Video

Video is a dynamic way to visually market your organization. You can tape an event with a camcorder and then digitally transfer it onto the Web. Video is being used on more and more Web sites to tell a visual story in less than a minute. An excellent example of the advantages to having video on your Web site is the Alvin Ailey Dance Company site (http://www.alvinailey.org). There are many tutorials on the Internet that can help you learn how to include your video on to your Web site and what software is needed. Some helpful sites that offer advice and tutorials are:

• VidWeb (http://vidweb.com/shoot.htm)
• RealPublisher (http://www.real.com/publisher/index.html)
• Webreference (http://webreference.internet.com/multimedia/video.html)

Below are three general steps to follow when putting your video online:

1. Decide what video clip you want to digitize onto your Web site. When selecting your clip, keep in mind that the longer the segment is, the longer it will take your audience to download your video.
2. Decide what video format to apply for Web delivery. Remember that your audience will be utilizing various types of software packages to view your site. Some of their computers will have the components needed to view your video, and others may not. Therefore, when choosing a format make sure that the majority of viewers can see your video regardless of what type software they have on their computers.
3. Decide whether you would like to format the video yourself or have a video production company format it for you. If you decide to format the video yourself, you will need a capture card and an editing software program. The capture card can be purchased for anywhere from $150 to $10,000. The editing software package has a wide range of price. The technical knowledge needed also varies based on the type of editing software package you choose.

Here are some examples of how Arts organizations are using video:

• The Bishop Museum in Hawaii (http://www.bishop.hawaii.org/bishop/quickcam/mpeg/construction.html)
• Diego Rivera Web Museum (http://www.diegorivera.com/diego_home.html)