Tech Titans

Professor Shaun Knight

IST 110

06 July 2008

Problem One: Video Project Streaming Video - Past, Present, and Future

The Tech Titans have created a video highlighting the importance and impressiveness of streaming video technology. Our members, Lorraine Cretsinger, Gregory Dean, Stefania Dearment, Dianne Felty, Ellen Kelleher, Amber McConahy, and Brian Schneider have all participated fully in this project. Lorraine was our project manager and worked on quality control. Greg was our film producer-editor and communications expert. Stefania worked on research and created the storyboard, as well as prepared the agenda prior to each of the meetings. Dianne developed the script and designed graphics. Ellen worked as editor, took the meeting notes, assisted with quality control, and drafted this paper. Amber was the audio technician. Brian coordinated the research and worked on quality control. Despite everybody having clearly defined roles, the team worked together and gathered information from each other throughout the project. Before work could begin on the project, we had to discuss and prepare the MOU. The group decided unanimously to make Lorraine the project leader. Lorraine took to her leadership role and jumped right in by compiling information from our discussions and individual documents, and typing up the MOU in Word 2007. Lorraine then distributed the MOU to the group and everyone contributed ideas to the final paper. Ellen functioned as editor, and made revisions using Microsoft Word’s function for tracking changes. Once the final revisions were completed, Lorraine submitted the MOU to the drop box. The team held our meetings in an Adobe Connect online meeting room (see Figure 1) provided by Greg. Adobe Connect provided us with the versatility necessary for sharing information and ideas. During one of our first meetings, the team proposed quite a few great ideas for topics to use in the film. Adobe Connect has a poll feature which enables an easy way to take a group vote. The group voted for streaming video technology. Further discussions narrowed our topic to the past, present and future of streaming video technology.

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Figure 1 When the project began we all began to work on our individual roles. Lorraine used Word 2007 to create a project agenda and schedule which defined the roles and timelines for the work each of us needed to accomplish. She then distributed the agenda and schedule to the team. Lorraine created a project task worksheet which she distributed to each of us for completion. We each filled out worksheets for our individual tasks showing our expected contributions and timelines for completing each stage of our task. Brian and Stefania put themselves into the task of researching streaming video and narrowing down our thesis. Stefania spent time at her local library looking for streaming media literature. She also spent time doing an online search, through the PSU and MIT sites, for eBooks regarding streaming video. Lorraine also contributed by researching both streaming video, and historical events for the beginning of the video. Stefania and Brian kept track of their sources along the way so that we could be sure to cite everything properly. Ellen also submitted sporting event ideas and researched their associated stories for use at the beginning of the video. After we all reviewed and discussed the general streaming video research, each group member created a document and submitted their story ideas for the video.

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As a group, we decided on some final ideas for Dianne to work with to put together the script. Dianne put a considerable amount of time and effort into drafting our script. Once the initial draft was completed, everyone reviewed and commented on the script. After the final edits were made, Amber added comments about the audio segments to the script (see Exhibit A). The group had a conference and discussed the completion of the script, as well as, the addition of music and graphics. Amber had created techno music for the introduction section of the video, and the group listened to her audio, and unanimously agreed that it was the right sound for the film. Greg showed the group the animated logo he created using Adobe Illustrator. The group reviewed and approved the logo design. At that point, the objects for the logo were exported as vector art (.eps) and imported into a program called Strata 3D CX (see Figure 2). The logo was then extruded, beveled and surface textures were applied. The spinning data globe was created by modeling a sphere and applying a bump map image of zeros and ones. All of the bitmap images used in surface mapping were created using Adobe Photoshop. A 15 second timeline was created in Strata 3D CX and all of the motion sequences were programmed. Lighting, a ground plane, and background images were added. A motion camera view was added and the raw animation sequence was rendered. The animation was rendered at 30 frames per second with a final frame size of 640x480 pixels. Special effects (e.g. lightning) were added using Apple iMovie.

Figure 2

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After the conference in which we discussed the script, logo and the audio, Stefania collaborated with Dianne to gather script development information for creation of the storyboard. Stefania then spent time online researching templates for storyboards, asking questions of the group, and determining how much information to include on the storyboard. She produced the storyboard in PowerPoint 2007 and Paint. Stefania went through several revisions and provided the group with an excellent storyboard to work with for creation of the video. Each member of the group spent time creating graphics for inclusion in the project. We each worked with the script to decide what graphics would work in the story. We all went out on our own and spent time creating graphics. Some of the graphics were created through digital photography and editing software, such as Microsoft Photo Editor and i_view32. Lorraine created a pie chart demonstrating download versus streaming in Excel 2007. In Word 2007, Lorraine created a chart showing internet users who use streaming video. Stefania also created a graph using Excel 2007. Once these graphics were prepared, they were submitted to the team video producer, Greg. During a group meeting, we discussed the type of audio we wanted to have in the video. We decided that the music would be written and produced rather than copied. Amber discussed with the group that she would divide the entire audio for the video into five sections: a section for the introduction, a section for the conclusion, and one for each of the three major subsections of the video (past, present, and future). Amber felt that all the music should follow a logical progression and include transitions to enhance the flow of the audio. Amber created audio files using synthesizers and drum machines in Reason. Three sections made up the audio: a section for the drums, the synthesizer loop, and live keyboard playing using the Subtractor as a sound module. Amber’s intent was to have this track sound futuristic per group discussions. She used a Techno genre base to play off our team name, the TechTitans. The synthesizer loop was intended to integrate with the spinning matrix globe, the logo that Greg created. Amber tried to keep the sound track fairly simple to avoid a cluttered and chaotic sound. The only minor difference between the first and second intros is that in the second file, she replaced the traditional snare sound with a more metallic ping. The intention was to add an industrial feel to the track. Meanwhile, Lorraine supervised and advised on the project tasks as necessary. Greg continued to work on editing and producing, by organizing our graphics into the story line and adding insight and experience to our project. Both Amber and Lorraine joined Greg in Daytona Beach to complete the editing of the film starting on June 30, 2008. Greg recorded the Nomad sequences on June 27, 2008. These live video sequences were produced in the DME Studios, Daytona Beach. Professional actor, Tim Powell provided the talent. Mr. Powell read the final team approved script from an in-camera teleprompter. Several other studio crew members offered assistance with sound, camera, and direction. All of the video was captured digitally in H.264 Hi-definition format. The actor was positioned on the sound stage in front of a green screen for future chromakey.

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Post-production of the raw video footage was scrubbed and edited into segment clips using Final Cut and After Effects software. All of the background tracks and sound effects were compiled and organized on a timeline using Apple GarageBand and exported as an MP3 (see Figure 3).

Figure 3 Adobe Flash 9 is the application of choice for composing our final video presentation. Each of the elements created from prior group efforts were assembled and added to a common stage. Specific graphics were brought onto the stage allowing the video host to interact. Finally, the background tracks were added and synchronized with the final cut. Lastly, the final video presentation was exported from Adobe Flash 9 as a stand-alone QuickTime movie. A second version was compiled and exported as a stand-alone executable player.

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EXHIBIT A STREAMING VIDEO SCRIPT Version 2.0 June 17, 2008 INTRODUCTION Fade in audio. Music should be upbeat with a “Leave it to Beaver” feel. INT. COMPUTER ROOM/DEN – DAY An excited Computer Geek sits down at his computer. He cracks his knuckles and happily types a series of keystrokes, then moves his mouse. ON SCREEN Over a generic “desktop,” a dark video box appears. At the top it reads “Online Video.” A video clip appears in the box and plays for about one second before it suddenly freezes and the dreaded horizontal “Buffering” bar appears. Fade out audio. Transition mood by changing audio to arcade type “game

over” sound effect. COMPUTER ROOM The Computer Geek is none-too-happy about this turn of events, yet clearly this type of frustration has become commonplace for him. ON SCREEN From behind the still buffering video, the Video Host emerges, walking in the screen. He peers with some amusement as the video starts up again. HOST Use some kind of video game effect (ex: Donkey Kong) to simulate another try

at playing the video. Maybe? This time? Return to game over sound. The video stutters then stalls and a whole new Buffering cycle begins. HOST No? Oh. (to camera) No background music to ensure focus is dedicated to the online host. Remember when this was all too commonplace? The dreaded “Buffering” bar. How many minutes, hours and days have been lost waiting for online video to load into your computer memory? It wasn’t that many years ago. Fortunately for us, the evolution of online video has made the “Buffer and Wait” experience pretty much a thing of the past. Now we have “streaming video,” a fast, nearly instantaneous online delivery method. Millions of streaming videos are downloaded every second of the day and millions more uploaded to be shared with the internet community.

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Streaming videos span from outrageous comedies, to shocking moments captured on film, to fond memories of our favorite movies, and of course, those once in a lifetime moments in history. Perhaps some brief clips or stills of these would enhance the presentation. According to a recent published report, 132 million Americans viewed streaming video online just in the month of May. That’s nearly seventy-five percent of the internet users in the United States alone. Perhaps the insertion of a chart with some streaming video statistics here. Begin to fade in audio that coincides with time travel. “Back to the Future”

feel. But how far have we really come since our friend here? Let’s take the journey and discover the evolution of streaming video. Transition audio to prehistoric sounds. Something “Jurassic Park”

INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY Continue prehistoric sounds in the background as host explains the

history of streaming video.

HOST Full, smooth media playback on computers has been a goal ever since the mid-20th century, back during the early “Stone Age” of computing. But even after decades of trying, little progress had been made, mostly due to the high cost and limited capabilities of computer hardware. During the late 1980s, consumer-grade computers became powerful enough to display various media, but various technical issues like insufficient CPU power and limited bandwidth relegated media delivery to non-streaming channels like CD-ROMS. Finally, the 90’s saw the advent of greater bandwidth, increased access to networks, and a huge commercialization of the Internet, and video delivery became realistic. Technology advanced and improved to match capability – but we still needed a better way to deliver the smooth video playback we had been hunting for half a century. One thing we all know for sure: watching video that stalls, freezes, or stutters is, to say the least, annoying. When you’re watching over the Internet, the only way to compensate is to get the video data into the computer before you start watching it. That has always meant waiting to download a significant portion of the video and hoping your playback doesn’t catch up too soon. Otherwise, you’re back to the dreaded Buffering Bar so more of the video data can load into your computer. Insert a light bulb clicking on sound effect. Perhaps the insertion of a graphic to match would add to the effect. We could use a simple animation here with a light bulb turning on. Return to silence to give focus to the host. Streaming video works a different way. With streaming video, both the “client,” meaning you and your computer, and the “server,” which is another computer or device on the network, work together for uninterrupted delivery. As a viewer, you typically make a connection to a streaming server using a web browser video player like Media Player. The server then delivers a webcast, which is a live program, or a video-on-demand, which is a previously recorded program. The video is sent from the server to your player continuously and played as it is received, as opposed to having the entire program downloaded before viewing can begin.

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In fact, because the video is streaming directly to the player, no copy of the video is ever stored on the computer being used for viewing. It is literally just a “stream” of data that is interpreted while it is still being received. In simple terms that our frustrated friend can understand, streaming video is a sequence of "moving images" that are sent in a compressed form over the Internet and displayed by the viewer as they arrive. Fade in more electronic modern themed background music. This brings us up to the digital decade, the present day of streaming video. Streaming video is beginning to have a huge impact on our lives: in business, education, and entertainment. Do you know anyone who hasn’t heard of YouTube? Streaming video adds an entirely new dimension to communication; individuals can post stream of consciousness videos that illustrate their unique view of life; businesses can stream programs focused on products, or broadcast meetings to their staff or customers, schools can deliver educational programming to enhance their curriculum in a brand new way. Fade out modern music. NEW AGE BUSINESS Fade in variety of productivity related sound effects. HOST Business organizations are becoming “Multimedia Destinations” and unlocking their full media potential by providing streaming video on their websites. Streaming video is replacing the “old fashioned” way of promoting products or services by printed brochure alone. Money that may have been spent on sales literature and postage is now being spent on media tools that can deliver more cost-effective results. For example, Cisco Systems boosted their website traffic by 650 percent with the addition of streaming video. General Motors runs streaming video in a daily newscast on the GMTV Web site and offers dealers access to dozens of video clips about GM, the automotive industry, and individual product lines. More than a dozen online channels offer video clips on product launches, executive speeches, and other corporate events. TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY Transition audio to classical educational setting. HOST Streaming video is a powerful tool that can enhance the learning environment, both in and out of the classroom. Streaming video catches the student’s attention and helps them stay focused on the lesson at hand. Remember me mention YouTube? Well how about “TeacherTube?” TeacherTube was launched in 2006 and provides an online community for sharing instructional videos, but in a more teacher focused, “safe” environment for young people. Transition audio to children’s based audio clip. Sesame Street feel.

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STREAMING OUR YOUNG HOST Apple Education has found a new way to inspire learning through streaming video and podcasts. Apple’s approach suggests that children not only learn content in a creative way, buy they learn 21st-century communications skills at the same time. Many educators and institutions are already using Apple’s digital media solutions in their curricula with great results. This trend is expected to grow among institutions in the future. Perhaps use an audio clip from South Park episode where the kids meet the

YouTube celebrities. I am not really sure if we can use this without

permission. Perhaps ask Shawn if since it is being reused for educational

purpose if it would be ok. We definitely would need to cite that we used the

clip in the credits at the end. I think the clip would be a good piece of humor

to keep interest in the video to a max. THE AGE OF YOUTUBE ENTERTAINMENT HOST Sure, we have all watched a YouTube video at one time or another. Some of us may have even made a video and posted it online. But before the launch of YouTube in 2005, there were few methods available for internet users who wanted to post videos. YouTube made it possible for anyone with a computer to post a video that millions of people could watch within minutes. In January 2008 alone, nearly 79 million users watched over 3 billion videos. Perhaps some screenshots of YouTube here. The growth of YouTube has spawned a generation of social networking sites such as Facebook and Buzznet. These sites alone have over 80 million registered users. Political candidates for the 2008 U.S. Presidential election used YouTube as an outlet for advertising their candidacies, giving voters the chance to view the issues and make their own videos in response. Audio effects denoting sporting events. Cheering crowd. Afraid of missing your favorite game? LiveScoreHunter.com is a website company that has links to live video streaming and live scoreboards of your favorite teams. No audio. Focus on host. Business, Education, and Entertainment have all been impacted by streaming video. Fade in futuristic groove. STREAMING VIDEO INTO THE FUTURE HOST We’re entering an exciting time – the future of streaming video. Look how far we have come just since our friend started waiting for his Buffer Bar. Businesses are not only realizing the advantages of streaming video, but are also calculating the tremendous financial growth available by using this technology. Educational intuitions realize that streaming video is ideal for providing access to educational programs, lectures, and even school events like sports and commencement. Consumers now expect to view, download, and replay video content with ease whenever they choose, and on a variety of devices.

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BUSINESS ONLINE HOST As the Internet emerges as the major communication, education, and entertainment vehicle of our time, expect companies to expand their use of streaming video. Internet communication has already erased the boundaries of time and geography, and the ease of delivery for streaming video will see its usage increase as the audience becomes the supplier. Customers will now be engaged by quality product videos, and company events will now be broadcast live and on demand. Recent research says that online video streaming advertising is set to hit a net worth of $5 billion in five years time. Netflix, a U.S. movie-rental leader in DVD’s by mail, expects to more than double its subscriber base within a decade by moving to streaming video. After launching its streaming service in 2007, Netflix has already boosted its content inventory from 2,000 titles to 10,000. And that’s just the surface of what streaming video can deliver in the future. Just think… in 2007, YouTube consumed as much bandwidth as the entire Internet did in the year 2000. Ten hours of video is uploaded every minute of every day. So in the expanding age of digital media, it’s exciting to imagine what the future will hold for streaming video delivery. Futuristic groove will incorporate electronic segments that

crescendo at the completion of the video in an upbeat techno feel

dance beat.

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Exhibit B

Project Schedule Tech Titans Video Project June 6, 2008 Week of: June 10, 2008 Task Responsibility Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Research/QC Brian/Stephania Working Working Working Working Working Script Dianne Working Working Working Complete Complete Storyboard Stephania Working Working Working Working Working Film Content Team Working Working Working Working Working Music Amber Working Working Working Working Working Paper Ellen Working Working Working Working Working Editing/Logo Greg Working Working Working Working Working Week of: June 17, 2008 Task Responsibility Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Research/QC Brian/Stephania Working Working Working Working Working Script Dianne Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Storyboard Stephania Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Film Content Team Working Working Working Working Working Music Amber Working Working Working Working Working Paper/QC Ellen Working Working Working Working Working Editing/Logo Greg Working Working Working Working Working Week of: June 24, 2008 Task Responsibility Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Research/QC Brian/Stephania Working Working Working Complete Complete Script Dianne Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Storyboard Stephania Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Film Content Team Working Working Working Working Complete Music Amber Working Working Working Working Working Paper/QC Ellen Working Working Working Working Complete Editing/Logo Greg Working Working Working Working Working Week of: July 1, 2008 Project Due Task Responsibility Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Research/QC Brian/Stephania Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Script Dianne Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Storyboard Stephania Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Film Content Team Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Music Amber Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Paper/QC Ellen Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Editing/Logo Greg Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete

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Exhibit C

Works Cited

Script Apple, Inc. Apple Video Streaming Solution. Accessed June 2008.

<http://www.apple.com/education/it/videostreaming.html> Dunbar, Brian and Jim Wilson. NASA Television. 25 Jun 2008. Accessed June

2008. http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ Heffernan, Virginia. The New York Times Magazine. Pixels at an Exhibition. 18

May 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/magazine/18wwln-medium-t.html?ref=magazine

King, Danny. Netflix Video Business Online: Streaming will double subscriptions. May 2008. Accessed Jun 2008. <http://www.videobusiness.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA6564758 >

Lady. Elements of Curiosity, Social Networking the biggest shakeup ever. 23 Jun 2008. <http://icanbuyhappiness.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/social-networking-the-biggest-shakeup-ever>

Young, Debra. CNET Networks, Inc. 14 Jul 2003. Streaming video becoming driver for Web site traffic.

Chart: Streaming Video For Business http://articles.techrepublic.com/5100-10878_11-5055280.html Educational Chart Discovery Education. Discovery Education Streaming. Accessed Jun 2008. <http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/> Pie Chart: 132 million in the US comScore, Inc. Press Release: 3 Out of 4 U.S. Internet Users Streamed Video

Online in May. Accessed Jun 2008. <http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1529>

Storyboard Template Okazaki, Ricky Y. Department of Educational Technology, College of Education.

Creating a Storyboard for Video Production. 24 Apr 1998. Accessed June 2008. <http://www2.hawaii.edu/~ricky/etec/sboardtemplate.html>