Archive for category What we’ve been up to
Going Tapeless
Posted by admin in What we've been up to on October 29th, 2009
One of the things people outside the video production industry have often said to me over the past few years is “oh, you’re still shooting on tape”. Fact is that professional tape was and is cheap and reliable. Tapeless production was only available on very high end cameras. Consumer cameras moved away from tape in the main long ago, but quality, capacity and reliability weren’t critical. However, for the professional all of those things are vital requirements. Indeed tapeless cameras are now just starting to make serious inroads into our industry.
In July we acquired a new Sony EX1 camera to add to our arsenal of equipment. Having been shooting with it for 3 months now we’re now really enjoying the benefits. Not is the camera tapeless but it also shoots in a variety of web friendly HD formats such as 720p which looks great on computer screens and gives excellent results when downscaled to SD or played back on an HD screen
One video production shot on the EX1 using the 720p format was for the ETC International College which we delivered a few weeks ago. The video can be seen on Youtube (ensure you click on the HD button if you have a fast enough connection).
The EX1 offers many exciting production possibilities and we have a number of other videos that have been shot on it that have already been delivered or are nearing completion. Having the control to be able to shoot and edit in a progressive format is a bigger pleasure than I ever thought it would be. No more de-interlacing. No more waiting for tapes to transfer in real time. Joy!
Strictly Media2u
Posted by admin in What we've been up to on June 17th, 2009
An exciting project that we’ve been working on for the last couple of months has finally come to fruition and we can now tell you about it.
Last Summer we were contacted by Vincent and Flavia, two dancers well known to viewers of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing with a view to producing some sell through dance training DVD’s. Sadly at the time work commitments meant that the project was put on a back burner as among other things Vincent was called up to represent the UK in the Eurovision Dance Contest.
But in March Vincent and Flavia managed to find some time in their amazingly busy schedule to spend two days recording two volumes of Argentine Tango training DVD’s.
These have been produced as retail DVD’s that will be sold by Vincent and Flavia via their website (vincentandflavia.com) and at the many events they attend.
Media2u on Vimeo
Posted by admin in What we've been up to on May 26th, 2009
We’re now uploading some of our videos to the Vimeo video service. The first of these is part of our series for the East Sussex Safer Communities Partnership and deals with substance abuse across East Sussex.
More videos will follow (we’re limited to one HD upload per week) so keep checking back.
What A Difference HD Makes
Posted by admin in What we've been up to on April 23rd, 2009
We first started shooting in High Definition exactly three years ago. Back then it was very much an experiment to see how we could use the format and how it would impact our day to day working.
Today we shoot the majority of our footage in HD, but it has to be said that it is not the customer that is driving us to do this. Instead it is our desire to achieve the best results possible on-screen. Clients rarely specifically request HD perhaps because they believe it might be complex or expensive. For the majority of cases neither is true, and indeed an HD shoot might not cost any more money than a SD shoot.
A finished production shot in HD has a number of advantages even if the client will only be viewing it in Standard Definition on DVD But what are these advantages? It’s certainly more than just looking good on your shiny new TV….
Here’s a little history lesson. If you are old enough to remember the children’s show Camberwick Green, may be surprised to learn that the BBC only paid for the series to be shot in black and white as they were yet to begin a colour service. However the series creator, Gordon Murray, was far sighted enough to shoot the series in colour, funding this from his own pocket. When the BBC started a colour service he was not only able to sell the colour version to the BBC, but he also ensured that the series would have a long repeat life. Indeed it was aired on the BBC right into the 1980′s.
This story proves the point that it is worth future proofing material. If there is any chance the production may have a long shelf life, or if you want to reuse footage in the future, then HD is an important consideration. Just as Murray was on the cusp of a leap in technology in 1966, we’re on the cusp now. If you are shooting anything that will have a shelf life, HD makes sense.
Another consideration are PC displays. The fact is that many PC displays are considerably higher resolution than broadcast SD TV. Standard SD television pictures are only 720 pixels by 576 pixels. So when expanded to full screen on a PC display, your video may look less than ideal.
With HD formats we’re commonly finding ourselves delivering in 1920×1080 interlaced or 1280×720 progressive. The advantage is that these resolutions look great when played back on large plasma screens or LCD’s at trade shows. We’ve also found that screen capture from PC’s can integrate well with video footage, something that was always difficult when using SD (even an 800×600 screen will flicker and look blurred in SD).
With these advantages, HD has become an important part of how we shoot at Media2u. If you are looking for a video that will be displayed on a large screen or perhaps you require that your material has a long shelf life, then a High Definition production may be for you.
If you are interested in High Definition production, visit the Media2u website to request some examples of our work.
How To Distribute Your Video
Posted by admin in What we've been up to on March 16th, 2009
Although putting a video on DVD is still a popular way to distribute a corporate video production, more and more of our clients are taking advantage of placing their video online. Flash and Windows Media are two great video codecs for use on a website, but not everyone has the bandwidth or space to host such video.
Videos can be uploaded to Youtube for free, and with the added bonus that Youtube have recently added an “HD” option. This HD option doesn’t play by default, instead you have to click a button marked “HD” beneath the main video. If you want to see some of our videos in Youtube HD, visit www.youtube.com/media2u. Be warned that the HD service is still in its infancy and you will need a fast connection and a modern PC to view the videos at the maximum quality.
For the most professional look, it is far better to host the video on your own site or via a paid for streaming service because the embedded Youtube logo can look cheap, not withstanding the relatively low quality of their default non “HD” video streams.
Aside from online publishing, DVD’s are still a very popular way to distribute a video production. People can watch them on their TV’s, and the videos nearly always look better on a proper TV screen rather than a PC monitor. Unlike many companies, Media2u can duplicate DVD’s in small quantities and at a low price which delights our clients some of whom don’t want to have to order 500 DVD’s in one go.
We can of course provide larger quantities of discs and can now offer silver DVD’s (as you see on commercial DVD’s in the shops) for quantities of 500 of more. For smaller amounts, the most economic option are DVD-R’s (these have a purple underside).
With our ability to place videos online or onto DVD/CD Media2u is able to offer a full corporate video solution from initial scripting through to final distribution.
To learn more about corporate video production solutions from Media2u and how we help companies across Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Sussex and right across the South, please visit www.media2u.co.uk
Welcome To The Media2u Blog
Posted by admin in What we've been up to on March 13th, 2009
Welcome to the Media2u Blog. We’re a corporate video production company based on the Surrey and Hampshire border in the UK. Our clients range from small start-up companies through to multi-national corporations. So we’d like to think we know a thing or two about video production and the best ways to make use of a video in order to promote your business and above all, help sell your products or services.