PLEASE NOTE that we will not be meeting at the IKE Box.
See below for more information.

Keeping It Real. Simple.
Market yourself and/or your business online by building (or building on) real relationships through the interwebs.

Description: Come and learn how to market you and/or your business online by building real relationships with your sphere of influence. Networking and marketing online can become overwhelming when you look at all the avenues that are now available. When it comes down creating a positive ROI (return on investment) for your time spent online it comes down to two things: being real and keeping it simple.

Conrad will share his experience from two perspectives: as a residential loan officer at Landmark Mortgage and as a grassroots marketer for Venti’s Cafe and Basement Bar.

Conrad Venti is a 26 year old dude with a beautiful wife, 2 year old boy/girl twins and a newborn little girl. Born in LA, migrated to Keizer at age 3, Conrad has spent nearly his whole life in the amazing Willamette Valley. When he’s not running with his twins he can be found helping people finance residential real estate in the Valley or creating buzz for his uncle Dino’s restaurant. Outside of spreading the word on Facebook and Twitter, Conrad enjoys sparking conversations with peeps about food, ministry, running and involvement in our community.

Visit Conrad’s Website
Follow Conrad on Twitter

NOTE: We have moved this month’s meeting to the West Salem Library’s Meeting Room located at 395 Glen Creek Road NW in West Salem on Monday, November 15, 2010 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Free sodas and water will be available and drinks are allowed in the room. You can get directions from the City of Salem’s website by clicking here.

Description

By the end of the session you will be on your way to being a cyber detective tracking what anyone and everyone thinks of you and your business.

Join us at the Ike Box at 6:30pm on April 5th.

Drawing Conclusions

Description: Discover the power of the doodle by learning how anyone can develop and facilitate a good creative habit by becoming an avid drawer.

Von is principal of Glitschka Studios and has worked in the communication arts industry for over 23 years. His work reflects the symbiotic relationship between design and illustration. This duality of skills within his own creative arsenal, inspired him to coin the phrase and title of “Illustrative Designer.”

Follow Von on Twitter

1. GOOGLE CHROME

Google Chrome is amazing. It’s the fastest, most reliable internet browser in my opinion. Though it doesn’t have quite the extension amount of plug-in integration as Firefox, it is definitely on its way to dominating the browser scene.

Some of the benefits of Chrome are:

SPEED: I’ve noticed that Chrome is unmatched when it comes to browser speed and almost twice as fast as Mozilla Firefox.

USER INTERFACE: Chrome, like Opera, has integrated a Most Visited Bookmarks section on what they call the New Tab page. This has some great features, such as: the ability to move the thumbnails around, delete pages, or to permanently keep a bookmark on the homepage. There are also several options to customize Chrome to suit your needs.

SYNC BOOKMARKS: The ability to sync the same set of bookmarks on multiple computers. When you enable sync, your bookmarks will get stored online in your Google Account. Each additional computer on which you enable sync will receive the same bookmarks.

EXTENSIONS: Just like Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, Chrome has an abundance of open-source extensions (add-ons) for the browser. Some of which can be very helpful to our everyday web experience. As an example, here are a few helpful extensions:

• Send from Gmail (Extension)
- Get rid of Outlook once and for all. With the “Send to Gmail” extension for Google Chrome, you’ll be able to click on any email address on any webpage and send an email directly from your Gmail account – bypassing that pesky little program called Outlook.

Side note: Google has some great ways to integrate your old Outlook email and Outlook Calendar accounts into Google apps. I recommend using one of these methods.

Google Email Uploader: Email Uploader is a desktop app that will help you move your existing email (including old saved mail) to Gmail. Though it takes a small bit of time connecting to the different email servers, it’s an easy process that anyone could do on their own.

If you’d like to transfer your old Outlook calendar to Google Calendar, here are links to a few tutorials to accomplish that as well. Please click here or click here.

Here are a few more example extensions that Google Chrome offers:

• Google Calendar Checker (Extension)
- But since we’re talking about Google Calendar, Chrome also has an extension for that called Google Calendar Checker. It displays a small button in Chrome so that you can quickly see the time until your next meeting. Click the button to open your calendar.

• Firebug Lite for Chrome (Extension)
- For my web developer / designer friends, here is an extension that started as Firefox development tool but has been converted to fit into Chrome. By default, Chrome has some basic editing developer tools, but if you are used to using Firebug, like myself, then there are several great extensions to suit your needs.

• Google Wave Notifier (Extension)
- After you’ve figured out what Google Wave is all about, you’ll be able to see just how many unread Waves you have. This is a great little extension for Wave users. We’ll get back to Google Wave in just a moment.

So, there are plenty of benefits from using Google Chrome. It’s the third most popular browser and is only a year and a half old. The creative team behind Chrome and due to its open-source platform, it’s only bound to get better and better as the years go by.

2. GOOGLE WAVE

What happens when Email and Instant Messaging have a baby? You get Google Wave. This new tool from Google has been referred to as “what email would look like if it were invented today”. Google Wave offers live collaboration, media sharing, and tons of useful widgets. Wave is best suited for those in collaborative environments.

You can request an invite to Google Wave from Google, or if you’re really nice and leave a comment we’ll send one to you (be sure to leave your email).

3. GOOGLE VOICE LOCAL SEARCH (GOOG-411)

GOOG-411 is often a gem that gets overlooked. 411 services, a feature that usually costs $1.50 per call, is something that a lot of people use. Why not take advantage of this valuable tool that Google has made available, especially since it’s free.

Don’t take my word for it. Here’s a video.

Save the 1-800 number in your phone and use it as much as you want. If you have kids with cell phones, save it in their phone as well, then disable the standard 411 feature by calling your provider. It’s a great way to save a ton of money, especially if you tend to use it as much as I do.

4. GOOGLE SMS

In addition to GOOG-411, Google offers a free SMS search query service. Just type in a query (example: pizza 97301) to 466453 (Google) and Google will send back a list, sometimes 2 or 3 messages, with the closest results in your area. There is no change for this feature, but data rates may apply.

5. GOOGLE’S NOTABLE MENTIONS

• Google Mobile
- It’s evident that mobile devices and applications are increasing by the number and it’s also evident that the overwhelming popularity of having access to things such as email and the internet on your handheld device is ensuring it’s long and successful future. Google Mobile has tapped into this platform and has implemented some great features for those who use SmartPhones. Some of these features include: Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps. You can access these through their mobile site, or download the applications directly on your phone.

• Google Googles
- “Google Goggles” is an object recognition application that is currently running in beta. You take a picture from your cell phone and iti runs through their image recognition backend and they send you the result. The downside is that Google currently is only supporting it on phones that run Android 1.6+. This is a feature I would love to see become available on more platforms.

• Google Docs
- I won’t spend a lot of time on Google Docs but I will say that it’s incredible. Currently they are implementing the option to upload and store documents, up to 1gb for free, with the ability to access them from anyway. You’ll be able to purchase more space if desired, but it’s not necessary.

• Google Moderator
- Just like the name, Moderator is a platform for getting a discussion started, allowing feedback, questions and suggestions from your audience. This would specifically be helpful for events or groups such as Salem Tribe, churches, or businesses wanting input from clients or attendees.

• Google Reader
- Google Reader is an online feed reader, allowing you to keep track of all the websites/blogs that you follow. Google Reader is also available as a gadget extension for Google Desktop, so Desktop would need to be installed to run this gadget.

• Picasa
- Picasa is Google’s version of a photo viewer and editor. Though I’ve never personally used Picasa, I have heard that some of the features are second to none, especially the feature which allows you to short and edit images based on facial recognition.

• Knol
- Knol is a Google project that includes user-generated articles on different topics. Anyone can sign in and share their knowledge on any particular topic and others can comment and share their thoughts. Some people say that it’s Google way of competing with Wikipedia, but unlike Wikipedia, Knol cannot be changed by anyone but the original author. Knol is a tool for finding user opinions but, to me, it needs a little more refining in order to compete with Wikipedia.

• Google Trends
- Google has a neat little search option that allows you to tracks modern search trends. There seem to be several reasons why people use trends but the most common, to me, has been for the benefit of their own blog. Track the trends and blog about things that people are searching for should help attract new readers to your blog.

6. HOW TO GET MORE OUT OF GOOGLE SEARCH

Google Search is the most popular and efficient search engine out today and it’s only getting better. There are a lot of hidden features inside Google Search that you might find highly useful. Here are a few:

• Search for Specific File Types
If you’re looking for a specific file type, like PDF or DOC, all you need to do is type in your search word and after that type in “ext:” and the type of extension you’re wanting. For example:

photography ext:pdf

You can also achieve the same results when searching Google Images:

hello ext:png

• Search for Word Definitions
Google Dictionary is another great application. You can visit the site directly or you can find the definition of any word simply by typing “define:” directly into the search window.

define: avatar

• Find the Time for Any Location Worldwide
Say that you’re friend is vacationing in Italy or your cousin is serving in Iraq. Find the time instantly through Google search by adding the word “time” before a specific location.

time Salem Oregon

• Find the Weather of Any Location Worldwide
Just like finding the time, you can also search for weather for any specific location.

weather Salem Ma

• Calculate Using Your Browser
There’s also no need for you to open up your calculator program anymore. Just type your equation into Google Search (or in the address bar if you are using Chrome) and they calculate your equation on the spot.

View these websites for more tips and tricks. Click here or click here.

A bit about video:

What’s so alluring about video? Video has a one up over fixed media because it has movement. Movement draws attention, and causes you to focus on it. On a static webpage, video stands out because it’s moving. In the mall, video kiosks stand out because it’s moving images set against a fixed background.

So Video has a 1up on static media.

Possible applications for video:

• Realtors – a 30 second sweeping home tour in place of set photos
• Restaurants – patron interviews, or weekly menu blurbs.
• Wineries – see Gary Vaynerchuck, Wine Library TV, do local wine reviews, get local chefs in to recommend what to go with meals
• Schools – School Newspaper is out – Video Reporting IN! Get kids involved with video journalism
• Local News – Report on local events like First Wednesday, Salem Art Fair, Film Festival, etc
• Churches – Video Announcements to replace the classic paper Church Bulletin
• Bloggers – a gained level of transparency and something to switch things up from just text, video product reviews, soapbox tirades?

Video is relatively easy and cheap to produce for low end consumers BUT because of that accessibility, that means it’s also easy to do REALLY BADLY.

Hopefully I’ll be able to give you some tips on how to avoid that

OK, So How The Heck Do I Get Into Video?

Basics that you need to produce your own video:

1. A Computer
2. A Camera
3. A Software

From there it just goes up, and then you start considering how to augment your productions with better audio, better camera, lighting pieces, etc.

Computer Hardware

Today, a basic $300 off the shelf computer will get you started in basic video editing. Once you start considering multiple video streams, extra audio and sounds and effects, you start taxing the computers resources. In general, faster is better – a faster processor, lots of RAM, fast hard drives, and a dedicated video card are all things that contribute to a better editing experience.

Cameras (types)

DV Cameras

These are the first gen, tried and true cameras, typically take either MiniDV tape , DVD, or have an internal Hard Disk.

Typically start at about $200 and go up from there, all the way up to $2k HD models.

Pros: DV cameras can be really decent, capturing high quality uncompressed DV footage in SD and HD, have decent optics even in low end cameras, and image stabilization – usually no conversion codec needed to begin editing right out of the box.

Cons: Tape models require 1:1 capture time; an hour of footage takes an hour to capture, and lots of hard drive space (13GB / 1 hour of tape for standard DV, more for HD) DV tape $12 for a 4 pack, size is usually a factor; even the smallest ones barely fit in a guys cargo pants, everything else pretty much need a camera bag of some sort. Because they have so many mechanical parts, they tend to suck on the battery pretty hard, a secondary and tertiary battery purchase is usually a necessity.

Personal note (opinion) AVOID DVD/Hard Drive models. Notoriously hard to capture to your computer and then edit. ALL kinds of headaches with codecs. You WILL be sorry.

Flash Video Devices

Flip Cam, Kodak Zi8, Creative VadoHD, Point-and-Shoot cameras. Either recording to internal flash memory, or removable media.

Start at about $100.

Pros: – small size for pockets and purses, generally long battery life, usually good storage capacity, quick start up, VGA/720p/1080p shooting modes.

Cons: – usually fixed storage – when it’s full, you have to pull footage off to record more. Generally poor low light response, poor image stabilization, fixed focus, no AE Lock Mp4 codec harder on system

DSLR

Canon T1i, Canon 5D MkII, Canon 7D, Nikon D90

Pros – Shoot in VGA/720/1080p – SLR lenses – manual focus, exposure, AE lock, framerates – audio input

Cons – start at $700 go up to $2500 – bad audio – need external mic

Video Example 1, Video Example 2

iPhone/iPod

Pros – Decent video/audio, internet connectivity for publishing – live streaming

Owle augmentation (Optical Widgets For Life Enhancement)

Software Needs

The major differences with the following software packages are the professional color correction tools and output options

Vegas / Pro - $80 – $600 -

Premiere / Pro – $80 – $800 – major differences are the professional color correction tools and output options

FCxP / FCP – $199 – $999 – major differences are the professional color correction tools and output options

What’s your goal, what’s your delivery target?

I Gots The Goods – Now What?

Shooting Tips

• Pre-production – Saves Yourself An Editing Nightmare – script and storyboard your piece, no matter how long or short or it is.
• Lighting – Decent Lighting On The Cheap AKA Target and Lowes Are Your Friends – Sources for cheap lighting
  • Target lighting examples:
    Consider Professional Lighting as well, Soft Boxes, Deflectors. A really good resource – Movie Light Photography by Rick Lord (lives here in Salem) http://movielightphotography.com/
• Audio – Mic close, be aware of ambient noise levels. Consider recording with an external mic and or Flash recorder. Examples:
• Stability – Make sure you have a stable image! Use a tripod, or Gorillapod if you’re in odd situations.
• Framing – Take the time to frame your shots, pick interesting locations. Consider the depth of field capabilities of your recording device.

Editing Tips

Check out this video. We’ll break down the elements here that make this a good video.

• The Bumper: The content producer had done their work and created a nice bumper for the front and tail of this web series. It provides a sense of branding to the content, and it’s consistent from episode to episode. This is something that you can design, or pay to have someone design for you, and you can just drop it in every time you put a new piece together.
• Titling: You’ll notice throughout the video, the text titling. Most editors come with some basic, easy to use titling tools. A title has the same properties of a piece of footage, so you can do animations and transitions to those as well.
• Lower Third: When you see interviews, you’ll often see a little bubble animation pop up with a title revealing the person being interviewed. This is called a lower third, because it’s typically used on the lower third part of the screen. Even basic lower thirds can be made easily by creating a graphic, importing it, and animating it in with text over the top. There are many sites out there where you can buy pre-made lower thirds that you can simply drop into your video piece.
• Music: When you use music, be sure that it’s royalty free (or you have a proof of licensing a commercial work) Unlicensed Music = BAD. You’ll either get called on it, or in the case of YouTube, it’ll actually just strip the audio out of your video. Filed under:NO FUN.
• Audio: Watch your levels. Find a balance between all of your audio sources. Keep things loud without clipping the main output.

What do I do with it now?

Delivery Formats

Websites want you to give them a high quality compressed file, and most editing software will give you a range of output options. I recommend a high quality Windows Media file, or Quicktime/MP4 – H.264 file. If you’re wanting to show HD, you’ll need to output the videos as 720p/1080p

Online Publishing Services

YouTube: Lots of junk on YouTube, but lots of good exposure, easy sharing tools, and the possibility of income generating affiliate marketing.
Vimeo: has a really great art community, but they frown upon commercial work. Their video presentation looks better than YouTube.