Until just recently video editing was only achievable with the help of expensive equipment and a considerable amount of training. Through the traditional “non-linear” editing days Quadruplex videotape was edited by visualising the recorded track with Ferro fluid and physically cutting the film with a razor blade or guillotine cutter and joining it with tape. In this day and age, modern non-linear editing systems use video which is digitally captured onto a hard drive from an analogue or digital video source. On the other hand, despite the end of “linear” editing and introduction of these “non linear” editing systems, video editing still works with the same key principles of motion picture film editing.

With advancements in computers and technology, video editing is a frequently changing environment, fedby the quick development of new hardware and software. Computer video editing software, also known as Non Linear Editing (NLE) composedof application software which handles the entire process of editing video sequences. Using software such as Sony Vegas, Apple’s Final Cut Pro and Adobe’s Premiere, footage is first recorded natively into the proper codec and stored on the computer (this stage is known as “capturing”). The footage is then logged, i.E. The editor makes note of the scene, shot number, take number and any additional information. It is then arranged in folders (“bins”), which is where proper clips (if they are part of the same scene) are grouped as one. Once this stage is completed the editor moves on to the actual cutting of the footage.

NLE software is generally based on a timeline interface where clips are dragged onto a video track and laid out in sequence. They carry a range of tools for trimming, splicing, cutting and arranging clips across the timeline. As digital NLE systems have advanced there are now features for colour manipulation, title animation and visual effects, also including tools for mixing audio. After the Clips have been arranged on the timeline, music tracks and titles added and special effects formed, the final sequence is “rendered” into a finished video. The video is then spread in a various number of ways such as DVD, Blue-ray, web streaming (QuickTime h.264, flv) or even mobile devices (like iPod’s, Blackberry’s).

The unique slapstick humor centered around the Clampett family who struck it rich when an oil well was discovered on their land and they moved to a Beverly Hills mansion. The Beverly Hillbillies was one of CBS’ longest-running comedies.

They deposited their first $25 million in Milburn Drysdale’s Commerce Bank. As Drysdale’s biggest depositors, they received special treatment including Mr. Drysdale moving them into the mansion next door in hopes of helping them become more civilized.

Jed was the clan’s patriarch. He was a widower with much more common sense than anyone gave him credit for. Jed’s mother-in-law, Granny, spent most of her time concocting potions for “medicinal purposes” and trying to find a husband for Elly May. Elly May was a gorgeous young woman who loved “critters” (everything from cats and dogs to skunks and deer). Cousin Jethro was a husky man who was as stupid as he was strong. The Clampetts’ encounters with corrupt politics, unfamiliar fashions, indoor plumbing, and the other trappings of modern life provided hilarious for years of classic comedy.

It entertained audiences for nine years in prime time but was finally canceled because its ratings declined gradually and its audience was too heavily concentrated in rural areas to suit Madison Avenue advertisers. Thanks to the launch of the fifth generation Apple iPod with video capabilities and digital entertainment companies like iVideoBlast.com you can still enjoy antics of Jed and all his clan on your iPod.

iVideoBlast.com allows you to fuel your iPod with Animation, TV Shows and Movies. You can watch The Beverly Hillbillies on your iPod by going to http://www.iVideoBlast.com and registering for free.

Oz is the street name for the Oswald State Penitentary, a rough and hardened prison where survival of the fittest is the prevailing law. But the focus of Oz is Level 5, an experimental cell block deemed “Emerald City” that’s managed by Unit Administrator Tim McManus (Terry Kinney) and thick-skinned Warden Leo Glynn (Ernie Hudson). One of the prisoners, wheelchair-bound convicted murderer Augustus Hill (Harold Perrineau Jr. of Lost) narrates for the viewer, tying together the various storylines that play out within the prison. In an atmosphere of well-governed anarchy, prisoners come and go (some paroled; some murdered), prison guards uphold their duty (while some are corrupt), and various groups (such as Muslims, Aryans, Latinos, Italians, gangstas, gays, etc.) compete for power over each other and over the prevalent drug trade rampant within the walls of Oz. Tobias “Toby” Beecher (Lee Tergesen) plays the “everyday man,” having been convicted for manslaughter while driving drunk, and his character’s experiences force the viewer to place himself in the shoes of the inmate. Other notable characters include Prisoner Miguel Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo), Prisoner Bob Rebadow (George Morfogen), Prisoner Vernon Schillinger (J.K. Simmons), Prisoner Kareem Said (Eamonn Walker), Prisoner Tony Masters (Steven Wishnoff), Officer Diane Whittlesey (Edie Falco of The Sopranos), and Father Ray Mukada (B.D. Wong of Law & Order: SVU). Together, they form a solid cast that makes Oz one of the best original cable dramas ever produced…

The Oz (Season 2) DVD features a number of dramatic episodes including the season premiere “The Tip” in which Oz takes a rest following a deadly riot that left two officers and six prisoners dead. Governor James Devlin (Zeljko Ivanek) demands an answer to the riot’s cause, and he enlists Alvah Case (Charles S. Dutton) to investigate, promising him his support for state Attorney General. After a thorough investigation, he decides to look the other way in regard to Whittlesey and Ross’s cigarette operation and Ross’s subsequent murder, and he deems the riot a “no-fault” occurrence, incurring the wrath of Governor Devlin… Other notable episodes from Season 2 include “Great Men” in which Kareem Said sees the opportunity to have his conviction overturned when the judge from his trial is admonished for accepting bribes, and “Escape from Oz” in which two prisoners are killed when an escape tunnel collapses, while Said turns down a pardon from the Governor, making him all the more popular in Oz…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Oz (Season 2) DVD:

Episode 9 (The Tip) Air Date: 07-11-1998
Episode 10 (Ancient Tribes) Air Date: 07-20-1998
Episode 11 (Great Men) Air Date: 07-27-1998
Episode 12 (Losing Your Appeal) Air Date: 08-03-1998
Episode 13 (Family Bizness) Air Date: 08-10-1998
Episode 14 (Strange Bedfellows) Air Date: 08-17-1998
Episode 15 (Animal Farm) Air Date: 08-24-1998
Episode 16 (Escape from Oz) Air Date: 08-31-1998

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Oz (Season 2) DVD.