Trying to send video and rich media files in a hurry so you can gather feedback or secure sign-off on creative projects and campaigns? You may be waiting a long time. Meet Terrorbyte, one of the five Creatures of Chaos. He knows how to test your patience.
Our perception of time is intriguing. It distorts and stretches according to context and expectation. Einstein’s theory of relativity states that time appears to slow down when we spend time with our relatives. (ho ho)
We struggle to control and understand the shifting sands of time; sometimes there’s too much of it and we don’t know what to do with it, but more often, too little. Technology has blessed us with incredible time-saving devices and services to make us more productive or free up more hours in our day for leisure. You’d think we’d be more grateful, more content. And yet we are quick to curse, the minute we see that animated spinning wheel that indicates a delay in delivery. Just a generation ago you’d be still be in the car on your way to blockbuster to rent a DVD.
In the workplace, technology has similarly enabled us carry out tasks and communicate at previously unimaginable speed. We take those monumental leaps in productivity and connectivity for granted. Yet we seeth with frustration the minute we’re told to wait a moment by the very applications that have revolutionised our working lives.
In computing history, the ground-breaking user interface of 1982’s Xerox Star first gave us the hour glass icon to indicate the processor was busy.
Over time, designers and engineers have created a range of eye candy to indicate the processing lag. There was the technicolour ‘Beach ball of death’ on later versions of the Mac OS and meanwhile on the internet, Netscape Navigator gave birth to the “throbber” as we waited for our search results. Abstract symbols and animations to sooth our souls as we contemplate life passing us by waiting for Windows to update (again).
Clearly, research has been undertaken to literally test our patience. Icons and animations make us willing to hang around three times longer than a UI with no visualisations.
The buffering wheel is now one of the defining first world problems of our age.
Business data flows around quite freely. However, spare a thought for the folks in media production – or the marketing teams trying to piece together content-rich campaigns. Sending large uncompressed images or transferring video in a hurry for feedback or approval can still involve an agonising wait – particularly when a deadline is approaching.
There are a cornucopia of file formats in play during any creative campaign. Video in particular is authored using professional formats which are often unplayable on regular PCs and laptops in their native form. So you need to waste even more time converting content into consumer formats – such as MP4 – which can be more easily played back by a client or stakeholders.
But even then, moving those files can be a problem due to size. Large media files get stuck in your outbox, go AWOL during transfer or get picked off by spam filters.
Who’s clogging up those pipes? Who’s making you wait? It’s Terrorbyte – one of our five Creatures of Chaos. Terrorbyte slows you down when you’re working with large, complex files. Terrorbyte makes sure you’ll be waiting ‘til late in the evening for files to arrive or be delivered.
Imagen Go
But no need to worry. Imagen Go fixes the big file problem by making it easy to send links to team members and stakeholders. When they follow the link they can easily stream a proxy version of the file online via an intuitive, easy to use platform – no file delivery problems, no format issues, no playback issues.
Imagen Go provides an engaging, interactive environment that enables clients or colleagues to leave comments and feedback on files with timecoded annotations and image mark-up.
It provides a smart, branded experience for your clients that’s way more professional than receiving notifications from Wetransfer or Dropbox. Good for your production schedule and good for your relationship with key accounts.
Time to wave Terrorbyte goodbye and say hello to Imagen Go with a free trial today.
Features
- Stream video or review images online
- Add comments and annotations to video, images and audio files
- Add your brand (logo and corporate colour) via a customisable platform
- Send links to videos to team members, clients or stakeholders for easy reviewing
Benefits
- Spend more time being creative, less time waiting for files to transfer
- Save time – avoid resending files when first attempt doesn’t make it (expiring links)
- Bring campaigns in on time (reduce production bottlenecks with faster feedback)
- Engage with clients and stakeholder via your own brand
