Adventures in Movie Maker and Microsoft Surface

About a week ago I was asked by another department who was putting together an annual report if I could create a 1 to 2 minute video about my work with Microsoft Surface here at the University of Virginia. So I wrote up a script recorded a voice over and even included some of my own music. I shot the video myself on an inexpensive digital camera and included some still I shot. Since the subject was going to be a Microsoft product; I thought I would put the whole thing together using Microsoft Movie Maker versus iMovie (I hate the new one anyway). Movie Maker was decent enough to work in. It had all the editing and special FX tools you would expect. When I was done I exported it as a High Definition WMV. Here’s the kicker. The department putting the online annual report together asked for the file to be in H.264. Movie Maker only does WMV’s and Flash for YouTube. So I put the movie together in iMovie and saved it as an H.264. The iMove file was pixelated and the audio was full of spots of static. The high definition WMV was simply gorgeous. Below is the standard definition. In the area of Surface application development; our grad student working on the project is quickly putting information together that will be used in the applications. Things like metadata about the material in the applications. Transcripts of the letter from the various signers of the Declaration of Independence are also being worked on. Me? I’ve been working on the button array that will be used to access information about the Signer you’ve accessed. I am also working on using the new Menu Element that SP1 for Surface brought us. I also would like to include a sound scheme to this batch of software. We will see about that. The good thing is the release schedule has been extended to I can take some time on this. There is only my own crazy need to get some new programs on the Surface unit soon! :-) Microsoft Surface at the University of Virginia Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library.

Microsoft Surface, Dead Computer, No Music, No Time...

This week as been mostly dominated by computerizing in one form or another. My current projects are surrounding phase II of application development for the Microsoft Surface unit in the “Declaring Independence” exhibit at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collection Library at the University of Virginia. I've been writing code all week. I am also writing and producing a small video about the use of Surface at the University Library. I will also be providing the music.
Speaking of music; music production has come to a halt since the studio computer has decided that it didn’t like one of its hard drives. This is at a time when I was all set to finish the latest compilation of music to send to Jingle Punks as well as start to assemble CD for release online through iTunes and other online distribution. That’s the way it goes sometimes. So this weekend will be a continuation of computerizing by reformatting hard drives and reloading software, as well as possible resurrection of my wife’s computer that has been sitting idle in the basement waiting for someone (like me) to give it life once again. Since we moved to Harmon House in the country my wife has been using one of my laptops. Being tied to a desk is short of torture for her. ;-) However she is missing having “her” computer to abuse as she pleases. While I have planned this Saturday to be the time set aside for domestic geekdom; Kung Fu sash testing, Christmas parties, and present shopping is trying to derail the planned adventure to geek land. Sunday does offer some possibilities however my schedule does tell me that I have some volunteer board meetings to attend in the early afternoon. So later afternoon and evening looks like when the train to geeksville wil be leaving. Good thing a new bag of espresso beans came home with use from central Pennsylvania this Thanksgiving; because I’ll making good use of them I can tell you. Oh yeah did I mention we might get the first blast of winter weather here in Virginia? Did I also mention that the family has been vocalizing the need to put up Christmas decorations this weekend too?? Who said artists/techies are lazy???