Author: Video
posted by Video
Our 2011 recap series continues with the Multimedia Services team.
Manager Matt Stevens reviews the biggest trends and client projects for
thunder::tech this year and what’s ahead in 2012.
Looking back...
In 2011, we saw continued growth in mobile Web access including rich
media such as video. As people continue to adopt smart phones and
tablets, these devices will quickly become their primary device for
accessing Internet content. Therefore, marketers should consider all
screen sizes when developing websites and online video.
Our Multimedia Services team also grew in 2011 with the full-time
promotion of Designer/Videographer Chris George. Developer Justin Smith
joined thunder::tech as well and is involved with many multimedia
projects including those requiring 3-D graphics. We also had
opportunities to utilize our wide variety of talents on projects such as
Handelabra Studio’s Uncle Slam animated teaser.
Multiple team members contributed their illustration, art direction,
sound design and mixing as well as 2-D and 3-D animation skills to this
project.
Read More...
TAGS:
multimedia, video, 3d, 3d video, 2D animation, 3d animation, sound mixing, crowd walla sound effects, art direction, 3d graphics, digital signage, advertising, digital advertising, Intenet-enabled TV, mobile, mobile marketing, trade shows, product promotion, illustrationRecently we blogged about 3-D graphics.
This post is going to talk about another type of 3-D: Stereoscopic.
This is where the image appears to jump off the screen and typically
requires the viewer to wear special glasses. The technology has been
around for a while (since the 1800s, actually!) but has recently gained
popularity with theatrical movie releases and even sporting event
broadcasts.
How is the content produced?
One way to create stereoscopic images is to use 3-D computer graphics.
Most 3-D software packages have the ability to set up a stereoscopic
camera (see coffee cup below).
Stereoscopic video is recorded either with two cameras side-by-side or a
special camera with two lenses. These two lenses capture the image at
different horizontal positions, roughly the same distance apart as the
human eyes, creating a parallax (or displacement) between the two
images. Objects closer to the camera will have greater displacement
among the two images.
To illustrate this, hold up a finger about two inches from your nose and
alternate closing each eye quickly. You'll notice the location of your
finger appears to jump between the two views. Now, move it arms-length
away and do the same. The apparent location of your finger won't change
as drastically. 3-D cameras capture images just like human eyes!
How is it viewed?
To view a stereoscopic image, the captured left/right images need to be
projected to the appropriate eye. This is usually done through the use
of glasses. There are many types of 3-D glasses; some of the most common
ones are:
Passive/Complementary color anaglyph – This is the typical red/cyan
glasses you got with comic books. The colored lenses filter out the
opposite side so each eye only sees the part of the image intended for
that eye. So if the right-side image is tinted red, the left lens is
red, which blocks out the image on the right. The downside of this
method is it sacrifices color quality.
TAGS:
thundertech, 3-D, 3d, glasses-free, no glasses, glasses, tvs, television, video, b2b, b2c, marketing, autostereoscopy, technology, sterescopic, sterescopic 3d, computer graphics, camera, lenses, 3d video, business, marketersMore than a year ago, we blogged about the emergence of Internet-enabled televisions (IETVs). New data has surfaced since then, so we thought we'd give you an update.
Investment banking firm Piper Jaffray estimates that out of the 220
million flat-panel TVs that will be sold in 2012, 106 million (48
percent) will actually be connected to the Internet. Another statistic from Parks Associates, also quoted by Mashable, says the number of high-definition television sets shipping with an
Internet connection will rise to 76 percent by 2015. There are also rumors that Apple is working on a TV set to launch sometime in 2012. This could possibly bring iOS applications to TV sets.
TVs can be connected to the Internet a number of ways. It could have a
built-in connection (either Wi-Fi or Ethernet), it could come through a
Blu-ray player, gaming console or a dedicated over-the-top (OTT) box
such as Roku, Boxee or Apple TV. We've noticed that more devices
are now shipping with Wi-Fi capabilities, increasing the chance for
consumers to actually connect them considering they are unlikely to have
access to a wired connection near their TV sets.
Within those platforms, content can be delivered two ways: dedicated widgets (like the Yahoo! Connected TV platform
that comes on with some name-brand sets) or with a built-in Web
browser. Just as with mobile, marketers will have to make decisions on
where to invest money on this platform: widgets (like apps), optimized
websites or both. Here are some points on each:
Read More...
TAGS:
thundertech, IETVs, IETV, internet connected tvs, internet connected televisions, internet-connected, tvs, televisions, Apple TV, roku, boxee, Yahoo Connected TV, screen size, marketers, marketing trends, marketing trend 2012Video production has changed drastically since the early days of film
and video. The cost of equipment has dropped exponentially and today,
you can do more complex editing on an iPhone than you could with a
linear editing system in the 1980s that cost thousands of dollars.
When it comes to video production, you have many choices. You can buy an
inexpensive camera and easy-to-use editing software and do it yourself,
you can hire a video production company or you can choose an integrated
marketing agency.
The DIY solution may be the most economical because you can do it
in-house, but if it comes at the sacrifice of production quality, it may
not yield the desired results. Video professionals go through years of
schooling and on-the-job experience to perfect their craft. Even though
just about anyone can use iMovie, they may not know how to record
high-quality audio, light a scene so it looks good on camera or know all
the editing tricks that come from experience. Professionals also have
access to more (and better-quality) tools that lead to high-end looking
videos.
It probably wouldn't make sense for, say, a financial company to invest
thousands of dollars in a good camera, Glidecam (Steadicam), green
screen, studio lighting and pro-quality microphones. And even if they do
have the money to invest in all of this, do they have someone who knows
how to use it properly? (Bonus points if you can define "super-cardioid
microphone," list some situations where it would be the best mic choice
and identify it in the picture below.)
TAGS:
thundertech, design, video, public relations, social media, videographer, account services, integrated video, integrated marketing, marketing, video marketing, web, Web developmentSo you have some awesome video content that probably cost you thousands
of dollars to produce. Now it's time to get your money’s worth. If you
don't distribute it or it's buried on your website, you aren't going to
get a return on your investment (ROI). Here are some tips on getting the
most out of your video content.
Home page promotion
Your
home page is generally the first thing users will see. It will vary
from company to company, but if your video content is broad enough, this
might be a good place for it. With customers’ attention spans
continuing to shorten, it may be beneficial to hit them with a quick
video message rather than loading your home page with text. You can
probably cover more in a 30-second video than in a short paragraph.
Playlists and related content
If
you have multiple pieces of content, consider using playlists to
organize your videos and provide users with an easy way to explore
additional videos. You can also surround the video with links to related
Web pages or social media content. Don't forget to include an obvious
call to action.
Read More...
TAGS:
thundertech, video, ROI, return on investment, video views, online video, digital video, video distribution, promotion, video promotion, online video promotion, playlists, content creation, video playlists, video content, calls to action, video calls to action, video sharing, content sharing, social media sharing, video SEO, search engines, video analytics, mobile video, tablet video, tablet, video optimization
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