Once you get the question of recording devices settled and have to start tackling the question of how to get the recordings processed, stored, and disseminated, you might want to look at a project called OpenCast that UC-Berkeley is leading (with support from the Hewlett and Mellon Foundations). They're still in design phase, but should be building useful technology later this year or early next year.
It's a higher ed project, but nothing about it is particularly higher-ed-specific, so no reason a museum couldn't take full advantage, and they've got some vendors interested in helping if you don't have the in-house expertise to set up and run something open source yourself. The use-case on which they're focusing (lecture capture and dissemination) isn't exactly the same as processing field recordings, but given the diversity of institutions already engaged, what they design and build should be able to help almost any institution that has to collect, manage, and disseminate rich media. Besides, it's an open project: they'd welcome your participation, and your seat at the table could ensure that the project does what you need. It's a very ugly URL, sorry.... http://confluence.media.berkeley.edu/confluence/display/WCTREQ/OpenCast+ Community-+Home Hope this helps, --Chris -----Original Message----- From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of mcn-l-request at mcn.edu Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 3:00 PM To: mcn-l at mcn.edu Subject: mcn-l Digest, Vol 32, Issue 20 Send mcn-l mailing list submissions to mcn-l at mcn.edu To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to mcn-l-request at mcn.edu You can reach the person managing the list at mcn-l-owner at mcn.edu When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of mcn-l digest..." Today's Topics: 1. A good "field" video recorder (Ari Davidow) 2. Re: A good "field" video recorder (Bill Gardner) 3. Re: A good "field" video recorder (Ari Davidow) 4. Re: image annotation tools (Arno Bosse) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 15:03:21 -0400 From: "Ari Davidow" <[email protected]> Subject: [MCN-L] A good "field" video recorder To: "Museum Computer Network Listserv" <mcn-l at mcn.edu> Message-ID: <747cfaf50805271203q714596afhb2a55947af389a70 at mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 The idea of using video for oral histories (vs. audio only) seems to be still of some controversy among oral historians. But, we used video for one huge project last year, and I say, no going back. Especially when we consider that these are recordings for people to view and interact with (how, we haven't yet determined) on the web, the use of audio seems so, well, last century. So, if you are recording video at events, or in gathering oral histories, what cameras (digicams? video recorders?) have you found that work well? I'm pretty sure that we're ready to go the all-digital route--downloading data from mini-dv tapes to the computer is a pain--but I don't want to end up with the video equivalent of mp3s--files of relatively low, lossily-compressed video that will cause us great depression ten years hence when, had we something even as good as .avi files of the 2000s, we could generate better public viewing versions than today's mpegs. ari ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 21:04:39 +0100 From: Bill Gardner <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [MCN-L] A good "field" video recorder To: Museum Computer Network Listserv <mcn-l at mcn.edu> Message-ID: <12BFBAC9-DE93-4895-BF39-81057AD811A5 at mac.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Hi Ari, We are using Sony EX1 solid state HD recorders very successfully, see also the Panasonic P2 system. Also look for the FLASH XDR HD field recorder that uses SD cards. Regards Bill Gardner SWT On 27 May 2008, at 20:03, Ari Davidow wrote: > The idea of using video for oral histories (vs. audio only) seems > to be > still of some controversy among oral historians. But, we used video > for one > huge project last year, and I say, no going back. Especially when we > consider that these are recordings for people to view and interact > with > (how, we haven't yet determined) on the web, the use of audio seems > so, > well, last century. > > So, if you are recording video at events, or in gathering oral > histories, > what cameras (digicams? video recorders?) have you found that work > well? I'm > pretty sure that we're ready to go the all-digital route-- > downloading data > from mini-dv tapes to the computer is a pain--but I don't want to > end up > with the video equivalent of mp3s--files of relatively low, > lossily-compressed video that will cause us great depression ten > years hence > when, had we something even as good as .avi files of the 2000s, we > could > generate better public viewing versions than today's mpegs. > > ari > _______________________________________________ > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum > Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Wed, 28 May 2008 09:56:00 -0400 From: "Ari Davidow" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [MCN-L] A good "field" video recorder To: "Museum Computer Network Listserv" <mcn-l at mcn.edu> Message-ID: <747cfaf50805280656n78add021pb7f6b8a40e748aab at mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 That, and its successors, look like amazing cameras. We have just been adjusting to the idea of spending $1k--the current unit, the EX3, retails for $13k. My instinct tells me that we are better getting a $1k (or less) camera and learning what matters most to us, then spending $13k and realizing that we could have comfortably done well with less. One factor is size and portability. Virtually all of our videocam use would be for oral histories, where the camera would be mounted on a tripod and pretty much left pointing at the respondent for the whole interview. A small device that could be handheld, or mounted on a tripod, that saved in reasonably high def, is ideal. (Small, because not all staff here are hefty, and because we will have a LOT of equipment for some events. What I really want is the digital equivalent of a mini-dv cam; but without those unreliable mini-dv media. The closest equivalent I see today is something using the newish (and still funky for editing) AVCHD format. The Canon HF10 actually looks plausible for our purposes. 16GB cards should hold about 1.5hours each, which would work very well for the uses we anticipate now. The immediate scenario that we are looking at is something we call the roadshow. That is a party where we invite several respondents to bring images or objects for scanning, and they also share stories. In some cases they share together, and we would also tape individual oral histories onsite--but relatively short ones, as we'd want to tape everyone. We have some nice digital audio recorders, but I don't know how much they would be used--it seems really clear that people are comfortable talking to a camcorder, and that people love seeing the video along with hearing voices, so we end up with a more accessible recording in that sense (that people will enjoy listening enough so that they actually listen more). But, this is just me blathering. I may be totally off-base in terms of real needs, or better ways to gather these types of materials. And lots of people are going to submit interviews and images taken with their cellphones, for goodness' sake, so there has to be a limit as to how much I am willing to obsess about resolution and quality. ari On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 4:04 PM, Bill Gardner <billgardner1 at mac.com> wrote: > Hi Ari, > > We are using Sony EX1 solid state HD recorders very successfully, see > also the Panasonic P2 system. > > Also look for the FLASH XDR HD field recorder that uses SD cards. > > Regards > > Bill Gardner SWT > On 27 May 2008, at 20:03, Ari Davidow wrote: > > > The idea of using video for oral histories (vs. audio only) seems > > to be > > still of some controversy among oral historians. But, we used video > > for one > > huge project last year, and I say, no going back. Especially when we > > consider that these are recordings for people to view and interact > > with > > (how, we haven't yet determined) on the web, the use of audio seems > > so, > > well, last century. > > > > So, if you are recording video at events, or in gathering oral > > histories, > > what cameras (digicams? video recorders?) have you found that work > > well? I'm > > pretty sure that we're ready to go the all-digital route-- > > downloading data > > from mini-dv tapes to the computer is a pain--but I don't want to > > end up > > with the video equivalent of mp3s--files of relatively low, > > lossily-compressed video that will cause us great depression ten > > years hence > > when, had we something even as good as .avi files of the 2000s, we > > could > > generate better public viewing versions than today's mpegs. > > > > ari > > _______________________________________________ > > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum > > Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l > > _______________________________________________ > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer > Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l > ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Wed, 28 May 2008 12:00:51 -0500 From: Arno Bosse <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [MCN-L] image annotation tools To: mcn-l at mcn.edu Message-ID: <C096F661-B885-43E4-99CB-AD2D9F05DD2E at uchicago.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes I was indeed looking for something like http://fotonotes.net/ - thank you to everyone who sent me suggestions on & off the list. cheers, Arno Bosse Senior Director for Technology Division of the Humanities University of Chicago 1115 E. 58th St., Walker Room 213F Chicago, IL 60637 Phone: 773-702-6177 Fax: 773-834-5867 ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ mcn-l mailing list mcn-l at mcn.edu http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l End of mcn-l Digest, Vol 32, Issue 20 *************************************
