Video Presentation

donb1959

I'm looking into doing a video presentation. Something where a visitor can visit my website, click on "Video Introduction" or something similar to that. The link will then take them to my video presentation. I really am lost when it comes to such things so I would appreciate any help I can get. Thanks.

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Ed the Roofer

Your question is very timely. I just was looking up this very concept and finally this past Saturday I found the website I was looking for. Then on my way home I picked up my mail, and the January 2007 issue of "Replacement Contractor" was there. When I got home the article entitled "Sites to See" on page 48 was exactly what I had discovered earlier in the day. Troy Marshall of Marshall roofing used a media consulting firm to produce DVD's for $ 14,000.00 and paid $ 4,000.00 to upload the videos to his companies website.

It is an awsome site, except for they should include a 56-K modem option for text links vs video links as well.

It is a very good article which provokes cutting edge web concepts from multiple contractors.

If anybody does not already receive Replacement Contractor magazine, it is a free subscription, and filled with very informative articles and not just full of ads for products. I checked out the online version of it at replacementcontractor.com and it still only had the November 2006 issue updated as of this evening.

Ed

adriand

Dear Don;

You might want to test the waters using "You Tube" videos on your site. Its all free.

Sign up for a You Tube account and upload your homemade promotional video. Then just cut and paste the You Tube provided html code into your webpage. Its very simple to do.

You Tube is not the only place offering this service for free, but it is perhaps the most popular. One advantage of using You Tube, is the exposure you get from being found in Google image search and also by the link in to your site the from the tags you use to describe your video when you upload it.

YouTube videos are a little grainy because they use low resolution so that everybodies computers can download them quickly.

There are plenty of production houses who will make you a slick video for a pretty penny but at least You Tube gives you chance to test out the visitor reaction before commiting to big money.

Best Regargs

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Adrian Dunevein
Screen Door Website
AAA Drafting Services

Glasshousebltr

Dear Adrian,
Around here if ya start using Dear ya just might get a date you don't want.

__________________
Bob

Ed the Roofer

Glass,

Were you secretly propositioning Adrian?

You addressed Adrian in the same manner.

Ed

mickeyco

Post some more info, depending on the type of video camera you have, the ports on your computer and your operating system this could be a real simple thing to do. Windows XP comes with "Windows Movie Maker" that when my video camera (a sharp something or other) that has a mini IEEE 1394 port is plugged into the computer essentially does all the work, it automatically opens the software and converts my video into a WMV (useable on the internet) video format. I think FLV format is probably the most common now and you can convert WMV to FLV but the software I have is rather expensive, but I see some cheaper priced ones on the internet that might be worth a try. You could also try uploading the WMV to youtube and let them convert it and then download the FLV and put it on your site.

DerrickVWS

donb1959,

I think this is an excellent idea. We just started getting our feet wet with video a few months ago. To start, we just shot a "talking head" style video presentation and kept it under 1 minute and very focused. But we'll probably do larger video projects in the near future.

Here is the project we recently completed:
http://www.visioninfosoft.com/demos/...on_RepExt2=115

I'll explain what we did. We are definitely not a professional videographer company. But we can get by. I know we have much room for improvement in producing video, but we have mastered the integration of video into a normal website.

What we used:

1. Standard video camera that uses MiniDV tapes (you can also use a $100 webcam)
2. Computer with firewire port. (most new computers include at least one. Or, instead, use a webcam which would plug into USB.)
3. Cheap lighting (Home Depot sells inexpensive clamp lights that work pretty well. The trick is figuring out how to diffuse the light if possible.) A desklamp or 2 could be used in a pinch. Try bouncing the light off a wall and ceiling to create diffused light and minimize "hotspots" on your face.
4. Plain, uncluttered wall. We pinned a dark blue sheet to the wall to help make our subjects face pop more.
5. Microsoft's free Movie Maker software (Adobe Premiere Elements is also very good and fairly inexpensive)
6. Access to professional website designer/manager (we happen to be one) I recommend a website pro with some video compression experience.
7. IMPORTANT! If shooting with a camcorder, invest in an inexpensive wired lapel microphone. The difference is night and day. Here's the one we use:
   http://amazon.com/AUDIO-TECHNICA-ATR.../dp/B00006I51V
   (Radio Shack also sells a similar model)

You can also get away with a $50-$100 webcam if you are just shooting a "talking head" type video. Just make sure your background is uncluttered and your face is lit well (don't forget to light your hair!).

How to include it on your website?
You can upload the video to Youtube.com. It's a free and easy to use video hosting service. However, it does have a 10 minute per movie limit, but this should be fine. Youtube's compression is a little high, so the video will be a little low quality. Also, I don't believe you can auto-play video when a visitor comes to your site.

You can also have your web designer upload it directly to your website server. This allows you to make it ask high quality as you like. However, Microsoft's Movie Maker software will probably not be able to output Flash video. We recommend Adobe Premiere Elements. It is also fairly easy to use. You can also hire someone to help you with the flash video compression.


I agree with adriand, Youtube does give you a chance to "test" video before spending a lot. Youtube even has a video application that will capture video directly from your webcam. I'd recommend including some type of "call to action" or service discount coupon in your video so you can determine if the video is helpful. Maybe offer a free estimate

Lastly, here's my recommendation for getting it done quick.

1. Get in touch with a web designer with video compression experience
2. Outline what you want to cover in your video. Remember to keep it brief and to the point.
3. Unless you were born a public speaker, write a good script. You don't have to follow it exactly, but it will make you feel more comfortable.
4. Use my lighting and background suggestions from above or rent equipment from a local pro photo store.
5. Shoot the video with a camcorder, digital camera video or webcam. (listed in order of best quality to lesser. Also listed in order of difficulty; harder to lesser)
6. Send the original video to your web designer and explain where you'd like it placed on your website. If on a video tape, mail tape to web designer pro and let them handle the extraction, compression and resizing.

One last thing....

Video Formats
WMV - easy to create Windows Media Video format. That is, if you have a PC. You typically can not display WMV video directly on your website. You have to click a link to the file. Your Windows Media Player will open and download the movie. Once downloaded, you can play the video. Sometimes, you your server is setup to handle it, you can stream WMV... but I wouldn't bet on it.

FLV - is the most popular right now. It stands for Flash Video. You can embed FLV videos right into your website and stream them. This allows a visitor to view your website and almost immediately begin viewing your video. Youtube uses flash video. You need special software to output your video in this format. I've heard a lot of good stuff about software called "SUPER." Try this website: erightsoft.com/SUPER.html

MOV - This is Apple's Quicktime Movie format. It works pretty well and can be viewed within your web browser. If you have a Mac, you can probably create this format of video very easily.


Good Luck!

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Derrick Delliquadri
Vision Web Services | Contractor Websites