DVC5 Official question thread

[Dennis Khaye]

Not really a question but in the sign-up thread for DVC 5 there is a problem with judging 50+ entries. Over at Channel 101 and 102 the upper echelon screen everything that comes in and pick the wheat from the chaff to show to an audience so they can vote on the top five.

What if we reversed it. Let the masses pick their favs, one vote per IP addy that will cut down on the amount of work for the judges.

Just a thought.

[Pete Bauer]

Dylan,

1. Do you want us to send donations to the same Paypal that you used in previous DVC's?

2. How do you want to handle t-shirt requests?

[Dylan Couper]

Pete, I started a registry at the local liquor store for donations. :)

For donations, my Paypal account is: the_klenzer@hotmail.com
Any and all donations are most certainly welcome!
T-shirt info and pictures should be up Sunday.

Dennis, I have a judging scheme in mind to handle all the entries, fear not!

[Robert M Wright]

Is it ok to use WMV? Is there a maximum bitrate limit?

[Dylan Couper]

Basicaly, it is your job to ensure the viewers can see your video. If they can't see it, they won't vote on it. If it is a huge download, they may not want to watch it if on dialup.

I suggest Quicktime, and not the latest version (as not everyone upgrades), offer at least two sizes, maybe a 10 and 20mb size. I usually choose the smallest option to watch, to save time.

[Andrew Todd]

just bored and watching some videos on the dv challenge site. It looks like santa brought you your trip to africa you asked for

[Dylan Couper]

Originally Posted by Andrew Todd

just bored and watching some videos on the dv challenge site. It looks like santa brought you your trip to africa you asked for

Good point! You know, I didn't even think about that.
I wonder how my hovercar is doing...

[Andrew Hood]

So Dylan, when will we know the official closing date? Will that be stated when we get given the theme/twist?
So long as you don't wait till the day before to tell us it's due in (as yourself, or by proxy) - although that would make it a real challenge ;-)

[Sean McHenry]

On the issue of what media type to post. We have been round this bend before but, here's my opinion on it. Some of us who use our PCs to edit cannot use the latest QT Codecs, like h.264. Try to use something simple and generic, like the older formats of windows media or older QT formats. Yes, they are bigger and slower but, if we all can see the videos, we'll all be voting on level playing grounds.

As for why we can't all use the latest codecs, you'll want to re-read some of the threads on that but my Avid squalks - LOUDLY - then dies if I add QT codecs it can't handle, such as in the latest QT versions. Other have some of these codec issues too.

Another hint might be, if you can upload to either lulu.tv or video.download.com, it is converted at their end to a standard wmv or qt streaming format. Download.com takes a week or more to get the uploaded files converted and listed.

Sean McHenry

[Jean-Francois Robichaud]

Dylan, I was wondering... Is animation appropriate for the DVC challenge, or does it need to be a live action movie?

[Dylan Couper]

I needs to be a live action movie, although animation could be used to enhance your storytelling (for example Jeff Sayer's Gardens Of Tomorrow 1&2).

[Sean McHenry]

Oh, oh. I just had a good response for the gentleman who asked about entry fees and such -

It's free to enter - but it will cost your soul to survive it!

Wow. Took me a while to get that response out huh. And what a good tag line for a movie...

"I am the dred pirate Roberts."

Sean McHenry

[Steve Shilson]

Here's a question on a lighter note. . .

How's everyone coming along with their DVC5 shorts? I'm done writing it, and I've got each camera shot I want written out so I make sure to get it. I've watched it in my head several times and it turned out decent, now all I have to do is plug in a firewire from my brain to the computer for capture. . . .wait, it isn't that easy? damn.

[Edward Slonaker]

There is a "How's the Progress" thread running here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=62615

Amazing how many of us are in the same boat. I'm like you, I've got a flurry of "shot lists" running in my head and the images look like keepers. Now, if I can just get those onto the timelines, I'd be set.

I've been keeping my camera and tripod in the trunk of the car waiting for the right opportunity to get some footage of the city. So far, that opportunity hasn't come up.....yet.

[Sean McHenry]

I have come to the conclusion, for the first time in my life that the weather in Columbus, Ohio this time of year is really sucking. We had in the 50s a few days ago, torrential rains and actual flooding this past weekend, I got up today, after driving home with the windows down yesterday, to a lovely blanket of snow...

I think nuclear testing, acid rain, ozone depletion, over population, second hand smoke, crop field run off, mad cow disease, bird flu and vice presidents with guns are some how to blame. I don't remember it being like this when I was a kid.

So, if it doesn't rain frogs this weekend, I hope to put words to tape.

Back to your regularly scheduled programs.

Sean McHenry