Feltpad

Video is one of most powerful tools to share your message, but producing a video can be a pricey undertaking for a small business. On the low-end, if you’re lucky, you might have a professional friend who could get a video shot and edited for $2,500 – not counting paying actors, renting physical space, and wardrobe. Even “cheap” services like Epipheo or MotionCrafter will set you back a minimum of $4,000.

The alternative that Feltpad chose was to produce a video using an old version of iMovie, free software programs Gimp for image editing and Audacity for audio, and stock photos from Fotolia. The total cost of the video was $55 for the photos plus approximately 7 hours of development and experimenting time – but you also gain some knowledge along the way.

Here’s the result:

While it might not be as pretty as a video with a $5,000+ budget, it gets the job done for whole lot less money.

Here are the general steps that we took to produce the video:
1. Layout a basic storyboard on paper
2. Simplify the storyboard, think about what you want the images to look like
3. Write a script
4. Start looking for images on Fotolia
5. Take your time and pick the right photos
6. Revise your script
7. Use Gimp to edit the photos as needed
8. Drop the photos into iMovie, add transitions, etc
9. Record your voiceovers using Audacity
10. Use Audicity’s “Noise Reduction” tool
11. Export your audio files
12. Import your audio files to iMovie
13. Rework the timing of your video in iMovie
14. Export and upload to YouTube

There is a lot going on around Feltpad, but not a whole lot to share publicly at the moment. Working on several new projects and some exciting prospects.

In the meantime, here is what’s been inspiring action:

Bootstrapper’s Breakfast
I attended the Bootstrapper’s Breakfast event on Wednesday. There was a good number of people there and we split into tables of 6-8 people. It was good to see a mix of different industries and share ideas. I would recommend this event to any small business.

Electronic Visualization Laboratory
This week, the Electronic Visualization Laboratory at UIC hosted their monthly demos event where they showcased work being done by Masters and PHD students. I got to see their over-sized touch screen displays, some head tracking and 3D developments, and some medical imaging software. They are running a pretty cool operation and I will definitely be visiting again in the future.

Pumping Station: One
Also this week, I made my first hackerspace visit to Chicago’s Pumping Station: One. Pumping Station: One is a hackerspace where people come together to learn new skills, hack, and build. After getting a tour of their facility (meeting room, electronics area, 3D printers, woodshop, classroom) we attended the formal meeting and then had time to socialize. I will make it a goal to attend an Arch Reactor meeting during my time in St. Louis.

Video Interaction
Continued testing some ideas around video interaction using Processing.org, this time getting into color detection & tracking. Found this video from the awesome James Alliban. I was happy to use the sample code he provided to create the same for myself. We are now developing some ideas for interactive art / video / sound installations.

Other Stuff
Check out this incredible water projection show put on by Michael Jordan’s shoe brand to celebrate the release of Carmelo Anthony’s new shoe and his arrival in New York. I especially like the explosions used to spray water when he jumps in & out of the river.

Drink Deck
The Drink Deck Chicago iPhone App. Has been released. Drink Deck Portland and Drink Deck New Orleans will be released soon.

Willy Wonka Presented in 4D WonkaVision
Our outdoor showing of Willy Wonka (1971) in 4D WonkaVision / Smell-o-Vision went off very well. We had 15 people in attendance and they enjoyed their interactive experience with candy – and a few other surprises. If you would like some pointers on holding your own WonkaVision experience, including a timeline of interactivities, feel free to contact us at Contact@Feltpad.net

Arduino
I haven’t done much with the Arduino lately, been waiting for a fun project to strike. In the meantime I found this cool idea. Apparently bike sharing is big in London and there is a datafeed that will tell you how many bikes are currently at a selected bike station. This Arduino project shows which bike stations currently have 5+ bikes available, so you know where to go get your bike.

Video Interaction
Using the Processing.org programming language, I have created an application that uses a video feed and allows the user to interact with an object on the screen.