Shooting Ahead

Let's say your doing a corporate video in November for the new year. VCSvideo comes in and shoots beautiful interiors, does spectacular interviews with all your executives. Your vision is to have the video open with a little bit of history.you have some really cool old photos that you want to use and then dissolve to your fabulous multi million dollar facility. WOW! Rags to riches from the garage of your mom's house to this! Unfortunately, it's November and the exquisite landscape has turned brown and gray. The beautiful greenery and blooms encircling your company sign have faded. We shoot it anyway, it looks.

This scenario happens more frequently than you may think.

Now, this idea may sound crazy, but humor me if you will.

If you think you might be doing a video that may require exterior shots of your building, how about considering shooting them when they look their best? Do you have a company picnic during the year? Do your associates visit a children's hospital ward on Halloween? Do you present awards for outstanding service? Anything unique to your company or your situation can be used to make a strong statement in a video.

Think about it. And while you're at it, perhaps we can help you think of other ways to use this footage; on your website or even in a VNR (video news release).

Let's put our heads together!
Back to top originally posted 06.04

Seeing the WIDE Picture:

16:9 or 4:3?
These numbers refer to the aspect ratio of a TV screen. A standard television screen is 4:3 and that refers to the rectangular shape of the picture. Its width being 4/3 of its height. What is commonly referred to as wide screen has an aspect ratio of 16:9. It's width being 16/9 of its height.

So, lets say you've been thinking about doing a doing a wide screen production. A flat screen plasma TV reduces glare and gives you a lot of visual bang for your buck. You've seen them on the convention floor and hey, they look slick! We can do it for you! It's not a big deal to produce a 16:9 project. We just need to know right from the start. It takes a 16:9 camera to shoot the wider picture. Our AVID Symphony can edit it and we can create a DVD to play it. Call for the latest.

Back to top / originally posted 10.03

DVD Authoring: What is it? Do I need it?

It used to be, when a client walked out the door with a copy of the new program to take back to the office it was on VHS. As much as we all hated to see our masterpieces brought down to that lower quality format it was reality. Today, however we have DVD. Hurray! But when the client hears, "Do you want it authored, or just a straight transfer?" many times a blank look comes across those intelligent eyes.

Let me take a minute to clear this up. Nothing to it really. A straight transfer will deliver a DVD that, when put into your DVD Player, will play the program. However, if you need it to loop continuously, you'll need to make sure your DVD player has a continuous repeat function.

When you put an "authored" DVD into your DVD player, it displays a "menu" (you know, like when you rent a movie). The menu is something that is designed with your needs in mind. The background can be graphic or can contain a frame of video. It can include a logo, or even moving graphics or video. The "menu" also has buttons that you navigate with your remote (you know, like when you rent a movie). It can be "authored" to have submenus with chapters or scene selection (you know, like when you rent a movie). I guess your getting the picture by now; when you rent a movie, you are renting an authored DVD. Oh yes, and an authored DVD can be programmed to automatically play and repeat, regardless of the player you use.

The bottom line? DVD authoring is considerably more costly than a straight DVD transfer. DVD authoring adds design and interactivity that can enhance the entire experience of the program. The quality of DVD is far superior to VHS, and the ability to let the viewer see what they really want to see at the touch of a button is.priceless!

Want to know more? Call John Brach at 856.273.8800, or send an e-mail.

Back to top / originally posted 02.04

The HD Question

Have you been wondering why this Digital TV revolution is taking so long? Well, after a lot of research, I'm surprised it's gotten as far as it has, given the amount of industry infighting and politics involved.

Have you heard that our analog NTSC signal is supposed to be phased out in 2006?
Don't worry, there are already provisions for pushing the 2006 switchover date. According to a Duke Law and Technology Review, the FCC is contributing to the HD "stall" by not requiring "must-carry" policies which would help increase sales of HDTV receivers which would in turn bring the price of the sets down making them more affordable to the average television viewer. And if more people have them, more production companies will invest in HD equipment and more programs will be broadcast in HD. Anyone who owns an HD set right now can attest to the lack of HD programming being offered. And even if a program says it's being broadcast in HD, it doesn't mean that your cable company is carrying it in HD. They might not want to use up the bandwidth.

Before I go any further, let me say, that if you haven't seen the difference HD makes, go to your local TV retailer and check it out. The picture, the sound... it really is magnificent.

The big question for our clients is "Should I be doing HD production?" Here are a couple of things to consider: (1) How long do you want to use the footage you shoot? (2) Where is your program going to end up? (3) What's your budget look like? Let's look at each of the questions and consider the possibilities.
1. How long do you want to use the footage you shoot?
If your project uses footage that you will want to use in future projects, or if it is historical in nature, then you should consider shooting high definition. Every year more programming will be produced in HD and eventually, though certainly not overnight, the change will come. To be certain that your footage will look its best whenever you need it, why not shoot the best now?
2. Where is your program going to end up?
If your project is headed for your booth at a convention or anyplace where it's liable to wind up on the big screen or on a wide screen plasma, consider HD. If you shoot standard def and stretch it, it may look a little funky. If you don't stretch it, it will have those unsightly black bars. Everyone understands what those are, but with the availability of shooting standard definition 16:9 and HD becoming more commonplace, it's going to start to seem cheesy to have those bars. If your project is going to end up on the Internet or distributed on DVD to your sales force, there is no harm in staying Standard Def.
3. What's your budget look like?
For the time being HD, costs more. More to shoot, more to edit, more to distribute. How much more changes practically everyday. Really! The cost of equipment is in constant flux with new lower cost models of HD cameras set for release as well as HD-ready edit systems. Most production houses are slow to ramp up because of the cost of all the new equipment. And from what we hear, clients aren't demanding it. Most aren't even asking. If you have a nice budget and want to make a huge impression, go for it. I really doubt you'll be sorry you did.

Yes, the change will come. But it's going to take time. Those who have network backing or clients with buckets of cash are leading the way and the rest of us are easing into the water. The price of HD equipment will come into range and our clients will start wanting to take the plunge. We can't wait. In the mean time.
HD isn't the only option. If you want a newer high-end look without the HD price tag how about starting off with a production in 16:9 standard def, maybe shooting 24p. This will look terrific on a plasma screen, have the motion of film and not take quite the bite out of the budget as HD. And don't forget film look. The cost of a film effect treatments is just a fraction of the cost of actually shooting film and gives you the option of dozens of "feels" for your project that will really make it stand out.

Call for more information. 856.273.8800 or email us.

Back to Top / originally posted 11.04

What's better, shooting in the studio or on location?

Both studio and on-location shooting have their own particular set of advantages and limitations. The decision of where to shoot should be based on the particular goal and content of the scenes you'll be shooting.

STUDIO ADVANTAGES INCLUDE:

Greater control of lighting quality - Typically studios offer more room and higher ceilings with lighting grids that allow more flexibility to set lights and to place props and scenery.

More control over sound quality - Most location shoots raise issues of noise from HVAC systems, ringing phones, PA systems and traffic noise. Very often these problems are not apparent until a site inspection is conducted during the same time of day as the planned shoot.

Easy access to any equipment that's needed - As much as you prepare for the on-location shoot, there's always a chance that a particular widget could fill an unexpected need.

No crew travel time - This means less crew time spent traveling and more spent on the set, light and shoot.

ON LOCATION ADVANTAGES INCLUDE:

Instant realism - Some buildings and facilities are important to the message and visual impact. Perhaps being on-site gives the program heightened credibility or interest. A program about Disneyland for instance, would be more interesting if shot at Disneyland. Or perhaps essential equipment and related procedures can only be found on-site as with medical or building safety programs.

Convenience to the client - If several client employees will be participating, shooting at their location will save their valuable time. Other options are also available - The use of blue screen to combine on-camera talent shot in the controlled environment of the studio with background scenes shot on location. This can allow a spokesperson to appear to be, for instance, in an industrial environment, without fighting the background noise that would exist when shooting both talent and backgrounds on-location simultaneously. A combination of footage shot in-studio and on-location could be considered as a best of both worlds option.

Back to top / originally posted 03.03

Flash Video (FLV)

The new best and brightest?

A great deal of progress has been made over the years with video on the Internet. When it first appeared it was hardly worth bothering with. When you finally got it to play, it was jerky, blurry, and tiny. Now, thanks to larger bandwidths and better compression technology, you can find decent looking video that enhances your web experience instead of frustrating it.

Have you encountered Flash Video Yet? I don't mean imbedded bits of animation or slide shows, but full fledge video. new FLV compression. This is better-than-your-average quality video that plays progressively, so you don't have to wait all day for a download and can be presented in larger screen sizes. Macromedia offers a progressive version that is a stand-alone file and a streaming version that is recommended for use with very large files that will be accessed heavily and for live web casts.

If your web designer is using Macromedia products, the FLV files can be seamlessly incorporated into the web page. You know they'll like that!

So far, it looks like this new Flash Video takes another leap forward in the world of web video. If you haven't seen it, you will soon find some right here on the VCS web site. The mini-demo will soon be offered as an FLV file. If you have Flash 6 Player or higher, or an FLV Player you can play it. (Chances are you do) So check back soon. .

It's difficult at times to ascertain which newest and greatest ideas are worth researching and committing time to. If you have video on your web site or are thinking about adding some, give us a call to discus the options. If Flash Video is something you would like to try, we can compress your video to an FLV file.

Back to Top / originally posted 03.05