Video content via blip.tv and lifecasting on at Justin.tv

We now have a cool way to showcase some recent project samples courtesy of Blip.tv.

This is a free embedded player they designed. It may make it’s way onto the main site of CM Creative very soon. Click the “GUIDE” to find other samples.



It is sites like this that will drive bandwith costs down and push the Internet convergence with traditional broadcasting. No longer will it be a 500-channel universe but an infinitum channel interworld.

As access and creation tools become easier and less costly, I would expect to see an onslaught of niche Internet based shows that will go head to head with traditional broadcasting shows. We may not see something on the lines of NBC or CBS but look at the extended cable network programming and you will see a glimpse of internet broadcasting…but different.

And as different goes and grows. Have a look at Justin.tv as a post-modern reality-television programming experiment. It’s already wildly popular at only 41 days online and an incredible idea.

They have coined it “Lifecasting”.

Definitely an evolutionary mashup from jennicam.com, Big Brother and social media networking like Twitter, Facebook and Jaiku. Oh and we should add a little voyeurism sprinkled on top.

I hope they are cashing in.

CM

“Become the expert, add eyeballs, and Digg the Rocketboom”

One of the great things about video podcasting that mimics traditional broadcast media, is how the medium positions the host as an expert. Even if they are relaying information that is easily accessible through other outlets, simply the fact that they are in front of the camera disseminating that information paints them as the “person in the know”.

Try to take advantage of this fact when video podcasting. You can make a big splash by being focused, reliable and well researched combined with a genuine dose of yourself. This may is traditional business dictum but it is one of the essential keys to success in this growing format.

A telegenic personality helps for sure but from our experience and research, a sincere host adding their own view to the information goes a long way in this medium.

Video podcasting’s strong niche marketing design can be leveraged in your favor to attract additional eyeballs to your site. By positioning yourself as the expert in the field (or niche market) through a video podcast production, you generate hype and buzz through your audience and, in a viral way of touching new markets (through cross-posts and email forwarding of your show to like-interested contacts), you can drive more traffic to your site, your product and translate all of this into sale and revenue.

Great video podcast examples of low production values but staggeringly high traffic (and popularity) are Rocketboom and Digg , and I’m sure they are cashing in. Now let us help you do the same.

So what about CM Creative? Well we have several shows in delvelopment that we hope to “green light” very soon. This could mean new website changes and new directions but know that we will always retain our values of quality and creativity.

CM

"Blogosphere distribution, tags and a quiet 8 core apple bomb"

"Blogosphere distribution, tags and a quiet 8 core apple bomb"

Now that I have been blogging for well over half a year I thought that it was time to really put myself out there. Out there being the real Blogosphere also known as the big bad boy show of the Internet.

Now it is one thing to prattle on week after week a to promote yourself and give advice to readers who are coming to find out about you, but to make it really public to everyone on the web is another level onto itself. It’s a difference between exposed and exposure. But I’m ready.

First thing of note is that casting the distribution net on the web is simple as a few subscriptions and as complex as being on the bleeding edge of Internet buzzwords and knowing the newest social networking toy. It becomes a fine balancing act of time management and time “waste-ment”.

I have started out simple by tagging my blog in via Technorati, del.icio.us, cross-posting on Blogger, Bloglines and posting our feeds through Feedburner. I’ve also even played with Myspace, Virb and Twitter (the most fun and simplest of them all). Now keeping this up this takes time on its own and there are so many more sites available to promote that it is daunting. You need an assistant just to keep up.

We will start with little steps first. A few hot tags on Technorati posts and some Blogger cross-posts.

This is important for your client’s online promotion as well. Knowing how to, where to and actually doing the cross-postings and online distribution is critical to continue eyeballs hitting your site. The updating and new postings will aid in having an interesting site that users will want to come back to on a repeat basis. This is something that needs to be communicated to the client. If you build updating into the agreement, the online products created will be more viable and have better functionality, creating a more positive experience in this new medium.

You can expect a few new revisions of the website in the future including video samples. For now I have samples available here at Blip.tv and cross-posted them in iTunes as well.

This is just the beginning.

Before I sign off on this post though I have to mention that Apple released their 8-core MacPro recently. There seemed to be little fanfare around but I would say that this is because it was well before expected chatter. Most people thought that they would release this system at NAB in a few weeks.

What this means for me is that Apple is probably going to release something even more significant at NAB and that it will rely heavily on the power of this system. Final Cut Pro Studio 6.0 will probably roll out and the quietly rumored Final Cut Extreme high end editing system that will try to go head to head with Avid. Now that will be an interesting battle to watch.

The other significant thing about this release is that my octo-macPro is here. I remember dreaming (and
blogging) about the quad MacPro. Now this is the time to act, jump in and commit. After Apple reveals their newest toys at NAB, I’ll have to actually go buy and put that whole rant to rest.

Until I begin talking about how killer of a machine it is.

CM

“Apple TV ships. Will it be the key to unlock convergence?”

Apple TV started shipping on March 20 and already it is being hacked to become the machine everyone wants it to be. The hacks so far are tweaking it so to play other codec-formatted video like DivX. Now mind you when you hack any Apple product, it may do what you want but good luck getting any tech support for it afterwards.



This is surely purposely designed for Apple to continue it proprietary use of it’s related products like iTunes movie and television show purchases. Of course you can also play music on your surround sound theater system (from your iTunes music library) but there is so much other content that people want to watch it’s too bad that its being hacked to work that way instead of shipping with that support built in. Maybe future versions will offer other formats but I’m sure that they are pushing the iTunes store products and trying to monopolize the market.


In some ways you can’t knock them for trying to dominate though.


On the other hand I’m sure that the future models of iPods will be better only because the Zune was created. Many mac fans love to hate the Zune but will have to admit that competition will only make their favorite gadget better.

But back to Apple TV. I think that this product will ride the iPod hype and sell tons. We will be time-shifting our media to watch previously aired programs and catch up on the latest Brothers and Sisters show or see the Apprentice boardroom firing. VCRs were, and still are so prolific because they were a time shifting tool. Had re-writeable DVD players been easiler to use they probably would have been more popular but now PVRs and DIY versions of them are becoming much more common.

So what will be different about Apple TV? Well first and foremost is that it’s connected, and in some ways, driven by the hottest new thing for the past two decades, the Internet. People love to have access to it and Apple TV connects it to our other favorite toy, the television.



Apple TV could be a key to unlock the convergence between the television viewing experience and Internet content consumption.

The critical point between Apple TV and the Internet is control. Now the user is not locked into schedules or network programming. They can surf and find the content they were once viewing on their laptops and desktop computers, on their TV. Combine this with trademark cool Apple design and you have a hit. Well maybe a real hit when you hack it a bit so you can watch your favorite YouTube videos for hours, but I’m not promoting that. Kinda, but not really.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“What is a podcast primer and octo-MacPro dreams ala NAB”

So the deeper I get into podcasting (a general term to cover both video and audio) the more I hear that people do not know what podcasting is or they think it’s one thing when in fact its many more.

The “pod” of podcasting comes form the fact that initially these shows were created to play on an iPod but now many other devices can play them and a large percentage of viewers listen to or watch podcasts on their computers. I doubt that podcasts will ever not be called pod-something but it is a bit of a misnomer and tricks people into thinking that they need an iPod to consume them.

Quickly are some simple podcasting points to clarify.

Podcasting is Internet broadcasting.

You do not need an iPod to watch or listen to podcasts.

It is like watching regular television or listening to the radio except is it sent through the Internet to your computer.

You do not need an iPod to watch or listen to podcasts.

Podcasts are usually niche specific content (i.e. Hosta gardening, Harley chats, Sonoma wines, Mac news, etc.) and typically created by people who have a special interest or passion in their subject.

You do not need an iPod to watch or listen to podcasts.

You can find most podcasts listed in the iTunes music store under “podcasts” and the vast majority of them are free.

How podcasting typically works:

Someone records a show, hosts it somewhere on the Internet and publishes it through the iTunes podcast directory. You can view or listen to the show directly from iTunes or subscribe to it. When you subscribe to it (which, by the way, transfers no information about you) it launches iTunes on your computer and downloads the show as well as links to download previous shows (if there are any). If you have subscribed, the next time you open iTunes the program will search to see if any new podcasts have been published and if so it will download it to your computer. Now this is not like downloading regular files. The concern for viruses is negligible (if at all) and I have yet to hear any computer being infected from a podcast download from all the research I’ve been doing.

So after you do have your podcast on your computer you can…play them on an iPod. But you do not need an iPod to watch or listen to podcasts.

I’ll leave it at that for now and not touch on any of the “techy” stuff that only tech people understand, or care about.

Now how can this be used for marketing?

Let’s take a car dealership for example. Well most corporate organizations have a database of their clients and often they will have their emails. So for the car business we craft a bi-weekly show that highlight their newest inventory of vehicles, special deals, used car sell-offs and employee profiles. We use your, already paid for, graphics and advertising campaign concepts and publish the show in iTunes (and other like web podcast directories, RSS feeders, etc.). You email the podcast link to your database and they subscribe and/or watch the show directly. If they subscribe then they get your new show every two weeks. Beautiful.

You also can setup viewer feedback forums to get information on what people want to see to enhance your next show and to cater to the audience. Because the production models for this type of content is very streamlined you can spend the same amount of dollars (or less) that you would in other wide casted net campaigns and get a better return.

Oh and there are other ways to track the effectiveness of a marketing podcast (or advertising purchased within a specific show or sponsored show) through unique urls and promotional codes that can show where people are coming from.

One of the critical differences of podcasting versus traditional marketing methods is that you are targeting a very specific who already is interested in you, your subject or your product and thus are a very receptive audience. Often they will seek you out for your information. Instead of casting a wide net to see what you can get you are going directly at the people who probably will buy your product or use your service.

I hope that helps.

Now on NAB is happening April 14 in Las Vegas and they might announce a new octo-chip MacPro. Now that would be dreamy. I haven’t purchased the MacPro yet and I’m trying not to wait for NAB to see what Apple may or may not reveal. Except that they also might launch Final Cut Pro Studio 6.0, which doesn’t really affect my clients expect faster workflow and more options for graphics. But that’s nice to have too.

Keep an eye out for more vidcast pilots and for those who didn’t see our first one check it out
here.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

"Contact! Our first Vidcast is hot and live."

We have posted our first pilot vidcast on Blip.tv. Now it is a eight minute, thirty second show so you can either give it a minute to stream (I know that is a lifetime in net terms) or go directly here to our CM Creative, spot on the Blip.tv site for faster streaming.

Give us some feedback. It’s our first vidcast and we’ll have it published in iTunes in a few days too. Check back here for that update.

Thanks for watching!

CM


www.cmcreative.ca

New fav word is “Monetizing”, pilot launch, goals and content as King (or Queen)

I have a new favorite word. Monetizing! This is not only for CM Creative specifically, but also for how you as my client can monetize podcasts for your own business. Monetize literally means: verb [trans.] convert into or express in the form of money.

Now I didn’t really know the exact definition when I heard the word, nor is it new, but I got what it meant and how it related to podcasting faster than I could click the “subscribe in iTunes” button where I stumbled across it.

Who, what and where was this being discussed? Well I was doing more research on what and who was generating income from podcasts and I did a general Google scan. This guy, Paul Colligan, came up near the top. He has written a book on profitable podcasting and seems to be in high demand. I’m scouring his podcasts (and related linked ones) to find out what he has done and what he has learned by being on the pulse of monetizing podcasting and marketing on the net in general.

On a related side note, an old adage that has again come to the fore is that above everything thing else you have to go out and do it. The Nike “Just do it” slogan is right on the mark. It rings true in so many ways.

In filmmaking circles you have two camps. One is go to film school, learn the theory and some student hands on filmmaking. Graduate, work as crew and look and learn while making some short films, build your reel to the point where someone trusts you to make a feature and then you’re in the big show. Or two, just go and do it and you will learn everything in that crazy experience. Most of the people who have made it through to the big show will tell you to do number two.

The other thing I have learned is that we’re on the right track. CM Creative’s approach with the use of video podcasting and Internet based communication is in line with the popular methodologies and business models. Now some of these models are being created as we download but this is the time to be on that leading edge, especially from a cost ratio versus traditional marketing models.

In these models something unique is coming up. As the creator, can micro-target your advertising from existing data to a captive and receptive audience (control). As the end user (audience) you can not only time shift the media to your schedule (control) but you choose what content you want sent to you (control).

Control.

Internet use is about control. Where we want to go and who tries to get us to go there.

With podcasting we choose to subscribe to content that interests us. I think that most Internet users will accept some product placement of built in advertising because we know that things cost money. YouTube was so huge because it was free. Probably the more popular sites out there are ad free or minimal. But it is the content that we seek.

Content. Pause for a moment and say that word again.

Content.

Content is King, or Queen or non-gender specific grand ruling diety as your PC terminology applies. No matter the technology tool, like and iPod, Zune, CD, Slingbox, Mac or PC, unless the content you are delivering is good no one will watch.

You may get some great initial hit numbers to start off that tie in with some crafty marketing and related networking but unless you are generating interesting content that your audience wants to watch consistently, you will fade.

Paul talks about this on one of his related podcasts called Marketing Online . It’s a simple and very old concept of knowing your audience.

Now that’s two direct links to Paul’s business so that has to mean something. I think Apple only got that type of coverage from me before.

Not only do you have to know your audience, but they will also tell you what they want to see and hear. That is another unique facet about marketing via podcasts. You get, no rather you already have an existing audience. You steer them to your new video podcast through your traditional routes and also setup a feedback forum. And guess what? You actually talk to them. They are the best resource for content not because someone else is making assumptions or extrapolations about who they might be or want, they actually are them!

Now there is a great deal to read, listen, watch and do in regards to figuring out what works for you in regards to use podcasting to, and here’s that lovely word, monetize your business so you leave that to us. That’s our specialty. We understand the medium and will make monetization happen for you.

If you read on this long we do have some exciting news. We have delivered as promised and finished our first pilot vid-cast episode. We will upload it early this week and have it available for download, viewing and however you plan on consuming it. Check back soon for links. Of course we’d love to hear you feedback and requests for sponsorship or other vid-cast productions.

I know this is just that beginning. There is lots more in the stable.

Just did it.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Disney brand, brand, brand… and more brand and Annie Leibovitz, the Art star”

On a recent vacation to Disney World with my family I got the biggest and quickest lesson in corporate branding.

I had been to Disney before (in California and Florida) so I thought I knew what to expect. But going as an adult with “ride fever” is way different than bringing two kids who know their Disney characters.

Everything in Disney is about branding and tie-ins. It is amazing. The coffee is “hosted” by Nestlé and even the bathrooms have hand-washing tips that are brought to you by Brawny.

It was like one big branding machine. Merchandise was everywhere and most of the attractions aided in rejuvenating interest in brand lines (Winnie the Pooh, etc,).

No opportunity to up sell and value add your experience was missed. They have it down to a science. It is staggering to be immersed in the Disney experience but incredible to realize the thought involved in your every move.

Now it is not all sell, sell, sell. There are fun rides there and the kids had great fun seeing storybook characters big and in live action. Well maybe it is all sell, sell, sell, but if you are prepared for that going in then you can enjoy your time.

I must admit though that if I had the opportunity to create a place that was designed to promote my business and let you have some fun too, it would have very similar constructs. CM Creative-land? Well maybe a different name to begin.

On our trip back home we were in the returning security lines and I noticed that Annie Leibovitz was saying good-bye to others in the line beside me. I’m pretty sure that it was her. I had just watched a program on PBS about her life and she was showing some new Disney themed photographs at Disney World so the timing was right.

Now I’ve been around a few big heavies in the celebrity world and you get over it pretty quick but this was different. I think because I had recently watched her retrospective it took me back. Not to be a gawker but I was staring. It was Annie Leibovitz! She’s like totally an Art Star!

It probably shocked me because she is a creative professional who has stuck to what she wanted to do and has been phenomenally successful. That deserves respect.

Did I say anything to her? No. She was there saying goodbye with friends in a chaotic environment with her family. It was not the time or place. Another opportunity may arise one day in a karmic circle of fate and it will be right. That’s what my gut said and in that situation you go with your gut.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Pushing and pulling a wig out. YouTube’s addictive reality”

Okay this will go down as a classic case in many books and articles. Innovative today, classic by tomorrow (in Interent and technological marketing timelines).

I love this story on so many levels. It’s a beautiful thing.

If you are a “YouTuber”, watch The Today Show, listen to CBC ro follow some current event RSS feeds you must have heard about the “Bride Has Massive Hair Wig Out” story.

If not. Here it is in my words.

A video on YouTube shows what seems to be a bridesmaids getting ready for the ceremony in a hotel room…You know what? As I write this post ABC television’s 20/20 is doing a show all about viral video and this exact type of thing. This is everywhere in the media. Just do a quickie Google and you will get it in a click-beat. Oh I’m sure there is many Wiki posts on it already.

Just a second…


Wiki wig out here .

I’m sure the top execs in advertising and television are watching. On the 20/20 show they interviewed a kid who made a parody about MySpace, and eventually had a sit down with a top exec at Fox to essentially give him what he wants (his own show).

The critical thing about viral video and this type of marketing is the pull-style versus push. The push marketing is the traditional method where advertising goes out in a blanket campaign (with some demographic target). It is akin to casting a net to see what you can catch. It is broad but because it is so broad it pays off. Well it used to.

Pull marketing is exactly the reverse. It is creating some type of buzz that attracts people to the product. Pull marketing draws the person to your product in a way that they have the control. They want to and seek out the product or website because it interests them. This type of control, on the part of the audience, lets the feeling of being “marketed” fade into the background. Usually they realize that, in the case of a marketing campaign, that this is a marketing ploy or tactic but they are comfortable with the relationship.

It almost a post-modern relationship with marketing.

Now back to the wig out.

On CBC radio I heard that not only was the video was fake but it was funded by Unilever to get the catchphrase “Wigout” out. Apparently a television campaign is to follow.

This is a dangerous game to play if you do not understand the medium. Not the medium of marketing but rather the Internet itself. I have said before that net users have a very keen bull meter and it will turn on you if not careful. Also the shelf life can be measured in minutes if you do it incorrectly. But this is probably true for traditional marketing too.

So, I have given this campaign an additional thirty seconds of shelf life but I love how it played and continues to play out. The people behind it realized how to work the medium and knew that it out come out in the wash at some point. To their credit they easily admitted to it and rode the wave like Eddie Aikau on a big North Shore closeout day.

For the record. I thought it was real.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Internet television, convergence, sling box, Apple TV and what’s next”

So the convergence of traditional television broadcasting and Internet broadcasting, rather viewing, are beginning to “mash up” now. This blending has always been coming and slowly people have been trying to connect the two but it has been a laggy process to date.

It's the viewing that is integral to the usage of the product. Users want to be able to view their Internet and computer based content on their big ol’ HDTV plasmas or LCDs they just bought. Most of these televisions have HDMI, DVI, VGA or some type of computer link-up built in so we now just want to plug and play.

This concept of plug and play is critical for this convergence to occur. It’s fun and not too difficult for techy types to rip, convert and format their media to play on televisions but most consumers are not in that demographic. The plug and play simplicity of computer peripherals that came into being so many years ago made it simple and easy to install new hard drives, printers, DVD burners and every other new computer gadget that comes along. Without the excessive need to download drivers, configure ini files and mess with the guts and brains of our computers it has made them less scary, easier to use and more common in our everyday use to the point that we want them to integrate with out traditional viewing experience.

This is where I see the next revolution in Internet broadcasting to occur. For users to view their computer content on their living room televisions it will need to be easy. We all can plug in the appropriate cords but how many people still have 12:00 flashing on their DVD player or VCRs. Yes, I am retro-tech guilty. I still have a VCR connected and I still use it occasionally because of its simplicity.

There are a few products out there that are trying to bridge that gap but I must go to my bias and give a tip of the hat to Apple. They launched the Apple TV recently. It is a small box that wirelessly streams content from your computer (Mac or PC) to your television.

Music, photos, videos and streaming content from your iTunes podcasts (audio and video) can all be viewed and listened to on your super television and home theater system.

Now there are few technical things that you have to have (HDMI interface on the television, etc.) so I think that Apple is close but could be a bit more open in its supported formats to be totally integrated. Currently it plays video only encoded with the H.264 codec so Divx and WMV files will not play at this time.

HP is trying to in this direction with their Media Center product line and I think they get it a bit more but also a bit less. Their formats are whatever you have on your computer but they still have the big box computer enclosure that does not look so great in the living room.

What I think needs to occur is a player/streaming device that can feed any viewable content and format to your television wirelessly and via a simple remote. Apple TV almost has it but I think to really break it open, they need to loosen up the usual DRM and Apple proprietary thinking. Although, on a postscript thought, I’m sure there will be a hack that can get the Apple TV to play other formats someday but then we are back into the techy messy stuff. Plug and play will be the way.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“iPhone; i-ncredible! Delivering on what you say and the difference of a cut”

Apple did what everyone hoped they would and rolled out the iPhone at MacWorld Expo. This is no small feat on many levels. Check it out on the Apple website and have a look at the keynote if you have time. It is way cool. As a technology device it is revolutionary, evolutionary and by no means ordinary. It does things leaps beyond current rival phone based devices and has that trademark killer Apple design style.

But this is not necessarily what I’m referring to by “no small feat”. I mean that Apple was able to not only live up to the massive rumor mill surrounding its potential launch; it went beyond.

Rumors are often dreams (and nightmares) that people conjure up when they speculate about something. They put their own wishes and desires onto something but base in somewhat in reality. In the case of the iPhone, rumor spreaders were all over the board. But when Steve Jobs took the stage and pulled out that phone there must have been a simultaneous “wow” chi-like vibe from audience. I think I felt it.

To be able to deliver on the theoretical it very difficult. In the creative field I deal with this challenge all the time. I present ideas and creative concepts in written and verbal form but I work in a visual medium. I have the experience to know how to speak about the end result so I can get the client on-board but visuals always help. This is why I always present related project examples where possible and offer a clear treatment outlining the idea and timeline of the visuals.

As a project develops, I usually craft a script with corresponding audio and visual timeline to outline production elements, refine budget and clearly communicate how the final product will look. That “wow” factor doesn’t usually show up yet and will need a few more stages to be revealed.

The “wow” is a great thing. You know when you hit it when the client is very excited and can’t wait to see it shown to an audience. I always have to remember that the “wow” factor doesn’t show up usually until the fine cut stage and with some projects it’s only on the final cut version that you feel it.

Describing the different stages (rough, fine, final) early and repeatedly to the client is a valuable communication tool. For my uses I describe the rough-cut stage as a baseline. This version is designed to be changed, built on and to see if we are on the right track to match the concept.

The next stage is the fine cut. This is where things start to really come together. All of the main elements have been added. Musical score or soundtrack and voice-overs have been synced and the video should look very close to the final product. This is a big step from the rough cut. You can see and feel the tone of the video. This viewing is meant to ensure that changes requested from the rough-cut have been done and that those changes work. Sometimes you can only see if things work by seeing them. I often will create a few versions of specific elements to show differences and possibilities of how elements work within the whole tone of the video to save time and compare options.

The fine cut version is not meant for dramatic changes. It has been crafted to take into account the client’s comments and make the video into a cohesive story. If major changes are requested at this stage the scope of the project will need to be changed as a reworking of the project will take more time than initially projected. When the fine cut viewing has been Okayed, the last tweaks can be made to create the final cut.

The final cut is essentially the final version of the video. I say essentially because this viewing is to ensure that all visual, audio and spelling elements are correct. This should take several viewings and I typically let the client have it to view over a few days to review it without distraction. If changes are requested, and it would not be uncommon for there to be a few, then another final cut viewing will be needed after the changes are made. Once that final cut version has been signed off then the video is complete and is ready for duplication or formatting. This is the most important viewing as if anything is missed the responsibility lies with the client once they sign off so give them enough time and guidance of what need special attention (name spelling is a common concern for final review).

Communicating the timeline progression and the expectations at each viewing make a much more productive experience for all involved. This knowledge aids in my ability to deliver the goods and achieve that “wow” result. Not every product is going to have the anticipation and delivery like the iPhone did but each one should have a little “wow”-power.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Macworld 2007 envy, rumor quashing and paying what you can…forward”

We are in the process of editing our first vidcast pilot so expect that by the start of February sometime. There are a few other projects in the cooker as well and many ideas for some big ones for next year, but that is just teaser talk for now. Let’s move onto some drooling Mac chat.

Starting tomorrow in San Francisco the Macworld Conference and Expo will kick off and yes I’m a bit envious. Being an Apple fan this is one of the Apple Mecca events of the year. The keynote should be a great one as everyone is expecting Steve Jobs (Apple CEO) to drop the iPhone, not literally but it is a possibility. Maybe even a new MacPro but I’ll just have to stay up to date on my RSS feeds to see what plays out.

I don’t know what will happen if Steve does not pull out an iPhone. It is not necessarily an Apple fanboy thing either. After the continued domination of the MP3 market by the many faces of iPod and iTunes, consumers are realizing that Apple makes very user friendly, simple and cool products. Apple has always considered workflow between software, hardware and visual style from a user standpoint. I think this is one of the critical differences between Apple and Microsoft. It seems to be like an artistic choice to create their products as a whole and stay true to the brand but enabling the whole brand to change when they want to freshen or update their style. Oh and their brand looks cool. Now that is a fanboy comment for sure.

But back to Macworld. At least everyone will stop taking about the iPhone. Every Apple related blog, podcast and vidcast has been rattling on about it more and more expecting it to be launched. Even if they do not launch an iPhone, I hope they kill that rumor somehow. I doubt that it would, as the other rumor is that Apple may become a carrier for cellular service too. Now that would have some definite wow factor.

I listen to several industry podcasts to stay current with tech news and trends. A few of my favorites are MacCast, PI Media Pro, Down and Dirty DV, MacBreak Weekly, Media Artist Secrets and GeekBrief. Several of these are run purely pro-bono. I have to say that this is extremely hard to. Just maintaining a blog is difficult enough but to generate content and produce a well crafted and entertaining podcast is a big production and time commitment.

As a listener you are in a bit of a parasitic relationship just by the nature of broadcasting but one of the many unique benefits of podcasts is that you usually can easily contact the show creators and give them your feedback.

I thought it was time pay-it-forward where I could (and how I could) to a few of these podcasters. So last week I took some time to send a few lengthy and relevant emails to a few of my favorite podcasters to show my support and give a little encouragement for the great job they are doing. Not surprisingly I heard back from them and they were all very happy to hear from their audience.

Podcasting and vidcasting do not have the wide throw that traditional broadcasting does but by it’s very nature it is a direct volley to a specific target and thus reaches exactly who it should. This is the benefit. Those who are interested in the subject seek it out, are very receptive, loyal and appreciate the effort to create such products. You could not find a more captive audience. I know marketers are starting to catch on but I think this year may be a big jump in the podcast broadcasting realm.

If you follow continual blogs, podcasts or vidcast I put it to you to pay what you can forward and should drop them a note of encouragement. Let them know that you are reading, listening and watching. I know they’ll appreciate it.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Digg the iPhones, networking, and keeping published”

Most Apple addicts are eagerly awaiting the release non-Apple confirmed iPhone. In the Apple world this rumor has been swirling for quite a while. It’s even stale as rumors go but it recently has been heavily refueled by Kevin Rose of Digg by dropping some hot inside intel on YouTube. With Macworld happening in January who knows what is going to drop, but I’m sure that if Apple does release an iPhone it will be phenomenal. But you may know that I’m a bit bias in regards to Apple products.

Onto networking though. CM Creative recently became a member of Queen Street Studios, a local creative professional consortium. We also wrote an article for their quarterly newsletter. This is excellent for continuing being published in other forums and great exposure for our vid-casting pilot that will be released in January via our site and Podcast Plus (a new partner with CM Creative). Just wait and see.

There’s lots going on with CM Creative for the new year but for now I’ll leave you with the article as it is relevant for everyone.

CM

“Lights, camera, Podcast?”

The hottest term in technology these days is “Pod”. Perpetuated by Apple computer’s music-dominating gadget the iPod. If you’re on the periphery and you’ve only seen one here’s a quick primer.

Apple launched a new mp3 player into the technology field in 2001 called the iPod. The iPod’s simplicity of use the combined with Apple’s trademark standout design made it wildly popular. Apple also bundled the iPod with the iTunes program. iTunes began as an audio playback software designed like a jukebox but integrated to capitalize on the built in functions of a computer (searching, copying, renaming, etc.). iTunes is native to Macs but also works with Windows computers. Mp3 is an audio format for music and talk shows to be played on computers or some type of computer device.

Since its launch, iTunes has developed into the dominant online music-buying portal and has recently expanded into television shows and films. If you look around either you have an iPod or you know someone who, within one degree of separation, has one.

One of the many cool corollary online cultures that has risen with the popularity of iTunes is podcasting. Podcasting is very akin to radio broadcasting with a few critical differences. Podcasts are distributed via the Internet and they are created by anyone about anything. Typically podcasts most easily found through a direct link on the creators website or through listings on…you guessed it, the iTunes online store.

Now it did not take very long after audio podcasts were hitting the broadband data lines for video podcasting, also called vidcasts, to follow. After Apple’s QuickTime video format gave birth to a few new video codecs (a technical term referencing compression and decompression of data) the quality for online viewing of content was raised significantly and a new age of Internet broadcasting had arrived.

So now, in addition to downloading and listening to your favorite audio content, television shows or latest movie releases, you can create the content as well.

Yes. I did say that you can create your own audio or video podcast or both. That is the beauty of the Internet. And yes, it can be about absolutely anything.

So from a corporate angle you may want to do a weekly keynote message to your employees who are across a wide network, city, province, nation or the world. We, at CM Creative, shoot it, edit and polish and then publish it to the web. Your staff simply clicks a link to download and views it. Even better is that iTunes is setup to update itself when new content is posted so all your staff would need to do is launch the program and whenever your new message is posted, it is automatically downloaded. It also earmarks new content so you know when there are new downloads.

You could also have a new product vidcast that clients could subscribe to (in the same manner as your staff did) to describe new services, products or weekly sales. Do this regularly and you have a returning client base that is focused directly on you.

So video podcasting is on that leading edge but is falls inside of an accepted and popular format. The fit for you is that it adds another layer of depth and accessibility to your marketing plan. Its uniqueness is how it can be configured specifically to your needs and to the audience (your clients) without the constraints and costs of traditional broadcasting. Have a look and see how it and we can benefit you. I’ll be looking for your next show.

www.cmcreative.ca

“Compatibility in cross platform creation and the not so deadly iPod killer, Zune!”

Computers and compatibility go hand in had. With different software versions, new builds, codecs, windows versus Macs and automatic updates I’m surprised that computers can work with each other sometimes.

Well I guess with all these potential mods that really they are just a few details that change between programs when you move files around. As a creative professional though I am usually dealing in the details. The tweaks and polish that spices things up, makes them flow better and present the message clearer.

When working between platforms and versions it is critical that everyone involved understands that through the creation process there will be a few compatibility bumps but the creative elements will be retained.

Important to all is the final product. Reviewing and testing in the environment that the file will be used or machine the video will be played on/in (i.e. DVD, CD, computer, website) is essential. Never trust that certain programs are identical. Even if all things are equal if you move one file from one computer to another you must make sure it plays properly. Some programs unknowingly link to files in specific file root structures that do not exist on different systems. But being aware of these potential hiccups save time and face for everyone.

But these things are what we get paid to look out for. It’s our expertise in cross-platform hopping and multi-version tracking that enables us to enhance your message and give it that creative tweak to make it stand out.

Oh, and back into the Apple realm, well actually it’s the Microsoft realm, is the launch of Zune . Zune is Microsoft’s handheld music and video media player that was touted as the “iPod killer”. Well it’s not but it’s not too bad apparently. Okay, in one version you can get it in…Brown? Come on. Maybe I’m being too superficial but with iPods being a near fashion accessory you need to step it up. I haven’t had my hands on one but apparently they do not play podcasts (or netcasts as Leo Laporte has coined them).

I can understand that Microsoft would not want to support its main competition and leader in the handheld media player but podcasts but the people buying the cool toys are listening to podcast and using iTunes. Even the Windows users. Oh apparently it doesn’t even support the Windows Media player.

The Zune does have some cool wireless functions and neat sharing options but it seems that as an integration product with the overall Microsoft world and, even more important from a revenue perspective, that you would want to available to play as much media as possible and be compatible with as many programs as possible to catch up and go head to head with iPod dominance.

Now I wasn’t in the Microsoft concept room when they thought up the Zune, or the strategic planning meeting of how to knock off the iPod so we will have to see how it all plays out. But for now Apple has deflected the first swing by the other main contender on the fight card. This time.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Vid casts, goals, and corporate guerilla filmmaking”

So as we get set to shoot our vidcast pilot we are only setting our own goals for timelines. Well It’s better to actually call them deadlines as everyone pays closer attention to deadlines versus timelines.

Anyways these deadlines are self-imposed and thus the hardest to keep. But we have two benefits here. First is our partnership with another business group. It forces us to push harder to your goals and ups the ante in commitment. The second element is telling everyone that you doing it. It totally puts you on the hook.

Now this is a great way to keep your own projects rolling. Client work has it’s own deadlines and set work back plans that aid in project completion. But it is the self-generated work that presents unique personal challenges.

This is one of the great hurdles of being an artist. Creativity is one thing but the ability to complete work is another talent on it’s own that without it, you fade.

So I’ll lay it down here now that CM Creative is going to shoot it’s own short film next year to submit to the Atlantic Film Festival. I’ll even say that we’ll do it in HD. There. Its now out there.

I’ve already laid it out about the vidcast pilot in the last blog and I’m very excited that that is moving forward and the possibilities that will come from that. But back to goals.

You have to know when it benefits the project to push a deadline.

Filmmaking and video production is a big investment for all involved. For corporate level productions, you are often using available talent, volunteers, donated locations and equipments. This may not have a budget dollar line but it has a great value. Usually it is more valuable due to the volunteer commitment. So you want to make sure you put your best face forward. If you need to take an extra day, or week to make everyone’s involvement worthwhile, you should take it. Deadlines still need to be met but within these timelines you need to play with the timings to get the best bang for your time.

Proper planning becomes critical. With all the people and elements involved you rarely have the opportunity to re-shoot.

This is where corporate production is very akin to guerrilla filmmaking. You can get great shots on the day, but you have to get them on that day. It’s a different kind of pressure but that’s the game we play.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Originality, our own vid-cast pilot, Leo Laporte and netcasting”

So I heard on the radio, the real radio not a podcast even though I love the podcast, that certain James Brown beats and sound clips have been referenced, sampled and reused something like in the range of hundreds of thousands of times.

This got me to thinking about original content creation. Often times I come across blogs, news articles and podcasts that are so heavily out-linked and quote referenced that the story is just a bunch of links to other peoples content. They are just empty shells.

I understand that content creation is difficult. Just maintaining a weekly blog like this can be challenging. But it forces me to push and develop.

I remember talking about creating work, art work at the time, with a classmate from NSCAD. He said something about how you have to be constantly making work. I thought at the time that to make work without reason was frivolous but I now understand that the process is part of creating. It not only keeps you in the habit of creating, which is very easy to fall out of, but it also enables you to work things out in reality.

The previous sentence is a perfect example. I left it as it was written because after I had finished it I knew it was not exactly what I was trying to say. But in this specific case it exemplified exactly the point I am trying to get across.

I think.

Back to my starting thoughts.

The importance of creating original work cannot be understated. We have very short attention spans and our built-in boredom sensors go off very quick. If you create new things that people have not seen before it will keep them interested, keep their attention and, for video, keep them watching.

I try to approach each new project like this. Even with dry material there must be a way to maintain your interest. By creating new ideas and storylines it keep it fresh and interesting. It is my challenge to craft a story around your project to hold the viwer’s interest and inform at the same time. But that’s my expertise.

Oh, I mentioned a pilot in the header. Yes a pilot is in the works. But it will be a video netcast show so keep stopping in to see what we have created.

Another net lingo update on this is the term netcast. Netcast is Leo Laporte’s vernacular hat-in-the-ring to name what is commonly called podcasting. Apple is trying to trademark the term podcast and not allow anyone else to use it without permission. I find Netcast still too Internet-referencing. I think some term should move away from referencing the Internet because although this is how you receive the data you can play it on iPods, laptops, desktops, Zunes (well maybe not Zunes being so Microsoftish), PDAs and phones. So maybe just call it “Casting”. Use a prefix like sound, audio or video to describe the type of show it is and go from there. But that’s my hat-in-the-ring for now.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Creation, creativity, NSCAD University and ducking into the art world”

A number of years ago someone once asked me what art is or meant. I can’t exactly remember the quote but it was something like that. I think I may have spouted some regurgitated art school babble. But that question pops up in my head now and again.

This comment resurfaced recently in a casual conversation and I got me to thinking about the answer. As with most common vernacular terms that we use everyday, we know how to use the term, what it references in the specific but have a hard time to define it in a general way.

I used to try to define art by what it is not. For example, things that were created to sell or do business were not art. I used to think that real art was created out of nothing but the talent (creativity) of the artist. But then I went to the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (now called NSCAD University) and got into the history, education and practice of art making.

Now one of the many exceptional things about NSCAD is that along with the history education you are also involved in the practice of creating art yourself (and being critiqued on it by your peers). Quickly you get a clear sense of what you consider artistic and then, as you learn and do more the less you know.

Another significant thing about NSCAD is its history of being a conceptual art school. NSCAD was one of the world’s top conceptual art schools in the 70’s, and continues with this heritage to this day.

What is conceptual art? Well, that’s another tricky term. Simply said, as I see it, conceptual art is art that focuses on the concept of the created work, or the idea behind it versus the technique or formal creation of the work. Now this is painting conceptual art with a wide brush (ha ha) and it is put into practice in an infinite number of ways.

I was lost on what conceptual art was for the first while at school until one day when I walked by the campus gallery. I saw a large, multi-coloured, striped beach ball on a string going up and down in the display window. I got it right there and then. I’m not sure if you make that connection but for me, it just clicked.

One of the many things I have taken away from NSCAD is a wider acceptance of what art may be. Being open to the possibility and trying to argue it from a defensive point of view gives the opportunity for more things to be recognized and accepted and thus and enriches our lives.

Now back to defining art by what it is not. Well I have throw that out long ago. So many things that are now recognized as art were once a product of business, be it in a outright corporate sense or some alternate agenda. Other famous works of art had their “sell” purpose and were heavily agenda driven.

That’s the cool thing about art history. It the understanding of why the work was created, how it fits into a historical narrative and the political back-story. That’s where the art appreciation comes from. For me it’s the story as part of the final product, or in this case, the artwork.

So now I’m a bit lost. Where does this fit into CM Creative? I think that is a question for both you and I at this point.

What I was getting to is that the art world and the business world are not too far apart. I had thought that once you drop money into the equation, you could find that division to define what is or is not art. That argument has little validity though. Just check out some of Frank Gehry’s work (just Google him combined with Bilabo and you’ll be impressed). The things he creates are incredible and costly. In fact Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint the Sistine Chapel. So I can surely toss away that money-disqualifies-art definition.

I’ve been fortunate to be able to flex my creative muscle in many of the projects I’ve completed. As a creative professional, it’s nearly impossible not to. Even the blandest material in the right hands can be made interesting and, dare I say it, artistic. Now this is not to say that all material can but with the right creative professional involved, your final product will have more impact and be a better received.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Google and YouTube…YouToogle, integration and content creation”

For anyone who has used YouTube you probably now know that Google owns it. You could have had it too for a cool 1.65 billion and change. I’m sure every tech and net blog out there is rambling on about it.

Well it is big news. YouTube is a relatively fresh company and it has dominated the online video arena. I blogged about it previously in “becoming your own broadcaster”. To be honest they rock. They know exactly how to get people online. Make it simple.

Sounds easy doesn’t it. Well YouTube’s uniqueness is that they can take any quality movie and, flowing their simple instructions and guidelines, post it to the web for all to see and, more importantly for all to share. It is this interconnectedness that helps drive their site.

You post your video and you have a list of similar types of videos (based on keywords and grouping settings) to peruse as well. So not only can you show your own friends via a YouTube generated hyperlink, but YouTube has this internal distribution setup that ties it into other peoples pages for more view-ability.

Cool. I tried it too. Here is a short clip of a dance production called “Studio 34” for the Thirty Something Dance Co-operative I covered for the group. As you can see it’s a nice simple integration and only took a few minutes to upload.

Some would say that Google buying YouTube is also a nice simple integration. I’d say yes and no. Google tried it’s own video upload site but YouTube’s dominance far out shadowed it. I’m sure Google spent lots of time and money trying to do something similar. So if you can’t beat them, but them!

It’s been said that YouTube has not been making money due to lack of advertising on the site but now that Google is in, I’d say that it’s time to cash in. The potential is enormous but that is also the reason for YouTube’s success.

Simplicity, lack of editorial handling and ad free make YouTube popular. I’m sure the heads at Google know that current and future YouTubers will have little patience for messing with their content and how it’s viewed. YouTube’s meteoric rise could quickly do a 180 is we have to watch a 10 second intro advertisement every time we want to watch a video. I don’t think that will happen. I have lots of patience but even I start thinking of clicking away when I have to wait through an ad to view something.

So what does this all mean for us at CM Creative? Well, I’ve been so busy with projects that I’ve been waiting to show video samples but maybe this is a guerrilla method to post some extra content in the meantime.

Try it yourself. Everything is out there and everyone is watching. Apparently the eighty year old grumpy guy video blog rant they talked about on CBC this morning had two million views. That is 2000000 views! There’s probably a few thousand more after that broadcast too. Get out there, create, upload and expose.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Looking the part not to fit in but to not stand out”

A long time ago when I was having a mentor-like chat with a friend who was in the advertising business I asked the question, “So what about wearing a suit?”. This was in reference to wondering how important it was to wear a suit to do business. His reply was, “It’s one less hurdle to overcome”.

When I go to shoot I keep this in mind but with my spin on it, of course. The important thing for me is to get the person in front of the camera to forget they are on camera. So the more things I can do to eliminate distractions the better.

I ensure that I dress according to the client and the situation. This goes for my crew(s) as well. No jeans or ripped clothes, no matter what the situation. It’s a simple business practice but I have found that, especially with new clients, that they are put at ease that the crew is presentable.

Now this plays on a few stereotypes. Creative people or artists have been known to and even expected to look a bit disheveled or bohemian and camera crews dress for comfort or whatever way they want to because they are behind the camera.

I find this most critical for corporate shoots. Often times businesses have dress code policies and for myself and my team to show up dressed uber-casual would have us stand out and we would be the show.

It is important to not stand out. Not that I need to fit in but rather just not be the focus of the attention. It sounds a bit odd but when the talent is in front of the camera the last thing they need on their mind is, “I can’t believe the Boom guy is wearing blue socks with his sandals, and it’s not even causal Friday…not that we’d let that go by without a memo…”, when they need to be reciting a line of text about their company.

Being comfortable is all about the talent. They need to be made comfortable and feel relaxed so they are natural on camera. This is even more important with non-professional talent. Being on camera is difficult. I often call the camera the memory eraser because as soon as you turn it on and point it to someone they forget what they were supposed to say or do.

Now it’s my job as the director/producer to coach, cajole, trick and help coax them back to get the performance we need for the project but leave that to me that’s my area of expertise.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Fight, fight, fight to understand your audience”

So I was watching television the other evening and I saw this incredible recruitment advertisement for the Canadian Armed Forces. It had a cool (temperature cool) look to it, gritty imagery, quiet soundtrack, with no real sell to it at all.

Every ten seconds or so and after a few jump cuts the image would freeze in a semi out-of-focus frame of the action. The text “Fight” would fade up and then, after a second, more text would fade in beside fight. This text varied from things like desperation, fear and so on.

I saw two versions of this and both times I totally stopped what I was doing and was enthralled. The footage is of Canadian Forces troops in action. They were loading sandbags, driving though bombed out towns, traveling through fire and flood situations, transporting at risk families, flying into combat areas, performing sea rescues and other similar situations.

These recruiting advertisements for Canadian Forces have a totally different vision than ones before. They are very realistic to the tasks that you may be involved as a member of the Forces. There is no glam and the test states outright that you are fighting, will be required to fight and can expect to be involved in some type of fighting.

Wow! This is refreshing. Not that the other ads they did previously were misguided but these new ones have a entirely different focus. These ads not only target a different audience but they are recruiting a different type of person. I think that previously, to enroll in the Forces you may have had different expectations. There was good pay, travel and maybe a possibility of going on a combat mission. But now things are different. Combat and risk are a prominent part of being in the Forces. That is a reality.

I wonder if there were internal rumblings in the Forces about the new role that armed forces everywhere have. Were soldiers and potential recruits voicing the increased levels of danger? The real missions that soldiers were going to were now having a much higher level of risk. Was this being reflected in recruitment numbers?

No matter what was happening someone noticed that they needed to take a different tack with their marketing. They realize that they would need people who wanted to be part of these missions. So the Forces crafted a campaign that showed exactly what they can be expected to run into. It separates those who might choose to go into the Forces and those who want to go in to the Forces. I’m sure those who enroll now will have a longer stay within this organization because they want to be there. They have bought in.

Great, but again, why rattle on about this?

It really simple and a very important point to remember about creating video (and probably marketing in general). Not only do you need to determine who is your audience but also to clearly decide what it is you trying to tell them. This will change how you create your visuals and how you edit them together.

The better you answer these base questions, the stronger you message will be and the better a team like us at CM Creative can craft you story through video.

There are visual decisions at every step that directors, producers, cinematographers and editors make to tell a story a certain way. Without a clear vision you may still tell your story well but I’d rather tell your story great!

This is why I try and get as much back-story to projects as possible. It is important for me to understand how it fits with other aspects of your business and to look as far forward as possible to see how it may be integrated into future projects. Will it become part of a series (could it be)? Do you see this becoming part of your online presence? Does this tie in with hardcopy information and if so can we integrate it into a DVD ROM product that makes both products cohesive? Do you see other projects that may happen in the future that may require some support footage because we can archive so of the footage for future use? And so on and so on.

The Canadian Forces website is also an excellent example of video use. They have high quality videos (Flash embedded I think) about the different jobs and roles in the forces. This again is an acknowledgement that the next generation of new recruits are heavy Internet users who probably do much of their research about prospective careers via the web.

The Canadian Forces recruitment ads clearly are targeting a specific demographic and type of person. They obviously need that type of person as well, as it must have been a significant budget. But I’m okay with the money spent because I know I’m not that person they are looking for but we obviously need people in those roles who understand what is expected of them and are proud to do it.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“My bugs help me, help you”

UPDATE! Contact form is fixed (Sept 21). Server fun for someone.
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Now back to the orginal (Sept 19):

First off I noticed a bug in my contact form today. We are hunting it down. It was working but now seems off. Use the direct link or email me directly at craig@cmcreative.ca until I post that we have fixed.

Apparently servers can be modified and settings change without notice so my web developer is coding away. Well at least that’s what he thinks is the problem. That’s his specialty, not mine.

I now have a greater appreciation for what I offer to my clients. I don’t really care about how the bug gets fixed I just want it to do what it’s supposed to. Now in this case I had something that was working and now we have a hiccup. I can still receive my regular emails so I’m not completely cut off, but it is hampering my potential and taking up my time thinking about it. I could be doing other tasks.

This makes me think about what I make happen for my clients. Not only hassle free service but techno-free service. I don’t get into the mumbo-jumbo tech speak. I keep it simple and clear. This is not talking down by any means. As you have read in the past blogs, there is so much techno-babble out there that it can seriously kill a party.

One thing I have learned dealing with high-level executives is that they want answers. They have so much on the go that they just want you to do what you say. I keep the techno-babble to a minimum (or not at all) and deliver what they expect (and more).

For what we do at CM Creative is a simple formula. I find out what you want or I offer suggestions of what I can create and then get it done. Bringing solutions is critical for corporate work. It’s what we do.

Oh, keep an eye out for the new Canadian Forces commercials “Fight…”. They are awesome and a new tack for their recruiting. I ramble on about them next week.

CM

www.cmcreative.ca

“Colbert’s light saber and cutting the bleeding edge”

I was flicking through some late night television last week and I stopped at The Colbert Report hosted by Stephen Colbert. As he was talking they showed a clip of him fighting a CG space alien.

It seemed odd but it was the Colbert Report so I followed along. Colbert explained after it was over that the clip was a submission by one of his fans. He went on to talk about his ongoing Green Screen Submission campaign.

They have a green screen video posted on thier fan site, The Colbert Nation, of Colbert jumping around with a toy light saber that viewers can download and create their own clip. Once completed you can upload it for all to see and possibly be shown during the show. Of course many clips are showing up on YouTube as well.

I checked out a few of these on the website and other places. Most are low grade but a few a very cool. A great one, and a Mac shout-out, is this one on “You’re the Man Now Dog” website.

Now this isn’t the only interactive web buy-in they have going on. Colbert also did his “Word” rant with a Wikipedia bend. He went in many directions but the funny thing was how he put it to his viewers to change the document on elephants , on Wikipedia, to say that the elephant population in Africa has tripled in the past six months. A potential weakness in the Wikipedia design.

Well they tried and Wikipedia admins blocked edits to the elephant entries and (apparently) they had a database crash after his segment went to air. They say it was unrelated…I’ll stay out of that one.

What is cool is how the Colbert show embraced some of the new, hot Internet trends that other broadcasters are starting to closely look at and be concerned about. As more people can become their own broadcasters and create their own content some of the audience is drifting away from mainstream television and watching episodes on their laptops, Ipods and whatever the new video watching gadget is coming down the pipe.

So with one swoosh of a toy light saber in front of a green screen, Stephen Colbert drew blood along the cutting edge of the Internet and opened a gash between mainstream broadcasting and user driven (and created) programming.

So, you have heard enough. Clicked on a few links and caught up to some late night fun. But what does this mean for me?

Well the spin for me is the cutting edge part. How close to that edge can you get without getting cut? You want to stay current but do not want to lose your investment on something that is out of date in three months because it did not catch on.

For video, the cutting edge is being redefined every day with advances in compression, disk formats and competing camera makers. As I mentioned in previous blogs, format wars have not yet spit out winner. But like the concept behind Wikipedia, video users are quickly deciding for themselves what works best for them.

Video and the Internet have had a laggy and pixilated beginning but with advances from Windows Media and QuickTime things have quickly come clear. Depending upon your connection speed you can watch clear and good quality video on most computers.

You now watch video on the Internet and think about the content versus thinking about how out of sync and the audio is or how the video is riddled with artifacts. It is a valid communication tool and you can now create products that were previously costly (to adhere to broadcast standards, a.k.a an online edit process). You can then show them to your public at an acceptable cost by hosting them on your own website (or in the case of video podcasts via iTunes) and sidestep traditional broadcast advertising costs.

So you can make your own commercials! Now the benefit to broadcast time is that a market is proven to be watching television. Using the Internet you could create a series of product demos and samples and email existing and potential clients with a link to the clips that also direct them to you website thus doubly promoting your company.

So this is not such a new thing for most Internet users but the format the content is created in is. So you balance between using the latest codecs (i.e. QuickTime’s H.264 or Windows Media Player 10) against eliminating some of your viewing audience because they do not have the latest browser or browser software. But the benefit of being close to that cutting edge is a faster playing video, better looking graphics and showing that you are in the “know”.

From a marketing perspective it would all depend on your audience. If you think that most of the people you are contacting can easily click to upgrade their software (as it usually takes only a few minutes to do so) then get close to that edge. On the other hand if your client(s) are tied to a heavy IT department that only does company wide upgrades every quarter on more, then you might want to stay back a few generations.

A little advice a marketing executive gave me in a chat about new technologies was this, “Stay on the leading edge but not the bleeding edge”.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Bad blogger confessions, audience input and mayonnaise”

Okay, I’ve committed a tiny blogger sin. I missed a few deadlines over the past few weeks. It’s been a busy period but I have added some new resources to rectify the situation. I’ve finally gone mobile so now I can update and do administrative tasks without committing to being in the studio all the time. I was skeptical of my need for a laptop but now that I have it, I am a big fan…and yes it’s a Mac.

But back to blogging.

Hellmann’s mayonnaise has a promotion on right now to film your own commercial (look in the contests section). You send in a video of yourself and describe “Why you think you should be famous for your food” using a favorite recipe that uses Hellmann’s mayonnaise (of course).

The current commercial on television shows a guy in his kitchen showcasing his recipe in a low-def style. It’s involves lots of shaky camera work, out of focus shots and slightly over exposed lighting. The interesting point about this is that these are all the elements that you would expect of something shot in typical home video, but the difference is that professionals are recreating this to simulate the home-video look.

What I like is that the actor who is on screen, is the person who submitted the pitch and his genuineness comes across. This person is out here with no desire other than to show why his product is the best. Well there is probably a bit of post-modern knowledge of the fact that they are selling tiny bit of their soul to get their thirty second boiled down Warhol-esque fame, but they probably realize that they are part of someone else’s marketing machine.

No matter the initial reason, I think this type of marketing works. It connects to the audience because they are not so far separated from the person on screen. The viewer believes that what is being said is true and they buy-in.

Now, I feel that television-viewing audiences are very aware of real-reality and composed-reality. That why I think the Hellmann’s people put a tag at the end of the commercial to say if you want to star in your own commercial then log onto Hellmann’s website for more information. It reinforces that this commercial has validity and is using a real person (the real-reality) versus using that low-def style to create the home-video/shaky-cam look (composed-reality).

I remember when I was a teenager seeing a local car sales person (name forgotten) who did their own low-budget, walk around the lot and talk dead on to the camera commercials. I always thought that these were silly. I mentioned this one time to someone and they agreed, but with this caveat. They said that those commercials helped make that guy the number one car sales person in the city.

Through much of my corporate work I have used some of these principles in casting. When possible, I try to use internal staff for training and promotional work. I find that this adds validity to the final product and it is very well received internally. This positive reception by the staff usually means that they will use this product and take pride in the fact that they were part of creating it. This translates into you getting a great return on your investment versus it being shelved.

The other benefit is that the talent are the experts. Especially when you are dealing with policy-specific material. You, as the writer/creator can be specific as you can and have an on-site expert but you could still miss things that only show up in the edit room, which is way too late. What I find works when using staff as talent is to communicate to them that they are the experts. We are relying on them to know the detailed ins and outs of certain things. It also helps to mention that their peers will al be watching them so it is in their best interest to follow policy. It is a bit more pressure but they usually rise to the challenge and become company “stars”.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Oh My Quad, great GUI and family reunions”

I’ll try not to bore the non-Mac readers out there but everyone should take a quick read.

Apple Computers finally launched their Mac Pro systems yesterday at the WWDC. It’s their new workhouse desktop computer and it rocks. It’s quad core, crazy fast and priced to take over. I’ll have one soon. Well as soon the queue frees up, as every creative professional who uses a Mac have been holding off purchases in anticipation of its launch. For geeks and pseudo-geeks like me you will drool and gasp at its specs.

For those not into Macs, be aware. A new tide is rising and you are already part of it. The Windows - Apple controversy has raged on for years. Windows were supposed to be faster, had more programs, wider user base and priced better. Macs were supposed to be only for graphics and designers. Not everyday use. That is over.

Apple computers have always been super user friendly, easy to operate, resistant to viruses and slick. The computer system battlefront has been steadily changing in the last few years. Apple brought out a series of simple to use and competitively priced systems like the iMac that looked great and were a breeze to use. Windows users were still quite entrenched in their prolific PCs but Apple started to bite into their market ever so slowly.

The war still waged on. Windows and Mac users constantly jibed each other about who had the best system. Then about a year or so ago, in the switch of processor suppliers, the war was over. Intel, the chip makers for most PC (Windows based) computers, were given the contract to make the processors for the new Mac lines.

What does this mean? Aren’t Macs and PC still different? Well yes and no. They still have different operating systems (Windows versus OSX) but that the thing that drives those systems (processors that run similar codes/kernels) are from the same family so now they can play together.

Simply said, you can now run Windows programs on your Mac creating the best of both worlds. Now Apple had to reconfigure much of it’s code, the new stuff labeled “Universal”, to go along with the new chips but the Intel chips run dramatically faster and cooler making a huge “speed bump” difference.

So why am I such a Mac fan? For many reasons. I was a Windows user and enjoyed that I could mess with lots of the backend stuff aadn the price point was great and competitive with sellers. But I knew that Macs were better for my kind of stuff (graphics and editing). I got used to using Macs in university and quickly saw how efficient they were. They also protected you from messing with the backend stuff so your systems ran smooth or just stopped completely if it wasn’t working properly and you had to restart. This might seem problematic but it stopped you before you got into too much trouble and really screwed your system up.

Then there is the Apple Aqua GUI itself (pronounced gooey). The Graphic User Interface. It is the thing that runs sort of on top of the code that enables you to click and scroll to use your programs.

The Mac GUI It has evolved over time and visually is one of the Apple’s many brand recognitions. You usually know just by looking if things are Apple or PC. I’ve always found that Apple went that extra kilometer (I am Canadian of course) to have a sleek looking GUI. Complex shading, rounded corners, extra thought about colour schemes and icon drawing style set it apart from Windows for me. It made me feel that if someone was considering these extra details about the interface then that extra thought was being put into everything else.

This is a great example why I try to put that “extra thought” into my products. I want to ensure that we make our products are better than you expect. When I finish a project I have put myself into it and even though it represents you, it is a reflection of CM Creative and Craig Moore. It makes it so that I live and die by the CM Creative brand because it reflects who we are as a business. It sometimes takes an extra bit of time and work but the end product always benefits from it. It also means that I take pride in whatever I am making because of how it also represents who CM Creative is and how we work.

I am drawn to people and companies who follow this ideal. I see it in Apple and although it may be a slick marketing plan by one of the world’s dominate computer companies, but I have bought in and they haven’t let me down yet.

So in the news you may hear terms like “Windows Boot Camp”, “Parallels”, MacIntel, Mactel, Mac Pro , Duo-Core, Conroe and so on, especially if you are anywhere near Mac people. It’s all chatter about the new Macs taking over. For me the war is over. Let the family reunion begin and spread that slick GUI over everything so it looks nice and runs great.

CM
www.cmcreative.ca

“Youtube, Myspace, viral videos and BMW.”

If you are not in the Internet “know”, like most of us, here are a few more web words to toss into causal conversation. YouTube, MySpace and viral video.

Viral video is more the definition of a type of video that is spread across the web. It tends to be low-resolution video captured often with camera phones or digital still cameras with video capture features.

Viral video is also a host of other high-quality rebroadcasts of videos that are “buzz” worthy and net-centric. For example if George Bush had tripped, grabbed Tony Blair’s butt and CNN caught every squeezing second, that video would undoubtedly be a top viral video download. Now this type of thing will still have lots of competition from the Mentos-Diet-Coke-rocket videos that pervade these sites and are scarily popular.. So when it comes to viral you can literally see that there is everything, yes that means everything, being posted and once it is up, people love to weigh in one what they think of it.

So YouTube and MySpace have become the Internet hub broadcasters and even rebroadcasters of these types of videos. They are user driven websites that create these communities of friends and fans. Comments, combatants, blogs and chatgroups create these unique and very popular sites for sharing video. MacLuhan would be all over this new form of communication.

Viral videos are also shared via email and often sent to cell phones to share with friends. I would say that this will evolve very quickly and the new spam will be pseudo viral videos that show up in your inbox (it’s probably happening now).

I don’t think this is all bad though. The speed and acceptance for this type of communication is already at a record pace. Feature length films like Nuovi Comizi D’amore (New Love Meetings) are now being created with only camera phones. Large companies like BMW set the bar very high with their “Hire Film” series (started in 2001) that created a series of films specifically for the Internet that had to feature the BMW brand and products. They used top Hollywood directors and renowned actors. But they were entertaining and people loved to watch them.

So how can you use it?

First off is to understand the medium this will be viewed. Small screen sizes, fast downloads and easy play-ability are critical factors to take into affect for your video to be effective.

Here’s a simple example of corporate viral video use. You have a new product or offer that you want to send to all you clients. Instead of sending out a brochure or phone call, you make a creative short video profiling it and email it to them. It could even be embedding in the story itself versus being the main feature as a type of heightened product placement. Or, if you think that emailing would be too intrusive, you could post it on your website and just email them a link.

If you want to look really hip, you could do what I saw in a recent television ad for a teen dance movie (Step Up). They created a MySpace site for the movie that hosted trailers and other press materials. Being a MySpace site, it enabled online comments and the offer to become part of Step Up’s friends and thus each “friend” gets a bit of reciprocal self-promotion. Using a MySpace site you could work tie-ins with clients who want to promote themselves on your site using this method.

You could even develop this into a mini-net series tha people would have to come back to your site and see the next segment. This could also cross-reference into a video podcast and so on. It’s dizzying sometimes, but that’s the net.

One last note about the use of viral video; be entertaining. Even though the BMW series and the Mentos-Diet-Coke-rocket videos are on radically different ends of the production value spectrum, they are both interesting to watch. Everyone loves a good story.

CM


www.cmcreative.ca

“Podcasts, video podcasts, vlogs and becoming your own broadcaster”

I love the podcast. I can catch up on industry developments, learn new techniques, and find out why the JVC GY-HD100U camera is better than the Canon XL H1, and hear it from someone who actually used it.

The specificity of podcasting (and blogging) is incredible. The ability for niche experts to relay their experience and knowledge to a limited audience at a low cost has expanded the available (rather the accessible) Internet knowledge base greatly. This hits at the core functionality of the Internet. Information that one person is interested in (en mass) made available to the entire Internet community.

I like podcasts because they are so much like radio. You can listen and learn while doing other tasks. For me, it’s more like CBC radio. Most of the time I can listen while doing other things but, sometimes, I need to pay closer attention to understand what’s being talked about. Not true multi-tasking but as close as we humans can get.

So here’s the problem. V-logging, the vlog or video podcasting requires you to watch the show to be entertained (or edu-tained) so it dominates your attention. It does not enable multi-tasking in the same way as a podcast. As a heavy computer user I enjoy running multiple apps that can work in the background as I work on another program in the foreground. So I do not follow vCasts as much as podcasts unless I’m out to learn something specific and want to actually see it.

Now the huge benefit of vlogging is this exact same multitasking issue. It grabs and becomes the primary focus of your attention. It also is able to visually show information in the same manner as television. As a vpodcaster you piggyback on television’s conventions of relaying information with a dash of education combined with some advertising to create an entertaining product that distributes your message.

Once you begin Vcasting you are suddenly your own broadcaster with your own rules and mandate. For corporate use, you can (at a relatively low cost) produce your own employee informational show to disseminate video memos, new product demos or employee introductions. It’s wide open. Now, as with television, good production values and a clear understanding of your audience are critical to getting good show ratings, even on an internal level.

For the corporate sector I think the video podcast can be a fantastic tool (when created effectively) that will be watched and used better than text based information (email, posted memos, etc.). Especially due to the fact that you can set the player up to automatically update its library when you publish a new vcast. Now you just need to get everyone interested in watching and subscribing.

Video podcasting, vlog, vlogging, vcast are all interchangeable terms to describe this cutting edge tool. As I spoke about last week, because the technology is new you will have to ensure that you audience has the proper codecs and software to view the show. But with most corporate organizations usually their IT is coordinated and synced so this is not such a hurdle. Again, like television, you will need to develop an audience, go through style modifications, listen to viewer feedback and above all keep it entertaining. Television is an entertainment medium. Its success is not due to the information itself but rather how it is presented.

In Apple news everyone is still waiting for the Mac Pros to be launched in August. The one crazy thing I did hear though was the possibility for machines to handle more processors than the quad. There is chatter that the Intel chips can be configured to 4 chips per core or even more in the future. This would mean an octo-core setup. Eight chips running! To see Steve Jobs roll out that baby at the WWDC would bring a little tear to my eye I think. Less than two weeks to shut me up on this.

Look for new images off the front page and a photo gallery to arrive soon in the site.

Thanks
CM

www.cmcreative.ca

HD, HDV, high-def, 720p, 1080i, 60p and Blu-ray. Those are fightin’ words! Oh and a dash of RSS anyone?

HD, HDV, high-def, 720p, 1080i, 60p and Blu-ray.

Not a real word in the previous sentence. But they are all very important terms currently battling it out in the new frontier of digital video formats. I feel that they are relevant to clients in one very important way, compatibility. No matter what your video is being shot on, all you have two primary concerns. That it should look good and to play when you want it to.

It sounds simple and in the past it was. Before the recent boon in digital technology and new formats, usually tape was how you received you product. It was either on Betacam (usually for broadcast and master copies) or VHS for non-broadcast distribution. The tape went in to the machine and (for the most part) your video played.

But even in the history of tape there was format wars. Betamax and VHS technology were the warring nations. Even though the Beta technology had a better image, VHS was more prolific and took over the consumer tape playing market. Mind you “Beta” did develop and continue to evolve into Betacam as the dominant broadcast tape recording and playing format due to its ability to maintain a high-resolution image and store the luminance and chrominance separately.

So how does this pertain to today’s format wars, and more importantly to the client?

Well the first thing is that the recognition that there is a format war going on and no victor has enmerged. The battlefront is constantly changing and new factions are jumping into the battle every week. By 2009, the United States is supposed to be fully digital in its broadcast of terrestrial signals. This does not mean that your current televisions will become obsolete, but rather you will have to get a converter to process the digital signal to your older television (which I’m sure someone will profit highly in the sale of converters).

So be aware that everyone is trying to outdo each other. Retailers and manufacturers love playing the my-format-is-better-than-yours game and they usually can back it up with a slew of stats and examples. But in reality they are pretty close. It’s not an apples and oranges thing. It’s more of a Cortland versus Russet. They do the same thing but it’s what you like that makes you use it.

Don’t get caught up in the format babble battle. It’s a very technical and changing realm that even the tech people get lost in. The things that are important for the client is to know that no matter if it shot on an old super8 camera or the top end Sony HD-BluRay 1080i camera, that it looks good in the format you are going to show it in and that it will play on everyone’s player (be it VCR, DVD or computer).

I feel that if you are distributing your video to others (internal websites, DVD’s, etc.) you must consider compatibility as it pertains to how the end user will play it. Even DVD players can be finicky with different m2v encoders and disk media. Computers are full or differing codecs and player versions (QuickTime, Windows media Player, etc.) that need to be up to date with how the video was encoded for it to play correctly.

Two schools of thought are on this. One, that the end users will be forced to update their software or two, you encode your video in such a way that it will play in the most amount of players (but you may be sacrificing quality as newer technologies make your product look and play better). The compatibility issue is most important when it comes to computers as there are so many browsers (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox, Safari, etc.), players (Windows Media Player, QuickTime, Real Player, etc.) and different versions of each. You need to not only have the right player but the right version and the right codecs installed.

Sounds overwhelming? Well it’s not too bad. Updates are only a click away and compression software can output multiple format types easily. So you can offer something for everyone. The format wars will spit out a dominate player soon, or rather a dominate format. Of course though, that will mean the next format battle is already being dreamed up for us to watch being played out on our new XYZ player in our homes, cars and laptops.

My advice is to do what works for you for now as it will change by the type you output it. New technologies usually have a legacy factor built into them that enable you to use your existing footage in some manner and most editing systems are built specifically to handle multiple formats and output to what works best for you.

And that’s what we, in video industry, are here to do. We learn all of the mumbo-jumbo for you make it work for you.

Ray has setup the blog with a RSS feed now too so jump on and get your CM Creative updates automatically! For those new to RSS, type in www.cmcreative.ca/rss to your RSS reader's "new link" area. But don't forget to check in to the main site for new additions and site developments.

Thanks

CM

www.cmcreative.ca