So I am absolutely astounded at how little is actually discussed about alpha channels and such, in the post production industry. It seems to be a deep abyss of information, or vice-versa, the information keeps falling into an abyss. Being in the stock footage biz, I always get really ticked off at some of the houses that can't accept a full 32 bit depth video file. We know these files as pre-keyed, alpha-keyed, masked, whatever the heck you want to call them. They show up in the Quicktime (.mov) world as files that were created in progressive mode a la rendering using the png or animation codec portions. But the funny thing is, many forget to turn on the damn "RGB plus Alpha" when doing this. It's like who is this guy Alpha anyway? And why is no longer in Beta? Yes, that was "punny". I know.
So let's first start with this guy named "Alpha". After all he is the invisible or transparent brother of Red, Green and Blue. (Okay, Photoshop guys, this also can apply to you.) But before we go there, let's get to brass tacks about computer stuff. Stuff such as bytes. Hungry? If you remember (and this applies only to people that are younger than 50 and/or worked at a company like IBM), a byte consists of 8 bits. Hence, 8 bits equals a byte, 2 bytes equals too much food, and 4 bytes equals the full depth of an RGBA rendered file. Hence, red (8 bits), green (8 bits), blue (8 bits) and Alpha (8 bits) - darn, there is that Alpha dude again. But, really, this is called a 32 bit depth file. As in 4 x 8 = 32!
So how come 8 bits for Alpha? Well, you see, back in the day, 2 bits equaled a quarter, hence 8 bits was a buck. Confused? You should be. This has absolutely nothing to do with anything about Alpha channel. But think about it. If you only got 3/4 of a buck (a.k.a. 6 bits), you can't even get something off of the Dollar Menu at Micky D's. So perhaps that last quarter may mean something yet. In video terms it means a heck of a lot!
Back to the 8 bit thing. Eight (8) bits basically gives, in computer terms, 256 variations of something. (a.k.a. 0-255) Could it be brightness? Could it be transparency? Could it be a shade value? Perhaps it delivers a bit of all of these. But that doesn't matter for this topic right now. The key is that there are 4 of these 0-255's if you include an alpha channel. So what the heck for, this alpha thingy? It's transparent! You can't even see it! So why even worry about it? Well, you can't see the air either and yet you need it to live. Don't you? Video files can do amazing things if they are beyond the typical 24 bits (3/4's remember? or instead of 32 bits). For one, they can grow really nicely into fat plump and juicy files. Yes, they are bit bigger than your standard 24 bit depth file. But they are well worth it.
Here for example is a standard 24 bit file:
Notice how the penny covers the silver dollar? Actually it is a video layer track that gets re-sized as the clip plays. The silver dollar appears only a "bit", pardon the pun. Looks pretty useless. Or I suppose one could say this is the value of our assets now.... you know... "penny on the dollar". Okay, so shoot me. :)
Here is the same thing, but with 32 bits, and, yes, you guessed right, an Alpha channel:
This is actually the exact same clip as the one before, but with the Alpha channel fully activated. So much nicer. And notice how the dollar seems to grow. Wishful thinking I suppose.
The final message here? The government will spend a dollar to save a penny? No. But more importantly, 8 bits needs to be seen (or not seen - i.e. transparent), to show 8 bits more clearly. Get it?
All right then. Now that you see the concept, stay tuned for mere detail in future blog entries right here! I will cover this topic in great detail as it is one of the more important topics to understand if you are going to be doing some cool video work. Aside from that, having this knowledge could actually yield you several 8 bits in your wallet. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Cheating: Turning a DSLR into a powerful motion picture camera.
When ever people see this type of footage of mine,
they always go "ooooh" and "ahhh" and then it never fails... the question arises; "how'd you do that?"
Of course there are occasions where simply put, you let a camera roll for 20 minutes up to an hour (tape length) or so and then speed things up in post production. This is somewhat a long process and sometimes can yield weird results as well. For me, this does work after hours of experimentation, fighting with artifacts, hick-ups and ...
But a really clean way and also a very super hi-res way is with my handy dandy Canon Rebel series DSLR. But really any brand of DSLR will work as long as it has a so called "bulb mode". Sort of. Let me explain why you don't want to settle for less than that feature. Please note, I am not talking about the new DSLR's that also have HD video features. I am talking about "run of the mill" DSLR's that only take still shots.
Look, I am not telling you to go out and by a new camera for the sake of a new camera if you don't have that "bulb mode" - you can still do this process. But I can tell you, you will get some weird results by going fully auto on everything.
By not having "bulb mode" and going auto everything, you will get different light settings (brightness), shutter speed, f-stop, focal length etc.. for each frame depending on the action in frame. If a dark car is in frame, the camera will compensate and try to balance the whole shot... but that car no longer exists in the next frame, so guess what? Understand? It will take a bit to get used to. Of course sometimes this might actually make for some good "grunge style" stuff. :) Here is an example of this:
So, by having bulb mode, you can now concisely control the consistency from frame to frame. Hence, you won't get any of those irregular bright flashing, drive you insane and may trigger an epileptic attack feature. Here is what a smooth session looks like with everything manually locked in:
I know this is a subjective call, but this last or prior clip really works even with the stray light and shadows. Hence the changes in light had no effect on the camera settings because they were locked in. Cool? Or in other words, if this was on automatic, it would have been a good half hour of my life that I would never have gotten back.
So moving right along, what else do you need to be successful with this method? So here are some camera possibilities:
Here is a very important, no, mandatory device you will need - and make sure it works with your camera model. These devices are called timers, remotes, intervalometers, incronometers and probably many other scientific names.. but here is a good variety for starters:
And last but not least, you need something to hold that camera super still:
As an alternative to tripods, I have been known to use sandbags, the type we use as weights or counter weights on lighting equipment and I have also used a plastic bag filled with packing popcorn, but the best is a strong cloth bag filled with real popcorn seeds. This will easily "grab" and hold the camera nicely as long as you don't overfill it. If you use a bag of this nature, do not set it on a car hood, roof or anything that can even slightly move or shake from the wind (or people getting in or out of, while slamming the door). (Experience talking here!) - It's a real problem when you have the camera moving, particularly if you use things like, oh, let's say a 400mm zoom lens.
In any case - this is just one method to make your digital still shot camera become a very powerful video camera. Very cool indeed. Stay tuned.. there will be more to come on this topic.
they always go "ooooh" and "ahhh" and then it never fails... the question arises; "how'd you do that?"
Of course there are occasions where simply put, you let a camera roll for 20 minutes up to an hour (tape length) or so and then speed things up in post production. This is somewhat a long process and sometimes can yield weird results as well. For me, this does work after hours of experimentation, fighting with artifacts, hick-ups and ...
But a really clean way and also a very super hi-res way is with my handy dandy Canon Rebel series DSLR. But really any brand of DSLR will work as long as it has a so called "bulb mode". Sort of. Let me explain why you don't want to settle for less than that feature. Please note, I am not talking about the new DSLR's that also have HD video features. I am talking about "run of the mill" DSLR's that only take still shots.
Look, I am not telling you to go out and by a new camera for the sake of a new camera if you don't have that "bulb mode" - you can still do this process. But I can tell you, you will get some weird results by going fully auto on everything.
By not having "bulb mode" and going auto everything, you will get different light settings (brightness), shutter speed, f-stop, focal length etc.. for each frame depending on the action in frame. If a dark car is in frame, the camera will compensate and try to balance the whole shot... but that car no longer exists in the next frame, so guess what? Understand? It will take a bit to get used to. Of course sometimes this might actually make for some good "grunge style" stuff. :) Here is an example of this:
So, by having bulb mode, you can now concisely control the consistency from frame to frame. Hence, you won't get any of those irregular bright flashing, drive you insane and may trigger an epileptic attack feature. Here is what a smooth session looks like with everything manually locked in:
I know this is a subjective call, but this last or prior clip really works even with the stray light and shadows. Hence the changes in light had no effect on the camera settings because they were locked in. Cool? Or in other words, if this was on automatic, it would have been a good half hour of my life that I would never have gotten back.
So moving right along, what else do you need to be successful with this method? So here are some camera possibilities:
Here is a very important, no, mandatory device you will need - and make sure it works with your camera model. These devices are called timers, remotes, intervalometers, incronometers and probably many other scientific names.. but here is a good variety for starters:
And last but not least, you need something to hold that camera super still:
As an alternative to tripods, I have been known to use sandbags, the type we use as weights or counter weights on lighting equipment and I have also used a plastic bag filled with packing popcorn, but the best is a strong cloth bag filled with real popcorn seeds. This will easily "grab" and hold the camera nicely as long as you don't overfill it. If you use a bag of this nature, do not set it on a car hood, roof or anything that can even slightly move or shake from the wind (or people getting in or out of, while slamming the door). (Experience talking here!) - It's a real problem when you have the camera moving, particularly if you use things like, oh, let's say a 400mm zoom lens.
In any case - this is just one method to make your digital still shot camera become a very powerful video camera. Very cool indeed. Stay tuned.. there will be more to come on this topic.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Lie to Me? - Not just a TV show...
Perhaps you have seen that television show called Lie to Me (opens a new window) with Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth)? Amazingly enough, there is a real science behind this whole thingamabob. Actually, it is very accurate as well. You see, your face, your eyes, your lips and even your forehead all talk very clearly even when you are not. You could just simply be sitting there, not uttering a word and yet, you like everyone else is an open book.
So why am I writing about this? Well... as I am always on the quest for new challenges in regards to shooting b-roll or stock footage, I made this exact science my new challenge. Sort of. I actually had been doing this for quite a while, but never really thought about it this way. The challenge; take a face, and get that face in umpteen various moods, emotions, feelings, reactions and every other Human Emotional Verb (HEV - a new acronym that I just made up.) you can think of. I like that acronym - don't knock it! It actually has real meaning. Now to get those meanings on film... hmmm..
Challenging, but not unrealistic. See for yourself:
Or simply click here and look at the entire collection of this specific and cool concept.
So why am I writing about this? Well... as I am always on the quest for new challenges in regards to shooting b-roll or stock footage, I made this exact science my new challenge. Sort of. I actually had been doing this for quite a while, but never really thought about it this way. The challenge; take a face, and get that face in umpteen various moods, emotions, feelings, reactions and every other Human Emotional Verb (HEV - a new acronym that I just made up.) you can think of. I like that acronym - don't knock it! It actually has real meaning. Now to get those meanings on film... hmmm..
Challenging, but not unrealistic. See for yourself:
Or simply click here and look at the entire collection of this specific and cool concept.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
A humorous look at reality...
Today I was cleaning up some stuff in my email. I hate doing that. I hate dealing with all the spam, spam filters, spammers and .... well you probably know what I mean.
Looking in my spam filter(s) folder(s) which I encourage everyone to do now and then, I found stuff that should never have reached those folders! It is quite annoying when you set up "rules" and the F&$^%ing software does stuff on its own and changes the "rules", again. This comes from inharmonious multiplex filtration organisms. Or what I call IMFO. Sounds close to INFO, but it's not. It is a 3 year old saying INFO actually. Okay, I made this all up. There is no such thing. IMFO.. ha ha - or is there? Actually that's what I call it. It simply has to do with the first spam filter on the server, then another 2 filters in the local system. It is almost as if they are fighting each other. Screw it. That's not what this article is about anyway. Here is the real topic:
So I find some stuff in my spam folders that shouldn't have been there in the first place. Stuff from the really cool and informative Creative Cow (opens a new window). So I grabbed all the last few month's Creative Cow emails, and marked them as "not spam", and "not junk" and now going forward hopefully, I will get these things again. But here is what was actually fun about this. It gave me a chance to review the various emails and have a quick look. Of course humor is always good. I like that. So here is one from last July. This is a funny reminder of what we get to deal with day in and day out. Quite simply, it it probably the most realistic version of a contract ever! :)
Template contract for typical beginners. Modify to your specific needs.
I, (name here) henceforth to be referred to as "the dummy", will contract to work on your ill-defined project for an unspecified amount of hours, with no limitations on how many times I will re-do the work, until you are satisfied, for a single, fixed, fee, payable by third-party out-of-state check, only once and long after you have been completely satisfied, and after you yourself (henceforth to be known as "the client") have made any and all profit from the use of this work, but not if the project incurs no profits. Profits to be determined by Client's verbal say-so. Client will decide when and if to pay for services rendered on a flexible net-2000 basis, with free extensions.
more... (will take you to the actual thread at Creative Cow and opens a new window)
Enjoy.
Looking in my spam filter(s) folder(s) which I encourage everyone to do now and then, I found stuff that should never have reached those folders! It is quite annoying when you set up "rules" and the F&$^%ing software does stuff on its own and changes the "rules", again. This comes from inharmonious multiplex filtration organisms. Or what I call IMFO. Sounds close to INFO, but it's not. It is a 3 year old saying INFO actually. Okay, I made this all up. There is no such thing. IMFO.. ha ha - or is there? Actually that's what I call it. It simply has to do with the first spam filter on the server, then another 2 filters in the local system. It is almost as if they are fighting each other. Screw it. That's not what this article is about anyway. Here is the real topic:
So I find some stuff in my spam folders that shouldn't have been there in the first place. Stuff from the really cool and informative Creative Cow (opens a new window). So I grabbed all the last few month's Creative Cow emails, and marked them as "not spam", and "not junk" and now going forward hopefully, I will get these things again. But here is what was actually fun about this. It gave me a chance to review the various emails and have a quick look. Of course humor is always good. I like that. So here is one from last July. This is a funny reminder of what we get to deal with day in and day out. Quite simply, it it probably the most realistic version of a contract ever! :)
Template contract for typical beginners. Modify to your specific needs.
I, (name here) henceforth to be referred to as "the dummy", will contract to work on your ill-defined project for an unspecified amount of hours, with no limitations on how many times I will re-do the work, until you are satisfied, for a single, fixed, fee, payable by third-party out-of-state check, only once and long after you have been completely satisfied, and after you yourself (henceforth to be known as "the client") have made any and all profit from the use of this work, but not if the project incurs no profits. Profits to be determined by Client's verbal say-so. Client will decide when and if to pay for services rendered on a flexible net-2000 basis, with free extensions.
more... (will take you to the actual thread at Creative Cow and opens a new window)
Enjoy.
Friday, January 8, 2010
The "jobs" quandary... really, how's it looking?
I stumbled across this interesting graphical representation of just how fierce the situation is in regards to the economic impact on jobs in the US. A very simple to understand graphical display of the job cycle in the regions of the US - when you get to this page - just hit the play button - no need to explain further. (clicking on this link will open a new window.)
Okay, so if you actually looked at this graphical presentation, you might actually start feeling a bit queasy. I sure did. But regardless, life goes on and so should we. So I started a new idea, (actually fairly old in my mind, but was too pre-occupied with other stuff to implement sooner.)
I started running an ad on one of the common or popular places. This will not only be interesting to see how people will respond, but it will also give me a good idea of where people's heads are at. The ad is really simple in concept. Being a stock shooter of sorts, I am always looking out for new faces, people, things etc.. But now I figure it would behoove me to actually let them come to me. After all, there is an actual potential fiscal upside for anyone that gets involved. I will be doing most of the work. And all I am asking is that they follow through with one thing... to show up when you say you are going to show up.
Maybe I am also planning a mission to disprove the myth that all models, actors and wannabe's are flakes. I'll keep you posted. But in the mean time, I keep shooting and producing - that's what I do regardless. Here is some of my latest goods from just last night (Tucson at dusk available at Pond5 Stock Footage ):
Okay, so if you actually looked at this graphical presentation, you might actually start feeling a bit queasy. I sure did. But regardless, life goes on and so should we. So I started a new idea, (actually fairly old in my mind, but was too pre-occupied with other stuff to implement sooner.)
I started running an ad on one of the common or popular places. This will not only be interesting to see how people will respond, but it will also give me a good idea of where people's heads are at. The ad is really simple in concept. Being a stock shooter of sorts, I am always looking out for new faces, people, things etc.. But now I figure it would behoove me to actually let them come to me. After all, there is an actual potential fiscal upside for anyone that gets involved. I will be doing most of the work. And all I am asking is that they follow through with one thing... to show up when you say you are going to show up.
Maybe I am also planning a mission to disprove the myth that all models, actors and wannabe's are flakes. I'll keep you posted. But in the mean time, I keep shooting and producing - that's what I do regardless. Here is some of my latest goods from just last night (Tucson at dusk available at Pond5 Stock Footage ):
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New Year - New Thoughts - New ambitions...
Happy New Year everyone! Okay. Now that's done. :)
I wanted this blog to be somewhat informative and newsworthy. Looking back over the prior year, it seems to be a bit bear naked. Meaning... not enough interesting information perhaps? In any case - this year that will (hopefully) change! And why will it change? All because of something that flew into my domain on New Year's day.
You see, sometimes while checking out the comment boards or forums at one of my favorite places, Pond5 Stock Footage (clicking here opens a new window so that you don't lose this place.), I get really lucky. My goal is to always look for gold. No, not that kind... let's call it a golden nugget. On the first day of this year, I stumbled on this thread in the forum (clicking here opens a new window so that you don't lose this place.) where a fellow artist asked for help. Not uncommon. That's what we are all here for. To help each other. I digress. In any case, I clicked on the link of his video and looked at it. While watching I noticed some pretty cool stuff around it. Another blog! Of course his verbiage in the video was pretty enlightening as well.
Fast forward: So I watched the video, voted for it, but was detrimentally sidetracked during the process. I was more interested in all the stuff "around" it. Hence, I was intrigued, excited, amused and ... In any case, I wanted to get the book now! Only problem - it was New Years Day! Damn it. No stores open. Amazon was still several days for delivery. And so on..
Fast Forward 2: January 2nd - got it! The book now in my hands from a local book store. (Got it off the "blow out shelf" too - as that wasn't a sign!) - In any case, I couldn't put it down. Read the whole thing. Got inspired. Got motivated. Even did the first batch of exercises. (This blog entry being one of them.)
To save us all a lot of time: Just get the book:
Now, why the heck would I write a blog about this and what the heck does it have to do with video, photo, stock etc..? Absolutely everything! Even us guys that think we know it all, need a refresher and a wake up call every once in a while. So this was mine and it couldn't have been at a better time. Thanks again holtocw (clicking here opens a new window so that you don't lose this place.) (a.k.a. Chuck Holton of liverfire.us (clicking here opens a new window so that you don't lose this place.)
I wanted this blog to be somewhat informative and newsworthy. Looking back over the prior year, it seems to be a bit bear naked. Meaning... not enough interesting information perhaps? In any case - this year that will (hopefully) change! And why will it change? All because of something that flew into my domain on New Year's day.
You see, sometimes while checking out the comment boards or forums at one of my favorite places, Pond5 Stock Footage (clicking here opens a new window so that you don't lose this place.), I get really lucky. My goal is to always look for gold. No, not that kind... let's call it a golden nugget. On the first day of this year, I stumbled on this thread in the forum (clicking here opens a new window so that you don't lose this place.) where a fellow artist asked for help. Not uncommon. That's what we are all here for. To help each other. I digress. In any case, I clicked on the link of his video and looked at it. While watching I noticed some pretty cool stuff around it. Another blog! Of course his verbiage in the video was pretty enlightening as well.
Fast forward: So I watched the video, voted for it, but was detrimentally sidetracked during the process. I was more interested in all the stuff "around" it. Hence, I was intrigued, excited, amused and ... In any case, I wanted to get the book now! Only problem - it was New Years Day! Damn it. No stores open. Amazon was still several days for delivery. And so on..
Fast Forward 2: January 2nd - got it! The book now in my hands from a local book store. (Got it off the "blow out shelf" too - as that wasn't a sign!) - In any case, I couldn't put it down. Read the whole thing. Got inspired. Got motivated. Even did the first batch of exercises. (This blog entry being one of them.)
To save us all a lot of time: Just get the book:
Now, why the heck would I write a blog about this and what the heck does it have to do with video, photo, stock etc..? Absolutely everything! Even us guys that think we know it all, need a refresher and a wake up call every once in a while. So this was mine and it couldn't have been at a better time. Thanks again holtocw (clicking here opens a new window so that you don't lose this place.) (a.k.a. Chuck Holton of liverfire.us (clicking here opens a new window so that you don't lose this place.)
Monday, November 23, 2009
Yes, another contest! Wonderful Pistachios
Sometimes it's great to have a little fun while doing your trade. So you look up contests, particularly video contests in our case. You call up a couple of friends. You toss around some ideas. And voila! Silliness always wins.:)
Just for those of you that wish to vote and also get a good chuckle, here are some entries (5 of them) into the Wonderful Pistachio contest from me. Voting begins December 2nd, 2009 - Please vote for one of these or all of them. That is if we make it to the top 10. We would really appreciate it. :)
Just for those of you that wish to vote and also get a good chuckle, here are some entries (5 of them) into the Wonderful Pistachio contest from me. Voting begins December 2nd, 2009 - Please vote for one of these or all of them. That is if we make it to the top 10. We would really appreciate it. :)
Really cool key-wording info for any stock shooter...
Okay. Usually I don't like to talk about anyone in particular. But this guy has some really great info and experience when it comes to shooting stock. Of course his specialty is photo, not video or moving pictures. But all in all, many of his ideas, concepts and tools work just as well. After all, moving pictures are nothing more than a long series of stills. No? :)
There is one tool in particular that I really recommend checking out if you are in the stock image or footage biz... (Clicking here will open a new window) - Yuri Arcurs Productions
If you are in need of key-wording ideas - this is a kick-butt tool.
Monday, October 5, 2009
And they're off!
Just have to post this.. after all, I need your vote. Actually, it's not so much me that needs your vote, but rather my clients. You see, our favorite powerhouse Google is now getting into the TV commercial syndication game. Imagine being able to bid for TV commercial time just as you bid for keywords, ad placement on the net and all those wonderful services offered by Google on Adsense. - Well, now that is becoming a possibility. Google decided to start this new service with a really cool contest. A video contest.. It is called TV FOR ALL CONTEST (clicking here will open a new window). Of course I used this opportunity on behalf of my clients to get them exposure and a chance to win. Not only could they win a whopping $25K of national TV advertising, but via the contest there will be lots of eyeballs on their stuff. It's a win/win. Of course this also helps me and my company a bit. It helps build credibility to my market place. Ok, this is purely shameless self promotion. Enjoy! So please vote when the time comes. Here is the schedule:
PUBLIC VOTING PERIOD Starts 12:00:01 am ET on October 16 Ends 11:59:59 pm October 27!
PUBLIC VOTING PERIOD Starts 12:00:01 am ET on October 16 Ends 11:59:59 pm October 27!
| EVENTS | START Date | END Date |
| JUDGE’S SELECTION OF FINALIST VIDEOS (“Video Selection Period”) |
Starts 12:00:01 pm ET on October 6 | Ends 11:59:59 pm ET on October 8 |
| FINALIST/ALTERNATE NOTIFICATION & CLEARANCE | Starts 12:00:01 am ET on October 9 | Ends 11:59:59 pm October 15 |
| PUBLIC VOTING PERIOD | Starts 12:00:01 am ET on October 16 | Ends 11:59:59 pm October 27 |
| WINNERS ANNOUNCED | October 30 | |
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Rules? What rules?
Every once in a while I get a challenge from a client. Many times as in this case, it was a fairly new client. Hence, there was not much to work with. So what does one do in such a case? You have to step "out of the box" so to speak and break just about every rule. Of course, I love breaking rules anyway. As a matter of fact, I couldn't even tell you the rules to be followed if my life depended on it. But having spoken to many producers, production houses, directors, actors and, well you get the point... they always seem to talk about rules. Yet, I never get a clear answer about what these rules should be, look like, or even remotely resemble.
Advertising has rules. I think. But again, I am not so sure. Having paid much attention to all walks of advertising, I see quite plainly that there are no rules except for one. No. Make that two. And even these are not always really clearly used or implemented. But, they are probably the best I have been able to come up with.
1. Get the message out of what you are trying to say, and keep it short.
2. Finish up with a "call to action".
Wow. It's really that simple? I suppose so. I would imagine that the difficult part is to squeeze things of this nature into that short little 30 or 60 second thingy you watch on TV, the web, your phone or whatever other Steam Punk device you can think of. So what do you do when you just are getting started and don't really have a lot to work with... you cheat. But heck, if it gets the point across, then do it.
I thought, not bad considering I only used one picture and simply created a finishing logo to help make the point. It's simply "twisted".
The point: Even with very little, very big things can be created. If you see yourself in this predicament, and need a new "flavor" or approach, drop me a line and I will put on my creative cap for you.
Or, if you produce stuff, show me what you have. You know - the comment section here. Who knows, maybe we can even bounce some ideas off of each other.
By the way, the last two paragraphs were an actual "call to action".
Advertising has rules. I think. But again, I am not so sure. Having paid much attention to all walks of advertising, I see quite plainly that there are no rules except for one. No. Make that two. And even these are not always really clearly used or implemented. But, they are probably the best I have been able to come up with.
1. Get the message out of what you are trying to say, and keep it short.
2. Finish up with a "call to action".
Wow. It's really that simple? I suppose so. I would imagine that the difficult part is to squeeze things of this nature into that short little 30 or 60 second thingy you watch on TV, the web, your phone or whatever other Steam Punk device you can think of. So what do you do when you just are getting started and don't really have a lot to work with... you cheat. But heck, if it gets the point across, then do it.
I thought, not bad considering I only used one picture and simply created a finishing logo to help make the point. It's simply "twisted".
The point: Even with very little, very big things can be created. If you see yourself in this predicament, and need a new "flavor" or approach, drop me a line and I will put on my creative cap for you.
Or, if you produce stuff, show me what you have. You know - the comment section here. Who knows, maybe we can even bounce some ideas off of each other.
By the way, the last two paragraphs were an actual "call to action".
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Gone in 30 seconds...
Okay, so this is not about that movie, but rather something else that may be important for all actors/actresses to know. It has to do with so called "demo reels". I have immersed myself into the industry somewhat by doing lots of reading. Particularly when it comes to opinions of certain job titles. The focus of a particular job title that has the word "casting" in it. Whether it be a casting director, agent, company, agency etc, etc... they all want the same thing. TIME! They never have enough of it.
So here is how it goes. You are an actor or actress and want to be cast for the next big block buster. So you send in your head shot (that's yet another topic), your resume and hopefully a demo reel. Do you even have one of those? If you don't, you might want to really consider getting one. But don't cut corners here! This will either make you or break you.
I have seen many demo reels and I must tell you, the time spent on those is time I will never ever get back. Sounds harsh, but it is a fact. And I am not even a "casting" type of guy. So imagine what a real "casting" type of person would think.
The message being sent with this entry is that your demo reel needs to sell you in the first 20 to 30 seconds. If it does not, then you will most likely not be cast. Hmmm... I know, I know - many of you are thinking; "But I have so much cool stuff on my reel..." Yeah, you might. It may all be true... but where is it? At the end? In the middle? At minute 5? At minute 9? If your reel is that long, you really need a new reel!
The fact is, when casting happens, the people involved don't have a lot or won't spend a lot of time on any reel. That is, unless you "hook" them in the first 20 to 30 seconds. Even then, they might not look further. Or simply put, they already made a decision at that point. You are either potential, or you are not. It's that simple.
Casting is a quick elimination process. When casting happens, many reels, resumes, head shots, flowers, fruits - okay, the last two are bogus, but many actors submit their goods. So think about this, just how much time do you think a casting director will actually spend on any given submission? Hint: it's less than a minute and a bit more than no time.
I did this reel recently - just like a movie, it needs to tell a story about you:
So here is how it goes. You are an actor or actress and want to be cast for the next big block buster. So you send in your head shot (that's yet another topic), your resume and hopefully a demo reel. Do you even have one of those? If you don't, you might want to really consider getting one. But don't cut corners here! This will either make you or break you.
I have seen many demo reels and I must tell you, the time spent on those is time I will never ever get back. Sounds harsh, but it is a fact. And I am not even a "casting" type of guy. So imagine what a real "casting" type of person would think.
The message being sent with this entry is that your demo reel needs to sell you in the first 20 to 30 seconds. If it does not, then you will most likely not be cast. Hmmm... I know, I know - many of you are thinking; "But I have so much cool stuff on my reel..." Yeah, you might. It may all be true... but where is it? At the end? In the middle? At minute 5? At minute 9? If your reel is that long, you really need a new reel!
The fact is, when casting happens, the people involved don't have a lot or won't spend a lot of time on any reel. That is, unless you "hook" them in the first 20 to 30 seconds. Even then, they might not look further. Or simply put, they already made a decision at that point. You are either potential, or you are not. It's that simple.
Casting is a quick elimination process. When casting happens, many reels, resumes, head shots, flowers, fruits - okay, the last two are bogus, but many actors submit their goods. So think about this, just how much time do you think a casting director will actually spend on any given submission? Hint: it's less than a minute and a bit more than no time.
I did this reel recently - just like a movie, it needs to tell a story about you:
Demo Reel of Bobbi Jeen Olson 2009 - 3rd Quarter from VaderVideo on Vimeo.
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