Open Source

As some of you know, I stayed up all night on the Eve of Black Friday to try to get a laptop. Luckily, I got #8 out of 9 laptops at Office Depot on Wilshire Blvd. (this was in my opinion, the best deal of Black Friday this year)

Needless to say, it's not a top of the line laptop, but for $350, I decided on an impulse to just wait it out.

So now, I'm setting it up with software and such, and have been looking at Open Source Software (which is typically free) For one, the price is VERY NICE! But also, open source software usually doesn't take up as much resources from your computer as other private software. This usually comes at the expense of some features, but it is usually those features of the software that I rarely use. Therefore, since my new laptop doesn't have the horsepower, I will try to keep it light and thin.

Here are some sites that might help:

• Open Source Windows: This one has a list of a bunch of great Open Source Software. I might list some others within this site individually because I have either used them or I'm interested in them.
• Mozilla Firefox: I mean, C'mon who doesn't know this one. Though lately, I've been trying Chrome from Google and I'm very happy with it. (still in beta version)
• Open Office: This seems to be the best open source (free) replacement for Microsoft Office. As far as I know. I've actually installed this one and have used it briefly. I have to say, so far I like it.
• Celtx: Here is one for us film makers. I'm not writing any scripts now, but I've installed it on my desktop. I like it. Its a pre-production tool. Lets  you write scripts, storyboard, collaborate with others, and even schedule shoots. The Celtx Project Central, lets you collaborate and share your project. If you make films, definitely give this one a looksy.
• Evolution: I've been trying to see what else is out there besides Microsoft Outlook. So far, I think I'm staying with Outlook, but I'm using Google Calendar (which as per my previous post) now links to my iPhone. But this solution seems like it might work just as good.
• Paint.Net: I tried this one on my laptop, but it just didn't seem to be as powerful as Photoshop. Actually I was trying to do something simple with it and it very quickly showed it's lack of capabilities. It might work for some, but it didn't for me. Maybe GIMP might be better.

That's it for now. I'll see what else I can find.

Thanks for reading,

Luis Sinibaldi

Independent Films

As many of you know, there are many forums online that deal with independent film making. I belong to a few.

The ones that I'm usually on are:

• DVXUser
  
• REDuser
  

But there are many others that have much information for the independent film maker. From time to time, I like to do a search and see what's out there.

Recently I found:

• myProducer.tv : This site seems interested. It seems you can get a free membership to become a Hobbyist Filmmaker, but you would need to upgrade your membership to become Serious Filmmaker or a Professional Filmmaker. (they don't say how much it costs) The difference is the Serious Filmmakers can invite people to become cast/crew of your project and give you some management tools for your project. As a Professional Filmmaker, you are able to do more administrative/management functions, but mainly, you are able to accept donations and or Producers (investors) to your project and RAISE FUNDS FOR YOUR MOVIE. (I haven't joined yet, but it seems interesting. I am a little worried that they don't list how much it takes to upgrade your membership. For their exact breakdown of their features, please visit their site) 
• Indieflix.com : Now this one sounds very exciting. It seems they let you self distribute your film. The beauty is that it is non-exclusive so you can shop your project elsewhere, and they give you a 70/30 slip. YES THAT IS 70% TO YOU!!! They let people buy your movie via DVD (suggested $9.95 for a feature and $5.95 for a short but you can set whatever you want) But I think they are adding a pay-per-view feature. (not sure about the cost?) Its free to enter, but your film has to be an "Official Selection" at a film festival. (thought, they make exceptions. yay!!!)

Hope you check out these sites, as I will be doing in the near future and try to use them to become a better Artist & Entrepreneur.

Thanks for reading,

Luis Sinibaldi

(note: for this and all posts on this blog, please verify information with said websites and/or company. I write what I understand to be the rules and requirements of the companies mentioned, but I leave the responsibility to you to verify that it is correct. Also, companies change their policy from time to time. I will not be updating this blog to reflect such changes.)

Calendars and To Dos

In my effort to become more organized and productive, I've been researching software that will help me do this. So far, I've signed up at:

• www.toodledo.com - for a To Do application
• www.wrike.com - for more of a work group To Do & Collaboration
• google calendar - I'm going to try to get rid of Outlook Calendar and use Google Calendar

I really like Toodledo for a To Do application. I've signed up for a whole year to get the extra features. (it was only like $12 for the year) I like how it lets you prioritize your tasks as  you input them and then you can list all your task by priority. When I have a huge list of things to do, I always find it difficult to sort which one is more important. But when I'm inputting the task, it seems easy for me to put a deadline, an importance level, etc.. Then when I look at the whole list in priority view and most of the tasks are set up the way I should be tackling them.

Also, there is an iPhone App for Toodledo. (I'm really trying to be able to use my iPhone to the max)

Wrike, I'm still just getting used to. This is mainly for collaborating with Mark and Tim, my partners. I think it will be a great tool for all of us to be on the same page.

As for Google Calendar, I just switched over to it, and I really like it. For some reason it just seems visually simple and intuitive. (not sure why Outlook doesn't feel the same to me?) One other thing I figured out was how to sync my Google Calendar to my Calendar on my iPhone without being plugged in. For outlook, I needed and exchange server, (which I wasn't about to set up) or I needed to plug in my phone to my computer. Fortunately, I found this http://www.ianfernando.com/2008/sync-google-calendar-with-iphone-3g/ so try:

• http://www.nuevasync.com/
  

for an easy way to sync your iPhone with your Google Calendar.

One other added bonus, there is a way to integrate Toodledo with Google Calendar. (only on the web version of Google Calendar that is) Its not like it imports the items directly on the calendar, but it gives you a drop down menu of your task. If they could combine Toodledo with Google calendar, where you could drag and drop your tasks into the calendar, this would be ideal. But so far, I like it very much.

That's it for now. Hope this helps some of you.

Thanks for reading,

Luis Sinibaldi