The Vid Biz – Page 2 – lee-lawmaster.com

Makin’ ROX Look Better

I’ve restarted this adventure I started over 3 years ago, by working full force on season 1 of ROX again. I was working on 2 seasons and I believe I got way over my head. There were just too many problems to handle at once.

I started over the weekend by transferring what I only had on VHS onto my computer. I then worked several hours on the first episode of season 1, Special Mish-Mosh Episode.

One of the reasons I had abruptly quit working on the series was the amount of heat damage (i believe) associated with many of the episodes. I tried to correct this issue using Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Sony Vegas, but only came up with juvenile results. I started posting questions and viewing others’ questions on a forum that specializes in just these sorts of things, videohelp.com. It has helped tremendously.

I have uploaded 1 minute segments of episode 8, so you can see the differences made. This episode had a vast array of problems, from over saturation, to needing color correction in the worst of ways and needing some sharpening. All of these fixes added together make for a “better end product” I believe. I still have some work to do on the audio, as I want to normalize the volume and filter it to remove tape hiss, etc.

I’ll leave that up to you though, please let me know what you think.

Before:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lml_dvd/2755801226/in/photostream/

After:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lml_dvd/2754979589/in/photostream

If anyone has any recommendations, please make them in the comments section, as I would love to hear them!

His Loss, My Gain

My last three days with Morgenstern Home Services was just like my first three days. Disappointment.

The first day was cancelled before it began.

The second day I was called to go to a job to do these tasks: replace a piece of siding, replace a roof vent cap, replace a window and a sliding glass door.

The third day the rest of the job was cancelled by the homeowner. I received a call just as I arrived, the homeowner also then told me that she didn’t like his demeanor or professionalism, so she had decided to cancel the rest. The only thing remaining – the sliding glass door.

The homeowner then went on to ask if I had a business card so she could contact me should she want to hire me. I drove home and printed out some new business cards, and went back. I didn’t push my business offerings, I just made sure she had my contact information.

I was surprised to receive an email that night thanking me for the work I had done on her house, and asking what kind of fees would be associated with transferring some negatives.

I quoted her my price, and she sounds interested.

It may be a dead end, but she said she would reorganize her collections and get back with me.

I guess my customer service skills aren’t that bad after all.

14 Days!

Today we delivered everything back to the Kelley School of Business MBA program. I must say, I am quite astonished that I was able to complete this mega-transfer in a mere 14 days.

Total time spent on each tape was about 50 minutes on average. Multiply that by 79 tapes, and that’s almost 66 hours of work. I actually put my computer to “bed” so it could cool down, as it was working non stop.

Let me go over some of the interesting things about this particular job.

Tapes: DVCAM and BetaCam SP. Professional quality videotape, that is just the same as their commercial counterparts (Mini-DV and Betamax) just larger.

Equipment: Professional grade comes at a professional price. I had to rent one player, but it was much more economically feasible to actually purchase the other. While the one I purchased isn’t a ferrari, it gets the job done. Thanks to my wife Rachel for finding this new one for the same price as very used ones.

Technical Difficulties: Originally they wanted all of the tapes to be transferred to DVDs, after some testing I found out this was not going to be possible. So then we tried to see if I could upload them to IU’s MDSS (Massive Data Storage Service). That was highly unlikely as my upload speed is 384k max, the estimated time to upload 1 was over 36 hours. So we decided on an external hard drive. I found this awesome one on newegg. At 1 TB (Terabyte) it had plenty of space, it also has 3 different connection types, USB, Firewire A and Firewire B. External isn’t really my thing, but this thing rocks!

Kristi and Ashly were blown away by the speed of this, and I hope that they are equally impressed by my professionalism and price. Now that I am in the Indiana University network for independent contractors, it will be much easier for me to do other work for the university. I just hope that my hard work will pay off and other professional work such as this will come my way.

On a Roll

Since I finally received my equipment yesterday, I have begun on the bulk of this transfer for IU.

I had never used this type of equipment before, and was somewhat frightened about using it. I was also worried about what days in cold weather would have done to the sensitive electronics within it.

I took it out of the box and let it sit for about 5 hours to warm up. I then connected it and did some testing. Things seem to be going smoothly, and I’m optimistic on how long this is going to take.

I was originally going to re-sell the player after this transfer is complete, but keeping it for the year ensures a nice tax deduction next year. If you need a BetaCam transfer, call me. I’ll beat anyones price!

Due to the size of the player, I’m not going to keep it out all the time. It is too large for my current office situation. Once my new office is finished, I will have plenty of space for it.

IU decided to go with my idea about transferring everything to an external hard drive. I received it today, but ran into a bug. The file sizes are so large that it is unfeasable to render directly to it. I am instead going to transfer all complete work at the end of each day. This will give it an adequate amount of time.

Please Boycott FedEX

I purchased a BetaCam SP player from a company who was simply “unloading” un-needed equipment.

It was shipped on the 19th from California and should have been here already. The original “estimated” delivery date was the 25th, but I guess my business wasn’t important enough to them. Around 9pm they updated the tracking information to say, “Delivery Exception” it then goes on to say the package will be delivered the next business day. It’s currently 5pm, and no sight of FedEX yet.

I’ve been here all day waiting on this package, as I cannot complete this IU job without this piece of equipment. My patience has ran thin and I’m about to do some major complaining.

One problem is that FedEX has a messed up distribution system. There is a local branch, but only for “express” orders. If you use their “ground” service, your package comes from Terre Haute, 50 miles away.

I don’t use FedEX, mainly due to their price. Now I’m just getting pissed.

UPS is always here by 9am, and I count on them. I think their service has become much better than even USPS, as all packages are insured and always make their destination in 3 business days or less.

I’m wishing this package was sent via UPS now.

UPDATE: I finally received the player. After calling FedEX for 2 days, speaking with reps and managers. I lost 2 days of valuable time. I hope this reaches anyone who thinks about sending FedEX.

Uncharted Territory

My business has just received two new jobs which are uncharted territory to me. I have never done anything like this before, to some point it’s frightening. It’s also something new that I can add to my list of products and services offered.

My aunt Laura, whom I’ve been emailing with quite frequently lately had a request for me. As her nephew, I was more than honored to do it for her, even at no cost. When she offered to pay me, it just made things better. She has 13, 8 track cassettes she wants transferred to CD. Why you say? They must have some sentimental value to her, which I understand completely. I miss that tape of ABC (Another Bad Creation) that I had when I was 10 or so.

The first step was acquiring equipment to handle the task. I searched on eBay and contacted other family members to see if they had working 8 track players. eBay can be a scary place if you’re not 100% sure on what you need. I found a standalone player for sale by the original owner. That’s always been the most reliable source of items in my case. There are many re-sellers that don’t know the history behind a item, which is good to know when that item is 30+ years old.

It’s a Realistic brand (sold by Radio-Shack) in very nice condition. I have no tapes to actually test it, but if physical condition shows anything, it’s pristine.

The tapes should be on their way from Oklahoma soon, after I finish a job which has a precise timeline, I will start on those. I’ll write an update on completion.

The second job, I highly regard. I have been trying to become an independent contractor for Indiana University for a while. I put a bid in at the Kelley School of Business MBA Program a year ago. I was asked again for a bid last week.

This project originally was to transfer 160 VHS tapes to AVI format to be then put onto DVD’s. It was then discovered that the tapes were actually DVCAM and BetaCam SP tapes.

I immediately thought that I had lost this chance due to the high cost associated with the equipment. DVCAM and BetaCam SP are professional grade formats, which come with a professional price. For the price of 2 players, you can purchase a nice car. I looked into renting, but that was almost as bad. $75 per day for DVCAM and $250 per day for BetaCam SP.

I was reassured by the person requesting the bid that I didn’t have to put in a bid since the scope of the project had changed, but I didn’t want to tuck my tail between my legs and run. So I calculated the prices of renting the equipment for the time I would need it and other associated costs and sent my bid.

I was in shock and awe when 2 days later she said she wanted to proceed with my bid. I’ve finally succeeded with getting my foot in the door, but will I perform when my business and reputation are on the line?

I’ve been working on a few technical issues regarding this. I found and purchased a brand new BetaCam SP Player for $500 today on eBay. The MSRP on this model is $6200! Far cheaper than renting one, I just hope I didn’t get duped. One unknown is how long each one of these tapes are, and they want them in AVI format. I’ve been working with some test files to see the best way to make ’em fit onto 4.7 GB DVDs. It’s been unsuccessful to say the least. It seems the more I try, the larger the file size gets. I’ve been working in a range of 10 gigs to 60 gigs, for the same file!

I’ve decided to use a test file (ROX #41) and render in different formats and codecs. I’m going to furnish this list of information and let them decide exactly what they want. I don’t use AVI that much, and I believe it’s highly inferior to QuickTime format. Hopefully I can get them to come around.

In the end, I hope to deliver what my new client wants and more. I hope this can build a reputation for me, and in the end, expand more.

Spread Thin

Progress on projects I have undertaken has come very slow.

Here is a list of things I am currently working or trying to work on:
1. Redesign my website.
2. Redesign all electronic menus for DVDs and packaging for my products.
3. Look for permanent position with ANY company.
4. House fixes and updates.
5. Work with Kelley School of Business on plan to strategically market my business services to other local businesses.
6. Always workin’ on ROX

I do have to say that I have made some progress on the house. A couple of weeks ago I had a day off and started a surprise for my wife. She doesn’t like it when I do things that she has no knowledge of. I painted our hallway.

The color doesn’t come out well in these pictures, but it’s called “Grand Stand Tan.” It dried a lot darker than we expected, but we still like it. I was very surprised when I went to purchase the paint, it was on sale! So after Rachel was surprised, we bought a few more gallons to have enough to finish our living room and entry.

I also must say that all the hard work I put into the hallway definitely paid off. Our “red” wall has a lot of character due to the texture in the wall. That texture is there because I didn’t work on it like I did the hallway. Besides a paint streak here and there, it’s smooth as a baby’s butt.

I have slowed way down on the redesign of my website. All the content is there, I just haven’t found a good way to add PayPal buttons on a Joomla site yet.

The redesign of my menus and packaging are going good, too good to be exact! I have been working with my logo and have a “translucent design” working right now. My only problem right now is that it doesn’t look good at smaller sizes.

My work situation is a weird one. Yes I have a job, and I’m thankful for that. But I am not a full time employee with IU, I’m an hourly employee. I do not get paid for holidays, or time off. Also my position is mostly an “academic-year” position. Meaning when schools out, I’m out. I have been applying for positions that seem to suit me, only when they come around. I’ve had a couple of interviews, but nothing has panned out thus far. I was really excited about a position I interviewed for last week, but as each day passes I wonder. I don’t think this economy helps either. I know it’s sick, but it’s times like these that I really miss my job at Baxter.

I am trying to focus on direct business sales this year. I think if I start a working relationship with other businesses in this area, it will help my business become more successful and profitable. I’m no marketing major, so my wife has used some of her contacts in the Kelley School of Business (where she used to work). I have been in contact with the deans’ wife. She teaches marketing, and is trying to help. The only problem is communication right now. I work when she’s in her office, and I can’t really talk on the phone. Right now I’m not even near a computer either. I hope this pans out, with the right plan I could make LML Video Services something bigger this year.

I’m still transferring what I have of ROX onto DVDs for storage. Some episodes will have to be, dare I say it, repaired. They just have too much heat damage. I’m waiting to finish a job for a aunt to get some money. Once that is done, B will have about 50 odd DVD’s for homework.

Plus we discovered a clog in our sewer line. Everytime our washer drans, water comes out from under our toilet in a hurry. My ex-contractor neighbor Bill is going to help me try to fix this problem Saturday. I got his Wi-Fi going, he’s returning the favor. He has some specialty tools to help. I hope we can get this clog gone.

I have finally got my hands on a basketball goal as well. We have a “post” that appears to be designed to have a basketball goal on it. I have wanted one for a long time. The prices for a bracket to attach to the post and a goal add up to a cool $100. I have been offered one on freecycle for free. There’s only one kicker, I have to dig this one out. That’s my plan for Sunday – pray for me. The strange thing? I have never been good or even really liked basketball. I just want the goal!

That’s all I’ve got for right now. I’d like to write more often, but it’s hard when you have things such as this on your hands day in and day out.

I Need A Graphic Designer, or Become One

I have made some strides in this new website development. However, there are some things that I still have problems figuring out.

I have figured out this Joomla CMS tool that I am now using, but I need a graphic designer to remove some “white space” from my tattoo picture. I would also like a version of it that is white, and one that is inverted from its current colors.

I also need to learn a little more about CSS and XHTML. I have found many templates for Joomla that I like, but none of them blow me away. If I could modify them or join 2 of them into one template, I would be halfway there.

I’m still adding content, and trying to figure out how to get PayPal to work with this in the grand scheme of things. I think the grand re-launch will be a few months away.

Check it out! I have the website online at www.lmlvideoservices.com/joomla

IU offers a Digital Design Certificate, I really want to do it. Depending on how things go I might in the fall. It focuses on design of brochures and such. It also teaches about the Adobe Creative Suite. I have a part of it, Photoshop CS3, but haven’t gotten my hands on the other programs thus far. Who knows, LML Video Services might start to offer Graphic Design services in the future.

Starting All Over

Over the past couple of weeks I have been attempting to revamp my website. I found a tool that in theory should help me do that. It’s called Joomla. It’s an open source database/document management/website tool.

There are many, and I do mean many great plug-ins and add-ins for this monster. From blogging to e-commerce, this ones got you covered.

However, there is one problem. I don’t have any extensive experience with these systems and way this product works. It relies heavily on server side scripting languages and protocols such as PHP. So I am starting from scratch with this one. The only way I learn something like this, is to dig my head into it and see what happens when I click this or delete that.

That has been easier said than done. Until this week, from what I knew it couldn’t be ran on a home computer. I thought it had to be used on a web server (at least a computer with a server OS). I found a program that emulates that your computer is indeed a server, it’s called WAMP5. With that installed I could play with Joomla to my heart’s content.

I’m starting to learn more and more about the software every day, and I think that within a few months, a new website for LML Video Services will be born.

I just need to figure out a few more problems first. It seems that my hosting service, Infosaic Technologies, has some strict guidelines for things such as these, many of the plug-ins and add-ins will not install correctly and it seems to be a permissions type error. The tech guys had to actually install the software for me. I keep prodding to see how I can get them to help me, but that’s an ongoing process. I don’t want to leave them, as they’ve been good (and cheap) to me over the past 2 years.

If I don’t get the hosting problems resolved, there must be another way. Hopefully I can find it.

A Change Will Do Me Good

One thing I truly need for lmlvideoservices.com is a new website. Over the past couple of years I have used free templates I have found on the internet. That has been a tremendous help as it hasn’t cost me anything for design and it enabled me to get my face out there.
I believe that is one thing that has gotten me where my business is at today, but times they are a changin’.

I need a professional website. Not necessarily created by a professional, just one that looks professional. I don’t have the skills for complex things such as PHP or JavaScript. I admire to have something as nice as APM Studio, they are who I achieve to be someday.
If someone out there who wants to add something to their resume, or if you’re a student who needs to create a website for a school project. Leave me a comment. I’ll make it worth your wild.

The next change needed is marketing, or the current lack thereof. My wife and I had talked about marketing my products and services to local photographers, funeral homes and various other small businesses. I just haven’t done anything constructive with those conversations thus far.

I currently have some very good ideas. Getting those ideas to a workable plan and seeing that plan to completion is a different story though.
The current idea is to send a letter with a personalized pamphlet to each business. It would be your typical sales letter I guess. In the letter it will state that I would like to make an appointment to meet with the owner or manager of each business. After a couple of weeks I would call each place to try to set up said appointment. I’m trying to make this personal and not some piece of “junk mail” like many businesses receive.

I am also undergoing an attempt to redesign my logo. It’s been hard. I removed my tattoo, as I think it looks clean and more professional. Rachel tells me that it looks too plan and “blah!” however. I do not want to change the conjoined LML, as this is something I actually “designed” in 4th grade. It was to be my “celebrity” signature should I become famous, LML is my initials.

I’d like your opinions on the matter. If you have any ideas or suggestions, I might use em. (with your okay of course)