However, I don’t think anything could have prepared me for NAB 2010 in Las Vegas and the events surrounding it.

Although I have attended NAB for many years, I have always been the person asking the questions of the person in the booth. I was never the person in the booth. This year FORscene had a booth in the show, a pod featuring FORscene at the Chyron booth and another demo location set up at the BIM booth, all staffed by the creators of FORscene – our good colleagues from UK – based Forbidden Technologies plc; the two gentlemen on the ground in Los Angeles, California and our small contingent from here in Canada.

This was the first time I had met any of the people from the UK office and the first time both Lucy (La Grassa) and I met the California-based gentlemen. We all got along splendidly I am happy to say, which is good, because it was like a Monty Python adventure gone awry.

We had a small booth. How big a booth do you need to demo the world’s leading web-based video editing and management tool? All you need is a laptop, and an internet connection… maybe a big monitor so more than one person can watch at a time, right? We needed a bigger a booth! We were packed most of the time, usually with more than one demo and/or meeting going on at once. The second day we brought in more laptops. Word of mouth was spreading: if you want to “edit anywhere, anytime…now,” you had to see FORscene. I’m not complaining; it was wonderful!

Yes, it was wonderful being surrounded by all these heavily-accented fine gentlemen. Oddly, there were no two English accents alike. They were smart, they were funny, and they were very understanding. Day two of the show looked to be busier than day one. My first appointment of the day was at 9:30 am. There I sat with my laptop, proudly showing off what a powerful tool FORscene is when it hit. Hard, fast and violent. FOOD POISONING! Did I mention how understanding my colleagues were? By the time I left the show around 2:00 pm (never to return to NAB 2010) they had all pitched in, talking to people and covering appointments for me. Not one of them made me feel guilty for abandoning them so completely. When next I got to see them it was my last night in Vegas. They all came to our hotel for a farewell meal (did I mention how brave they were?) They had many tales from the remainder of the show to share with me and I appreciated every one of them. Most of all I appreciated my new FORscene family.

You probably have all heard about the nasty volcano in Iceland…and the nasty volcanic ash that grounded more than a few planes. Well, my little Monty Python troupe has yet to make it home. They were stranded for several days in Las Vegas. They are currently holed up in California. We don’t really know when they will make it home to the UK. That is up to Mother Nature and her motley crew. The Brits continue to work hard from their rooms with massive amounts of follow-up calls and emails and thanks to SKYPE I can talk to them when I need them.

Here’s the thing. All we need is a laptop and an internet connection and each other.

How was your NAB experience?

How My NAB 2010 Began

It’s the time of year when I hear “the call of the wild”. It’s coming from the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Convention in Las Vegas. And what could be wilder than Las Vegas? Thousands of Broadcast Professionals all converging in the same place at the same time ― that’s what.

I love Vegas.

I have been there during the months of November, December, March and April and as far as I am concerned, April is the most perfect month to be in Las Vegas. I have been attending NAB every year since 1998; sometimes on my own; and sometimes for whoever I worked for at the time. The weather is always perfect in April, and a funny thing happens every year. I watch my fellow Broadcast/Media professionals as they prepare for the trip. Everyone seems worn and tired. We file onto crowded planes and cram ourselves in too small seats. But as we approach Las Vegas, the energy level changes ever so slightly. There seems to be a little spark in everyone’s eye. The talk centers on what we are focusing on at the show. We step off the plane into the perfect weather and it can’t be helped … the sides of our mouths start to curve upward. By the time we hit the convention floor on Monday morning, you would barely recognize those weary travelers from the day before. The game is on. Let’s see what’s new, what’s improved and just how big the Sony booth is this year.

The past couple of years have been trying times for Broadcast/Media folk. We have said good–bye to long standing co-workers and some of us said good–bye to places we worked at for a decade or more. Of course there were cutbacks: things not purchased; trips not taken. As they say on Twitter … “fail”. If there is anything that can raise morale in a company, it would be to send the brightest and best somewhere, anywhere that they can get refreshed, energized, and learn. NAB affords an opportunity to learn and grow. To network. To see new technology. To touch new technology. To talk to experts. To ask questions … Yes, I could go on and on. On the trip home, when the same bedraggled people get back on the same overcrowded plane and sit in the same too small seat, they don’t even notice. They are talking to anyone and everyone. Did you get to talk to “Ted from Red” ? Did you catch David Basulto at the Post Magazine booth? Can you believe the size of that Sony booth? That all comes home with them and it’s contagious. They bring back a breath of fresh air for those who were left behind. But their enthusiasm spreads like wildfire. It was worth every cent.

This year, I hope some of the people attending NAB will go home talking about FORscene.

FORscene @ NAB

That’s right, FORscene will be there.

The booth (SL8305) will be manned by the creators of FORscene – the good people from UK-based Forbidden Technologies plc.
I’ll be there too, along with Lucy La Grassa the President of Formidable Technologies. We would love to talk to you. You can send me an email michelle@formidabletechnologies.com or tweet me @FormidableTech

There it is again…can you hear the call?

Talk soon,

M

Well, if you are Elizabeth Buchanan-Hind, Executive Director, Institutional Advancement Division of the UWI and Lucy La Grassa of Formidable Technologies is in the room, you ask Lucy.

The stage was set, ballgowns and tuxes were donned and New York City got hit with a blizzard that grounded all outgoing flights.

Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 greetings from Harry Belafonte were brought to the inaugural University of the West Indies Gala in Toronto, Canada using FORscene. Belafonte was snowed-in in New York City and was unable to attend to receive a Luminary Award from UWI. Arrangements were made to have a New York camera crew interview Dr. the Honorable Harry Belafonte at his home in New York City to tape his greeting. The greeting was then produced by William Rego of ABC who was given access to FORscene to upload Belafonte’s greetings into a secure account and have it downloaded at broadcast quality by Justin Ledger – Swank Audio Visual service at the Four Seasons Hotel  in Yorkville in time for the presentation.

Our hero of the piece, Lucy (that would be my boss) and her trusty sidekick (that would be me) have been receiving high praise ever since. “It was a team effort,” La Grassa modestly states, “and FORscene is the Captain of the team.”

~30~

Now, I like to think I have a pretty good handle on it all and that I can hold my own to a certain degree. I’ve read “Trust Agents”, by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith. I’ve read “Six Pixels of Separation” by Mitch Joel; “Get Seen” by Steve Garfield; and “Crush It” by Gary Vaynerchuk. All are considered the “bibles” of social media.

This weekend I attended my first ever “Pod Camp” along with 1400+ others. Pod Camp Toronto 2010 took over the Rogers Communications Centre at Ryerson University on February 20 & 21. It was a wonderful, action-packed weekend with multiple speakers running simultaneous seminars throughout the day. It was tough deciding which one to attend at any given interval. My favourite part was actually meeting some of the people I have been actively communicating with for some time ― in person ― and recognizing them from their avatars. So what did I learn? I learned that no matter how much I think I know, I know nothing! There is more to learn every day: new stuff, updated stuff and stuff I’ve never heard of!

Last night (Tuesday February 23, 2010) I am attended my second “Meet Up – Third Tuesday Toronto”. One presenter – Mitch Joel from Twist Image, author of “Six Pixels of Separation” – with 400 people in the room. Mitch Joel brought his “A” game for his presentation and for answering some pretty complicated questions.

There is no lack of participation in these groups. You could probably attend something different every night and find it to be standing room only. There is no way to keep up with all of it. You can only do the best that you can. The key is to not let it overwhelm you. All of these Social Media tools are just that… tools. Fill your tool box with what works for you. When you get a new tool, give yourself some time to get the feel of it. If it doesn’t work for you, put it down and try another. Social Media, in one way or another, is here to stay. You might as well start building.

So, what’s in your toolbox?

Forbidden partners with Brightcove

10th Feb, 2010

Forbidden Technologies today announced that it has partnered with Brightcove, the leading online video platform. The partnership will enable Forbidden Technologies to integrate FORscene, the Company’s Cloud-based video editing platform, into the Brightcove platform, enabling organizations to tap into the full suite of video publishing and distribution capabilities from Brightcove and video editing features from Forbidden.

FORscene enables video, audio and still images to be uploaded into the Cloud from either a PC or Mac and includes frame-accurate logging and editing tools. The simple to learn, yet powerful, platform gives users the benefits of Cloud computing. Searchable metadata enables targeted advertising – published content is directed automatically as H.264 to the Brightcove platform for multi-resolution compression and hosting in the user’s channel.

Metadata added in FORscene can be published with the video. This material can be used to direct targeted advertising throughout the video. By increasing the accuracy of targeted advertising, this provides added value to video content.

Cameron Church, Technical Channel Director of EMEA, Brightcove said:

“We are always looking to bolster our Brightcove Alliance partner program with value-added technology and services that complement the Brightcove platform. FORscene will give our users the tools to create engaging video content that can be easily distributed through the Cloud”.

Pete Burns, Project Manager at Forbidden Technologies said:

“The world of Cloud computing is rapidly growing with the Cloud now providing centralised productivity tools. We are pleased to partner with Brightcove, as the unique combination of FORscene and Brightcove will help to bring online video monetization to a new level”.

For more information visit:

www.forbidden.co.uk/solutions/brightcove/
www.brightcove.com/en/partners/forbidden-technologies