More Cinequest, and Music Video Coming Soon!

Posted by filmzombi on March 1st, 2010 filed in iPhone, app, Qik, Cinequest 20, video, youtube
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Last week at Cinequest was a blast. I really didn’t get to see many movies. I saw one short and was at the premiere of “The Real Revolutionaries.” However, I made a lot of new contacts and ran into some old friends.

I spent most of my time there helping out with the “Inside Cinequest”  interviews with filmmakers and on a secret “underground” project.

I also got a chance to test out the “Qik Video Camera” app for iPhone. It enables 3g and earlier models of iPhone to record video. The app only costs $1.99 and it does what it says. Transferring files over wifi was neat feature but pretty standard among these video camera apps.

Check out the video I made with this app. I admit it may not be the most interesting video but it does give you a good idea of what this app will do for you. From my experience, I would say stick to well lit subjects when using this app.

I also worked this past weekend with Cadre Media Group on a music video. More info coming soon…

Cinequest 20!

Posted by filmzombi on February 24th, 2010 filed in Cinequest 20
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It has been a rough year for the old filmzombi. However, things are starting to pick up. I have volunteered my time to help Cinequest with video production during the course of the festival. Last night, our crew set up on the red carpet for the opening night movie. We interviewed filmmakers and made some new friends. I actually got to meet a couple of my facebook friends that I have never met in real life.

This is going to be my fourth year here at Cinequest with a full pass. I went to Cinequest 6 and 7 with a VIP pass. For Cinequest 10, I managed to get a press pass (I guess it helped that I was the editor in chief at La Voz). I remember back and I used to tell myself, “next time I am going to get the filmmaker pass.” Well, maybe next year. This year I have the Staff Pass.

It’s going to be an exciting couple weeks. I am hoping to make a lot more friends and connections.

Hope to see you there!

1-800-flowers.com “Check Inclosed” Scam

Posted by filmzombi on January 12th, 2010 filed in warning, check, scam, elite excursions, 1-800-flowers.com, livewell
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I normally just blog about videos I have worked on, but I just received a second check from 1-800-flowers.com and I feel it is my duty to warn others.

A couple months ago, I received some mail from 1-800-flowers.com. On the outside of the letter were the words “Check Enclosed.” After opening the letter I discovered a check for $9.25. Now, if I hadn’t read the fine print and cashed the check in, I would have been signing my self up for a membership for a program called “Elite Excursions.”

The “Elite Excursions” program promises 2% cashback on all credit card purchases. Reading further it says 2% on your first $5,000 of new purchases. It also promises 10%-50% disounts on several different kinds of purchases. So this check is actually paying me for signing up for this discount rebate service. Maybe the discounts and rebates will make this membership service worthwhile?

Reading on it states that as soon as I cash in the check I will be charged $19.99 to the credit card I had purchased flowers with in the past and I will also be charged $19.99 for each month I am in the program.

Now it is time for some math. This service costs me $239.88/year and if I spend $5,000 I will get $100 back. Assuming I do spend the full $5000 and I cash my check I am left in the hole $130.63 and more the next year. I guess it is possible to come out ahead in this membership but I would have to do a lot of traveling and staying in hotels to barely break even. Honestly, I think I can find hotel deals eaiser just using one of the many travel websites.

Today, I received a second check from 1-800-flowers.com. This time for a program called “Livewell” which offers me $8.25 to signup for their $12.99/mo scam for discounts on dining and shopping.

If you do a Google search for “Livewell” and/or “Elite Exursions” you will see many complaints from people ripped off by 1-800-flowers.com. Some people have also been unknowingly signed up for these memberships while ordering flowers on the phone and were charged up to $39.98 a month for this “great” service.

With the state of the economy and on the people desperate for work and money, I think this is a lowly, despicable scam created to take advantage of people in need. All I can say is read the fine print and be careful. I know that I will never be ordering from 1-800-flowers.com again.

Of Pronghorns and Baadasssss Wolverines

Posted by filmzombi on December 9th, 2009 filed in cop15, Google Earth, youtube
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I worked on this video. The 3d Google Earth shots and pretty much everything use see is was created in Google Earth. I just did some minor editing on what you see here.

For more information and videos please check the following link.
www.google.com/cop15

I am feeling lucky and tired…

Posted by filmzombi on December 8th, 2009 filed in Chrome Extensions, Chrome, Google, youtube
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After a year away, I have finally come back. Last week I started work at Google, again. What started as a 3 day gig has quickly become steady flow of work. This past weekend I worked long and hard on a series of ten videos for Google Chrome Extensions. Things have changed a lot in the past year, but somethings remains the same. Being at Google is great. I do feel lucky.

For more information on Google Chrome Extension check out the following link.

code.google.com/chrome/extensions

Bookshare.org

Posted by filmzombi on January 13th, 2009 filed in learning disabillity, visual impairment, QA Engineer, books, Bookshare.org, video, benetech, Palo Alto, youtube
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Hello, out there. Thanks to a good friend of mine, I am now working again. This time I am not making videos. I am a QA Engineer working for Benetech in Palo Alto.This past week I have been helping them get ready for the launch of the new Bookshare.org. Bookshare is a service that provides a library of over 42,000 books for people with visual impairment and learning disablities. After downloading a book, software will actually read the books to people. For more information, check out the latest version of their webpage at http://www.bookshare.org.  

New house, New Life and New Gadgets

Posted by filmzombi on December 3rd, 2008 filed in Xochi, gadget, Google
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Hello filmzombi fans,
Yes, things are changing quick over here at camp filmzombi. I just moved into my first house just in time to welcome my brand new little daughter “Xochi.” 

I am working on building filmzombi studios in converted garage behind my house. Due to the most recent layoff at my previous studio, I will have some time to update my webpage and work on some personal projects.
Ok, I guess I will finish this post with a baby in my arm.

I just got whitelisted for Google friend connect. Check out the gadget on the right side of page and become a friend of filmzombi.com. Stay tuned for more news, more videos and more updates to filmzombi.com.- Rigel 

Overflowing YouTube Playlist

Posted by filmzombi on November 13th, 2008 filed in Google, youtube
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Hello everyone.

There is a lot of things changing in my life right now. I don’t have internet access right now, but I still have lots to post.

My “@Google” Playlist on YouTube has been filled to the brim. I have learned that 200 is the max amount of videos allowed in one playlist. So I have created, “@Google Vol. 2″ playlist to put the rest of the videos in.

“@Google Vol. 1″ Playlist

“@Google Vol. 2″ Playlist

I have some new non-Google videos coming soon as well. I will try to keep you posted. Take care and thank you for taking the time to read this.

Fleeting YouTube Honors

Posted by filmzombi on October 10th, 2008 filed in Elliott, YouTube Honor, digging, dog, video, Sanfrancisco, youtube
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Two weeks ago, I recieved my first YouTube honors. Going for a niche market, I created “Elliott Digs a Hole.” With some word of mouth and posting on social networks I quickly had my first honors.

#37 - Top Favorited (Today) - Pets & Animals
#88 - Top Rated (Today) - Pets & Animals

Later on I recieved one more honor for “# 91 Most Visited (Today) - Korea  - Pets and Animals” As quickly as they came, the honors faded. However, I did hold on to the first honors for over 24 hours, this blog posting is the only record of that achievement.

 And now for some digging!

Elliott Digs a Hole

Deadlines looming: Register to vote on Google!

Posted by filmzombi on October 3rd, 2008 filed in gadget, Vote!, mobile, Google Maps, video, youtube
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This is a project I worked on recently. I scanned all the footage and created the pie graph animation by using Google Spreadsheets and capturing it with a Folsom scan converter.

The video:

The Gadget: