Video: FYI

I didn’t think so either.

As per this outtake from the article, Nutrisystem is mailing flip video cameras to “real people” asking for their testimonials.   I am looking forward to seeing this campaign when it’s finished.  Marketing is changing.

The new campaign marks the first time in Nutrisystem’s 38-year history that it has taken a break from using celebrities to pitch its meals, priced at $299 for a month’s supply.

Starting in September, the company mailed hundreds of Flip video cameras to clients, seeking first-person diet anecdotes, said Redling, who called the response “heartfelt, sincere.”

Charlotte Husser, 54, is one of several dozen customers featured in the company’s new television commercials.

“What you’re hearing from me has to come from the heart; there’s no script,” said Husser, who says she shed 32 pounds to a Size 6 after eating Nutrisystem meals for five months.

via Nutrisystem upstages Osmond with real people ads.

December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

Here is the YouTube channel with the Christmas videos

http://www.youtube.com/plazanorthpetaluma

This project was very successful.  I was able to increase traffic to the website.  Now I want to capture that momentum and start profiling merchants and putting up online coupons

I put together a YouTube channel for the Petaluma Corps.

www.youtube.com/salvationarmycorps

All the videos were shot with my flip.  There is definite echoing in the videos that Captain Scott did.  That is the disadvantage of not having an external microphone jack.  And the bell ringer videos have to be fairly close to get their voices.  We were competing with traffic, with music speakers outside of stores, etc.  Hoping that they can use these videos in next year’s campaign for volunteer bellringers.

Will be adding more bell ringer testimonials after the “thank you” party in February.

Recently went to Texas for a three day conference. Directed towards the mortgage and real estate industry, this event promised that we would become “Video Marketing Masters” by the end of the weekend.  My ex-husband took me as his “study buddy” because evidently bringing a second person was free.  Knowing about my interest and use of video for business, he was nice enough to invite me to tag along.

In honor of this unusual situation, right now, for your listening pleasure, George Strait is going to sing “All my ex’s live in Texas”.

Awesome.

As we prepared for the conference, we were getting short videos on various elements of the conference, as well as brief, informative videos about…well….video. In this particular presentation, Carl White of The Marketing Animals compares different types of small, inexpensive video cameras. He talks about web cams, minicams, and the video camera option on cell phones and still photo cameras. He also briefly mentions his larger and more sophisticated camera, the Sony DCR SR55.

There doesn’t appear to be an embed code so here is the link directly to his informative presentation.

http://themarketinganimals.net/usingvideomarketing/camerareview

At the end he asks the viewers to post our video camera feedback on the Mortgage Marketing Animals Facebook page.

You don’t need to ask me twice for my opinion.

On anything.

So here’s my opinion on mini cams.

The Vado and the Flip

Mini cams are a fabulous concept. Small and portable – about the size of a deck of cards – they fit in pockets, purses, etc., and can be pulled out, turned on and used within seconds.  When you’re done filming, they plug directly into the USB port of the computer and the internal software allows video clips to be directly uploaded to YouTube.  The internal software also has the capacity for some simple video editing (only while the video is still on the camera) (once the video is moved off the camera onto the hard drive of the computer, you’re on your own).  All these cams can also be used with a tripod, which is a very nice little feature.

My first foray into vidoeography started about a year or so ago when I bought a Vado HD mini cam at Costco for $99. It was a very mundane moment, considering that this purchase would soon ignite a passion for video.

The Vado has couple of nice features. There are three different quality settings – so less intense filming quality translates into longer filming time. The Vado also has a remarkably wide lense.

The Vado and the Flip

Unfortunately the Vado’s internal software system took a nosedive within the first few months.  Customer service for the Vado is great, but this situation didn’t seem to respond to the usual fixes.  Ultimately, I ended up removing the internal software system, which meant I had to find another means to edit the videos.  In the course of this odyssey, I discovered that YouTube has some very useful editing tools and that’s what I ended up using, but I’ll talk about YouTube another time.  A few other Vado bugs turned up, however, I have worked around them.  The Vado still comes with me everywhere, but now as a back up video camera or an extra camera if I am with a friend, so that both of us can video.

A few months ago, I was at Costco again and saw the Flip Mino HD video camera on sale, so I got that.  So far, so good.  The picture quality is better than the Vado and I think that the audio is too.  The lense is not as wide, so I can’t get as much into it, but so be it.  The internal software is pulls up nicely on the computer and has a variety of options (such as sending a video greeting card with a choice of frames). Personally, I have only used the internal software for clipping videos shorter.  Due to my experience with the Vado, I am not going to get overly excited about the software and just be grateful for it as long as I have it.

Carl recommends the Kodak Zi8 mini cam, which is unique in that it has an external microphone jack.  This is really a great feature.  With my regular mini cams, I have to stand very closely to the person who is talking in order for their voices to be picked up above all the ambient noise and to avoid echo.  So the subject’s face often ends up filling most of the frame.  With an external microphone jack, I could stand further away and the microphone would still pick up only their voice. The pullback would also create more visual interest.  When outside, wind noise has also been a problem and is very annoying. This is avoidable with a external microphone.  Carl is correct in stating that people will forgive bad video before they forgive bad audio, so this external mic feature is very attractive.

The Zi8 also uses memory cards, so you can just pull those out and set them aside instead of having to regularly download clips to the computer in order to free up camera memory space.

In spite of the advantages, my feelings about these extra features are mixed.  Although the camera is relatively inexpensive, a good mic and accessories easily doubles the cost.  The original attraction of the flip cam was that it was cheap and I could easily slip it into a purse or pocket. Extra cords and mics suddenly turn this into a project.

But it also depends on your use of the camera.  I use my mini cams to film spontaneous interviews, events, etc, both for professional and personal use. So what I have works well enough for that. I often film members of the general public and it’s been my experience that people are less nervous about being on video if there is less equipment involved.  So it’s a trade off.

In the presentation, Carl demonstrates using mini cams for business purposes in a controlled environment, so we are talking about a different situation and use. And as per his demonstration, even the regular, non-mic quality of the Kodak Zi8 audio was fine.  I was interested to observe (at around 7.48 mark) that when Carl demonstrated the Kodak Zi8 the video quality appears better than the the rest of the presentation which was filmed on a more expensive, sophisticated camera.

I think at this point, since I already have two mini cams, I’m going to skip a Kodak Zi8 and if I want to start using external mics, etc, I’ll already buy a higher quality video camera and that will be what that’s about.  But if I were to start from scratch, I would definitely get the Zi8, because of all of the extra, available features.

Carl also talked about using still camera and cellphones for videoing.  I agree that having a dedicated video camera is preferable over double duty with a cellphone, but was very impressed with the quality of the iphone 4 when I did that brief video for the homeless shelter work program a few months ago.  And using the phone or the still camera for videos is definitely good in a pinch or on the road.

BTW Texas and the conference were great!

It looks like he shoots with a pretty cheap camera. He does a great job. It’s very witty. Gets to the point. His videos avoid thematic schticks that he is stuck with later.

Also noticed that the local newspaper, the Argus Courier, just got their own YouTube channel.

I can’t stop filming!  Now none of my blog posts seem complete without a video.  After doing the toy shopping spree on Friday with the car club, I decided to go back to the Christmas Cheer warehouse and have the site manager give a brief overview of the organization.  It was great.  He did a wonderful job.  We did three takes.  I always do three takes.  By the third one, they always are perfect.  There was a little bit of noise in the background, due to the fact that one of the volunteers was pulling some toys off the shelf, but I don’t think it affected anything adversely.  My next camera purchase will include an external mic jack. Right now, the flip cam as it is works out fine, as long as I am close enough, the voice still comes through even with ambient noise.

Because I am so excited about this video project, I’ve gotten in touch with a couple of other non profits and will be doing some videos with them too.  Will be releasing the posts every couple of days throughout the holiday season.

Last Friday, I had the privilege of accompanying some of the great folks from Cruisin’ the Boulevard during their toy shop at Kmart for local organization “Christmas Cheer”.

via Christmas Cheer-ful at The Plaza North | The Plaza North.

A few posts ago, I embedded a video I had done of Christmas greetings from some of the clients and staff of Petaluma’s OADS (Old Adobe Developmental Services).  They had just completed decorating the windows of one of our available storefronts.  I blogged about it, and the results have been wonderful.  First of all, the clients involved in the decorating have been talking about the experience non stop ever since, and other clients and staff have come by to check the finished window out – some from other towns.

I put the blog post on my linkedin profile and it has gotten some great feedback and some thoughts from some of my connections about expanding this program next year to empty storefronts in other parts of town.  Would be very cool if all our local non profits could strut their stuff this way.  We’ll see what happens.

Regarding OADS, Executive Director Elizabeth Clary is running a drawing for her clients and staff.  Whomever checks out the OADS window is eligible for a chance to win a Starbucks card.  If you come visit me in my office, then you get two entries.  As a result, I have been getting wonderful visits from wonderful people.  Hugs, kisses, and I have been serenaded with “I wish you a Merry Christmas” and “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus”.  Wow.  The photos and the story are great enough on their own, the addition of video really brings it to life.  I am very thrilled with this project and where it might go in the future.

Here’s the blog post.

One of the many wonderful features of Christmas in Petaluma is the Petaluma City of Lights driving tour, sponsored by the Petaluma Visitor’s Program. This holiday event and competition, which runs from December 3-27, brings both business and residences together in the spirit of the holidays.

via OADS Decorates! | The Plaza North.

A few posts ago, I embedded two videos that I did for work.  One of them was a greeting from Sue, one of our Salvation Army kettle volunteers.  I posted the blog post in the morning and that afternoon, when I walked by Kmart, Sue told me that someone coming into the store stopped and told her that they had seen her greetings online.  Such is the power of video!  Here’s the blog post.

One of the enduring and endearing sounds of the season are the bells of the Salvation Army, as bell ringers around the world stand next to red kettles during the month of December. Interestingly enough, the red kettle tradition began in San Francisco, in 1891. Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee, distressed by the poverty and despair he saw all around him, vowed to prepare a Christmas dinner for all who needed it. The big stumbling block was money.

via The Salvation Army rings the bell! | The Plaza North.