mahou shoujo madoka bluray vol.4 unboxing

This is going to be yet another short post.  Work has been v v v v busy and I just managed to get a bit of respite today.  I spent it watching 2 more episodes of Toda Erika in Keizoku 2: SPEC and totally loving her performance. :)  And then I spent a little time taking photos of the unboxing of Mahou Shoujo Madoka bluray special edition with bonus CD.  YAY!!!  This time, it's Vol.2 of Kajiura Yuki's ost for this series.  While this isn't my favourite Kajiura ost, my current favourite is probably music from Kara no Kyoukai, still I like this ost plenty.

Anyway, let's cut to the chase and put up the photos.  Then I need to go get some shut-eye.




Just a few more things before I go.  A few days ago, Kalafina announced that they will be releasing their new album, titled "After Eden", in Sept.  Yesterday, they announced that that date has been fixed.  The new album will be released on the 21st Sept 2011. :)  Yay!!!!!  It seems like Sony will also release through Sony Magazine, an official yet to be titled Kalafina book.  This book will contain photos of the 3 Kalafina girls, interviews, a report of the Spring "Magia" Tour and Kajiura Yuki's commentary on all the tracks (I presume only those written for Kalafina and not including non-Kalafina related songs).    This book will be released on the 16th Sept to commemorate the release of the 3rd album.  This sounds EPIC to me!!!!!!  I just hope I translated it correctly since my Japanese is still kinda "下手".  I hope this book will be easy to pre-order cuz I am so getting it.

Back to the album, there will be 2 versions as usual.  One is the regualar edition and the other is the limited edition.  The limited edition will contain a dvd with the PV of "symphonia", which I think should be the theme song for the latest season of the NHK documentary Rekishi Hiwa Historia (歴史秘话ヒストリア), as well as live video footage and documentary footage about the trio's trip to the Anime Expo 2011 event.  In addition to the DVD, there will also be a 40 page pamphlet.  According to CDJapan, the end theme song for the 2nd season of Kuroshitsuji (Kagayaku Sora no Seijaku niwa) and Magia (the end theme for Mahou Shoujo Madoka) will be included in this album release.  I'm thinking "symphonia" maybe included too since the PV is included.  I've already pre-ordered the limited edition of course. :D

Meanwhile, if you have money to burn and are starved for some Kalafina products, according to the Kalafina website, the just published 「リスアニ! Vol.06」 (Risuani Vol.06) has a little bit about Kalafina's trip to the Anime Expo 2011 in Los Angeles recently.  I checked out the cover of Risuani Vol.06 and Kalafina isn't mentioned on the cover.  So I think it's most likely not a very long article... chances are it's just a one page... hence, I'm hesitant about getting it.  I did get Risuani Vol.05 cuz Madoka was one of the features.  But if it's just a one page... I think I'll pass and save it for that official yet to be titled Kalafina book. :)

K... that's it... I need to sleep.  Till next time... take care y'all.

Nuke!!!

Super super super tired these days.  As usual, work has taken over my life.  Even my Japanese studies, doramas, anime, music, photography and Bones have to take a back seat.  But I'm not complaining. :)  This time, unlike the previous times when I was frustrated because I didn't see myself going anywhere, I am really quite happy to put in OT... at least for now... and probably for quite some time yet.

Currently, we are getting some on the job training on The Foundry's Nuke and this software is awesome.  It was really intimidating at first because my background is all layer base software like Avid, Adobe Premier Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro etc etc.  Nuke is a node base compositing software and at the end of the day, the script looks like a flowchart and looks complicated and confusing.  Jumping from AE to Nuke was not easy at all, especially in the beginning.

I literally spent nights at the office in the past month trying to understand the principles behind node base compositing and at one point I was so frustrated... I think I would have sold my soul to "kyubey" for genius type competency in Nuke.  Hahahahaha... ... ... altho' this reminds me that I have yet to watch ep 11 and 12 of Mahou Shoujo Madoka. :(  I think I just don't want the anime to end. :)

Anyway.... last week, one of my seniors gave me a series of really good lessons on patching and camera projection and I really enjoy this kind of one-on-one session because after that... after I tried to do what he thought me etc, I finally think I understand the basics.

Today, I handed in my first clean-up shot.  It's so exciting!!!  Hahahaha... sounds silly but seriously, this is way more challenging then roto and altho' I don't dislike roto, still... sometimes, I want something that will stretch me further and Nuke is doing that right now.  Armed with the principles my supervisor and my senior taught me, I was able to work my way through the shot and I think it was a decent effort.

This afternoon, I tried to work my way through some example scripts my supervisor and given us and I was also relieve and really happy that I was able to figure out channel shifting from just messing with his script.  =)

K... that's if from me for now... I m tired and I'm contemplating if I should just call it a night and forget about "edge mattes" and 6 weeks worth of Japanese homework and just go to sleep. :)