HD(V) Stock Footage sharing - free network?

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Hi all,

I just posted something about this in another thread, but wanted to start this topic anew.

Here is what I propose:

We could do a P2P setup and (or FTP sites) and share HD(V) clips - all 100% public domain. Basically like the Prelinger archives with requested credits. (Maybe we can just post full resolution clips at his site instead??)

It's definately possible. I have setup computer to computer FTP sites (secured with password) and downloaded 100's of gigs worth of video from my buddy in California and he's downloaded from me. I'm over in New Hampshire, so we just let it go all day and night when we have to transfer stuff. I've always been careful and only done 1-to-1 sharing, so my computer isn't wide open. But, Apple has a pretty good FTP thing going on in Panther. (windows is another story, but Serv-U is a cheap and easy FTP site program)

I'd love to have access to tons of free stock HD(V) footage and I'd freely give away tons of stuff I capture.

Let me know if anyone is interested and we can setup something! It would work simply by doing FTP sites on our computers that are password protected and only accessable by HDV'ers. I've got broadband (3 megs a second from Comcast download and 300k upload), so speed here isn't a problem.

This would be really, really cool!

Murph

[Heath McKnight]

That's always a great idea. I'm going to one day edit a movie that was done mostly on blue screen (of course, the blue screen was lit poorly, so it may not work) and takes place in France. So I need DV footage of some Paris stuff. (Hint Hint.)

But, this is cool, HDV footage from around the world!

In Darren Kelly's HDV Training site, under links, he hints at www.hdvstock.com.

heath

[Christopher C. Murphy]

I've been wondering about that www.hdvstock.com site for a while.

Hey Darren, what's the scoop on the stock site? I hate to be a party pooper, but free HDV footage sounds better to me. I'm sure a stock (for pay) site would work, but I don't have funds to buy footage...it would be more of a convience and fun thing for me. I'd definately pay for a clip that I needed though! I'd be into getting some promo HDV stock footage like Digital Juice type stuff...I'd pay for a bunch of that stuff.

Murph

[Heath McKnight]

Nothing's free, Murph, sorry. I would say that the best thing is to trade video.

hwm

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Hey, this site is free for users Heath. :)

Murph

[Heath McKnight]

True, but I'm talking about a way of getting stock footage would have to be through trade or purchases.

heath

[Clark Dunbar]

Well, in following up with the subject of HDV stock, I am just in the process of launching a HD stock footage library.. which will feature HD footage (1080i, 1080/24p, 720p and HDV) along with 3D animation and motion graphics - all in HD and downconverted SD. The online store opens next week along with the PR campaign. Mammoth HD is producing footage and animation inhouse - but we are representing several cinematographers, animators and other artists. Our initial offerings are a bit on the lightside - but there is a lot in the pipeline. Most of our contributors material will start to be added to the site next month.. as it's just starting to come in and is in early stages of editing, etc. The major worldwide launch will be timed for NAB'2005.

So you can look to MHD as both a stock footage resource and as a potential partner in marketing your stock footage. I invite you to check out the website, and information on site. We are looking to add contributors in all areas.. there is submission information on the website

I look forward to hearing from you all...

[Barry Gilbert]

Hi Christopher,
I was wondering if you found anyone willing to be a part of your network. I would appreicate being included.

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Hey Heath (or David or Frederic), could you move Barry's and my post here over to the newly created thread dedicated to "Free HDV Footage Network"? I made a brand new thread the other day for this specific topic. The new thread contains a bulleted outline for us to follow too.

It would keep things nice and tidy! :)

Barry, I think the first thing would be to figure out the best way to share. I can share any Internet and postal mail way. I'd prefer the Internet because it's totally free. Do you have a high speed connection? I just shot some cool racing car footage from the Lee Speedway in NH. Also, I have lots of nature type stuff right now on my harddrive...all told, 80 gigs of HDV footage. If we setup an FTP you can grab a couple gigs every few days. The P2P would be good, but I think FTP is faster transfer speeds because it's a direct connection and not passing through a P2P network. You have a Mac or PC?

Murph

[Bob England]

Something like this would be fairly easy for a manufacturer like JVC to do on their website. Not to mention the promotional value they might get out of it.
Panasonic apparently has something similar called Varicam Stock Exchange on their website for Varicam owners:
http://www.panasonic.com/business/provideo/varicam_exchange.asp
(no details there on how it works, just an online form to request information)
And if nothing else, it should at least be possible to set up an internet newsgroup for this purpose. While a standard newsgroup requires a lengthy process and official approval, most anyone can set up an ALT newsgroup. I'd suggest a name like alt.binaries.video.hidef.hdv
The stock footage-type clips we're talking about aren't usually that long and we could use any one of the widely available tools to break the clips into manageable file attachments for multiple message posting (1 of, 2 of, 3 of, etc).
Perhaps not as convenient as getting JVC (or someone else) to host on their website, but once it got going it would be like all newsgroups, open to all internationally without restrictions. Yes, there would eventually be spam but because we'd be looking for messages with attachments, it's a simple matter to sort by message size to seperate the much smaller spam messages out. Best of all, it'd be free.
Either way (or both ways), the free exchange of HDV clips seems like it would be a good way to promote the HDV format as well as exchange clips.

[Christopher C. Murphy]

I'm glad we've got a discussion happening here.

Here is what I am looking at right now. The suggestion to do "Bit Torret" looks to be the best one yet. You create a tiny text file with a ".torrent" extention and you can email to someone, post it on a website or in a newsgroup like Bob England just suggested.

The main thing I like about this is that the files are really small. You can share almost control your sharing to a point because the file is actually pointing to your harddrive like FTP or P2P networks. But, if you shut your computer off or the program Bit Torret - it stops the download too.

I guess that I like this best because you'll get an email or request to dowload a clip and you have to allow it. Once the clip is downloaded you can shut off the program it's done until next time.

All we need is a place to post small Torrent files and communicate about what's in the associated clip. Does anyone know of a place? We can open a Yahoo! group, or maybe Chris Hurd will open a "HDV Footage Exchange" area on here that's only open to members?

If we can't get those things - the simple alternative solutions is to create a thread on here titled, "HDV Footage Exchange - Torrents". We can post information about the clips we have and anyone can email requesting the Torrent file.

By the way, you can leave your Torrent file running trying to request the file. When the sharing party starts up you'll get the file started again.

Make sense? Here are the links:

PC:
http://bitconjurer.org/BitTorrent/download.html

Mac:
http://sarwat.net/bittorrent/

Ok...I'll just start another thread and see what happens!

Murph

[Daymon Hoffman]

Bob's Idea ofa newsgroup is a winner :)

[Christopher C. Murphy]

That's cool, this Bit Torrent thing is a pain in the arse anyway.

I really don't know anything about setting up a newsgroup - although, I do know how to use them. Anyone want to create it?

Murph

[Bob England]

Well, it took a while but it looks like I was able to get this done.
My proposed newsgroup alt.binaries.mpeg.video.hdv has finally shown up as a new newsgroup, at least on my ISP adelphia.net.

Because this is an ALT newsgroup, it's entirely up to individual internet providers whether to carry it or not, so if you don't see it in your newsgroups email your provider requesting it.

And please, let's start using it! Post your clips (and requests for clips - like "hey, anybody have an hdv clip of a waterfall I can use?") there and help keep the signal to spam ratio as high as possible!

Have fun and send in any hdv clips you want to share! Let's send hdv around the world!

Bob England

[Bob England]

Because I wanted this to get as much visibility as possible, I also posted the above message to a new thread:
New newsgroup - alt.binaries.mpeg.video.hdv !!!

Please don't shoot me! :-)