a single mishap, ie wrong button, wrong cue, or even the slightest frequency feedback because its all being routed into 50 different sends and recorded. Add that with simply trying to keep techs awake and you have corporate events in a nut shell. ROCK N ROLL Pros and Cons: Pro Generally speaking its a more relaxed atmosphere. Some techs even enjoy some adult bevs while working. People are generally just there to have a good time and no one notices audio mistakes unless they are quite major. As far as mixing, I personally love mixing bands because it's challenging and takes true skills of knowing how to get the end result and allows my creative input. Cons: Its a more relaxed atmosphere. Yes it can be a con because its too relaxed and the sense of urgency is slack. Musicians think they know it all and want it all. Also dealing with Artist management, security, and roadies as well as band members is a different level of stress. As far as mixing is concerned this is a major stress point for some because there is an art form to mixing a large stage and not all have it. Finding that perfect balance between FOH needs and Stage needs has proven fatal for some! At the end of the daythey are two very different beasts and take different skill sets. Both require lots of patience! -JTaylor , Owner of JTaylor Productions Tampa Bay, FL

1) This show is awesome - one of my favorites of all time. 2) Pitch perfect balance of staying in-world and being 4th wall enough to know the job of this short is to give everyone an update. 3) Even though the layouts are limited, the animation and directing is getting even better! The acting and poses are so nuanced - just fantastic. 4) Feels like nothing can stop this show. It's almost... https://lnkd.in/ekWPDsYA #animation #cartoons

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Congratulations to my friends and former co-workers at Bethesda Game Studios on their leadership in driving much-needed and long-overdue change in the video game industry. For reference, industry leadership has had decades to address the issues that have led this industry to the place we now find ourselves - many studios shut down, 40,000+ people laid off, a job market that is the worst in industry history - all while we're still seeing annual revenues across the industry continue to climb after a single year (2022) that showed a drop of 2.16% (from $369 billion to 361 billion) before recovering. (link to source in comments) The last major shift in how our industry treats its employees was in 2007, when EA settled the class action lawsuits that resulted from the "EA Spouse" blog post. 17 years is a long time to watch the same thing (layoffs, crunch time, etc.) continue without any effort to provide the people who make games with a reasonable level of respect, job security, and dignity. Industry leaders: now is the time to lead. Get proactive and start giving the developers that make these games the same priority as you give to profits. In the end, we're all just people, and we're all in this together. You don't have to wait for Unions to sweep the industry and force change through contract negotiations. If BGS is willing to bring a union in to help drive change, the other major studios won't be far behind.

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MARTIN GROVE'S HOLLYWOOD REPORT FOR 9/22/24: TRANSFORMERS ONE transformed into TRANSFORMERS #2, losing its very close race with BEETLEJUICE.   Between them, the two films did $51M, making exhibitors the weekend's real winner, especially when you include what moviegoers likely spent on snacks.     After an encouraging $3.4M from Wednesday's fan shows & Thursday's previews, Hollywood handicappers saw Paramount/Hasbro Entertainment's PG animated action adventure TRANSFORMERS ONE opening to a sizzling $35-40M. Instead, it did a fizzling $25M with post-mortem explanations that it's a PG family film not a PG-13 fanboy event.   ONE was tracking best for first choice with over-25 men (four points over norm) and next best with men under 25 (just one point over norm). Women over 25 were only equal to norm. And under 25 women didn't care at all (four points under norm). That's not a winning combination of demos! Rotten Tomatoes critics, however, are happy at 89% and audiences love it at 98%, which should mean great word of mouth.   Fortunately for exhibs, WB/Plan B Entertainment's PG-13 fantasy horror comedy BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE showed holdover strength in  weekend three to finish #1 with $26M, off just 49%, per Comscore.   This weekend's domestic marketplace totaled $82M, per Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian, down 16.1% from the prior weekend, but up 51% vs. this time last year. Comscore's year to date tally has 2024 at $6.19B, down 12% from $7.03B in 2023. The previous weekend, 2024 was down also 12% vs. 2023.   Meanwhile, back at the multiplexes: B2's $26M was from 4,172 theatres ($6,232), per Comscore. It reportedly cost $100M to produce and has grossed $226.8M domestic and $329.7M worldwide to date.   TRANSFORMERS ONE's $25M was from 3,978 theatres ($6,285), per Comscore. Produced reportedly for just $75M, it's also done $14M in international theatres for a worldwide cume of $39M.    Universal/Blumhouse Productions' R rated horror thriller SPEAK NO EVIL was a solid #3 in weekend two with $5.9M, down only 48%, at 3,375 theatres ($1,748). It reportedly cost just $15M to produce and has grossed $21.5M domestic and $42.4M worldwide.   Next weekend (9/27) should see lots of available multiplex parking thanks to Lionsgate/American Zoetrope's launch of writer/director Francis Ford Coppola R rated sci-fi drama MEGALOPOLIS. Hollywood BUZZ-ards expect it to do just $5M at about 1,550 theatres. It's tracking below norm for first choice with all demos. Rotten Tomatoes critics hate it at 51%.   Universal/Dreamworks Animation's PG rated sci-fi adventure THE WILD ROBOT, opening at about 3,700 theatres, is tracking below norm for first choice with all demos. Rotten Tomatoes critics are cheering wildly at 100%. ROBOT should give TRANSFORMER ONE's not-so-wild robots some animated competition for family audiences.   (See more at www.ZAMM.com)   #movies #boxoffice #martingrove #transformers                

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Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) – A Guide For Musicians 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ejTgAq5f At FixTheMusic we take the safety of our musicians very seriously. There is some confusion about what Portable Appliance Testing actually involves, so this short blog post seeks to explain exactly what PAT is and why it is so important. For obvious safety reasons, electrical equipment should be maintained properly, and a key part of this is Portable Appliance Testing at regular intervals. The Health and Safety Executive notes that almost a quarter of all electrical accidents involve portable equipment with the vast majority of these accidents resulting in electric shock. Portable Appliance Testing is the appraisal of the safety of portable electrical equipment. This involves visual inspection of appliances and cables for any obvious damage, but also testing the appliance with an approved device to measure certain parameters, such as earth continuity, insulation resistance and polarity check. Although maintaining the safety of electrical equipment is required by law**, especially for employers who have a duty of care to their employees, PAT is not in itself a legal requirement. However, many venues that host live music, particularly wedding venues, increasingly require that musicians using their own electrical equipment such as portable amplification systems (e.g. microphones, signal processors, amplifiers and loudspeakers) or a digital piano, provide PAT compliance records for all appliances and cables. Guidance states that you should use your own judgement with regard to how often to test equipment. At least once per year is recommended. PAT devices range in cost from approximately £100 for an entry-level device which will test for the basic parameters listed above (earth continuity, insulation resistance and polarity check), to several hundred pounds — the more expensive devices will test for more parameters, such as protective conductor/touch current measurement, also known as earth leakage test, and fuse test. Again, it’s best to use your own judgement to decide which sort of PAT device is suitable for your needs. If you use a lot of expensive portable electrical equipment, e.g. a 5-piece wedding band performing regularly with PA system and full lighting rig, you may want to invest in a more high-spec PAT device to keep your equipment protected.

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What lessons should Hollywood learned from Brandon Lee's death due to an on-set firearms malfunction, and why weren't they learned in time to save Halyna Hutchins? This and more in our latest episode: vfxforindies.com, our YouTube channel, or your favorite podcast app.

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Our latest episode

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Hate reading this as times are tough for all. 😣 But in the details of the article are the nimbleness and tenacity of the company navigating tricky market conditions. All I can say is that I wish them well. 🙏 https://lnkd.in/eA2rXZfZ #animation #cartoons #stopmotion #stopmotionanimation #aardman

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Part of why people stream, download, listen to music is to create the soundtrack to their lives so, as an artist partner and representative, we need to ask ourselves: how do we tell compelling stories around art, artists, and songs in unique ways & environments so those songs become part of those soundtracks? It is up to us to lean into the art, understand the art, and find exciting ways tell a story which leads to discovery and connection.

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Sometimes really new is well forgotten old! EA refocuses on 'owned IP, sports, and big online communities'. Back-to-roots trend picked up by indies: • Saber buys itself back from Embracer. • Toys for Bob is spinning off as an indie. • Relic left Sega to operate independently. It's a clear sign 💡 Video games are in dire need of sequels! What's your top pick for a game revival? React below or drop your own suggestions. Half-Life 1 set the bar high My vote's with Half-Life. 💡

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Just finished "Measure What Matters: Succeeding with Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)" by Measure What Matters, John Doerr, and Ryan Panchadsaram! Check it out: https://lnkd.in/eigRzG_d #objectivesandkeyresults.

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What Blair Westlake said re: the Guilds It’s bad and it’s gonna get worse. It’s driving tens of thousands of talented people out of LA and possibly out of entertainment…or will it? Content creation is marketing now. If you’re a brand, you need a content creation capability. Hollywood’s loss is the brand’s gain. But also all this talent isn’t going to just go work at Mickey D’s. It’s going to regroup in places like Austin and Nashville and it’s going to create a more diverse media business in the long term. Big & expensive are gonna lose to small crews empowered with AI and unencumbered by the Guilds. “Unemployment in film and TV in the United States was at 12.5% in August, but many think those numbers are actually much higher, because many film workers either do not file for unemployment benefits because they’re not eligible or they’ve exhausted those benefits after months of not working. As a whole, the number of US productions during the second quarter of 2024 was down about 40% compared to the same period in 2022. Globally, there was a 20% decline over that period, according to ProdPro, which tracks TV and film productions.”

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Struggling with audio implementation for your game? Check out these helpful tips to ease your development stress and improve your player experience! #gameaudio #gamesound #gamemusic #gamedev #indiedev #sounddesign #vgm #voiceacting #unlockaudio  

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Amazing list of practical game design principles from Warren Spector, one of our industry's great. Appreciate how he frames some of the magic we feel playing his games. Can't wait to play his next one! Wonderful peek into Warren's design mind. His Deus Ex is stuff of legends. While I'll argue that there are operable definitions of fun (humbly suggest The 4 Keys to Fun ;) I agree wholeheartedly that a team needs more than a single word "make it Fun" to guide the design. In fact that's kind of the whole point. In our extensive player research players favorite games support multiples of their favorite play styles. From a Psychology perspective it's vital for an exceptional game to offer players new playstyles. The exploration of novelty, cause and effect relationships, and especially new kinds of strategy to get to a goal are vital to what human beings (and all mammals) call play. Definitely worth a read! Here's a list of company values for Warren's company Other Side also worth a look https://lnkd.in/gpq-qusR

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