Interview with Jim Louderback

We had the chance to talk briefly with Jim Louderback, CEO of Revision3 after his keynote on the Podcast and New Media Expo.

Most exciting news of the day

I don’t know about you, but the Levelator more than once saved our *ss in postproduction when we screwed up the audio during production. For those of you who don’t know the Levelator, it balances/normalizes the sound so you get a steady volume in your audio. Ideal for interviewing since most of the time the volume of the interviewer and interviewee differ. Check it out on their website.

Based on this they took it a step further. Say you do a remote interview with a double-ender. The most difficult thing in postproduction is to sync both tracks so that it actually sounds as a conversation. On the expo they showed a work-in-progress software that will do the syncing for you. What you do is you record both ends in high quality and you record the conversation by phone (which you were doing anyway). You put these three track into your audio software, push a button and voila, the high quality tracks are synced using the low quality phone track as a reference. Throw away your telephone track and you’re good to go.

But it didn’t stop there. They took 4 different video devices, varying from a HD camcorder to a telephone videorecorder. They used these four devices to shoot a multicam scene. Obviously not all video devices started recording at the same time. They imported all 4 videotracks in their video editing software. They pushed again the magic button and guess what? The softwarer actually used the audio track as a kind of time code and synced all videotracks with each other.

This is very exciting stuff for postproduction. Unfortunately they didn’t know yet when the software was going to be finished and under which conditions it was going to be released.

You might want to keep an eye on this development…

Second day of the conference

We’ve had an exciting second day, equally filled with very interesting stuff. Our pile of business cards is growing and our heads explode of the new ideas we’re having. It’s obvious that in Europe we still have a way to go, and we sure are going to try to change that

Later today we’ll post a short interview we’ve head with one of the keynote speakers. Also, we ran into two internet celebrities which we were able to talk to as well.

Tonight we’ll do some coverage of the podsafe music concert, starring -among others- the famous Jimmy Golding.

So stay tuned!

Congress hall of the keynote speech

GIMP my car (courtesy of GIMP.tv)

Some more pics of the Podcast and New Media Expo

Paul Colligan, our hero… Of course about monetizing podcasting. Vivid presentation.

No clue who she is, but she wanted a picture with us.

No clue who she is, but we wanted a picture with her…

Ambrosia software was introducing a new product, called WireTap Studio. Cool app to enhance, improve and work on your audio in postproduction. Some cool featurers which I won’t dive into now. You can check their website for more info. If we buy the program, be sure we’ll review it (it’s only $69 anyway).

More to follow, so stay tuned…

First Day of the Conference

Of course, we did have a lot of fun. But boy, did we learn a lot. Below a summary of the sessions we went to on the first day. More to follow later on:

Keynote
Discussion with Howard Lindzon who sold his podcast about financial stock market to CBS for about $5 mln. He created his show in 8 months and is using actors in his show. Some highlights:

• Each show costs about $1000 – $2000
• 25,000 downloads per episode per day
• Each episode about 3 minutes
• Started because conventional news on financial stock markets was not fullfilling a need
• TV should rot in hell, although they still have the cashflow and are important in the media space
• No future for minimedia companies if they don’t focus on the business. If you want to sell your content and get a living out of it, act like a business person. If you do it for passion, fine but don’t expect to make a living out of it.

Field Production Strategies for Video Podcasting (Rich Harrington (RHED Pixel))

• Produce more than 1 episode in 1 day/session
• Mobile studio
• Tip: change your clothes for every episode
• Treat podcast production as Electronic News Gathering style shoot
• Spend money to save money:Proper size crew: various multi-disciplines people (min. 2)
• Multi-cam: simplifies post-production
• Use hard disk recorders (use tape as back-up): saves time in capturing
• Balancing format:

• Acquisition format: HD currently complicated
• Keep it short! Better impression to the client.
• Keep shot ration (footage vs used material) very low! (approx 2 or 3:1)
• Use shotlist, plan ahead, but remain flexible on location

• Map the production

• What is the content, who is the audience
• What is the roll outplan/frequency?
• When published, be sure to have more than 1 episode and backdate first few
• What is the production plan

• Multi-camera shoots

• Use similar cameras! with exact the same settings (shooting format, codecs, frame size etc)
• Use tripod and external mics
• Use clapperboard: looks silly, but clients love it!
• Use QP card – Color card
  • small and lightweight inexpensive ($7-8 each) and disposable, gives true white, true black and intermediate grey
• Use light: Diva Lite

• Tips:

• Use photos, titles etc.
• Use a propter (~autocue)
• With low light situation, increase gain to max +6 dB (not higher!), fix the rest in post
• Be careful with ECUs: could be problematic in post when using graphics

• Editing tips:

• Edit in original captured format, compress when project is finalized
• Enables you to offer client various end products (DVD, Flash, H.264 etc)
• Frame sizes (output) is defined by the data rate

Interviews that Rock – Heidi Miller (Heidi Miller Presents)

• Prepare, prepare, prepare
• Research what the interest of your guest is
• If you think it’s interesting, many of your listeners will
• Balance between what your listeeners want and what your guests want
• Ask your guests questions to discuss, but also your audience: involve them upfront via your blog/website!
• Storytelling! What is the story of your guest!
  • Start questions with: What, where, why, how…etc…Tell me about…
  • Show your research!
  • Don’t send questions upfront to your guest, but key topics
  • Send reminder day before with topics, time, location, way of communication (if on distance, e.g. Skype etc). Make clear that end result will be edited (either audio or video)
  • 2 minutes before interview: ease them down, offer drink, physical contact (hand shake, hug), pre-interview about themselves
  • Start interview: don’t forget to hit record!
  • How much should you talk yourself? Involving yourself (even personal) can be a reason for guests to listen to your show

Flow:

• Make sure it flows
• Enthousiasmize/engage, use your own tonage/intonation to increase flow
• SUL: Shut Up and Listen, do not be afraid of silence at the end of an answer: dare to wait longer than initially feels comfortable.
• Keep tough questions for the end
• Repeat name of guest frequently.

After the interview:

• Ask directly after the interview how it went

• Send thank you note afterwards

Difficult situations:

• Puffy guests: say that it’s an interesting topic, but your time is valuable so…
• Dull guests: forget it, may be not worth publishing
• Complicated guests: ask them to translate it for 5-year olds

On the spot interviews:

• Who: get some info upfront from programme, bios etc
• Where and when: try to do it shortly after a session
• How to invite: “Would you mind to have a short chat with me…
• What: look for story and surprises

DigiRedo does USA – Nirvana in Ontario, CA

So here we are, in front of the convention center, just after Day 1 of the Podast and New Media Expo. And remarkebly, without really feeling the 9 time zones we crossed less than 24 hours ago. We’re so excited that I am afraid we can’t even sleep tonight! Like sponges we absorb the content that is shared here, which makes sense as we are in the Nirvana of New Media… meeting nice people, all soul mates, and some even come over to us to ask for advice. So far a thrilling experience.

Keep following us, as we will continue sharing our experiences these coming days…

We’re off to the Podcast and New Media Expo in California

On Thursday we’ll leave for a short stay in the US to visit the Podcast and New Media Expo in Ontario. Next to the presentations, which we are very much looking forward to, on the program:

• Shooting a commercial for DigiRedo
• Short interviews with key people in the industry and interesting vendors
• Looking for new technologies
• Visiting Universal Studios to get some ‘inspiration’
• Drop by an Apple Store to buy an iPhone (or 5)
• Eating steaks
• Enjoying the sun (it’s freakin’ 30 degrees Celcius over there!)

We’ll try to give some coverage over the next few days, so stay tuned!

Corporate podcasting example

Meet Annemieke. Annemieke is the host of one of our major podcast projects. In this corporate podcast project the company is using this tool to improve communication internally, in order to implement a new strategy. All 40 employees will get an iPod (touch!) – OK, it remains property of the company but you can put on it whatever you like.

Each week we produce together with Annemieke an audio podcast, covering the latest and the greatest on the developments within this company, of course with a strong link to the new strategy. Each month we make a video podcast.

Tomorrow is the kick-off of this major project, and Annemieke is a bit nervous. So am I…

Amazing Moments 2

Ever tried to enter a hotel without reception but with secret password? No? We did…

DigiRedo does Zurich

After Geneve we went to Basel and Zurich, to do another interview. Interesting discussion on marketing in the heavy regulated pharmaceutical world, and the impact of Web 2.0 on this world. Wonderful office, by the way. After the interviews we went for a short walk downtown to get some food. Unfortunately a very short walk, since we had to start the postproduction right away. And catch a plane tomorrow at 6.45 hours..