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Do You Own Any of These Cameras?
We welcome your helpful comments on each article. Hey, you can get a link to your site also.
DSLR
Canon EOS 550D Rebel T2i
Canon EOS 60D
Tapeless HD Camcorders
HDV or High Definition recorded on Mini DV
Sony HDR FX1 HDV
Sony HVR-Z1U HDV
JVCs HD10U HDV
Sony HDR-FX1000 and HDR-FX1000E
Sony HVRZ7U and Sony HVRS270U
Cheapest Camcorders
Would you like to write a review of your camera? Here are those we have so far. We’re working on some other ones so please inquire first. You get a link to your website from VideoUniversity.com Since this site gets 1000 – 2000 visitors a day, this link can be very helpful to your business.
Crossing the Line in Video Marketing
Remember the salad days of broadcast TV and how the commercials were often so much louder than the shows?
Well, here’s an Internet video twist on that same kind of thing:
This video from Motley Fool takes a pretty aggressive tack towards presenting information to you. The video itself is a pitch for their newsletter, “The Motley Fool Stock Advisor.” (I was a subscriber in the past and I do believe they offer some sound advice, but I am not an expert so I can’t or won’t advise on investments.)
If you look at it, the first thing you’ll note is that there’s no indication of its’ length. (That’s a kind of sneaky marketing technique you can easily do via Adobe Flash.) There’s also no way to fast-forward –to escape that part of the message you don’t really want to hear. Perhaps even worse… where’s the “PAUSE” button? What if I get a phone call in the middle of this?
Even after those turn-offs, I still wanted to watch the video. It was quite long, by Internet standards –around 20 minutes, total. It was also a pretty compelling pitch for their publication –and that was fine.
But! -had I known it would be so long, I would’t have watched it. There’s nothing illegal or morally wrong about doing this. I was, after all, free to turn it off at any time -and I didn’t.
This cuts both ways. As a video producer, it’s a technique you should know about. As a viewer, I found it going against the grain of web video.
Why do I say that?
Simple. YouTube sets the standard for how people expect to control online videos!
I expect to be able to pause a video, view the overall length and the progress I’ve made, back it up to listen to a section again, jump to the middle or end of the video. We’ve come to expect these features in online video. When a company goes out of its way to lock out those features, I feel cheated.
This is a new age of marketing. Thanks to social media like Facebook and YouTube, it’s no longer acceptable to just give prospective customers a straight commercial about why you and your product are great. You need to give the customer more control. You need to involve them in the discussion. That’s what blogs and social media do – involve the reader.
I suppose their marketing guy is considered a genius for delivering this kind of pitch. But I wouldn’t call him that.
First Official White House Videographer
Filming the President:
All in a Week’s Work for First Videographer Arun Chaudhary
In sneakers and a loosened tie, videographer Arun Chaudhary runs through the West Wing of the White House behind a video camera, documenting the daily activities of President Obama. As the very first “First Videographer,” Chaudhary’s job is to shoot a weekly documentary called “West Wing Week” which is published every Friday on the whitehouse.gov website. The installments are quickly uploaded to Youtube and generally get 20,000 viewers within a short time–mostly, Chaudhary jokes, by White House staff.
Inspired by old newsreels from the forties, and taking some titling techniques from Rocky and Bullwinkle, the first videographer documents mundane, funny and historic moments in the life of the President for the weekly show. By law, everything he shoots, including all outtakes, is saved for inclusion in the presidential library. His favorite scenes are the awkward moments between heads of state, and the chance encounters in hallways.
When we asked about his equipment, Chaudhary is quick to say that the White House does not specifically endorse any camera equipment. “I use a Sony Ex-3 camera with a Sennheiser 416 attached as a shotgun mic,” he says. The editing is done on his laptop, so the whole production is accomplished with minimal equipment.
A former art student, Chaudhary joined Obama’s presidential campaign in 2007. He shadows the president in the White House, and also accompanies him on about two-thirds of his travel days. Other White House photographers joke that you can’t get a shot of Obama without Arun being in the frame. Although presidential video has been produced since the days of Ronald Reagan, there has never before been an official videographer on staff.
To see episodes of West Wing Week, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2011/03/11/west-wing-week-law-school-15-seconds
Quick Response Codes And The Smart Videographer
There’s a technology that is wildly popular in Asia and Europe, and is just now hitting the US. I predict it’s going to be very big here this year. It’s called “QR codes.” You’ve probably seen these strange looking codes.
Quick Response codes are bar codes which do not require a laser to be read. That makes them readable for you on – ready for this? -smart phones! The QR Code can store phone numbers, URL’s, email addresses and pretty much any other alphanumeric data, up to 4296 characters, all in one little squiggly-looking block.
Think of these blocks of code as print-based hypertext links that require no typing.
How does it work? You just download a free app for your smart phone, and presto-chango, your phone is now a scanner -with a difference. The difference is that the information can be a URL -even the URL of a video. The information goes straight into the smart phone without typing, so the URL or phone or message appears instantly on the cell phone. How cool is that?
You Can Create A New QR Code Image In Seconds
There are a lot of free QR Code generator sites online. Here are a couple:
http://zxing.appspot.com/generator/
All you do is put the text (URL, phone number, address, marketing message, up to 4296 characters) into a form, hit “Enter” and Voila! -your QR image appears. Download this black and white image, print it and place it anywhere.
For use in a blog or on a web site, the Google Chart API code is even easier. Just insert this code:
<img src="http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=qr& chs=100x100&chl=http://videouniversity.com&chld=H" alt="" />
When it’s in a web page or blog, that code will look like this:
Oh, I almost forgot; you’ll probably want to substitute your URL for the videouniversity URL in the above image.
You Need To Know This Stuff -And Here’s Why
Late last year, A.C. Nielsen predicted that smart phones will be the dominant media device by the end of 2011. That means they’re calling for more smart phones than computers! And we see it all around us; people are relying more and more on their phones to get information right now, rather waiting till they get back home or to the office and logging onto their computers.
Want a bride to see your demo reel right now on her phone? Show her your QR Code!
Google is pushing QR code hard for use in business listings, in Google Maps and Google Places. This technological solution is just about to go mainstream fast. Watch this short little video and see what I mean.
Idea! Put the code on your business cards and you can send prospects to a snappy little video bio of you on their cell phone -without typing.
In my recent postcard mailing (which I hope you’ve received and enjoyed) I had 10 URLs for specific products. Even though they were shortened URLs, people still have to type them in. Next time, I may use QR codes, so you can just point your smart phone at the code and instantly arrive at that product page.
Want to send viewers to a web site or a video on a site? Here are a few places to place your QR code:
1. Put it on DVDs.
2. On a decal in your car or company vehicle window.
3. On your business cards.
4. Put it on a business sign or a real estate for sale signs so drive by house hunters can see a virtual tour of the property on their cell phone, right then and there.
5. Put them on company T-shirts.
6. Put it on the side of a building.
Why not make a large QR Poster and put it in a public space? The code itself, while unreadable by humans, will intrigue passers-by. And most smart phone owners will recognize it and may be tempted to scan it.
Use Them To Get More Business Video Work
One of the best things a producer could do with QR codes is use them to sell more business videos. Try this: Before you go to a meeting with a corporate marketing guy or gal, or a non-profit agency, make a QR code for them with a link to their web site, then print a full page version of the QR code.
In your meeting, pull out the full page code and your smart phone. Ask if they’ve considered doing this. Scan the code print out with your phone and show them the screen when their organization’s website comes up. Then remark what a boost it would be to business if their organization’s video came up, ready to play!
Show them how easy it would be to have their QR codes on their front door, billboards, business cards, trade show booths. And how you can help make that happen.
10 Camera Reviews Needed
Review your favorite video camera and get a complimentary one year extended subscription to the VideoUniversity Forums, and full authors’ credit, AND a link to your website from VideoUniversity. Camera review articles will be placed in our free online library, so lots of people will see it. We get nearly 2000 visitors a day to our Page Rank 6 site. That means a link from us will make Google rank your site higher –and more visible in searches. How cool is that!?
You don’t have to be a great writer, but you do have to know your camera well, and be able to tell us what you like and don’t like about it as well as any workarounds you’ve found that might help others.
We need 400 words minimum and all articles must be finished in 10 days or less from when you get the green light. You can skip the specs and photos; we can get them from the manufacturer. Just write the article like a post to a VU friend who is about to buy the camera and wants your input –the good, the not-so-good.
Please inquire first via an email to us, subject: camera review, and tell us what camera you’re interested in reviewing, so we don’t get 18 reviews of the same camera! It probably wouldn’t hurt to tell us if you’ve written for other publications or websites so we can get an idea of your writing style. If your pitch sounds good and isn’t a duplicate, we’ll give you a quick go-ahead.
Jack LaLanne and Me
Jack LaLanne and Me
Jack LaLanne 1914-2011, the founder of the modern fitness movement and the first video workout star dies at the age of 96. While I wouldn’t say he was a friend, I was privileged to work with him a couple times.
In my past life as a Director of Photography, I was working my way up the ladder in New York City as an assistant cameraman, back in the good old days of film. The first time I worked with Jack was on a commercial for one of his New York clubs. During the lighting preps, we all thoughts we’d try the machines, and naturally we started to compete with each other. The next morning we all limped and groaned our way back into the club for the shoot, which seemed to take forever. I hurt in places I didn’t even know that I had!
A few years later, I was working on an ABC 20/20 piece in Miami about Jack. The crew went out partying at night, and we decided to take a nice long walk on the beach. I was the only one who went swimming through the surf and swam parallel to the beach for quite some time. While I could see everyone, no one could see me. After awhile, some of the women in our crew thought I must have drowned, and were actually crying when I crawled back to shore. Not the smartest thing I’ve ever done.
The next morning, everyone knew about my hair-brained escapade -including Jack. When he greeted people, he would sometimes pat their sides to gauge what kind of shape they were in. What are you going to do – fight with Jack LaLanne? Anyway he came over to me, patted my sides, determined I was in pretty good shape, and said, “Ah, here’s our little Johnny Weissmuller!”
(For you youngsters in the crowd, back in the 1920′s, Weissmuller was one of the world’s best swimmers, winning five Olympic gold medals. He was perhaps best known for his role portraying Tarzan in films, a role he played in 12 motion pictures.) Jack meant the comment as a compliment and, unlike everyone else in the crew, didn’t criticize me for swimming alone in the ocean at night -even though I deserved it.
LaLanne performed a number of amazing swimming stunts to promote his fitness business:
1954 (age 40): Swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, underwater, with 140 pounds of equipment. A world record.
1957 (age 43): Swam the Golden Gate channel while towing a 2,500 lb. cabin cruiser. The swift ocean currents turned this one-mile swim into a swimming distance of 6.5 miles.
1974 (age 60): For the second time, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf. Again, he was handcuffed, but this time he was also shackled and towed a 1,000 lb. boat.
1976 (age 62): To commemorate the “Spirit of ’76″, U.S. Bicentennial, he swam a mile in Long Beach Harbor. He was handcuffed and shackled, and he towed 13 boats (representing the 13 original colonies) containing 76 people.
1984 (age 70): Handcuffed, shackled and fighting strong winds and currents, towed 70 rowboats, one with several guests, from the Queen’s Way Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary, 1 mile.
He was still exercising two hours a every day including when he was in his 90′s.
Decades before fitness began being promoted by celebrities like Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons, LaLanne was already widely recognized for publicly preaching the health benefits of regular exercise and a good diet. He published numerous books on fitness and hosted a fitness television show between 1951 and 1985. As early as 1936, at age 21, he opened the nation’s first fitness gym in Oakland, California, which became a prototype for dozens of similar gyms using his name.
LaLanne also gained recognition for his success as a bodybuilder as well as for his prodigious feats of strength. Arnold Schwarzenegger once stated, “That Jack LaLanne’s an animal!” after LaLanne, at 54, beat a 21-year-old Schwarzenegger “badly” in an informal contest. LaLanne invented a number of exercise machines, including leg-extension and pulley devices. Besides producing his own series of videos, he invited women to join his health clubs and told seniors that they should exercise despite their limitations.
Here’s a video of Jack at the age of 94.
http://www.vimeo.com/5500899
Thank you Jack LaLanne!
10 New Year’s Resolutions for Video Producers
Wedding Videographers Dissed
In a new print and online ad from Epson, the printer company is aiming at wedding photographers. Quoted from the ad:
“You tune out traffic and tourists.
Keep one eye on a five-foot long train.
Dodge videographers and hot dog carts.
Charm well-meaning Moms.
Corral 11 rowdy groomsmen.
And 10 excited bridesmaids.
Just to get one shot.”
————————
I’m sure Epson did not mean to insult any of their customers, but videographers are dissed in the ad. A lot of videographers use the Epson printers to print DVDs. Wedding videographers have long fought to win the same respect enjoyed by wedding photographers.
Sony To Develop A Professional E-Mount Camcorder
Sony Corporation announced today that it is developing a new type of E-mount interchangeable lens camcorder for professional use that is equipped with a Super-35mm equivalent large format CMOS sensor. This new addition to Sony’s professional “NXCAM” line will be available in the middle of 2011.
Already a key player in the 35mm digital cinematography business with the highly acclaimed “CineAlta” F35 and SRW-9000PL for high-end digital cinema production, Sony has just strengthened its lineup in this category with the recent PMW-F3 announcement. In addition to this, with this new “NXCAM” HD camcorder now (still under development), Sony looks to further strengthen its position in the entry-level segment by providing an affordable yet highly capable professional solution for many applications including independent film, music video and corporate communications all looking for the cinematic look.
This “NXCAM” HD camcorder under development will be equipped with a Super-35mm equivalent sensor, a widely used film stock size in the film industry that is perfectly designed for capturing motion picture. This new sensor will have extraordinary performance in terms of picture quality and sensitivity, and is able to create rich “Bokeh” effect (beautifully defocused image) that is perfect for artistic story-telling in motion picture.
Thanks to the adoption of the E-mount interchangeable lens system that is identical to the “α” series NEX-5, 3 and “Handycam” NEX-VG10, the E-mount lenses will be compatible with this new professional camcorder. In addition, a very short flange back distance (the distance between lens mount surface and sensor surface) let various “α” A-mount lenses be mounted via a mount adaptor (LA-EA1). Furthermore, it is also possible to attach many other lenses using third-party mount adaptors*1. With such flexibility, users will be able to experiment with various creative expressions by exploiting the characteristics of different optics.
Currently Available E Mount Lenses
* SEL16F28 – 16mm f/2.8 pancake lens
* SEL1855 – 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens
* SEL18200 – 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 telephoto zoom lens
The recording format for this new HD camcorder will be AVCHD, a widely supported format by many non liner editing software vendors and the same format as HXR-NX5 “NXCAM” camcorder.
There is also a plan to implement 1080p (60p / 30p / 24p*2 or 50p / 25p) recording modes.
(MPEG4-AVC/H.264 compression will be used for these modes.)
*1 Not all types of adaptors and lenses are guaranteed.
*2 59.94p / 29.97p / 23.98p respectively
ViewSonic’s 3D Pocket Video Camera
You don’t need special glasses to playback your footage in 3D instantly on the 2.4″ LCD screen. The 3DV5 is compatible with most new 3D HDTV’s. With intuitive ArcSoft® software Wizard onboard the 3DV5, you can also easily enjoy 3D playback on your regular 2D PC or TV with the included red/cyan glasses. Even upload and share your videos on YouTube 3D using one simple click with intuitive and intelligent software built-in. This palm-sized 3DV5 HD camcorder will make entertaining and sharing fun in full 3D, a snap!
The price is $179.98
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