Metaphorical representation of the five stages of acceptance, their repetitiveness and the conflicts in the mind.

Produced by Duk Han Lee
Music by Aphex Twin – “Father”
York Sheridan Joint Program In Design
YSDN 3013 Time-based Communication 2
Creative Project 2
Instructor: Mary Daniel

It is now a commonplace to upload a video online using video sharing web sites. Here we are discussing the ways to ensure the quality of the video.

First thing to look at is the quality which the hosting website can provide. YouTube does have an iconic statue of being the most popular site in the galaxy of video sharing web sites (25 percent of the internet’s research traffic), however due to the immense popularity the quality of the video after going through the site’s own compression is often questionable.

It is essential to choose a web site that is designed for a specific target users who would not sacrifice the quality of their work for the online viewing. Vimeo and ExposureRoom attracts more professional audience through regulating the users to post only original contents. Vimeo, in particular has a feature which the user can upload and view high definition videos. Exposure, on the other hand, has detailed guide to upload videos and minor functional features that allow cropping and uploading custom thumbnails and the quality is set a 720p. Blip.tv is also widely recommended as it does not impose limitations on file size limit or length. Facebook also provides quality HD playback though it has limitations as a social networking site. These websites, among others, continuously evolve with the quality over time so it is better to keep monitor their updates.

2.    Shooting strategies

When uploading SD quality videos, in particular, a standard video image online is normally smaller than 640 x 480 pixels. When shooting the video, consider how it will look when after it is compressed for web. Simple and static images are superior when it comes to web video producing. Stripes, patterns, wide shots, complicated matter, camera movement, subject movement, high contrast lighting, and hot spots; these all work against the quality of video when SD video is compressed for web viewing. It  is important to avoid these in order to ensure the quality of video on web. Simply put, when shooting the footage, consider the readability after the video is compressed for web viewing.

3.    Resolution & Pixel aspect ratio for HD
Producing videos in higher resolution and uploading it using “high definition” feature can also help. Most web video sites now support 1280×720 pixel resolution. It is a best practice to choose ‘square pixels’ over other options that suggests pixel aspect ratio. Correct dimensions are 1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720. 16: 9, 4:3 dimensions, or any others that are not designed for web apparatus can result in distorted video when uploaded online.

4.    Encoding video for online viewing
The video bit used during encoding governs the quality of video. If the video is high definition, setting video in 1280 x 720, VBR 2 Pass, Video bit rate of 3000-3500Kbps, Audio bit rate of 192-224Kbps. The bit rate of the source audio and video must be higher the setting. For example, if the original audio is 128Kbps, then the encoding setting must not be higher than 128Kbps. VBR 2 Pass takes more time to encode, yet produces smaller file which the playback computer can play more efficiently-less buffering/graphic-lag. Final Cut Pro “best” quality setting is usually not the most suitable setting for posting video online.

It would be the best if the raw footage were high definition and able to be encoded with the above setting. However, if the video is SD quality, encoding settings should be different from the above. Image size should be 640 pixels wide, and 360 pixels high for 16:9 ratio and 480 pixels high for 4:3 ratio. If smaller file size is required, 320 x 240 QVGA. MPEG-4 file or Quick Time Pro ‘.mov’ format encoded with H.264 codec yields the best quality for SD videos. This setting may vary depending on the web site and their settings/restrictions for hosting SD videos. Adjust settings accordingly to the hosting web site. The goal is to understand what settings online video sharing site supports/provides and encode the video that fits their setting so it can avoid any further distortion or compression.

More strategies:
-    Video rate that is too high can be detrimental when the video is available for download: some may be able to view, but many people may not be able to view. The video may appear jumpy due to hardware capabilities for some computers.
-    Using quality equipments is the first step to have cleaner presentation online: Invest in camera, microphone, lighting,
-    Use tripod to avoid unnecessary movements, as those will damage the quality of image as the video is compressed.
-    Keep in mind that text will take up a greater space of the screen in order to be legible on a web movie.
-    Shoot in high quality and avoid lossy compressions.
-    Using zoom, pans, and tilts will produce jittery evidences of compression when uploaded online. Make them fast, if those shots must be used.
-    If a camera has SP, LP, and EP options always shoot in SP mode.
-    When having a clear sound becomes important i.e. interview, use a separate sound recorder if the camcorder does not have a decent recording device. Also reduce ambient noise by turning off the sources of the noise i.e. refrigerator, fans etc.

Helpful Resources:
“ExposureRoom – Help – Encoding Videos for Online Viewing.”
Shiv Kumar, the author quickly enlightens us with his tip for encoding videos for online viewing. It was helpful to gather a general understanding of an ideal setting for posting videos online.

“Shiv Kumar’s Blogs – Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 Export Settings for Video Encoding.”
Despite the fact that the article was about Premiere, it informed me a lot about the basic export settings that can help retaining the quality.

“Web Tips: Shooting Video for the Web by Sonja Schenk– CreativePro.com”
Sonja Schenk’s tips are more widely accessible as her advices are for the beginners who would upload SD materials. She articulates hardware-based strategies that are effective for the production of non-HD online videos independent from online video hosting sites.

“How-to produce an online video Show: Export & compress. The blip.tv Learning Center..” <http://blip.tv/learning/export/>.

“ExposureRoom – Help – Encoding Videos for Online Viewing.”  ExposureRoom – Providing Exposure & Opportunity for Talent. <http://exposureroom.com/help/view.aspx/89/>.

“Shiv Kumar’s Blogs – Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 Export Settings for Video Encoding.”  ExposureRoom – Providing Exposure & Opportunity for Talent. <http://exposureroom.com/members/skumar.aspx/blogs/post/105>.

“Web Tips: Shooting Video for the Web | CreativePro.com”  Sonja Schenk, 1 April. 2003
< http://www.creativepro.com/article/web-tips-shooting-video-for-the-web>.

This was created for the ‘Bananaity’ as a storyboard animatics during the creative process; but lost due to hard disk damage then I just recovered it…

This video is created for my Time based Communication 1 class at York University, YSDN. I attempted to juxtapose philosophical questions of humanity to the initial step of eating bananas. Through applying visual rhetoric of personification, metaphor and irony, it provokes the viewer to question the seemingly grand scale and depth of humanity’s quest to explain their own existence.

My subjective viewpoint – that whole humanity is a single entity when we go beyond the structure of language and superficial reality – is derived from the notion that can be summed up by this quote: “At the bottom of enmity between strangers lies indifference.” (Soren Kierkegaard – the first existentialist philosopher).

One of the strengths of the time based medium is its power to immensely simplify profound ideas and deliver it in a more entertaining way. Another is that it allows one to take a different look at any everyday object – bananas, in this case. Visually, I was able to portray the texture and shape of the object in a fresh manner in order to support the previously mentioned rhetoric. The viewers themselves may have the opportunity to think differently about both the human existence and bananas after seeing this clip, I hope.

“…In our view, a true utopian design should change people’s way of thinking, not just their opinions…” Experimental Jetset

…

Irony is the answer.

[All visual / audio is created by: Duk Han Lee (c) 2009]

Design Statement:

Printing press is a machine that needs to be operated by man-powered gears and cranks. It requires the efficiency and strength of a designer at a very physical level. Especially when it comes to independent publications, the aforementioned power of a typographer becomes crucial. To the designers of today, this machine is being forgotten, however, the precision and efficiency is still required even in the digital publication. As a designer, I wanted to demonstrate and re-interpret those qualities that were originated from an archaic, analogue device for the contemporary target audience. As well, I wanted to capture the distinct, individualistic qualities that can only be found in the wood types. Hence, for the numberings, I displayed the imperfection of handmade, woodtypes, while portraying the precise and rhythmic movement of the press machine(and the ink roller) in between the numbers. The speed of the movement of each element and the repetitive sound enhances the atmosphere of the mechanic yet very humane production of typographic materials within the short clip of an academy leader.

The audio and the visual were entirely captured/created by Duk Han Lee.

The machines/wood types are located at Type Studio of York/Sheridan Joint Program in Design.