Video has always been a hobby for me. I enjoy shooting and editing (as much as taking photos) in my spare time.

At work, sometimes we hire freelancers, many times we use our institution’s video production team but more and more often we handle it ourselves.  Video has become as critical to our communication efforts as the written word.  I wonder why?

I started our youtube channel two years ago and we have been publishing a fairly steady stream of content, bringing FIU to more audiences than ever before. Technology has made it possible to produce great HD footage on a very tight budget.

My colleague, Karen Cochrane, a fantastic and experienced writer, has embraced this new format and produces nearly 2 videos a week now.  I mention this because she had no prior experience with video and sound equipment. If you are reading this and have no background and are feeling a bit overwhelmed, just keep her in mind.

I wanted to share with you how we do it and I would love to hear any tips or tricks from anyone managing the same kind of video production.  Keep in mind that our challenge is maintaining a balance between being agile, easy, professional and keeping it fun.

Equipment (If you decide to purchase any and want to support this site, use the links in the post or at the very end)

• We have three main cameras (Canon HF100, Canon HF200 and a Sanyo Xacti HD1000). If you were to purchase one today, I recommend the HF200.  For the price you would be hard pressed to find a better portable solution.
• We have four copies of Final Cut Express (Final Cut Pro is overkill, we focus on fast minimalist editing)
• One wireless lavalier mic (Sennheiser EW122PG2)
• Shotgun Microphone (Canon 2591B002 DM-100)
• Five Memory Cards (Transcend 16GB SDHC)
• Lights: We have not invested in this yet although we do have a small LED that we have yet to use effectively.  It seems this is another investment of about $500-1000 for some kind of LED setup.  Please post recommendations.
• Two Tripods (we purchased light consumer grade models)

People:

• Nearly everyone in our office (about seven people) is able to handle a camera and we all help each other cover as many events as possible.
• Writers and editors have all taken very quickly to the format of interviewing on camera and capturing b-roll.

Workflow:

• We record on SDHC memory cards.  We all have access to a shared Video Library drive.
• Once we get back with footage, we create a folder with a detailed name and we dump the entire contents of the memory card into that folder on the shared drive.  (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: All folders must be copied, as Final Cut and iMovie require the file structure to be intact.  If you botch this up it will be very difficult to convert the video files later).  This is obviously for the camera’s we use and mainly the Canons which record in a format called AVCHD.
• Using Final Cut Express: We go to File/Log & Tranfer off the top menu and then click on the icon in the top left. ()  We then locate the folder with the files and it will read them as if a memory card or camera is connected to the computer.
• Using this method allows us to maintain a backup of what we recorded in its original compressed form.  When the video is imported into Final Cut or iMovie it creates large uncompressed files.
• Each individual computer does all the processing and manages it’s own scratch disk however a backup of the recording is always available by finding that original folder we saved.
• Once a video is complete, we keep a master file of it on the server.  That said, we could try to move all the project files to a server but the cost and maintenance of all that storage does not seem efficient.

I know there are some folks out there keeping all the files (including all the project files).  Our challenge is allowing everyone to be their own editor rather than forcing everyone on one or two workstations.  We explored working off a server but it only truly allowed one person to work efficiently at a time.  The bandwidth needed to work with HD files is immense.

I would love hear how others are doing it.  We could all learn from each other.

Here is the equipment I would recommend.  If you want to support my blog, please buy via these links unless you can find it cheaper elsewhere. Thanks.

canon, editing, equipment, final cut, fiu, hf200, merille, mts, recommendations, sdhc, video production, video workflow, workflow, youtube Hide

best buy, cmo, marketing, social media, transparency Hide

I read this post last night on Techcrunch about Best Buy’s twitter campaign and thought it was a fantastic idea.

I think this would be a phenomenal way to improve customer service and live our brand promise. I understand that not everyone is on twitter but getting an account is so simple and there are so many ways to access it (a new user is bound to find one they are comfortable with).

Training
Obviously, the first step would be to make sure employees understand how twitter works and what the do’s and don’ts would be. (identifying oneself as an employee, not asking for any personal info, etc).

It is also important to offer training to new twitter users.  An easy solution to this might be to aggregate the best training videos (for the various twitter applications) from the web.

Sign-up
Best Buy created a custom web application that includes an employee number for sign-up.  The legal information is also a great template.

How it works
It is actually a rather simple solution for the users. By signing in, employees add their tweets to the best buy stream and also have the ability to tweet under the collective twitter account.  They do this by adding a keyword to their tweet.

Alternates
I know there are solutions out there to have multiple users share an account (co-tweet, hootsuite) but I really think that this is a better enterprise wide solution that does away with the scheduling aspects and makes it easy for all to get involved quickly.

Imagine if your university could have at least 1-2 employees from each department/school/program using this system.

best buy, brand, marketing, social media, twitter, web 2.0 Hide

Eye-fi is a memory card with built-in Wifi.  You shoot a photo, its uploaded immediately to a photo account, like Flickr.com

At my university we hold various donor and alumni events and awards ceremonies and often have sponsors who help cover the entertainment and audio/visual costs.  Add a line to the budget to either hire a separate photographer or get this technology to your existing one.

Most events involve a computer with powerpoint or some other form of audio/visual.   Obviously, you will need to make sure that Wi-fi is available, which should be a non-issue for on campus events.

Have the photos uploaded to your flickr account and set up a slide show on the fly.  The guests will be blown away and who knows maybe event raise some extra support. If you have a developed photo account this is event better as you will have fans following your photo feed, garnering even more exposure.

Tip 1: make sure you get sponsor logos in a few shots, they will be all over it and not mind the extra cost for the next event.

Tip 2: promote the photo account at the event using moo cards with a direct link and even prior to the event via email

Tip 3: have a laptop on-hand and you can delete unwanted shots and organize your slide show right on the website in minutes

Recommended Equipment:

• Eye-fi 2GB SDHC Card
• Eye-fi 4GB SDHC Card
• Adapter for CF

events, eye-fi, flickr, photo, social, wi-fi Hide

South by South West or #sxsw, as referred to in twitter is a yearly festival on the topics of interactive (web, mobile, etc), music and film. I am only speaking to the interactive portion in this post as that was my area of exposure to the event (for the first time this year).

The interactive portion alone was massive.

As my friend and collegue @mherzber described it, “its like opening up a fire hydrant and sticking your face in the stream of water”.

Nearly every successful online company is represented in some form or fashion.  Panel discussions, book signings, interviews and keynotes are happening all day in multiple locations on extremely different subject matter, which all tie back to interactivity.  At times there were 3-4 conferences that I wanted to attend at the same time.

It was very fitting that at the entrance they set up a massive piles of legos because this conference is truly what you make of it.

Who should go and why?

Anyone working in or interested in the interactive space.  It sounds broad but that’s because it is.

Web developers, designers, technology companies, game developers – these are all “no brainers” for attending.

If you’re a marketer, you need to be there to learn about managing brands online, managing communities and learning how to use social media technology to be more effective. Same goes for public relations, journalism and communications in general.

I was sent to SXSW by my university.  Based on some of the panels I attended, I would say there were around 100-200 higher ed folks at the conference. Also based on how full one of the higher ed specific talks was, this seems like it will be growing niche at SXSW.

Party like a SXSW Rockstar

Yes they are plentiful and yes there are mostly open bar events.  Much like the conferences during the day, the parties at night offer the same variety.  Many people feel that they are the most important part of the SXSW events.  From a networking perspective, you could meet web celebs like @garyvee or even get a chance to speak with the entrepreneurs behind the most successful websites in the U.S.

As a marketer,  I would mention again that it’s what you make of it.  There were meet ups specific to higher ed but I personally found the most value in learning at the conference and following the “back channel“, as twitter is referred to if I was unable to attend a discussion.

Can’t we just get most information online after or even during the conference?

This is absolutely true.  Especially this being a conference full of web cams, bloggers and social media mavens.  If you have the discipline to do this, you could absolutely try.  In fact, I wonder if a good exercise for my communications team back at FIU would be to take a full day and watch a best of, or a tailor made list of events and discuss amongst ourselves. The truth is however, that the amount of knowledge and excitement about these topics is only present at the conference.  One could also argue for not needing to go to class to learn and I say if you have that discipline or you are wired that way, it just might work for you.  I for one do not believe it would be even half as beneficial.

It’s what you make of it

Chris Brogan used “legos” to describe social media in general while speaking in a panel discussion and this analogy is fitting for the entire event as well.

marketing, social, social media, sxsw Hide

I made a personal purchase last month, the Panasonic Lumix LX3. It is the best compact camera I have owned to date.  I should qualify my statement by saying that I am a photo and video enthusiast.  There are many alternate, budget conscious choices but in the realm of high quality compacts there are only a handful of cameras that I consider on my shortlist.  The Canon G10 is most certainly the closest competitor in my eyes so I will make a few comparison points for those considering both.  I would also note that I have owned the G7 and base my knowledge on the G10 on my favorite site for digital camera reviews (dpreview.com).

Pros:

• insanely low apeture (2.0) for a compact – this means you can take great low light shots (example)
• very compact size with tons – i mean tons of control options (you can even change the size of the image: 4:3, 3:2, 16:9)
• HD Video – this is probably what puts it over the top for me.  It does 720p remarkably well which makes it the best pocket solution for vacation with the family or events where you do not want lug a dslr or a separate video camera
• Options, options and more options.  You can find details on all the features and settings here but suffice to say that you will never run out of creative options to try.
• Superwide lens (24mm) for getting real close with the macro setting or excellent for landscape photography
• Portability: although the lens protrudes the body it is much smaller than the g10, here is a size comparison

Cons:

• If you pixel peep (that means you blow up the photo on your monitor to see it at full size) you will find that is not as sharp and there is noise on many low light images.  But at 10 megapixels you will find that even 11 x 17 prints look great.
• 10 megapixels allows for quite a bit less cropping then say the G10’s 15mp.
• Picture quality still goes to the G10, at least according to most reviews, with the possible exception of the low light performance.
• Lens only has about a 2x zoom, meaning you cannot always get the telephoto shots, although it is fine for portraits and most point and shoot style photos.

Bottomline: If you are in the market for a high-end compact.  Your main choices are the G10 and the LX3.  You can’t go wrong with either.  However, if you want great HD video and low light performance to go along with your photos, the LX3 is where its at.

Recommended SDHC Memory Card - This will allow 3000+ jpg images (600 in raw format) or about 2-3 hours of HD video.  (note: it will record in chunks of 10 minutes maximum – if you need to record an event without stopping, then you will need a camcorder but I usually record in small chunks and edit later, never hiting the 10 minute mark per video clip.

camera review, compact, lumix, lx3, panasonic, reviews Hide

The following is a great presentation by Kevin Kelly, Executive Director of Wired Magazine. It goes along nicely with my guest post on doteduguru.com

If its not online, it doesn’t exist”

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Presented by Chris Brogan

• We are in the behavior changing business – Starbuck (the 3rd place)
• We are the media makers!
• Be helpful
• Recommended book: New Rules of Marketing & PR
• Media is not the best media anymore. Everyone should have a flip in their pocket
• blogging policy  = email policy
• twitter = telephone
• “Whats the ROI of wearing pants” – you just do it.  All this social media, video, etc – is so easy and cheap that there is no excuse, you just do it
• Recommended RSS Reader: Google Reader  (of course)
• upcoming.urg, facebook events – you need to use these for events
• flickr events
• buzzword – Atomize it!
• Radian – Paid listening tool
• Listening is the new marketing. “Listening at the point of need”
• Customer service is also the new marketing!

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Its been quite a while since my last post so I figured that I better come back with some interesting news to share.  We went through a logo change and I survived it. Hows that?

The task was simple enough, lets launch a new logo before football season and the inauguration of the new stadium. I won’t go into details here but that was essentially the goal which culminated with these logo and style guide pages.

I believe our largest success with this endeavor lies in the system we call “labels”.  Our designer made a system of logos which incorporate the university’s new mark yet maintain a sense of identity for our colleges, schools, centers, institutes and other externally focused units.

New Institution Logo

‘Label’ samples for Colleges, Schools, Centers, Institutes

(The left shows all the variations we currently have and the right side show what this new system will allow us to accomplish in terms of brand recognition and increased awareness.)

We created vector art for these labels, taking into account nearly every possible application and then made all the art files accessible via the website.  Our leadership is behind this and although not all faculty agree, nearly all schools and colleges as well as centers and museums have begun using the new system.

Here is a brief overview PDF that we prepared to inform our internal audiences of the process.

brand, logo guide, marketing Hide

It’s no secret that the iphone is one of the best tech toys out there, but to me it’s a life changer.  Its a revolution in function and where it goes from here could change everything.

The word phone is actually a misnomer.  It would be more accurate to label it a handheld computer that can make phone calls.  Never has there been so much function in such a compact, easy to use format.

Although it is easy to make hardware comparisons and compose bullet lists versus other smart phones, the ace in the hole for Apple is the App Store.  In the same way that video game consoles live and die by the success of software (games), so will smart phones.  Except that the iPhone already has a long line of developers clamoring at making applications and the hardware itself is so hot that it often sells for double or triple depending on what part of the world you live in.

The iPhone, like a computer with only an operating system, is a blank canvas.  Yet it holds many advantages over even the best laptop.  Microphone, Speakers, Camera, GPS, Accelerometer (tilt sensing) Wifi, and 3G (Fast data) all in the palm of your hand and all with Apple’s trademark easy to use interface.

There is so much to talk about that new websites spring up everyday concerning this device.  A podcast called iPhone Alley is dedicated to iphone news only and then there is the legions of hackers “jail breaking” (allowing them to use unlicensed software) their phones because they can’t wait for official applications but I could be here forever if we travel down that rabbit hole.

Lets get to my favorite applications so far:

Productivity

Evernote is an online repository for notes. You can take them in any fashion: photos, recordings, writing.  They are stored and archived for you in a an online repository for future use. It even has the ability to take handwritten notes and recognize the text. The iphone application lest you do all this from your phone with ease.

Weatherbug: If your business is outside, then knowing what is going on with the weather is very important.  There are many ways to get this information but with the built GPS and a real-time radar, it doesn’t get much easier to tell of that rain is coming your way.

Microsoft Exchange email support works flawlessly and was easy as pie to setup. Typing on the screen became second nature to me after a couple of days.  The trick is just to trust the phone, it will auto-correct spelling in most every case.  I can now type pretty fast on it and do not miss my berry one bit.

Kyte.com lets you broadcast live photos and video via a website and the iphone application only supports photos at the moment but is expected to support live video.

The Fun Stuff

Facebook: This one is both fun and productive as many organizations use a facebook account to keep in touch with customers/students/alumni.  You can post images directly, post new messages and chat.

Twinkle: This is a twitter application which amazingly takes your current location and shows you what other people are talking about. You can post a photo direct, respond to messages and make your own posts.

More Cowbell: There are so many novelty applications on the App Store,  I thought I would include just one of my favorites.  Some of you may remember the Christopher Walken skit from SNL. Essentially this turns your iphone into a Cowbell.  Best part is it works with music.  So if you are using your ipod to play music, you can run this app and add cowbell to any song. LOL

The Future

I only scratched the surface here, the killer app is the App Store itself, it represents the life changing possibilities I alluded to.  The list of problems that can be solved is endless: pull up medical literature on a drug, read a CT scan, measure how many calories you burned (based on movement of phone), buy anything, read a book, control your computer, access a server, get directions, find out who is around you, get all your news, watch anything, talk to anyone in the world via wifi, turn photos of text into text, etc etc etc.

All these things were already here or on the way on multiple portable devices. However, no device (other than the iPhone) so far brings them all together and makes them easier to accomplish at the same time.

Oh alright, there must be some cons right?  Battery life is rough, although I heard it was the same or better than most 3G devices.  Video is not there yet but I think this will be a software upgrade.  Maybe this was a battery life decision.  I know its capable, here is a clip of it being used.  As far as cut and paste and MMS messages, I do not really care.

Needless to say, I highly recommend it to everyone. You will wonder how you functioned without it.  Sliced bread’s got nothing on the Apple iPhone 3G.

att, cell phone, cell review, iphone, reviews, tech Hide