Freemium Funding

All the research I'm doing on the "freemium"funding model for online and mobile devices keep talking about it as if it is new. But in reality, this model has existed since infomercials and trial periods were born. At least, the principle is the same: Let the consumer try the product (one of Everett Rodger's qualities in the diffusion of innovation), then once they're hooked up make them cough up the payment. I remember watching infomercials that not only promised steak knifes, but a 30 day free trial. This idea has transformed when applied to the web and especially mobile devices. Farmville is free to start playing on Facebook, but if you get addicted and can't level up until you earn an item buying that item starts to look like an appealing option. The same idea is applied to mobile devices. Sure you can play Fruit Ninja for free, but you want to play something other than the arcade version? Well just click right here and purchase the version you'd like. Want more colors in DrawSomething, but can't figure out your friend's pictures? No problem, the in-app purchasing allows you to simply click and purchase without ever leaving the game. It is a fascinating way to apply an old idea to new media.

VFX Underway

 

A couple weeks ago I shot a music video and cut the footage together. My two partners and I had been planning it since this summer and it was more than just exciting to see our vision come to life. Production has always been one of my favorite parts of making videos. We have recently started the third phase of completing our video: Post. I have always liked editing, but this project has introduced me to a whole new world of post-production: VFX. I expected to create a couple vfx shots because they are part of a class assignment, but the effect I am currently working on was just to challenge myself. Personally, I love how the effect is turning out and feel extremly accomplished having figured it out with only the aid of an old online tutorial. The screen is black, until the subject 'wisps' into the frame as if a memory or a ghost appearing from the air around him. The effect continues into another shot where his hand finishes appearing just in time to grab the hand of our female lead. As you can see the effect used quite a few layers, which managed to crash the computer I was working on twice (that's what having 4GB of Ram gets you).

In order for this effect to work in the final render of the music video, I have to mask this character out of the shot before this one, which isn't too hard for most of the frames seeing as the two subjects do not interact. However, there are 9 frames I keep ignoring because I know the only way is to Roto (insert scary dramatic music here). Actually, it's not all that bad. I don't get along with the rotobrush all that well, but me and the pen tool have been tight ever since my photoshop days. I am excited to see how this project comes together after compositing the different vfx shots and hope my work pays off. (You ever notice how much effort goes in to 2 minutes of the final video? I try not to think about it...it makes me sad).