Our Christmas snuggie

I may not let Jo Ann use it.

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The move...

So it all is on here. Now what to do with it all.

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The move is hapening

So after 2 days of packing we are ready for Professional Moving Services to haul our stuff to the new space. Tired and excited.

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The before of the new space.

I know I am supposed to build intrigue except I can't help but feel pride. This is a picture of the before move of our new space.

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The keys to the castle.

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3g test in Bend Oregon for iPhone

3g test

Test Date: Dec 20, 2009 3:42:02 PM
Connection Type: Cellular

Download: 1935 kbps
Upload: 235 kbps
Ping: 350 ms

A detailed image for this result can be found here:

Matthew Hand
Media Head
Pinnacle Media Inc.
(o) 541-633-7476
(c) 541-788-0336

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/vdeoguy
Sign Up For Our Exciting Newsletter: http://www.pinnaclemediainc.com/newsletter.html
Blog: http://mattsgrandadventure.blogspot.com

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The secret

via AudioBoo

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The moving of cats

via AudioBoo

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Currently working on. . .

Here is a still from a great event being put on by Partnership to End Poverty on fundraising. This is a great event based on helping to find funding for non profits. We are providing av support with the help of our outstanding team.

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What we are working on right now

Here is a photo of a location shoot that we are working on for Commute Options. This is footage which will be used in a student directed piece that we are working on later in the year.

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Finishing up Bend Venture Conference 2009

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Enjoyable in so many ways. Great presentations and will look forward to the awarding in the next couple of hours.

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Kousefly rocking Ignite Bend 3

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"Overbrook Brothers" Video by Kyle

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Currently screening for the final time at BendFilm right now... This was taken after their showing on Saturday night.

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D-Tour

If you are not an organ donor be one. Don't just commit, but do the paperwork or get it on your license. Just watched a fantastic film about organ donation and how it changes peoples lives. This picture is from the question and answer after the film.

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Day 2 Video by Kyle and Sam

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Here is a glimpse of the start of this morning. Thanks Kyle and Sam!    

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Friday Night Video Posting Late

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This is a video shot by Kyle on Friday night. A little late, but still a glimpse at the festival.

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BendFilm final day coming in the am

Another day under our belt. Five techs with over 75 films played out today. I was amazed at how well the day went. The team was outstanding today. I started the day with a screening of my sons film for the Future Filmmakers block and concluded it with producing the awards show. Amazing day that brought some great films out with the big winners tonight being "Over Brook Brothers" and "The Attic Door". The playback system works well with problems more related to the venue than our gear. Tomorrow is the final day. And with that I say goodnight and leave you with this picture

Matthew Hand
Media Head
Pinnacle Media Inc.
(o) 541-633-7476
(c) 541-788-0336

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/vdeoguy
Sign Up For Our Exciting Newsletter: http://www.pinnaclemediainc.com/newsletter.html
Blog: http://mattsgrandadventure.blogspot.com

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After the awards

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Awards show

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Final thought of the night.

As the evening winds to a close the final venue of the day is winding down at McMenamins, and I am struck with what an amazing crew we have. The crew has all given it their all and today was truly a testament of how good they are. Everyone pitching in allowed us to take a step back and see how well the festival is run from an av standpoint and I appreciate all the efforts of the team.

Tonight I was priveledged to have a wonderful conversation with a filmmaker on how we handle the festival. The filmmaker was so glad that there was no tape or DVDs. He was so excited that we are doing this digital. It may require more work upfront, but once the festival is running it goes so much smoother and this filmmaker wanted to make sure that he definetly appreciated it.

Matt

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Playback systems . . .

So the intersting thing about the way we run this festival is the sheer amount of data we move around. A few years ago I would have never dreamed of having a drive with over 120 gigs of films on it.

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Stealing Second Filmmaker Interview.

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A great short that is being screened here as well as in Eugene currently.

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Buck and Keenan right now.

The final stages at the last venuse we can get into. Meanwhile three other venues are going on.

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Meet The Crew - Yancy

This is Yancy,

Yancy has been with us every year. He is our resident musician and if you can’t get a ticket to the awards dinner rumor has it that he is playing a gig at JC’s in downtown Bend on Saturday night.

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Meet The Crew - Sam

This is Sam,

Sam is joining us for the first time this year, but has worked with Pinnacle in the past on different projects. We are glad to have him on board.

 

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Regal playback systems

Amazing to think it fits in a back pack.

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Final QC

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Here is a quick video of Jo Ann and Buck doing final qc for the festival.

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Meet the crew - Keenan

This is Keenan,

Keenan is in his second year with us as a tech, but has been “working” with the festival since 5 years ago. He is our floater and darn good at it. He makes sure that the guys are getting their breaks and does some of the grunt work for me when it comes to tech set-up. Say hi to him if you see him around.

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BendFilm 5:00 update

via AudioBoo

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7:00pm update

via AudioBoo

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Meet the crew - Kyle

Here is Kyle

Kyle has been with us for every year that we have run the festival. He is the lead tech at McMenamins. He makes sure that the filmmakers have a wonderful experience.

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Meet the crew - Phil

This is Phil.

Phil has been with us as the Mac specialist since before the festival last year. He helped prototype the system as well as provides our crack IT support. If you see him during the festival be sure to say hi.

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BendFilm 12:00 update

via AudioBoo

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10:30 production update

via AudioBoo

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Here is what we are up to right now...

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So a little live update... Well almost live.

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The Science of BendFilm

Well I am not sure it is science, luck, or experience, but this year we are trafficking over 100 films for BendFilm. This truly is an undertaking and we could not be doing it without the front end staff of BendFIlm as well as our trusty traffic guy Buck. Buck and Jo Ann single handily have made sure that all of the films are on there way and will arrive with just enough time. It really is amazing what we are doing in the background. Jo Ann wanted me to talk about it last year and I really should have so here is what is going on right now.

Jo Ann is making final DVD copies of films for the judges to watch to pick the winners.
I (Matt) am typing this post while making sure a crucial part of the process is working.
Buck is taking a well deserved break after a long day of hammering through an exhaustive Google Doc on Google Apps for your domain making sure all of the films are in route.

So what technology did we use today:

• Google Apps for Your Domain – the reason is because in addition to Google Docs we have a site within the domain that contains a time sheet and a problem tracker that we use for debrief as well as a few more great tools that I will talk about tomorrow.
• BendFilm is an all digital festival with the exception of 35mm which is handled by a remarkable staff here locally at the Old Mill Regal Theater. Right now a film is going on to a hard drive through a little magical conversion process. Well actually an Elgato turbo.264 HD. This little USB stick will speed up any film that arrives on DVD.
• We also have been getting hard drives that contain the films encoded specifically for us by the filmmakers to take advantage of our unique playback system.
  

Just a small glimpse of what is going on. Tomorrow – The tools of playback.

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I love this app for the iPhone, but...

Take a look at this video-

This is an amazing application. I am very excited about the future of augmented reality and how it may be used for both commercial as well as non commercial applications. 

What really got me is that what could have been a really good product demonstration turns into a shaky rendition of what the application may look like. Will I still by the app? Well probably, but if you do product videos just take the time to at least put the camera on a tripod or better yet just call us at Pinnacle Media and we will make it look exceptional. NO MORE SHAKY YOUTUBE CAM!

You may go about your day now.

now where did I put my augmented reality see into the future app....

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How we watch video is changing. . .

via emarketer.com

Video is not dead it just is changing and you can see how this transition has started to accelerate with the addition of timeshifting as well as the remarkable uptick in watching video on the internet compared to Q2 of last year.

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Giving Back Part 2

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Today was a long and interesting one. Why? Well it began at 8:20 with Jo Ann and I getting out of the car at the Redmond Fairgrounds for Project Connect. The mission of Project Connect is to rally our region to support and create lasting solutions for those experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness here in Central Oregon. Today was their annual event that they hold to allow those in need to find the tools all in one place. Our task was to document the event. Not an easy task.

This event is massive in scale from all standpoints. I overheard numbers that included close to 2,000 people coming through the doors to get help, 300+ volunteers, 600+ medical release forms for people possibly seeking treatment, and at least in my case one heart truly touched. This event is truly a labor of love for a lot of the volunteers with one interview of a volunteer detailing a story about a young family that had very few of their necessities including diapers. Due to this event they at least were given a few of the things that they needed, but they had run out of diapers at the event and due to some kind volunteers they were able to supply the family with some for a few days. Truly a touching moment and realization of us looking out for our fellow humans.

What does this say about the area we live in though? It is a tough area to live with recent stats including possibly being 6th in the nation per capita for homeless including over 700 homeless school age kids. All of us really should appreciate what we have and if there is anyway give back. Give back by volunteering. Give back by donating money. Just give...

Find out more about Project Connect here.
Find out more about Partnership to End Poverty here.

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A quick look at some work that we have recently done

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This is a short sampling of some work we have helped create. In the case of the FireFree spots we provided location production and post production services for this three spot package produced by 14 Hands Agency for their client, "Fire Free". The spots are the creation of Director/Cinematographer Virgil L. Harper, and were shot using Central Oregon crew, equipment, talent, and locations.

Enjoy!

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Amazing Shoot!

We love great clients and this is one of those.

Ruff Wear!
We got a chance to tape a new product demonstration for the double back harness that will be for sale very soon. This video is so that the owners as well as dealers understand how to properly use the harness. The harness is for those climbing enthusiasts that want to bring their dog with them. Look for the video after the first of October at http://www.ruffwear.com

What are you doing tonight?

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WhatAreYouDoingTonight.MP4 (22778 KB)

Here is what we are working on for tomorrow!

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Giving Part 1

~ I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver. ~
Maya Angelou

As individuals we all have to determine what we feel we should give to. What is the value we place on the organization for us.

As a business right now it seems even tougher with potentially dwindling margins and profits. What if we were to change our thought process. What if instead of looking at it as a burden we look at it as an opportunity. While we all must run our business to profit (the true definition of business) we begin to loose the human side of business. We as business owners should reach out and engage with the organizations that matter within our community which in turn keeps us in touch with the human side.

Engagement is something different than just giving money. In fact engagement has nothing to do with money at all. Engagement is more about time. Engagement is about giving of yourself through your experience and expertise. What if we all took 1 hour a week to truly engage with a local group that is working to make a difference?

I feel strongly that we all should be doing this as business owners. Engage with an organization that needs help. Share your time, your expertise, your passion, and truly begin to understand who the organization is and why they do what they do.

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To Blog Again!

So it is time to get down to business and get serious again about my blog. This time I am blasting the world.

Why?

Well I recently spoke to Kent Lewis (Twitter – Anvil Media President) and what really I stopped doing is talking about what I am passionate about. I stopped telling the world about myself and our company. I stopped because I have gotten caught up in the day to day business of running the business, and yet I have been helping others tell their stories and leverage new distribution forms through the net. I have not been doing what I have been preaching with one exception Twitter. Twitter is not a replacement for real thoughts and ideas being translated into action. It is a good distribution method of getting the links to the information, but it isn’t the information. So it is time to change and really start screaming my thoughts and ideas to whomever will listen.

How?

Through the process of helping others with their distribution of their stories and listening to some great people (see list at the end for links) I have found dissemination of information across multiple platforms is even more possible today then even Two years ago. I am therefore determined to make it happen. When I update a post it will show up in multiple blog sites on my Twitter feed and also FaceBook. I am not doing this to bombard my followers on Twitter or my friends on FaceBook, but to show up in Google and perhaps be seen in Twitter streams that go so fast these days.

So here it goes and as always follow, friend, share your ideas!

Matt

People to follow-
Guy Kawasaki - Twitter, Blog
Seth Godin - Blog
Leo Laporte - Website, Live Stream
Pinnacle Media Inc. on Twitter - Twitter

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Fire Free 2009 Ads

Here is one spot from a series of spots that we recently completed for The Shop for their client Fire Free.

The Ignite Bend Experience

If you had five minutes on stage what would you say? What if you only got 20 slides and they rotated automatically after 15 seconds? Around the world geeks have been putting together Ignite nights to show their answers.

Intriguing? Terrifing? Both?

For a lot of the presenters they had nerves and judging by some of the tweets there was almost a level of panic by some. This can be terrifying because for most of these people they are not public speakers, and yet we had 10 presenters that were all passionate about what they presented. This passion showed through in every way and by the end we all were better off for it.

In reality this is what all presentations should be about. These people last night cared deeply about their topic and engaged the audience through their enthusiasm. I am not sure how many presentations we have sat through that the fire and spark are gone. The "love" of what we are presenting is gone. This lack of emotion unfortuneatly finds its way into a poor presentation. I will admit that last night it was all about persuasion and less about pure facts, but within each of our presentations we are trying to persuade people through the use of facts. So we can learn a lot about an experience like this.

Try it out and see what you think... Ignite Bend

Ignite Bend #ib1

If you missed it here is the stream we produced for Ignite Bend. I am really excited about the opportunities of doing more streaming. Got an idea of something you would like streamed?

Video Production on the cheap?

I have run across a blog post with the title "What Expensive Video Production Companies Don’t Want You to Know" and I have to admit it is quite frustrating to read. I thought about not putting in the link, but the rational of the author is not very sound so go take a look.

In this YouTube era anyone CAN do a video and post it online. This is no different than anyone can build a webpage, anyone can be a mechanic, or anyone can be a high rise window washer. Okay so I admit the last two are a bit of a stretch, but the point I am trying to make is just because you can doesn't mean you should. What the author is trying to get from you is to buy their products. He is trying to illustrate how easy it is without giving all of the information so let's break this down bit by bit.

1. Video production companies don’t want you to know about hosting companies who can store these large files online for you. I am not sure who he is talking about here as all of our clients I either recommend them place their videos out on YouTube or other video sites or host themselves on their sites. The trick to doing this is compression and we want you the client to succeed on the web.
2. A video ad marketing campaign requires a good camera to do the job. These cameras are not required or only held by expensive companies but can be rented at local camera shops for a small percentage of what you would pay the company. Good cameras are required for this however you can't go down to your Joe's camera shop and rent one. Good cameras are only really obtainable from a rental house and you can assume $250 plus a day.
   
3. There are cheap editing packages out there you can find to edit your videos for free or even at a very low cost. Yes there are, but how much time are you willing to invest in learning the package.
   
4. They also don’t want you to know that your video is compatible with other platforms and sites. I think I stated this before... You need to be successful
   
5. One of the major costs of a video marketing production company is usually the costs of marketing. I think the author is talking about "large" groups, but ultimately the true cost of a lot of business is marketing. We feel differently about marketing and do not invest large sums into print and online.
   
6. The number one thing a video marketing or production company that is expensive does not want you to know is how easy it really is to make your own videos.
   

This last item is where we all should learn an important thing. Easy = cheap. While the costs of equipment have dramatically come down in the past few years experience with lighting, audio, compression, and scripting go to how your product looks on camera. This is the true cost of hiring a professional. The first video you do personally can take hours if not days. A professional video production company digs in knows what you as a client really needs and gives you a product you will be proud of for years to come not just until the next great internet marketing idea comes around.

If you are not doing video on the web drop us a line at info at pinnaclemediainc.com and discover the benefits in working with a company with the experience in this form of production.

The story of the day....

BACK UP YOUR HARD DRIVE TODAY....

Sorry for the yelling. I have been unfortunate to have been in contact with two drives in the last week that are nothing more than bricks. In one case the person had their life's work on it. In classic "Sex in the City" fashion the comment was made no one ever told me to back up my hard drive.

How easy is it? Well if you are on a Mac first start running Leopard and go down to Best Buy and get yourself a 500 gig hard drive and plug the drive in. I prefer firewire for speed, but USB will work. You will be greeted with a box that says do you want to use this drive as a Time Machine backup and you will choose yes. That is as simple as it is for us Mac users.

If you are on a PC I have been told that Acronis True Image is quite good.

The other option is to sync your files into the "cloud" for truly safe backups, but you will only want to do selective backups as the time required even over a fast connection is lengthy. Examples include Amazon S3 (paid) and Mozy (Free for a small amount).

The important thing is just do it today.