10 Most Watched Web Videos of Summer 2009

Hmmm, what if TV were eliminated and people could distribute whatever they created economically to nearly everyone else in the world? Surely a new golden age of creativity would follow? It does seem that the web really is having a democratizing effect: as a repository and distributor of the lowest common denominator. As Jimmy Cliff said, "give the people what they want."

Here are the most watched web videos, summer 2009. I recommend skipping the videos and just listening to the song. Trust me, you'll be a lot happier and feel a lot better about the future of mankind.

I think one of the greatest fears I have in my life is that I become so overwhelmed by mediocrity that I can no longer tell the difference.

Do Screeners (and Yourself) a Favor

People who screen films for contests, awards, grants, advice, etc. really, really want to see your film. Why else would they spend so much time screening films, usually for free? In this new age of technological democracy, however, there are sometimes a few glitches. DVD's recorded on your home computer can be finicky to play on someone else's equipment. And sometimes it happens 60 minutes into the film. By the time you've tried 3 different players and are calling friends to try playing the disc on their equipment and still have a stack of other films to watch (on top of your normal work life), you are wishing that you could just skip the bad spot on the disk and continue at the next chapter.

Chapter? Yes, it is really helpful if you put chapters on your disks. That way the screener doesn't have to fast forward through 60 minutes of film if they are actually able to find a player that will play through the bad spot. Or, it may make the difference as to their being able to watch the disk at all (sometimes you just can't get beyond the bad spot on the disc). Or if, they are interrupted by life while screening, they can easily pick up where they left off. Love the people who want to love you.

Back to the Future

OK. I know I keep hearing that 3D is back for good. That it will be "just another film making tool." That it will be used even in indie films. I've even been to a cutting-edge 3D production house and learned about new advanced production techniques.

I went to see Ice Age 3D yesterday afternoon, fancy Dolby 3D glasses and everything. A really funny film, I highly recommend it. But, I (and my wife) both left the theater feeling nauseated, which lasted most of the rest of the day and evening. I have to say that I would've preferred to have seen it in 2D (and saved the 3D premium ticket price as well). If a big budget animated feature like this can't avoid inducing nausea, what will the experience of watching lower budget films be like?

Adobe Customer Care Redux

O.K. There are probably only about 10 people out there who will care about this, but if this helps one lost soul out there trying to deal with Adobe Customer Care know that they aren't alone, it's worth it.

I wanted to follow-up on something that I had written about earlier, Adobe's inability to provide even basic customer service. Admittedly, I am only one individual who owns 7 or so (depending on how many products they've dropped or picked up again) Adobe/Macromedia licenses, but I guess Adobe will never know since they still haven't assimilated the Macromedia database (or apparently, their online store database) with their Adobe I.D./registration database. When I see the Adobe "evangelist" out there telling me how their ability to aggregate and search metadata is going to send me to media heaven, I can't help but snicker, thinking that they cannot even aggregate all their customer data into one coherent database.

Look deeply into my eyes and forget about the fact that we won't let you upgrade to a Master Collection license even though you own all the individual licenses.

So, what happened with my odyssey to obtain my post-announcement upgrade for Production Premium CS4? After a maze of online requests and phone calls, Adobe sent the upgrade to the wrong address TWICE. The final time shipping arrangements were made, I made the customer service rep. repeat the shipping address twice. I did get my upgrade, after I figured out that it was easier to deal with someone who I barely knew that lived in my old flat in San Francisco (where it was delivered, again) than to try to deal with Adobe. After some arrangements, the package was hand delivered to me in Los Angeles, via personal relationships, not metadata.

OK, mostly I just wanted an excuse to post the picture. Next post will deal with creative issues, promise.

Adobe's "Customer Care"

Am I the only person to notice how bad Adobe's "Customer Care" has gotten? I have been on the phone with them at least 5 times over a period of more than two months and still have not received my post-announcement upgrade for CS4 Production Premium Suite. The last time I called they told me it would be delivered today. What they didn't say was that it would would be delivered today to their warehouse in Georgia because they shipped it to the wrong address and FedEx was returning it as undeliverable. There is a serious disconnect between the quality of the product that they are shipping and the support they are providing for it. And don't even get me started on their update manager.