Hello. I work for one of a large stock video & rights management company. We deal with every codec/format that you can think of and after reading all the comments above I would suggest doing something like:
- Post the video on YouTube or Vimeo and include an ad or a slate sending people to a higher res version.
- Post a higher res version somewhere hosted. I'd reccomend using QuickTime, esp. the PhotoJPEG codec (great results, almost universal ability to view across QT versions and good file sizes with careful setting tweaking) and some sort of.wmv for the non-QuickTime crowd. Microsoft, I believe, has a free windows media encoder.
- Flash is also an option if you have access to a good encoder. I'd stay away from DivX.
I work as a video professional for a very large stock video provider. I could see software like this being an amazing tool for a company such as mine. Not only can we offer you footage of (for example) a horse running through a field - we might be able to sell the elements themselves or in addition to that? Need some more horses? How about we just sell you the background and you pick what animals you want?
A lot of the time the video industry is dictated by extremely tight deadlines and budgets - any tool that gets offered to a producer or editor that makes it cheaper/faster to get to a desired outcome will get snatched up. I could see this as a real labor savor/enabler.
I'm the all around multimedia specialist, kind of a one man shop for a larger goverment organization (our state's DOT and Executive Branch). All I can say is that no matter how simple (or difficult) it sounds, making a conference room that works, that works in a consistant fashion and is fairly braindead to use after a learning curve requires the help of an outside vendor. They can help you troubleshoot a room before you even build it. Are there windows? Don't accidently backlight your cameras? Is the room acoustically sound, or will go batty? The list goes on...
Most major metropolitan areas have a dearth of media companies and production facilities and are a good place to start. You'll find most vendors are super friendly if you make it known that you are going to spend a few bills on a project.
Two Other Things:
Sonically - make sure you look into getting good aerial microphones for the room (and make sure your room isn't full of interference!) and most good microphone companies (Shure, Audio Technica, Seinheser) maker really nice table top microphones that'll capture conversations that aerials won't catch. A wireless lapel microphone works wonders for wandering CEO's (or politcal apointees in my case).
Camera -
Seriously consider using something BESIDES a web camera, like an actual prosumer or professional camera with a remote hooked to it. You'll spend a LOT more money, but you'll get a good data rate (most cameras now have IEEE ports that'll stream video) and you'll get a lot of more control of camera functions like your iris, the ability to introduce gain (important in low light conditions). Two cameras like that and a feed off of a computers video out into a switcher that goes to your main computer will make life a lot easier for whomever is running the facility, I promise.
I'm a video professional and do a lot of freelance cinematography and DVD work and editing for clients.
The one thing that is very important to understand about Steadicam operation - whether its the $1400 or $14 version:
Steadicam takes a LOT of practice to get smooth fluid results. There is a reason a good Steadicam operator can demand high wages on big shoots (and is well out of the budget of small indie productions; which is why I applaud Make's article, I'm going to make one of these).
If you want something that looks and moves really steady like a real Steadicam - all you need to do is keep electronic stabalization on if you are using a consumer/prosumer camera and PRACTICE. Reherase your shots!
Steadicam is just a tool and it can't substitute for good shooting practices.
That all being said - to see some really innovative Steadicam work, check out the films Pi and Requiem for a Dream (directed by Darren Aronofsky). Really impressive stuff.
I actually think after the buyout they had to change their name because int'l held companies can't be named after cities.
I'm in a band and there is one right near where we practice. We always joke that it should be the Pan*t*era bread company with sandwich names such as "Vulgar Display of Asiago" and whatnot.
I'm a little late to the board here, but I can tell you that Monster Cable is a cleverly marketed product that doesn't really do anything above and beyond your run of the mill el-cheapo cable. The only thing that Monster Cable really offers is (at least some of their line) a lifetime warranty, no questions asked.
I'm in a band and we use either Monster Cables for that reason and that reason alone: the warranty. Everytime our drummer drops his cymbal on the cord or it gets ripped out of the input jack by a jumping bass player, I can take the mangled cable to the store and they hand me a new one.
Chances are you won't have that kind of problem listening to music as opposed to making it, unless you have a really intense relationship with your stereo. So save a few bucks and buy some new music with the money you'll save from not buying hype.
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Hello. I work for one of a large stock video & rights management company. We deal with every codec/format that you can think of and after reading all the comments above I would suggest doing something like:
.wmv for the non-QuickTime crowd. Microsoft, I believe, has a free windows media encoder.
- Post the video on YouTube or Vimeo and include an ad or a slate sending people to a higher res version.
- Post a higher res version somewhere hosted. I'd reccomend using QuickTime, esp. the PhotoJPEG codec (great results, almost universal ability to view across QT versions and good file sizes with careful setting tweaking) and some sort of
- Flash is also an option if you have access to a good encoder. I'd stay away from DivX.
I work as a video professional for a very large stock video provider. I could see software like this being an amazing tool for a company such as mine. Not only can we offer you footage of (for example) a horse running through a field - we might be able to sell the elements themselves or in addition to that? Need some more horses? How about we just sell you the background and you pick what animals you want? A lot of the time the video industry is dictated by extremely tight deadlines and budgets - any tool that gets offered to a producer or editor that makes it cheaper/faster to get to a desired outcome will get snatched up. I could see this as a real labor savor/enabler.
I'm the all around multimedia specialist, kind of a one man shop for a larger goverment organization (our state's DOT and Executive Branch). All I can say is that no matter how simple (or difficult) it sounds, making a conference room that works, that works in a consistant fashion and is fairly braindead to use after a learning curve requires the help of an outside vendor. They can help you troubleshoot a room before you even build it. Are there windows? Don't accidently backlight your cameras? Is the room acoustically sound, or will go batty? The list goes on... Most major metropolitan areas have a dearth of media companies and production facilities and are a good place to start. You'll find most vendors are super friendly if you make it known that you are going to spend a few bills on a project. Two Other Things: Sonically - make sure you look into getting good aerial microphones for the room (and make sure your room isn't full of interference!) and most good microphone companies (Shure, Audio Technica, Seinheser) maker really nice table top microphones that'll capture conversations that aerials won't catch. A wireless lapel microphone works wonders for wandering CEO's (or politcal apointees in my case). Camera - Seriously consider using something BESIDES a web camera, like an actual prosumer or professional camera with a remote hooked to it. You'll spend a LOT more money, but you'll get a good data rate (most cameras now have IEEE ports that'll stream video) and you'll get a lot of more control of camera functions like your iris, the ability to introduce gain (important in low light conditions). Two cameras like that and a feed off of a computers video out into a switcher that goes to your main computer will make life a lot easier for whomever is running the facility, I promise.
I'm a video professional and do a lot of freelance cinematography and DVD work and editing for clients.
The one thing that is very important to understand about Steadicam operation - whether its the $1400 or $14 version:
Steadicam takes a LOT of practice to get smooth fluid results. There is a reason a good Steadicam operator can demand high wages on big shoots (and is well out of the budget of small indie productions; which is why I applaud Make's article, I'm going to make one of these).
If you want something that looks and moves really steady like a real Steadicam - all you need to do is keep electronic stabalization on if you are using a consumer/prosumer camera and PRACTICE. Reherase your shots!
Steadicam is just a tool and it can't substitute for good shooting practices.
That all being said - to see some really innovative Steadicam work, check out the films Pi and Requiem for a Dream (directed by Darren Aronofsky). Really impressive stuff.
I actually think after the buyout they had to change their name because int'l held companies can't be named after cities.
I'm in a band and there is one right near where we practice. We always joke that it should be the Pan*t*era bread company with sandwich names such as "Vulgar Display of Asiago" and whatnot.
I'm a little late to the board here, but I can tell you that Monster Cable is a cleverly marketed product that doesn't really do anything above and beyond your run of the mill el-cheapo cable. The only thing that Monster Cable really offers is (at least some of their line) a lifetime warranty, no questions asked. I'm in a band and we use either Monster Cables for that reason and that reason alone: the warranty. Everytime our drummer drops his cymbal on the cord or it gets ripped out of the input jack by a jumping bass player, I can take the mangled cable to the store and they hand me a new one. Chances are you won't have that kind of problem listening to music as opposed to making it, unless you have a really intense relationship with your stereo. So save a few bucks and buy some new music with the money you'll save from not buying hype.