Too Much Information!!!

eyethoughtso wrote on 6/18/2006, 11:48 AM

Hi Everybody,
I've been reading the searches, forums, and ads. It's just too much information!!! I'm not sure which parts to use and which parts to leave out.

Maybe we can try this in one topic. Please help.

I want to make a video that I can e-mail to my boss's boss about the warehouse training video he authorized. (I know: Training videos; it’s not sexy, but its work.)
Then I can have the glory and pats on the back, cuz Jeff came through with a new training video that we can all benefit from for years to come. This will be legendary!

Please Help me with the steps.
Once I finish the timeline on Vegas I want to make a small file that I can email to my boss's boss who has been anxiously waiting by his computer terminal forsaking all appointments and phone calls. (maybe not)

In order to do that I need to render it down as an mpeg-2 file, and email it, Yes? “Jeff, you are a genius can you come up to my office and try one of my new cigars” or, No, “We couldn't get this file load and it took forever to figure out. Jeff, can you just put it on a CD and give to your supervisor, who can give it to me next time he remembers to steal your credit and hard work.”

I've read in the forums about flash files being clearer. I downloaded the Swishmax trial to make my video a flash file. But I think that's more for titles. Yes?, “That was a great preview, let’s go ahead and make a full version and maybe you can have a look at the inventory training video.” Or, No? “That wasn’t what we had in mind, we need something more clear, could you close the door on your way out.”

I can import my Vegas timeline into Swishmax to make a flash file. Yes? How? Or No?

This will be sufficient to make a flashvideo from Vegas. Yes? No?

I make an mpeg file and convert it to a flash file with Sorensen. Yes?, “Get Jeff up here and ask him if he would be willing to hold down the fort while I’m on vacation” or, No, “Is that guy that asked me about something still waiting in the office.”

OR

Should I try to learn about streaming video? We’re on the same network. Is that harder to do?

Lighting, Pictures, and making the DVDs I know how to do. The other stuff I’m learning slowly.

Any help on this would be of great value to me and would also put you all in line for blessing from the Big Guy upstairs.

Thanks,
Jeff

Comments

jrazz wrote on 6/18/2006, 12:01 PM

Make a wmv file- they are smaller than what you will get from swishvideo2 (which is what you would use to encode to .swf).
I don't know how long your file is or if there is a lot of movement, but generally speaking, you can do one at animation size and do a double pass encode to ensure that you squeeze a lot out of it. sorensen squeeze can make the file size even smaller and still hold the quality, but you will need to pay extra for this.
I bought the swishvideo2 along with swishmax and another program in a package deal, but I have since given up on the swishvideo2 when it comes to getting a small file size. Unless you have the on2 encoder, your results will be a lot bigger than the wmv file size.

Why not just upload the file to a share drive and email him the link to the wmv file?

j razz

johnmeyer wrote on 6/18/2006, 12:34 PM

Render as a WMV, using variable bitrate set to 256K.

eyethoughtso wrote on 6/18/2006, 5:55 PM

Thanks j razz,
I know that they just put a share drive in there for my dept; great idea. I just need to learn ho w to make a link to that file. I'll ask the tech guy.
Thanks john. Every little bit helps.

Should I explore the on2 instead of the Sorenson?

any other suggestions?

Jeff

Jay Gladwell wrote on 6/18/2006, 6:42 PM

As the others have said, your best bet is to make .wmv files. You won't get a better looking video in a smaller file size.

daryl wrote on 6/19/2006, 11:31 AM

A bit more detail...A while back this topic came up, someone (sorry , don't remembert who) posted a setup for the wmv. I made a copy of this setup and have used it a lot, its works GREAT.

Try Windows Media Video (.wmv). The 256Kbps template will make 320x240 files at about 10MB/minute.

I would suggest a few tweaks. Click Custom, and under the Video tab change the mode to Bit rate VBR (Peak) to get two-pass encoding. The default frame rate is 30, but this should match your video so change it to 29.97. Better yet, if you don't have a lot of motion change it to 14.985. You'll have fewer frames, but each one can get twice a many bits for more sharpness.

eyethoughtso wrote on 6/19/2006, 3:54 PM

Thanks daryl,
But it's still a big file to try and email. No?

It's a three minute preview. Most email is taking 2-3 MBs without complications. After that ,files are too big to email.

If we're on the same network how do I make a link?

Jay Gladwell wrote on 6/19/2006, 7:42 PM

E-mail is not the way to go. As you've recognized, the best approach is to host the file on a web site and provide a link to the site.

Do you have any html experience? If so, creating a link is simple. Even if you don't, uploading a file and creating a link is very easy.

Go here and then click on "View" in your browser's menu bar. Then select "Source" and you will be able to "see" the html code used for creating the link to the video files.

Hope this helps.

jrazz wrote on 6/19/2006, 8:02 PM

If you have a networked drive in your office that all people (or just you and your boss's boss) can share- save it there and copy the address from your windows explorer address bar and paste it into an email so all he should have to do is click on it or at worse, copy and paste it into his windows address bar.

j razz

eyethoughtso wrote on 6/19/2006, 9:04 PM

Jay those are clear videos. I see that they are mov files. I want my videos to be that clear. I'll try that.

J RAZZ, when I try and open the video from the share drive, it responds choppy and slow. I think that because its going from one side of town to the other. When I load it to my docs and view it, it is clear smooth and professional. That's why I was thinking about Emailing it. I tried giving it to my boss on a DVD but his computer didn't take it. I put it on a CD as an avi file but not all programs can open it. I saved it as an avi file and its way to big to send. It's full size and looks great. So I am sacrificing (did I spell that right?) size for delivery.

I just need to learn how to make links. I guess. any other suggestions? anyone?

jrazz wrote on 6/20/2006, 5:32 AM

Instead of adding the name of the file to the link, just give him everything but that. For instance: K:\Homer\Notes\Portfolio This would leave off the file name that would be something like: K:\Homer\Notes\Portfolio\MVPGuy_Training.wmv

In effect it would just open up the folder and then you would tell him to right click and save MVPGuy_Training.wmv. Once he saves it, it will be fluid and smooth.

j razz

Bobpin wrote on 6/20/2006, 7:13 AM

Jay,

This is the URL for those movies.

http://sony.com.au/articles/article.jsp?categoryId=23808&articleId=3500

Bob

Jay Gladwell wrote on 6/20/2006, 7:54 AM

Thanks, Bob!

eyethoughtso wrote on 6/20/2006, 8:27 PM

thanks J RAZZ. Thanks everybody