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About

Jason == Python developer who hearts test-driven-development, multimedia aficionado, longtime free-software user, free-culture advocate

I'm the lead Novacut developer/architect. In bullet points, I am:

• Working like crazy to make Ubuntu the cat's pyjamas for pro HDSLR video (see http://vimeo.com/18287329)

• An early Launchpad and Bazaar adopter
• A longtime Debian and Ubuntu user

Contributions

Some recent contributions:

• Helped shoot HD video at UDS-N

• Ran session on Distributed Media Library at UDS-N.

• With help from rockstar, working hard to make dmedia an example of Launchpad project management best-practices

• Helped Manish Sinha learn some basics of Debian packaging

• Authored file import UX design for pro video users (utilizes NotifyOSD and Application Indicators)

Some of my projects in Launchpad:

• dmedia - distributed media library

• tymelapse - renders fake-HDR time-lapse from RAW photos

• novacut - bringing a distributed workflow (ala bzr) to video production

Novacut Vision

Ubuntu can easily become the premier platform for professional video production (e.g., movie and TV production). In addition to content-production, as Ubuntu's market share grows, it's becoming an increasingly valuable platform for content-distribution. This is where the rubber meets the road, and if we play our cards right, a huge opportunity to feed additional revenue into both the free-software and free-culture ecosystems.

That's exactly what we want to accomplish with Novacut, and we're approaching the problem from both sides. We aim to:

• Give creators the tools they need to create the open-source way. Free-software owes its success to more than just license... equally important are the pragmatic tools (like Bazaar and Launchpad) that have enabled us to write software faster, better, cheaper. We should strive to give free-culture every competitive advantage possible, and that's why we're developing the Novacut distributed video editor. To win, free-culture needs to be highly competitive in the market place.

• Provide the central market place that will allow Creative Commons licensed content to reach critical mass. It must be convenient for fans to find and watch CC content, and easy for fans to support the artist they love. Artists needs to make money. And Novacut needs to make money (how else can we pay developers to continually build better tools for artists). The market place is where this will happen.

IRC Channels

These are some IRC channels I tend to idle on:

• #novacut
• #ubuntuone
• #couchdb
• #ayatana
• #pitivi
• #ubuntu-co-us

Testimonials

MartinOwens - Jason is devoted to created interesting and useful programs and he's not afraid of getting right into the community and lending a hand in order to move things forwards. I've worked with Jason at UDS and online on various projects and can say that this is one hard working Ubuntu and free software dedicated individual who should be an Ubuntu member.

Jason is a committed and devoted hacker who has set a benchmark of how software development has to be done. For every feature he starts implementing he creates a bug on the launchpad and provides necessary guidance of what needs to be done if someoen wants to work using it. He has a very clear vision and is a ardent supporter of bazaar model of development. He has taught me Debian packaging and I would be forever grateful to him for giving me the first packaging class personally over IRC. I am glad that we have people like Jason in our community. manishsinha 2011-03-07 19:49:17

StuartLangridge -- Jason's a smart guy. I've had a number of interesting discussions with him about distributed projects and Novacut, and I'm confident that he's committed to not only his own project (Novacut) but also making that project be a first class Ubuntu citizen. He and I have discussed desktopcouch in detail, and he's provided both useful feedback and patches to the project to make it better, and the work he's doing to bring distributed video editing to Ubuntu is, in my opinion, a valuable addition to the project. I have no hesitation in supporting his application for Ubuntu membership.

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