Mike Cohen
1
COW Coin
Forum Replies Created
-
We have never used copy protection on a VHS or DVD replication job. As is common knowledge, DVD-R cannot use copy protection – only replicated discs. Thus for small runs we are usually limited to DVD-R. And for larger runs, even if we do replication, the numbers are usually so large that every person who would ever want the DVD will get one.
Recently we have been getting requests for Thumb Drives, rather than DVD. While the cost per unit is slightly higher than a DVD with Amaray case, the obvious “green” appeal is the reason. No case, no slip art, no disc, no shrink wrap. However something weird happens during the data transfer to the chip. The data appears as a CD volume on a Windows desktop, separate from the available space on the chip, as a separate disk volume. I guess this is a form of copy protection. I have not determined if the data in the CD volume can be deleted. However on Mac OS the data is not always playable. This needs further investigation.
Mike Cohen
-
As has been discussed many times on this forum, there are generally two approaches to work for hire:
“The Client owns EVERYTHING” or the “Client owns what is stipulated in a contract.”
No contract, no right to claim ownership.
As for school events, the client may own the recording of the event, but of course the client does not own the soundtrack to the play or concert, and if performance rights were not secured, then that is between the client and the copyright holder. More than likely recording and distribution rights are not obtained for school events, thus you really cannot sell copies of a DVD, or probably cannot distribute copies even for free. I’m not a lawyer, but those are the rules I adhere to.
Regarding DVD A being used by client B to make DVD C without the knowledge or involvement of Company A – again, it is between Client B and Company A. I recently received a DVD from a client, along with a message saying that the rights to DVD A had been granted to Company B to create DVD C. This is a sign of a client who understands the stuff we are talking about here.
That being said, these are all great points to remember the next time A + B = C.
Mike
-
Another approach is to define what YOU do best. Don’t try to be all things to all people – you could fall short. Are you targeting local businesses for commercials, weddings, corporate talking heads and events? If so that’s fine, but define yourself as “Your Town USA’s corporate communications Specialists.”
In other words let your areas of expertise dictate who your prime customers should be. If you throw a dart at the Yellow Pages you probably won’t hit a good prospect. But if you hone down the total list of potential customers to those who you judge most need what you do best, you have a greater chance of hitting a bullseye.
Mike Cohen
-
Sounds like a good way to compress time.
Something like this was done in the movie Ronin. As the camera is moving quickly through a crowd of people, it looks like it is all one shot, but there is a dissolve between two dark jackets in the crowd, thus making the real time 1 minute run through the crowd take about 8 seconds – invisible to the audience.
Transitions are supposed to be invisible to the audience, aside from linear wipes or Home Improvement style wipes that are designed to call attention to themselves.Mike Cohen
-
Yes, please give more details of project settings. Is this HDV video?
Premiere, to the new user, can cause some grief even on the super top secret WOPR computer. But once you get used to it it is a brilliant tool. Rendering WMV especially takes time – 25 minutes is not a long time.We are here to help, not to judge.
Mike Cohen
-
I have flown cross country to find out a one-of-a-kind surgical case was postponed. I did get very familiar with Downtown Omaha however. I hung out with Warren Buffet playing darts and drinking the local brew. He’s pretty cool. Even let me drive his Bentley.
Seriously, this has happened a few times. Sometimes patients just don’t show up.
A tenacious client can make things difficult, but this just comes down to knowing your client.
My fave story is described in my article Surgical Video: The Cutting Edge. In a nutshell – I flew home from a conference, re-edited a video all night then going standby, returned to the convention in Chicago the next morning and with minutes to spare got the video “on the air” or so to speak. Nowadays with laptop editing, this will never happen again – as long as I have the hard drive that is!
Read the whole article here: https://magazine.creativecow.net/article/surgical-video-the-cutting-edgeMike Cohen
-
We did a shoot today – not a horror story, just a relation to Mark’s post above. We had a live to tape switch, also recorded live to hard drive. We also had ISO recordings from all three cameras, and an ISO with audio of the slides, also to hard drive. As a backup to the backup they also recorded an SVHS of the hard drive confirmation. Changing tapes for all 4 recordings meant coordinating things. Change the live to tape at any time, as long as the three cams were still rolling. Change the wide shot cam while the moderator is talking. Change the moderator cam after the WS was rolling and change the 3rd camera between panelists – it worked down to the second.
As for horror stories…see next post.
Mike Cohen
-
Our business model and pricing reflects a finished product. We break it down by estimated hours if a client wants it, but editing = editing. Most clients have better things to do than nitpick details of what you spend your time doing. They want their video.
Digitizing and rendering are part of editing these days. It used to take 30 minutes to layoff a 30 minute video to VHS. Now it may take 4 hours to render and author a DVD. But if you are charging enough that you make a profit after all the work is said and done, as long as you stay in the scope of the project, you don’t need to get too hung up on editing vs rendering vs digitizing vs troubleshooting. It is what it is – a video for a set price.
If your shop works precisely by the hour then you will have to figure that out.
Mike
-
Also keep them away from deli meat slicers. Deep fat fryers, apparently, are ok!
-
Thanks for the confirmation. I think we’ll do this in Flash – you can do anything in Flash.
Mike