EarGASM 101: Royksopp “What Else Is There”

Photo from Videoville.org

ABOUT: Röyksopp is Torbjorn Brundtland and Svein Berge, a dynamic electronica duo from Tromso, Norway. The Norwegian translation for “røyksopp” translates literally as “smoke mushroom”. The track “What Else Is There?” was released on their second album “The Understanding” which sells both as a 12 track album and as a two disk 17 track Deluxe edition released in 2005. Karin Dreijer Andersson ( from the electronica Swedish group The Knife) lends her vocals on the track. “What Else Is There?” feels like a haunting combination of Hall N Oats meets Danny Elfman meets trip hop with Spanish guitar – it has a rolling credits cinematic quality. Karen’s epic vocals remind me of a harmonious synergy of Bjork and Cindy Lauper. The The song was used in the film Cashback in 2006 and in 2008 it was featured on an O2 television advert in both the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic and it appeared again in the film Meet Bill. I have been following Royksopp since 2001, but North Americans would know about them because their hit song “Remind Me” was part of a highly successful Geico Caveman TV campaign in 2006.

SIGNIFICANCE: Tailgating on the success of the “Remind Me” track “What Else Is There?” has entered the mainstream commercial consciousness. I would like to echo that commercial appeal does not translate to success, but it does bring to the forefront a highly dynamic group that can seamlessly serve both mainstream and underground heads alike.

Press ‘Play’ Below >> Listen >> Then Visit The EarGASM 101 Playlist

EarGASM 101: Telepopmusik “Breathe”

Photo from Yahoo.com

ABOUT: Télépopmusik is a French electronic music group with three members. The track “Breathe” was featured on their debut album “Genetic World” in 2001. Its a Chill Electronica House type of track – the kind you can dance or lounge to. Angela McCluskey’s husky yet dreamy vocals remind me of Eryka Badu or Amy Whinehouse under a slight echo voice filter. Angela was the co-writer and guest vocalist on the track, she is a member of the group Wild Colonials. I first heard “Breathe” on internet radio in 2001 and forgot all about it and then it resurfaced again in 2003 in a Mitsubishi ad. The song became a big hit and actually was nominated for a Grammy in 2004 – Kyle Minogue somehow managed to beat them out for Best Dance track. I think Kyle is legit but the Grammy’s truly are not.

SIGNIFICANCE: This is one of if not the very first of the great contemporary Electronica Dance tracks to make it to a mainstream American commercial. Not that its important, but it certainly helped to make it one of the more memorable tracks in this genre.

Press ‘Play’ Below >> Listen >> Then Visit The EarGASM 101 Playlist

NOTES: Online Video Basics Part 1

NOTES: Online Video Basics – Part 1
October 3rd, 2008

The following are basic tips, ideas, and solutions discussed in Carmina’s Small Business Internet Marketing Workshop on Tuesday September 30, 2008. The topic was on: “Online Video Basics – Part 1“.

We were going on the basis that there is minimal budget for this project. We were limited to the use of cell phones, digital cameras, webcams and a computer with an internet connection. In part II, we will discuss video editing and more video distribution options. So the question is how do we create an online video presence on a shoestring budget?

I. Whats the Purpose For Shooting the Video?

A. Tell us your story!

- distinguish if its for a business, a hobby, or if its personal
- know the audience and the tone of the story
- decide how often you will produce the video
- people have short attention spans, decide on a length below 10 minutes

B. Shoot your story!

- use an embedded computer cam, a webcam or a connected digital camera
- go mobile using a personal cell phone or digital camera

II. Once you know the story, figure out how you will produce it: What Is your Video Recording Tool?

A. Using a cell phone?

- Quality: be aware that the quality is generally of poor resolution.
- Record: the length of clip depends on the size of the memory car

D. Ask for memory upgrade
- Format: file format is usually 3GP.
- Audio: not very good but under minimal noise conditions you can capture it ok
- Examples: LG Vu CU920, Samsung SLM a747, T-Mobile Wing, Motorola RAZR2 V8
- Price: range from

B. Using a digital camera

- Quality: be aware that the quality is decent to superb depends on the camera’s sensor
- Record: the length of clip depends on the size of the memory car

D. 4GB is great
- Format: file format is usually AVI, MOV, MPG
- Audio: its solid as long as you are close enough to the subject with minimal background noise
- Examples: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS, Canon PowerShot SD20, Casio Exilim EX-Z750
- Price: range from

C. Using a webcam?

- Quality: anything over a 2-megapixel sensor is acceptable quality.
- Record: the amount of time you can record depends on the size of desktop or external hard drive
- Format: file format is only limited to the computers’ software usually its a native DV format
- Audio: some of the cheaper webcams do not have mic’s, if the internal mic is poor buy a USB mic
- Editing: comes with editing software out of the box
- Examples: Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000, The HP Elite Autofocus, Creative Live! Cam Optia AF
- Price: range from $20 to $130

SHOOTING TIP: Be conscious of color contrasts, Lighting too much or little (dark-light) and minimize motion

III. Now that you have recorded the story, where do you put it?

A. Choose a web service and create a profile

- Youtube: its America’s most popular video sharing service the worlds fast growing site ever
- Blip: is a versatile video sharing service that has a huge google ranking and very flexible

B. Get the image from the recording device to the computer

- cellphone: message direct to online service or email to theself and download to the desktop.
- digital camera: download direct to the desktop using USB cable or memory card slot or device
- webcam: record direct to the online service or download direct to the desktop

C. Be aware of the mandatory video upload requirements

- the web video formats .avi, .qt, .dv, .mov, .mpeg, .mp4, H.264, .3gp, .asf, .wmv, .flv, .mpg
- the final video must be under 10 min and 100 MB
- make sure that the video is original content and not someone else’s copyright

D. Upload or Record the video clip up to the web-service

- make sure you provide a strong eye catchy title
- provide a detailed description about the video clip and make sure you type in the website URL
- when you tag the video clip, make sure you type in as many key words associated with the clip
- select the video category best associated with the video
- upload or record (if the site has recording capabilities) the video to the website

NOTE: even though its smart to test with Youtube and Blip first, it harms nothing to sign up for as many video sharing sites as possible. The more video sharing websites at you become a part of the better. Lastly after joining all the sites you can find, and exploiting them the best way possible, join Tubemogul.com. I suggest that this be your primary upload location. Tubemogul is the single most important video sharing submitter tool online today. Whatever sites that Tubmogul has on its list are the sites you must join to increase visibility.

These are the very bare very basic guidelines to creating an online video presence on a shoestring budget. Please go to my delicious bookmarks to find a list of more video sharing, online tools and resources. Also if you review the right side of the blog you will see the “Tools We Use” and the “Books We Use”. Every single item is a tool or a book that we have in our arsenal to get the job done. We highly recommend and stand by each of these products.

- bendrix

Bendrix Presenting: Online Video Basics – Part 1

Excellent Example done by The Common Craft Show

You may have heard of the power that viral videos can have on brands. The “Will it Blend?” and Smirnoff’s “Tea Partay” clips have received unbelievable traffic – (5.4 and 4.5 mill page views respectively!). And the good news is you don’t have to be a Hollywood producer to create a rockin’ 3-minute message for your business, whether it’s client testimonials, or product demos, or company news. Take advantage of free video applications that give your site’s visitors a much richer experience. It’s time to move from the printed word to the moving image!

Come to the Online Video Basics 2-part workshop and learn how to shoot & edit videos from your cellphone, camera or web cam to easily create compelling content for your website. Give your products and services added exposure on YouTube and other video sharing sites.

My guest speaker will be Ben Williams, aka Bendrix, a 9-year veteran of the media/advertising world and expert video producer/podcaster. Here’s what we’ll cover:

1- How to use hardware – webcams, digital cameras and cellphones – and download tape

2- Basic video editing

3- Downloading and promoting your clips on YouTube

4- Podcasting

5- Case Studies: How companies are using viral video to promote their business

There will be hands-on instruction with take-home assignments. In Part II we’ll be giving feedback on videos created by class participants.

Details:

What: Online Video Basics: 2-Part Series

When: Part I – Tuesday, Sept. 30
Part II – Tuesday, Oct. 7

Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm

Where: Manhattan (RSVP for location)

Cost: $30 per session in advance/ $35 at the door

Snacks & beverages will be served.

RSVP: carminap@yahoo.com or 212-650-0226

Click here for more info

When A Web Business Becomes Transparent – Part 1

What happens when the key words or phrases that directly associate with your company or brand increase your visibility at the top in all search engines? Pretty soon you get email requests from strangers like this: “Hello I Have An Interesting Business Proposal… I found your site really enchanting… and would like to buy a number of text-links on your site.” Now It sounds both flattering and fishy at the same time… Right? My response to this recent request: Please tell me more?

But let me backtrack a bit to provide a frame of reference.

When I was in China I was incapable of tending to our Codedsignal.com website. China blocks all Godaddy servers and Wordpress blogs and this Wordpress blog happens to be hosted on our Godaddy server. Now this is a dilemma for any individual or group wanting to maintain their online presence. Yes there are proxy servers but I decided to wait till I got back to the states to make more sound decisions with my team.

Anyway, since I am the sole blogger for our site, I do have to consult with our internal team when we make decisions for the site. Due to our inactivity, our rankings in Google had significantly dropped in relevance. Since I have been back in the USA, we have strategically added new content to the site and enhanced our SEO (search engine optimization). So within one months time we have now pushed up our visibility on all search engines. Here’s several examples: in Google we rank in the top #5 among search results for “Digital Media Network” | “Media Tips” | “Digital Media“. That’s quite an accomplishment considering we did this all the old fashioned way, hard work and patience and we did it all free with no extra SEO costs.

Now that that’s out of the way. Let me bring you back to the theme of this post. To be continued…

When A Web Business Becomes Transparent – Part 2

Continued from previous post

What happens when you start to get emails from nameless strangers “Hello I Have An interesting Business proposal… and would like to buy a number of text-links on your site.” Well most of the time my team would generally say no thank you. But this one time I decided to play along and see what the offering was. A week later we get an email stating the following:


“I shall pay you a total of $75 for five of your blog pages where you can easily add a small paragraph with links below the post. These links will be on specific pages. Important: I would be paying only a $75 one time fee and the paragraph’s will stay permanent i-e as long as the page stays.”

- bendrix

Digital Media 101: Say Goodbye FTP – Part 2

continued from previous post

Yesterday we talked about the departure from FTP to the web browser. Today I want to discuss some free alternative dedicated media store and share websites that upload directly from the browser.

Rapidshare has a simple Google like interface, it an excellent upload feature, possibly the best that we tested thus far. Megaupload on the other hand is hella confusing. Once you catch your bearings you can navigate pretty easy. For the one time upload they are both solid services and neither require you to login, but you can set up a profile if you wish. On the receiving end; however, as the recipient attempts to download they are met with an obnoxious countdown and bombarding ads strategically posted on the download page. That alone is a HUGE turnoff and a terribly bad decision for their business.

Both FileFactory and Yousendit are also good services, they also offer a simple upload and share feature. The big let downs are that there is no resumed support if disconnected and there are both storage and bandwidth limitations. The biggest issue of all is expiration date of the media media. Yousendit only provides 7 days from the date of upload FileFactory has extended from 7 days to 90 days. Yousendit does have a ton of features for their subscription service along with the ability to create a custom branded download page.

To be fair, the above mentioned services work perfectly fine for most instances and they are free after all. But some clients and people not so tech savvy may find them each to be off putting.

The Codedsignal 1st Pick
There can only be ONE!!!! In the free web sharing market, Mediafire wins convincingly. It has no time limit for hosting uploaded medias. It provides unlimited storage capacity, unlimited simultaneous downloads (that resume if disconnected), unlimited bandwidth to serve any medias under 100MB, Public and private password protected medias, Public and private password protected folders. The interface is user friendly for both the sender and the recipient. Learn more.

The Codedsignal 2nd Pick
Our second choice is Box.net. First off it stands out because it works for mobile. Users can upload and view media medias directly from their mobile phone (if the media is supported). The second thing you notice is that its got one of the most simple utilitarian interfaces of all the hosts mentioned. The biggest obvious drawback is that there is a 10 MB upload capacity. This would be a service for people serving small media medias. It has some great offerings and it plays well with Web 2.0 services, we feel that this is the hosting service to watch out for.

Every media store and share need is different. People are at varied experience levels and each situation is not always met with the same solution. The point of this post is to inform people of the free alternatives to FTP. We suggest our recommendations above but please take the information found in this blog and form your own investigation. We always enjoy feedback and comparisons so feel free to join the discussion.

- bendrix

Codedsignal.com is a Digital Media Network featuring: Beneath the Beat: Hip Hop | Beneath the Beat: Electronica | Shanxi Nan Lu: Travel | Digital Media Tips: Web Culture – and hosts a variety of other related media properties.

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Digital Media 101: Say Goodbye FTP – Part 1

Yesterday it was about FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and web hosting. Today its all about the web browser. Until recently it was impossible to store and share digital media unless you used an FTP client. It is true that applications like Flickr, Youtube and Facebook are a form of media-sharing; but this is not the same as serving large media files (ex. TIF, MPG-2 and AIFF) with the intent to take that media offline and/or transfer that same or altered media back to the web hosting server.

Media sharing is not a new concept, for over a decade people have used P2P (Peer to Peer) programs to transfer media. But what happens when the media is too big for email and your recipient doesn’t use IM, a torrent or an FTP client? What happens if its a time sensitive deadline and the client needs the files immediately? And what happens if someone attempts to download this media in a foreign land that blocks server inquiries from the country hosting the media?

For example, I was in mainland China for 8 months and during my stay I could not access our Wordpress blog nor any of our media hosted on our Godaddy server. Its an obscure reality, considering all the access we have in the USA, but it is something I have been thinking a lot about since I’ve been back in the states.

Its fascinating how less than 7 years ago, serving and storing media online was considered a complicated mundane task done only by geeky web masters and programmers. Now everyone, their mother and their mother’s mother, literally, want to share media. Since the dawn of the internet, FTP has been the method used to remotely transfer data files from your computer (client) and serve it up to a dedicated networking computer (server). Though it is a straightforward simple process, It remains a complicated mundane task for the masses.

An unexpected thing happened in the late 1990’s. The internet adjusted to a new set of rules. P2P applications like AIM, Napster, and Hotline made media sharing fun and accessible. People began to spend enormous amounts of time using P2P tools rather than hanging out on the dysfunctional ad-banner driven internet. People were downloading music, games, photos applications, and chatting. During this time the advertisers, consumers and programmers of the static and temperamental (multimedia) web were at a critical cross road.

Then between 2002-2005, something really exciting happened. Developers and visionaries fused the simplicity and collaboration of P2P culture and created an overlay for the mundane task driven internet. I firmly believe that the combination of portals like online dating sites and niché media sharing sites have helped to save internet culture as we know it. And most certainly they have forever reinvented the way people communicate and express themselves. People no longer need to learn complex programming nor perform data transfer protocols to present their media to the world. Today Its all about filling out profiles and posting, text, photos, audio, and videos through the browser.

Tomorrow we will examine some useful free alternative media storage sites.


- bendrix

Bendrix is the founder and Digital Media Strategist for Codedsignal, Inc. Codedsignal.com is The Digital Media Network featuring the following media properties: Beneath the Beat: Hip Hop | Beneath the Beat: Electronica | Digital Media Tips | Shanxi Nan Lu.

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Convert a Youtube clip, so you can edit video.

And not just Youtube, you can go to Myspace Video, Crackle, Veoh, Revver or a host of any FLV video sharing websites. This particular post is for Mac users. There are four installations needed.

Working with China + Nike + RZA + Kobe

On December 13, 2007, I was recruited by W+K (Wieden+Kennedy) to help develop an online strategy and to produce video for the first stage of an ongoing national Nike+China campaign. I was flown to Shanghai, China to work on a 6 month project addressing this Nike ambition. The campaign was centered around NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and 400 boys from all over China. It was a 6 part reality television series, where 24 out of the 400 boys were selected to go to America to train with US coaches and Kobe. Out of the 24 boys 16 were selected to go to Beijing to play in a championship game.

- Bendrix

Gadgets: Whats in a PSP 3000?

Portable Pixels reviews the portability of digital media in gadgets, software and related resources. We celebrate cutting edge technology but we mostly focus on practical applications & functionality.

Those of you that read my blog know that I am a media and gadget geek. I am in Hong Kong right now and on the eve of purchasing my first PSP on my long flight back to the USA. There are some reliable rumors surfacing that there will be PSP 3000 released soon. Most PSP owners are not sold on upgrading but seeing this will be my first PSP should I wait or just go for it?

With regard to the iPhone, I don’t really focus on the phone features. I am personally interested in its media capabilities as it applies to my research. The same goes for the PSP, the gaming experience is cool and interfacing is always important, but whats most important to me is the video, RSS, and media sharing capabilities. I do enjoy gaming particularly games like Soul Caliber, and Street Fighter, when I have time for such things. I think an 8 GB or 4 GB along with battery pack will be my top accessory priorities. For once I am looking for feedback before my purchase. Should I wait for this PSP 3000 or do I get the PSP slim? If anyone has any suggestions or comments please post them here or email me at codedsignal@gmail.com

- Bendrix

Codedsignal.com is a Digital Media Network featuring: Beneath the Beat: Hip Hop | Beneath the Beat: Electronica | Shanxi Nan Lu: Travel | Digital Media Tips: Web Culture – and hosts a variety of other related media properties.

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Showbiz: Batman, The Dark Knight Review

Showbiz focuses on iTunes music reviews and IMDb movie and film reviews.

The Batman comic books are a monumental staple in the world of sci-fi and fiction, the two Batman animated TV series were brilliant, and the Batman Begins film was a true masterpiece. The Batman TV show staring Adam West was entertaining to some degree, but when I watch it now I cringe. Outside of that every Batman movie that I have seen over the years has fallen short of delivering what it promises. With the exception of maybe the Joker’s character (staring Jack Nickelson) in the very first Batman every single character has been a a bit of a bore.

In The Dark Knight the dialog is not as intelligent and the story is way over the top to be believable, even in this fantasy breaking-the-rules reality. The action sequences and the gadgets were blah but there are a few interesting concepts used in the film that make for interesting conversation afterwards. The movie is called The Dark Knight but what we see is a once strong Batman character (Christian Bale) having to dummy down his role. Maggie Gyllenhaals character was totally useless, Michal Kane and Morgan Freeman are both always fun to watch. I must admit, I really enjoyed some of the dark sentiments and personality moments by the Joker (Heath Ledger). He surprised me because he played an excellent Joker but I feel he was truly held back by the PG-13 rating. He could have easily been a more memorable and menacing cad. I feel that all the characters are solid but were all flawed by the poor script writing.

One of the biggest let downs in the film are the fight sequences. They seem to have reverted back to the robotic choreography Hollywood fight scenes. It was like “hey I’m going to telegraph my punch now… now you duck”. I hate the way Batman blocks punches, the way he attacks, he just looks like an untrained novice. This is Batman he is tactical, agile and a master combatant. I thought it was perfect before how they used camera shakyness and trickery to disorient the viewer. I am fond of the incoherent blurring sequences from the last Batman and from the Borne series. Not that its only about the fight … but in a way it is … and its about showing this human with heightened super abilities.

I know I really shouldn’t compare them, but this is the same director and the same characters. This movie pales in every way imaginable to Batman Begins. But I hold all directors, writers and their production crews to a high standard. I expect top notch professional storytelling and execution because they have millions of dollars, they got $15 USD from me and employed hundreds of people to put this together. I demand more of them and it should be better or as good as the last film. I mean it wasn’t the worst film of the summer and it certainly was entertaining to a point, but its the possibilities of what could have been is what saddens me.

There was a real hope with Batman Begins, but just like with every Hollywood blockbuster the big wigs always find a way to screw things up. People will go see a film if the story is solid, especially if its a franchise movie or with super cool effects. But somehow storytelling is not one of Hollywoods vested interests because they continue to feed the public mediocre incomplete works. At any rate enough of my ranting, because the crowds that enjoyed movies like Wanted and Hancok will probably dig this movie. People will definitely go see it and it will get lots of buzz and recommendations. This Batman movie is a cut above the competition at the moment but its the same bland entertainment value. If you are a Bat fan like me and enjoy a good story you probably will be disappointed.

- Bendrix

Codedsignal.com is a Digital Media Network featuring: Beneath the Beat: Hip Hop | Beneath the Beat: Electronica | Shanxi Nan Lu: Travel | Digital Media Tips: Web Culture – and hosts a variety of other related media properties.

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