Promo Video

kenb · #1 03-19-2007, 09:26 AM

Hi folks
I'm playing around with a promo video for these Log HouseBoats and was wondering what you think? This is my first attempt at a video so be nice. The web site at the end is ficticious so don't try that link. I'm not sure if I should add text inbetween slides or just let them speak for themselves. Opinions needed please. Thanks kenb

kenb · #2 03-19-2007, 09:28 AM

Sorry here's the link. Harbor

ace5548 · #3 03-19-2007, 10:20 AM

Hi Kenb,

I looked at the intro. The houseboat turns kind of slow. One and one-half times may be too much, although I understand it has to in order to get it back into position for the remainder of the video.

Looks like it will be a nice presentation when you complete it. Great job for your first time.

kenb · #4 03-20-2007, 12:04 AM

Hi there
I reduced the rotation to a full 360 for that sequence. If I try to speed up the frames of the rotation, it looks blurred so I will have to live with the rotation speed. I think if anyones interested, 40 sec shouldnt be too long to see the whole houseboat complete.
I also added a step annimation at the end to have it appear as if the houseboat is returning from a day on the lake.
Any more oppinions would be helpfull. Thanks kenb

karel · #5 03-20-2007, 12:17 AM

It looked fine to me and kept my interest. Living in the U.K I have never seen one of these houseboats before.

Good Job

Paul

kenb · #6 03-20-2007, 12:27 AM

I have only seen some in Ireland and they were permanantly moored. Floating homes are very popular in Denmark, Seattle, Florida, B.C. and Northern Ontario. This really is a first as far as motor packages go. Best thing "NO PROPERTY TAX". Thanks kenb

karel · #7 03-20-2007, 12:37 AM

So you could go to sleep in one town and end up waking up in another lol.

kenb · #8 03-20-2007, 12:43 AM

Yup
If you don't get along with your neighbors just pull up anchor and go...

SChajin · #9 03-20-2007, 01:02 AM

Hi, I think your getting there. I saw your first one too..I'm in Florida

kenb · #10 03-20-2007, 01:24 AM

Oh yeah, I visited a large community of Floating Homes, duplexes, and fourplexes in Marathon Key a few years back and they were just beautifull. They were set up as time shares and catered mainly to trophy fishermen.

aconstas1 · #11 03-20-2007, 01:27 AM

I was impressed and loved the scenery and music

kenb · #12 03-20-2007, 05:20 AM

Thanks for the nice coments, I'm kinda hoping to not have to write anything on the timeline cause I could be there forever trying to think of something to say about every shot. Not really a talent of mine. I think the music takes care of that for me.

Vasili · #13 03-20-2007, 05:29 AM

No need to create another thread, Ken!
Things are polishing up quite nicely since you first brought it up a week ago!

You have made some dramatic improvements, and I can only imagine what the final version will reveal!

and on we go....in this thread, right? LOL

kenb · #14 03-20-2007, 06:00 AM

Sooory, I think I put it up at around 4:30AM and completly forgot about the previous thread. My Bad. Thanks for checking it out for me though. I'm just registering a new domain name now so I hope to have everything ready in a week or so.

Vasili · #15 03-20-2007, 06:38 AM

No real biggie...(the Rules, yes, but..)..it is just so much more helpful to all if we can better see the evolutions sites go through, and the various solutions that help to frame up an understanding of "process"......keeping it all within one thread is not only easier to "check in" to find everything, but may also become a "source thread" if all the contributions illustrate a particular concept, right?

Like your expansion of visual arts (the houseboat tweaks) and how the focus has moved into video and dynamic visuals... (this is actually the buzzword in the internet world, similar to "cross-channel marketing" was just 2 years ago.....predictions are that websites that do not have dynamic visuals will flounder, as visitors become more blase with the familiarity of YouTube and other influences. It is another view of how 'gimmicks' are not just extras anymore but essentials.

Too much info? Maybe it explains more of a perspective that is emerging in VodaLand also, and is one to watch!

kenb · #16 03-20-2007, 07:09 AM

I totally see what you mean. I may have posted it thinking it was a whole new topic considering it went from pics to video. Can you delete the original thread,(animation speed) or can they magically be morphed together in one?lol BTW I just love creating something from an idea like with the pics and I would be glad to help out if anyone were interested on how some of the dynamic visuals were made. The HouseBoat design I have been working on for over a year combined with similar projects but these background pics ,live water elements and the whole production of the video was accomplished in less than two weeks. I beleive you can go as far as your mind takes you with the dynamic visuals.

LadyEye · #17 03-20-2007, 06:37 PM

Well isn’t it lovely, I’d agree with that … I just may have found my “retirement home” … I could live there forever and a day and be totally content. Do you get to bring your house ashore in wild and whirly storms, or do you hold on for dear life with a huge anchor? That might be the only problem, hmmm … I wonder if my doggie would like it, she can swim.

KenB, this is all so very exciting. Is this your new venture? You are doing a great job on the video and a little more would never hurt. Totally interesting. I don’t know if you need that spinning view of all sides or not? I’d be tempted to open the clip up with a little more calming effect, as opposed to the instrumental type of music you have going. And if you felt you didn’t need the video showing all sides of the house, you could add some pics instead of how you might live there, perhaps show what it could be like, what you might be doing if you did live there, perhaps this would get people in the mood thinking “Wow” I’d love to be there … and bang, hit them with the song “Isn’t it Lovely” and show them the boathouse, and you could add a couple different views. I think what I am trying to say is just those pics of the different view is kind of boring, doesn’t really show much of anything different than the pics you have at the end, but the background in the pics really make a difference

I think whatever you do will be terrific. So what is the price for one of those houses?
And can you have it anywhere, like I am thinking in a little sheltered cover in the middle of nowhere. Does it float on salt water too? Would it get water logged? Would your house look like a piece of driftwood after so many years?

kenb · #18 03-20-2007, 08:13 PM

Wow LadyEye where do I start?
Lets go back 1987, I was my last year of high school, and my father had many different businesses at the time (weight loss clinics,home contractor and realestate developer) He also purchased the trademark names of Cigarette and Magnum Marine for Canada. He was looking at selling most of the business and buy a marina in Fort Laurdale Fl.. We went on a few trips down there from Windsor Ont. and came across some two story floating homes and were impressed with the whole concept. I had been co-oping Drafting at the time and loved working with my dad on his projects. We came home from Florida and started designing a floating home for some property my father had that could not be built on for conservation reasons. Although docks storage sheds were permitted. This fit was great for a floating home. After a year of design and model building we started with Harbor Villa, a 20' by 50' beautifull houseboat that is almost identical to the rendering seen on the video. It was prestained grey tongue and groove cedar sided with a hottub on the deck for 4 a spiral staircase going to the upper deck and decked to the 9s inside.
Well we used that houseboat for 5 years and eventually sold it to a doctor in Michigan for his second home in 94. It was insured for $385000.00us and sold for $350000.00. After that sale or rather before that, we were also getting into floating docks for our own purposes and became quite knowledgeable in the process on floating structures.
I see I am rambling on here so to make a long story short we have a company called World Wide Marine Floating Structures that was incorporated in 89' and we have been building floating homes on spec since. For the last ten years our area has seen a huge building boom that kept us very busy on land so floating homes became secondary for us but we have always wanted motors so this design was developed.
This video was made to showcase a new era in houseboating. Lets face it, there is absolutly nothing out there that even comes close to this design.
I am currently building a site around the ******* as well as an identical size model, only that one is stucco finished and has a more Medeteranian look.
There are three dirrerent motor packages available, or they can be permanantly moored using large steel mooring brackets that will alow the houseboat to rise with tides but with no other motion that you would have to be concerned with as far as floating away goes. Other construction details will be available on my new site loghouseboats.com soon.
Prices and availability will also be on the site as details are being ironed out at the moment with a few of our suppliers.
I really appreciate your interest in them. Many floating home owners are artistic type people so it really doesnt surprise me that you would like them. Dogs love them too.
I will take into consideration all of your points on the video and see what I come up with.
I'm sorry if I am being cautious with details as I am not sure if I am going to be selling info packages yet or not.