Luminous Landscape Forum

Site & Board Matters => Luminous Landscape Video => Topic started by: Christopher Sanderson on October 07, 2010, 01:36:40 pm

Title: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 07, 2010, 01:36:40 pm: I have posted the first of a new (to Lu-La) series of videos in our Store.

Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_01-06_anwr2.jpg)

It is Season 1; Episode 6: Alaska - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=246).

The product is not yet generally announced and may make a revised disappearance/appearance in the store as I modify things. However, if purchased, the download file will always be available.
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 08, 2010, 05:44:56 pm: Now the first episode Bolivia: The Altiplano (http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32&products_id=248)

(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_01-01_altiplano.jpg)
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 09, 2010, 12:20:22 pm: There are now five episodes available (http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=32)

(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_01-02_glacier.jpg)

(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_01-03_paine.jpg)

(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_01-04_katmai.jpg)
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Bo Koue Callesen on October 09, 2010, 03:09:28 pm: It looks like the Alaska - Glacier Bay file (t2e_01-02.zip) is damaged, I have now tried 3 downloads and all files are reported as a damaged zip file, whereas the other files did download OK.

/Bo
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 09, 2010, 04:33:30 pm: Sorry about that. I will have to pull the product off line. I will not be able to replace it until Sunday evening. I will post here when it is replaced.
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 10, 2010, 07:06:38 pm: OK T2E #2 is back up.

I have also added #5 on Madagascar (http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32&products_id=251)

(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_01-05_mada.jpg)
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Bo Koue Callesen on October 11, 2010, 01:00:32 pm: Thanks the downloaded file is now valid :)
/Bo
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: JRKO on October 11, 2010, 04:53:03 pm: Quick question and this is not a complaint or wanting to start flame wars. Why so expensive for the download?

Its only $65 for the complete season 2 (13 episodes @ $5 each) on Amazon or about $17 for a 4 episode DVD ($4.25 each) from series 1

Are there extras on the download?
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 11, 2010, 05:22:46 pm: No, no extras - just a high quality downloadable HD video. This is only available on Lu-La.
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 13, 2010, 03:06:25 pm: An FYI before we announce and post any further episodes of Art Wolfe's Travels to the Edge (http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=32).

We will be making each 13 episode season available as a package for $99.00

For those who have already purchased some shows: if you purchase 10 shows, you may ask our Customer Service for a coupon for the complete season's 13 episode package - thus allowing you the discounted price.

Please note that this applies only to each separate season and the package price does not apply to purchases of 10 shows across different seasons.
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: feppe on October 13, 2010, 04:52:23 pm: Quote from: Chris Sanderson on October 13, 2010, 03:06:25 pm
An FYI before we announce and post any further episodes of Art Wolfe's Travels to the Edge (http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=32).

We will be making each 13 episode season available as a package for $99.00

For those who have already purchased some shows: if you purchase 10 shows, you may ask our Customer Service for a coupon for the complete season's 13 episode package - thus allowing you the discounted price.

Please note that this applies only to each separate season and the package price does not apply to purchases of 10 shows across different seasons.

Thank you for the bundle pricing - this is quite reasonable if the quality is as good throughout as the sample clip. I'll certainly get this after I'm done watching the LLVJs I've bought!
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 14, 2010, 08:02:01 pm: Episodes 7, 8, 9 & 10 are now posted. Peru, Kenya, Mt. Fitz Roy in Patagonia and the US SouthWest

I will likely have the final three episodes up tomorrow along with a package of all thirteen episodes of Season One
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 15, 2010, 11:46:33 am: All 13 episodes of Season 1 are now in the Store along with the $99 package of 13 episodes.
The latest shows posted are on India, South Georgia and a quite remarkable trip to the Omo Valley in Ethiopia which features Art photographing in the middle of a serious stick fight!
Title: Excellent but too expensive
Post by: jenbenn on October 16, 2010, 12:03:50 pm: I just bought the India episode and really enjoyed it. Excellent series! However, I felt a bit of buyer's remorse thinking I paid 10 dollars for about 20min of video. compared to an equally excellent BBC documentory (the story of India) which runs for 180min and cost 10 dollars for two dvds shipped, I have trouble justifying more episodes. Charging about 100 dollars for all epsides (approx. 260mins) seems like a rip off when considering that this show has been broadcasted by many tv stations and is also sponsored by canon and Microsoft, so production cost must have been paid by now, assuming a normal run of business.
Title: Re: Excellent but too expensive
Post by: feppe on October 16, 2010, 01:19:25 pm: Quote from: jenbenn on October 16, 2010, 12:03:50 pm
I just bought the India episode and really enjoyed it. Excellent series! However, I felt a bit of buyer's remorse thinking I paid 10 dollars for about 20min of video. compared to an equally excellent BBC documentory (the story of India) which runs for 180min and cost 10 dollars for two dvds shipped, I have trouble justifying more episodes. Charging about 100 dollars for all epsides (approx. 260mins) seems like a rip off when considering that this show has been broadcasted by many tv stations and is also sponsored by canon and Microsoft, so production cost must have been paid by now, assuming a normal run of business.

That's an unfair and even invalid comparison. First of all, BBC is a state-owned enterprise. They have economies of scale in production, manufacturing of discs, and distribution LL or Mr Wolfe can't even begin to approach. You're comparing DVD with 720p, which is a big improvement. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, those BBC DVDs sell probably in the six figures (unit volume), which allows for razor-thin margins and still making a nice profit.

To put things into perspective, Planet Earth alone has sold 5 million units, and that's a box set. I picked up the 10-disc Bluray box for a ridiculously low price of 50 EUR or so new, this at the time when when many single-disc movies with budgets an order of a magnitude less are selling at 20 EUR a pop. By the way, the documentary is worth all the hype.

Also, why do you care if the production costs have been recooped already? I'm sure you didn't mean to imply in your last sentence that production costs are all there is to running a good business. All stakeholders must make a profit, otherwise there's not much point in producing a commercial product. If they are as good as the reviews say, I hope Mr Wolfe keeps producing more - and he needs a profit to be able to do so. While I agree the single-episode pricing is high due to reasons given by Chris or Michael elsewhere, a full season is priced competitively given the above.
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: jenbenn on October 16, 2010, 01:46:14 pm: It is not worth arguing. I find it to expensive and I wont buy more. If you find the price right and buy, its fine. I just thought the seller might care why I wont buy more. By the way, for comparism sake: 20 minutes at 10 dollars make it 60 dollars for 120 minutes, the normal lenth of a dvd film. Now thats a hefty premium, even for a good product. One more point: It might have escaped my notion, but I wasnt aware that the individual epsiodes were so short when I bought mine. I thought you d get something in the ballpark of 60min per episode. I think the film length should be mentioned in the product description in the shop.
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: feppe on October 16, 2010, 01:57:54 pm: Quote from: jenbenn on October 16, 2010, 01:46:14 pm
By the way, for comparism sake: 20 minutes at 10 dollars make it 60 dollars for 120 minutes, the normal lenth of a dvd film. Now thats a hefty premium, even for a good product.

Fish is sold by the kilo; I haven't heard of any entertainment sold by the minute.
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: jenbenn on October 16, 2010, 02:22:52 pm: Come on, dont be unreasonable. Enterntainment is certainly not sold by the minute but by shorther and longer. I think ist more or less established that for a regular cinema tickt you get between 70 minutes and 150 minutes of movie experience. In germany, films longer than 120 minutes cinemas carry an "over-length charge", which typically amounts to 10% extra. For films over 180 miuntes you sometimes have to pay 20% extra. So yes, entertainment is roughly sold by the time of enjoyment. (would you pay the same for a three minute short film as for a full 180minute movie?)
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: jenbenn on October 17, 2010, 05:00:13 pm: Video length has been added in the store. Cool, thats fair business, although I still dont like the pricing :)
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: bobtowery on October 18, 2010, 04:46:14 pm: Without commenting on the cost of the entertainment/education, I will say:

The episodes are very inspiring, from a photographic POV. Even though I maybe am not going to Bhutan, by showing video of Art in the scene and then the images he creates, I really get his ability to capture the image present in the scene. Probably not coincidentally, this was always my favorite aspect of LLVJ episodes, seeing MR work through his thought process and get the shots.

It's done in an excellent way in Art's series, at least for me. Very high production values, especially for a small team.

Bob T.
http://www.dreamtomorrowblog.com
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 21, 2010, 05:10:46 pm: I have posted the first seven of the thirteen episodes of Season 2 of Art Wolfe's Travels to the Edge (http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=33)

Episode 201 is a visit to stunningly beautiful Hokkaido & Honshu in winter

(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_201_japan.jpg)

Episode 202
(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_202_australia.jpg)

Episode 203
(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_203_mali.jpg)

Episode 204
(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_204_antrtc.jpg)

Episode 205
(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_205_pantanal.jpg)

Episode 206
(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_206_wafrica.jpg)

Episode 207
(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_207_nz.jpg)
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Bo Koue Callesen on October 22, 2010, 01:07:14 pm: It could look like the file t2e_202.zip (Australia - Arnhemland & the Kimberley) is damaged, I have now downloaded the file two times and every time it's reported as a damaged zip file.

/bo
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 22, 2010, 10:43:50 pm: My apologies. Yes, the zip file is definitely corrupted. I am uploading a replacement which should be in place around 24:00 ET Friday, Oct. 22
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 23, 2010, 12:13:45 am: The offending file is now replaced. Please let me know if your download and un-zipping works now.
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Bo Koue Callesen on October 23, 2010, 05:06:05 am: Thanks it works OK now :)
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Matmiblue on October 25, 2010, 04:11:42 pm: Hello,

having bought the Season 1 of Travels to the Edge when I was in the US, I purchased the first episode of Season II from Lu La (since buying the dvds is not really an option considering the Art Wolfe shop would only ship via ups...). Now, being about ignorant as far as video is concerned, I have no clue what I should do to get the video playable by my DVD player (an LG BD350). I tried to just burn the Quicktime movie onto a blank DVD but it didn't work. I found a nice little software (ConvertXtoDVD) that converted the file into a DVD format. It worked fine except that, because it was a trial version, I had a big watermark in the middle of the screen. Frankly, I'm reluctant to pay $35 for the full version, knowing I will probably never use it again (and I think the $99 for 13 episodes is hefty enough).

Would you happen to know any freeware that would convert the video into a readable format ? I'm cutting and pasting the section about formats from the technical specificities for my DVd player : DivX® 3.x • DivX® 4.x • DivX® 5.x • DivX® 6 • XviD • H.264 • MPEG2 MPEG2 HD • H.264/AVC • VC-1 • AVCHD

Many thanks for your help !
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 25, 2010, 04:20:12 pm: The final six episodes of Season Two of Art Wolfe's Travels to the Edge (http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=33) are now available.

(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_208_wildasia.jpg)

(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_209_baja.jpg)

(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_210_bhutan.jpg)

(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_211_making.jpg)

(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_212_mongolia.jpg)

(http://store.luminous-landscape.com/zencart/images/T2E_213_iceland.jpg)
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 25, 2010, 04:26:15 pm: Quote from: Matmiblue on October 25, 2010, 04:11:42 pm
Would you happen to know any freeware that would convert the video into a readable format ?

I am not familiar with Windows freeware, but check the FAQ (http://luminous-landscape.com/videos/Dwnld_Video-faq.shtml) for a bit of info...

And please remember that these videos are far better viewed through a set-top box or on your monitor rather than re-converting to a DVD: sooo 20th century ;D

If you have to watch via a DVD you are much better off (at least in terms of quality) buying the DVDs from Art's online store or through PBS
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Matmiblue on October 25, 2010, 04:44:11 pm: Thanks Chris. I had missed the FAQs. I'll check if I could find some freewares in there.

DVDs may indeed by very much 20th century but I'm afraid I don't have an Apple TV and my TV screen being about 4 times larger than my PC screen, it's a lot more comfortable.

As for the DVDs, I honestly would have bought them if the Art Wolfe store was a bit smarter and could ship DVDs internationally using something else than UPS. Paying $220 for the dvds + shipment is just not an option. I don't know if PBS is better but I can't find the Travels to the Edge dvds on their website.
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 25, 2010, 04:50:21 pm: The problem is this: when you re-compress video that is already fairly compressed, the results are usually pretty awful...
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on October 25, 2010, 04:54:15 pm: Quote from: Matmiblue on October 25, 2010, 04:44:11 pm
Paying $220 for the dvds + shipment is just not an option. I don't know if PBS is better but I can't find the Travels to the Edge dvds on their website.
Check this thread (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=47371.0) for more pricing info...
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: MelissaF on October 28, 2010, 04:29:58 am: Hello,
I have just bought the India episode and really enjoyed it.A very good series to watch,however I felt a bit of buyer's remorse thinking.I paid 10 dollars for about 20mins of video compared to an equally excellent BBC documentory based on the story of india which runs for 180mins and costs 10 dollars for two dvds shipped, I have trouble justifying more episodes. Charging about 100 dollars for all epsides (approx. 260mins) seems like a rip off when considering that this show has been broadcasted by many tv stations and is also sponsored by canon and Microsoft, so production cost must have been paid by now, assuming a normal run of business.
Regards,
Ali.
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: jenbenn on October 28, 2010, 05:55:17 am: ahm, is this meant to be serious or are you being sarcastic? Nothing against copying my post,but your message would be clearer if you had found your own words.
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Paul Hansford on December 10, 2010, 06:42:13 am: Chris

Any chance of posting the "cover shots" for episodes 7-13 of Season 1. I like to would include them in iTunes, along with the images for rest of the videos that you have already posted.

Paul
Title: Re: Art Wolfe's 'Travels to the Edge'
Post by: Christopher Sanderson on December 22, 2010, 11:34:51 pm: If you go to the individual episode in the Store and click on 'larger image' under the graphic, you can save the artwork for each episode.