Open the embed code in a text editor and modify it like this:

Search for this string:

param name=”flashvars” value=”autoplay=false&brand=embed”

Modify to this:

param name=”flashvars”
value=”viewcount=false&autoplay=false&brand=embed”

Search for this string:

embed flashvars=”autoplay=false&brand=embed”

Modify to this:

embed flashvars=”viewcount=false&autoplay=false&brand=embed”

Save the viewer embed code and replace the old code on your web page.

Most of the big video hosting sites, i.e. YouTube, Vimeo etc. have streaming video that allows you to put the playhead anywhere on the timeline and start the video from that position.  Upon further research I found that the cloud storage company I was using (Rackspace) will work with FlowPlayer.  I already have a licensed copy of JW Player, so I did some more searching.  Turns out that Amazon S3 is compatible with this player… This is just where the fun began.

From the research I have performed, there are two media types that work well for streaming.  You can use .mp4 or .flv files.  If you use .mp4 it must be in the flash codec for it to stream properly.  (If I’m wrong about this please let me know.)

Next come the tricky parts.

I decided to open an Amazon Cloud Front account so I could wrap my videos in the JW player.  The first thing you need to do after opening your account is to create a bucket.  Within the bucket you can add folders and files.  You can place your video player files and the media files you are going to use within this bucket.  **Make sure you change the permissions on the files to “PUBLIC”, or your player won’t work!  You can do this by right clicking on them and selecting “Make Public”

Next you need to create your streaming distribution.  To do this, go to the CloudFront tab of the console and make a streaming distribution with files we created above.  SELECT STREAMING.  The origin will be the name of the bucket you created.  Then click on create.  Don’t worry about the other fields.

The code for your video player is going to be different depending on the type of video file you are calling.

For MP4 it will look like this:

<div id=”container”>Loading the player …</div>

<script type=”text/javascript”>
jwplayer(“container”).setup({
flashplayer: “/path_to_player/player.swf”,
file: “Mp4:FILENAME“,
height: 360,
provider: “rtmp”,
streamer: “rtmp://YOUR_CLOUDFRONT_DOMAIN/cfx/st”,
width: 640,
skin: “path_to_skin/skin.zip”
});
// ]]></script>

Pay close attention to the file: “Mp4:FILENAME”, line.  DO NOT ADD THE .mp4 after the filename when you are using a mp4 file!!!! Otherwise the player will appear as though it is loading FOREVER!!!  Make sure it is file: “Mp4:Filename”

I learned this lesson either the hard way, or missed the memo somewhere.

For flv it will look like this:

<div id=”container”>Loading the player …</div>

<script type=”text/javascript”>
jwplayer(“container”).setup({
flashplayer: “/path_to_player/player.swf”,
file: “FILENAME.flv“,
height: 360,
provider: “rtmp”,
streamer: “rtmp://YOUR_CLOUDFRONT_DOMAIN/cfx/st”,
width: 640,
skin: “path_to_skin/skin.zip”
});
// ]]></script>

Notice that they are identical EXCEPT for how the file is called.

Here are some other thinks that you need to know:
Make sure you have /cfx/st on the end of your cloud front rtmp address!  Otherwise, it won’t work.
Make sure you have any skins you are calling in a .zip folder

There are instances that you would want the skin folder to not be zipped, you can find articles on Longtailvideo.com for more advanced customization.

More Information:

JW Embedder Reference Guide

Here are the steps.

1. Download ManyCam
2. Launch the program
3. Select your camera
4. Open Skype/preferences/audio-video
5. Select your device in the drop down menu

After the initial setup, Skype is recognizing my firewire camera without having to launch ManyCam again!

I am using this hardware/software setup:

• Sony Z5U
• Mac Pro OSX 10.7 (Lion)
• Wirecast Pro 4.1
• Watershed (Ustream)
• Skype (For video interviews)
• ManyCam (Allows Skype to recognize Z5U camera)

They offer a great selection of sushi and other asian food that will blow your mind!  Seriously, the portions are plentiful, the presentation is fantastic (Look at the hand carved carrot in this photo!) and the flavor is both fresh and absolutely delicious.

They are located at 476 12th Street Ogden UT 84404, in a strip mall right off the main road.  They are not in a location that you would expect for such great food, but once you walk in the establishment, any pre notions will be gone.  From soothing wall decor, to the plush dining seats, you’ll be cozy from the moment you walk in.

Don’t worry, the prices are less than what you would expect to pay for this quality, and quantity of food.  I have yet to leave there without a to go box for leftovers.

Here’s one of my favorite rolls “The Stacker”

Roosters on Historic 25th Street – Ogden, UTah

If you ever visit Ogden, Utah, make sure to visit Historic 25th Street.  It has been transformed from a vagrant dominant, roll up the windows and lock the doors into a locals hotspot and tourist attraction.

During the early 20th century, 25th Street was a center of activity in Ogden. Home to retail shops, restaurants, ice cream parlors, hotels, and laundries, the street was also a common site for illicit activities such as gambling, prostitution and narcotic sales. Popularly known as ‘’Two-Bit Street’’, the area obtained such a seedy reputation that Al Capone is rumored to have said that Ogden was too wild a town for him. An urban legend tells of a system of underground tunnels that bootleggers created during prohibition to move alcohol from Union Station to the Bigelow-Ben Lomond Hotel located on the east end of the neighborhood.

I somewhat challenge the urban legend, as I was able to take a walk through some of the tunnels as a child, and it seemed like they could have been used for much more than store delivery and storage for the business.

There are many quaint boutique shops, art galleries, and great restaurants to meet just about any budget.  Roosters is a local favorite (Photo).  They have an in house brewery, where you can see the beer making process first hand through floor to ceiling glass panels.  There is plenty of seating for large parties, and a menu that can whet anyones appetite.  Make sure to save some room for their extremely delicious bread pudding!

S[kydiving has been a passion of mine since 1999. It all started after I went bungee jumping at the Utah State Fair. The bungee jump was scary, but fun, so I though skydiving must be that much more scary and fun. In '99 sport skydiving was just starting to really take off. The technology was changing rapidly, and the exposure to the sport was more mainstream. There are several disciplines to skydiving. These photos are examples of "swooping". Swooping is accomplished by putting your canopy in a steep dive, usually while making a corkscrewing turns of 90 degrees or more. The timing has to be perfect to recover from your dive, and transfer the downward velocity into forward speed.

The skydiving community is a very tight knit group. This sport is the only one I am aware of that brings together so many different types of people. In the skydiving community you become friends with people you would never had otherwise, both young and old.

Skydivers are recognized for different milestones. Here Bill Fridberg is recognized with gold wings and a certificate for making 1000 jumps. When I started skydiving, 100 jumps seemed like something that would take me forever. I now have over 2500 skydives, most of them made in the last 5 years. It’s not uncommon for me to make 10-15 in one day while I am working as a tandem instructor or videographer.

Here Brian Wallace (DZO of Ogden Skydiving Center) receives his 96 hour freefall badge. To put it in perspective, each skydive accumulates 45-60 seconds of freefall time.

Lance Armstrong finished in fifth place in the 2011 XTERRA USA Championship, giving Nicolas Lebrun a pretty good race.

Lance was out of the water with the main group, then mashed his pedals into second place overall during the initial part of an 18-mile bike race, dueling with South Africa’s Conrad Stoltz before losing some ground during a six-mile run.

I was trying to stay focused on what I had today, just because I was so freaked out because it had been so long

- Lance Armstrong

Lebrun, captured first place with a time of 2:24:26. Like Armstrong, the French triathlete gained ground by pedaling. And when Lebrun eyed the famous cyclist in his path, he knew that he had a chance at victory.

It was Lebrun’s first win at Snowbasin in five appearances.

I really love the place, love the people … so it was really good to win here, especially today with Lance in the race, it brings really more people around, more press. It was really a good day to have a perfect race.”

- Nicolas Lebrum

Anyhow, the reason I wrote this post is to share something special that I just received back from Mr. Glenn Chadbourne himself!
After reading a tweet by Glenn advertising his talent by commission, I contacted him about doing some remarque work on a few books.

The first is “Full Dark, No Stars”

This book consists of 4 novellas linked by the theme of retribution.

• “1922″
• “Big Driver”
• “A Good Marriage”
• “Fair Extension”

I’m not going to go into details of any of the stories, as I don’t want to be blamed for spoiling anything.  I do strongly suggest that you read, or listen to them, then come back and let me know what you think!

The next Project was “Secretary of Dreams” Volumes I and II

Volume I
The Secretary of Dreams combines classic tales of terror from the mind of Stephen King with the critically acclaimed artwork of Maine artist Glenn Chadbourne. This unique book displays an incredible and original blend of King’s words with Chadbourne’s one-of-a-kind illustrations: text and artwork brought together to tell these stories in a whole new way.

As you venture into The Secretary of Dreams you’ll discover “Home Delivery,” “Jerusalem’s Lot,” and “The Reach” presented on beautifully designed oversized pages. These stories are heavily illustrated with spot artwork, full page illustrations, and even multiple-page art spreads. Dozens of painstakingly crafted illustrations bring King’s characters to life.

Also within this collection are “The Road Virus Heads North,” “Rainy Season,” and “Uncle Otto’s Truck,” which appear for the very first time in full graphic format as imagined by Chadbourne. Not one word from King’s original manuscripts has been left out. Instead Chadbourne presents the stories through a variety of techniques: traditional paragraphs of text merged directly into the artwork, handwritten bursts of dialogue to convey emotion, and even multiple fonts to match the mood of each scene.

The Secretary of Dreams is a collection of Stephen King’s greatest short stories presented in a way never before imagined. Glenn Chadbourne spent over two years creating the artwork within these pages, digging deep inside the text to make each of these classic tales burst off the page.

Volume II
World Fantasy Award winner Cemetery Dance Publications, critically acclaimed artist Glenn Chadbourne, and New York Times bestselling author Stephen King are proud to announce The Secretary of Dreams (Volume Two). This second venture into the world of Stephen King’s stories contains even more artwork and detailed illustrations that could only have come from the inspired hands of artist Glenn Chadbourne!

The Secretary of Dreams (Volume Two) continues where the first acclaimed volume left off: combining classic tales of terror from the mind of Stephen King with the haunting artwork of Maine artist Glenn Chadbourne. This unique book displays an incredible and original blend of King’s words with Chadbourne’s one-of-a-kind B&W illustrations: text and artwork brought together to tell these chilling stories in a whole new way.

As you venture into this new volume of The Secretary of Dreams you’ll discover “The Monkey,” “Strawberry Spring,” and “In the Deathroom” presented on beautifully designed oversized pages. These stories are heavily illustrated with spot artwork, full page illustrations, and even multiple-page art spreads. Dozens of painstakingly crafted illustrations bring King’s characters to life.

Also within this collection are “Gray Matter,” “One for the Road ,” and “Nona,” which appear for the very first time in full graphic format as imagined by Chadbourne. Not one word from King’s original manuscripts has been left out. Instead Chadbourne presents the stories through a variety of techniques: traditional paragraphs of text merged directly into the artwork, handwritten bursts of dialogue to convey emotion, and even multiple fonts to match the mood of each scene.

Like the first volume of The Secretary of Dreams, this is a new collection of Stephen King’s greatest short stories presented in a way never before imagined. Glenn Chadbourne has spent over two years creating the artwork within these pages, digging deep inside the text to make each of these classic tales burst off the page.

You have to take a moment to check out Glenn’s website to admire some of his work!  Make sure to check out the “Haunted House” Commission’s that he does.

I also have to give props to Cemetery Dance Publications for the kick-ass books they put out there.

BTW, Cemetery Dance has a promotion happening RIGHT NOW.
 They are giving away $1000 in free books!

Here are FIVE FREE WAYS you can enter — and you can enter ALL five ways for more chances to win!

Method #1:

1) Follow Cemetery Dance on Twitter

2) Tweet this phrase: @CemeteryDance, yes, I want to win $100 in free horror books! http://bit.ly/CDFreeBooks

Method #2:

1) “Like” Cemetery Dance on Facebook

2) Post this on your wall: Cemetery Dance, I want to win $100 in free horror books! http://bit.ly/CDFreeBooks

Method #3:

1) Follow Cemetery Dance Managing Editor Brian James Freeman on Twitter

2) Tweet this phrase: @BrianFreeman, tell @CemeteryDance I want to win $100 in free horror books! http://bit.ly/CDFreeBooks

Method #4:

1) “Like” Cemetery Dance Managing Editor Brian James Freeman on Facebook

2) Post this on your wall: Brian James Freeman, tell Cemetery Dance I want to win $100 in free horror books! http://bit.ly/CDFreeBooks

Method #5:

1) Mention the contest AND this special link – http://bit.ly/CDFreeBooks– on your blog, website, message board, or another social networking service.

2) Email webmaster@cemeterydance.com with the subject line “Cemetery Dance $100 In Free Books” and a link directly to your post.

For complete details, please visit the “Will Tweet For Books” page on our website!

And of course, the one for whom this blog wouldn’t even be possible without… “The Master of Horror”, Stephen King.