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

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.

Visionary: Brian Maffitt baffles After Effects Group

Visionary is the celebration of extraordinary individuals, innovations, ideas and events that offer progressive or foretelling insights. Bendrix highlights his thoughts and other lunatic fringe thinking.

iPhone Photo taken by Bendrix

On Thursday September 27th, the New York City After Effects (AE) meet-up group was treated to a master session from the master of motion graphics. The legendary Brian Maffitt graced the stage and presented a 45 minute demo on a filter called “Vanishing Point.” For those of you that don’t know, Brian is a pioneer and the original trainer for the AE Total Training DVDs and since the mid-90s he’s been one of the leading world authorities. His alpha tests and contributions over the years have helped to make the AE environment a powerful and more easily understood application for the rest of us mere mortals.

More on Brian in a bit… SO!!! Back to this demo… Vanishing Point is a filter found in Photoshop that maps out a perspective grid within a the selected Photoshop window. An example would be a newly opened file like a PSD, TIFF, JPG, or PICT. Basically the key or ideal photo should be high resolution with lots of pixel information and there should be some kind of perspective object relationship between the foreground and its background. Once this photo is selected >>> go to the filter section and select “Vanishing Point” >>> it will bring up a special window pane that provides tools to map out a grid on this flat surface plane. Once a perspective grid is mapped out on the various foreground and background planes within this photograph >>> “export for After Effects CS” and it will create a series of PNG files, where ever its chosen to export.

Next open After Effects and import this series of multiple PNG files >>> Create a Composition window. When the imported PNGs recompile in this composition window a 3 dimensional texture map is generated onto a 3D plane allowing for each of the elements to be operated within the various x, y, z axis. For the astute pixel pusher and effects whiz, its absolute eye candy. It tricks the eye into believing that one is navigating within a 3D space. Due to the mathematical averages of this filter effect, there is a limit to the distance the image position can be zoomed into before the background pixels start to wash out and loose their resolution. The ultimate goal is to subtly create a 3D experience using a mere photograph. Brian then went a step further to show us how to animate text on a 3D path. That was a killer tip that everyone was also fawning over. Yes there were lots of “I can’t believe its!!!” and people doing Lord of the Rings jigs in the lobby afterwards.

I cannot stress how meaningful it is to witness Brian’s mastery of AE. His value to the motion graphics community is immeasurable. If I were to equate his parallel I would say that Brian is to AE what Jonathan Ives and his engineering teem is to Apple. The whole look and interfacing of an iPod, iPhone, and many other product innovations from Apple in the past 11 years are all Johnathans doing… Actually this is how I equate Brian in the realm of AE. If you are into motion graphics and want learn more about After Effects, go to the totaltraining website, do a tour, check out the online demos. From novices to intermediates to the pros everyone that uses or wants to learn AE can benefit from these tutorials.

Even though I generally do not post tutorial segments, I think this demo was so enchanting and inspirational, that I had to write about it. I did ask Brian to see if he could release an example or two for my blog so I could post it up and show these undisclosed demo’s to the rest of you. To be honest I totally did not do it any justice with this post. This is something you just have to see in motion. Whenever I get these samples I will be sure to post them up on the blog. Till soon…

- Bendrix