Jumprope App - Creating How-To Guides

October 2021 Update: Toot the horn folks - Jumprope is no more. Kicked the bucket a few months ago. I really like the focus on making it super easy to create a tutorial. Ah well, they come and they go.

Historical Page of the Deceased App

There are some of us that honestly just like to share what we know. But there is a gowning media market regarding selling via education type products. Nothing wrong with that. People have been doing it for centuries.

The tech has changed but the desire to share what we know is in our blood. One of the companies that make it easy to create education products is called Jumprope. Users can create educational guides that can be shared on social media or on a blog or website. 

The How-To guides can be:

• Photos with captions
• Photos with audio
• Photos and video
• Video with captions

How it Works

This is an example video from the company explaining how to create a guide.

What You Will Need

For creating a Jumprope guide, mobile users will need to download the app via Apple App Store or Google Play.

Devices

Android phones and tablets running Android 6.0 or higher.

Apple phones and tablets running iOS 11.0 or higher.

Desktop Browsers: you can view Jumprope guides via any browser but you cannot create them.

What Can You Do With a Jumprope Guide:

• Quickly create how guides and videos.
• Use it to demonstrate skills and expertise.
• Use it as a means to generate income with affiliate links to the products used in the guide.
• Repurpose prior content.

It is one of the quickest ways to create educational type content. 

It is bone easy to do and it cost you nothing to check it out.

Adobe Spark Video for Podcast Audiograms

June 2022 Update:

Adobe Spark is gone. History. It has been replaced with Adobe Creative Cloud Express. 

The post below is for historical reference. 

The software/app provides an interesting way to create a simple podcast audiogram. It is a wee bit quirky but it does work. If you respect the limitations.  

Adobe Spark Video is a grand lesson in managing expectations. This isn't Adobe Rush. It dang sure isn't Premier Elements or Premier Pro. It is a niche product that can do limited things very well. 

What You Will Need:

An Adobe Account via:

• an email log-in
• an existing subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud
• a social media account from either Google or Facebook

Devices:

• Chrome via browser
• Mac or Windows on-line via browser or desktop application
• iPhone or iPad

There is no Spark Video Android app at this time, but you might be able to use the browser version. There is Spark Post for Android that can design and animate graphics.

Assets:

• Podcast album art
• Microphone (Optional)
• Audio recording - mp3 format

Test of Voice Only Video

Test of Music Version

Advantages:

You can record directly into the app. You can also upload your own music or a mp3 voice audio clip.

Let's talk about that. You can do that and attach it to your slide. It needs to be short, like under 30 seconds. 

The software thinks that you are uploading "music." You might find that the audio clip might repeat again at the end of the recording.

You can do customizations, add stock music, access some free stock photos and image icons.

The free version does almost everything you need to produce a simple podcast audiogram. You will have an Adobe Spark watermark on the video.  To remove the watermark you can purchase a monthly or yearly subscription to have it removed.

Disadvantages:

Based on my prior experience with the software, I would say that there is a safety limit of about ten seconds of recording per slide. Yes, it does indicate that it can go to 30 seconds. 

I would not trust it. I have had crash and burns when I tried to overload what it could handle.

You could duplicate the slide to gain more talking time. That would work. 

You can upload video. If it is 30 seconds or shorter. Load fifteen minutes if you want to. You will only see or select about 30 seconds of the video. 

Free version contains watermarks on image, a credits page and a non-removal page banner from Adobe. Ethically speaking, these items should remain on the video. For the non-ethically impaired, pay for the App or don't grip about it.

You really should read or be aware of the Community Guidelines and the Adobe Terms of Service. 

The short version is they own their stuff.  You own your stuff. Don't steal other peoples stuff . If you do stuff that is illegal, hateful or violates the terms of service you are gonna get bounced. Know that your podcast audiogram might not be the kind of content that Adobe would want to associate with their brand or community. 

Summary

With a bit of tweaking and elbow grease you could make something interesting. There are easier and slicker apps that can make an audiogram for you. If you can work around the limitation, there is gold in them there hills.

Podcasting Data from Edison Research 2019

Hi folks. Most of you know I'm audio podcasting now with a video once in a blue moon. I'm checking out LinkedIn SlideShare feature and it is a mixed bag. There is some spam and dirt among the cool marbles.

This is some of the good stuff. Tread carefully around SlideShare, there is a lot of spam and dubious activities by less than ethical people. Not LinkedIn but some of the people trying to game the system using SlideShare.

So this is a check-in to see if I can embed this Edison Research informational slide to the blog.

Edison Research Podcast Consumer 2019 from Edison Research

It took some fiddling but yes, I can embed. If this is of interest to you dive in otherwise, I bid you peace.

Quick Look at Com-Phone Story Maker for Android

Com-Phone isn't designed for people like me but I'm taking a shine to it. It is an Android app for storytelling that is designed for older smartphones and devices. It is simple; you can take a photo; add audio and text and then transmit the story to YouTube or via e-mail.

Now I really need to stress that this app was designed for folks that do not have computers, high end tablets and other types of gizmos. I installed it on my old Samsung MP3 media player that has Android 2.23 on it.

I think there is a place for people that want to compose creative projects but need to keep it really simple.

Twitchy but Ok

In Photo mode I was a little confused that the photos were reversed. They recorded normally on the device but when you take the photo the image was flipped.

I recorded audio using the app, it was ok but occasionally heard scratching. It might have been the quality of the mic or this might be more I was moving around. I'll need to do more testing.

You can export video out as a .mov file. I did a test viewing using QuickTime Pro. It seems that the display size is 640x640 and the audio is recorded at Mono at 8kHz; it does sound like old school phone. Well, that explains the scratching sounds.

Viewing Issue

I tried to view the video on my device and it wasn't recognized. It doesn't seem to be a variant of mp4 but straight up .mov. I saved it as an HTML file and tried to open with a web page. The plain vanilla browser would not let me do that so I need to install Opera on my player.

You certainly can export the video and work on it in your video editor of choice.

Before some of you get you panties in a bunch this software can be of advantage to folks that have limited devices and want to tell a story. It is also of value to those artists or poets that want to compose a work in sequential order without editing.

This gizmo has possibilities. More testing is required.

Other Posts of Interest

• Poetry
• Apps and Software
• Storytelling
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Creating A Digital Story - Stabilization Tools for Mobile Recording

There are smartphones, iOS devices, tablets. I don't know about the video recording via smartwatches but the ability to record video on mobile devices is remarkably easy to do and to muck up.

There are a lot of options; the trick is to find what works for you and to be able to purchase locally or on-line. You might have an Apple store near you but they may not have the exact third party product that you need.

Same with Android folk;  a tablet purchased at an office supply store does not mean they will have a smartphone or tablet accessories selection. This is my long winded way of saying you might need an online vendor. Stay safe; stick to the actual vendor or known online retailers.

Stability Accessories

Your greatest challenge and responsibility is to keep your device stable during recording. It isn't easy; the devices aren't necessary designed for ease of horizontal hand holding. Even when the content is compelling viewers shouldn't have to struggle to pay attention to what you have to say.

Tables owners; we share a special pain. Because as tough as it is to find a good smartphone stabilization product to record video it is a bit harder for the tablet crowd. But not impossible.

Square Jellyfish Tablet Tripod Mount might be what you are looking for; it is adaptable to tablets; doesn't block the camera lens and you can even rotate from landscape to portrait. I'm not sure that the tripod comes with the mount so double check before purchase.

Please do not record unintentional vertical videos; especially on smartphones.

Joby makes an interesting line of products; for smartphone users you might be interested in the Joby GripTight Mount. You can use it as a stand alone device or attach it to other tripods.

Another option is Studioneat's Glif - this can also be used to attach to a tripod to help you keep it steady.

I hear some of you saying, "I don't want to carry a tripod." How about a monopod? The iStabilizer Monopod can be used to take Selfies or turn it the other way and record the rest of the world.

These are not so much recommendations as idea generators. There is a device that will help you take great video. You just have to find that affordable option that works for you.

Other Posts of Interest

• Equipment
• Apps and Software
• Storytelling
• VidGeeky
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Safely Recording the Police Using POV Glasses

There really might be a good reason to wear your sunglasses at night. For example, there are a number of police cars parked in front of your driveway. With a pair of recording Point of View (POV) glasses you could be assured that what is happening can be confirmed independent of a police report.

Keep your safety in mind at all times. We all can search for ways to safely record police officers but there is no way to stop a bad cop from trying to stop you.

They have guns. Guns kill people. You are people.

POV recording glasses is not a new idea; it has been around for a while but as with many things the technology has improved quite a bit.

The Pros of POV Glasses are:

• What you see is what you record.
• You can take still photos and videos with a touch of a button.
• With minimum tech savvy you can transfer videos to your computer. This means you know how to attach USB cable to the glasses or you know how to remove the microSD card and place the memory card into the computer.

 The Cons of POV Glasses are:

• We don't notice how much we move our heads. You will have to practice on using the glasses to keep a steady and stable recording.
• From a distance recording glasses are not noticeable. Up close they announce their presence.You will need to decide just how close you want to record without potential interference.
• There is a wide variety of video formats using in POV videos like .avi, motion jpg, .mov and mp4. If you use Windows Movie Maker to view and edit videos and your video format isn't compatible (.mov) then you have a minor problem. It can be solved but if you are not a techie you might not want to solve it. You want to get a POV glasses that are compatible with what you use. 
• However if you only use YouTube and the YouTube Editor you are kinda safe from worry.

Like their action camcorder cousins, the Pivothead brand glasses are designed for hands free recording.

You can take still photos or record video with buttons on the right side of the glasses. There is a choice of recording modes from old school 320x240 to 1080p and a bunch recording modes in-between. The POV glasses have a built in microphone. You can swap out the sunglasses for prescription glasses if you really need to see where you are going.

This is a commercial for Pivothead:




At $199 the basic model is fine for most people. However if you have or want the ability to connect to a tablet, smartphone or other devices you will want to check out the available accessories or the new models that are juicy to contemplate.

At $139 is the iVue Classic 720p is kinda sweet, not as discreet as you would like but a good deal at this price. 720p, 8GB storage, 140 degree wide angle lens with a functional one button on/off switch.
Another bonus is that you can change lens. The Classic 720p records in the .avi video format which should be compatible with just about anything.

The main drawback is that there is no memory card, the videos are stored in internal memory. You will need to attached the glasses to the computer to transfer the videos. Of if you glasses get snatched you are S.O.L. (Stone out of Luck)

There is another option with Google Glass which at $1,500 is not affordable for real working people. You might want to keep an eye on the Brickhouse Security site but their stuff is kinda expensive.

I wish there was another affordable brand name competitor. There are a lot of cheap knockoff POV glasses. Most are crap.

The knockoff POV glasses can cost between $25 to $100 but this really is a buyer beware area. You can find a ton of them on eBay and Amazon.

I implore you to read the comments and do research before you buy POV glasses from any store or on-line vendor.

Other Posts of Interest

• Buying Camcorders
• Legal
• Mobile
• Video Advocacy
• VidGeeky
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Vine Videos of Ferguson Police Actions and Know Your Rights

People who have read this blog long enough know that I have covered what to do when the police try to stop you from recording a public event. It is tough, it can be dangerous or in some instances potentially lethal.

• Know Your Rights Video from ACLU
• Be Safe When Recording Police Officers

A young man, Michael Brown was killed by a police office. We don't know why at the time of this post why he is dead. There is no dispute that his body was in the street for hours.

There is no dispute that citizens were angry, frustrated and used their profoundly American right to protest. The majority of the those people were peaceful protesters.

There is also no dispute that there were some people that looted and destroyed property.

As time went on the police became an attack force toward citizens, citizen journalists and mainstream media. And despite the intentions of the police in Ferguson there were people that documented the story using social media and mobile devices.




Alderman Antonio French was using Vine to record what he was seeing in his community. Mr. French was arrested and held in jail for a few hours before being released.





Six second tells much; in this clip there are young men and reporters with cameras who are being tear gassed by the police. There was no Marshal law or curfew.




This is more of his videos on the police excessive use of tea gas:




So yeah, it is real. As a reminder:

As U.S. citizens we have the right to record police officers as affirmed by the 1st Amendment. The ACLU has a couple of pages about photography and video recording. this is the one from the Pennsylvania chapter on Know Your Rights.

Read Reason's 7 Rules for Recording Police Officers which would have still gotten you f-up in Ferguson.

I need to update with new sources but also check out Jesse Halfon's post on Cop Block. I gotta go but please, please be safe and be careful.

Drat I'm Still Testing Adobe Voice

With a paper and a final due it is a challenge to post but I'm trying to use Adobe Voice as part of my project.  There have been some issues but it is coming along. This is a first generation product so I have to remind myself to be chill.

This is the reason I have to remind myself to chill:

Creating a project is easy. Creating a good one still takes time. But once you upload the project to the Adobe servers and you want to share the fruits of your labor you will probably see the above screen.

You will have to try again. Sometimes in five minutes. Sometimes in an hour of so. Remember; the video is not accessible on your device. You have to upload to the Adobe site and then view your video.

There are other options like posting to Twitter or Facebook but it is the same irritation. If your fellow Adobe Voice users are creating and uploading video then there is a problem.

Folks are finding solutions to the issue. Some folks are using web services to download a copy of the video so that they can re-post on Vimeo or YouTube.

Some folks are using screen capture software to make their own copies.

There are some quality issues; if you use certain highly saturated colors they can look streaked or have weird unintended patterns.

So this photo is a frame from a test video. It was created with a solid orange background. But let's say, hypothetically it was recorded using a screen capture program (SnagIt). The rendered version has streaks and blotches in the color area.

It might be better for me to select black, white or a softer palette. Still in the lab.


Other Posts of Interest

• App and Software Post of Interest 
• Mobile Post of Interest 
• Storytelling Post of Interest
• Home Page for Mobile Users

A Quick Look at Ca7ch Lightbox Camera

Somebody please get engineers a date or two. I can't keep up with all of this innovation! Your next recording device might be a 1.5 inch camera called Lightbox from Ca7ch.





This is currently a Kickstarter campaign but it is gonna happen one way or another. Basically your can have Lightbox record a single photo, quick video or audio. That isn't all that new; other devices can do that as well.

What is a bit different is that by using your Smartphone the video can be transmit the recordings directly to the cloud. You can attach the gizmo to your clothing; press a button and record what every you encounter and transmit to another location?

The is good. This is also creepy; in a good way. Not to mention you will need to increase your data plan. Wait; almost forgot the important part -- yes there will be an Android as well as an iOS app to help you do the do.

Let's see, there is an 8MP camera that record 1080p at 30fps.  It is connected to your phone via WiFi or Bluetooth and the video is stored on the Ca7ch servers.

I can't quite get a bead on the retail price; I'm guessing it is $180. That gets you the device and 5GB storage on their cloud.

Anyway, I gotta go but wanted to give a head's up about it. I've already violated my once a year Kickstarter rule but that doesn't mean you can't check it out the Lightbox campaign.

Other Posts of Interest

• Equipment
• Mobile
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Videolicious Quick Storytelling App

On the other side of the animated video bum rush of apps is an application like Videolicious. You tap, record, tap record again and the app will compose your video for you. This is an iOS app for quickly creating an edited video experience. That sounds mushy but basically you record the video and the narrations and the app does the rest.

Here is a demo from the company:




It is very similar to Adobe Voice in that you need to know the story your want to tell, gather your clips, record your narration and let the device compose the video. Like Adobe Voice, there is a provided music source and video effects that you can add to your video.

I can't seem to confirm it from the web site but it does appear you can save and download the completed video.

So, Who Is It For?

Well, I found it on a journalism site; I'm guessing that with the number of reporters that are now being asked to create video with their written content this is a time saver. In the commercials that I've seen it is also being touted to the business community.

I definitely can see a place for it in education videos and text or non-techy creatives who want to dabble but not dive deep into video production. This could be a great thing for travel bloggers or those that want to do mini-videos of certain environments.


Too Good To Be True?

No. Seems very straight forward if you can live with the limitations. This is a processed video. Process can be good but there is a difference between artisan Swiss cheese and processed Swiss cheese.

This app will help you to produce a smooth video. No question about it but it will be formatted like every other video produced by this app. It will be up to you to inject vitality and enhancements that set your video apart. The app makes it easy to create content but you will have to step up your game if it is a video that people want to watch.

For personal use it is free and the pricing for small business use is very reasonable.

Other Posts of Interest

• Mobile
• App/Software
• Storytelling
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Adobe Voice Explainer Video App

June 2022 Update:

Adobe Spark is gone. History. It has been replaced with Adobe Creative Cloud Express.

The post below is for historical reference. 

Egad, you take a break and some dang new thing pops up. A thing that is yanking on my needing to buy an iPad chain. I have resisted so far but this is like dangling raw meat in front of a coyote.

The name of this app is called Adobe Voice. You can set up, record and upload an explainer video from your couch. Or porch. In your bed in your jammies.

Update 2019; this is an explainer video for the product at the time known as Adobe Voice. It is now known as Adobe Spark Video.
 


Dang it. Yes, it can be a great tool for teachers, instructors, podcasters but it is an iOS app.

Can't Android get any love? At all?

(Well, yes you can. You can access the web portal. And there have been a number of updates since writing this post. Check it out at https://spark.adobe.com/) 

Hmm. Maybe I am being seduced by the glass. So, lets look at the practical details.

Truth In the Details

Adobe Voice provides a lot of free content. There is built in graphics, you can search for Creative Commons photos and there are built-in music tracks. You can add your own voice narration.

You cannot import your own music or video.

The app forces you to think about what kind of video you want to make and then ask you to select a template. This is a good thing because goodness knows we all have seen rambling tech videos.

Once completed, you upload the video to Adobe who then will transmit the video to your social media host for viewing.  There is no video that is saved on your device.

Eh, not too crazy about that part.

Adobe provides the web hosting and transcoding to various social networks like Twitter and  Facebook and you can get the embed code for your blog or web page.

What's Not To Like?

Well, on the surface it seems like an extraordinary deal.

Forgive my cynicism, but Adobe is a for-profit company. There is are multiple markets for this type of app. Why are they giving it away free? Why free hosting for the animation videos?  How many videos are they willing to transcode and store for free?

This is from a company that has switched most of their software products from a physical disc license to a online only subscription model.

I don't have an answer at this time. I do know I am real cautious about one stop solutions. Adobe has the app, the web hosting and a tight control over what users can and can't do with the app. Not that you can't get around it with a little though.

If and when Adobe decides this isn't matching up with what they want to do as a business, poof; your content is gone. History.

And another question. Who owns the final video copyright? They provided the raw materials but it was your idea. Ideas can't be copyrighted. The final fixed form can be copyrighted.

Who owns what?

Questions, and more questions. But it does look good at a distance.


Other Posts of Interest

• Audio and Music
• Mobile
• Software
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Got Video on Qik? Move It Or Lose It

With every innovation comes a shutting of the door. Qik is (was) a mobile video recording and sharing app for Android and iOS mobile devices. Qik is owned by Microsoft which owns Skype. Many of the features of Qik have been incorporated into Skype so that leaves little reason to continue supporting Qik.

Link to Qik Support Page

The short version is that if you have videos on the Qik site you need to download them before April 30, 2014. If you don't your content is history. The app will not function and life will go on without Qik.

My philosophy is to have a backup copy and then create an offline backup copy.

Your alternatives are Instagram, Vine and whomever is left standing in the dust.


Other Posts of Interest

• 15 Seconds Cookshow via Instagram
• YouTube Audio Library for Videos
• Windows Pan and Zoom Effects

A Place for Daily Vloggers

Ah, here we go, a bit of home spun old timey vlogging. Was it really so long ago that people and their web cams talked and shared about their lives, ambitions and feelings? In this age of money making syndicated content it is easy to forget the humble beginnings of web video.

In 2004 it was about people.

http://dailyvloggers.com

The original meaning of vlogger (in my humble opinion) was a person that did person narrative on a daily or weekly basis. That was expanded on by other folks that wanted to create videos that wasn't a talking head personal narrative but was indeed personal. Or funny. Or educational. It is what you want it to be.

You don't necessarily have to go to YouTube to find daily vloggers. There is a site called DailyVloggers that is a repository of those people who are doing daily or serial vlogging. At the desks. In the car (oh please let it be a parked car) or on foot with with video sunglasses.

You can sample some of the vlogger content on the desktop or through the Android mobile app.

It seems that many folks use YouTube to host and then have content posted on this site as well. It seems to be time slices of a persons life, talking about what is going on or whatever comes to the surface.

This is a good way to sample personal narrative content without having to fish it out of the walled YouTube garden.

Other Posts of Interest

• Ideas on How To Steady Smartphone Video
• Samsung Android Video Editor
• Why Do I Need to Understand about Bandwidth?
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Ideas on How to Steady Smartphone Video

There are evolving techniques about how to record video using Smartphones and similar mobile devices. There is a saying about using what you have at the moment. What you always will have is your body.


  Steady iPhone 4s from The Film Artist on Vimeo.

This is a great example of what you can do with the right grip on the phone. And grip is the operative word.  According to The Film Artist if you can learn to control your body movements you can get excellent video without a tripod.

Makes are real good case of it in the above video.

Mini Tripod/Support Devices

There are all kinds of affordable supports that you can use for Smartphone video. You don't have to spend a lot of money but don't be afraid to pay for quality.

No secret that I have the Woxom SlingShot tripod. It makes it easy to record table top videos or walking in the real world. And the creator has a wonderful sense of humor. At $19.95 you can't go wrong.




Moving on. If you want to anchor the phone to another substance like a tree or pole you might wan to take a look at the Joby GripTight Gorilla Pod Stand. At around $30 it could be what you need.

The Picosteady is a stabilizing unit for Smartphones, mini cameras like the GoPro and Micro 4/3 type cameras. If you plan on doing a lot of recording with these type of devices at $150 this could be a good investment.

There you have it. You can get a good grip or you can find the right device to help you steady your mobile recordings.


Other Posts of Interest

• Smartphone and Tablet Fixed Aperture Issues
• In Search of Android Camera Specs
• Vimeo Membership Options for Vloggers
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Smartphone and Tablet Fixed Aperture Issues

The aperture or iris is the opening that controls how much light is allowed to enter your recording device. Most Smarphones and Tablet cameras have a fixed aperture. This means it cannot be changed or adjusted by a ring on the camera or by software.

Oh, dang it. Sony just released a new product that allows a lens attachment to a smartphone. This always happens when I make absolute declarations.

For most of the native cameras that appear on mobile devices you can't change the aperture.

What Is the Aperture on Mobile Devices?

Manufactures make educated guesses about where the majority of their users will take photos and videos. This is a quick sampling of Smartphones out in the wild:

Nokia Lumia 925

Nokia Lumia 920 f/2.0 aperture
iPhone 5 f/2.4
Samsung Galaxy S3 f/2.6
Sony Xperia S f/2.4

Hmm,  f/2.0 is a fast f/stop that allows a lot of light into the device. It will do a good job with daylight outdoor recording. Indoors you will need additional lighting to ensure a good recording.

The recording area that will be in focus will be limited; so items up close will be in focus those at a distance will be out of focus.

This is called Depth of Field. You will have to move closer with your feet (if possible and safe to do so) to ensure the video being in focus.

Your eyes can compensate, the camera cannot. 

Ideally, you want to record in well lit situation with your subject close to you. One more factor to consider; shaky video.

The Shakes

You are going to need to stabilize your phone. That can mean leaning the phone up against a wall or purchasing a stabilization device like the Woxom Sling Shot. You might have a software application that helps to stabilize video. You will need to use it.

To Recap:

You'll need to be aware of your lighting conditions. Too much light and your video will be overexposed. Too little light and folks will not be able to see what you have recorded. Smartphones and Tablet cameras like daylight the best followed by sufficient indoor lighting.

When recording in f/2.0  - f/2.8 you will have shallow Depth of Field. This means that subjects close to the lens will be in focus and those further away will be out of focus.

Stabilize your recording; either by bracing against a wall or chair, use a mobile stabilization device or the software stabilization that came with your phone or tablet.

Other Posts of Interest

• Aperture - VidGeeky Word of the Day
• Amani and Chip's Mobile Video Tips Presentation
• A Look at the iPhoneReporting Blog
• Home Page for Mobile Users

CameraSim F/Stop Simulator

I love teaching tools that help make sense of a topic. There are a number of camera f/stop simulators that can help folks understand the effects of using a specific f/stop, shutter speed and lighting.




This is one of the more interactive simulators I found. This is from CameraSim. Now, true it is designed for still photographers but video folks can learn from this app.

1. Set the lighting, the focal lenght of your device. that should be on the lens or in the documentation.
2. Select your Aperture on the right hand side. 
3. If you know the Focal Length of your camera move the slider to the appropriate setting. If not, leave it where it is.

When you snap the photo you will see the if you have a good shot or not.  This is a cool way to experiment and learn about lighting, f/stops and a bunch of other stuff.

If you are recording using a Smartphone or Tablet device you have a fixed aperture.  Set it to 2.8 and make your other adjustments. This can give you a rough estimation of what your video will look like in certain lighting conditions.

Those recording video on digital still cameras will have a lot more flexibility - go wild but keep in mind that your device might require you to pre-set the f/stop before you can record.

Other Posts of Interest

• A Look At Project Settings - Video Editing
• Aperture - VidGeeky Word of the Day
• File Format - VidGeeky Word of the Day
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Amani and Chip's Mobile Video Tips Presentation

From the thought to the word to those people doing the deed. Amani Channel and Chip Dizzard have a web site called Web Video Chefs. They are also professional journalists and video creators.

This is the first item in the presentation. Mobile Journalism Must Haves:






The team gave a full presentation to the National Association of Black Journalists a while back and they have uploaded the full presentation on mobile journalism. You can watch the video, download the mp3 version or check out the Keynote presentation.

I'm sampling the goodies as I type. I don't necessarily want to be a mobile journalist but I do want to have better control over mobile video recording devices.

We cannot remain in our chosen silos of information. We need to know what the innovator down the street is doing. Each one teach one and pass it down the line.


Other Posts of Interests

• Samsung Video Editing App for Android
• Quick and Subjective Mobile Video Editing List
• A Look at the iPhoneReporting Blog
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Samsung Video Editor - Android Video Creation Tools

I search high and low for this next entry in the Android video creation series of posts. The Samsung Video Editor can be found on some of the Samsung Galaxy brand of smartphones and tablets.

This isn't a new app; there have been various versions of it since 2011. When I was researching this software it was confusing because I was getting different designs and screen images but the core features are the same. This is the version I have on my Galaxy Tab 2.

It is a very basic, I stress, basic video editing app. This is a demo video I created to show your some of the features:






This app works best for short, under three minutes of video editing. It could work well for simple editing of a non-computer demonstration, or at a conference to quickly trim, add a title and upload to a Facebook account or YouTube.

Is There a Manual or Help Guide?

No.  Not inside of the program. I was able to find a How-To Guide on the Samsung web site but the images and user interface does not look like the version on my tablet. Conceptually it is the same but it does not match up to my current device. There are YouTube videos on the various versions; some good and some that are horrid.

If you have experience with tapping, drag and drop that will get you started. If you know a little about video editing that will be a help. It took about 40 minutes of fiddling with it to be able to work with it to get a grasp of what it can and cannot do.

Is it Worth the Effort?

Yes, if you fully embrace the limitations. Think of Video Editor as an advanced trimmer with benefits. You can add titles, effects and transitions. You can add your own narration or audio. You don't have to sign up to a service to access your stuff or be limited in what you can create.

And it is free.

Hey? Where is the Exported Video?

This seems to be an important question. The video is stored in the internal memory folder sdcard0 in a folder called Videoeditor. You want to know how to get to that folder because at some point you will need to remove the videos to free up space.

In the video it was at the top of the list but I plowed down to the bottom just in case your configuration is different.

Bottom line; this is an okay app. For short videos that need a title, trim and light sprucing up this could be the deal. If you don't have a Galaxy device this might work for you if:

• You have a dual or multi-core device.
• You have Android 4.0 or higher with the appropriate OS for your device. 
• You understand that you are on your own. If you have an old tablet that you want to risk it on fine and dandy but don't risk your primary device. 

Other Posts of Interest:

• Pre-Ramble of Android Video Creation Tools
• Animoto for Android Video Creation Tools
• Instagram for Android and iOS Users

Animoto - Android Video Creation Tools

It is a fact that there are not as many quality video creation apps for Android users compared to iOS users. I spend a great deal of time plowing through Google Play just to locate function apps that work.

It is a challenge. It should not be this hard to find apps that work or do not shove ads down your throat to constantly upgrade as you are creating the video.

Ok, gripe over for now.

Let's start with a known quality web app that has an Android version. Animoto is a web app that let you combine your content to create a new video. The Android app works almost identically to the web app.

So Who Is Animoto For? 

I can see a lot of uses for this software and so can the folks at the site; documenting travel, a project status, wedding videos and other business uses.

For bloggers and vloggers who are:

• Busy people who want to create but don't have time or technical skills
• Creative people who want to prototype on the run
• Bloggers who need an occasional video
• People who do not want to edit video but need to produce a good looking project.

I am going to use the web app for examples because trying to locate a quality Android screen capture app is equally as frustrating.

Animoto Styles Screen

You can select your style that will act as the background accent to your video. Next, you select the content you want to use in your project. You can use photos and video from your device or hook up to your photos web service in addition to Facebook stored photos.

Animoto accepts a variety of audio, photo and video file types. You will need to have an understanding of file size; there is a limit of 400MB for video. 

I would prep the photos before hand to get them as lean as possible for upload, especially if you are on a slow or metered connection. You can caption the photos but if you want full size titles you'll need to create your own title cards in a photo editing program.

Animoto Mixing Screen

The free version limits you to a 30 second video. You can share with various social services but cannot download it on your system for additional tweaking. It will be about 480p in resolution.

Those in the know can figure out a way to get around this but it might not be worth it. 

The Plus and Pro versions allow you to download, remove the logo and give you more styles and music options.

You can preview your work before creating the video. Badda bing, you have a video. 

For a free app is works very well. Within the limitations you really can create a good video. If you want to spring for the paid versions you have a viable creation tool on your hands.

Other Posts of Interest

• Video Bandwidth Definition and Considerations
• Quick Look at Muvee Turbo Video Stabilizer
• The Short of the Week and We Will Forget
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Pre-Ramble on Android Video Creation Tools

Those of us on the Android side of the fence may feel pangs of envy when looking at the software apps of the iOS world. With good reason, there is some wonderful, functional creation apps in that realm.

However, for a multiplicity of reasons, we are Androidians. And with some of the new inexpensive smartphones and tablets about to flood the market there are going to be millions more Android users.

People want to create and they will use what they have in their hands. I think it is time to go a little deeper into Android video creation tools.

Before you can create a video or a visual story you have to be aware of equipment issues. The equipment issues are directly connected to the apps. It can happen that you download an app that cannot work with the device.

Some apps will work better on a phone than on a tablet and vice versa. Many will require an active connection to the Internet via Wi-Fi or phone service. You want to know this before your install anything.

Things to Be Aware Of

Operating System 
There are different versions of the Android software. The current version at the time of this posts is Jellybean 4.2 and climbing. If your operating system is Gingerbread 2.3 or older back to Eclair 2.0 you are probably locked out of many of the current video creation apps.

For people on older operating systems you may have to look at web apps for creation software. I will add some of those apps as a resource.

Intended Device
Many of the applications are intended for a specific device, such as a smartphone. It might work on a tablet but it wasn't necessarily designed for tablet users. Before installation read the details about the software.

Your Device May Not be Up to Snuff
That smartphone you got at a great price might be just what you need for Facebook or Twitter. It might not be able to handle some of the video creation or story telling tools in the market place.

In the coming months, major manufactures will release 2nd tier versions of their tablets. Something has to give to get that lower price point. Single CPUs, lower resolutions and cheap body builds come to mind.

I've seen $99 tablets in office supply stores that are going to get some of the Frugalistas thinking about buying it. (Don't do it!) In addition, there are Asian vendor knock-off tablets that are using the Android phone operating system inside of the tablets. Not the same thing as the operating system designed for a tablet.

The CPU is what is going to snag most people. Your device might only be able to do one thing at a time. And it will do it slowly. That El cheapo phone or tablet can cost you time and frustration.

For example:

On my knock-off tablet, I have Android 4.0 using a phone version of the operating system with a single CPU/core processor.

• Plays .mp4 movies well. 
• Low demand apps works fine.
• Connecting to the Internet, slow but crashed if web site has multiple things going on. 
• Some browsers do not work, or cannot display videos from YouTube and other sources.
• High demand apps crashed on regular basis.

Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls
There are other Android app vendors markets besides Google Play and Amazon. If you are not an experienced user or you don't want to invest time learning how to remove malware stick with the know app stores.

As a rule, I like going directly to a vendor's web site. I also check out the app store reviews.There should be some type of public presence of the app. Has it been reviewed by a tech magazine or web site? Are people grumbling about it in Android forums?

If something goes wrong you have a backup and restore feature on your device?

You do back that stuff up, right?

My point in all of this is I want you to know what your device can and can't do before you get started creating.

Other Posts of Interest

• At Last, Vine for Android
• Right to Record Police Officers Revisited
• Creating Simple Channel Art, Part 1
• Home Page for Mobile Users