Check out this New Media Center Reel

The New Media Center is much more than just a place to edit video. You can edit images, work on motion graphics, write songs and create 3D models and that’s just for starters. Come see us on the lower level of the university library to learn more about what you can do in the New … Continue reading “Check out this New Media Center Reel”

The New Media Center is much more than just a place to edit video. You can edit images, work on motion graphics, write songs and create 3D models and that’s just for starters. Come see us on the lower level of the university library to learn more about what you can do in the New Media Center.

Clips provided by the New Media Center Staff

Edited by Ben Weinberg

WONK TV Ad Stars AU Talent

American University, “All The Wonks Are Talking” from American University on Vimeo. Some or all of the sound effects used in this ad came from Media Services’ sound effects collections. You see her in a bus shelter, juggling a landline, cell, iPad, and digital camera — the Connected WONK. There he is in the metro … Continue reading “WONK TV Ad Stars AU Talent”

American University, “All The Wonks Are Talking” from American University on Vimeo.

Some or all of the sound effects used in this ad came from Media Services’ sound effects collections.

You see her in a bus shelter, juggling a landline, cell, iPad, and digital camera — the Connected WONK. There he is in the metro station, clutching a pile of overflowing textbooks — the Academic WONK.

What has become the university’s iconic branding campaign, “WONK,” is dominating public spaces throughout Washington, D.C., again this fall. It’s a campaign that swept the region last spring, bringing awareness and recognition for the progress of American University to prospective students, parents, employers, and higher education peers.

And as this fall’s WONKS tout the university’s recent successes — like topnotch faculty hires and good employment rates for recent grads — it’s as though the colorful still-frame figures have taken on a life of their own. Playing upon that notion, the University Communications and Marketing brand team developed the television spot, “All the WONKS Are Talking,” which has been airing in the mid-Atlantic market since Sunday, October 16, during Meet the Press, Face the Nation, and CBS Sunday Morning.

Under the direction of Matt Fredericks, director, university video department, a cast and crew including AU students, staff, alums, and even faculty member Matt Boerum teamed up to recreate the still poster ads using actors who made the images come to life as they expressed their excitement about AU.
Read more.

New Media Center Software Training Sessions this week

The New Media Center is located on the lower level of the library past the Technology Services desk, next to Media Services. The NMC conducts open workshops on a variety of topics related to multimedia production. These 20 to 30 minute sessions are open to all AU faculty, staff and students with all levels of … Continue reading “New Media Center Software Training Sessions this week”

The New Media Center is located on the lower level of the library past the Technology Services desk, next to Media Services. The NMC conducts open workshops on a variety of topics related to multimedia production. These 20 to 30 minute sessions are open to all AU faculty, staff and students with all levels of multimedia production experience. There are usually four or five workshops held each week. Check the NMC calendar for the latest schedule. For more information, contact the NMC staff (202) 885-2560.

Sunday 10/30 at 4pm – Video Compression/Export
Tuesday 11/01 at 12pm – Beginner Photoshop
Wednesday 11/02 at 8pm – Advanced Animation for Video
Thursday 11/03 at 4pm – Greenscreen Editing for Video

Friday 11/04 at 11am – Making Movies in iMovie HD
Saturday 11/05 at 4:30pm – Flash: Interactivity I

See the complete Fall Training Schedule by date or by topic.

There is a wealth of multimedia training resources available online. AU faculty, staff and students have access to thousands of hours of free training at Lynda.com. Create a personal profile and get started. More information about resources can be found at Multimedia @ AU.

This Just In: More scary movies!!

That’s right, just yesterday a few more spooky films were added to the Home Use Collection. Take one home this weekend. Also, don’t forget about the most recent entry about scary movies, which also links to other films that will be perfect to check out this Halloween weekend. Beetle Juice – HU DVD 9030 Masters … Continue reading “This Just In: More scary movies!!”

That’s right, just yesterday a few more spooky films were added to the Home Use Collection. Take one home this weekend. Also, don’t forget about the most recent entry about scary movies, which also links to other films that will be perfect to check out this Halloween weekend.

Beetle Juice – HU DVD 9030

Masters of Horror – HU DVD 9040

Saw – HU DVD 9061

They Live – HU DVD 9020

Take art from Illustrator and make it 3D in Cinema 4D

This is a video tutorial on taking vector art and importing it into Cinema 4D to create a 3D object that can be animated, textured, and manipulated in 3D space. In this tutorial, written by David from filmmakingcentral.com he shows you exactly how to do this. Read the step by step tutorial and watch the … Continue reading “Take art from Illustrator and make it 3D in Cinema 4D”

This is a video tutorial on taking vector art and importing it into Cinema 4D to create a 3D object that can be animated, textured, and manipulated in 3D space. In this tutorial, written by David from filmmakingcentral.com he shows you exactly how to do this.

Read the step by step tutorial and watch the video here.

As seen on GomediaZine and FimmakingCentral

Export workflow for faster and better web videos

Thanks to one of our NMC Consultants, this exporting trick is becoming a popular trend in the New Media Center. Instead of trying to convert to a web version within Final Cut (any version), it’s actually faster to export a file at current settings, then convert that single file to the web version using mpeg … Continue reading “Export workflow for faster and better web videos”



Thanks to one of our NMC Consultants, this exporting trick is becoming a popular trend in the New Media Center. Instead of trying to convert to a web version within Final Cut (any version), it’s actually faster to export a file at current settings, then convert that single file to the web version using mpeg streamclip. Final Cut could take 45 minutes or more to do this in one step, so by doing it in two steps, the whole process usually doesn’t take more than ten minutes.

The process:

When you’re ready to export your your movie, choose:

File–>Export–>Quicktime movie (not Quicktime conversion)

Leave “current settings,” rename the file and tell it where to save.

This makes a single Quicktime file of the finished film.

(in FCP X choose Share–>Export media, the rest of the process is the same).

Now drag the finished file into Mpeg Streamclip. Choose File–>Export to Quicktime. When the window appears, turn the quality to 100, and change the compression to “h.264”. Don’t worry about any other settings.

Since Mpeg Streamclip is designed to convert footage, and FCP is not, it will look better and work faster than trying to do this inside Final Cut. If the exported file is too large, or otherwise turns out to be not what you need, you can simply redo the last step, instead of having to wait 45 minutes for FCP to try again.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month Film Screening: Sin by Silence – Thursday, October 27, 7pm, Kreeger G01

Domestic Violence Awareness Month Film Screening: Sin by SilenceThursday, October 27, 7:00 p.m., Kreeger G01This October American University is observing National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. College students experience dating violence at staggering rates and face unique obstacles in accessing services to escape an abusive relationship. Join us for a film viewing of the incredible documentary … Continue reading “Domestic Violence Awareness Month Film Screening: Sin by Silence – Thursday, October 27, 7pm, Kreeger G01”


Domestic Violence Awareness Month Film Screening: Sin by Silence
Thursday, October 27, 7:00 p.m., Kreeger G01
This October American University is observing National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. College students experience dating violence at staggering rates and face unique obstacles in accessing services to escape an abusive relationship. Join us for a film viewing of the incredible documentary Sin by Silence and a post-film discussion.
Sponsor: Peer Educators for the Elimination of Relationship and Sexual Violence (PEERS), AU Men of Strength, the Wellness Center, the Sexual Assault Prevention Coordinator, the Women’s Resource Center, and Women’s Initiative
Contact: rappapor@american.edu

Science in Society Film and Discussion Thursday, Oct 27, 7-10 p.m., Wechsler Theater

Science in Society Film and DiscussionThursday, October 27, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Wechsler TheaterJoin SOC professor Matthew Nisbet and University of Manchester (UK) scholar David Kirby as they discuss the role of scientists as Hollywood consultants on blockbuster movies ranging from Jurassic Park to A Beautiful Mind. Following the hour-long discussion with Kirby, there will … Continue reading “Science in Society Film and Discussion Thursday, Oct 27, 7-10 p.m., Wechsler Theater”

Science in Society Film and Discussion
Thursday, October 27, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Wechsler Theater
Join SOC professor Matthew Nisbet and University of Manchester (UK) scholar David Kirby as they discuss the role of scientists as Hollywood consultants on blockbuster movies ranging from Jurassic Park to A Beautiful Mind. Following the hour-long discussion with Kirby, there will be a screening of Carl Sagan’s Contact starring Jodie Foster.
Sponsor: School of Communication
Contact: Matthew Nisbet, nisbetmc@gmail.com
Web: http://scienceblogs.com/framing-science

Critics: Filmmakers, celebrities create market for exotic animals

Check out this guest blog post, which ran earlier this week in Washington Post’s College Inc. It’s about the unfortunate incident which occurred earlier this week in Ohio and it mentions two AU affiliates. On Tuesday, the owner of a private exotic animal preserve released his captive beasts, then killed himself. Ohio law enforcement officers … Continue reading “Critics: Filmmakers, celebrities create market for exotic animals”


Check out this guest blog post, which ran earlier this week in Washington Post’s College Inc. It’s about the unfortunate incident which occurred earlier this week in Ohio and it mentions two AU affiliates.

On Tuesday, the owner of a private exotic animal preserve released his captive beasts, then killed himself. Ohio law enforcement officers spent the following day tracking and killing the animals, as residents cowered in their homes. The spectacle of tigers and bears loose in Midwestern yards captivated the cable-television news cycle.

Here, for some perspective on those events, is a guest post from Chris Palmer and Angeli Gabriel. Palmer is director of American University’s Center for Environmental Filmmaking and author of the Sierra Club book “Shooting in the Wild: An Insider’s Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom.” Gabriel is an anthropologist, filmmaker, and master’s candidate at American University.

The massacre of nearly 50 exotic animals from a game farm in Ohio is a tragic example of why wild animals (exotic or otherwise) should not be kept as pets.

To put it simply, wildlife should remain in the wild. When they are locked up in cages and forced into confinement, their suffering and stress is immense. They cannot lead healthy lives when taken from their natural habitat and placed in what’s usually a cramped and poorly maintained game farm or facility – it’s unfair, cruel and unnatural.

The owner of the massacred animals, Terry Thompson, kept all sorts of animals – bears, tigers and monkeys, among others – locked up in cages. Apart from the claustrophobic living conditions (compared to living in the wild), wild animals are sometimes purchased by naive people who severely underestimate the special needs of the animals and even mistreat them. In fact, Thompson had previously been convicted of animal cruelty and was suspected of animal neglect.

What makes this tragedy even worse is that people like Thompson are in demand by filmmakers and photographers. In many wildlife documentaries and photos, the animals featured are not as “wild” as they seem. In fact, they come from game farms (similar to Thompson’s) that house and provide wildlife on demand. Basically, creatures that were intended to roam freely can be made available to anyone with the right amount of money. For example, Thompson was hired to bring three lion cubs to a photo shoot with Heidi Klum in New York City. With transactions like that, business can be good for game farm owners.

Hopefully the event in Ohio will shed light on the horrible business of keeping wild animals in captivity for personal pleasure and for business. They should not to be auctioned, rented or collected by humans. They should not to be dominated, manipulated and taken advantage of. Most importantly, they should not to be stripped of what they value most – to be wild and free.

By leaving wild animals in their natural habitats, tragedies like the massacre in Ohio can be prevented. For the sake of the animals and for the safety of humans, wildlife should remain as nature intended: free.