IMatch 5 Video Test

[jch2103]

There's been some discussion on this board about IMatch videos. Mario thinks it would be a good idea, but of course he's more than busy getting the product ready to go out the door, so this is something that would need to be done by users.

So, I decided to try making a test video introduction to IMatch 5. After some research, I decided to use the free CamStudio 2.7 http://camstudio.org/ to do the video capture, using the settings described here: http://camstudio.org/forum/discussion/1138/settings-for-high-quality-and-small-filesize
I made the assumption that 720p would be the best trade-off for size/quality. These settings work fine for YouTube and Smugmug uploads. (Video settings are really quite overwhelming and confusing, with lots of choices, some/many of which don't work well for a screen capture project. CamStudio is kind of clunky, with settings scattered on several configuration pages, but the above settings do work and the price is right! I can provide additional insights on setup if anyone's interested.)

I created a script with the free Celtx desktop script-writing program https://www.celtx.com/index.html, basing the script largely on IMatch Help. (Celtx also has paid and on-line versions, but that seemed overkill for something like this.) I've attached a copy of the Celtx-format script and a PDF version. The script helps the narrator keep track, and also turns out to be useful for creating closed captioning in YouTube.

I used my test IMatch database, but perhaps ideally videos should use a standard 'official' sample database.

I posted the test video to YouTube as an 'unlisted' video at this link: http://youtu.be/LC3APmK1SV0
Unlisted means only people who have the link to the video can view it. You don't need to have a Google account to see the video (unlike 'private' videos, which would be another option). The link can be shared, but for now I expect Mario would prefer to keep this within the IMatch community.

I used YouTube partly because of the price ($0) but also because it lets you create captions for the video (click the CC button), which Google can translate into other languages (I haven't tested this). Once you upload a video, you have the option to hand-type time-based captions or upload a transcript that Google processes to sync with the video for captions. Mario has suggested that perhaps a YouTube channel could be created in the future, but I haven't looked into what that would involve.

Next steps

What do you all think? Comments and suggestions? Is this something the user community should pursue? Any volunteers?

I plan to do another video, on Categories, in the next few days; I'll post a link here when I do.

If more videos are a good idea, what ideas do folks have for them? Some ideas have been suggested already, but at least outline-level scripts would be needed to make sure presentations cover all the (suggested) bases. A couple of ideas:

- Workflow video. Several users have suggested that having an example IMatch workflow would be valuable. It could start with initial image ingestion through raw file development and image storage organization. This video would require a sample (and simple) workflow on which to base a script and ideally would use a standard test database.
- Working with @Keywords to organize images and other file types.

John



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[Gerd]

Hi John,

GREAT!!!

Regards
Gerd

[sinus]

- Workflow video. Several users have suggested that having an example IMatch workflow would be valuable. It could start with initial image ingestion through raw file development and image storage organization. This video would require a sample (and simple) workflow on which to base a script and ideally would use a standard test database.
- Working with @Keywords to organize images and other file types.

John

Hi John
Thanks for this, it is a very good thing, such a video, and you did it! A nice voice, BTW 

I would be interested in workflows mostly. To be honest, since I have also Premiere Pro, and there are a lot of videos, I have some troubles to benefit really a lot of videos. This might be because I do not understand very well English (German speaking is much more rare) and it takes time. If I have a good! pdf and a good video, I would always prefer the pdf.
But I think, nowadays we can use several way of communications, hence videos are a good way!

thanks for your effort and the good explanations in the post (helpful) and in the video itself.

[cytochrome]

Hello,

Looks good and sounds good -as Sinus remarked-. For an open public video it lacks some examples: when you speak about the builder, why not do some clicks and say lets find all pix from 2010 with Anna and taken with the 70-300mm. it would show in real time how fast simple and well it works. Idem for 1-2 collection: show the file window reorganizing in real time to group these and those images.

And of course several videos (=chapters) exemplifying matadata panel, how automatic it is (when it works  ), versions (idem for the automatic propagation of metadata, category assignment...). And so on.

I don't volunteer, although my french accent  would give it the funny touch...

Francis

[jch2103]

Thanks, all. I'll try to incorporate suggestions in the next iteration.

A question: Does the CC button in YouTube provide useful translations of the transcript, especially for non-native-English speakers? Are there issues with the translation?

John

[sinus]

I don't volunteer, although my french accent  would give it the funny touch...

Francis

That would be to see  at least in German - as you know - is a French accent very interesting and, ähm, as some people says, quite sexy 

[sinus]

Thanks, all. I'll try to incorporate suggestions in the next iteration.

A question: Does the CC button in YouTube provide useful translations of the transcript, especially for non-native-English speakers? Are there issues with the translation?

John

Do you mean the subtitle, in my case in German?
I am astonished, the translation seems for me good, almost very good. At least very understandible.

Thanks, Markus

[Ferdinand]

I think you did a very good job John.  I have a family member who is on a (very) longstanding promise of a gift copy of V5 (he got a gift copy of V3.6 some years ago), and he found it a good intro.  He hasn't tried the beta yet, even though he is eligible, so I could at least show him a short glimpse of his long overdue present.

I assume you wrote the script first?

[jch2103]

I assume you wrote the script first?

Thanks!
That's an excellent question. When I speak in public, I hardly ever use a script (but will often use an outline). For doing this video, though, it turned out that having a script worked best (it helps make the presentation flow smoothly without too many stops and starts). The downside of a script is that it complicates eye-hand-mouth coordination while making the video. Not surprisingly, a little practice helps this.

The script was mostly a cut and paste from the IMatch Help (I have to say again what a complete and excellent job Mario did on Help). The side benefit of a script, as I noted above, is that it can be uploaded to YouTube with the video for closed captions/subtitles, which Google can helpfully translate into another language. Alternatively, YouTube can also generate a transcript from a video, but the results are not very good, at least in my case, so using a script was far preferable.

[Richard]

 (I have to say again what a complete and excellent job Mario did on Help). [/quote]

With the exception of the scripting files, I have read all of Help and I was very impressed with the amount of effort that Mario put into the Help files for IMatch 5. To make Help so complete had to take a lot of time for Mario.

[Mario]

To make Help so complete had to take a lot of time for Mario.

Oh, yes     <Sweat>
I still sometimes dream of all the tables I had to do for the scripting topics. <Shudder>.
Richard still holds all records with sending in correction and suggestion emails for the help. And today, while waiting for some particularly slow tests to finish, I managed to get the open help email count down to 30! I once had over 200  Always improving.

[ianrr]

Thanks for that, only thing I would like to suggest is a foam "pop" filter over the microphone so the audio is more pleasing to listen too, otherwise well done.  Ianrr