what an amazing week it’s been!
the KNOW Field Guide went to print.
our Livecast was broadcast with over 1000 international viewers.
the Big Shorts challenge winners were announced.
SMAPP, stillmoton’s educational app was birthed to the world.
we’ve gotten a lot of feedback, questions, and overall comments about everything and we’re extremely grateful for everyone taking the time to participate and give back.
when planning SMAPP, it’s tools, and its tutorials, we knew we wanted to create something that simply does not yet exist in this world. we didn’t just want to make something “better”. it was really important to us that we be involved in something that is unique in its own right, that challenges people to think in new ways, and that goes into far more depth than what’s already out there. thus came the blueprint for SMAPP. we launched with the Lens Selection Tool, Get Creative, Shot List Tool, and Gear Up!, and we feel that’s already an incredible value at the price of SMAPP. but rest assured, we’ve got plenty of updates for our current tools as well as new ones lined up and in development that you’ll see pop up in SMAPP very shortly…
one of the things we’re most excited about is the tutorial section in SMAPP. over the course of about straight 4 weeks, the whole stillmotion team got together in one city (quite a rarity in itself) and worked night and day to produce 50 tutorials for the launch. we wanted SMAPP to launch with as much amazing content as possible, and we’re committed to continually adding more throughout the life of SMAPP.
there’s a wide variety of tutorials available, and some of those are free, most are in the $3 to $5 range, and there are a few between $50 and $200. one the most frequently asked questions we’ve been getting is why the huge gap between a $3 or $5 tutorial and a $50 or $200 tutorial. while we feel that both types are extremely valuable, there’s a big difference in the amount of time and resources that go into making a two hour tutorial than a 5-minute one. a long and in-depth tutorial requires far more up-front thought and planning, more production time, more resources, and more post-production. but more than that, the tutorials that are $50 to $200 contain so much incredibly valuable information, information that has taken us 8 years to acquire. information that has allowed us to take our storytelling abilities to what we feel are extraordinary heights, and go from a studio that primarily filmed weddings to one that has carved a niche in the commercial world and has been able to be a part of really incredible projects. and while we understand these certainly aren’t inexpensive tutorials, we feel this information has the kind of value that will pay itself back to you over and over again.
this is just the beginning. SMAPP is going to grow with you, with us, as we all evolve together. we are a community. that’s why we continue to give back and educate – because we love this family and we are excited to play any part in helping people achieve the things that will make them happier in what they do.
thanks again to all of you for always being there on this journey with us.
-the stillmotion team
hey guys, i just did the update. and like it, i just have a couple of suggestions, 1 when i pause the video or my iphone goes into sleep mode during the video, it doesnt do like a youtube video and let me continue watching from where i paused it, it starts from the beginning of the video. also i really love the idea of this app but dont you think it would be more beneficial to put all the higher end tutorials together like on a dvd and sell it like that. just saying cause i would much rather pay 200 to 500 for a dvd with some in depth tutorials than i would spending $200 to watch some videos over my iphone. especially since the playback on the smaller tutorials has been so slow already. like i said i love the idea of this app and will keep using it cause i know it will get better over time. thanks
Love the app! I’ve already applied a lot of what you guys have taught in the app to my work. I’ve purchased a few of the paid tutorials. Worth every penny. Thank you for making this app and all that you give back to the video and photography community.
See ya in Nashville in October!
-Jeremy Mitchell
Hey guys/gals! Loving the app so far and so excited to put it to the test in the field this week. I personally feel that the content in the upper level tutorials is most likely well worth the investment but it would be cool/helpful if those tutorials had a short trailer or just more detailed information about what lies inside. That way the buyer could feel even better about what about what they are about to gain from their 50-200 dollar investment. See ya’ll in October!
J
thanks for the feedback, Jeremy. in the last few days since the launch, we’ve done a lot of brainstorming about how to make SMAPP more user friendly, and this idea definitely came up as a strong one. it’s in the works! :)
Thanks for addressing this issue directly. Your knowledge and experience is immense and although I can’t justify the $200 video right now, it may be worth investing in for some.
One follow-up question: This seems like the kind of thing I’d want to watch over and over to glean bits of knowledge about the process of putting together a wedding feature. And for that, I’d like to have the file somewhere other than just my iPhone screen. Will we be seeing a way any time in the near future to download and view the tutorial on a computer?
hey Jedd, there definitely is an iPad version in the works that will be more conducive to watching longer tutorials. as for saving videos locally, well, we’re considering different options right now. SMAPP is in it’s infancy and we’re still working out the best paths for it to take.
I strongly agree. I’d love to have your tutorials available on the web. And thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
we have some available for purchase on DVD now. give us a shout at know@stillmotion.ca and we’ll hook you up!
Sorry guys, I’ve just bought your $3 app and paid $5 for a 3 minute tutorial on composition that was extremely basic and disappointing. A news anchor headshot example? Seriously? Now, I’m looking at this neat $50 tutorial, and thinking- no way.
I value and respect your talents a great deal, but these prices are ridiculous, and the value is not there at these price levels. You are going to create a lot of resentment and lose much community goodwill. People are seeing a thriving wedding business, sponsorships, commercial success and WE, and thinking why do you need to price-gouge? Do you owe a debt to the mafia or something?
I would have a session with a market research person asap, and get these prices down to a decent level. After all, for $50-$75 we can have an afternoon of in person training with you (or 180 minutes at 27 cents per minute), or we can pay quadruple that amount for a recording. Still love your work, but would love it even more if you got grounded.
thanks for your feedback. we’re not quite sure where you’re getting your figures from for our in-person training, but we appreciate your opinions on SMAPP’s educational value nonetheless. if you have any thoughts on how we could directly improve SMAPP for users like you, please give us a shout at smapp@stillmotion.ca.
Hi. How much do the tutorials and know-dvd-content overlap? Thank you.
I thought the tutorials are great but even with my high speed WiFi at the house I am unable to get a clean streaming video. The tutorials that I bought, are they downloaded to the app/iPad or does it just unlock it to stream? I haven’t even got through 2 minutes of the main feature tutorial yet and had to press pause and play a number of times. I also let the iPad sit on pause for 10 minutes and was only able to watch 1 minute of the tutorial. I’m starting to worry that the $200 I spent will never be put to its full use if I can’t skip through the video as I please when I please.
hey SVPhilip – please feel free to send us an email at SMAPP@stillmotion.ca so we can help you fix the issue. no need to worry, we got you covered.
Hey Stillmotion team, I love the APP! I’ve purchased many tutorials already… Is there any way you can make an update to the APP so that a HDMI adapter can work with it?… I bought an adapter today specifically to watch the tutorials on my TV, but it doesn’t work… However the Youtube APP allows the HDMI adapter to work… Thanks!!!
oooh. i’ll mention that to the team!
Fyi, I’m using an iPhone 4 with the apple hdmi adapter. The audio transfers to the tv, but the video doesn’t :-(. Thanks much!
I think the app is great and looking forward to purchasing tutorials as I am able. You have acquired your knowledge and taken time to produce these tools. It is right for you to be rewarded financially for your efforts! Love it and keep it up!
I thought there would be few more free tutorials included for those who signed up for the KNOW workshop.
hey Rodolfo! thanks for signing up for KNOW! we’re going to be adding new tools and tutorials to SMAPP on an ongoing basis, including free ones, so don’t worry. but give the other ones a chance too. we bet you’ll find that they’ll pay for themselves hundred-folds and even thousand-folds!
Thanks gang! I’ve totally loved and even bought one of the $50 tutorials and was totally thankful for that information. It was stuff that was touched on in a Chicago Canon workshop you guys did a couple years ago and it was totally worth $50 for me to get to hear it all again, and know that I can watch it a couple more times to really let it sink in. The rest of the app is great too and already inspired some new thoughts on a big project I’m working on – thanks for all you do!
thanks for the comment Mike! we’re really excited about how much helpful information is packed into the tutorials, especially the ones that are priced a little bit higher. glad to hear you feel the same way!
I downloaded the SMAPP app earlier this evening and am really enjoying exploring the content so far. I think it’s perfectly acceptable to ask people to pay a small price for content that could add a lot of value to their business. Really nice app to use as well. Ok, that’s enough ass-kissing, but I’d just read a few reviews on the app store that made me angry and thought I’d come over here and drop you a comment.