Video Streaming and Compression: November 2008 Archives

If you need to start putting videos on-line you should consider doing a Video Podcast because it is one of the quickest ways to get content on-line.  Today is a new day for video editors.  Many video editors and professionals are now being tasked with getting streaming content on-line along with keep their other video production duties.  In order to simplify your workflow you should consider creating a Video Podcast.  You can go this route if downloadable streaming videos work for you and if you can sell your organization on the benefit of having videos available for view in iTunes and on Video iPods.

If you need to create high quality Windows Media files on the Mac and you have Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro HD on your workstation, the process is very easy.  This tutorial will show you some tricks for getting exceptional quality.  This tutorial shows the process using QuickTime Pro and a DV/DVCPro video file.

Step 1. - Open a QuickTime DV/DVCPro or DV/DVCPro50 video file and choose Export from the File pull-down menu. (If you are using Final Cut Pro to export your Windows Media video file choose Export from the File Pull-down and select Using QuickTime Conversion)

I recently had an opportunity to try out some of the products offered by the Kinesis Corporation. I found Kinesis after starting a quest to see if there were foot pedals available for working in conjunction with a keyboard.  I was put onto this quest by a student who asked if you could have the option key operated by a pedal like on  sewing machine. I thought this was a brilliant idea, and began to research the concept.

What I found was the Kinesis Corporation. They have a number of solutions that support this workflow. I have been reviewing the integration with Final Cut Pro. The two products I have been looking at are the Savant Elite Programmable USB Foot Switch, and the Kinesis Ergonomic Computer Keyboard with Foot Pedals.

Looking for high quality video content that's free? Then you must check out a new website called hulu. Think of hulu as youtube on steroids.  The quality is superior than any other comparable site that I've been able to find on the internet.  Supposedly they screen content based on it's quality.  Bottom line, you won't find much junk while surfing hulu.

Hulu has entire movies and episodes of some of your favorite shows, including 'Family Guy', and 'The Simpsons'.  There are options to share your video, play full screen, and the abilty embed the movie directly into your own website or blog.

Take a look at the example below.  Absolutely amazing.

The video production industry is incredibly diverse and it's expanding at an incredible rate.  Anyone can now compete in the business. The technology has become very affordable.  No longer do companies need to invest in hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment.  The playing field is now level, and there are more job opportunities than ever before.

 

  That being said, new schools are popping up that specialize in the video production arena.  In some cases, high schools and even middle schools have video production equipment that rivals professional production facilities. From the early stages, these schools are training kids while producing some amazing video content.  Some schools even have their own television channel. It sounds crazy, but the competition is now becoming quite fierce. This is because of the volume of new candidates that understand the software.

 

So, if you're looking for work, what does this mean to you?  Well, as ridiculous as it sounds, you may be competing with candidates that are fresh out of highschool.  Not to long ago, It use to be that freelance video editors could easily demand $70.00 hr or more.  This hourly rate is rapidbly disappearing, and is now limited to some of the larger markets.  Now, in a medium size market, freelance video editors have been forced to bring their hourly rates down to $40.00 hr.  In smaller markets, expect to earn less than that to remain competitive.

 

So, what are some key elements that employers are looking for?  In the professional video editing business, there are three major players with a large host of other software manufacturers.  These players are:

 

Apple (Final Cut Studio)

Avid Technology (Avid Media Composer)

Adobe (Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium)

 

First off, concentrate your energy on learning these software products. If you have to choose one to start with, take a good look at Final Cut Pro,  which is included within Apple's Final Cut Studio bundle.  If you don't own the software, consider purchasing an educational license.  All the manufacturers have amazing educational pricing to help you get started.

 

Second, start a website and upload your video content and demo-reel.  In this business, you might as well forget about a traditional resume.  If someone asks for one, I wouldn't hesitate to simply point them to your website. If you do not have a website, consider purchasing a mobileme account from Apple.  Even better, if you are Macintosh owner, you can use Apple's iWeb application to instantly create your website and upload your video content.

 

Third, you can dramatically increase your value by also learning Adobe Photoshop as it applies to video.  Then, you can really hit a home run by learning After Effects , which is one of the world's leading visual effects software packages. 

 

I realize all this sounds relatively simple, but mastering these software applications takes patience, dedication, and a lot of time.  Don't expect to become a master overnight.  Of course, GeniusDV offers training services to help you get up to speed relatively quickly.  In particular, we offer training courses for Final Cut Studio and Avid Media Composer.  In addition we offer an amazing After Effects training course.  These courses can be taken in a classroom environment, or in an interactive online training environment.