(Video Interview) Carter Harkins, the founder of Harkins Creative, talks about the changed expectations of internet users for web sites, in light of the “YouTube Revolution”.

The web is an amazing platform to tell a corporate story and engage visitors in more immersive brand experiences. And although it was once considered something only the mega-brands could afford, web video production is actually more reasonable than you think.

In a series of short video interviews with our founder, we will discover the trends that are shaping today’s internet experience, and lock in on key strategies using audio and video to drive traffic and engage consumers. Stay tuned in the days and weeks to come!

We just started using a Canon XH-A1 Hi-Def camera for run-n-gun shoots, and, as usual, the on board mic is pretty susceptible to wind noise. There are lots of windscreens on the market, and many of the foam ones double as excellent clown’s noses at children’s’ birthday parties.

But this time around, I wanted to try out one of the cute little furry, fuzzy variety of windscreens, because I have heard that they are equally effective at reducing noise, but are more durable and, most importantly, cause less HF cut.

We purchased one called The Wind Cutter and, looks aside (like a small black guinea pig was impaled above the lens of the camera) it functions incredibly well. On a particularly gusty spring day in Nashville, I took the camera out and did some test recordings. The results were exactly what I have expected in windscreens costing three times as much.

The fabric weave is really quite open, which concerned me at first, but the length and density of the “fur” is perfect for effectively stopping brief 15+ mile-an-hour gusts without so much as a rumble reaching the mic. At first, while watching the meters, I could see levels rising when the wind blew. I was prepared to be disappointed. But when I listened back to the tape in the studio under optimal conditions, I realized that the rise in levels was actually due to the microphone picking up the sound of the wind in the trees across the street!

In short, I am pleased. A simple, well made product at a reasonable price is something of a holy grail in video production work.

We have begun shooting HD video for clients for a couple of very good reasons.

First, HD helps to extend the life of the footage and the resulting final production as we move into an increasingly high-definition viewing experience on televisions and computers.

Second, even if the end game is still DVD (which is standard definition video, or SD), HD video footage gives us more options and possibilities during editing.

In all, these are two very good reasons to request HD production services from Harkins Creative.

I have to say that I have been for the idea of audio and video comments on blogs and social network sites since I first imagined them (and yes, it was long before Michael Arrington said he wanted them, and introduced them on his site. I’m not saying I was the first to think of them, though.). It was only a matter of time, and if my other development company hadn’t been so busy building even cooler audio and video social technologies, I might have gotten around to building it myself.

Many opinions, both FOR and AGAINST video comments, have run amok over the past few weeks. I have already said I like the idea, and despite what the SEO pundits say, I think they CAN be a good strategy for getting your site noticed.

But what interests me even more is the clear divide emerging between those that feel that the web is destined to be a multimedia playground, and those that would rather keep it text-based, at least when it comes to the “tried and true” activities of blogging, forums and wikis (as if they’ve been around long enough to be called ingrained!).

The web is supposed to do things. Commenting, by its interactive nature, fulfills the promise of new media, but to say that video commenting misses the boat is a little disingenuous, if you ask me.

I have been using a Nokia N93 phone for the past 18 months, and I have loved every minute of it. The phone is wi-fi enabled, and has a simply amazing video camera built into it (640X480 VGA video at 30fps, 3X optical zoom, Carl Zeiss optics). I have loved being able to record little moments in my son’s life, and without a thought or a care, to be able to send them from my phone to blip.tv, which transcodes it into flash and cross-posts it to our son’s blog. Done.. No editing video, no transferring it to a computer and manually uploading it somewhere. It has made videoblogging a pure joy.

My phone is starting to show it’s age, and I’m actively looking around to see if there is a suitable replacement, since they aren’t selling the N93 anymore. I cannot imagine being unable to videoblog as I have been.

Mobile video production is also an effective and convenient way to post new and engaging material for customers and clients to see. Examples would be:

• trade show coverage
• community events
• project progress reports
• interviews
• property tours

Allow me to engage a fraction of your cognitive surplus for a few minutes as you watch this amazing presentation, and then let’s have a discussion:

Much has been said on this subject elsewhere, but I’d like to look at the emerging culture of participatory content in light of its impact on business communications. Actually I just want to dream out loud for a few minutes about what it would be like to find a company willing to take the chance on ditching their carefully controlled, canned brand experience, and give their own consumers, clients and customers a real opportunity to participate. To participate in the creation of the brand, not just in the canned homogenized experience the brand proffers.

What would that look like? Just wipe the slate clean of decades of brand management, and ask the world to develop the new campaign from scratch. En masse. Without a single top-down directive or offhand suggestion in sight.

But ask yourself, which is inherently more risky, spending millions building a brand experience that relatively few people embrace, or letting the intended market itself tell you and others how they prefer to experience things?

We are glad to finally be able to swing wide the doors of learning and opportunity and invite the public in to see the new site! We have renewed our vision for making the Harkins Creative site a place for small and medium-sized businesses to come and learn about how audio, video and web services, when combined, can generate huge, quantifiable returns. In addition, we are reaching out to other professionals in our industry, to be, if nothing more, a meager repository of knowledge about the trade.

Please leave us a comment or a suggestion, and if you are a professional content creator, be sure to contact us. There are always opportunities when we need to source additional hands for a project. (Do you like to write about our field? Get in touch and let’s arrange a guest article on our pages!)

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