The RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) has been a cradle of enlightenment thinking and a force for social progress for over 250 years.

To learn more about the RSA, visit: http://www.thersa.org/

This is a great video plus animation by the RSA Group which discusses motivation and what drives us. A great visual storyboard is presented on a whiteboard to convey the narrators point. Definitely worth a watch.

The moving image has always been likened with magic and mystery, paired with the idea that filmmakers and photographers play tricks on the viewer through manipulation of the image. I love the idea that creating graphics and engineering each frame is the same as a magician carrying out a trick, it is all about creating a feeling through illusion.  Motion graphics and special effects might seem like a recent pursuit of designers and cinematographers but it is surprisingly almost as old as the medium itself. I present to you Exhibit A…

1856 - The first ever example of image manipulation is known as “The two ways of life” by Oscar Rejlander.

Courtsey of http://www.museeniepce.com/

Oscar Rejlander’s ground breaking picture is made up of 32 different negatives, a completely new technique in his time. Today, this would be less then a hours work for a skilled Photoshop designer.  To Oscar Rejlander defense, he was the first and if it wasn’t for the spark of creativity he started, todays image manipulation programs would most undoubtedly be lacking. his Innovations can be attributed to many such as…

George Melies 1861-1936
He was known as one of the first “Cinemagican”  because he created and help develop much of the in-camera tricks used today. Any film lover should know “A trip to the moon”, a great example of Melies ability to use special effects and motion graphics. I believe wikipedia puts it best,

“He was very innovative in the use of special effects. He accidentally discovered the stop trick, or substitution, in 1896, and was one of the first filmmakers to use multiple exposures, time-lapse photography, dissolves, and hand-painted color in his films.”

Courtsey of wikipedia

Could you imagine what film and media would look like today without the advancements in special effects and motion graphics that these founders of Illusion made. In a lot of my work I still use techniques like timelapse photography and the stop trick…

An example I did of the Stop Trick a while back

In-flight entertainment sucks at best.  I’ve always thought it a stretch to call it “entertainment.”  Have no fear, Apple and a company called Bluebox are on the case!

Soon enough we could all be tapping away our flight time with an iPad for entertainment, courtesy of the AIRLINE.  Seriously. How much  better would the whole “travel” experience be if more airlines started offering this as an option?  In fact, it could help turn the air travel industry around.  Well, maybe not, but it would certainly be a good perk in a world of paying for carry-ons, no in-flight meals (not even those salty peanuts, much less the dry turkey sandwich in plastic wrap), and extensive security waits.  I know I would rather fly knowing an iPad was waiting for me.  I saw this on BitRebels.com originally, and the details are on Bluebox Avionics’ website where the company goes on to say:  “It leverages the power, flexibility and quality of the most advanced consumer device ever produced.”

I must admit, I own an iPad and look forward to using it the next time I have to travel.  But for those who don’t already own one, this could be a deal-changer.  The idea that flight attendants could simply pass out iPads so that passengers can stream movies, music, games, and flight information, along with exploring 200,000 other applications, is certainly a bonus.  Imagine the saved weight and cost of all those small LCD’s built into headrests, the delivery hardware, wiring, etc – one can only imagine it being a BARGAIN in the long run.  Apple would sell more iPads, undoubtedly, and content creators will be scurrying to provide in-flight special applications, news, and movies, as well as networked games.  It would be pretty intense to race your fellow passengers in an in-flight networked game of  RealRacingHD on iPads.

According to Bluebox: “The concept is simple: consumer technology has leapfrogged the once state-of-the-art systems produced by the long-established manufacturers, and it is now mature enough to offer an IFE solution that’s more flexible, more powerful and more secure than any proprietary alternatives.”

Coming on an iPad to a flight near you, as soon as this July!

In this post I will be discussing the strong marketing strategy TBWA has created for Absolut Vodka and what makes it successful. Absolut Vodka started in 1879, is produced in Ahus, Sweden and has a long running advertising history spanning different medians to create a strong brand identity. TBWA has managed the Absolut account for almost thirty years and is responsible for the majority of all of their ads, marketing programs and for the brand they are today. TBWA has created over 1500 ads (the majority of those being print) for Absolut and the main idea behind the ads being based around the unique shape of the bottle and usually using some variation of the tagline “Absolut Perfection.”

Website: www.absolut.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2370223690#!/ABSOLUT?ref=ts

The strategy of the brand was to avoid affiliating the product with one particular lifestyle and the ads were to have a timeless yet contemporary theme to them. Absolut Vodka prides its ads in crossing the line between advertising and art using different medians such as paintings, limited edition bottles, shirts, and sculpture. Many famous artists have done work for the company, including Andy Warhol and Keith Harris. TBWA’s branding campaign for Absolut Vodka was listed as one of the top ten campaigns of the twentieth century by Advertising Age and many awards including an Effie and Kelly awards which are possibly the most prestigious awards in the advertising business. Below are examples of some of the more famous advertisements created by TBWA for Absolut Vodka and really illustrates their strategy of targeting a broad audience and not one particular lifestyle.

The following is one of their controversial ads depicting an image of what Mexico controlling the territory the had control of during the Mexica-American War. This was part of the 2007 In An Absolut World campaign in which the company posted various scenarios of what their audience might think a Utopian or “Absolut” reality would be.

The company also hired Actor, stand up comedian Zach Galifinakis along with writers and stars of the Tim and Eric show to write, direct and produce three viral videos called A Vodka Story to expound farther into the online media world. Embedded is the first of the three videos with links to the second and third below it.

AVodka Story Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p0QtJMKt1s

A Vodka story part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EQcvKCFFW4&feature=related

A Vodka story part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx6LAT-FqxU&feature=related

The final piece of media is a little bit more recent marketing move which involved collaborating with Jay-Z on a benefit concert on September 11, 2009 which also coincided with the release of his newest album the blueprint three, which is now officially certified platinum. Just yesterday TBWA released a mini documentary they produced called “NY-Z” which was 15 minutes long and was all about that show. This documentary originally premiered on Abolut’s web page. Here is the video embedded from Absolut’s Youtube page.

You can also find a large collection of their print ads under the Absolut Gallery link at www.AbsolutAds.com.

The past few weeks I have been researching for a major motion graphics piece contracted by one of our clients. After a while I noticed all effective works had a very clear and crafted style, in concept and cinematography. Exhibit A

Every stylistic aspect of motion graphics needs to aid in the feeling and message of the piece. Everything from the muted colors to the split screen shots helped create the mood of wonder and allow the viewer to become more engaged with the piece. It sounds obvious but its  surprising  how little it is used in application. Motion graphics are still riddled with stock images and white backgrounds, not to mention the abuse of gradients and drop shadows.  The main reason for using motion graphics in the first place is because of its amazing ability to convey information visually.

My best bit of advice, When doing research on different styles jot down observations you notice . What is the color scheme? Muted or contrasting? what types of shapes are reoccurring? Are most the shots wide or close? How does the camera move from one point to the other? If you have to go, back and watch an animation frame by frame(it really helps). A great way to create better design is to understand how to look at design better.

I found this on the YouTube blog and thought it was a great reference for some really interesting “how-to” videos on YouTube.  Just goes to show, you can learn almost anything instantly these days if you only know where (or in some cases “how”) to look.

We’re working on screencast tutorials for two clients at the moment, as well as other video projects we’re sure you’ll enjoy.  We’ll keep you posted how those go…you’ll be able to see them on our YouTube Channel here.

Don’t forget that YouTube now supports 1080P HD video, so don’t be afraid – you’ll actually get much better resolution out of YouTube at the moment than you’ll see from any other medium other than Blu-Ray.

Printed from the YouTube blog, originally found here.

From bacon-infused drinks to saving money — what *can’t* you learn on YouTube?

YouTube has become the “Zerox” of online video…nobody says “did you see that new movie about the dog skateboarding on that internet video streaming service” – they just say “check it out on YouTube!” That being said, not all video streaming sites are created equal. In addition to the ubiquitous YouTube.com, there’s Vimeo.com, SmugMug.com, blip.tv, ifilm.com, jumpcut, metacafe, isofa.tv, and countless others who offer video services. Which look best? Which should you use to host your video content? Here’s a quick overview:

Rocket Pop Media studio, with Canon XHA1

Which look the best? Well…with the onslaught of HD content uploading at any given moment it has become clear that video is the medium of choice for most people on the net, in varying degrees of sophistication. The number of cell phone videos posted from frat parties is almost the same as the number of movie trailers, corporate pieces, viral ad campaigns, and video business profiles, and it can be done with almost any type of camera in any location. The quality, however, is just as varying. YouTube and Facebook are the most common social sites to host video, while Facebook is the clear winner for incorporating all your other content seamlessly with your videos. YouTube remains the leader with search engines (maybe Google owning the company has something to do with that?) and for common, easy interface that most people have become familiar with.

In YouTube, to get the most out of your viewing experience, hop on a high-speed internet connection (which most everyone has these days) and make sure you select “HD” or at a minimum “HQ” at the bottom of the video window. This ensures that the video streams at the highest resolution possible. HQ and HD look similar in the small window, but you’ll notice a big difference when viewing HD full-screen. You should see nearly the same quality as Apple’s movie trailer page, one of the benchmarks to be measured against.

HINT: if you have a YouTube account, go to “Playback Setup” in your account settings and select the third choice “I Have a Fast Connection” which basically lets YouTube know to playback videos that you watch while logged in at the highest possible rate! No more hitting the “HQ” button if you’re signed in. You’ll still have to select full screen if you want to view that way, but hey…one less click is one less click.

If you’re using YouTube as your video host and you want to show HD video, then you need to know what kind of file to upload. YouTube says it can handle “tons” of video types, but these settings yield the best quality:

* Video Format: H.264, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 preferred (H.264 yields consistently good quality for smallest size)
* Aspect Ratio: Native aspect ratio without letterboxing (examples: 4:3, 16:9) – all HD content should be 16×9
* Resolution: 1280×720 (16×9 HD), 640×360 (16:9) or 480×360 (4:3) – stick to 1280×720 if you’re shooting in HD!
* Audio Format: MP3 or AAC preferred – they would also prefer 44.1khz sound, not 48.
* Frames per second: 30
* Maximum length: 10 minutes (we recommend 2-3 minutes)
* Maximum file size: 1 GB

HINT: If you’re sending a link to a friend or posting it on a site, here’s a quick tip to make sure the video displays to your recipient in the highest quality possible. Take your link, something like “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjxzjGpOZ4Q” and add “&fmt=22″ to the end, yielding a link like this: “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjxzjGpOZ4Q&fmt=22″ – go ahead, click the different examples and you’ll see that the second one should load in a wide aspect ratio in true 720 HD. The first link shows as either standard or HQ. If you have something that needs to look critically AMAZING on the other end, make sure you add “&fmt=22″. If you use embed codes, note that they’re also using the new 16×9 dimensions.

If you’re uploading to Facebook, they’re a little more cagey about specific information, unless you know where to look on their developer blogs! If you use the exact same specification file as listed above in the YouTube comments, then you are GOLDEN. 1280×720 HD! They have similar limitations: ten minutes, 1 gig file. Once the video is up on Facebook, it becomes EXTREMELY easy to share, pass around, and chat about on Facebook…that’s 200,000,000 (MILLION) users who love to see interesting video.

Now go make a movie! Or I know this company….thanks for riding the rocket!

Cheers,

Scott and the gang at Rocket Pop Media

Rocket Pop Media today announced the hiring of Joshua Jackson to our production staff.  Josh’s experience producing films of his own led to his acceptance and study in VCU’s Kinetic Imaging department, where he has spent the last four years studying motion graphics, film, editing, and post-production excellence.   Josh will be shooting, editing, and concentrating on motion graphics, titling, visual effects, and other post-production magic!  We asked him to write a quick bio:

Josh Jackson, working out some anger issues.

“My name is Joshua Jackson and contrary to popular belief I was neither on Dawson’s Creek or the new TV hit Sci-Fi drama Fringe. I am an Aspiring motions graphic artist and cinematographer. As a senior at Virginia Commonwealth University, I major in Kinetic imaging, a study that revolves around artistic exploration and experimentation of animation, video, and sound. I take great pride in my work and I strive to make each multimedia piece better then that next. I also make a mean chocolate liquor cheesecake.

My master plan is to one day open a movie theater and live the rest of my life watching all the greatest movies in the world.”

We look forward to many years working with Josh on our team here at Rocket Pop Media, and to enjoying his chocolate liquor cheesecake one Friday at happy hour.

Inauguration day, 2009.

I’ve been trying to put my finger on it.  Sure, I know we have a new President in Barack Obama.  I supported him.  I made a few calls here and there, and donated to the campaign.  The inauguration was amazing, from the musical artists on Sunday to his unexpected walk down the parade route with the first lady.  Even more amazing is the general concensus amongst the public to support him and his leadership of the country.   A great statistic was discussed last night on Anderson Cooper and CNN: 68% of Republicans and Independents (just making sure you read that last part!) say that they’d like to support the policies of our new President rather than bar his progress…let’s just hope that the legislature saw the same stat, right?

Protesters steal the show at Bush's 2nd Inauguration

Anyone remember Bush’s 2nd inauguration?  They cut the parade short and actually took DOWN bleachers because they were concerned the route would look empty (which it did).  Protesters stole the show, and Bush’s speach fell flat.  Around that same time Bush told the media that he would not “lead by focus group,” which sent the message “hey, I’m the decider, why should I listen to the general public?”

Fast forward four years:  hope is in the air.  Not a single protest was reported as far as I can tell. On the mall, 2 million or so citizens showed up to see Obama begin his first term.  White, black, hispanic, asian, gay, straight, grandparents, toddlers, rich, poor, Democrats, and Republicans all showed up to support our new leader.  Around 2 million people.  Not counting the thousands that tried but just never made it there.  One thing that was unanimously reported was the tone of the crowd, the vibe, the emotion.  People had a spring in their step and a smile on their face.  Everyone was positive and full of dreams of how THEY can help the new administration.  Almost every interview I saw included people saying:  “I’m here to be part of history and let President Obama know we’re behind him and we’re ready to help”, or something similar.  I watched the broadcast on CNN HD, and the crowd was intensely celebratory and amazing to see on my 1080p HD flatscreen.  It was staggering, in fact.  And it was the most watched television event ever.  No program has been as universally watched as this one.   I can’t imagine the pressure of walking up to that podium to deliver the address, knowing the world’s eyes are upon you.

In our times, government has spiraled out of control and been inflated to the bloated beast that Obama just inherited.  We have to be patient and give him some time to turn this around, but the vast majority of people I encounter are incredibly ready to help.  This is going to be a process of recovery for the country.  Gitmo will be ordered shut down by the end of the week, Stem Cell laws will be loosened by the end of the week, the stimulus package will be approved, as will the remaining cabinet appointees.  I like this man’s work ethic.  I think he worked more the month leading to his inauguration than Bush did all of last year.  Well, maybe not….but it seemed that way.

I’m happy to be ruled by someone who uses words like “hope” and “change” instead of “evil” and “terror”.  Why is that so bad?  Obama knows about the threats to the country, but doesn’t use them as a tool to elicit support for a particular agenda.  I loved the transparency and tone of the campaign.  Frankly, most people seem to be happier, more hopeful individuals with him in office.

Lastly, even Bush seemed relieved to be out from under the microscope after so many years of his life.  I don’t blame him.  I hope he sleeps well at night, very far from influence on American policy.

Another random thought spewn forth from a more hopeful Rocket Pop,

Scott

NIN gives away HD video!

As if we all didn’t get enough presents for Christmakwanzannukah, Trent Reznor serves up servers full of raw, unedited, officially-sanctioned HD concert footage.  Free.

Now this sounds amazing (and it IS), but don’t get too excited if you don’t have HUNDREDS of gigs of free space and a very robust editing system.  And if you’ve got dial-up, well….it would take, by my calculations, approximately….well nevermind, we’ll all be dead by then.  And remember, this is all raw footage, not edited or color corrected.  But for budding editors and enthusiasts, what an amazing gift from an artist who GETS it.  Once friends and fans make you wealthy, give back to the system with free music and concert video.  Seems pretty simple, doesn’t it?

I saw this show in Charlottesville, VA, and I must admit….it was intense and amazing in every way.  I will personally be firing up the old FTP Cyberduck today!

So, go HERE, start your download….then go on vacation so you don’t stare at that progress bar.