Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Forum Impossible

Good evening Mr. Phelps:

As I mentioned in the Forum FAQ earlier this morning, launching forums on a new website is a tricky animal.  The more categories you have early on, the more likely there will be empty forums.  Of course who wants to visit empty forums, and who really wants to make the virgin posts?  We’ve been sitting back and gauging response and with a request this morning, thought it might be time to launch some new categories.

Yes, of course that now means there are empty forums back there because we just turned them on.  The forums are yours.  Let us know what topics you’d like started and we’ll put them up. 

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to start filling them in with questions, commentary, and more.

Let me know what else you’d like in Forums.  This blog post will self destruct in 5, 4, 3, 2....

Catch them here:  Forums

(0) Comments • • Permalink

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Two More Cool Tools for Your Business

I find that I am using these two clever tools more and more.  Both are relatively new startups so there’s no telling how long they’ll be around, but word of mouth will hopefully keep them thriving so I can continue taking advantage of them.

First up is ReQall.  In short, I have ReQall as a speed-dial on my phone.  While going about my day, I find myself daydreaming and occasionally might get a great idea, or need to remind myself of an upcoming task.  I hit ReQall speed-dial and I am prompted with a female voice asking me if I’d like to “add” or “ReQall”.  You simply say “add” and wait momentarily for the beep.  Then leave myself a voice message.  Within 5 minutes or less, I get an email of my memo transcribed perfectly.  Then daily I get updates as to my ReQall items.  Think of this as having 24/7 access to a voice recorder and secretary.

The second tool I found myself using during this NAB is Tripit.  Sign up at tripit.com and they’ll ask for your email address or addresses that you frequently use.  Nowadays, upon making any sort of travel reservation such as hotel or airline, you usually receive an itinerary via email.  Simply forward that itinerary you received from, well the hotel, travel agent or whatever, to tripit.  It uses your email address to create an online itinerary of all of your pertinent events.  It goes further to provide directions from the airport to hotel (if necessary), and even supplies you with the local weather forecast for the days location to which you’re traveling. I found it was easier to simply click on my iPhone Tripit icon and get everything quickly and easily.

I’m always on the lookout for more tools such as these as I am inherently lazy, um, creative in finding time-saving tools.  More to come.

Business • (1) Comments • Most recent comments by: Scott Gentry, • Permalink

Thursday, April 17, 2008

The Making of the BMW M3 V8 Revolution ad

I am a automotive nut.

I am a BMW fan.

I have been in video production since college.

This is pure automotive, video production porn.  I need to be alone for a tad.

Here’s the ad:

Here’s the making of…

While not the in-depth making of we would appreciate as pros, it’s still fun to watch.

Production • (1) Comments • Most recent comments by: Porn, • Permalink

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

About Our NAB Coverage

Nearly every writer for PVC was at NAB this year.  That means that we had great coverage of the event, but the good stuff is coming still.

In the magazine days, you could expect to see full coverage of NAB in the month or two following the event...once the magazine would print and be mailed.  Internet time has reduced that to up-to-the minute postings where possible.  For us at NAB, expect the really good stuff to come after we’ve had a chance to digest and come up for air.  Most of us are collecting thoughts, images, and data to post thoughtful pieces over the next few days and weeks.  Stay tuned.

NAB 08 • (0) Comments • • Permalink

Monday, April 14, 2008

Killer Camera Support From Sachtler

I spent some time today at the Sachlter booth checking out the Artemis vest and support – ACT 2.  I enclosed a press release after the jump, but here’s what caught my attention:

• Build quality seems top quality
• Carbon Fiber, Carbon Fiber, Carbon Fiber!
• This sucker was built on a vibration table to optimize its ability for quick motion and no flex
• New internal electronics to handle the higher wattage camera systems such as RED
• Revised vest ads to breathability and flexibility

While I don’t have a need for one of these slick items, I still want one…

Press release after the jump:

Cameras •
Hardware •
NAB 08 • (2) Comments • Most recent comments by: Scott Gentry, Sproketz, • Permalink

Monday, April 14, 2008

Petrol Bags

Clever Rain Covers From Petrol

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post – I’m a bag person.  Today I stopped by the folks at Petrol and got a glimpse of some of their newer products.  Lucky for me my checkbook was elsewhere.

Prior to leaving for NAB, I was looking for a back that I could walk the floor, quickly pull out my video camera, microphone, etc and start shooting.  But I also needed my Nikon D300 in case I needed to get a few great shots.  Oh yeah, and I almost forgot, I need my computer to post during the show if necessary.  Petrol has such animals, and more.  While the bags got my attention, a slick rain coat for my camera kept my attention.

Rain slickers tend to be very good form fitting products you buy for specific camera models.  What if you want to add a Matte Box?  You’re out of luck likely.  Similarly if you’d like to share slickers across different cameras, you’ll find they don’t fit.  Petrol’s newest is pretty slick indeed.  While not form fitting, it attaches to the hot shoe to stabilize it, but it’s got velcro to wrap where necessary.  Clever idea really.

Full press release after the jump:

Cameras •
NAB 08 • (1) Comments • Most recent comments by: Jeffrey, • Permalink

Sunday, April 13, 2008

NAB Exhibits Start Tomorrow

Between meetings, booth appointments with vendors, and the crowds, I expect to update NAB news as available.

The conferences for Sony and Panasonic were interesting, but not very exciting.  I’m not talking about the new product introductions like the Sony EX3 or the Varicam 3700, I’m talking about listening to the marketing speak.  Here are some points gleaned from each conference.  Do with this data what you will.  Likely nothing…

Panasonic:
80,000+ P2 units worldwide
Fox has taken to P2 in a big way, and moving Fox News to P2HD worlwide
P2HD is the official recording format for the Beijing Olympics
P2 will double in Capacity every year
Majority of P2 repairs fixed within 24 hours.  That’s impressive actually.
Panasonic Broadcast has shown 6 consecutive years of revenue growth.
Panasonic is going “Green” with a plan to reduce CO2 emmissions by 300,000 tons by 2010

Sony:
Survivor will adopt Sony XDCAM HD for next year
Academy Awards, Indie Racing, SuperBowl and more shot on Sony HD
Ellen Degenerous moving to Sony HD
Sony is working to develope a recycling program for electronic equipment as their “Green” move.

NAB 08 • (0) Comments • • Permalink

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Tech Tidbits to Assist Your Business

At PVC, I’m the business guy.  While I’d like to consider myself a writer, anyone that has ever copy edited or even read my work knows otherwise.  As a Publishing exec. for the last gazillion years, that’s not necessarily a good thing.  Without great writers, and great copy editors, ultimately you get lack-luster prose like this.  However, I can supply some interesting business solutions based on history.

There’s an old saying, “on the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog”.  Translated, if you’re projecting an image of a large company via your website or marketing materials, then no one needs to know you’re a one man shop, or a small business.  Here are some great tools and some personal advice on how to move your production/post business forward.

GotVmail.com
For a small monthly fee, you can project a much larger image when your clients or prospective clients call your phone or 800 line.  For a base of $10 dollars a month, or roughly 2.5 Venti Lattes at Starbucks over 30 days, you can have a virtual PBX system.  You know, “welcome to Company “X”, if you know your party’s extension, please enter it now.  To dial by last name, please press 5”.  For only $10 you can sound like a large company.  We have an 888 number for vendors and potential advertisers.  We’re a small company, but we can sound like a big one when clients or potential clients call.

You can have extensions forwarded to your staff, or to mailboxes.  If you’re a company of one, forward the extensions to different mailboxes and you sound like a much larger entity.  If you’ve got employees or contractors, this allows them to get their calls wherever they are.  Forward to their main line, cell phone or all.  One cool option is that you can also create an extension that simply acts as a marketing piece.  “If you’d like to learn more about PVC, please press 707.  Then your pre-recorded informative piece plays.  Hint: Use you’re better half, or the GotVmail talent to record your messages.

GizmoProject.com
Combine GotVmail and GizmoProject and you have the makings of a decent phone system.  At PVC, we use a GizmoProject number as the main line.  Think of Gizmo just like Skype, voice over IP and that’s exactly what it is.  Plus more.  I’ve signed up for Skype, and prefer GizmoProject. 

(0) Comments • • Permalink

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