Sonja Schenk

Web Tips: Shooting Video for the Web

Video clips enliven any Web site, but shooting video that looks good when viewed in a Web browser involves more than just pointing the camera and pressing a button. You need to take into consideration such factors as size, compression, and framing, not to mention subject matter. Sonja Schenk, a professional movie editor, reveals her secrets.

2002: The Creative Year in Review

What kind of year was 2002 for creative professionals? The staff and contributors of creativepro.com reflect on the year that's been and the year that's about to be.

The Creativepro.com Holiday Gift Guide

In our first-ever gift guide, creativepro.com's editors and contributors let you in on the gifts they'll be giving - and hope to be receiving -- this holiday season. From software to hardware, from gadgets to books, we've got just what you want.

Strata DV Pro 5: Stalwart Video Editor Works the Web with Ease

Novices will like this Mac-only video-editing application for its ease of use, but pros may be disappointed by its lack of high-end features. Yet both groups will like Strata DVpro's ability to deliver Web-ready video.

Adobe Premiere 6.5: Prime Time for Real-Time Video

As one of the first desktop video applications, Adobe Premiere took its (deserved) lumps, leaving the field open for competitors such as Apple's Final Cut Pro. But Adobe kept plugging away, and with its latest release Premiere seems to have regained some ground. Is it enough? Pro film editor Sonja Schenk takes a look.

Making a DVD Video Portfolio: Putting It All Together

In the first article in this series, we talked about DVD basics – how DVDs work and the hardware and software you need to make your own DVD demo reel. In the second article, we showed you how to use Photoshop to create interface elements - menus and buttons - for your DVD.

Making a DVD Video Portfolio: Onscreen Menus

Until very recently, DVDs have had a certain aura of mystery about them – they were created for the big movie studios by high-end post-production facilities, professionally mastered and mass-duplicated. That's still true for the DVDs you're renting at Blockbuster, but DVD technology has trickled down to the desktop and the secret's out...

Making a DVD Video Portfolio: DVD Basics

Mac, Camera, Action! Getting Started with Final Cut Pro

Building an editing system that works in the real world takes some planning, but with careful consideration of your needs, you'll be sitting in the director's chair in no time.

The Bitmap to Flash Success

Sometimes a line drawing just isn't enough. Photographic bitmapped images can add depth to the background of a Web site, enhance buttons and other interactive elements, and take the place of video footage.

Making Flash Roar

Everyone remembers the music from Jaws, the sound of the light saber fight in Star Wars, the comic sound effects of the Road Runner cartoons. Sounds help tell the story and enhance the mood, letting the audience know whether something is funny, scary, or important.

Flash in a Flash

Last March I got a call from a feature film production company I occasionally work for. The folks there wanted to produce several animated shorts for a Web site, and they wanted them done in six weeks.