Check out how top notch Shirtmaker Thomas Pink is using Web video on their site. A quite fantastic blend of editorial and brand value compared to the dull product videos that  many etailers seem to create. You also get a great snapshot of old school London, that’s disappearing daily.

Just noticed the entire series of America’s Next Producer is on YouTube. If you feel like watching a Reality TV show about people competing to make the next big TV hit then this is it. Reality TV about Reality TV.

Christoph Rehage went for a walk, a very long walk in fact, 4646 km from Germany to China and then around the country. The Longest Way is an unusual record of the trip starring his beard, 646,000 views on Vimeo later (that’s just Vimeo) I caught up with him to get some info.

JTV: How did you get the idea to make a travel video focussing on your beard, most people would be shooting pretty shots of the landscape ?
CR: I originally didn’t intend to shoot a video of my beard. But after walking for a week I thought, what the heck, might as well grow it out. Run Forrest, run.

JTV: What does your beard or lack of beard symbolise ?
CR: The beard doesn’t symbolize anything in the beginning. Getting rid of the beard means something though. I think it is about getting rid of one’s obsessions in a way.

JTV: Did people respond to you differently the longer your beard got ?
CR: They thought I was an old man. Ladies on the street once asked me whether I was 50 years old. Young people don’t grow beards in those areas.

JTV: Is wearing a long beard difficult ?
CR: It’s not difficult, stroking it in a very pretentious way can be a lot of fun actually.

JTV: There’s a real change in mood at the end, can you explain why it changes ?
CR: If you watch the movie carefully, you will get a clue.

JTV: Which camera did you use and how did you match up the shots, did you draw on the LCD screen ?
CR: I used a 5d with a 16-35mm lens. I just stretched my arms for the shots and did the aligning of the eyes later in Photoshop. I had to align every single frame in Photoshop prior to making them into the time lapse in Premiere.

JTV:How long did the video take to edit and what was the trickiest thing abut editing it ?
CR: Editing took 4 months, and the trickiest part besides the aligning of the eye-level, and besides the rhythm of the soundtrack was really the point where I chose to do it all over again because I noticed that YouTube featured HD, and I wanted that for my video too.

JTV: What kind of response have you got from the video, any interesting comments ?
CR: I am happy when people like it. Very happy. I don’t think a lot of people share the same view on it with me though. I am not surprised by this, but every once in a while I get a comment or an email where I can feel that someone out there got a hint of my understanding of the whole thing. Feels good for me.

JTV: What’s next for Christoph Rehage ?
CR: Be a man. (I know it sounds tacky, but it is what it is, and there is no way around it at some point in life.)

Check out the new 1080p option on YouTube, looks stunning, sucks power out of my Macbook Pro though. Once I restarted it’s better just the odd stutter.

Go to the link here.

What on earth is 1080p? See here.

Just released is the Livepack by video streaming service aptly named Livestream. It’s an all-in-one, backpack-sized device available for lease that enables live, mobile, HD quality broadcasts.

Livepack is carried in a backpack has no requirement for a laptop, features a touch screen and six integrated 3G/EVDO modems from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint that combine to offer up the highest possible available bit-rate. In good hotspots it can achieve a 700 kbps connection (it can go up to 1Mbps), in poor areas with patchy reception, the six modems together can provide 300 – 400 kbps.

Here’s the summary:

• Livestream Livepack is available for monthly or yearly rental directly from Livestream.
• Typical delivery within a week.
• Livepack includes : Hardware unit to encode and transmit, custom designed backpack, dedicated IP address to stream to your Livestream channel, Firewire cable, all 3G/EVDO network contract and charges included in rental price.
• Optional : External batteries (Up to 3 hours of autonomy).
• Currently available in US only.
• Up to 1Mbps uplink connectivity.

Another potential market for Videomakers has launched with tiny Video screens appearing in magazines in the US. The screens are disposal but there are plans to make them reusable for people who buy the magazine to store their own Videos on. (Can’t think why they’d choose this method?)

The screens could turn into quite a cool fightback by print magazines losing people to online media who are attracted by Video in websites (like this one). The screens are also being produced for wedding albums to offer Video alongside the pictures.

Makes the magazine hard to fold and stick in your pocket though!

If you need a handy reminder of FCP shortcuts on your desk you can now download this Iphone/Ipod Touch App. From beginners who want to learn the shortcuts of FCP, to Pros who need this App as a pocket size reference or to learn some hidden shortcuts not even published by Apple. Keep this on your iPhone as a mobile “cheat sheet”.  FCP Shortcutz costs 59p or $.99 and requires the iPhone 3.0 Software Update or later.

Go see FCP Shortcutz at the Apple store

This handy little charger can be used with 85% of block style camcorder/camera batteries, which could lighten your luggage if you are carrying loads of camera kit around or have a large family of videomaking nuts. No need to bring 5 different chargers just one of these will keep you in shoot mode. It works with both Solar Technology’s FreeLoader and FreeLoader Pro solar gadget chargers.  You can also use it in your car lighter socket or your computer. Another plus, it arrives with an adaptor for both US and European outlets when you finally get the call from Hollywood. The CamCaddy will set you back £24.95 or $41.00 last time I checked the horrendous exchange rate.

Where to position your subjects is an absolutely key decision you have to make before you hit the REC button. Whatever you decide you generally have to live with it in the Edit and there’s nothing worse than having to work with a shot you hate! Before you shoot take a deep breath, don’t get rushed by pressure of time coming from your subject who might need to get back to work, your bosses checking up on progress or your urge to check your Twitter.

Before you shoot a frame, walk around the location to figure out where to put people, use stand ins so as not to take up your subjects time unecessarily, get the camera out to have a look at the shot, move people around, swap them over, think about using stools or whether standing works, look at the light direction, basically  check all the options, then decide. If the location you are offered is problematic ask to see a different room or area, don’t get pushed into using the wrong space.

When you have two people in a classic Presenter/Interviewee situation, as in the Video example above you need to think how to cover them chatting (especially with a one camera shoot) but also if they are showing off stuff, how to best cover reactions, interactions and cutaways of the ‘product’ on display. Ultimately you want the shot to not distract from the ‘action’.

This Rocketboom clip (and BTW I am a big fan of their videos) starts off smoothly enough but when they move to a new location at around 2′04″ (pictured as thumbnail above) it gets a bit awkward with the huge space between them, they become disconnected and the eye is taken to the void between.

Better (for a 1 cam shoot like this) to have them side by side, and mix it up between a 2 shot and single of the faces picking up the hand shots later, and repeat a couple of the big questions, opening and ending on a big wide 2 shot to set the context. Of course you can rapidly adjust the shot size as you go when you know you have a surefire cutaway to use in the edit that will cover the join. If you screw up at the start of a sentence (with an ugly move) note it for later to be repeated or simpler interject and get the Presenter to kick off her line again.

I noticed that video creation system Faculte has just received US$2.8 million first round investment. Faculte’s web-based ‘Broadcast Studio’ platform is aimed at Companies who want to create their own video presentations. Subscribers can add video, voice and other visuals to an online presentation, which they can then distribute across the Net. They can also charge viewers who want to subscribe.

I can see how it could work for Communications Departments who want to create quick and economic content for internal and B2B use but, and it’s a big BUT, will they have the staff with enough time and ability to do this effectively? Also if they want the presentation to include high quality video they’ll still need to commission it. I am not sure slick Independent Corporate Video Producers, Crew and Editors need worry just yet.

What’s cool about Faculte is that it’s biz model is based on fees. Companies pay them for the service as opposed to it being a free service supported by ads. This is the way to go these days if you are trying to give confidence to potential investors in your Online Video start up. A soley Ad supported model is just not sustainable right now.

Faculte’s pitch video is above and is also on their homepage. The quality is ropey to say the least at the top (especially the audio) but I hope they are just trying to show realistically the kind of videos their clients will create with their Flip Cameras. (Miaaaaoow!)

Think I’m off the mark? Please add a comment.

BTW Apologies for lack of posts, have been lounging on a beach in the South West of France where the Internet Cafe’s are ridiculously expensive!