Yesterday was quite a busy day down here at DDA Video.  A client had a last minute request for 3 different DVDs, 2 of which we received the footage for that morning.  Laurence and I scrambled around the office to have the DVDs prepared with enough time to set up for the shoot later that day.  Everything went smoothly as we got the DVDs to the client and then proceeded to shoot 5 different spokesperson videos with product demonstrations.  After the shoot we packed the studio up and prepared for a shoot in New York which is taking place today.

Laurence and Andrew are in New York today which gives me the opportunity to take a breather and process some of the footage from yesterday’s shoot.  Hopefully I can get through the bulk of it since I’m sure that I will be greeted with even more footage on Monday!

Today we have our first official video shoot in the new studio. We will be bringing in an actor from our actors gallery to do some spokesperson work in front of the green screen. Having worked with the actor before, I am confident in his abilities to really convey the clients message. Originally, we were doing just 3 scripts for 3 short videos, but recently that changed to 5. We must also shoot b-roll footage of various blinking lights for use in the videos. Even with the new additions to the shooting schedule, we should be able to complete the shoot in just a few hours. The videos will then be converted for use in a CD-ROM catalog that Laurence has been working on. I saw a proof of it and it looks great! I definitely think this will help boost the client’s sales and give the customer a much better feel for who the company is and what products they sell.

Yesterday, we had a large floor cleaning machine in the studio that was to get the 360 degree rotation treatment. The 360 degree rotation treatment is when we take 36 digital photos from the same angle of an object but rotate the object 10 degrees for every picture. We then crop out the background in Photoshop and import the images into a program called VR Worx. VR works is a program that allows you to create panoramic images and 360 degree rotating images. All 36 images are compressed into a quicktime movie that has special controls built right in. These controls allow the user to have total control of where they want the camera to be pointing. The user can rotate and zoom the object so as to see it as if it was sitting right in front of them. This quicktime movie can then be embedded into the product’s website to allow users to see much more than your standard 2d picture. It is definitely a nice way to put big things in small packages!

One of the unfortunate aspects of creating videos with intense graphic animations is the render time. Programs such as After Effects and Lightwave do not operate in real time and full resolution, so when the time comes to finalize a piece, the computer must render out each frame in its true form. Render time depends on many factors including number and type of effects used, video format and length as well as image format and size. Here at DDA we use state-of-the-art computer systems equipped with mucho processing power, so rendering usually is not an issue. Also, certain options can be disabled when rendering low resolution proofs so as not to waste valuable time. Some things that can speed up renders include turning vector images off, disabling effects, lowering the frames per second, and lowering the resolution. Recently, a project had been taking much longer to render than it should have so I began troubleshooting possible causes. It turns out that an effect that was used for a few seconds in the beginning of the project had been enabled throughout the remainder. This was causing the computer to render hidden effects that were not even being used. I disabled the unnecessary effects and sure enough, render time went from 2 hours to 20 minutes!

Creating a video is an arduous process that requires a constant dialogue between creator and client. The client often has a very specific idea of what they want their video to look like and what they want the video to say. It is difficult to accurately describe the look and feel of a video, so often it takes many versions before the video takes its true form. The creator offers suggestions and adds their own unique touch and then sends a proof to the client. The client responds promptly with feedback. The creator makes the suggested changes to the best of their ability and in a matter that will benefit the project the most. The process repeats until both sides are happy with the finished product. This constant dialogue between client and creator is so very important is creating a successful video quickly and efficiently. If there is no communication and the video begins to go in an undesirable direction, no one may notice until much precious time has been wasted. It is like paddling a rowboat with only one paddle. You’ll end up going in circles. Let DDA be your other paddle.

I was at the gas station the other day and while I stood there waiting for my tank to fill and my wallet to empty, I noticed that there was a television on top of the gas pump. It was not showing television programs however, but advertisements. The strange thing was, I actually watched, because it was either that or stare at the ever growing traffic jam I was about to face. This made me come to the realization that televisions are in so many more places than they were just a few years ago. At the supermarket, there is a small TV for you to stare at while you wait to get checked out. Billboards on the highways are now giant LCD screens. People have TVs in their steering wheels (which seems a bit dangerous). Even cellphones can pick up television broadcasts these days. It is quite an age we live in and so much has changed since I was a young buck. It is a good time for our department however, as now we have more and more outlets to show off our video skills. So no matter where you want your ad to play, DDA has got you covered!

In the latest installment of Google’s saga, Google sets its sights on television advertising. Their aim is to make this so simple that anyone with half a brain can get their message out to their target audience quickly and effectively. First, Google points you in the direction of a production company to assist with the creation of the actual commercial. Get this, to celebrate the launch of this new program, Google will even pay for production up to $2,000! Once your ad is complete, you can select which networks and times you would like the spot to air. If you don’t know when the best time to run your ad is, Google will create a customized campaign proposal for free! You can even search for programs by keywords and target audience. Never has it been easier to get your message on Television, the perfect way to reach those who may not know of your product!

Last week, a client had requested that we send him a proof of a video in Quicktime format. We gladly obliged, but could not understand why he preferred that over windows media format. The Quicktime file was larger and the picture and sound quality was not as crisp. Also, the viewer had to wait until the video was finished loaded before viewing. Here at DDA video, we render the majority of our low resolution proofs in Windows Media format. The first reason is that Windows Media Player comes stock with all PCs, which constitute 90% of the market so the majority of users already have the player as opposed to Quicktime which is only packaged with MAC systems. The second reason is the great picture and sound quality to file size ratio. A 2 minute WMV video will be around 5 mb, where a Quicktime video of the same length is around 12 mb. WMV videos also stream quicker, meaning the viewer has virtually no wait time to view the video. Your time is valuable, don’t spend it waiting for a video to download!

Today I will be looking for a new hand held microphone for use in an upcoming project that I am very excited about. The project is a mock investigative report about a market intelligence company in New York. The piece will begin lightheartedly with the actual CEO of the company playing a 70’s style news reporter. The reporter will be on the street asking people if they know about the company, and also some other gags to draw the viewer in. The video will then begin to explain the company’s actual services with employee testimonials and a facility tour. This project will be both entertaining and informative which is what we always try to accomplish when creating a video. The goal is to make something people want to watch, but still get your message across, and I think this project will definitely succeed in that aspect.

It is amazing how a simple adjustment to a font can add so much to the look of a project. It can grab the viewers attention, allow important words to stand out, and truly make a project stand out above the rest. Here at DDA Video, we collaborate with the graphic designers to bring their design skills to our video projects. There is a lot more to text than it may seem. Changes can be made to font style, size, color and even spacing. Our graphic designers know the power that can be generated by the perfect type and make adjustments to the text so it fits perfectly with the rest of the project. This adds to the already professional look and feel of our video projects and turns the project into a work of art!