StudioNow - A Cut Above

Artbeats Offers Free HD Stock Footage

Artbeats announced today that they are offering one FREE, downloadable HD clip every day at artbeats.com. In this “no strings attached” program, visitors to the Artbeats home page can access a different free clip every day simply by registering or logging-in to their online account. The clips, valued at up to $299 USD each, are pre-selected directly from the Artbeats and Artbeats FootageHub libraries and are available as a free download for 24 hours. Those who take full advantage of the Daily Free Clip program can quickly enhance and build their stock footage cache with over $8,000 USD in royalty-free HD content each month.

Check it out.

AOL Acquires Premier Online Video Platform StudioNow

Great news for everyone associated with StudioNow... especially our Network Members.

 AOL has acquired StudioNow.

More to come later...

Spotlight on Dierks Bentley from Sean Green

Producing video is not only his full time job, it's also Sean Green's passion. Since 2006, Sean has been perfecting his video production expertise in partnership with his father's audio production company, Digital Master. When Sean is not producing EPKs, music videos or web promos for Digital Master, he finds time to produce videos with StudioNow and sometimes, even answer a few questions here.

SN: The video you created for Playboy on Dierks Bentley has stunning visuals. What can you tell us about specific techniques that you used on location to help achieve this kind of look?

SG: Shooting Dierks Bentley was a unique challenge because we only had a limited amount of time with him. Playboy brought in Alison Bonaguro to conduct the interview and on the day of the shoot, we got there several hours early to set up. We had only enough time to shoot the interview once before Dierks had to leave, and we didn't have the budget for a second camera operator. I knew the video would suffer greatly if we only had one angle of Dierks for the entire interview, so I decided to add a second unmanned camera to provide another perspective. Then, we had him play through the song twice—I stayed wide on the first run through, and then got as many camera moves and closeups as I could on the second run through. This approach allowed me to be confident I always had a good shot, and improved the overall pacing of the final piece.

The other challenge we encountered was the low ceiling of The Station Inn. Thankfully, we had a lighting guy who brought in 8-9 lights to work with. He set up almost all of them, with at least 4 in the background. My dad ran location sound and I operated the main camera, which was a Panasonic Varicam. In my opinion, thats one of the best HD cameras around in terms of color depth. At that time, I had never used it before but thankfully, I got to spend a lot of time with it and the manual the day before to make sure I knew how to operate it properly. And since we had extra time built into the schedule, we managed to get the light situation correct first and then have a stand-in to make sure everything looked good on the monitor. 

For the b-roll footage, I decided to use the shaky handheld style movements because it adds energy to the frame. Without it, the interior shots of the location would have been little more than a slideshow. However, as with most things, it is possible to overdo it. I tried to balance the cam movements with the stable tripod shots of Dierks. When we shot the interview, it was raining heavily and we weren't able to shoot anything outside. I had to go back the following day to shoot the exteriors of the Station Inn which I did handheld because I could get the pans that i needed quickly and still be fairly smooth. Almost as soon as I got those exterior shots and got back in the car, it started raining. If I had tried to set up a tripod, I wouldn't have gotten all the shots I needed of the building.  

SN: What about any specific techniques that you used in post?

SG: During production, my dad and I decided that we would put a lav on Dierks and also use a boom for ambient sound as well. It can seem like overkill sometimes, but once I started cutting the edit together, I noticed that the lav captured the interview audio best, while the shotgun picked up the singing best. I didn't anticipate this initially, but I was glad I had both sources in post. 

SN: If you could offer some quick advice to a fellow StudioNow filmmaker about creating a compelling video—what would it be?

SG: The best advice I can give is to echo the advice of one of my mentors, Kenny Mims, and that is "Never forget rule number one... always get the shot!"  I can give you an example of what can happen if you forget rule number one. I was editing a video that was to chronicle a rising Country Music Star as he got ready for his very first performance on the Grand Ole Opry. For a Country Music singer, to be asked to play the Grand Ole Opry is a tremendous honor. There was a two man camera crew tasked with following this singer around and documenting his preparation for the momentous performance. He was nervous and excited and it was obvious how much the performance meant to him.  The camera crew followed him around for hours and captured everything he did. Then the big moment approaches, the camera crew is strategically positioned on the side of the stage filming the Opry host as he is about to introduce our singer. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome..." and the camera goes black.  Puzzled, I search for the footage from the other camera and amazingly he doesn't have it either.  I couldn't believe it, the main goal of the video was to document this singer's very first Grand Ole Opry performance and the camera crew didn't even get him going on stage. Most video shoots can be distilled down to a few absolutely critical shots that you absolutely must get... make sure you get those shots. Get as much coverage, angles, and cut-aways as you think you need, but remember those are always secondary to your critical shots.  "Never forget rule number one—always get the shot!"

The other part of my advice is a more general CYA — in other words, more than simply getting enough video coverage. I would encourage every filmmaker to get as clear a picture of each project beforehand —its essential for understanding the expectations of what will be required logistically from start to finish. Ultimately, you have to always be prepared to adapt and respond on the fly at the last minute. As I learned from the military, you have to imagine the worst possible outcome so you can fully prepare in advance. Thats the first step to being able to deal with things out of your control. 

SN: Great job, Sean! We really appreciate your help!

More Royalty-Free Music Added to Our Library

We're proud to announce that we've added more than 300 fresh tracks to our royalty-free music library for use on your StudioNow projects.

Be sure to visit the music tab of your project page and browse our selections for the perfect choice for your video.  From Latin and Bluegrass to Reggae and Techno, you have every possible genre at your fingertips to match the tone and atmosphere that you and your customer are seeking.

How to Ensure Excellent Sound Quality

One of the things StudioNow expects from our filmmakers is excellent sound quality.  Here are a few tips on how to ensure that you get good, clean sound on your shoots:

•    When you arrive on location, put the "Filming In Progress" sign on the door so people entering the business are aware you’re shooting a video.  Hopefully they’ll take that as a cue to pipe down.

•    Next, choose a quiet location for the interview.  While you’d ideally like to have a completely silent place to do an interview, chances are you’ll be in a busy place with background noise.  (A little bit is OK, and may in fact help the viewer really experience the atmosphere of the place.)  Try shooting in an office or hallway if the background noise is overpowering. 

•    If you have to shoot outside, choose a location with the least amount of wind.  You can also add a small windscreen to the mic.

•    Use a lavalier mic.  For most StudioNow shoots, a lav mic is your best bet.  It allows you to focus on your camerawork rather than worry about holding a boom mic in place.  (For aesthetic purposes, be sure to hide the cord.)

•    Test your mic before the shoot.

•    Aim the mic toward the interviewee's mouth. 

•    Do a sound check before each interview.  Adjust your levels accordingly (Techie Note: your primary audio for interviews should peak at -6 db, with ambient sound peaking between -12 to -18 db).

•    Remove dangly earrings or jewelry.  Even if it isn’t touching the microphone, jewelry such as a charm bracelet can compete with a good sound bite. 

•    Pull clothing back from the mic.  As the interviewee shifts around, so does their clothing, creating a chance for it to rub against the mic.

•    Bring your headphones to the shoot.  Listen for any mic hits or frequency interference.  Adjust during the interview if you need to.

•    Don’t be afraid to ask a merchant to repeat a line.

•    Be aware of outdoor noise like thunder, airplanes, traffic.

•    This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s worthy of being included here.  Throw in a couple of extra batteries, just in case yours decide to conch out during the shoot.

StudioNow Named 2009 AlwaysOn Global 250 Award Winner

NASHVILLE, TN, July 16, 2009 – StudioNow (www.studionow.com), the premier online platform for video creation, today announced that it has been selected to the 2009 AlwaysOn Global 250 Top Private Companies List.

The AlwaysOn Global 250 Award is given to private, emerging technology companies creating new business opportunities in high-growth markets. StudioNow was selected by the AlwaysOn editorial team based on demonstration of growth, market opportunity, quality of innovation and customer traction.

"We are honored to be named to this prestigious list of innovative technology companies," said David Mason, co-founder and CEO, StudioNow. "This recognition acknowledges the breakthroughs we've achieved in delivering affordable, cloud-based solutions for video production, asset management and syndication of content."

StudioNow and the other AlwaysOn Global 250 winners will be recognized at the AlwaysOn & STVP Summit at Stanford, taking place at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA, on July 28-30. This two-and-a-half day executive conference is co-presented by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program and will highlight the significant economic, political and commercial trends affecting the global technology industries.

The AlwaysOn Global 250 winners were selected from among more than 800 technology companies nominated by investors, bankers, journalists and industry insiders. Previously known as the AlwaysOn 100, the 2009 Global 250 list was finalized by the AlwaysOn editorial team after conducting a rigorous three-month selection process, with assistance from KPMG's emerging business practice, KPMG VC Practice.

Since its founding in 2007, StudioNow has partnered with a variety of top-tier organizations to build custom online platforms for the creation, management and distribution of high-quality video content, including Ford Models, Simon & Schuster, Chronicle Books, Citysearch, The NewsMarket, CBS Radio, ClearChannel, Playboy, Yahoo!/Rivals.com and others.

The StudioNow production platform provides dynamic end-to-end management of the entire content development and production process, connecting customers with thousands of expert videographers, editors, directors, producers, animators and voiceover artists for the creation of top-quality digital content at the most-affordable pricing available in today’s marketplace.

A full list of all the AlwaysOn Global 250 winners can be found on the AlwaysOn website at http://alwayson.goingon.com/permalink/post/3271

About AlwaysOn
AlwaysOn ignited the open-media revolution in early 2003 by being the first media brand to launch a global blog network. In 2004, AlwaysOn continued to lead the media industry in innovation by introducing a social network where members can connect and engage. AlwaysOn is also revolutionizing the media business by applying its open-media principles to its executive event series (Summit at Stanford, OnMedia, OnHollywood, OnDC, GoingGreen East and West, Venture Summit East and West) and quarterly print "blogozine" by empowering its members to post and share their ideas and meet each other online. As our loyal readers know, AlwaysOn is committed to the free-market, merit-driven approach to reporting and event programming. No other media brand has dared to create such open interaction with its readers and event participants.

About StudioNow
StudioNow is the premier online platform for video creation and distribution, aggregating thousands of editors, videographers and creative individuals to provide professional, 24/7 on-demand video content at affordable prices to businesses of all sizes across all markets. From major media organizations to Internet marketers to local advertisers, StudioNow's proprietary high-volume, Web-based marketplace and custom production management platform meets the rising demand for high-quality, original video material. For additional information, please visit: (www.studionow.com).

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We're so excited to receive this recognition from AlwaysOn!  We thank all of the Members of our Network for the hard work that you put into each StudioNow video.  It's because of you that SN is on the forefront of high quality web video production.

If You Don’t Know, Just Ask

My (Ansley typing here) first job out of college was a video editing job at a production company.  My boss taught me that if a video doesn’t turn out how a client expected, it’s because we didn’t ask enough questions beforehand.  It’s our responsibility to make sure we’re doing our part in producing a video that the client is happy with.

One afternoon, at that same job, I got a call from a middle-aged gentleman.  We’ll call him Joe.  Below is the conversation I had with Joe:

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Joe:  “Hi, is this a video store?”

Me:  “Well, we’re not Blockbuster, but we do produce videos.  What can I help you with?”

Joe:  “See, I got this video shoot coming up tomorrow for my business, and the video people mentioned some fancy piece of equipment I never heard of.  I’m calling around to different places tryin’ to figure out what it does so I don’t look like an idiot when they get here.”

Me:  “OK, what piece of equipment did they say they’re bringing?”

Joe:  “They said they’re showin' up with a videogeyser.”

Me:  “I’m sorry, a what?”

Joe:  “A videogeyser.  I've been calling around and nobody can seem to tell me what it is.”

Me:  “A videogeyser...  Hmm, that doesn’t sound like any piece of video equipment I’ve heard of before…” (I think for a few seconds) ”Do you think they might have said, ‘The video guys are coming out tomorrow for your video shoot?’”

(There’s a long pause while I’m stifling laughter.  Slowly it dawns on Joe what they had really said…)

Joe:  “Ohhhhh…  Yeah, that makes more sense!”  Click.

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We can all learn a lesson from Old Joe:  If you don’t know something, just ask!  All that time calling around to different production companies could have been avoided by asking one simple question.
Clarification is especially important in the video production business when communicating with clients. 

•    Feel free to call your merchant ahead of time- you can find their contact info on the project page.

•    Google their business name, check out their website, do a little research on the business.

•    Use the communication tool on the project page for messages to your merchant regarding directions to the location, or any questions about their particular business. 

•    Contact StudioNow for any questions regarding compensation, technical specs, etc.

•    You should also proactively check the project page for messages sent to you.

•    Take the time to fill out our Pro Video On Site Production Checklist.

•    Ask if there are any particular shots they’d like you to get, or if they have any questions for you.

And, of course, don’t forget to bring your videogeyser. ☺

Helpful XDCam Conversion Tool

If you end up having to edit video shot in XDCam and you are not using the latest version of Final Cut Studio, you may run into issues using/playing/editing these files. 

Calibrated Software has released a product (Windows and Mac compatible) that may prove immensely helpful - Calibrated{Q} XD Decode.  Calibrated{Q} XD Decode will allow you to view and convert these files to a usable format using Quicktime Pro.  Unfortunately, it is not free, but $79.95 seems like a small price to pay to overcome such a major obstacle in your workflow.

Disclaimer:  This product is not copyrighted by, authorized by, or otherwise affiliated with StudioNow.

Happy 4th of July

StudioNow offices will be closed on Friday, July 3rd, but we'll all be back on Monday.

All of us here at StudioNow wish you a safe and happy 4th of July.  To help celebrate, we give you an organization that truly represents the great melting pot that is America...

The Muppets!



Thanks to everyone for your hard work. 

Amazon is Running an Ad Contest

I wish I'd seen this earlier, but there is still plenty of time. 

One of our Senior Developer's, Patrick Altman, forwarded the info on Amazon's 'Your Amazon Ad' Contest to me last night, and I wanted to make sure everyone was aware of it.

The basic idea is to create a short video advertising Amazon.com for a chance to win $20,000 in Amazon.com Gift Cards.  We'd be proud to have the winner be a Member of our Network, and we know you have the talent to do it.  Click here for the details.  Good Luck!