When it comes to any sort of profession that deals with a computer, you need to be able to manage your files properly. Never put all you eggs in one basket…in this case in one partition on your hard drive.My current computer system looks like this:

• System - 500 GB (2×250 HDD on raid 0) - — - System files, current projects, past projects.
• External Hard Drive - 500 GB - — - Complete system backup including project files
• External Hard Drive - 200 GB - — - Misc files

This setup is great, except that backing up 465 GB of data ever week became a lengthy process, to such a point I started doing it every month. Only thing is…my operating system crashed without having done a backup for the past month. (thank you Microsoft). — Restoring a previous back up would mean losing any and all new projects for the whole month…can’t let that happen.
New system that I will implement:

• System - 300 GB (2×150 HDD on raid 0) - — - System files
• External Hard Drive - 250 GB - — - Current projects
• External Hard Drive - 250 GB - — - Past projects
• External Hard Drive - 500 GB - — - Projects backup
• External Hard Drive - 200 GB - — - Misc files, System backup

With the above setup, if my system or operating system crashes, I can always take my work to another computer temporarily, and I don’t run the risk of losing my project files as much. Plus backing up less than 300 GB of data isn’t as time consuming as backing up 456 GB

Also…having a spare bootable hard disk with your system drivers installed on it comes in real handy!

Remember to keep the tapes from your projects. Don’t over write the tapes, so that you can use the footage in the future if needed. Use new tapes instead.

     

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A couple weeks ago the ameer of Montclair MSA talked to me about doing a monthly movie night. I thought about it, and responded with saying that I don’t like “Islamic” movies. They aren’t very Islamic. I suggested presenting blockbuster movies, that have an Islamic message.

I figured why not take good movies, edit them for content and language, sandwich it with an Islamic message and present it to the masses at school. Majid (the ameer) asked if I’d like to run with it. (obvious answer)
We decided on a name…”Slick Flicks!” Put forth a list of movies, the first being Batman Begins

I began work on editing the movie. I got the DVD, put the content on my computer, only to realize that Adobe Premiere wasn’t being too friendly with the DVD content. This is where the challenges started.

I wanted to setup each movie night like this:

• Trailer to movie
• Islamic Message
• Movie
• Islamic Lesson of Movie
• Credits

The theatrical trailer from Apple’s website was edited in Adobe Premiere. The DVD was edited using TmpegEnc. The two are not really compatible with each other. Many hours later, after trying all kinds of conversions of video file formats, I decided on a solution. Turn everything to DVD, and edit it all using TmpegEnc.

Only problem with the solution…I didn’t have an Islamic message video to put before the movie. Result? Project comes to a stop for a whole week (I had mid-terms).

A few days ago, I remembered something. I was telling my brotha from another motha Safi Shareef about a dawah commercial idea I had at Sam’s wedding. People standing in front of the camera, saying the shadah! (I know it sounds dumb, but its not…you’ll see).

I figured I’ll use a unique visual style for this. High contrast black and white, 16×9 format (wide screen), with a while letterbox (as opposed to the standard black). — – Reason for the high contract black and white is to keep it parallel with the theme of right and wrong. Worshiping Allah versus worshiping something else. Clear contrast and distinction.
I went ahead with filming. Getting people to speak in front of a camera can be tough at times. I had set a goal to get 15 people to say the sahadah on camera. I ended up with 12, I really needed 8.

After editing the video, I felt it was incomplete. The video ended with the kalima in the end (looking like the liwaa’), but something was missing. I asked some brothers if there recitation of the kalima is in the Qur’an as is. Closest I got was the ending verses of Surat AlHashr. — – It hit me. I was missing the message of Tawheed in the video. I hit up Corbis Motion and Getty Images for some some video and image content to make the part.
Five hours later I ended up with this:

Filmed, edited, finalized and put online, in less than 24 hours.

————

Lessons:

• Work as a Team - getting the ameer and other main MSA members to help me do the filming was key in getting that part done.
• Use a Microphone - This was beautiful. The audio came our real well. I used Tip #5 from “Becoming a Camcorder Pro” Make sure you have someone helping you hold the mic.
• Use a Tripod - There is nothing like a steady camera shot.
• Use Sunlight - Sunlight makes for the best light source for getting a good image. Especially when your budget is $0.
• Set DEADline - I told myself that I will complete filming today before the sun goes down. I told the MSA people, that if filming is not done by then then there is going to be no movie night. Alhumdulillah, it went well.

     

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In August 06, Br Atiq over at Eman Rush gave me a call requesting a video to be made to promote Eman Rush and its new release at ISNA. I told them my price: A copy of each new release from Eman Rush, and credit towards the next AlMaghrib seminar. They agreed.

I didn’t want to face the obstacle of becoming unmotivated like I did with the Fiqh of Love trailer, so this time I decided to get a little more creative. I broke out my dysfunctional Sony D8 camera and started filming, but it wasn’t long until I became frustrated. So I decided to release my frustration:

I titled the above “Loud”

After I got that out of me…I was able to think clearly.

I figured I’ll use a technique that I learned from watching a couple “The making of” documentaries. One thing that was consistent with many films is the type of lighting. They always started off with plenty of lighting, and in the post production they adjusted it. Its difficult to make a dark picture bright, but its very easy to take a bright picture and make it dark.

I ended up with this:

Alhumdulillah, I think this was my best one yet

When making the presentation DVD for Eman Rush, I felt something was missing…uniformity in the introduction to each AlMaghrib trailer that I had access to. I decided to resume a project I had started some months back. I was in the process of doing a 3D animation for AlMaghrib. I went ahead and completed the rendering of the 3D and attached it to the beginning of every AlMaghrib trailer that I had made previously and put it on DVD.

The following is the intro 3D animation:

Feel free to comment

     

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