Family Tree Website Template version 2.0 now online!

So last week, I sold a Family Tree Website Template. I had an update that was not yet posted, and after a bit of correspondence I whipped up a short demo vid and posted it to the Video Studio to show the client—which I think sealed the deal. Anyway, going back to delete the demo vid I took a closer look at the viewer stats...and discovered that the Family Tree template had about EIGHT TIMES as many views as anything else...so I though hey...maybe I should start pumping out the family tree templates.

So that's going to be the next project. Genealogy is so hot right now. Well, here is the new demo video...Enjoy!

Hmm...So a while back YouTube One Channel forced me to make the switch and then Google+ rolled in and screwed everything up...and now apparently because the videos on the YouTube Channel are associated with the new account they won't connect to here...grrr. Well, I'm dropping that piece of garbage, but they say it might take a couple of days. In the meantime, here's a direct upload.

Summer's over AGAIN...and C2Kstudios is back fresh for Autumn!

It's hard to believe summer is almost over again for another year...and it isn't. It didn't really seem like it at the time but it did go by pretty fast. I'm working a couple of jobs, and taking care of the kids, and trying to have a modest social life...we went camping a few times, which was really nice. It's good for everyone to get back to nature once in a while.

I got some hardware upgraded—a new video card—and, as always happens around here, someone left a completely mint piece of equipment out for recycling...so now I have another widescreen monitor, too. How apropos was that? You'd be surprised how often that happens around here...at least to me. Just one more thing to love about this neighbourhood!

Oh, and I picked up a discarded computer from another neighbour, fixed 'er up, upgraded my modem and now we've got a nice little home network going! Sweet!

So, now that the oldest is back in school, and work has slowed a bit as the weather has not been so agreeable to patio sitting lately, I've turned my attention to updating the main site. She's still in Version 4; I won't be rolling out a major redux until after the new year, but 4.2 offers some interesting improvements.

First, and most significantly, I've dumped all Google services from the site. The first, being Google Analytics, was an easy sale. It stopped working suddenly on August 1st after a major update and after doing a bit of research I realized two things: a) mine was not the type of site that was going to get a lot of priority in terms of prompt service, and b) people are becoming more aware and concerned about how their online data is being mined and utilized by huge conglomerates like Google. So I went with Piwik.org. Holy cr*p it's awesome! Too bad I didn't find it sooner. And for those that are concerned about their privacy, there is also now an opt-out option located at the Infodesk.

I also removed Chrome Frame, created conditional stylesheets for IE 8 and 7, and provided a section on Legacy Support.

I added a Flash photo gallery to the Art Studio in the hopes of perhaps, this winter, having the chance to add to my portfolio. The little one is still a year away from kindergarten and it would be fun on those cold days to do some art together!

So the fall roll-out will happen in the next week or so...I just want to make sure all the graphics are updated across the C2Knetwork and that all the other little adjustments are taken care of. So ya...off I go!

Fiverr Gigs Online Now!

Oops! I started this post but never finished it...better late than never I suppose!

Fiverr gigs are online now at Fiverr.com/C2Kstudios. Currently I am offering seven different web templates, and some graphics packages. They were already there just waiting to be adapted to aid in the strategy that is why I put C2Kstudios on Fiverr in the first place: for some more exposure outside the Ottawa area.

Now, granted...most of my research indicates that there are a LOT of scammers on there...and that the site's admin team may or may not be the most capable...but then again, the auto-filters are tuned pretty high, so if you are doing shady things chances are you're going to get pinched...and then kicked off and those are the people who are going to complain the loudest, right? That's usually how it is. So you can't believe everything you read on the internet. Go figure. 

Anyway, all I do know is that I'm not a scammer, and as such I try to run as legit-looking an operation as possible. So when someone asks me if I'm able to convert a bunch of copyrighted images to icons, I say no.

The demo videos are online now on the C2Kstudios YouTube Channel!

Phase Two is Almost Complete...

So once the new site was up and running it was right on to Phase Two of the new marketing strategy... expanding into the global marketplace. I've been dabbling here and there with different things but now is the time to implement an actual plan. So the plan is to release a series of very simple website templates for sale on fiverr.com. If you've never heard of it, it's a site where you can offer or solicit goods and services for $5. The idea is to drive traffic to the main site where I will offer the more elaborate templates for licence or purchase.

My hope is to attract programmers who may not be as good at design....there are a lot of "needs improvement" type sites out there. I've always described myself as a designer who can do basic programming. It's the programmers who can do basic design that I'm trying to target.

The Fiverr Templates video is now showing on the C2Kstudios YouTube Channel!

The Fiverr release update is coming soon to C2Kstudios.com!

The Spring Update is Live Now!

The Spring 2013 update is online at C2Kstudios.com! About a month behind schedule, but with two kids and four jobs, "schedule" for me is really a state of mind... technically I should have started a month earlier?...

Anyway, it's all there now. Enjoy.

The New Videos

So as I was updating the main site it came to the point where I had to think about my videos...not just doing the new template demos, but because I had used website services to create my ads and video intros, I knew I'd need to secure commercial usage rights before I made a real push beyond just local advertising.

So I went to Xtranormal and Animoto and not only are the prices they are asking completely ridonkulous, but some of the wording in the TOS was pretty sketch...so I had to find another solution.

What I found was a plug-in for Windows Movie Maker, of all things...$15 and I got a sh*tload of extra effects and transitions right off the bat, and access to loads more when I want to go through the list...and, if you're comfortable with XML (which, eahhhhhh....) you can make changes to add colors and photo backgrounds and things like that. Anyway, if you use WMM 6 it's worth a look: www.rehanfx.org/shader.htm.

I was running my videos through 3 different programs because I wanted different things for the titles, the effects, and the overlays...they're all nice programs, but alas, not the fancy (expensive) all-in-one suite that I wish I had...well, I do have one, but it's like, 10 years old, and cannot do 16:9; but now that I have this plug-in, she's dead to me.

So, problem one: solved. But that still left me with my second obstacle—music. I needed some cheap (free) commercial-use audio tracks...and I found some of those, too. Partners In Rhyme has a small collection of royalty-free, completely free, music loops that I was able to parlay into soundtracks for my first run of videos. They also have a deal where if you give them a shout-out on your website or blog (like this one!) they will send you a link to to a more extensive sound library...so check out www.partnersinrhyme.com and tell them C2Kstudios sent you...ha ha! Anyway, they'll be going on the new Links page for sure. Oh, and a special thanks to Mark Lyford, who seems to have written at least some of the tracks that I used.

So after all of that, here's the first (again!) promo video from C2Kstudios:

Check out the rest of the new videos on the C2Kstudios YouTube Channel!

Spring Update Coming Soon!

So once again, winter has been reasonably productive; no brutal illnesses this year, but the general malaise was pretty constant. I truly despise the winters here. It's March 21 and it feels like February 12. Meanwhile, back home Mom is out in the yard getting her gardens ready for planting...sucks, dude.

But the new site update is going well. Again, just a little slowly. The actually paying jobs have to take priority, right? But here is a teaser shot:

Recently I've run into a couple of major snags. I've been playing around on Xtranormal.com for a while, but now, since things are starting to come together and I plan to really reach out globally soon as opposed to just sort of locally, I have to really be cognizant of the legal issues regarding what content I can use.

Turns out Xtranormal.com charges $50/month for commercial usage...that's too rich for my blood right now, but even if it weren't, when you read the TOS the whole thing starts to sound not worth it so much. I guess to a corporation what's $50 a month but to someone like me...so I've had to retire Joe Robot (for now) and come up with a new marketing strategy. I have one, but now I just have to spend time and energy on it that I have to find somehow. There isn't much of either to go around right now.

Animoto.com was another gem that I would have liked to incorporate but at $25/month that too is still too much for me right now.

So ya, it looks like I'm going to have to redo ALL of my videos. Poo.

SO...is there anyone out there who wants to be in a commercial for C2Kstudios.com? I want to do an ad campaign that asks the question, "What is C2Kstudios.com? With random people on camera saying things like: "it is the dream you were having that night when you woke up the next morning and knew that, if only you could remember what it was, it would change your life forever"... really silly and grandiose things like that. Or if you don't want to be on video just send your ideas to webmaster@c2kstudios.com and I'll put them on cards and just walk around and ask random people to read them out. Should be hilarious.