The older I get and as more time goes by, I realize just how much there is to know in this world. And then, it dawns on me. When I really start to think about it, even in a lifetime, there is no way that any human being could even come close to being all knowing and all seeing. And this applies to music as well. So when I was called upon to assist with another music video shoot for HNM, even at my age, I was about to learn about another genre of music. Imagine that!? And being such a music aficionado, I, in my naïveté, thought I’d heard about every kind of music known to man….in existence! But, no….. Even as music serves as my constant companion and ubiquitous soundtrack as I move through my habitual routines – at work, in my daily commute and, sometimes, even in my sleep, I found yet another genre to add to my book of knowledge. Now did I ever hear this kind of music before? Well, sure….in its various forms. I’ve heard it in it’s subtle origins and in separating its elements, I’ve detected it in its punk and folk music roots, but if you came to me and asked me if I ever heard about Oi! music prior to last Saturday, I would have said “Excuse me….?” As fate would have it, I would soon have my introduction to Oi! music and, hence, she would come in a sweet and petite package better known as Jenny Woo.

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There’s a whole flurry of tweets and articles popping up today about Esquire Magazine’s Augmented Reality issue. For background reference, in case you haven’t heard, Esquire has released a print magazine that features visual barcode blocks that can be held in front of webcams. The user runs an application on their computer, and holds up the magazine to view special video-based content. View the details here: http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/esquires-augmented-reality-issue-hits-newstands/

But that doesn’t make it Augmented Reality (AR). That’s just media tagging. I’m sure there’s some other buzzword out there for this type of interaction, but AR is not it.

This is where all the dismissive article writers are falling short; They are assuming, incorrectly, that AR is about taking something from the real world (the magazine) and extending it into the virtual world (web). See http://www.hanskmeyer.com/archives/86 and http://www.mediabistro.com/agencyspy/opeds/oped_esquires_augmented_reality_misses_the_point_141838.asp for examples of articles that “miss the point”.

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I’ve recently been contacted about a large contract I am pursuing for Hotcakes New Media. The contract is fairly extensive, and requires branding, video, photography, graphic design, print, web, programming, and custom Artez design for a large non-profit organization. Because of the size of this contract, and the money involved, I’ve been tasked with writing a full proposal to send to the client. Since all other Hotcakes New Media contracts have been under $5000, I hadn’t written any such proposals yet. As I found out, the most difficult part of writing the proposal was deciding how to approach it.

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CONFRONT Magazine has written an article on the process of making a music video, with anecdotal references to Hotcakes New Media‘s production of Ottawa band To The Rescue’s “Are You Bulletproof?”. The full music video is also posted at the end of the article. Please click here to read the article and watch the video.

You can also watch the video on our music video production site at: http://www.ottawamusicvideo.ca

This site is currently under construction. Shortly, this site will be posting news about video production in Ottawa, and feature stills and videos from Ottawa’s best video production companies: Hotcakes New Media and Moonrise Productions. Until then, please feel free to visit the company web pages, or use the contact button above to send us an email.

Andy Morris
HOTCAKES NEWMEDIA