Month: November 2023
Webcam Technology – Beyond Just Entertainment
Webcam Technology – Beyond Just Entertainment
The online entertainment of web tools the like of webcams, music and movie transfers and voice changer software has indeed been given an amazing boost with the development of virtually unlimited global bandwidth and high-performing computers; huge volumes of videos and audios are quickly downloaded to personal laptops, while softwares that require significant disk space to operate like the voice changers could run smoothly like never before.
In the scope of this article, I would like to focus on an emerging, or rather renewed, aspect of web-based entertainment, the webcams. The old days of delayed webcam images of low resolution via congested telephone wires have long been replaced with high-quality pictures personalized with on-screen animations of texts and icons transferred through submarine fiber optic cables.
Beyond the entertainment sensations of teenagers exchanging good explicit, as well as bad explicit, photos on the web while savoring a good chat or two, sometimes even further empowered with entertainment chat tools such as the voice changers of Media Morpher, webcam technology has proved itself more than just another online entertainment tool. The little camera has evolved into a household friend that makes business sense. I’ll tell you how.
69-year-old diabetic Norwegian Karin Jordal was saved when the images of her collapsing in the living room of her California apartment were transmitted to her son, Tore Jordal, who was working in the Philippines via their connected webcams. Tore alerted his brother, Ole Jordal, in Norway, who knew just who in the States to contact to help their mother. Within 10 minutes, an emergency ambulance arrived at Karin’s apartment. She had since recovered steadily.
Without the little webcam often considered for pure entertainment purpose, how could such wonder have happened to Karin and her sons? “Now I see the Internet as a way to save lives. It’s also a wonderful tool for people who live alone in some remote area, and might need help,” Ole said.
Besides such humane quotient of the webcam and its internet associates like the voice changers or music editor softwares, webcam products also facilitate business activities in the case of, for instance, the Jordals. The webcams allow the family to constantly be in touch with one another, making them feel at ease while pursuing their interests away from their home. This psychological assurance does help one improve his professional performance, according to an America-based online research firm in 2005.
Another insightful experience to illustrate how the webcams could come in handy in the business context: John Jackson, an Indian call center operator, narrated his story of how a heart-broken American lady called in one night and asked if she could speak to him face to face. John empathetically explained he could not leave his work, and assured the woman that he could live chat with her for the time being. As Indian call centers do not usually wish to be known to customers as Indians (due to problems of prejudice), John had to mask his webcam picture and adjusted his voice accordingly to sound more American.
John managed to console the lady so well that night that she sent in a testimonial to him. That sparked an idea in the 28-year-old man; he thought of introducing a service line that caters specially to those who needs not the business updates but simply some one to talk comfortably to. He is now overseeing an ever thriving business.
Let’s snap back. It is known that voice changers by Media Morpher could effectively help John modify his voice and calm the American lady. But it is not too widely known that webcam morpher softwares recently available could mask John’s image with some one else’s of his preference. Though still in the Beta phase, the AV WebCam Morpher by Audio4Fun is capable of many funky tricks that meet your online entertainment needs. And most of all, the webcam software is for free download right now.
So scrap all the rantings about how online entertainment tools are just fads that would some day be gone! One who looks beyond the entertainment factor to recognize how to embrace entertainment technology to better his life is indeed the one that goes beyond his time.
About the Author:
Josh Nowell is a Media Morpher writer keen on technology development and how it enriches our experiences in life.
He could be contacted at [email protected] (attention to Josh Nowell).
Why Should I Go Into Film Making?
Why Should I Go Into Film Making?
Most people love watching movies, many of them are excited by the prospect of watching the much anticipated movie on the huge screen. When we are viewing a good movie, we tend to leave our world of troubles and stress behind, and step into the plot on the screen. There have been times that I have been so involved in a movie, I felt a bit let down when it ended. I wanted to stay with these wonderful characters and be a part of their lives. When a movie has that effect on the members of the audience, it is sure to be a hit.
The world over, one of the most popular forms of entertainment is going to the movies. The movie industry sees more than 6.5 billion dollars in revenues every year. You certainly recognize the actors and there are times when the name of the director rings a bell. The truth is, unless you know them personally, you probably have never heard of the members of the crew that work hard to make the film become a reality. These are the talented and creative people who work in set design, sound recording, editing, casting, location scouting, electrical technology, make-up, publicity, and many more positions.
Hollywood film makers produce and distribute anywhere between four and five hundred films every year, and Americans contribute billions of dollars to the industry by watching the films. DVD’s are also lucrative for the film making industry, with the number of people who watch movies at home. There are many markets for DVD marketing, feature films, informational, and industrial films, to name a few. Employment in the film making industry is growing rapidly and anyone interested in a film making career will reap the benefits.
Satellite and the internet have become a wonderful delivery system for the film making industry. The international marketplace is still key to the success of the film making industry, with over 40% of film revenues coming from foreign markets. This is the time for those interested in a career in film making or television. Many films are shot in the city of New York, bringing a great deal of revenue to the economy.
This fantastic film industry boon will mean many more opportunities for employment in the less glamourous, behind the scenes positions, like set construction workers, and production assistants. These jobs could pave the way to a higher paying position. This job growth is going to affect film reproduction and distribution, as more and more the major studios embrace the concept of DVD rentals and cable. More jobs will open up simply because there is a high turnover when it comes to the film making industry, as many people find they don’t have what it takes to hang in there until they can move up to a higher paying job.
There is also going to be an increase in high paying, glamour jobs, such as acting,directing, screenwriting, camera operation, production, and grip. These jobs are in high demand, and for the newcomer, will be few and far between. With the right attitude and patience, you may find a producer or director who likes to work with the same crew time after time. This is the key to a long lasting career in the film making business.
Blu-Ray: How HD-DVD And Blu-Ray Differ
Blu-Ray: How HD-DVD And Blu-Ray Differ
DVDs continue to be the prominent medium for home theater entertainment. The technology is being refined and improved upon by a number of manufacturers, making its future slightly uncertain though it is definitely clear that it will continue is one format or another. Many of you have probably been hearing about Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs and their path as the next generation of DVDs. The discrepancies between the two are confusing many home theater buyers, so it’s important to know just what each of these new technologies has to offer so that you can make an informed decision on what to purchase and when.
Let’s start by discussing just what Blu-ray is. Chances are, if you’ve stepped into any of the leading home theater and electronics stores in the country, you’ve seen Blu-ray discs advertised in the DVD section. In truth, Blu-ray discs are somewhat like traditional DVDs, except that they have the ability to record, rewrite, and playback high definition (HD) video that is compatible with the growing number of HD televisions finding their way into home theaters every year. Unlike traditional DVDs, Blu-ray discs can hold nearly five times as much data. On a single layer disc, they can hold 25GB of data, and 50GB can be stored on a dual layer disc. By being able to hold so much more, Blu-ray discs are able to easily store the advanced information necessary to provide content in HD format.
HD-DVD offers the same technology, though it isn’t able to hold as much information as Blu-ray. Developed by Toshiba and NEC, it is able to hold three times as much data as traditional DVDs. While this may be less than Blu-ray, the data capacity of HD-DVDs still exceeds the amount needed to watch major blockbusters in high-definition. HD-DVD also came out much sooner and was first quoted to be the successor to the standard DVD format. HD-DVD is completely compatible with HD-DVD players, which in turn are compatible with HD televisions. High definition technology is certainly the wave of the future for home entertainment, and HD-DVD was the first disc technology formatted for it.
Both Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs use a new form of laser that improves on what the standard DVD used. While older, standard DVD models used a red laser to transfer content from disc to player to screen, these two technologies use a blue-violet laser instead. The main benefit with using blue-violet lasers is that they have a shorter wavelength than red lasers. This means that they can be focused with a much higher rate of accuracy.
As you can see the differences between these two formats are very few, In short, Blu-ray is able to hold more information than HD-DVD, but HD-DVD has been around for much longer and still holds an adequate amount for any applications currently in the market. Both formats use blue-violet lasers to better read the information.
The biggest question right now is which format will end up on top. Blu-ray has the added advantage of being backed up by some major players in the movie business. Seven of the eight major Hollywood movie studios have released films in Blu-ray format recently, while five of them are releasing films exclusively on Blu-ray. HD-DVD has the backing of several major consumer electronics manufacturers but does have some ground to make up with the production companies. However, with the added experience of being in production longer and having consumers more familiar with the name, it’s very possible for them to pull ahead. The race to be the top home entertainment format will continue on and the consumer will simply need to wait to see which one wins. In the meantime, players are available for both formats and some manufacturers have players that satisfy both formats available.
~Ben Anton, 2007
Film Making in Canada Schools
Film Making in Canada Schools
You love movies. As far as you’re concerned, you’ve always loved them. So when it comes to making your choice of careers, filmmaking comes naturally. What doesn’t come naturally, however, is where you want to learn the art of filmmaking.
Indeed, location seems to be the first thing that comes to mind when considering a choice of film schools. Virtually, every wanna-be filmmaker thinks that Hollywood is mecca of film schools. And if not Hollywood, then some other movie making capital should do. Cities like New York and Vancouver have their fair share of film students.
But is that all there is to it? Location?
The truth of the matter is that film schools are everywhere. Nearly every school in every state offers some type of film program or another. Plus, consider the advances in digital film technology these days. Thanks to digital filmography, films can now be made anywhere. So where do you attend film school? It doesn’t matter. What matters is what you learned from your one or two-year of intensive study of movie making.
That said, here is select list of film making in Canada schools for you to choose from:
Victoria Motion Picture School
Located in Canada’s British Columbia capital, Victoria, the Victoria Motion Picture School is only one of the film making in Canada schools that offer full-time programs and independent workshops for future movie makers.
Their full-time programs spans eight months of intensive training in all the technical aspects of filmmaking or acting, depending on which is your area of concentration. On the other hand, their independent workshops focus more on real, hands-on training with access to all the latest in filmmaking technology.
Toronto Film College
Toronto is famous for the Toronto Film Fest that happens every year where accolades are handed out to independent filmmakers and artists who are not afraid to try something without the safety net of big budgets from Hollywood studios. But Toronto’s affair with movie making doesn’t end there as it is the seat of one of film making in Canada Schools Toronto Film College.
The school is known for producing students who are skilled in seeing film projects to the end as well as aware of the delicate and often complicated artistry that is filmmaking.
Vancouver Film School
Yet another film making in Canada schools that made to this list is the Vancouver Film School. Offering courses from visual art & design to 3D Animation and Acting for Film & Television, this post-secondary entertainment arts school offers a year of intensive training in filmmaking, balancing both the theoretical and technical aspects of making movies. Other courses offered at this prestigious film making in Canada schools are Classical Animation, Digital Character Animation, Film Production, Makeup Design for Film & Television, Writing for Film, TV & Interactive Media and many more.