It's amazing what one finds on the web. This video from Amara shows how you can "Caption, translate, subtitle and transcribe video". The company's goal is to make every video subtitle-able. Sounds like a laudable plan to me! There is a small hitch: YOU are the one who must type in the subtitles, and match them to the video. So, it's not effortless - but it is doable. And, in many instances, it will greatly enhance the value of your video.
Here's another quick video by Charles Rivera, in which he argues it's better to Focus on Progression, not perfection. This is especially applicable to web videographers, I presume...
One of my pet peeves is that the slideshows I make using Adobe's PhotoShop are NOT visible on iPhones or iPads. That means almost half of the world I want to share with can't see it. It also means I hesitate to even make slideshows anymore. Well, it seems there is a remedy: imbed an html 5 video player on your webpages, and copy the appropriate code. This allows your mp4 videos to play anywhere. (I assume that means slideshows too - I'll have to look into this...)
The following video, by Charles Rivera, shows How to Install an HTML 5 Video Player to your Site.
Now that the class is over, I'm still checking out audio and video editing tools! This next embedded widget shows a comparison between iMovie and Adobe Premiere Elements. The high marks go to Adobe's product. Why am I not surprised? Well, I'll check it out...
I ran into considerable trouble trying to move the background audio in my final project video seperately from the video portion. In fact, I failed to get the video clip to remain under 2 minutes, as required. So, I'm doing the Monday morning quarterback's review: What could I have done differently? Here's one of the videos I came across that may or may not help. The problem, for me, is that the latest iMovie for Mavericks does not look or act the way the instructional videos show! Nevertheless, I'll study it, and see if I can come up with a solution. Here then is "Working with Audio - The Basics":
It's time to organize my movie clips, and this next video shows how. iMovie allows you to designate clips as Favorites or Rejected, and then to set up your viewing area to see Favorites, Rejected, Favorites and Unselected, or Unselected. This will certainly help in reclaiming some viewing real estate! The good news is - the clips are not actually deleted, just hidden from view. And, each clip's designation is identified (colored lines of red, orange or yellow let you know the clips are rejected, favorites, and/or used in the current project. Do I have these colors right? I'll have to check the video again! Anyway - check out Organizing Footage, by Eastern Illinois University
Here's another scanning tool that attracts me: a portable scanner called IRIScan. For those quick trips with not-a-lot-of-luggage, this may be just the thing. However, I'm not crazy about the price...
The new iOS 7 includes an updated iMovie app that looks pretty cool. The following video shows how to edit films using iMovie for iOS 7
I'm always searching for new apps for my iPhone. Today's suggestion comes from an October article by Jerry Jao on Practical Ecommerce called: "5 Productivity Tools to Help You Focus". The tool that looked most interesting to me is Podio, an online tool that helps teams plan and conduct projects. I think I'll try it out! Humm - I wonder if it actually works on iPhones? Yes - it's MOBILE! Well, see what YOU think...
Setting up an email account on your iOS 7 devices should be easy, right? Well, in case it's not, here's a good video from Blue Host, showing how to setup your email account.
MacMostVideo has a new instructional video out, called iMovie Video Effects. You may ask, What is that?
You can make color and quality adjustments on each video clip. You can also apply a variety of special effects, like aged film, to each clip. Controls let you speed up, slow down or freeze frame.
So, if that interests you, as it does me, check it out...
Here's a new one on me - it turns out that videos use meta tags! What are those? They are descriptive words or phrases that developers use to describe the content of a video or web page. The purpose is to provide an easy way for search engines, the "organizers of the Internet", to catalog your content. I've always favored a more private, personal sharing of videos, so I've never concerned myself with such needs. Nevertheless, it's good to know HOW to do this if one wants. The following video shows how to add tags to videos (and where to look for the tags added by others).
I'm in the process of finalizing my final project for BCST 119 (see Switching Back to CCSF), and find that I need help in adding comments and chapter markings in iMovie. This short video, about iMovie '09, fits the bill:
I'm contemplating the creation of a multisite web platform using WordPress. I've studied many Content Management options, including Joomla and what's-the-other-one?, but for now, WordPress has come out the winner. In particular, I'd like to host my own blogs, to retain more control. I'm also interested in group blogs, and websites for non-profit organizations.
The following Slideshare shows Managing Multiple Authors with WordPress. The professional website I created can take advantage of this information, and maybe you can too.
One of the truly confusing parts of learning about video-making is discovering the amount of DETAIL required! It's not enough to have a video camera, or a camera that takes video. You also need to know what format the camera uses, and, well - watch this video on the Difference between AVCHD and H.264 to get an idea of what's involved. Good luck understanding it all!
It's not easy to know when and how to make editing cuts. This next video shows the RESULTS of making smart edits on action scenes. Unfortunately, it doesn't go into detail on just HOW the work is done! Well, guess we'll have to explore some more...
Can you believe it - I'm getting ready for next semester's classes, and this semester hasn't even finished! It looks like I'll be taking 2 more classes at CCSF: BCST 135 and 136. The links posted by the instructor included 3 videos created by former students. Here's one:
There are times in life when one needs to know what the heck is on a disembodied hard drive. Well, here's how to do it:
What a find this is - a video that shows HOW to build your own computer! Not that I'm really going to do that. However, it clearly shows what's what, and where it all goes. It's about time we got a chance to SEE what makes the magic (or nightmare) that rules our lives! The video, and the 5-part series of which it's part of, is produced by a website called, appropriately enough, "LifeHacker".
Dreamweaver lets you customize your workspaces so that you can make it function the way you want. Here's a 17-minute video called Workspace Overview, narrated by James Williamson (LOVE his voice!) and produced by Lydia.com. The coolest part about workspaces is that you can save your favorite layout, give it a name, and Dreamweaver remembers what tools and panels you want ready - and where you want them placed. For those of us that do a lot of work designing with Dreamweaver, this is a very handy feature.
I've read a lot about color temperature, but it's never really made sense before. This short video SHOWS what color temperature is all about. Finally - I get it!
Another challenge I have is How to Blend a picture with video in iMovie. Guess what? Here's how!
Here's a short snippet that shows how to layer audio tracks. This is one of my current challenges, so it's good to see how it's done (and what it looks like on the iMovie timeline).
I'm beginning to observe what makes good video. Here's Turnaround: A Vinyl Records Documentary - check it out!
Here's a great idea - interactive video! Storygami aims to embellish the storytelling aspects of videos. Can't wait to check it out!!
We're moving on to the actual shooting of video. I have already shot the scenes that I'll use for my final project. However, it's not too late to learn what should have been done! This next video clip shows how to take good videos using an SLR (which I don't have). I especially like it as a demonstration of what good video is...
The videos on YouTube have been very helpful in learning how to utilize my new Mac apps, but they leave much to be desired. What's missing is organization. I'd LOVE to see a list of editing tips in some kind of order. For this purpose, The Missing Manuals are so much more helpful. When I have a specific question of how to do something, I can just look it up in the index and go to the page that has the information I need. With a video, you have to sit through the whole thing in order to find the 30-seconds of information you actually need. How frustrating!
This is my final video posting for the day: a complete tutorial on iMovie editing. I've watched a third of it, and know I'll come back for more. So, here it is: Editing Video in iMovie for your Film!
The Mavericks OS update appears to have re-arranged the screen options of iMovie a bit. For those of us just starting out, it doesn't much matter. This video by iApplereviews, highlights some of those changes. It's a bit slower paced than my last posting, so it makes a nice completment. Watch: iMovie in Mavericks Demo.
Here's a good intro to iMovie that shows everything in a nutshell. However, you'd better gobble it up quickly - it's over in 5 minutes! If that doesn't work for you, you can always start and stop the video as often as necessary. Here it is: iMovie in Under Five Minutes
One of the bonus benefits of my new Adobe Creative Suite (CS6) is the popular program InDesign. I've heard about it for years, but never bothered to explore its features. In fact, I've probably even had a copy of InDesign, with the various Adobe products purchased over the years. I'm at a point now where I can begin to want to do MORE with my design tools, and this program seems to fit the bill. I am very fond of Dreamweaver (especially its ability to synchronize web pages and websites), and I frequently use Photoshop. Undoubtedly I haven't even begun to exploit all the features of these tools. Nevertheless, I'm excited to discover the benefit of InDesign, from none other than Terry White. Check out this excellent introduction: How To Get Started with Adobe InDesign.
Here's a nifty tool - "Process Explorer - Monitor running tasks and processes", for Windows PCs. This is truly one of life's mysteries - what the heck is going on? And what do all these processors DO? I'll check it out, and let you know...
Reading the news on my new Windows 8 Touchsmart HP, I came across news of A Brand New Netflix. The video company has renovated their display screen for select media devices, such as Roku, XBox, and Smart TVs. Guess I'll have to check it out. Having one "new technology" is simply an incentive for revamping all the others. This is a very slippery slope!
In addition to editing videos, Photoshop CS6 can be used in the traditional way, with photographs. The following video, "Presenting photos in a slideshow" shows us how to do that.
I was surprised to discover today that Photoshop CS6 has video editing tools. I haven't checked it out yet, but this video suggests it's an easy thing to do. The video "Intuitive Video Workflow" and more can be found on Adobe's Learn Photoshop CS6 site.
I was casually perusing my Acer computer's My Documents folder, in an effort to "clean it up", and I came across folders I had NO idea about. What the heck is Clear.fi, for instance? And what is it doing messing up MY file structure? How (and WHY?!) did it insert itself into "my" documents? If I have no control over "MY Documents", then who the hell does? This is the type of situation that drives me nuts. Now a whole lot of other questions arise. Can I move it? If I do, will whatever it does stop working?
A little research revealed that "Clear.fi" has something to do with streaming content on or for Acer computers. I'm still not sure if I can move it, but am inclined to keep it for now. After all, I am trying to network my computers, right? And I want to be able to use the capabilities of my so-called "Smart" TV, right? So, there you are - I'm stuck for now, with a messy file structure, a disgruntled countenance, and lingering quandaries.
What follows is a short video that totes the benefits of Acer Clear Fi.
I've just come across this cool looking app for Windows 8 machines - Edjing! The app looks so enticing, I'll have to download it immediately! Or should I check it out some more? See what you think: Edjing now available for Windows!
For those of us who need a little more in-depth introduction to iMovie 10, here's a posting by tentytech. The pace is considerably slower than the video by Slashgear, and the layout of the workspace is explained with a little more detail. SO, for a slower sequenced intro, check out this iMovie 10 Tutorial: Beginners and Basic.
Today I'm beginning for real the push to produce a short video using iMovie. I've had a One-to-One training on iMovie, and I've spent some time fiddling around with it, but now I need to get serious. So, as I often do, I'm off to view how-to videos on YouTube. This next video clip shows how to create a video on the new Mavericks OS upgrade. The video makes it look easy. I hope it is!!
It's time to step up the pace. It's not enough nowadays to get the updated technological tools. One has to learn how to use them! Our Samsung Smart TV is pretty dumb unless we can figure out how to put it to use. Here's some help: a video about Samsung Link TV.
Every day there's a new challenge. I have pretty much finished with transferring data from 2 "dead" (worthless/frustrating) computers to my new Windows 8 HP. Now I'm trying to figure out how to recover the data on an external hard drive that is not recognizable by at least 2 of my computers. I searched for hours today, trying to find a way to connect the drive - looking for new drivers, connecting to other computers, whatever might work. I even went to Best Buy to see if they could transfer the data to another external hard drive. What happened there is another story, too irritating to recall just yet. My conclusion was - I bet I can do it myself! So, I'm back searching the Internet to see what I can find. Here's a video that offers a solution I'd like to check out - get a universal drive adapter, and connect it directly to my PC. See what you think: How to Recover Data on External Hard Drive
I've discovered that CCSF has it's own TV channel, sort of. The Broadcasting Department and its students produce IDTV on YouTube, and the embedded video is a good demonstration. Check it out! I especially liked the "Accreditation 101" section, but the "History of City College" interviews were pretty interesting too. Another section is on International Students at CCSF, and the closing segment is on Women in Film. All in all, it's an eye opener to what students can learn at CCSF. I can't wait!!
I've finally figured out how to use my Seagate external drive on both my PC and my Mac. After installing the software on the Mac, I registered the GoFlex 1.5T drive, and then began exploring Seagate videos. Here's one you might enjoy: Did You Know?
It's time to begin editing videos. Here's a video on how to use iMovie 9 to edit Flip videos. It makes it look easy - can't wait to give it a try!!
This video can also be found on YouTube:
http://youtu.be/S3LyWaIPTqU
I'm about to try out a "File Share Cable" by Targus, bought at Staples for about $33. I already moved the majority of my files from my Dell XPS Vista to my new HP Envy Windows 8 Touchsmart laptop. The process was fairly painless, but took forever and a day. I still have files on the Dell 8400 desktop, though I moved all the photos, music, webs, and videos onto an external drive. The files remaining in My Documents are around 10 g. So, I'll give this a try. All indications are that it's a fairly simple thing to do. My hope is that it is indeed simple, for we now have two Macs, and two PCs, as well as numerous external hard drives and flash drives. To be able to connect any two computers and simply drag and drop files would be ideal. Since they're all laptops, any one can be moved next to any of the others in order to make a quick connection. The attached video shows how easy the process should be. Let's hope they're right!
I've been having a hard time with one of our assignments in the 9th week of our course in Digital Media Skills. Frankly, I have absolutely failed at being able to guesstimate the range of frequencies among certain sounds in our homes. I've read what others estimated, but still, none of it made sense. Finally I created a pictorial graph of how each sound compared to the other sounds. I can see many things from this graph, but still I'm no closer to guessing what the sound frequencies are of my old desktop computer or my new air cleaner. I've continued to explore the excellent Australian site Physclips. But still I wavered. Finally I found a better demonstration of frequency ranges, using this video on YouTube, by Beeps, Chirps, and Noise. Let's hope I can come up with 5 guesses by 11:55pm tonight!
OMG - I've seen it all! ScanSnap has a scanner that will scan almost ANYTHING! Check it out on YouTube:
This week's lesson has us learning more about the science of sound. In the process, I've come across a marvelous website that not only explains sound, but demonstrates it. Check out this video ("Flutes vs. Clarinets"), which is just a small sampling from Physclips.
I'm in the midst of 3 projects: transferring files from a Vista to a Windows 8 PC; learning about Audacity for my current class in Digital Media Skills; and doing the laundry. My preferred mode of learning new software seems to be videos, and a quick Google search for Audacity took me to YouTube. Many good videos reside there, and I've seen a few of them. But, on the right-hand side listing of "Featured Videos" I came across one with the delightful title of "How to Convert Vinyl or Cassette to CD - For Free!" Well, this is too good to be true. I've saved 20+ of my favorite vinyl records, but no longer have space for my record player. Now's the time to convert the tracks to CD. This video, from 2008, is better than the 2010 similarly-named video, which uses a portable radio for demonstration purposes. Well, it looks like I have one more project to keep me busy! Meanwhile, it's time for the wash to go into the dryer...
Our assignment was to create 5 - 10 graphics using Photoshop (or Photoshop Elements) tools. Here are the 10 graphics I created:
Here's a great video of the design of a bendable mouse, from the engineer's point of view. Fascinating!
As most of us know, Adobe's Photoshop is the premiere tool for editing photos. However, how many of us know how to create slideshows? This video, by Richard Harrington, shows how to use Adobe's Bridge tool, which comes with Photoshop, to create both contact sheets and slideshows. The only drawback - you can't see Flash slideshows on your iPhone!
Photoshop has a tool called Smart Objects, and it is able to preserve the image quality as one edits, or transforms, the photo. Watch this Adobe TV video by Michael Ninness to see how it's done:
Today I came across a website I'd like to use as an idea-template for our narfe65.org website. Believe it or not, the site belongs to - the White House! What I especially liked was the navigation setup at the top. It's the same type of navigational functionality I've admired at the Business Week site. So, naturally, I decided to explore the code behind the scenes, using "View Source" from the Web Developer module added on to my Firefox browser. Lo and behold, I found the undergarment was built with Drupal. Hummm - I've come across this before. In fact, there seem to be two contestants in the help-me-code contest. Offhand, I forget what the other one is - but both are supported by Blue Host (where I think I'll move my webs and blogs).
What I noticed about Drupal is that, in spite of it's odd-sounding/looking name, it's written in "plain English". The code seems less-Greek-and-Geeky than so many web languages. Which means - I think I can do this! So, for now, I've become a Drupal Dreamer, waiting to dive more deeply into this mysterious-sounding, web-authoring-assistant tool.
The video that follows shows how Drupal handles photo galleries. It's a bit over my head as of now, but not TOO far out of reach such that I don't think I'll ever be able to do it. Again, the nice thing is, notice how many options one has, and how understandable they are. They're written in ordinary English. Indeed, I'm ready to explore more...
Here's another version of the same thing: a 2011 British video telling us what to look for when we purchase a laptop. The six areas to focus on are: 1) performance, 2) size, 3) battery life, 4) connectivity, 5) hard disk size, and 6) operating system. So, give it a whirl!
Here's an old video (2010) titled "How to Buy a Laptop". Even though technology has changed a lot since then, this information is still relevant! My interest, of course, is a little late. I just recently purchased not one but TWO laptops. Well, it's never to late to learn how the process should be done...
This week's class in Deigital Media Skills is on "Editing Graphics". I can't wait! This following video is just a small taste of what lies ahead. It tells how to make non-destructive transformations using Smart Objects. Take a look:
Here's an EXCELLENT example of a classic sociological study of urban design. This one-hour digitized movie by William Whyte shows "The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces".
Hey, this is fun! I can get music from around the world. Check this one out (and then tell me what it says!):
Downloading music from the Web is something I haven't done very often. However, in light of the class I'm taking (Digital Media Skills), I'm beginning to explore my options. Today I discovered this song on the website Jamendo. What do you think?
Here's a video that says it shows workers in China (Chongqing?)testing HP laptops. The reason I'm interested? I just got notice that the HP laptop I ordered from Costco is shipping from CHONGQING, CN.
.Here's what the blog poster wrote:
i noticed something wierd. The computer were already installed and ready! I didn't need to make any choices or wait for it to install anything, it was already done. I looked around among the documents and files in the computer and found this funny clip! Its some kind of video recorded from the HP factory when they are testing the webcamera software. You can here a wierd opera singning lady in the background and watch the very focused worker testing my computer. He must have forgotten to reset the computer after the tests!
I am currently enrolled at CCSF, in BCST 119, "Digital Media Skills", taught by Arthur Pines. It's kind of a fluke that I'm here. I much prefer the quarter to the semester system, and I've been very happy with the classes at Foothill College. However, for reasons unknown to me, they have simply "dropped" their web development classes. An entire department (or more) has simply disappeared. Meanwhile, I saw an article by the owner of Bird and Beckett bookstore that encouraged people to help City College by enrolling in classes. So, I checked into the online classes, because I do believe it's an institution that is essential to the lifeblood of San Francisco. Lo and behold, I found web classes that allow me to continue on the learning curve.
SO - here I am, back at CCSF!
An upcoming assignment for class is to design our "Dream Machine". Well, that sounds easy enough, but it has turned out to be quite a challenge. For one thing - I don't have all the time in the world to do this: I actually need a new computer NOW. So, I have a lot of pressure on me to get results fast. I have narrowed my choices to two computers - a MacBook Pro with retina display, and a Windows 8 touch screen. But that is just the beginning decision. The real challenge is to figure out what comes with it; what size should it be; and how much RAM should it have?
Here's a video that demonstrates the differences between 4,8, and 16 gigabyte of RAM. I can't say I understand much of it, but the bottom line for me seems to be that 16 is better than 8. Why? My purpose is to do web development, photo processing, and video editing. Knowing my habits, I like to do everything at once. As I've found out so often, speed of response (and lack thereof) is the thing that drives me nuts. SO - I think I've answered this question.
Take a look for yourself. Here's "A Little Byte of Tech" by Jayztwocents:
The first part begins with a brief introduction to the series, summarizing the impact of computers on every aspect of our lives, attributed to their versatile nature. The history of computing begins with the original definition of "computers," human beings like William Shanks that calculated numbers by hand. Frustration with human error led Charles Babbage to develop his difference engine, the first mechanical computer. He later designed the analytical engine, the first general-purpose programmable computer, but it was never finished. Ada Lovelace assisted Babbage with the design and working out programs for the unbuilt machine, making her the first programmer.
100 years later, German engineer Konrad Zuse built the Z1, the first functional general-purpose computer, using binary counting with mechanical telephone relays. During World War II, Zuse wanted to switch to vacuum tubes, but Hitler killed the project because it would take too long. At the University of Pennsylvania, John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert built ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer, to aid in military calculations. They didn't finish in time to be useful for the war, but soon after, Eckert and Mauchly started the first commercial computer company. It took years before they brought a computer to market, so a British radar engineer named Freddie Williams beat them to building the first computer with stored programs. In Cambridge, Maurice Wilkes built EDSAC, the first practical computer with stored programs. Alan Turing imagined greater things for computers beyond calculations, after seeing the Colossus computer break German codes at Bletchley Park. Actor Derek Jacobi, performing as Alan Turing in "Breaking the Code," elaborates on Turing's insights into artificial intelligence. Computers can learn, but will they be intelligent?The entire 5-part-series is downloadable as MP4 videos
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