Sunday, April 12, 2009

Morph It!

I forgot to post before now about a breakthrough of sorts that occurred last week. I was fooling around with Morpheus - the software I use to make morphs - and discovered by accident that I could load a recently edited / cropped video file made with Virtual Dub. With that discovery, I now have the power to make the files I need to do video morphing!

As if that wasn't exciting enough, the next day, I found software (RAD Video Tools) that lets me convert .MOV files to .AVI files. This means I can shoot short video clips on my cell phone, move them to my computer using a micro SD card, convert them from Quicktime to WMV (Windows Media Video, for those not in the know) and then do a video morph using footage I've made myself.

As a test, I found some footage online that I'm going to work on over the next few days / weeks / months. The source video is an audition tape for runway models. It has many different models, both male and female, doing the same walk against a neutral, white background. I chose a male and a female model that were dressed somewhat similarly and made two shorter videos using Virtual Dub, one for each model. I loaded them into Morpheus and now have a nice crossfade with no morphing of the man into the woman. I expect a nice result once I've had a chance to begin the real work of getting the morph set up.

Wish me luck!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Submission

I had more luck contacting Reluctant Press this time around. Ms. Chrissie wrote back with some needed info and I'll be sending in submissions in the near future.

My proofreader is off work again today. Grrr! I want my manuscript back so I can use my notes to make some changes before I submit it. Judging by past experience, not much changes during the editing process at RP, so what I submit is pretty much locked in stone once I send it in.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Back in Business

My proofreeder is back from her vacation in Atlantic City. She didn't take the manuscript with her, but she has read some and liked what she's read so far.

WHEW!!!

My big concern with this story was right at the front end. My original thought was to add in this really outrageous situation to try and sell my Deus Ex Machina. I liked it when I wrote the story, and I liked it all the time it was marinating in my drawer. It was only when I got it out and read it again with fresh eyes that it seemed a little over the top. The fact that she likes it enough to not be put off by the oddity of it soothes my fragile nerves.

On a more frustrating note, Reluctant Press didn't reply to the automated form I sent requesting a contact. I'm going to have to E-mail them directly and hope for a response.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Random Daily Thought

Dreaming is a lonely business.

Friday, April 3, 2009

I Hate Vacation, But At Least I'm Not Shot

GAHHH! My proofreader left for vacation and took my manuscript with her! While I'm not concerned about the manuscript itself, this means that it will be days and days before I get the feedback that I need and crave!

Oh, well. At least no one I know was involved in today's shooting.

I live in the Binghamton area. I was just a few blocks from the location of the civic center shooting that's on the news while running errands this morning. A friend of mine is taking some classes at Ridley Lowell across the street, and lives just two blocks away. I drove by there on my way to an anniversary breakfast for work last Thursday, March 26th. I ate eggs perhaps a hundred yards from where those poor people were shot.

Life is just flat out weird, sometimes. For me, even though I live so close to this tragedy, it just seems like another shooting on the news. It's hard be be emotional about something that hasn't really effected me. I'm more worried about my AWOL proofreader than the outcome of what's going on in downtown.

Such thoughts leave me worried about the health of my soul.