The Shift in the Force - Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera

I haven't done a camcorder or camera review lately. There wasn't anything that caught my eye, made me flutter or cause me to re-check the bank account for permission. Smartphones decimated the Point and Share category.

Standard camcorders are evolving slowly but manufacturers are not innovating. The sensor is still tiny and no major vendor is going to innovate without cash money assurance that it will be successful. That isn't how innovation works.

My ennui was so bad I was walking past clearance camcorders with a disinterested glance.

And then, my eyes cast upon this beauty and my heart began to sing again. This is the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera.

It is not a digital still camera. It records video.
It is the size of a Micro 4/3 camera and can take those lens too.
It has a sensor about the size of a 16mm camera. We are talking a huge honking sensor in the size of a compact camera body.

External mic jack, yes.
HDMI out, yes
Standard battery, yes.

You can record video in ProRes 422 or CinemaDNG RAW and then go where you want with it.

Is it a consumer level camera? No not really. It is $995 to start and that doesn't include a lens. You would have to make sure that you have a pro-level video editing software that can accept the video like Final Cut Pro, Sony Pro line of video editing software, AVID; stuff like that.

You will be investing in new storage options cuz this camera demands it.

It is a game changer because if the video and form factor works there is gonna be a bum rush by manufactures to clone or be inspired to create their own version of this camera.  And they will have to do it at either a lower price point or up the quality by +3.

Either way, the professionals and those of us on the other side will be the winners. Video from this camera will be in commercials, demos and feature films. It is small, light and on the pro side of the fence inexpensive.

Hell yeah I want it but I don't need it just yet. I'm in observation mode. I need to know that it isn't vaporware or a marketing person getting ahead of R&D.

If you want to take a look at video shot with this device check out John Browley's recording of a local farmer's market. It is after he processed it. You can view the ungraded version as well.

Might have to start counting pennies, just in case.

The Gypsy Nesters How To Roller Derby Video

Slowly getting back up to speed. That last cold/flu thing was an energy eating all consuming bacteriological nightmare. I'm telling you, eat your veggies, wash your hands and above all else stock up on the chicken or veggie soup. And the Sci-Fi movie DVDs.

There are all types of videos in the world; some of them narrative, some of them expiratory about the people and places they encounter. There is a (hopefully) growing group of middle-age boomer and senior vloggers on the horizon.

The Gypsy Nesters are on the road and exploring their world. This is a video that Veronica did on the Killamazoo Derby Darlins. The Gypsy Nesters have their own YouTube Channel that is filled with their continuing adventures.







I found this video at the WHOA! Network. This is a new community that wants to make sure that women of a certain age remain visible. As part of that network there are video partnerships with other creators who aim to do just that.

The take away for the day is that there are all kinds of videos being made. Don't get locked into thinking it has been done before or that no one will be interested. Pick up the camera/recording device and go for it.

Other Posts of Interest

• The Short of the Week and We Will Forget
• Vocativ Video on Smartphone Recording
• Ken Burns on Story from RedGlass Pictures

A Look At Sony Sound Series Production Music

Goodness knows that I've continue to seek the legitimate free music and sound sources. Still, there are times when you can't find exactly what you want. If you are like me, you have a limited vocabulary on how to ask for a specific music type for your videos.

Yes, we can say Blues, Emo, Classical but you might need to also find music that is appropriate for a how-to video, a wedding gig or a cooking demo.

And if you think your work will appear in a for-profit video or in a money making capacity then you have to start looking at paid sources for music. One of those options is the Sony Sound Series for Production Music.

You can filter the music by Genre, Tempo or Suggested Use.  For one track and the bumpers that come with it this can be pricy. The normal cost is $49 but there are specials that pop-up that greatly reduce the cost.

But the devil is in the details also known as the EULA. Before you plunk down cash money you want to review the document before purchase. The quick highlights are:

• You are buying a license to use the music. You don't own it; Sony does.
• You can use the music as is but you are not free to re-interpret or re-mix into a new composition. 

You do get to listen to the track before purchase and the search filters are handy.

If you are leaning toward the commercial side of making money with your videos then this is a viable option. Casual users, not so much.


Other Posts Of Interest

• Adjusting the Microphone Levels in Windows
• Deloitte By the Numbers State of the Media
• HitRECord Looking for User Generated Content

The Sounds of Sneezing

Sorry folks, I am experiencing Day 9 of the Cold That Will Not Die. Posting is going to be catch as catch can this week. I didn't catch it today; will try again tomorrow.

Right To Record Police Officers Re-visited

There is an on-going punchline about the Internet. It goes something like "It must be true, it is on the Internet." Ah, no. Not everything you see and hear on the Internet is true

I'd be a little queasy to have law enforcement cite it as a reason you can't do something. I did not get the memo that Smartphones are now weapons of destruction.





I saw this video on Boing Boing about the San Diego cops that smashed the phone and then the person using the phone to record his ticket.

People, let's go over the rules of the road.

In California there is an expectation of privacy; meaning that you have to have permission of both parties to record. However police officers are exempt and you do have the right to record video of their public behaviors.

On the Federal level we have the right to record police officers. It is indeed a 1st Amendment right. Both the Department of Justice and the U.S. Court of Appeals have repeatedly smacked down attempts by police departments to stop recording their activities.

It does not stop certain officers from trying to stop you from recording. Or saying making ridiculous proclamations or more to the point physical threats to get you to stop.

Safety First!

If you are at a distance from the action and you are in no way interfering with police operations or investigations you are good to go. Be subtle and keep it on the down low until you can upload your content.

If you are in the middle of the action and you notice that the police are a bit revved up you need to record what you can and then leave. Yes, you have the right to record. That will not stop some cop from trying to get your phone or recording media. Even if they have to bust your head to get it.

This is where SocialCam for Android or YouTube Capture App can be handy. Click and upload so that if the police do a grab and smash the content is protected.

Others disagree by saying that you should passcode your phone and not upload content until you leave the situation or your retrieve your device from the cops. 

For more info on recording police officers safely I would suggest reading 7 Rules for Recording Police Officers at Reason.com

You also want to make time to hang out at Photography is Not A Crime, where you can see what police offers and some ding-a-ling judges around the country are doing with folks that record their activities.


Other Posts of Interest

• Two Guys from Texas and Recording on Private Property
• Reminder of Photography and the Law
• Mobile Posts of Interest

Musings on Crowdsource Crime Fighting

I have been hesitant to comment on the serious and evolving Boston Marathon Bombing suspect hunt. There has been a lot of misinformation created by mainstream media; specifically the New York Post as well as some users of social media via Twitter.

The content requests from the Boston Police Department and the FBI is just an extension of the old fashion wanted poster.  Except that the community provides the photo or video.

This isn't the first time that law enforcement has asked for photos and videos of a crime scene. But I think we have to just take a moment to understand that not only was the FBI asking for content but folks on their own via other social networks are conducting their own independent investigations.

This is a different space we find ourselves in.

There might be questions we are going to have to ask ourselves. I am thinking about this from a U.S. perspective.

1. What are my rights and responsibilities to provide that information?
2. Will I be compelled to testify at the trial to verify that I did indeed take the photo and video?
3. Can I retain my copyright and insist that I be fairly compensated for non-law enforcement use? This means having broadcast and cable news programs pay for the use of my content. I don't mean to be callous; not everything is for profit and there are instances where you need to show what you got. But if law enforcement turns over that info to broadcast media then that media company, as a business, should compensate the creator of the work. Is that going to happen?
4. What will we do when it is found out that somebody fudged the photo or /video evidence? Not in malice; maybe the person edited a portion out that they felt was not important.

That is just on the law enforcement side.

What about independent cyber investigations? Or crowdsourced vigilante crime fighting?

I'm thinking of recent incidents where people have been attacked on-line that slipped into off-line behaviors.

What if they have the wrong person?

Yeah. This is going to get increasingly messy.

There is a lot to think about.


Other Posts of Interest

• You Should Read the Contract, Seriously
• The Copyright Bots are Here
• Protect Yourself - Make a Resource Binder

Vine Used as Reporting Tool

I told folks this would happen. Vine is not just for cute cat and bad dog videos. I have seen people use the Twitter Vine video app for creativity but it was a matter of time before it would be used for reporting and journalism.




Some of the explosions at the Boston Marathon were transmitted by Vine to folks outside of the Boston media area. Twitter got it before network news. Other Vine videos, like the one above by Anne London, was keeping track of runners entering the area and being stopped.

It bears repeating that we are in new territory here. The man or woman on the street will be the one to possibly record an essential part of the event or how it plays out.

Once again, be safe and be aware of your surroundings.


Other Post of Interest

• Still More Info on Vine Videos
• Think About In-Camera Editing for Mobile Devices
• Other Posts about Mobile Options

Adjusting the Microphone Recording Levels in Windows

My first experience with my new microphone reminds me to not assume that installing a piece of hardware is always the same way each and every time. I have seen comments from other people with similar products that complain about the low levels and return the product.

We all wish for a perfect streamline plug and play experience; most of the time it just doesn't happen that way. 




This is a video I created on adjusting the recording audio levels for microphone use for Windows Vista and Windows 7 users. If you are going to record audio for your video you want to be aware of this adjustment.

Other Posts Of Interest

• HitRECord Looking for User Generated Content
• Audio Sound Effects - What is Royalty Free?
• More Posts about Equipment

Samson Meteor Mic for Audio Recording

There are times when you misplace not one but two microphones. And the third microphone that I could find is really bad for recording audio narration. No amount of sound fixing is going to help a crappy microphone.

You might want to consider at a quality USB microphone. I was looking around and I purchased the Samson Meteor Mic which connects to my computer via a USB cable.

This microphone works on MacOs and WindowOS computers. There are photos on the Samson web site that show it can work with tablets. You can plug it into an iPad. I suspect that if an Android tablet has the full size USB connecting port you can record using one of the Android recording apps. 

Couple of reason why I went with the Meteor Mic:

• Small form factor, my desk does not have a lot of space. This rascal is compact and has a built-in tripod.
• I know that I am going to be doing more narration and sound recording.
• I needed something to put some ooomp in my voice.
• Really liked the design of it. Reminds me of those mics you see in old movies. 

 

 

Read the Installation Manual

This is a super simple microphone to use but you have to read the manual to make sure you set it up right.  It is almost a no-brainer but in fact you do have to use a quarter of your brain lobe to get it going.

Windows Vista and 7 Users

You plug in the provided USB cable to the microphone and the computer. The computer will check and install the device drivers.

So far, so good.

You should go to the Control Panel and click Sound. You will need to tell your computer that you only want the microphone to record audio. You can set it as the default recording device but you might not want Meteor Mic to be the default playback device. This is why you need to read the manual. Things will or will not happen if you don't.

Adjusting the Recording Level

When you start to use the microphone you might find that the recording level is too low. My lips were right on the grill and it still was too soft. I thought that I got a lemon of a mic until I re-read page 6.

Windows users will have to:

1. Go to the Control Panel
2. Select the Meteor Mic and then click the Properties button.
3. Locate the the Levels tab
4. You will see a slider, move it to the right in order to increase the recording level. 50% did it for me but you might have to go higher or lower.
5. Click OK to accept the changes.

It is a similar process to set up the playback levels.

Once set up you can use the microphone to record inside of your video editing program (if that feature is available) or to audio software like Audacity, Adobe Audition or other sound recording software.

Other Posts of Interest

• Fixing Audio is Sometimes Pure Dumb Luck
• Adding A Beep Tone to Mask a Cuss Word 
• Other Audio/Music Posts of Interest

PodOMatic Minicast Maker

Digital storytelling has many paths. New ones are coming down the pike and I like to point out possibilities when they pop-up. PodOMatic Minicast allows you to tell stories with voice and photo.

It isn't video. You might not need video to construct an audio/visual story.

The web service is free and really easy to use. You create an account and then upload your audio and photos to the site. I created narration with my photos but you can also select music from the library.

Depending on the size of your minicast it can take a while to process. Once finished you can add your minicast to Twitter and Facebook.

What Is It Good For?

Glad you asked because I can see a lot of positive uses for this type of service.

Poets should pay particular attention because it doesn't get easier to create a visual or video poem.

I can see this for citizen journalism where you are describing a situation and you have photos to spice up your radio or audio podcasting narrative.

You could use it for:

• short demonstrations for craft, fashion or creativity post on Twitter and Facebook
• creating content for your blog (not sure about the embedding just yet)
• educational uses i.e. language building skills

You get up to 500MB of free storage and 15GB of bandwidth per month. You also become a member of PodOMatic; not just of the Minicast section. You might want to customize or de-activate certain account features.

It is in Beta mode so things may or may not go according to plan.  I created my Minicast at around 9:30am. It is now 2:25pm and I haven't received the link to upload. It might have had something to do with the size of the photos I uploaded.

You might want to reduce the size of the photos and use mp3 for audio uploads.
 
Still, if it does what it claims then this is another tool for the old kit bag.  I'll post the Minicast should it ever show up.

As always check out the Terms of Service.

You grant PodOMatic an irrevocable sub-license to transmit and display your stuff. You still retain ownership and copyright to your work. You would be subject to their opinion and option of removing content that violates copyright or what they feel would be objectionable content.

Other Posts of Interest

• One in 8 million NYT Slide Stories
• Narratively Telling the Stories of New York City
• Pcth (Pitch) A New Way to Tell and Share Stories

More Diversity, Less Consolidation Video from NCMR 2013

I believe change will happen from the bottom and the sides applying pressure to the way things have been done. It is an applied change. That change cannot happen if you are on the outside looking in on corporate controlled monopolies.

Yes, it is far easier to create content. Perhaps we now need to look at distribution access as well.

Just a thought.

Anyway, this is a discussion about how to improve access for under served and under represented communities.




This is a recording of the More Diversity, Less Consolidation session from the National Conference on Media Reform that was held in Denver, Colorado in April 2013.


Other Posts of Interest

• Video Advocacy Resources You Can Use Now
• Data Journalism Handbook The Web Edition
• Checking Out Everything Is A Re-Mix

For Quick Narration Try Using Windows Sound Recorder

Yes, Windows Sound Recorder. I can see people's eyes rolling over but hear me out. Let's say you have a Windows OS laptop or desktop computer. Every once in a while you need to do a bit of narration for a slide presentation or video.

You don't want to install Audacity or a sound editing program because you don't do tech and you don't have the time to learn or figure it out.

Or you could be using a video editing program that does not have a separate audio narration function.  Or you don't know how to use it.

Or you are on the job and there is no budget for a Popsicle let alone purchasing a software program.

Or the IT department flat out refuses to allow you to install one of the free (and safe) audio recoding software.  IT departments can be a total buzz kill on creativity.

Look, I am not talking about doing an audio podcast with Windows Sound Recorder. Goodness, no.

This is more of "I gotta do something quick and what do I have that functional and available."


All you need is a microphone and the ability to press Record, save and be able to retrieve the WAV audio file.

Window XP users are limited to 60 seconds of audio. Windows XP users also need to move up to Windows Vista or Windows 7 but if you have no choice do what you can.

The WAV audio file can be imported into almost every video editing program without a problem. Note I did say almost cuz there is always a stinker that will put up a fight.

Home users will have a sound card installed on their computers; all you have to do is go to the Start Menu, type Sound Recorder in the Search box and the software should appear on the list of items that match the search.

Windows XP users can go to the Start menu, All Programs and then  Accessories, Entertainment and then click Sound Recorder.

Those of you on the job might have an issue. In business and corporate environments the sound card may or may not be installed on the computer. Another problem that can happen is that what the IT department perceives to be "unnecessary software" might not be installed on your computer.

If you have access to a microphone and headset jack you probably have what you need to record.

It Isn't A Perfect Solution

Verily, you will have issues. Let me count the ways:

1. There is no Pause button. If you make a mistake you have to start over.
2. The recording will be as good as your recording environment and microphone. If a bird chirps or the refrigerator hums those sounds will be captured in the recording. If you are using an free or inexpensive microphone you could have audio crud creep into the recording.
3. Your patience will run out after take #7.

However, if you are in a very quiet place, have less than a paragraph of narration and you aren't going to make a habit of doing this then Sound Recorder could help you out in a pinch.


Other Posts of Interest

• SoundGator - When You Need A Whoosh
• Adding A Beep Tone to Mask a Cuss Word
• The Levalator for Balancing Audio for Interview Videos

The Shorty Awards

It seems that all you need to have an award show is some cash and a few friends to attend. There is nothing wrong with that because I've enjoyed going to fun based ceremonies. If I know the participants and there is actual contact with the creators and the community it is even better.

It might be bad form to mention an event that has already happened. That has never stopped me before so let's rock and learn about The Shorty Awards.

 According to the web site:

The Shorty Awards honor the best in social media; recognizing the people and organizations producing real-time short content across Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Foursquare and the rest of the social web.

Yep, people getting awards for their Tweets. Posting for their Posterious pages. Foresquare?  Eh, there is a video:


Folks got awards for the best animated gif. I can say no more.  Well just a few more words. Best fake Twitter account. Best Instagram and Best Tumblr account.

I feel a snark fest coming on.

Not really my intent. There are a number of categories that include video and video content. Truth is, any event that recognizes George Takei is all right by me.

That dude is a social media master.

Anyway, check it out and hopefully I'll remember to mark it in place for next year.

By the Numbers - Deloitte State of the Media Democracy Video

I don't normally get a chance to pay attention to the bean counters; there are lies, math illiteracy and statistics that can be a time suck. But these statistics concern the use of mobile devices and video requires a bit more.

Deloitte is an accounting, auditing and industry profiling type corporation. Because they are constantly dipping into other people's corporate books and processes they have a perspective on what they see is happening in various industries.



This is a teaser video to a report that a potential customer might want to access. It is also information that those of us in various states of web video creation might want to keep in mind.


Other Posts of Interest

• Kevin Jones and Diving Into Social Media
• YouTube Capture App Social Recording Made Easy
• Social Media 2013 by Eric Qualman

HitRECord Looking for User Generated Content

There is creativity and user generated content outside of YouTube. HitRECord is a community of creators using all kinds of media to make videos. This is a community of re-mixers and collaborators.

Actor and now producer Joseph Gordon Levitt is creating a television series for a new channel called Pivot. This is a video by him explaining the project.




In case you can't view the video the site is putting out the call for all kinds of creators to create and re-mix content for a unique kind of video compositions. They want artists, animators, writers, audio and stuff I can't imaging but somebody else might be able to.

HitRECord is also looking for curators, those folks that can help find the gems inside of all that good and silver.

I don't think this is a vanity project. There seems to be a lot of hard work and vision making buy a focused community. In any case, read the How It Works page so that you get a good understanding of the process or check out the site.

Checking out Pivot; it will be a new television channel for the 15 to 34 year old demographic that, according to the mission statement, wants to change the world. There will be long form programing, documentaries and programs like HitRECord.

That channel will debut on August 1, 2013 on cable and broadband.

Other Posts of Interest

• Are Going to VloggerFair 2013?
• A Calendar of Tales Storytelling Project
• HTML Video Software Sightings