Watermark quandary....

[hd28qi]

So, I am going to watermark my videos now.

The question is...

Watermark the WHOLE thing?

Or watermark the first and last 30 seconds?

What say you?????

[poisondeathray]

But why are you watermarking at all?

Don't watermark anything. It's very annoying


Unless this for a retail product?

[filmboss80]

What poisondeathray said. You're not going to find a lot of watermarking fans here.

[hd28qi]

Really? No, really.. I appreciate this view point.

I have a membership site where there are hundreds of videos. Much of my WRITTEN content has been snagged and used illegally by others. So, it's easy to download an HD version of my vids on my site for personal use. I guess I just wonder about people taking the video and using it without permission. This way, if they do, they'll know who made it.

Also, it tells people our site on YouTube.

These are instructional videos.

I was just going to do a very faded, subtle thing in the lower left corner.

No? Like I said, I am open to all viewpoints...

***that said... what about just the first and last 15 or 30 seconds?

[poisondeathray]

If I was in your shoes (ie. owned the rights to the video content, and the videos were part of a membership site), then yes I would use a watermark for the whole thing . But I would use a "tasteful" one, not one so it obscures everything

Even if people "rip it off" and upload it to other sites, you get free advertising

If it bothers you that your videos are up on YT without your permission, you can contact YT and they will remove it (or maybe you like the free advertising and want to leave it up?)

[hd28qi]

Thank you Mr. Poison Death Ray sir.

I was just going to use lettering, mostly faint and in the lower corner, small like.

Next question...

Lower left or right? Hmmmmm....

I SURELY appreciate your help.

[poisondeathray]

Left or right? That's a really subjective question. Without seeing the actual video, I have no opinion on either. You would have to "see" what looks better

BTW , you're not going to prevent people from doing what they want to. They can easily crop out the logo, or use logo removal tools , blur out the logo , etc...

[hd28qi]

This is very true. Thanks for your wisdom.

[budwzr]

I've seen "news" programs from other countries using NatGeo footage and they blurred out the logo, but you could still recognize it. This kind of stuff is on CCTV (Mainland China) regularly.

If you don't want it stolen, use a private or unlisted URL at YT, and pass that URL around yourself instead, to limit access.

Oh yeah, ditto, bugs are annoying, especially animated ones that are still, then hop or wiggle, then sit still again. I HATE those.

[jagabo]

I've seen "news" programs from other countries using NatGeo footage and they blurred out the logo, but you could still recognize it. This kind of stuff is on CCTV (Mainland China) regularly.

They recently used a clip from Top Gun:


http://gizmodo.com/5745307/did-china-try-to-pass-off-top-gun-as-air-force-footage

[budwzr]

I saw one once showing "Chinese Astronauts" spacewalking, but it was actually shot in a watertank and you could see tiny bubbles escaping their space suits from time to time.

[poisondeathray]

They recently used a clip from Top Gun:


http://gizmodo.com/5745307/did-china-try-to-pass-off-top-gun-as-air-force-footage

Fricking hilarious!

[robjv1]

Watch your video all the way through after you watermark it -- and give yourself an out to get rid of it for particular segments if needed.

Occasionally people will put watermarks in a part of the screen where it slightly obscures what is happening -- the semi-transparent overlay obscuring other text, or someones hands when demonstrating something, etc. This is obviously something you don't want to do in an instructional video.