Archives for March 2019

The 3-2-1 Backup Rule

Some say rules are meant to be broken. Not this one! As soon as you don’t follow this, it is likely to bite you in the digital ass(ets). I guess you could say it is part of digital Murphy’s Law. It does not matter if you’re a voice over artist, digital film producer, video editor, photographer, sound designer, or just someone who has digital files of any sort! In order to not lose your data (or files), you need to follow the 3-2-1 Backup Rule. It’s part of any good digital asset management workflow.

Here’s How It Works

It’s simple really. Not much to it. You just need to make it part of your workflow. It starts with three.

3 copies of any file – the original, and 2 other copies. Simple enough.

2 different types of storage media. For instance, one on a hard drive, and one on a data DVD.

1 copy off site. So simple to do these days with all the various “cloud” options. This off site copy saves you if there is any thing that happens in the environment where your other backups reside.

A Couple of Great Resources

The 3-2-1 Backup Rule is a concept that is touted by many. It’s been around for years. I first heard of it from The Tech Guy, Leo Laporte. He has a knack for explaining anything technical in a simple, yet thorough fashion. This is his explanation of how the 3-2-1 Backup Rule works. He is my tech mentor. So much to learn from Leo! I’ve always enjoyed his style and approach. Guess there could be something to me feeling connected to him because of his last name. Laporte. Mine is Laponis – both start with the letters L-A-P-O – and we have the same total number of letters in our last names. I almost feel related – lol. Anyway, check out his regular podcasts and radio show, The Tech Guy. You will learn a lot!

In his excerpt about the 3-2-1 rule he mentions a great web site of the American Society of Media Photographers, dpBestflow.org. Lots of great material and resources there. Here is helpful information about backups and the 3-2-1 Backup Rule. Be sure to check out all the other great things this site has to offer. So many great topics and resources!

Integrate it into Your Workflow

Such a simple concept that can save you so much in the way of NOT losing your data and files. Of course, as a media professional it is crucial to utilize a system like this. It’s the only way that your deliverables are always, well, deliverable. Just part of what makes you a pro. But even if your data and files are all just for fun, it’s no fun to lose all your work. I hope this simple technique serves you well. Please feel free to drop me an email at Mike@mikesvo.com. Thank you!

Mindfulness

Lifestyle, Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a method and technique of of being fully aware and in the moment in a way that allows you to accept things around you, instead of allowing those things to be disruptive in your life. It is a technique that provides many benefits to your daily life, including your creative endeavors. Mindfulness allows you to clear your mind of issues and clutter and to be accepting of yourself. It allows for a healthier life, reduction of stress, and improves your well-being.

Mindfulness Techniques

The Mindful techniques (and there are several) are a good way to gain a greater sense of well-being. Who can’t use that? It also helps you improve your physical health. It is proven to lower blood pressure, slow your heart rate, improve your sleep, and relieve stress. Mindfulness is almost like a meditation, of sorts. It consists of mostly breathing techniques and practices of relaxing your mind and body. If practiced regularly, these techniques will help you reduce your stress. When the stress is effectively managed, your creativity increases and your productivity grows as well.

There are two breathing techniques I have used. Each begins in a comfortable chair. You should be in a seated position, with correct posture and positioning in order for it to have the most benefit. Sit in a chair, sitting straight up with your feet flat on the floor (not folded or crossed), back straight, and arms comfortable in your lap (not folded or crossed). This is the correct position for each of the two techniques described here.

Two-to-One Breathing Technique

The first technique, called 2-to-1 Breathing, is a method of breathing where you inhale through your nose, concentrating on diaphragmatic breathing (breathing with your diaphragm – pushing your stomach out) to get a full breath. Then exhale through your mouth and control that exhale to take twice as long as you inhaled. To give you an example, what works well for me is to slowly inhale (through my nose) for 4-seconds (to get a nice big breath). Then to slowly exhale (controlled, through my mouth) for 8 seconds. Continue doing these breathing rotations for about 5 minutes.

Box Breathing Technique

The second technique is called Box Breathing and is actually what the Navy Seals use for reducing stress and remaining calm. Again, in a comfortable chair with proper posture and positioning is best. Then inhale for 4 seconds. Hold the air in your lungs for 4 seconds. Then exhale for 4 seconds – being sure to empty all of the air in your lungs. Hold your lungs empty for 4 seconds. This is why it is called box breathing – because of the 4 seconds of each of the 4 parts. Repeat this box breathing for 5 minutes (which my my calculations would be about 18 complete cycles of the box).

With each of these techniques, you should begin to feel refocused and relaxed. Practicing these mindfulness techniques once each day, 5 days a week, should improve your overall sense of well-being and health. That in turn will make you more productive, increase your creative flow, and make you feel invigorated and in control of your body and mind. This allows you to go about your day being mindful along the way. I hope it is a useful technique for you. I would love to hear from you! Feel free to drop me a line at Mike@mikesvo.com. Thank you!

Creating Content

Business, Marketing

When you are creating content for your video, eLearning project, web site, or blog, you need to be able to have access to useful and affordable content that helps you reinforce your message. You need images, graphics, sound and music to put your entire message together. You want it to be eye-catching, ear-catching, and memorable. There are so many great resources available for stock video, photos, graphics, animations, fonts, music and sound effects. You want them to be effective, and they need to be affordable. I will share with you some of my favorites and what has worked well for me.

Digital Juice

The name says it all! Digital Juice is a royalty-free content provider for video, print, presentations, advertising, and more. They have stock video, photos, fonts, After Effects sequences, animations, backgrounds, layered Photoshop art work, Apple Motion templates, music, sound effects, and so much more. They used to sell it all piece-by-piece, or in bundled sets. Now, like a lot of suppliers these days, it is by subscription. They have two methods of payment – both are Lifetime plans, but with one price, one time, forever! The libraries and content keeps growing and, depending on your plan, you have access to all of it. The Standard Lifetime Plan is $299 and the Pro Lifetime Plan is $499. Right now, there is a limited-time special of half-off on either of those plans. Not sure how long that lasts. If you need Digital content that adds Juice to your presentation or message, I recommend it!

Adobe

So very much to see and explore with Adobe. Of course, there is the ever-popular, and useful Adobe Creative Cloud. An amazing suite of creative tools for content creation, and manipulation. I am not really going to cover that here, although if you are a creator it is a suite of tools you should consider. There are educational rates for students and faculty, alike. If you qualify for the educational rate (as a student or teacher) it is $19.99 per month (for the first year), and $29.99 per month after that. The regular, non-educational rate is $52.99 per month. But that is for all the apps (20+ apps), and the tools are amazing. Oops, I said I was not going to cover that here. Sorry.

The reason I even brought up Adobe, is because they also have an incredible library of images called Adobe Stock. It is a great stock photo service with a library of royalty-free images. It is one of the largest stock images around with over 100 million images! Pricing varies, depending on whether month-to-month, or annual enrollment. With annual enrollment you have access 10 standard assets per month for $29.99 (with a free 1-month trial), and on up from there. If you are a Creative Cloud subscriber you get some images through that plan. The Adobe images are incredible and worth checking out.

Soundsnap

There are a lot of sound effects libraries out there. One that I have found as an excellent resource is Soundsnap. I have found their sounds to be excellent in quality, with a wide range of sounds and sound environments. With 250,000 sounds, this royalty-free library has am excellent price structure. You can pay as you go, for as little as $15 for 5 downloads. Or you might enjoy access to the entire library, unlimited downloads, for the annual rate of $199. The site is well organized, and easy to use. Their customer service is excellent!

I hope these resources will be useful for you. I should note, I do not hold any financial interest in any of these companies (other than being a subscriber to some of these services). If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at Mike@mikesvo.com. If I can be of help in providing the voice for your project, that is what I love to do and I would love it if you would, “Let me do your talking!” -Mike

Mike Laponis

VO