10:30 production update

via AudioBoo

Posted via web from The ramblings of a video geek

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

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

Posted via email from Pinnacle Media Inc.

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.

Posted via email from Pinnacle Media Inc.

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....

Posted via email from The ramblings of a video geek

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.

Posted via web from The ramblings of a video geek

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.

Posted via email from The ramblings of a video geek

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!

Posted via email from The ramblings of a video geek

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?

Download now or watch on posterous

WhatAreYouDoingTonight.MP4 (22778 KB)

Here is what we are working on for tomorrow!

Posted via email from The ramblings of a video geek

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.

Posted via email from The ramblings of a video geek

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

Posted via email from The ramblings of a video geek

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.

PLEASE NOOOOOO

Okay so this may be the worst thing. Production value no! He is reading off a prompter and I really wonder if he knows what is going on with the digital transition. Did he "partner" with them or did they pay him. Talk about a bad choice for a spokesperson. I shouldn't post, but it just is so bad to not.

iTunes losing DRM?

So I was reading my news feed tonight and came across this post in regards to iTunes and DRM. It looks like the record labels may be finally allowing Apple to sell their songs without the blasted DRM that causes so much frustration when moving the files. I have gone in and checked my songs and was greeted with the the following screen.

So maybe we can cross DRM off for good on iTunes? I certainly hope so.

BendFilm Press Release

I realized I never did post this so for your enjoyment... or maybe shameless self promotion.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact: JoAnn Hand, Pinnacle Media (541) 633-7476

BENDFILM WORKS WITH PINNACLE MEDIA ON NEW DIGITAL SCREENING
Pinnacle Media Enhances Viewing Experience for Bendfilm Attendees

(Bend, Oregon) BendFilm recently announced a unique partnership with local film production company Pinnacle Media to offer the for all films shown during the upcoming festival. This technology will significantly enhance the viewing experience for all moviegoers.

Putting BendFilm ahead of the curve, this partnership is also particularly timely as digital theaters are a growing national trend supported by an October 1, 2008, announcement by five major studios – Fox, Disney, Paramount, Universal and Lionsgate – to transition to digital theaters across the U.S.

Specifically for the 2008 BendFilm Festival, Pinnacle created a digital system that allows high definition playback as well as digital playback of standard definition films to vastly improve the overall viewing experience.

“We’ve spent the last few months testing and re-testing the system to ensure it will withstand the rigors of a four-day festival,” says Matt Hand, Pinnacle’s Media Head. “We worked locally with Regal Cinemas – one of the national partners in the digital cinema transition – to ensure the playback will be seamless.”

In addition to testing work with Regal, Pinnacle designed the playback system to work with the editing systems that are in use by the majority of independent film editors. To save time and money, filmmakers can also send their films directly to Pinnacle in their native digital format. Approximately a quarter of the filmmakers have already taken advantage of this service and Hand expects more to do so in the days ahead.

“Why not bring the newest, in-demand technology to Bend right now?” says Hand. “Video and film production is the heart and soul of what we do at Pinnacle, and I am so excited that we will have the best quality possible at our own festival.”

With over 15 years experience in Central Oregon, Pinnacle specializes in work that gets results. From one-camera documentaries to multi-camera, complex productions, Pinnacle provides guidance, creativity and solutions in partnership with small and large businesses.

For more information, call (541) 633-7476 or check out www.pinnaclemediainc.com

# # #

Link to the pdf is here

Better presentations... PLEASE!

Seth Godin has a great rant the other day about presentations. He is really very correct. As a person who hates bad presentation it is important that you take the time and energy to make your impressions remarkable. Rehearse and then do it again. Always make sure you know what the venue is like or hopefully they have someone that can help you when you get there. Just make it worthwhile.

MBSEF Schlorship Video

Here is a piece we just did for MBSEF to raise awareness on the benefits of donating to their scholarship program.

The state of YouTube

Watch and enjoy.... This isn't real.

YouTube Contest Challenges Users To Make A 'Good' Video

Production in the video world is changing

I am really excited because I think that the new crop of DSLR "Video Cameras" is changing the way we look at video. While RED did it a couple of years ago we are seeing Canon and Nikon adopt this thinking.

Here is a new clip from AkiHabra News

Tokyo Reality ( Canon EOS 5D Mark II )
by lejapon

While the video could definitely benefit from the use of a tripod for some shots the imagery is absolutely stunning. The list of lenses used is at the link above.

Also this post from the RedUser.net Recon-
"We are so excited that we can hardly stand it. The whole RED team has been working more than I could have ever imagined on this. Probably because we are so motivated by the program.

We listened. We have found ways to do what many dared to dream. I am sure that some of the requests will not be met. We just cannot deliver things that are not possible. But we are going to announce things that some wished for but were afraid to ask.

Thursday cannot come soon enough. Tell all your friends. I will be very surprised if this is not the single most defining day of RED. The one day in our history that will mark the changing point. Days like this will never be duplicated.

If you are disappointed, we will never satisfy you. If you are blown away, the future just begins.

Know this. The RED team is on fire. I have never been a part of something as exciting as what we will present in a few short days." Jim Janard

I am looking forward to tomorrow.

What this really is showing is a shift in thinking. For years we have been locked into either two schools, one being film with great depth of field or video with decent depth, but a struggle to achieve that depth. Now with the new generation the two schools are combining. This is really a revolution in the way things are being done. My choices for my next camera keep getting a bit harder.

Thoughts Of The Day

I have been going over my status messages from Twitter and find it pretty interesting the highs and lows that I have gone through in the last week when it comes to technology. While all of the computers and to an extent our phones are backed up bad things happen when the phone and computer fail at the same time. I mentally struggle as I try to deal with no information. In a way it is like withdrawls and I really don't like it.

The good news is that thanks to Don at Apple I should be getting my Mac back tomorrow. What started out as a bad experience is starting to get a lot better. We just want to know as customers or clients what is going on.

Posted with LifeCast

I like this picture!

Thanks Buck!!!!!! BendFilm late night at McMenamins.

I Am CORIL

This is a piece for CORIL that we premiered at an event this afternoon.

BendFilm '08 Tech - Volume 1

Monumental undertaking or just plain fun!

This year has been an interesting year in many different ways from the tech standpoint. First we will be playing all films digitally with the exception of 35mm. No tape. No DVD. Second filmmakers are given the option of ftping their films. This is actually a big deal and in many ways represents the future of distribution. We are probably jumping ahead a couple of years, but we have seen a fairly steep adoption curve. If anything this has shown that independent cinema is adopting HD quickly. The requests have all been from filmmakers that have done there film in HD and most have been using Final Cut. The ability to deliver digitally saves money, time, and energy.

Pictures and examples to follow shortly as I want this documented.

Game changer...

Fist watch this video- HD is changing. (I have it opening in a new window or tab)

Now here is the game changer. This was shot with a DSLR. I know there are a lot of people that have known about this for a bit, but I feel this is the first video that shows the capabilities. The capabilities of craft and not technology for a price.

I have posted a few times on how GUI is the barrier between the next generation of media deployment, and for the film/video world it has been the sheer cost and tech driving this HD revolution that we are going through. Canon and also Nikon have a new line of camera in the form of a digital SLR that have broken this technology barrier and in my opinion will enable really great still photographers to be really great cinematographers.

The good still photographers in the world understand light. They understand composition. They understand how to make really good pictures. Combine these people with great story tellers and hopefully you will get really great videos. Film in its current incarnation is a dying breed.

I am excited...

More information can be found at Vincent Laforet's blog.

Battery Frustration...

Being a heavy user of my laptop I figure it should go for a while. Well that while is probably about 4 months ago. I just got off a frustrating call with Apple and was told that my battery is "consumed" their words. I just confirmed it in looking at a couple of boards. I just wish they would say it to begin with or let me know how many charge cycles I should get.

Here is something to live by according to Apple's website when operating 10.4:

Calibrate the battery in your MacBook or MacBook Pro every month or two to keep your battery functioning at its fullest capacity.

To calibrate the battery:

1. Plug in the MagSafe power adapter and fully charge the MacBook or MacBook Pro battery until the light on the MagSafe connector changes to green and the Battery icon in the menu bar indicates that the battery is fully charged.
2. Allow the battery to rest in the fully charged state for two hours or longer. You may use your computer during this time as long as the power adapter is plugged in.
3. Disconnect the power adapter with the computer on and start using it with battery power. When the battery's charge gets low, you’ll see the low battery warning dialog on the screen.
4. Continue to keep your computer turned on until it goes to sleep. Save your work and close all applications when the battery's charge gets low and before the computer goes to sleep.
5. Turn off the computer or allow it to sleep for five hours or longer.
6. Reconnect the power adapter and leave it connected until the battery is fully charged. You may use your computer during this time.

Repeat the calibration process every two months or so to keep the battery fully functioning. If you use your MacBook or MacBook Pro infrequently, it’s best to recalibrate the battery at least once a month.

If you purchased additional batteries, repeat the calibration process with those batteries as wel

A great new mac ap...

I am not sure how many web based services you use, but I have a bunch. I recently came across Fluid and have been using it ever since. Take a look at the included screen cast of the creation of my google reader account. There is also a Flickr group that has been started to create application icons. I highly recommend it as they load quicker and reduce the tab shuffle.

This Morning on Frank Deford

So I have mentioned Frank Deford before. I enjoy his commentary on sports. This mornings cometary was on the costs of sporting events. Interesting thoughts, but what I really enjoyed is his rant about black outs in sports. The theory is black out your local coverage and you force people to come to the game. I actually believe as Frank says in today's rant that you show how much fun it is and people will flock to it.

This is the same with products. Show how much fun it can be and let people talk about it.

I have to remember this

Sometimes all we want to know is that it sucks. I only say that because when it comes to customer service we hear well we have to follow the process.

So here is how the conversation goes.

"Well what is the process?"
"Really aren't sure."
"Okay isn't it your job to know."
"Well they change the process so much that I really have stopped following."
"So I am in this crappy situation and there is really nothing you can do for me?"
"Well sir the process is beyond our control and I really think that you should just call the 800 number."

Just imagine a difference if you could make a difference.
"I am sorry sir that it really sucks. Here is what I know about the process and let me call the 800 number with you and see if I can find out more information."

May build a different feeling about your business.

Clever Marketing???

The Star Wars Geek in Me

One of the things I think I have never talked about is why I got into video. It has to do with 30 years ago. Something clicked 30 years ago with the release of Star Wars. It took a few more years, but I was fortunate enough to have a Super 8 camera that my dad had bought a few years before so my good friend John and I did "Star Wars" films while we were in middle school and started doing short silly films into high school. This evolved into me starting to do videos for promotional purposes. After spending 10 years at the local cable company producing everything from live programming to those same promotional videos. For the last four years I have been blessed to have worked with some great clients and am looking forward to the future.

So what prompted this? Go check out how others have interpreted Star Wars through art.

Joss Whedon's newest

Just go check it out. It is just fun. I admire Joss' writing. Firefly is hands down one of the best series. It should have gone for many years, but unfortunately people discovered it to late. Go have some fun and watch the videos.

2008 Cascade Cycling Classic Day 5 Highlights

Here are some video highlights from day 5 of the Cascade Cycling Classic.

2008 Cascade Cycling Classic Day 4 Highlights

Highlights from Day 4 of the 2008 Cascade Cycling Classic.

2008 Cascade Cycling Classic Day 3 Highlights

We are helping document and capture the action of this years event. This really has been fun!

Quick Update...

Working on Stage 3-4 video of the Cascade Cycling Classic right now. Should be up in about 1 hour.

Cascade Cycling Classic video update

No update tonight as it's late and criterion has just finished, look for the update of day three after tomorrows stage.

2008 Cascade Cycling Classic Day 2 Highlights

Day 2 highlights. Tomorrow will be focused a bit on the time trial, but more on the criterium in downtown Bend. Thanks to my extremely great moto driver Brad.

2008 Cascade Cycling Classic Day 1 Highlights

We are proud to be covering the 2008 Cascade Cycling Classic. This is highlights of today's stage.

Kent Couch after Landing...

So I thought I would go ahead and post this great picture of me taping Kent probably about 15 minutes after landing. Photo credit www.couchballoons.com.

Oh yeah and something else...

There might be one more event to cover this week....

My head made international news...

See the bottom right hand corner... Yep that is my head. Kent made it today all the way to Idaho. Stay tuned for more! (photo was on the AP)

The Chase Begins...

In Prineville! Check out the website!

Kent Couch and His Chair

Here Kent Couch discusses the details of his lawn chair



Video courtesy of Smart Solutions and Pinnacle Media Inc.

Kent Couch Final Preperations

Here is Kent talking about final preparations for tomorrows flight.



Video courtesy of Smart Solutions and Pinnacle Media Inc.

Two more videos coming tomorrow!

We are in the final run up to the launch of Kent Couch and his cluster balloon flight. Tomorrow we are going to sit down and talk to Kent about preparations and more about the chair. Stay tuned as we have made preparations for the possibility of at least 2 if not 3 videos from the road during the chase thanks to Wireless Source here in Bend. If we are not able to get them up during I will post as soon as we have wi-fi coverage.

Proud to be a part!

We are proud to be documenting this historic flight. Kent couch will be attempting to fly to Idaho with his cluster balloons. Head on over to here to find out more.

What a meeting should be

I really enjoy Seth Godin. His post today is very much relevant to how I feel about meetings. Make them different and watch the results. Click on the link to find out some more specifics.

The new television show we have been working on!

I present you with episode 8. Enjoy!

Business Travel Today vs Days of Yesterday

When I began this venture a while ago I set out to create a nice little niche for myself in Bend. I have slowly began to travel more and more for work with a culmination of a recent trip to Atascadero for some consulting work. What I was struck with was the difference of travel today vs what even a generation ago would have done.

I was hired by a company out of Portland to travel and set-up two Final Cut Pro workstations for Charter Media in Atascadero California. What I realized was the first difference was being able to leave from Redmond and be able to end up in Santa Barbara. Kind of a mistake flying in there as it is about a two hour drive, but hey it was a good drive. While I am completely comfortable in the computer world I struggle with being in cities that I do not know. I had a bit of anxiety over making it and where I was going so the next difference was renting a GPS from Enterprise. I am pleased to say it did not take me into any ocean and took me right to my destination. This was truly a trip down memory lane as growing up my grandmother lived in Nipomo. I decided to stop. Thanks to a quick call to my aunt I was able to find the house that does not look much different than it did when I was growing up. I arrived rather late into Atascadero, but was greeted by a very nice hotel called the Carlton that is just down the road from the job. Now the whole thing was arranged by the company I was working for over the internet with confirmations sent right to me. Very easy and a very different experience than you would have even 8 years ago.

The hotel had wifi and a wired connection for internet which was a pleasant surprise and a very nice feature as a lot of hotels in this price point force you to pay for internet. A welcome change and a definite selling feature. In the morning I woke up and traveled to the job. I was able to get the two stations configured including wiring up an entire one after moving 3 decks from an existing edit bay. This is where the story has another interesting side note because of some improvements to our infrastructure I was able to edit a spot while in the hotel and upload it back to Bend. This is a definite time savings and allows me greater access and flexibility. A special thanks to Darren back in Bend who put it back to tape.

On the final day I was able to spend about 4 hours training the staff who have virtually no experience editing with Final Cut and it was great to see them understand and hopefully catch hold enough to begin doing spots. I then followed my trusty GPS back to Santa Barbara and filled up with gas so I would not be charged the service fee. Finally on my way home, I type this in LA as I await the 9:00 to Redmond. This will be posted in the wee hours of the morning on that series of tubes.

So what has changed within a generation-
-2 states in 3 days
-240 miles being tracked by a gps
-2 non-linear editing stations with 3.6TBs each
-TSA (good experiences this time around)
-1 spot completed and delivered while on the road
-1 crazy picture of the propeller of the plane (taken with my BlackBerry)
-1 very tired consultant- Okay this was probably true back then also

Thanks Jo for picking me up!

I find this interesting...

Courtesy the Economist

We have a long way to go...

Boys And Girls Club of Central Oregon

We finished this yesterday to be used at this mornings breakfast. If you haven't heard they have been in a bit of a financial crunch of late. This is an extremely valuable part of our community and we support their efforts.

The HD/SD Dilema- Can it get more confusing.

Do you produce in HD?

A question I think I have had once. I said yes because if we have to deliver in HD I will and can. We do not have an HD camera, but there are plenty of people I know that do. The dilemma is that as I am walking the floor of NAB there is no clear direction for HD. The manufacturers have their flavors and then you have to figure out which flavor you like.

I was at one of those manufacturers parties last night and got the opportunity to sit next to a DP (Director of Photography) who shoots for Dateline, 60 Minutes, and CNN. His dilemma is that each of his clients, the networks, are asking for different flavors also. One of the clients even said that they would only accept packages shot on one of the most expensive solutions out there. Needless to say he is not liking the option of having to have different cameras for each of the flavors.

In Bend we are greeted with a different dilemma. As I wright this I believe that neither of the HD stations, KTVZ or KOHD, do not offer HD playback of content i.e. commercials other than news. I know that they say they are HD, but that is only during their news and the packages that play back during those.

So what are we to do. We will support HD production because it is the next step, but most of the projects we do will not be delivered in HD because the only way is through brodcast or on blueray. With broadcast it does not exist currently in our market and there are not enough blueray players right now.

What can you get for free?

Chris Anderson has a great comment on his blog this morning regarding free. He talks about the Oprah touch on Suze Orman's "Women & Money". Oprah announced this last week that people should go check out the free download. Well a lot of people did. Did sales suffer? Nope. In fact Chris was able to graph the sales that came out of it on Amazon and it looks like it is now the #1 seller. As Chris says Oprah + Free = Blockbuster. I would agree. So what can I give away for free?

Facebook

So something happened the other day. I actually clicked on an ad inside of Facebook. The ad took me to Jack Myers dot com. Why would I post this. Well this is actually the first time I have clicked on a link and taken action. I have not purchased a product, but instead have added it to my news feeds. Today this story came across. What is interesting about this is how production has changed and also it shows how important product placement is for advertising. Give it a read it is pretty quick.

What we all should strive for!

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Our new promotional page...

So we are now on Facebook. Come check out our new page and become one of our fans.

Fear

Fear is standing in your own way.
Fear is not allowing yourself to be successful.
Fear is not willing to take the next step.
Fear is not willing to hang on for a wild ride.

I am done with fear!

Think I Posted This Before but...

I think it should be repeated. Marketing has changed and this shows how it has.

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Event Tomorrow

So we are helping produce this event tomorrow. Check out the press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 4, 2007

CONTACT: Beverly Lucas, Bend Bike N Sport, 322-8814,
beverly@bendbikensport.com

TOP PROFESSIONAL CYCLISTS CONVERGE ON TOWER THEATRE FOR “TRAIL TO TOUR” PANEL DISCUSSION ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21
Event benefits Central Oregon Velo Youth Development Program, which helps introduce the region’s youth to cycling programs and benefits

(BEND, Ore.)—They spend the majority of the year traveling across the country and around the globe for bike races, but for similar reasons they all choose to call Bend home. And now, Bendites have a rare opportunity to hear firsthand what motivates these elite riders to compete, what they do to maintain top form, what their plans are for 2008 and why they choose to live and train in Bend.

Scheduled for Friday, December 21 at 7pm at the Tower Theatre, the “Trail to Tour” event features an informal talk show panel discussion with some of cycling’s biggest names who also happen to be Bend residents, including Chris Horner, Carl Decker, Adam Craig, Chrissy Ruitter and Megan Elliott. The panel will be moderated by Anthony McCrossan, head commentator for the internationally-renown London-based Cycling TV, the world’s largest broadband cycling television company who will simulcast the event globally on www.cycling.tv.

Admission to the “Trail to Tour” event is $10 for adults and $5 for kids age 12 and under, with proceeds benefiting Central Oregon Velo’s Youth Development Program. Doors open at 6pm, and the forum begins at 7pm. Admission includes a complimentary beer for attendees age 21 and over courtesy of Bend Brewing Company, or a complimentary soda. Tickets can be purchased at the Tower Theater box office, online at www.towertheatre.org, or at Bend Bike N Sport.

Admission also includes a chance to win a number of door prizes, including a cruiser bike courtesy of Felt Bicycles, autographed cycling jerseys, equipment and apparel.

The “Trail to Tour” panel discussion is presented by Central Oregon Velo, Bend Bike N Sport, Racecenter Northwest, the Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau, Bend Memorial Clinic, Lowes Commercial Properties and Cycling TV. For more information visit www.bendbikensport.com or call 322-8814.


We are producing the simulcast. Will post the link when they have it. Nice international event.

Do you like Google Maps for Mobile?

So you must check this out!



I just installed this and I am really going to enjoy this!

AVID... Why do we care

So this came across in onve of my news feed today (Click on the title if you want to read the entire press release).

Avid Announces Major Shift in 2008 Strategy in Response to Customer Feedback

The press release goes on to say that they will be refocusing with the direct result being their customers. They also stated that they will NOT have a NAB booth. Now I know this bores a few of my readers, but I think it is interesting to note that they have chosen to not have a booth. While I am sure this is expensive the last time I was at NAB there were a lot of people around the booth and I think that there will be a few potential clients deciding on going the Final Cut or Premiere route. Also of interest is the focus on the customer.

Customer focus is where we should all be. Focus on what your clients think and need. Can you provide it then provide it otherwise move on and suggest someone that can do it for them.

What are your thoughts on this?

A great picture

I am really liking this one! Excellent look from Lance Hardy Photography. This was taken this weekend at the Central Oregon Women's Expo. Thanks Lance!

Uh OH!!!!!!!!

You ever wonder what would happen if you lost your hard drive? Well last night as I was geeking out and installing my software for my new slingbox I got the spinning wait wheel on my Mac. This has happened from time to time and I waited, and waited. I tried to force quit an could not. Well no worries just power off and everything should be good. Turned back on and was greeted with a horrible clicking noise. I waited and was greeted with a screen that had a folder with a question mark in it. Huh?! Well after doing a few other things there is a strong belief that the drive may be dead. Yes dead. It will be going to the local authorized dealer here in town in the AM in hopes that the Apple Care I purchased will take care of it I hope, but my thoughts are that everything on the drive is now gone. So the message to the masses, always back up. I believe that I will recover fairly quickly as most of my project files are stored on externals. Maybe it is time to upgrade to Leapord and make sure I always am upgrading.

Early adopter pains?

Okay a better title probably should have been my struggles with T-Mobile since last Friday, but in fairness to them I am going to give them a chance. The problem since Friday has been repeated all circuits are busy errors on our phones. I say all because we have a total of 5 lines with them. Yes we pay a small fortune as 2 of them have full service including BlackBerry Enterprise. The phone staff has been courteous and I have now filed 2 trouble tickets with them. Last nights tech stated to me "well it sounds like we just don't have capacity" and this really got me going. What do I pay for? Is T-Mobile really at capacity here in Bend? Wouldn't you think that they may have seen this coming in one of the fastest growing cities in Oregon? Okay my rant is done for now...

To blog or not to blog....

Well we are frantically working on the final details of BendFilm which is this coming weekend. Al things look good for another great festival. In addition we are preparing a very special edition on Let's Make a Space to premiere this week. In this edition it is a competition to be Central Oregon's Next Design star. What is exciting about this is in one day we shot 5 designers going to a total of 7 locations. This was don in conjunction with Central Oregon Cable Advertising and some videographers from there. look for a sampling in the coming days.

Hanging on for dear life...

So as I notice the posts growing fewer and fewer between. I have come to realize that it is a reflection of how much production we are doing. I am excited, but at the same time it is hard to keep up. We are right at that spot where we really should hire someone, but at the same time maybe I can do it all. Tough spot.

Few more thoughts:
So on Sunday I celebrate my one year with the most incredible woman. She is truly my world and keeps the business as well as our lives pushing forward. With out her I really don't believe we would have gone through the growth that we have in the past year.

Let's Make a Space:
Have you seen it? What are your thoughts? I am looking for some people that have seen it and can give me their opinion. Look for a couple of more shows in the next few weeks being posted.

Here it is!

Here is the first Let's Make a Space show!

Okay I love it when us geeks poke fun a ourselves.

Unicel to be purchased

So it would look like a bit of consolidation is happening for us here in Bend in regards to Unicel.

The interesting thing is currently T-Mobile is "borrowing" time on those Unicel towers. I am wondering if Verizon has the same relationship?

Secret Part 3

So it also has to do with this... link

The secret part 1...

So the first part of the secret has to do with July 23rd and an exciting event for us...

I have returned with a secret....

Do you want to know? Email me

A Bend Baseball Staple Passes

I found out from Elise over at Live on the Fly that Vince Genna has passed away. While I usually do not post about these sort of things I feel it important to give my thanks as I cut my teeth at an early age televising Bandits baseball from the field that he helped push for. He will be missed.

Imagine the posibilities!

Oh man the kind of instillations you could do with this!

What do you think?

Interesting presentation

I came across this presentation at Slideshare. Interesting and thought provoking.

Apple TV Histeria

I have been watching over the last few days as the Apple TV has finally shipped and is beginning to get some reviews. Most seem to be positive and I think Apple may have another hit on their hands. I think the interesting thing to note is some of the posts that talk about how people have been using Windows Media Center computers to do the same thing that Apple TV does. These users say they have been doing it for a long time. While I do not disagree with the fact that these people may have been doing it I would say that the one thing Apple TV does is make it easy for Joe consumer. While I only speak through anecdotal evidence, it would seem to me that Apple has gone to great lengths to engineer a product that works right out of the box. I really do think Apple missed the boat in not having any DVR function, but time will tell. Now if I can just get my hands on one...

Bad Marketing 101...

Just don't copy! Especially if you are as large as the NAB.



The NAB doesn't like the possible XM/Sirius merger and wants us all to know why it is bad, but they copied one of the people that have dumped a bit of money into the organizations members which are the television stations and networks. I just find it interesting that someone as large as the NAB would even consider doing this.

Jump here for a little on what was done: Radio Online

A reason to switch

So I found this article of some interest why people may be switching to a mac.
Apple of Our Eye: Macs Save Money

Te article raises some interesting point, but I find the discussion about the Apple TV the real interesting point. I have stated before that this is a change vehicle and I think there are even a few things us in the marketing world can use it for. I plan on giving it a whirl to see if perhaps you could make it into an inexpensive digital signage platform.

The beginning...

So when one goes silent on their blog does that truly mean they are out of ideas or thoughts? I know I have been absent for a while and wanted to take a few moments and bring you up to speed on what we are up to.

1) The Drakes- The once a year recognition of the great advertising that we do in this market.
2) A space- More details to follow on this, but we have moved! In the coming months I will bring you a few details about what is going on, but we will be developing a 25' X 25' insert stage. This stage will be available to clients as well as be useful in producing our own content.
3) Marketing and sales- We really have not done a good job within Central Oregon of telling our story. We have been helping others tell their stories, but our own has not been told. Anyone got any ideas here?


That is it for right now, but I am going to give a post a day for a week and see what thoughts I may drum up.

Amazing technology

As a highly visual person I look at this and wonder what the possibilities are. This could power amazing multi layer editing platform.

What marketers think?

What are your thoughts?

Digital Delivery

It was announced that Wal-Mart will be selling digital downloads of all of the major movie companies movies. This comes on the heals of a weekend where movies saw a decline from the previous year of 12 percent. The motion picture companies are finally discovering that they have a vast inventory why not make it easy for people to get at it in other ways. Putting that aside for a second though let's look at if this makes sense for Wal-Mart.



Wal-Mart is the world's retail sales giant. You either love them or hate them so obviously if they are getting into this there must be money in it right? Well here lies the "Long-Tail" theory. Movies that are new releases will cost you almost as much a if you went down to Wal-Mart and bought the DVD, so then they are going after the user who may want to download the older movies as it will be more cost effective. In my opinion Wal-Mart is going after a different customer with this venture than they get in their average store. In order to succeed with this they will have to bring web viewers to their pages which Wal-Mart currently does not do a very good job of. Why would I want to look at their site when I can go down the street and get it for cheaper. That is where HP supposedly comes in. They reportedly have been hired to optimize and change Wal-Mart's digital movie area into a better experience.

I think that this recognition in digital download model change by both Wal-Mart and the motion picture companies is a good start. Wal-Mart has to somehow bring people to their website though in order for this to succeed.


Oh yeah and this little jewel:

Sales for the top 12 films fell 12 percent to $71.6 million from a year earlier. Sales have fallen 3 percent to $779.8 million this year from a year earlier, while attendance has decreased 5.2 percent.

Mac Transition Week 2

So the transition continues. A couple of thoughts and recommendations.

I know all of those PC people out there will disagree with me, but the Mac OS just feels smoother. I enjoy the simplicity of design and ease of use. I know that the PC has gotten much better in it's over all design, but I just find the Mac to be somehow more user friendly.

Issues: Seems to be a small one under Boot Camp with Premiere, but only an annoyance and as such it does not preclude the work flow that I am developing until the full switch.

Programs:Here are a couple of programs that I have found on the Mac to be invaluable and have opened up new work flow possibilities that I had not discovered on the PC.

Handbrake: A great DVD ripper. I do not use this to rip movies, but often we record a backup DVD of the events we do. This program allows us to rip that file into the computer. I know there are PC programs out there, but I have not found any that are as fast and easy as this one.

Perian: This is a QT plug in that allows virtually any file to be played back including FLV. Very nice for attempting to open those pesky windows files. Now it doesn't support wmv, but that is what Flip for Mac is for.

So far so good and we are progressing well with the migration.

iPhone or whatever it is going to be called...

So this is an interesting post on a person who will be getting an iPhone hopefully in June when it is released. The interesting part is that it would appear Cingular does not have a concrete plan on what to tell people that may want to switch now. Revolutionary product, but no plans on how to handle things?

Build it and they will come... Okay couldn't resist.

The switch....

So a few weeks ago I spoke of a transition that I may make. Well I decided to do it.



Yes it is a Mac. We are needing a speed boost in our production and this seems to be a very good solution. The next photo shows XP being installed in Boot Camp.




Finally this is After Effects running inside OS X using Parallels. I will write a bit in the next few weeks about how this is working out.

Oh yeah and there is one more thing....

Steve Jobs on nightline last night. Is there anyone out there that is still doubting there is convergence today?

New media...

So a few things are going on in the world of media and I thought I would take a moment and give my 2 cents.

Apple TV Those of you out there know that I am a Mac fan. I would stop short of saying fanatical, but I admire what they have done. I really think this product will begin the next step in bringing internet content to you television. It is exciting to think of the opportunities that this device that is syncronized through iTunes can bring television shows, podcasts, and any other media you have in iTunes to your television wherever you have it plugged in. They have taken the time to develop a user interface that will be easy for the most people to use it. It will not require a geek and that is a distinct advantage.

CES: Being a geek I could go on for a day about all of the exciting products that are being unvailed, but some of the most interesting things are how the broadcast networks are showing up. They are beginning to realize that the model of television as we know it is has shifted and they need to begin to develop a new model for themselves. Time will tell, but I am excited because the next television will be the internet.

Interesting music stats

Interesting read today from Chris Anderson in regards to the recording industry.

OS X vs Vista

Well... David Pogue gives us his comparison. I think it is fun as I may be looking to convert to the dark side. Or is that the right side?

Guy Kawasaki: Ten Questions With Aziza Mohmmand

This post struck me this morning. I guess it goes to show you that when you make a difference in peoples lives you are rewarded. Give it a read and let me know your thoughts.

DVR captures a different audience.

Nielsen product placement has come out with a few new numbers that show that DVRs are being used to time shift drum roll.... Scripted shows instead of reality shows. What this means is that all of that fabulous product placement going on surrounding reality shows is not garnering the repeat eyes. People watch these scripted shows because they get hooked into the plot and want to watch repeatedly and when they want to. Their also is an interesting discussion of how production techniques may be changing sow that viewers on the smaller screen may get a better look at the subject. Production people will be required to shift their ideas on how they produce content as their is a shift to smaller screens both for those pesky product placements as well as to better showcase the production.

Girls Go Bend

Take a look at Bend!

Stephen Spielberg anti viewing movies on iPods?

A statement he made through Reuters/Hollywood Reporter:

"That's one medium where I have to draw the line," he said. "We'll shoot for television and the movies and let there be a wide gap" between that and the small 3-inch screen. He also said that he felt that people are social animals who will choose to go out to a movie rather than watch a show on wide screen."

Now I can agree with this statement in principle, but after watching a few episodes of Grey's Anatomy playing off my iPod onto my TV I will have to disagree. The general principal of viewing content on the smaller screen is not without its challenges, but the realization of the when we want it world is coming. I certainly hope the MPAA is up to letting us have it our way.

I also know that in a recent Nielsen study it shows- less than 1% of content items played by iPod users on either iTunes or the device itself were videos. Among video iPod users, that percentage barely improves, up to 2.2%. So video is not being played back using the iPod, but what if it was a different experience. Media today is not necessarily targeted at this small device, but it can be used as a tool to shift that content and make it easier to playback on other devices like your television. I also believe this shows that there is a large opportunity for growth within this market if the user experience can be improved.

So the future of media is yet to be truly determined, but with Apple, Microsoft, Tivo, SlingBox, and many more actively working on how we can shift the media to when we want it I believe it is only a matter of time.

Why the TSA should think differently

Marketing guru Seth Godin rants on his experience in travelling in the last week and why the TSA should be different. On a more personal note Jo Ann flew to Denver last week and had a very similar experience as Seth writes.

read more | digg story

Why have you stopped posting?

Well... BendFilm.

This is an exciting time with the "buzz" that goes on around Bend. Independent cinema for the filmmakers and fans. We are proud to be providing the AV logistic and consultation for this years festival. It is an exciting time. I will post photos of the happening this weekend.

So now a quick multi billion dollar thought on gootube...

Do you really doubt you should have video on your website? I think it will take Google to monetize YouTube. Just my thought, but it makes sense. I am not sure that it is worth the amount, but Google I think needed the technology and had the cash to buy it.

Just my humble opinion.