CHANGES

[BlackCar]

This guy, Bill Hayden:
http://www.haydentech.com/

Is going to be re-designing:
http://www.IMVFilms.com
http://www.INTMO.com
and merging Battery Apparel into one big CMS (Content Management System)

Shopify is considered for our use:
http://www.shopify.com/

Here is an example of Brian Kalt's (T-shirt / VL DVD front cover Graphic designer) new site that runs off Shopify, the same as the old Battery Apparel site:
http://www.crossecheck.com/

Host Gator has been good so far on their unlimited bandwidth.
We will continue this forum as is.

We want to keep the look and feel of "Vehicular Lunacy at its Finest - IMV Films" exactly how it was before - clean and simple. We'll be trying to do mostly behind the scenes changes instead of artistic ones (though a bit of new flavor will be nice).

Adding products and changing prices will be much easier and quicker.

IMV will also be testing the waters on PAID DIGITAL DOWNLOADS, Pay Per View, Pay Rentals or possibly (but not likely) a Paid Monthly Access Model
IMO, the first priority is to use an automated Digital Delivery software to charge a fractional price of DVDs (few dollars) for an almost "DVD full-length" Vehicular Lunacy Compilation video. This "DDS" will handle full size, max resolution, <10GB raw .AVI, Divx or .wmv downloads for viewers' permanent library. My inclination is to give IMV "Superfans" - fans that are 100% committed to IMV merch - a chance to get the best quality videos possible for a low price.

One option is: http://www.fetchapp.com/

Streaming video rentals (for a week / month / whatever) would be offered at an even lower price for those viewers who are only motivated to watch videos once or twice. Vimeo & Youtube have some provision for "Purchased videos" but we haven't settled on them being a perfectly suited low-end delivery device for IMV's content. They both have fairly good HQ streaming flash players though.

Of course we will continue to make 1-3 minute trailers & teasers for free distribution across Youtube general, Streetfire, Myspace, Facebook, etc. However these short clips will heavily promote going to IMVFilms.com and purchasing / renting the full video.

The 2nd major re-design will be of INTMO.com - A facelift and brand new, wiped clean member database will be created.
I'm considering individual member account access for picture uploads, complete vehicle spec sheets, dyno charts, all forms of race data including Pbox, track runs and fastest road race laps (BBIR, Roebling, Road Atlanta, GIR, The Gobbler, etc). Videos could be embedded under these profiles also. Members may blog about their cars or simply direct to forum posts about said vehicle. If any DAQ files on the server apply (and are safe to reveal) they can be added also.

I still have a bit of consulting to do with Bill Hayden, but if anyone has any input, whatsoever... please post up your thoughts.

[SupraJeff]

About time!

[Lord Ken]

Sav...I wish you had spoken to me about this earlier...his designs look pretty shitty from what I've seen. Just looks like cut and paste template sites...you can do a whole lot better than that guy...

[TerminatioN]

his designs look pretty shitty from what I've seen. Just looks like cut and paste template sites...you can do a whole lot better than that guy...

I was thinking the same thing...

[BlackCar]

Their graphic design is geared towards high school LaCrosse. IMV won't look like that obviously, from an art standpoint.

Warner Brothers has something very close:
http://www.wbshop.com/Digital-Download/ ... lt,sc.html
Any idea what software they use?

As far as the CMS template... what other suggestions do you guys have? We already have a Business Paypal account setup, and shopify supports that.

Ihns has been using OS commerce:
http://www.improvedracing.com/

Shopify has some decent examples:
http://www.shopify.com/examples/browse/

Foo Fighters and Dace are pretty simple & effective.

I don't really see the difference. I do like the old-school hand coded feel of the original IMV site. Haven't found a great CMS layout yet.

Hand coding the entire site (as Ihns did before) without a CMS editor means someone has to go in every single time I need something done and change pricing, products etc. I mean, I have a budget for paying up to a 24/7 webmaster but unless they do it absolutely full time (for work, like Bill Hayden) there is always a lag in when the site is updated.

Support for seamless, protected, secure Digital Downloads is needed
Video embeds
Member database
Ease of product management
Re-designing graphics
etc...

Its a lot of work.

[SupraJeff]

CMS = Cock Meat Sandwich.

[Lord Ken]

CMS = Cock Meat Sandwich.

Not TIts...

[BlackCar]

Uh... any productive comments?

[TerminatioN]

Sav, I know a guy who does some awesome graphic design and front end coding. As far as I know he does it on the side though, and I'm not sure if he has the knowledge to do the backend stuff like OS Commerce/Shopify, etc. but he makes some really cool looking, well working stuff. If you want, I'd be more than happy to put you in contact with him. I'm sure he'd be able to tell you exactly what he can and cannot do and all the specifications. Even if he can't do the backend stuff you could always have him do the front end part and get someone else to install OS Commerce/Shopify/whatever and do the backend coding.

Let me know if you're interested.

[BlackCar]

PM me contact info, Thanks Will!

[midnight08]

Sav... you should have talked to me about this... my brother owns a graphic design/advertising firm....

http://collideco.com/

Let me know if i can help out.

[Ruler_Mark]

Personally I'd try to get the streaming videos for sale onto itunes, provide a larger noob-proof distribution.


As to the web coding if you are paying for a cart xcart is really nice, did a lot of work in one for a voip company years ago. http://www.x-cart.com/

If you are replacing the forum, look into SMF if you need free dam simple. http://www.simplemachines.org/ I use it on all of my websites. If you paying vbulletin is the only way to go.

[Rotard]

Somebody say CHANGES?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8Y9-JlSRXw

[SupraJeff]

Somebody say CHANGES?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8Y9-JlSRXw

LMFAO!

[BlackCar]

After interviewing webmasters and reviewing estimates from several design companies, including one for $30,000 (Yikes!) Tyler is the guy working on this from Palm Bay Web Designs. He's motivated and open to ideas while working side by side with us. OS Commerce has been implemented so far, more work to be done this week. Secure link PPV Digital Downloads are mostly set. Encryption is still up in the air.

Secure streaming embedded players that do not suck are still being researched for a "Rental Option".

[BlackCar]

Here's your chance to give us input on what sort of base template you guys think looks slick, catchy, simple and most conducive to "Vehicular Lunacy at its Finest".

We found this one:
http://osc.template-help.com/osc_23923/index.php
After a brief search.

Another:
http://osc4.template-help.com/osc_29278/index.php

Another:
http://osc.template-help.com/osc_27450/index.php


There are more to choose from here:
http://www.templatemonster.com/oscommerce-templates.php
http://www.theoscommercestore.com/osCom ... plates.htm

IMO the darker colors with less clutter are more pleasing.

Any other template suggestions or ideas are welcome.

[george2]

I like the 2nd one that has the movie's nice clean look

[Stickle]

I like the 2nd one that has the movie's nice clean look

+1

[BlackCar]

ATTENTION GRAPHIC DESIGNERS:

We're thinking of holding a competition for the best artwork anyone can Photoshop together that embodies "IMV Films - Vehicular Lunacy at its Finest."

Artists / designers can use ANY base images we have to capture a winning look.

It can be an "Original IMV" feel with a bit of "New Future" look, or a Masterpiece of Automotive Art. Whatever the concept may be, the idea is for anyone with a sense of vehicular style to create an image(s) for the background of the new IMV Films website.

The winner with the best background image, series of images for each page, or one large collage together (this would be specified beforehand) -

- will win $150 USD.

Would there be any interest in officially doing this? I'll make a separate thread for it if so.

[Grant]

Sav, check out:
http://www.99designs.com
http://www.crowdspring.com

I've used the later. Based on my limited experience, "crowd-sourcing" yields as good or better results than conventional graphic design at much lower costs.

As an aside, prizes are very under-used in general, and are pretty much always more effective than other forms of employment when they're practical.