On-line video is an incredible tool every business should be taking advantage of. Rather than going into the details with a long blog post though, I’ll take my own advice and show you why:
Since the iPad was starting to (mostly) live up to it’s incredible hype I decided to start throwing more challenging tasks it’s way. Another major paper waster I had in my sights was sketching. I love sketching. I sketching all kinds of things, and I love to present my clients with concept sketches for video designs before we put ideas into pixels.
Since I try to give clients exceptional bang for their buck I hate to waste time redoing complicated graphics and animations that might not ever be used. I have found doing sketches with the client is a great way to do preliminary design work and deliver a first draft that is very close to the mark on what the client is expecting.
Success!
I found a fantastic app for simple sketching called Penultimate. At two bucks it’s a bargain, and filled my need of a sketchpad replacement. Even with just my finger I’ve been able to explore and sketch concepts with clients that later end up turning into refined Photoshop mockups.
The Sketch
The Refined Mockup
Failure!
A little while ago Google added video support to Google docs. This my friends, was a great day. It gave me a FREE and easy way to share in-production video drafts with clients in a secure and simple fashion. It also appeared to be based on YouTube technology which meant pretty much anyone with a modern browser and Flash could view the video. Gone were the days of having clients download Quicktime player and large video files.
Google Docs Video Sharing
Unfortunately Apple has developed a strong stance against Flash, and therefore the Google docs video features are useless on my iPad. This is a real shame, and something Apple should remedy immediately. In fact, I would go so far as to say Apple is blatantly misleading people when they call the iPad “the best way to browse the web”. It clearly is not, at least to anyone who has used an actual computer to browse the web (and use Google docs).
A side note fail you may want to know about if you plan on using the Google docs video features is that it doesn’t seem to understand Apple ProRes videos. Most professional editors using Apple Final Cut studio probably do a fair amount of work in the fantastic ProRes file format. If you plan on uploading your videos to Google docs for conversion and sharing be forewarned your ProRes files won’t convert. Opt for H264 instead, which works fine.
Stay tuned for more trials and tribulations exploring the usefulness of the iPad in video production. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
The first day with a shiny new gizmo in my video production kit is usually a mixed bag, and the iPad was no exception. Since I have never had an iPad before I decided to start simple and give it only a couple tasks to accomplish.
Success!
One thing that has always driven me nutty is the excessive use of paper in video production. Scripts, storyboards, release forms, it’s a never ending tree massacre. I never understood why we can put microchips in our pets and help the blind see again but we still store information on dead trees? The iPad seems to be the device that may change this, and I found an inexpensive app to get me on my way to a paper free production.
Form Tools PDF is a fantastic, simple application, that lets you take PDF files and turn them into data capturing forms. Setting up my video release form was dead simple and I was capturing digital signature in minutes. Once a form is filled out and signed, I can also add a photo with the iPad’s built-in camera and then email it off to anyone who needs the completed PDF. This is not only a paper saver, but a time saver and easy way to manage my growing pile of forms.
Here is what my filled out form looks like after having our new intern Taylor sign away the rights to her image and voice recordings:
Double Failure!
On most video shoots I capture HD 1080i60 video with a Sony camera. Even though these video files are large and beautiful looking, most modern computers have no problem playing back the video. Although the iPad’s built-in video player doesn’t understand this format, (even though Quicktime on the Mac does?) the free VLC Player for the iPad will play it.
I was hoping to be able to dump video straight onto the iPad for review in the field or on the go but despite it’s dual core processing power, the iPad 2 can’t reliably play back 1080i60 HDV video. I have played back HD video before with VLC but not the HDV format, which must be too robust for the iPad’s video processor.
Day one of using the iPad 2 is a very sad double failure because Apple has removed the incredibly useful and popular VLC application from the app store. I downloaded it when it first came out for the iPhone so luckily I was still able to install it on my iPad.
I’ve got loads of shoots coming up so check back soon for more posts on using the iPad 2 in video production. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!
I just got an iPad 2, and yes I’m giddy as a school boy. I didn’t just get it for fun and games though, I plan on putting it to work. Specifically, in my video production work flow.
At ArcStone we produce lots of video content for our clients, specifically geared to a web audience. We frequently have a fast-paced production schedule that many times requires us to go from shoot, to edit, to distribution in a single, manic day. With such an aggressive work flow any tool that saves us time, expense, and headaches is very welcome.
I see incredible potential in the iPad, and especially the iPad 2, which in addition to a camera has two new excellent multimedia applications. In a series of blog posts I will share my experiences, the successes and the failures, and how I employ the iPad 2 in my daily video production.
The Internet has come a long way since the days of chirping modems and painfully slow download speeds. The modern web is a multimedia marvel filled with audio, video, and interactive content. One of the most exciting trends is the explosive growth of online video. Billions of videos are watched everyday, and the technology to make high quality video content is accessible to anyone.
Since not everyone has the talent of Spielberg, or the budget of Pixar, here are some tips I’ve picked up while doing video projects for ArcStone:
1) Keep It Short & Sweet
Even if your video is well made and compelling viewers can only handle so much at a time. The sweet spot seams to be two minutes or less. Audience attention starts to wain after one minute, and sharply decrease after two. Keep the pacing quick and your script concise to help viewers make it to the end, and have enough attention left to visit your other videos or website.
YouTube has some great tools for measuring your videos effectiveness and audience attention.
2) Make It Your Own
Adding your company’s unique style and branding to your videos will help viewers make a connection between your video content and overall web presence. Also, take advantage of the customizing options many video sharing sites have. YouTube, for instance, offers a custom channel page that can help you brand and promote your videos.
With some tweaking you can make your YouTube page look much like your website.
3) Say Hello & Goodbye
Including intro and exit screens help frame up the video, and will benefit your marketing efforts if you include your logo, website address, phone numbers and other information. Having consistent intro screens will also create continuity between your videos.
4) Capture Every Detail
Now that HD (high definition) video technology has come down in price it’s worth filming, editing, and saving all your content in HD format. Many of the most popular video sharing sites are also making HD their preferred format. HD or not, upload the highest quality version of your video to sites like YouTube, as they will handle scaling down the quality for users with slower connections.
If you can produce videos in HD, viewers will enjoy more lifelike images and crisp, easily readable text.
5) Do Your Homework & Planning
Before embarking on your first video production check and see what else is out there. It should be easy to find a wealth of videos pertaining to your industry. Notice what you like and dislike about them, which ones keep your attention, and how well the audience has responded.
Usually the most costly aspect of producing video content is the actual shooting itself. You can minimize this cost, and end up with a better product, if you do the proper planning. Make sure the talent is well prepared, the location ready, and the shoot well thought out.
6) Have Some Fun
Online video is a great way to show your company’s personality, culture, and unique way of doing business. The most successful videos not only communicate key marketing messages, they also have a little fun doing it.
If you would like more information about how ArcStone can help you produce high quality web video check out our video production services page. To see some of our work visit ArcStone’s YouTube Channel.
VitalWear, makers of the VitalWrap thermal compression medical
device, are number 138 on Inc Magazine’s list of the top 500 fastest growing companies in America. With tens of millions of American’s suffering from chronic pain, it’s no surprise to see VitalWear’s sales explode over the last year.
VitalWear’s Unique Approach
The revolutionary VitalWrap system provides both compression and heat to provide natural relief of chronic pain, quicken injury recovery, provide relief to arthritis sufferers and soothe other medical ailments.
The VitalWrap system is much more than a simple cooling or heat therapy wrap. It combines extended periods of heating and cooling with compression. The system is very simple to use, extremely durable, and is specifically designed to fit different body areas.
Support For Growth
ArcStone has been able to help VitalWear grow by providing web design services and the powerful Wonderfile document management system that powers VitalWear’s downloads area. Recently, ArcStone designed VitalWear’s store using the popular open-source, e-commerce platform, Magento, so that customers can order products online.
See the Inc. profile on VitalWear here and visit VitalWear.com for more information on their innovative pain management solutions.
It’s a familiar situation for most nine-to-fivers: you have a huge file, multiple people need it, none of which are in the same location, the companies shared server is impossible to navigate and large email attachments get blocked by the firewall.
Welcome To The Big File Dilemma
In today’s world of data-overload, it’s easy to accumulate a collection of impossibly large files. Databases, video, image and audio files can be hundreds of megabytes. Working with large files locally poses no challenge as hard drives have gotten larger and cheaper. The issues of file size rears it’s ugly head once those files need to leave your computer.
A Connected Solution For A Connected World
Traditionally, large files were shuttled from worker to worked VIA removable media. While this is convenient for short trips and temporary storage, shipping media across the world becomes expensive, and the storage media itself is prone to failures. Most people have suffered through the tragedy of a cracked CD or unreadable thumb drive.
If only there was a way to easily, securely, and cheaply share large files over the Internet (foreshadowing).
Wonderfile To The Rescue
With Wonderfile sharing large files is a snap. Wonderfile’s advanced uploader allows you to select several files of any type and size, set permissions, and see the uploaded progress for each file.
The best part about Wonderfile is you can start using it for free with no credit card or contract needed. Sign up today and see how easy it is to share large files with Wonderfile.
My Local Movers, an on-line directory of preferred local movers, came to ArcStone for a design refresh. What they left with was a striking, professional new design, quality content, and a complete SEO strategy that puts their new site to work garnering more customers.
A Professional Design To Match
My Local Movers specializes in partnering with pre-screened professional movers that operate in a handful of local markets. ArcStone created a design that mirrored the professionalism of their movers, and made distinct local market pages with high quality photos and market specific resources.
Designed For Humans Searches & Search Engines
A critical aspect of the redesign was making the site easier for people AND search engines to navigate. Having a market specific home page, and quote request pages for each local mover market, helps My Local Movers market to specific regions and allows users to quickly navigate to the information pertaining to their move.
For instance, Houston area users can visit /houston/moving-quote to get multiple moving quotes from Houston local movers.
Real Results
At ArcStone we don’t just strive to produce top quality work, we like to see it working for our clients. After the new My Local Movers site launched we carefully studied traffic statistics and leveraged Google analytics to help gauge the redesign’s success. In a few weeks it became clear that our strategy was paying off.
Visit www.mylocalmovers.com to see our work and get multiple moving quotes for your local market. MyLocalMovers.com initially launched in eight markets – Minneapolis/St. Paul; Chicago; Houston; Dallas; Fort Worth; Austin, TX; Milwaukee and Kenosha/Racine, WI. Visit ArcStone’s products & services page to see our capabilities or check out our SEO services page for more information about search engine marketing.
For Over Ten Years ArcStone Has Helped Organizations Find Value In Their Digital Assets
After several months in development, and a lot of customer feedback, we are pleased to announce the launch of Wonderfile 2.0.
For those of you unacquainted, Wonderfile is ArcStone’s solution to one of the biggest problems facing modern businesses today; how do we leverage the vast amounts of information distributed among our organizations thousands of digital files?
Wonderfile Is The Swiss Army Knife Of File Management
For over ten years ArcStone has helped organizations large and small find value in their digital assets. Wonderfile is the culmination of all that work, a system designed to effortlessly manage the mountain of unstructured data every business and individual has.
Wonderfile Adapts To YOU, Not The Other Way Around
The hallmark of our system, and what makes it different from anything else, is that Wonderfile adapts to YOU, not the other way around. The reason other file tagging systems don’t work well is they force you to adopt their organizational model.
Wonderfile Is Your Own Personal Digital File Library
In Wonderfile you make the model, you’re personal way of thinking is the engine that drives Wonderfile. The net effect of Wonderfile’s flexibility is a powerful, personalized search engine, effortless sharing of any size and type of file, and a solid base from which to build customized file tagging solutions.
Amazing Things Your Files Can Do In Wonderfile
Start Using Wonderfile
You can start using Wonderfile in minutes for free. There is never any contract or setup fee. Just go to Wonderfile’s sign up page to get started.
Once you start using Wonderfile you’ll never struggle to find, share, or backup files again. It’s just that simple.
When companies want to beef up their brand identity they go to a design firm or ad agency for an image overhaul. When design firms want to breathe life into their images they go to ArcStone.
Target came to Sussner Design Co for help redefining their new commercial interiors division. Sussner created, among other things, a compelling new web site design that would serve as the basis for an interactive Flash experience.
Few Web Development Shops Possess Both the production skills & Design Sensibilities
Faced with a tight budget and even tighter time-line, Sussner invited ArcStone to provide Flash production work that would live up to the high standards Susssner’s clients expect. And Sussner Design Co. is well aware, not all Flash work is created equal. Few web development shops posses both the production skills and design sensibilities to work side by side with design firms developing Flash sites.
Beyond Looks
Truly effective Flash sites that wow visitors and create lasting brand impressions do more than just look good. Load times, image quality, typography, and navigation elements all factor into the overall user experience.
This is where ArcStone’s Flash production expertise comes into play. Each image used is optimized for Flash delivery and pre-loaded behind the scenes to insure smooth transitions.
We also leverage Flash’s excellent XML support and AS3 coding language to make much of the site dynamically loaded, making maintenance easy for the client and extremely cost effective.
ArcStone Has Developed A Keen Sense Of How To Blend Flash With HTML, PHP, ColdFusion
To Flash Or Not To Flash
Another key part of Flash production work is deciding which elements should be Flash based and which are better of presented another way.
After years of building Flash sites ArcStone has developed a keen sense of how to blend Flash with HTML, PHP, ColdFusion, and other tools, delivering a seamless user experience and the highest bang for our customers buck.
In Target’s case ArcStone found creative ways to integrate existing content, saving time, money, and preserving some of Target’s initial investment. The product search engine, for example, feels like a native part of the site even though it comes from a third party system.
Beauty & Brains
Although most sites could be built without the use of Flash there are many reasons designers and developers choose to leverage Flash’s unique capabilities. Flash is often the best choice for:
The marriage of great design and smart Flash coding make the new Target Commercial Interiors site an effective branding tool and a useful source of information for visitors.
Check out the new Target Commercial Interiors Site, learn more about Sussner Design and read our other Technology Translated Flash Blog Posts.
To learn more about how Flash can make your products look their best, leave a lasting impression on visitors, and differentiate you from your competitors, check out ArcStone’s web site.