Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with demo

Help with live online demo?

eggman — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:24:11 -0800

I need guidance/advice on revamping an online product demonstration. I'm interested in sites with general guidelines regarding online demos. I am also looking for a simple, easy to use camera to perform part of the demonstration live or some other live streaming media. I am an experienced salesperson so not really looking for general sales presentation info!

My goal is a clean, concise product demo which includes a component that is live via webcam or other streaming medium, then moving to the software portion of the demo. Primarily I'm looking for a decent webcam suggestion or other basic ideas on live online delivery.

Total demo time: 20 - 30 minutes including questions
Platform: WebEx or similar; currently using Glance
Subject matter: Educational technology
Resources: The full weight of my company behind me, but for my own knowledge I'd like to personally develop

Thanks!

Demo Reel

silsurf — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:29:08 -0800

What do you want to see on my demo reel? I am putting together a demo reel as a cinematographer and want to make it as fun, simple and uncluttered as I can for the prospective employer.

I have the following footage:
Lots of dailies from a tv show that I did 2nd unit on recently

A few complete scenes from movies I have worked on as an operator, but shot a day here and there on second unit.

My old reel which is pretty dated.

I am working with an editor and he is putting together an overall montage of footage, basically just making the best 5 minutes he can.

I also think there should be one or two scenes that are complete, showing coverage and my ability to design a scene properly.

What else? One idea is whether to make a second, shorter montage of just the most recent TV show I did the 2nd unit work on, it is by far the slickest of the material, is it excessive to have two montages?

My experience in reels is that folks don't look at much, they watch the montage and that is it (if you are lucky) I think often they watch the first two minutes of the montage and then move on. So, is the rest really worth spending much time on? I don't know.

People put stills on, but I think that seems useless, they are not hiring me to shoot stills, but moving pictures.

I shot some demo spec spots, but they are really dated and I think they do not stand alone very well.

All input appreciated.

Henry

For demo purposes only.

Nattie — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:16:42 -0800

I have previous experience as a demo singer, but not in LA. What steps are necessary to try and get started singing demos here? I sang some demos for a song-writer in Texas in the past. He has contacts in LA and checked with them for me, but right now they are not in need of any more singers. So I'm on my own for now, unless something comes up.

Problem is, I have no clue where to start or how people normally get into singing demos. I got into it by chance because the song-writer and I both knew someone, and that someone mentioned to him that they knew a singer. He asked for recordings, which I do just for my own benefit, and he liked what he heard so he asked if I would want to sing demos for him. I had good enough recording equipment and software I was able to do this remotely. I believe he found his other singers through his contacts with other song-writers, so that's no help to me either.

Now that I live in LA, I would like to sing demos non-remotely. I don't care if it's full or part time or sporadic. What do I need to do? Who do I talk to and what will they want from me? Google is surprisingly quiet on the subject. I have a large range -- in terms of octaves and styles -- and I can provide recordings to them, but what else might they want in a demo singer?

Also, what other skills will be expected of me? Will I need to site read? (I'm rusty but I was good at it in the past.) Will I need to make up melodies? (This is something I would do for the song-writer.) What can I expect it to be like if I manage to get hired? I'm mostly just curious about those things.

Thanks for any info!

Suitcase when closed -- Tabletop technology demo when open

Overzealous — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:25:41 -0800

Where to order/buy/commission a cool "suitcase" that houses a full demo with a touchscreen and speakers? Suitcase when closed -- Tabletop technology demo when open. I'm looking for a company that builds custom electronics into a hardshell case.

We provide the reference platform, screen, speakers, database and CD-Rom drive, they put it all into a neato suitcase that can plug in and give a demo to wowed potential customers. You often see these at automotive telematics conferences.

Something that looks like this:

Anybody know what they are called? What Would You Google?

How do you break through in the music bussiness

american caesar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:37:20 -0800

What would be a sure fire way to put together and present and music demo package to atleast be heard? Just trying to get a foot in the door so to speak.

What's this ANSI artist doing now?

apetpsychic — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:39:26 -0800

I've been watching BBS: The Documentary and just finished the "scene" episode. I was struck in particular by Metalhead / Shaggy from iCE. He seemed much, much cooler (my standards, obviously. I also liked Jed from ACiD) than anyone else interviewed. I was kind of into ansi art and demo stuff in high school and college (though not as a participant) and it was refreshing to hear someone kind of deflate the hubris surrounding it. I'd like to see what he's up to now, if anything, but google is failing me. Current work. Websites. Even just his real name.

Can I make this secure?

Ignatius J. Reilly — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:54:06 -0800

Is there an easy way for a non we-savvy person to create a password-protected url on which to demo a website before taking it "live?" I have had an outside contractor develop a website for a client, and I want to be able to demo the site securely before taking it live. If I buy a domain and pay for hosting, is there an easy way that I make it require a password to view any web pages that are hosted there?

Looking for multiproc demo video

tjbarrett — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 05:53:16 -0800

I'm looking for a demo video of how a multiproc system handles processes and switching for a Intro to CS class. I'm teaching a portion of class as part of a student project, and I'd like to have a short 1-2 minute demo of how a multiproc system would coordinate multiple processes, having no luck searching Google, any format would work for me. Thanks in advance! :)

VOB to MOV... How?

Elle Vator — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 13:38:29 -0800

I need to convert a short VOB file into a reletively high quality, uncompressed MOV file... it's for my reel and I am having a heck of a time finding a way to convert it while keeping the sound and image quality reletively intact. I have managed to create an AVI and a MPG/MPEG... but they don't want to be good little children and convert to MOV's through the freeware I have. Help!

Help with audio engineering resources

Zero Gravitas — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:58:21 -0800

Please help me find some good audio engineering resources. I'm recording some demos with a couple of bands, both right now and in the coming weeks. We have access to a studio, but we will mostly have to do without an engineer, which is a royal pain in the ass.

I'm trying to do some reading up on audio engineering in general, and music production in particular, but I'm not having much luck finding good resources on the internets.

I'd very much like to know what I'm doing, and I'm not afraid of doing some heavy reading.

Demo Coding, and Audio... uh, playing

xteraco — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 22:58:11 -0800

1.I'm looking for "demo coding" specific websites... i've seen a few that were lame, like, i wouldnt consider gamedev.net a demo coding site... oh, and by demo i mean graphics demo, like the ones seen on pouet.net. 2.a link to the smallest audio player you can think of, must play ogg, mp3, xm, it, mod, and s3m... the smallest i've found is called xmplay on un4seen.com, its 250kb or so

(Flash) Demo Creator

mdpc98 — Thu, 25 May 2006 16:58:42 -0800

I need to record my screen while I operate/explain a piece of software to new users. There seems to be a number of applications available, but I am hoping to find a free, *reputable* one. Seems like ~1.5 years ago, there was a piece of software that received accolades for being a free, easy demo creator that output in flash format. It had a really catchy name and I think I've actually watched a tutorial that was authored by it. My google-fu is failing me at the moment...

Anyone have a suggestion?

Ideas for a mad science wedding?

fermion — Sat, 08 Apr 2006 18:57:58 -0800

Can anyone suggest interesting science-flavored demonstrations, experiments, or spectacles to be performed at a wedding? My friends have asked me to be the "official mad scientist/busker" at their upcoming wedding. I've been trying to think of ways to fulfill this somewhat open-ended assignment. I will try to acquire some liquid nitrogen with which to make ice cream and the like (can anyone suggest a good source for the stuff near Denver?) but I want to do something a bit more pyrotechnic to entertain the guests.

Guidelines (feel free to post things that violate these if they are especially cool):

1. It shouldn't be too messy, since everyone will be wearing their Nice Things.
2. I will have about two days to prepare (the wedding is in two months, but I will be out of the country until a few days beforehand.)
3. Crowd-pleasing (either very cool-looking or edible) is more important than educational, although the latter is obviously a bonus.
4. Ideally, the materials should not be too expensive or difficult to obtain. (Alas, I mourn the days when I had access to fully stocked collegiate labs!) Things that are available by mail-order are fine.

Solutions for In-Program Help and Demos for Health Industry Backend Apps?

signal — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 17:24:21 -0800

I have been asked to develop in-program help and demos for an IT company (working in the Health Industry, backend stuff).

a) For the help system, what's the best approach? I know there's windows help format, html help and other (more) proprietary stuff, but have no experience with any of them (I have plenty of experience with HTML, CSS and Flash). What help format / application would you choose? Portability and easy updating are pluses. End users will be mostly on Windows.

b) For the demos I'm thinking RoboDemo, but wonder if there's anything easier, or opensource, or some other reason to choose it instead of R.D?

Making Voiceover Demos

o2b — Wed, 01 Sep 2004 19:46:46 -0800

Voice overs: any suggestions/advice on demo making? I've been taking classes for a few months, and every single one has been very encouraging. I think I've got the stuff, and I need to get a demo out there.

My problem is I don't know how to put it together. My teachers have given me the basics, but I get the impression it's all up to me to pick the pieces I want on it, they'll just record it.

Any help? Do I go in to the recording session with just one or two sentences of each (like the demos I've heard), or entire scripts that will then be edited down? How many do I do? What else don't I know?