R|com Creative Blog

R/com Creative has been awarded two 2010 Telly Awards for the recent production of two public service television commercials featuring Lakers Power Forward Star, Pau Gasol. The commercials, focusing on public safety for the Los Angeles Fire Department, feature Pau Gasol in his capacity as spokesperson for the LAFD and MySafe:LA.

Watch the 60 second commercial: click here

Watch the 30 second commercial: click here

One of the areas where we spend the most effort is website security. It is an expense that goes beyond staffing and equipment. It is never ending. It is to some extent, not winnable. It is likely in fact, that if you have a website, you will suffer through an outage. It will crash.

Overall, our record for keeping websites up and running is excellent. We average 99.958% up-time during the past eight years. That’s high. But it isn’t perfect, so why does this happen?

Website security is so challenging because there are a tremendous number of variables that can affect a site’s performance. The Internet itself, access to the Internet, the health of the hardware in use, the switch, the routers, the cables, the power supply (direct and indirect), the performance of the applications, the impact of users visiting the site, hackers trying to kill the site, etc. We work diligently to ensure we keep all of the above in balance, and it is that balance that provides the greatest degree of comfort and security.

Most clients want their websites to work, and they don’t care how that happens. If something does happen to their site, it is never their fault. We try to encourage that level of responsibility, but internally, we are always studying ways to improve. We’re in the midst of an upgrade, in fact. A new switch system, upgraded cables (we replace them over time, not when they fail), updated OS installations, and continued testing of the network are just a few of the activities under way at the moment. And all of it designed to ensure that the most important thing happen to your website when hosted with us. Nothing.

Using the iPad to show HD video on a large TV at LAFD headquarters.

Per my previous post on the iPad, everyone here that uses one has been enjoying the experience. However, there’s no doubt that our use is not “average.” Separate from development, we use the iPad to review video with clients, to deliver presentations, to connect to our servers and server farm, as a slate during video production, as a teleprompter, and so on.

On Tuesday of this past week, it all changed for me. My Macbook Pro (nearly 3.1 years old), suffered a miotechnical infarction. It had a CPU attack – and died. As a side note, I find it bizarre that it would die within a few days of its AppleCare protection expiring, not to mention on the same day as the new MacBook Pros being introduced by Apple.

Getting a new computer would be easy, but in the midst of the huge number of projects, the last thing on my mind was getting a new laptop. Worse, the prospect of migrating several hundred megabytes of data and applications was not inspiring.

It got worse. No matter what we did (the dealer and I), we could not get the content of my old Mac to transfer to the new one. Meanwhile, I had work to do. So, I decided to see what I could accomplish using the iPad. I left the migration project with my dealer, who diligently attacked the problem.

I have an iPhone and it’s great for email. I rarely use it for longer email notes. So, with the iPad in hand, I decided this would be a good test. Apple Mail is not my favorite app (on the Mac), but on the iPad, it was refreshing and even, careful now – fun. Apple gives tremendous thought to the process of their products, and it makes all the difference in the world. I love the way the in-box displays, the images pop up, etc. It’s very slick. The big trick was using the built-in keyboard.

For the first few email notes, I was not impressed. It seemed that I was missing keys and looking for other keys that weren’t there. Well, they were, but you had to swap overlays to see and use them. After three email notes, I answered the phone and walked away from the iPad.

When I came back, it was as if I had suddenly mastered typing on the keyboard. It was a cross between iPhone email and the Mac – the auto-spell-check worked nicely, and the graphical display and orientation of mail was easy to follow. In fact, it made sorting and responding to email far easier than on my desktop app (Entourage). So, using the iPad for email proved to be a snap.

Speaking of keyboards, I have been working on several reports, and thankfully, copies were stored in my mobile me account. So, I connected and transferred the files to my iPad. That was easy. But, then, after two pages of typing on the graphic keyboard, I started to get frustrated. I can type quickly. I cannot type quickly when using the iPad. Roadblock.

Then, I remembered I could use a bluetooth Mac keyboard. So, I drove to our office and snagged one from a workstation (sorry!), and brought it home. I plugged the iPad into the neat little stand you can get, and connected the keyboard. Now, I was typing quickly again. And Apple Pages for the iPad is totally cool – and it’ll cost you ten dead Presidents, so it’s cheap, too.

The next morning, in my email, I received a film budget in Excel format. Jeez, now what? Oh, I remembered that Apple Numbers was available – I already had Keynote and Pages. So, I tapped on the Apple iTunes Store (remember, we no longer click – we tap), and within a few seconds (literally), I had purchased Numbers (also ten dollars), downloaded it, and was reviewing the spreadsheet. I made some changes, and then sent it back to my finance guy. So, although I wasn’t editing video, I was doing many of the things I do with my laptop. And this is in between all of the things I’ve discussed in my previous post – keynote, video, audio, networking, etc. I was doing all of that, too.

After two days, my new laptop was ready to be picked up, but I was pretty surprised and pleased with the iPad as an everyday communications device. I would note that using it that way is not its strength. It’s really ideal for the other types of uses previously described, but when called upon, it stepped up and for the most part, was a workable solution.

Would I stop using a laptop? Nope. But, the iPad has changed the way I look at computing. The devices have started to fall into different use categories. My MacBook Pro is essentially my primary computing device. I can take it from home to the office. If working on a film production, I can take it on location. However, when running around town, meeting with clients, etc., I don’t take the laptop. The iPad is far more convenient, and workable. There is no doubt it will help us build our business. But, that’s a different story for another time.

I can connect to my Mac and control it from the iPad. Cool!

The Apple iPad has been on the market for a week. In that time, it has been both praised and condemned. Those who have grabbed one have been called lemmings, sheep, and just plain stupid. After spending extended time with the iPad, I believe it to be a game changer. No, it doesn’t replace a netbook. It isn’t a laptop killer. It does, however, establish something that Apple has proven to be expert at: evolution that benefits the user.

I’ve been asked on multiple occasions, “why do you like the iPad?” At first, I really couldn’t say, specifically, what it was that made me so giddy to pick it up and turn it on. Now that some time has gone by, I have a good idea about how important this new device might be…

The iPad redefines how we as individuals and groups use the Internet and share content. In that regard, it’s nearly perfect. It also can redefine how many types of individuals and industries use lightweight hand-held computing devices. If you focus your attention in that area alone, the iPad is not ideal – at least not yet.

Too many devices today try to do things that relate to “functions” or “applications.” In fact, in many cases, the things that people complain about in terms of features are things they already have, or, better put, that aren’t really important (yet) to the iPad. A camera is a perfect example. Could you use a camera in an iPad for a variety of things? Sure, but to do so, the applications and how users interact with the device would take on an entirely new level of complexity and support.

The iPad is so remarkable because it does specific things so well. It’s bright. It’s fast (relatively). And, it draws the user in. No mice. Just tap. Tap and watch. Tap and read. It’s bright, clear, focused, and uniquely pleasant.

It doesn’t feel like a computer. And in that regard, it will be attractive to ordinary people – kids, parents, teachers, trainers, business people, designers, sales people, and so on. Grandparents will delight in its simplicity and ease of enjoyment. Photo galleries are stunning in quality. Videos are crisp and HD movies look terrific.

I would also like to end some confusion for those PC fanboys out there that don’t understand products designed for people and harp on misinformation so they feel better about themselves:

1. I can print from the iPad (network printing).

2. I can share files with my Mac or PC via the iPad.

3. I can create and manage a file structure for the iPad.

4. The iPad (and iPhone) are multi-tasking capable. The limitations are intentional, temporary, and oriented around quality product development and usability. See iPhone OS V4 for an update on that.

5. It isn’t a slate PC. Bill Gates proved that nobody wants one. Apple sold more iPads in the first week than slate PCs have been sold in a decade. Ouch.

6. Apple is expert at marketing 101, 201, 301, and beyond. So, expect the iPad, as with every Apple product, to evolve.

There are plenty of reasons to not purchase an iPad. I guess the key reason I’ve written this blog entry is because it is so remarkably cool for content creators – and that’s what we do. Create content.

It is important that anyone who uses an iPad “get it” as well. So, here’s a test: Go to an Apple Store or visit with a friend that has an iPad. Visit the BBC news website. It looks like a fairly standard newspaper website. Now, launch the BBC iPad app. What happens? It loads faster. It is far easier to navigate. The video clips are built into the stories – it’s totally Minority Report – but it’s happening now. If the iPad version of the BBC isn’t more appealing, don’t buy an iPad.

So, what does this have to do with a creative media publisher?

It opens a new door for us. We can share our work with clients more easily. We can improve our work in the field. We’re already using our iPads as slates for each take in video production. We have a teleprompter app that runs beautifully on the iPad. Our presentations, all created in Keynote on a Mac look great – and I can show the presentation to a group of three or four, or, using the RGB connector, can show it to a room of 200 people.

Most importantly, we don’t feel like we’re using a computer when we pick up the iPad. It’s more akin to using a television, or – and this sounds silly – like diving into a good book – and no, I’m now saying it’s like “reading a book” because it’s more than that. What the iPad does better than anything I’ve seen in my 30 years of creating software, video, websites and so on -  is share content. And for content creators, ranging from our boutique firm to a major newspaper or magazine, that’s good news.

Tcho Chocolates

For this year’s sweetheart holiday, you might want to consider TCHO chocolates. Well, you don’t actually have to go there (Pier 17 in San Francisco), but if you do, there is a “chocolate tasting room” and soon, multimedia factory tours. There is also an awesome online store.

We love that Louis Rossetto, founder of Wired Magazine is now the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer for the two-year old start-up, joining former NASA Shuttle technologist Timothy Childs in this new venture. Seeing two technology experts developing a food venture using the latest technology in food development, high-quality training, and most interesting of all – using their own beans. How cool is that?

So, where to get TCHO? Starbucks has started selling the tasty chocs . Don’t let your sweetheart down on the 14th of Feb this year!

This is the final cut for the short film about Carol Anne McGuire and her program of music and education: Rock Our World.

Our team has recently completed production of a short mini-documentary project.  It has been one of the most delightful experiences we’ve had in the production space. The film is called “Harmony” and is about a remarkable teacher, Carol Anne McGuire, and her education program, Rock Our World. This is a “fine cut” of the project – a final cut will be completed shortly.

We first met Carol Anne five years ago. The Apple Distinguished Educator was part of a group of teachers we were videotaping for Apple. When we learned about Carol Anne and her interest in changing the world, we were smitten. At the time, Carol Anne was teaching at a school in Orange County, CA. She had just made a video film, using her students. The film was about themselves. All of the students were (and are) blind. But, that’s Carol Anne for you.

More recently (as discussed in a recent blog entry), Carol Anne has been working with the New Village Leadership Academy in Calabasas. She has been sharing her ongoing core curriculum teaching program that is founded on an international collaboration of music. The program is called “Rock Our World.” It is one of the most amazing methods of delivering education I’ve ever seen.

As Carol says, “when I was a kid, if I wanted to learn about Japan, I’d pick up a book and read it, and that book might have been ten, twenty, or even fifty years old.” Today, when Carol Anne’s students want to know something about Japan, they place a video chat call. Literally. By building musical scores with schools from around the world, and injecting core curriculum (math, science, social studies, etc.), Carol Anne’s children discover a bigger world. And by becoming part of it, they make it theirs – and perhaps a bit smaller, too.

This short video is hopefully a preview of a full-length documentary on the subject. The fine cut process is important, as it gives the filmmakers (us!) the chance to step back from the project for a few days. We can look at the film and evaluate little changes or updates that will help increase the end-result.

We’re continuing to make changes to our suite of web tools, including our content management system. The key for us is to keep our software both evolving and in line with current server solutions. To that end, we’ve added some additional security features, and have upgraded the system software capabilities (database, Apache, etc.) to ensure ease of installation or upgrading.

One of the things that always concerns me is the constant nature of web evolution. It always seems to be a matter of tossing what you had in favor of what’s new, and the relative costs that go along with that. We would prefer that our customers evolve as their needs to – but also based on their usage of the tools they’ve engaged us to provide. The net result is that upgrading with our team is painless, fast, and often involved additional capabilities as well.

On multiple occasions each year, we go through all of our servers, review the software being used, and work to ensure there is a solid solution in place to meet the needs of our clients. While we charge our clients for annual maintenance support for their installed applications, there is no requirement for us to maintain the latest versions (or most stable versions) of software for each box. But, as a matter of course, we keep that issue on the table and review our systems on a quarterly basis. It keeps us busy, but it also provides our clients with some confidence that we’re involved in their success.

Twitter is a powerful tool. For those not familiar with it, the concept of a “tweet” is essentially a micro-blog post. You are limited to 140 characters. Your “tweet” will then be available via your Twitter account to anyone who follows you, or will be broadcast to anyone who has signed up to receive tweets – they look like text messages.

And, just like everything else, there are people who get it and are building awareness, PR, marketing, or just sharing with friends and family – and there are people who are clogging our phones, PDAs, and web browsers with garbage.

Now, the beauty of Twitter is that you can publish anything, and of course, you don’t have to follow anyone you don’t want to. But, the issue comes up when you think you want to follow someone, and it turns out to be a bad mistake.

How should you use Twitter? Well, the short answer is anyway you’d like. The longer answer might be to share relevant and useful information. A good example of a solid tweet would be tweeting about a news story, YouTube video worth watching, or a change to your website. In these cases, you’re using Twitter as a broadcast mechanism to share additional news that may interest people who follow you.

A less than terrific use of Twitter is to share tweets that mislead people who sign up to follow the author. If you’re a photographer, people expect to get tweets about new photos online, client engagements, cool new technology, etc. But, if you’re a photog and you send tweets like, “my pies were burned, I’m so pissed!” – then you’re not really sharing with your audience.

So, if you’re following someone via Twitter, give them feedback about the value of their tweets. Make certain the emerging technologies we’re sharing with so many of clients are effective and hep them build business, not lose it.

As you begin to determine how you’ll use technology this year, there are more options to consider than ever before. The advent of Social Networking has become the current “topic du jour” and is being tossed around like a Ceasar Salad at Mastros Steakhouse in Beverly Hills. Fancy, but is there substance?

Well, in both cases, yes. Mastros has perhaps the best steaks in the LA area, and Social Networking is here – it’s real, and we’d better consider it when making our marketing plans this year. However, before we get too pumped up about telling everyone we’re a social networker, it’s probably a good idea to get a clue about what’s involved. Just as with blogs before this new craze, it isn’t something anyone will do properly.

The beauty of Social Networking is that anyone can do it. If you have the time, the experience, the ability to type, edit, follow up, and be diligent, then you’re good to go. If not, there are companies like ours that will help you.

And, note that the advent of a new business opportunity is exciting for a lot of people, so expect to see a lot of “Social Network Pros” out there. Before you sign them up, check to see if they’re using the tools. Do they have a blog? Do they update it? Are they using links appropriately? Are they, well, practicing what they’re selling?

Before you even consider taking on the challenge of social networking, it’s important to learn more about it and how it works. Scott Nichols at PC Magazine has written a terrific article this week that talks about the power of Social Networking – and most importantly, who’s using it. As it turns out, it’s probably your clients, vendors, kids, and even grandpa Olsen. If you thought it was a teenage daydream, think again.