The MPC Feed @ Washington College

Do you utilize YouTube to host videos you create and want to share with the world at the best quality?  Has someone else created a YouTube video, but you are only interested in a portion of it for your blog or website?    Here are 2 tips that help ensure your audience has a better YouTube expereince:

Tip 1. Forcing the browser to use the High Quality version of the video

You may notice just under the lower right coner of the video window, some videos have an option to “Watch In High Quality”.  By default, these videos will play as a 320×240 FLV file at 320Kb/s.  Check out this sample:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBGeNeofk0A

The user could click on this link to “Watch in High Quality” which will reload the video and play the MP4 version , which is 480×360 at  512Kb/s.  By adding &fmt=18 to the end of the URL, you’ll make the URL you share with others bring them right to the high quality version.  Here’s the same video in the High Quality view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBGeNeofk0A&fmt=18

What else are you gaining besides increased video resolution?  The video is compressed with H.264 compression, so you get better video even at the same data rate.  You also go from a low fidelity mono audio feed to stereo @ 44.1Khz sample rate.

&fmt=6 increases the resolution from 320×240 to 448×336, Flash 7 video @ 900Kbps; audio @ 44.1KHz 96Kbps Mono CBR.

&fmt=18 increases the resolution to 480×360, H.264 video @ 512Kbps; audio @ 44.1KHz 128Kbps Stereo. Note, the bandwidth may be lower, but it’s utilizing a more efficient compression codec.

UPDATE: &fmt=22 increaes the resolution to 720p HD video if the source was uploaded at a high enough resolution.

Tip 2. Advancing the video to a specific playback point.  

If you evern wanted to link to a video in YouTube that was lengthy, but had a very interesting part partway through, there is a hack to allow you to begin playback at a precise time.  You can specify the minutes and seconds of the start time like this:

add #t=53s to the end of the URL to start at 53 seconds into it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBGeNeofk0A#t=53s

add #t=1m57s to the end of the video URL to start playback at 1 minute 57 seconds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBGeNeofk0A#t=1m57s

Think of this as bookmarking your video clips!  Now you can link to a video, and have an index of the segments included, which link right to that precise moment!

Tags: 720p, high quality, tips & tricks, video bookmarking, video tutorial, YouTube Hacks

Soundsnap is the best platform to find and share free sound effects and loops- legally. It is a collection of original sounds made or recorded by its users, and not songs or sound FX found on commercial libraries or sample CD’s.

It was originally started by a small group of sound people from all over the world. Our common belief is that sounds and samples should be free for everyone to use in their projects, commercial or not.

Tags: free samples, legal, royalty free, sound effects

What does an audio/video editor do who wants to make a song, but can’t play piano or drums? Here’s a stop motion approach to music composition that is pretty cool.

Tags: drums, music, piano, stop motion

Are you an aspiring motion graphics designer? Here is some inspiration from 2 accomplished designers to get your creative juices flowing:

Eden Soto - http://www.edensoto.com
Demo Reel

Vitamin Devo - http://vitamindevo.com
Demo Reel (2004)
Mini Reel (2005)
Flash demo for his DJ work (2005)

Tags: 3D, after effects, creative inspiration, Demo reel, Flash, motion graphics

Are you an incoming first year or transfer student!  Do you have an interest in filmmaking and/or photography?  Don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Registration is now open for the Filmmaking and Photography Pre-Orientation Session, but seats are limited to only 12 participants!  Go to the Forms and Resoruces page, scroll down to Pre-Orientation Forms, print out the Pre-Orientation Registration form, and mail it in today!

Why should you attend this particular workshop?

• You’ll learn a TON of great info about photography and video production
• Classes are taught by award winning staff, including a workshop by Paul and Holly Fine, with 75 regional & 10 national Emmy Awards, 4 Peabody awards.
• We’ll be working individually and as a team to create a film that will be featured before all the pre-orientation sessions at the Prince Theater, as well as be entered into other industry competitions, featured on the WC homepage, WCMC.tv, iTunes U, Youtube, etc.
• You’ll get your hands on high end equipment, both items in our loaner pool, as well as professional gear that we don’t lend out.
• You’ll learn skills that will directly apply many academic assignments during your 4 years here, and may give you an added edge over your classmates.
• You’ll get to meet other like minded people who you’ll surely want to team up with in the future for MPC challenges or independent projects.
• When else during the year can you dedicate 4 solid days to anything without it conflicting with your academic or social calendar?

Tags: Boot Camp, Filmmaking, Paul & Holly Fine, Photography, pre-orientation, workshop

Metacafe.com has teamed up with podcaster Israel Hyman, who has been production Izzy Video podcasts for some time now.  Metacafe has a collection of videos that address many topics, including:

• Directing
• Shooting
• Lighting
• Sound
• Editing

Tags: Izzy Video, podcasts, Tutorials

There’s a ‘film music‘ section on moby.com where independent and non-profit filmmakers, film students, and anyone in need of free music for their independent, non-profit film, video, or short can listen to and request to use original Moby sound tracks at no cost.

The music is free as long as it’s being used in a non-commercial or non-profit film, however if you want to use it in a commercial film or short then you can apply for an easy license, with any money that’s generated being given to the humane society.

Moby has found a nice way to help a cause that is near and dear to him, while also helping film makers for free or cheap. Thanks Moby!

Tags: film, Free, gratis, moby, music, score, soundtrack, Video

Established only 4 months ago, This Week In Photography has quickly climbed to #4 for all Photography podcasts on iTunes. Pro photographers discuss the latest equipment and trends in digital photography. Get a behind the scenes look at the folks who develop the software you use and author the books you read.

Tags: Audio, Photo, Photography Podcast, TWIP

Need to pull a public domain video from YouTube to edit into your next documentary? You can do this and tons of other online and offline conversions with the links found here:

http://shorterlink.com/?V7H7WP

Tags: , conversion, download, transcode, video file converters