News from Here & There

YouTube to let partners charge rentals for videos
YouTube engineers are working on a self-service method that will give moviemakers the ability to upload and provide their streaming content for rent. The service will be available only to YouTube Partners.
OnlineMediaDaily: YouTube Developing Self-Serve Rental Model
Cnet: YouTube will let some users charge for rentals
Mashable.com: YouTube to Let Partners Charge Rental Fees for Video



That whole H.264 licensing thing
Nilay Patel at Engadget takes a look at the whole H.264 licensing thing, and answers some of the myths and rumors; will it cost you money? is it okay to use your video camera?
The answers are pretty much the same as the summary here.
Engadget: Know Your Rights: H.264, patent licensing, and you



Microfilmmaker.com
I only just came across this website, though it seems it's been going for a while. Interesting articles in their latest issue include:
  • Film Promotion 2.0: Getting Your Film Out Into The World
  • Good Performances Don't Require Money: Getting Good Actors on a Micro-Budget
  • The Lone Gun Manifesto: Cinema Unplugged
  • NAB 2010: A Look at the New Micro-Budget Toys
  • The Quinkin Shoot: Shooting a Film with Twin REDOnes for $4K
  • Video Training: Prepping Your Airsoft Guns For Action Films



Create a car video review, win $10,000
Kelley Blue Book has announced a new video car review contest offering a grand prize of $10,000 and the opportunity to play Kelley Blue Book Editor for a day. Go to Kelley Blue Book's YouTube channel, watch the contest video and reply with their two-minute video to enter. Entrants are also required to visit and register kbb.com.

The contest is now open and submissions will be accepted until 4:59:59 PM PDT on June 15, 2010. Entries will be judged on creativity, the ability to capture the essence of the vehicle being reviewed, cool and unusual visuals, overall presentation, professionalism, and 'general awesomeness.'


How hard could it be? - [wait! isn't that a copyrighted Top Gear phrase?]



Sony iSweep
So it's not really video related, but Sony has this new "iSweep" technology; pan the still camera across a scene and the camera takes a succession of images and stitches them together automatically. If the ad is to be believed, anyone can do it! [I suspect it's not that easy; you'll have to keep the camera level and issues of focusing and shutter speed/blur in low light, but still, it "looks" cool!]

Note that Philip Johnston recently did a short video review of the Sony HX5V, which also has iSweep, and was surprised by the quality of the video it produced. It and the TX7 were introduced in January. [I can't determine if these were the first (only) cameras to offer this option.]
The HX5U is $349 @ Amazon


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