Posted on 13 December 2019 | 6:19 pm

The short answer: -14 LKFS/-1.1 dBTP.

On the dB scale:
-1 dB from peak gives a smidge of headroom without clipping.
-1.1 affords a little extra room for compression.  The quantitative rounding in an MP3 can result in a .1 db error.

On the loudness side of things:
-14 LKFS (loudness weighted full scale)..

What the bleep is LKFS?  It’s a measurement of perceived loudness outlined in ATSC A/85 in the US.  That describes TV broadcast standards for us.  It’s aimed at normalizing the sound levels between channels and mixed content such as commercials.  Netflix standards are -24 LKFS and -2 dB.

YouTube’s official videos are around -14 LKFS. 

Why does it matter?  Because two artists can master a mix with the same material at -1db yet perceptually sound very different in loudness.  An example would be using heavy compression versus a mix with more dynamic headroom.  Secondly, it avoids the streaming services audio normalization processing your audio in a way you did not intend.

If you right click on a YouTube video and select "Stats for nerds" you can see the volume position of the player, the volume of what Google is actually playing the media back at, and the difference in dB it was adjusted.  I'm not sure if Brightcove does such adjustments on the fly, but the point would be to standardize volume levels to keep viewers from reaching for the controls when viewing our content.

So when finishing audio, check the 'loudness' as well as the dB scale.  Loudness can be measured with the "Loudness Radar" audio effect in both Premiere and Audition.

Posted on 27 July 2017 | 6:12 pm

"Life's About To Get Good" - Shania Twain's comeback single of sorts is a pleasant Twain country-pop anthem. Mirada did a beautiful job executing this creative video. I jumped in contributing to the motion graphics and visual effects. Now if only the spam mail I get at home could take me here.

Posted on 8 January 2015 | 8:05 pm

"Monopoly Millionaires' Club" is ready to start tapping for national syndication at the Rio in Las Vegas. As a correction to this "Entertainment Weekly" article, there are over 38,000 lighting controls (on the worlds biggest light control board ever!).  True to Vegas form.  To bad I'm not allowed to play the lottery.

Posted on 23 October 2014 | 6:23 am

I recently got the new technology start up "PingTank" up and running with a new animation department.  Aside from creating custom work stations, network infrastructure, servers, backup, remote utilization, automation and writing custom databases to track the work flow, I animated over a 100 graphics to help take this start-up to launch.  Look out for the next big thing in the social media space, www.pingtank.com

Posted on 2 June 2014 | 10:09 pm

Fun Seven Eleven spot with Stardust.

Posted on 2 June 2014 | 10:00 pm

Blowing things up at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards with mDots. It's a lot of fun when you get a whole stage as a blank canvas.

Posted on 29 November 2013 | 4:17 am

All 450+ VFX shots are in the can and the final DCP is out the door.  After picking up a couple film awards, including "best picture" and "best visual effects" in Louisiana, sparks has been picked up for both domestic and international distribution with a limited theatrical release to be announced soon.

Posted on 2 November 2013 | 3:24 am

Well, I got married in May and have been working with the talented crew at Sideshow Productions over the past year doing more toy commercials than I can count. What does this all mean? I still like to play! However, the toys just keep getting more expensive.

Posted on 4 May 2012 | 6:23 am

An early Sparks movie trailer has been released.  This is the current film I've been supervising.  You can view it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6NM7BEUP5i8

Posted on 12 June 2011 | 8:05 pm

The Audi spot I worked on at Blind has been selected in the design category at the 20th Annual AICP Show, The Art & Technique of the American Television Commercial at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Pretty Neato!

Posted on 18 March 2011 | 6:52 pm

I recently shot and directed this short film. It was a first for me and a bit of an experiment using a new HDSLR. Stay tuned for some better work.
Visit the site.

Posted on 18 March 2011 | 6:47 pm

BBH asked Vanessa at Blind and her team which included myself to create a highly stylized journey through the mind of an automotive designer, creating visual representations of an engineers inspiration.

Posted on 18 March 2011 | 6:45 pm

Finished another mixed media painting.

Posted on 18 March 2011 | 6:38 pm

Hospital Relief International's site is live! HRI is a non-profit, grassroots organization committed to helping meet the growing need for quality medical care in the developing world. I encourage you to take a look at this site and consider how you can take the opportunity to really help others in a very practical way. I currently serve on the board of directors.

Visit the site.

Posted on 18 March 2011 | 6:36 pm

Dr. Martens is celebrating their 50th anniversary, and Blind was invited to join the party. I was a part of a small team that finished this feat in only two weeks!

Posted on 18 March 2011 | 6:33 pm

Took some time to make a blogger site look cool through some CSS. This is the young adults ministry at Calvary Community Church where I currently serve.

Visit the site.

Posted on 31 October 2009 | 12:00 am

Just finished a new holiday spot for Glade with Blind and a Common Thread. This spot was especially challenging for the schedule. The thirty second spot was shot in one 18 hour day utilizing a portable motion control rig and a Sony F35 camera. Latter, the plates were all aligned and on-set HDI imagery processed for the integration of CG elements and the final compositing.

Posted on 9 September 2009 | 11:59 pm

Having visited a few art galleries, I kept saying to myself, "I can do that". So I did, but of course, I need to put an airplane in it. It's finally finished, framed and hanging on the wall! It's a mixed media piece that began its life with the wacom pen and finished as acrylic on canvas. It’s 36x24 inches. I already have another one in the works. It's kinda nice to make something you can actually touch.

Posted on 16 July 2009 | 11:59 pm

Just cut a new demo reel of what I've been up to in 2009 thus far. It features work for the 2009 CinemaExpo and the Monsters vs Aliens iPhone app.

Posted on 24 June 2009 | 11:58 pm

"This reel, by far, was the best we've ever done"-Paul Hanneman, Fox Int'l President. Another year, and another great success.

Posted on 1 May 2009 | 11:57 pm

After a few months of development, the journey365.org website is launched. It's a ministry of a modern church with the aim to make christianity both relavent and approachable. The site makes extensive use of AJAX.

Posted on 17 March 2009 | 11:56 pm

The task - recreate Bob from Monsters vs Aliens bringing him to life for Avatar Lab's new iPhone App. Mission acomplished! You can now download him from the apple app store.

Posted on 18 November 2008 | 12:56 am

East coast versus West Coast motion graphics. I particapted in the event promoting the new Intel i7 processor and CS4 in San Fransisco.

Posted on 21 September 2008 | 11:55 pm

I just finished working with Pactitle on the new Dream Work's film "Eagle Eye" in theatres this Friday. This was an interesting job. Unfortunately, I don't get screen credit for being the villain. Go see the movie! It's even in IMAX.

Posted on 18 February 2008 | 12:55 am

It's not just a theme for a website, yesterday in accordance with FAR 61.123 I offically became a commercial pilot after a 2 hour test flight. To top it off, I got a new hanger at Whiteman airport for my aircraft.