That NEW Black Magic has me in its spell...

Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera

Even though I consider myself an imagery gal, I don't consider myself an expert when it comes to tech.  That's where I lean on the expertise of editors and engineers I trust.  The good thing about being tech agnostic (or tech ignorant or tech naive), is when something comes along that is so undeniably superior and CHEAP too, it'll get my attention, no matter what brand.

My mind was blown recently by the NAB announcement of a new low-cost camera with enough firepower to put a whole lotta camera snobs out of business.  

These four things alone impressed:
1. Records 1080HD resolution ProRes 422 (HQ) files direct to fast SD cards, so you can immediately edit or color correct your media on your laptop.
2.  It captures a super wide dynamic range of 13 stops.
3.  Flexible lens mounts for superior glass, or easy adapters.
4.  All those connections for audio monitoring, mic, charging, and remote operations.

WOW.  And did I mention it was cheap?  So cheap in the scheme of business, it's not even worth talking about how much it costs ($995).  Makes me want to get one, and put it to use!

Shipping in July.

You can learn more about it here:  Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera

SWISS-MISS and SXSW

Credit: Extreme Airshots

Three of my colleagues attended SXSW (the South By Southwest Conference) in Austin last week. Meanwhile, I experienced SXSW at a distance via twitter and facebook.

My colleagues returned yesterday, brimming with inspiration and enthusiasm from the experience of meeting and mixing with everyone who shares interests in Music, Film, Interactive with a heavy dose of technology.

One of my colleagues suggested I watch this:
Click here for inspiration from SWISS-MISS at SXSW.

"Swiss-Miss? What the heck?!" I know, I thought the same thing.  She is a "Swiss designer gone NYC." And indeed, I found inspiration in watching this woman who appeared to be a regular wife and mother, give a keynote address, sharing her 11 Rules and Values to Live By.  No ordinary woman, she has accomplished much, forged new ground, demonstrated sustained creative innovation...all while incorporating her personal life and relationships (yes, even her young children) into what she does.

My favorite of the 11 Rules?
1.  Invest your life in what you love.
8.  Ignore haters.

See if any or all the life suggestions she makes resonate with you...something to ponder over a cup of hot chocolate. 

GoPro or GoHome

(Eric Millette for Forbes)

I really liked this Forbes story about Nick Woodman, UCSD alumnus, who is CEO of GoPro.
The secret to his startup success?  Summed up in these 5 principles.  Nothing surprising, but good reminders...to never, ever, ever give up.
1.  Follow your passions.
2.  Fear failure.
3.  Obsess over your product.
4.  Learn to sell.
5.  Evolve or die.
After a couple of flops (important lessons learned), he's found success with GoPro, which merged his personal passion for surfing/extreme sports with gagetry and geekdom. Voila...GoPro.

His hard-earned breakthrough product: "By 2010, the company had its first HD camera. Today, the company’s top-of-the-line $400 Hero3 Black edition has 12-megapixel photo capability and 1080p video at 60 frames per second."

Found the niche based on how he liked to spend his time, and then re-trenched to the extent that he moved back in with his parents and lived out of a Volkswagen bus for a period of time.

As for me, I like that Big Billionaire (with a really BIG capital B) idea, but I know I won't be living out of my car to make it happen.

Enjoy the full article here:  Forbes Article about GoPro and Nick Woodman

TimeLine Evolution of GoPro:  From 35mm to HD

Second Screen a Screaming Success

Opportunity is knocking!  Entrepreneur explains "Why the 'Second Screen' Industry is Set to Explode."  At home, more and more multi-taskers are using multi-media to multi-view and engage in more ways than ever with brands that know how to tell their stories across platforms.
Click here:  Check it. The Entrepreneur "Second Screen" article.

Budgets and Beltway Bandit Bummers

Today I attended a luncheon in San Diego, where my favorite line from the keynote speaker was, "FLAT IS THE NEW UP." It's been bad news for a lot of the defense sector recently.  But amidst all the talk about fiscal cliffs, sequestration, furloughs, and continuing resolutions...there seems to be some optimism.  For those companies that can find and exploit innovation and discovery, and can nimbly adjust to the demands, twists, and turns of the market...I believe there is unprecedented opportunity.  I choose to see it as a challenge, and I hope to help guide clients through the uncertainty of this environment...to find success.

HD Video Quality at HALF the bandwidth--I'm in!

H265 video codec (compression/decompression) promises HD video at half the bandwidth, which is changing EVERYTHING about online video and video conferencing...I saw a cool video today by Cisco, after talking with someone from a company called Vidyo.  Amazing stuff, happening now.  Here's where you can find out more:

H265 demo from just four months ago...click on this link to view: Cisco H265 demo.

The Internet of Everything...click here to view:  Today is that future.

Check out what Vidyo is doing here:  Yo, Vidyo, what's up?

Content is (still) king

Since my work world is all about creative content, I'm encouraged by the anticipated growth in this area.  B2B Online's article "Mobile apps, social integration, content are key trends" is increasingly relevant...and of course, VIDEO is becoming  a key part of the content mix.

"A recent study by the Content Marketing Institute found that, on average, 26% of the total b2b marketing budget is now dedicated to content marketing, and that figure is expected to increase this year.  The study, based on an online survey of 1,092 b2b marketers conducted in August, found that more than 60% plan to increase their content marketing budgets this year...  To develop all this content, marketers are relying on their own marketing departments, as well as agency partners and freelancers.  Tom Haas, CMO at Siemens Corp., said one of his top marketing priorities this year is “content integration.” “Specifically, how we can integrate content across different platforms, particularly online and offline. That's very important to us.”  At Intel Corp., the marketing organization now has an editorial calendar that it uses to plan and develop content across all its marketing channels, from advertising to social media."

The full link is here: BtoB Online: Mobile Apps, Social Integration, & Content are key.