Ableton, the movie

Benshik · Post by **Benshik** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:38 am

Thanx Abletons for this little movie! Just thought you might be interested in getting some feedback...

1- I love what Robert Henke says!!!! Live has a soul, I also feel it!

2- Some marketing stuff:
Since the film ends with "we hope you'll download the demo", I deduce it was made as a promo to convert news users. In this case, I think the movie suffers from not delivering a clear vision of what Live is.
Testimonials of famous users, testimonials from the employees of the company at work, Live presented as a multi-featured all-in-one solution able to do everything... it's a bit all over the place...

Suggestions? Maybe Live would come out stronger if you would focus on a few statements and then bring points of comparison... For example:

Live is like... jamming with an instrument (real time, session view, views of a Live user improvising with real musicians)
Live is unlike... traditional daws (one window solution, simple, etc)

The film was fun to watch, I liked it, but if it was made as a selling tool, it could be finetuned to become more powerful...
Just my humble opinion, expressed with the best intentions...

Cheers

Ben

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:41 am

I really dug the video - it seems like it's also a teaser for user-testimonial videos as well, since there are so many tiny bits of interviews with musicians.

I really hope to see more of this material pop up somewhere soon.

hoffman2k · Post by **hoffman2k** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 9:08 am

Machinate wrote:I really dug the video - it seems like it's also a teaser .

Yeah. Noticed how many deskspace they still have?

Pitch Black · Post by **Pitch Black** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 11:54 am

I was disappointed to not see the guy with the facial hair. I guess he's like the family secret in a room out the back strapped to the bed or something. I am glad however, that Ableton are quite open about Live being manufactured by insane persons. Hr Henke, I'm looking in your direction. It gives us all hope!!

You say crazy. I say conceptually abundant.

Robert Henke · Post by **Robert Henke** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:02 pm

geee, I look pretty stupid in this movie, I cannot finish one correct phrase and I tell you that at least some of us are completly crazy... I should have taken a look at the final cut before it went online. Well, at least my girlfriend says I look "okay" ?!!

Regarding the deskspace we still have: jobs@ableton.com

Best, Robert

ernene · Post by **ernene** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:39 pm

sorry, wrong place, wrong time...[/img]

rikhyray · Post by **rikhyray** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 2:32 pm

Robert Henke wrote:geee, I look pretty stupid in this movie, I cannot finish one correct phrase and I tell you that at least some of us are completly crazy... I should have taken a look at the final cut before it went online. Well, at least my girlfriend says I look "okay" ?!!

Regarding the deskspace we still have: jobs@ableton.com

Best, Robert

She is right, you are very natural, unlike the NAMM show that ...well, gives very stressed image ( if you hate that one I could easily understand). Actually without making anyone envious you are the best in the movie. My 5 cent psycholgy would see the enviroment as the key, synths - you are in your elements, I guess. The combination with plants, kind of "weird" combinatation that calls viewer attention. Lots of "secret messages" that could be associated with it- combining revolutionary with traditional (the old school hardware) the "naturalness" of the way "Live" let you work.
So you were "look le plus cool"

Sales Dude McBoob · Post by **Sales Dude McBoob** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 2:41 pm

I liked the movie. Good to see that the creators of Live are not very different from the users of Live.

What did you think of the audio in the film? I thought it was pretty well done, however, I had a hard time hearing Vernon speaking from my built-in computer speaker- so I had to put on my headphones.

All and all Dave + crew did a really good job.

dannyk · Post by **dannyk** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 2:57 pm

Sales Dude McBoob wrote: What did you think of the audio in the film?

I thought the audio was fine, once i'd used Complex warp mode, taken the WPM (words per minute) up to 132, given everyone a stutter with beat repeat and then finally used a nice combination of PSP Vintage Warmer and EQ4 on the master channel.

David · Post by **David** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 2:58 pm

Hi folks,

What impressed me about the movie was the really healthy atmosphere of the Ableton office...lots of white fresh walls, windows open fully for lots of fresh air, people having proper sit down lunches and pretty darn tasty lunches too by the looks of things, lots of healthy plants producing pure oxygen, wearing causal cool clothes to work...ahhh it looked nice.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:43 pm

I loved the movie - it gave me insight into a company that I deeply admire and wholeheartedly support.

I do agree that it could have been a bit more focused, and as a marketing professional, I suggest trying to achieve one goal with it - either focus on new users, OR provide insight for current users. So in that sense, I agree with the first post.

Having said that, in the end, the movie was a snapshot of Ableton, and what I really love is that I got to see the faces of the people who do the work that changes my life every day. On an emotional level, this is very gratifying.

Henke, as our chic-geek hero, you were fine. Please don't change at all. Ever.

One request - next time I want to see more of the hottie Ableton babes. Preferably jamming on Live. Wearing tight black leather. Ok, this is starting to sound like an Ableton porn, so I'll stop now.

Robert Henke · Post by **Robert Henke** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:34 pm

David wrote:Hi folks,

What impressed me about the movie was the really healthy atmosphere of the Ableton office... lots of healthy plants producing pure oxygen....

[/img]

mikemc · Post by **mikemc** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:38 pm

nebulae wrote:I loved the movie - it gave me insight into a company that I deeply admire and wholeheartedly support.

I do agree that it could have been a bit more focused, and as a marketing professional, I suggest trying to achieve one goal with it - either focus on new users, OR provide insight for current users. So in that sense, I agree with the first post.

Having said that, in the end, the movie was a snapshot of Ableton, and what I really love is that I got to see the faces of the people who do the work that changes my life every day. On an emotional level, this is very gratifying.

it really was nice to see these folks, and experience their earnest sense of "vaht are you bozzering me fur mit yer videocamera?"

seriously, it's a great video. Note the "developer crash futon": for better or worse, the signature feature of the successful small softrware company.

(edit) LOL, now, robert, those are beta plants.

peeddrroo · Post by **peeddrroo** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:43 pm

Robert Henke wrote:[/img]

looks like those ones got involved in the beta testing.
they deserve some holidays as well...

jahnlay · Post by **jahnlay** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:46 pm

Nice one, I was at the Steinberg offices in Hamburg in April but your place looks much better in terms of the layout and fresh paint on the walls! A good intro to the way that software history is being made! Tell Claudia that next time we want to see her in the video too!