Safely Recording the Police Using POV Glasses

There really might be a good reason to wear your sunglasses at night. For example, there are a number of police cars parked in front of your driveway. With a pair of recording Point of View (POV) glasses you could be assured that what is happening can be confirmed independent of a police report.

Keep your safety in mind at all times. We all can search for ways to safely record police officers but there is no way to stop a bad cop from trying to stop you.

They have guns. Guns kill people. You are people.

POV recording glasses is not a new idea; it has been around for a while but as with many things the technology has improved quite a bit.

The Pros of POV Glasses are:

• What you see is what you record.
• You can take still photos and videos with a touch of a button.
• With minimum tech savvy you can transfer videos to your computer. This means you know how to attach USB cable to the glasses or you know how to remove the microSD card and place the memory card into the computer.

 The Cons of POV Glasses are:

• We don't notice how much we move our heads. You will have to practice on using the glasses to keep a steady and stable recording.
• From a distance recording glasses are not noticeable. Up close they announce their presence.You will need to decide just how close you want to record without potential interference.
• There is a wide variety of video formats using in POV videos like .avi, motion jpg, .mov and mp4. If you use Windows Movie Maker to view and edit videos and your video format isn't compatible (.mov) then you have a minor problem. It can be solved but if you are not a techie you might not want to solve it. You want to get a POV glasses that are compatible with what you use. 
• However if you only use YouTube and the YouTube Editor you are kinda safe from worry.

Like their action camcorder cousins, the Pivothead brand glasses are designed for hands free recording.

You can take still photos or record video with buttons on the right side of the glasses. There is a choice of recording modes from old school 320x240 to 1080p and a bunch recording modes in-between. The POV glasses have a built in microphone. You can swap out the sunglasses for prescription glasses if you really need to see where you are going.

This is a commercial for Pivothead:




At $199 the basic model is fine for most people. However if you have or want the ability to connect to a tablet, smartphone or other devices you will want to check out the available accessories or the new models that are juicy to contemplate.

At $139 is the iVue Classic 720p is kinda sweet, not as discreet as you would like but a good deal at this price. 720p, 8GB storage, 140 degree wide angle lens with a functional one button on/off switch.
Another bonus is that you can change lens. The Classic 720p records in the .avi video format which should be compatible with just about anything.

The main drawback is that there is no memory card, the videos are stored in internal memory. You will need to attached the glasses to the computer to transfer the videos. Of if you glasses get snatched you are S.O.L. (Stone out of Luck)

There is another option with Google Glass which at $1,500 is not affordable for real working people. You might want to keep an eye on the Brickhouse Security site but their stuff is kinda expensive.

I wish there was another affordable brand name competitor. There are a lot of cheap knockoff POV glasses. Most are crap.

The knockoff POV glasses can cost between $25 to $100 but this really is a buyer beware area. You can find a ton of them on eBay and Amazon.

I implore you to read the comments and do research before you buy POV glasses from any store or on-line vendor.

Other Posts of Interest

• Buying Camcorders
• Legal
• Mobile
• Video Advocacy
• VidGeeky
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Safely Recording the Police Using Action Cams

Let's get this straight, you do have the ability and the legal right as U.S. citizens to record police officers. You have the right to record video from your property or on a public street. As we have learned, some police officers have not read the constitution or are inclined to prevent you from countering their mythical view of events.

We need to protect ourselves and our neighborhoods. These are ideas to consider.

There is only one thing I require you to keep in mind. Your personal safety. It it dangerous. It is hunting season and those with a license are taking aim.

Action Camcorders

Action Camcorder are generally used by people doing sporting adventures or events. The most famous of these are the GoPro line of action camcorders. One of the things that makes action camcorders attractive is that the have the ability to a record wide angle view of a mountain, river or police action.

Pro:

• Small, light and can be hidden from view.
• Generally have a wide recording angle so that you have a good expansive view of the area.
• Some models are WiFi enabled; meaning if they are connected to a smarphone, tablet or computer you could potentially upload video quickly to a web hosting service like YouTube.

Cons:

• Most action camcorders do not have a viewfinder or you would have to pay extra to obtain one. Not a deal breaker because of the wide angle recording but you won't know what you have until you look at it later.
• Action camcorders do not like being handheld. They are usually mounted on helmets, braces or tripods. There is no image stabilization so hand held videos can be really shaky.
• You need to be minimally computer savvy to either connect the computer  to the camcorder or remove the memory card and get it to the computer. How savvy? Connect the USB cable to the camcorder to the computer and then transfer the video files.
• Cost; decent action camcorders start about $180 to the $400 range. Knock offs can be found for about $100 on up but quality can be dicey.

So here are some options:

For affordability the basic $199 GoPro Hero3 would be a good choice, good audio, wide angle view and excellent video quality. This is the standard that the others try to meet. I'm thinking this would be good as a porch cam or resting on a window ledge. Again, Hero3 doesn't like to be held by hand, but if you have no choice this can capture a wide view of the situation.

Another contender is the Sony HD Flash Memory Action Camcorder. A bit more pricy than the Hero3 at $250 but it can record up to 4 hours before a charge and can record on Sony Memory Stick Micro or microSD cards to extend your recording time.

Need to be a bit more mobile? I think the Panasonic HX-A100 might be of interest. This is a wearable action camcorder that you could use like a Bluetooth headset. You'd have to purchase the Ear Hook and other accessories. Again, good video quality, fair audio quality and can be secured for on the street recording.

I know these are expensive options. These devices were built to be seen, be mounted in motion for more pleasant purposes. The way I am envisioning there use is that a home owner or renter sees an event from their property. They could use this type of camcorder mounted away from their body to record without notice of law enforcement.

Other Posts of Interest

• Buying Camcorders
• Documentary and Personal Narrative
• Legal
• Mobile
• VidGeeky
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Margaret is Another Reason to Get Out of Bed

Margaret Fabrizio is a busy lady. She is an artist and traveler. You never know where she is going to pop up. Margaret uses cameras and her iPad Mini to record her adventures.



Currently she is traveling in India.




It hasn't been easy at times. She had to get a local Sim card for her device, convince Google that she is who she is and then upload the videos. It has been worth it.

So yes, people do record video on tablets and this is one of a million reasons why they do so.

Other Posts of Interest

• Ideas on How to Steady Smartphone Video
• Samsung Video Editor for Android
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Paris to New York - Serious Videoblogging

I was reading a post a couple of hours ago talking about how people are seriously juicing over the new camera equipment being available. 4K is almost passe. 6K and 8K cameras are on the cusp of emergence.

As if a camera alone is what makes a good video or movie. It can help, if you know what to do with it. Citizen Kane was shot on analog equipment.

This is a video by Casey Neistat




I think skills and the right tools are important. But heart pumping to the brain on what you want to say or accomplish is far more important. I don't care if it is with a Smartphone or a 4K Red.

Craft and storytelling. Getting it done. Making that connection.

For more info on Casey check out his YouTube channel


Other Posts of Interest

• Video Art on the Vine - Rob Parrish
• Serious Pony's Video on Horses - This is Why
• The Forge and Eric Lim
• Home Page for Mobile Users

BlipTV Will Delete Old Vlogger Video Content

If you were a video blogger that used Blip.tv or you participated in the Yahoo Videoblogging group then heads up. Go get your videos. Now. You have until November  7, 2013. I found out via a Twitter post. Some have received e-mails.

Here is a copy of the announcement:

You might have heard that Blip.tv was sold to a new company. The company wants to continue the focus on creating create serial web video content. Need that server space and well, you know the story.

Now, honestly you should have a back-up copy of your videos before you upload video to a web hosting service. Mine are scattered between CD/DVD/Hard Drive storage. So if I don't get them all I'm not going to be heart broken.

What is breaking my heart is some of the vlogs done by people no longer on the planet. Like Grumpy Old Man With AIDS. There is no one to rescue his work. It should be.saved. It will not be unless his family and friends have his work.

I have 300+ videos of poets, adventure in the city and other non-series content. This will get tricky because some of those videos are posted on other sites, with my consent. I'll have to track them down and switch to the new video hosting service.

Yikes! Each one tell another and get busy.

Other Posts of Interest

• Mercalli Easy for Shaky Videos
• Vimeo Video Web Hosting
• To Make a Video Balance Your Needs vs Your Wants

A Look At the iPhoneReporting Blog

I am still sad about the firing of the Chicago Sun-Times photographers. News photography is a profession. It requires training, skills, equipment and a story. It also requires people to be paid for their services.

The Sun-Times decided that all that is necessary to perform a professional level of photojournalism is to have beat reporters use smartphone cameras. I entreat you to visit the might fine Tumblr blog SunTime/DarkTimes.

This is a great example of what not to do.

You know how when you upload a video and somehow the wrong image is selected as the cover photo? And how until very recently you couldn't upload a different image?

That is, if you use YouTube to host your video. You might use another service that will not allow you change the cover photo.

Public school budget cuts are a serious matter. A distracting cover photo wrecks the credibility of the publication. Unless this was an intentional bait and switch to get people to read the story. Maybe readers watched the video  to find out what this grandparent had to say about the on-going problems with the Chicago public schools?

No. This is bad. Really, really bad.

Let me be clear; in certain situations professional reporters can use consumer recording devices and software for breaking news and general reporting. It is possible with training and guidance that reporters will get better about recording and lightly edit video before hitting the upload button.

I ain't holding my breath on it.

But it is possible. In the meantime, if you have a recording device on your smartphone you might want to slide on over to iPhonereporting.com

Yes, even you Android and Windows folks ought to take a peep at it.

There are app recommendations, web service shout outs like using SoundCloud to record audio and, in light of the above Sun-Time image, a few pro tips on how to shoot video.

You can read most of the blog contents in about two hours. It would be worth it to make sure that you name is not listed in the mobile video journalism walk of shame.


Other Posts Of Interest:

• The Forge and Eric Limm
• Mobile Reporting Field Guide
• Four Questions that Can Help You Make A Better Video
• Home Page for Mobile Users

The Forge and Eric Lim

This has been a week of people telling stories. Most of which almost wants to make me give up on the human race. I have to remind myself that we are not long out of the cave.

One of the powers of film and video is to help people see a different perspective. By telling our stories, we can let people know that they are understood and not alone.

Sometime you can't save the one you love but you can help people who need to know the message.




Eric Lim lost his sister due to suicide. He wanted to do something to help others that suffer from depression. You can read about his story on Mashable.

There is a supporting web site called For Anybody Hurting where you can get more information about the film, how it was made and, if you are so inclined, purchase the sound track by Austin Wintory with proceeds to be donated to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

I know that there have been movies, films and videos that help me save myself. Through laughter, craft of story or a great performance that moved my heart.

So yes, there will be stories of small people doing incredibly stupid things. Unkind people. People who should be shunned but won't be. Not being deliberately cryptic just don't want to give the fools of the week anymore publicity.

Besides, there will be new fools of the week next week. But there are good people doing wonderful things. We need to hold on to that each and every day.

I say this often; tell your story.

Other Posts of Interest

• KMDC Digital Storytelling Tutorials
• The Short of the Week and We Will Forget
• Pcth The New Way to Tell and Share Stories
• Home Page for Mobile Users

The Gypsy Nesters How To Roller Derby Video

Slowly getting back up to speed. That last cold/flu thing was an energy eating all consuming bacteriological nightmare. I'm telling you, eat your veggies, wash your hands and above all else stock up on the chicken or veggie soup. And the Sci-Fi movie DVDs.

There are all types of videos in the world; some of them narrative, some of them expiratory about the people and places they encounter. There is a (hopefully) growing group of middle-age boomer and senior vloggers on the horizon.

The Gypsy Nesters are on the road and exploring their world. This is a video that Veronica did on the Killamazoo Derby Darlins. The Gypsy Nesters have their own YouTube Channel that is filled with their continuing adventures.







I found this video at the WHOA! Network. This is a new community that wants to make sure that women of a certain age remain visible. As part of that network there are video partnerships with other creators who aim to do just that.

The take away for the day is that there are all kinds of videos being made. Don't get locked into thinking it has been done before or that no one will be interested. Pick up the camera/recording device and go for it.

Other Posts of Interest

• The Short of the Week and We Will Forget
• Vocativ Video on Smartphone Recording
• Ken Burns on Story from RedGlass Pictures

Side By Side Film Trailer

I was talking with a friend about the transition from film to digital. He didn't know what I was talking about.  He looked at me and said "...there are still movies."




He is right. And for most people that is all that it matters, that movies continue to be made. But I am interested in the transition process. This doesn't happen everyday.

This is a trailer for a documentary I'm not sure it has been released yet. Still, the folks in the trailer are the impressive representations of the current film and digital content industry.

If you are curious, take a look.

A Look At Using Pan and Zoom Effect

You can use a Rostrum camera or software that invokes the Ken Burns effect, the results are the same; brings motion to a still photo. Conceptually that is done using a Pan and Zoom Effect.

It isn't just for family photography, it can be used for a variety of purposes. Below is an example from the Biography channel. They have a series of mini-biographies on historical and contemporary people.

This is a mini documentary on Alfred Hitchcock.



If you take a step back, you can see that they use talking heads, historical photos and a wee bit of title animation.

Which is what Ken Burns did in 1990 with his documentary series on PBS. Hmm, come to think of it,  it has been a while since I've seen the series; not sure if there was animation in it. I could be wrong.

Anyway, his use of historical photos, professional voice actors and a great story, The (U.S.) Civil War, entranced a nation with what seemed to be at the time a new kind of storytelling.

It wasn't. Before computer editing software there was a device called a Rostrum camera where you would put a photo on a rail system and move the image on a table as the film is moving through the camera. Talk about labor intensive.

Today, there is software options for all skill levels:

• Photo editing software that has an animating photos effect and saving them as a video
• Video editing software that has Pan and Zoom effects
• On-line services like Animoto, Masher or One True Media
• Smartphone and Tablet applications for iOS, Andriod and Windows

 It can be as simple or as detailed as you want it to be.

Other Posts of Interest

• Demo of Pan and Zoom Using Serif MovePlus X6
• In Search of A Look for A Title Card
• If I Had Just Five Minutes

The Short of the Week and We Will Forget

Passion has gotten many a person into trouble. Doesn't matter what the passion is; could be chocolate, it could be the need to obtain the complete history of the Green Lantern comic book. It could even be following what you know to be true and betting your life (savings) on it.

But first, The Short of the Week is a currated site that focuses on the best of short form documentary videos. The kind they use to show on public television after their theatrical run. How many times have you seen a documentary short in the theater?






For me, all most never. Which is why I love being able to see them on the Internet. The short that got my attention was created by Garret Harkawik  about a gentleman from the New York area who spent $100,000 of his own money to alert folks to the May 21, 2011 End of the World.

I need to say I have been yucking it up with each and every announcement on the end of the world. All three times. Personally, I have had enough. Live and let live.

But there is a difference between snark and taking a moment to try to understand where someone is coming from; we don't have to agree but we should strive a bit more toward respect.

This documentary is done with compassion.  There is a real person on the other side of the story.
Take that moment and enjoy non-salicious filmmaking.


Other Posts Of Interest:

• Digital Storytelling
• Pathfinders
• Video Advocacy

The Weekly Flickr Video Series

Okay, Yahoo's The Weekly Flickr Video has two videos at the time of this post but Flickr seems to want to engage folks again after a long disconnect with users.

The Weekly Flickr talks to and displays the work of photographers using Flickr to display their images. This is a video that they did on Kyle Thompson.

Yahoo Video on Kyle Thompson

(I originally had posted the video but discovered that it starts automatically. And loud. So you can visit the blog post instead. It is a good video.)

Call it an essay, a brief bio video, storytelling or what have you but this is kinda one of those multilevel learning experiences. This is just a few of the things I got from the video:

Kyle knew nothing about photography and challenged himself to learn and do. His goal was to take 365 photos; along the way something happened.

He developed a Flickr community to support his work, which is hard when a lot of people moved away from Flickr to other supportive sites like 500px.

The Yahoo team is wisely trying to reconnect with the Flickr community and beyond. That three months of a free Pro account holiday gift didn't hurt but if they continue to come back to social media there might be new avenues for distribution. Might even want to think about bumping up that 90 seconds video limitation.

A little reverse engineering of how they created the above video is never a waste of time for those that want to learn to do it better. I will be spending time in observation mode.

My understanding is that the videos are posted to the Flickr Blog on Fridays as well as on the Yahoo Studios web site. Which I didn't even know they had. A post for another time. 

Other Posts of Interest

• Creating Video Id Bug or Watermark Using Corel Video Studio Pro X5
• More Info on Microsoft Windows Essentials 2012
• Mercalli Easy for Shaky Videos

Vocativ Video on Smartphone Recording

The number of people using smartphone to record video is growing. Slowly there are device specific recording techniques that can help you steady the shot and capture quality video.

Vocativ is a new kind of news site that will come out of Beta soon. My understanding is that it will be a combination of journalism that will tap into data and social media sources to assemble a more complete story.

One of the things that Vocativ wants to encourage more citizen journalism recording.




This is a video from their community site that gives doable techniques to record a public protest or a community peace out.

Kinda re-enforces what I have been saying:

1. Have a plan when you go out to record.
2. Snag a variety of shots.
3. Make sure the audio is tight.
4. Make extra sure you are safe, especially around those folks wearing blue and carry a baton or tazer.

Other Posts of Interest

• Quick and Easy Storyboarding or Planning Is Good 
• Chart Guide On How to Upload MP4 Videos 
• How 5-Shot Method Help Me Make Edit Decision List

One In 8 Million - NYT Slide Stories

I try not to discriminate where an inspiration comes from. It can come from anywhere or any person. The trick is to be receptive. Many of us are not receptive any more. We consume. There is a difference.

If you are in consumption mode you want the hit, the tickle,"the do it for me." Nothing wrong with that; it is human nature. There are plenty of people that want to give you a quick hit for a chance to get a subscriber or ad viewer.

NYT One in 8 Million

Being receptive means that you choose to connect with another person or video. There is time to savor and to reflect. Not just of the story being presented but to look at the technique of constructing the story.

The New York Times has various photo/audio slide shows on their web site. This specific series is called One In 8 Million where reporters and photojournalists seek out the story in a population of 8+ million people. This specific series seems to be from 2009 but the stories are timeless.

The take away of viewing these stories is to look at the lighting, the composition of the photos and the audio that is perfectly matched to the images.

What can be adapted to video? Is there another way to tell a personal narrative story?


Other Posts of Interest

• Revised YouTube Creator Playbook
• A Look at Reuters Wider Image App
• Narratively Telling the Story of New York

One Day on Earth Project - Are You In?

No, it is not the end of the world again. That is allegedly on December 21, 2012. This is the One Day on Earth video recording project where people from all over the globe record what is happening where they live on the planet.

On December 12, 2012 or better known as 12/12/12,  people with camcorders and recording devices will be out recoding what they see and hear during that day.

From the web site:



It is not just individuals; it is non-profit organizations, the United Nations and a few private businesses. Take a look at the participant map. For certain regions of the world cameras and camcorders are being provided. They mean it when they say they want to record the world.

If you think that you would like to participate you need to get a move on to the web site and get the straight scoop.

Other Posts of Interest

• Mobile Reporting Guide by UC Berkeley
• How 5-Shot Method Help Me Make an Editing List
• Art Howard's Top Ten Recording Tips

A Look at Reuters The Wider Image App

With the demise of Newsweek as a print publication you have to wonder does any of the major news and companies have a clue about transitioning content to media devices?

The answer is yes, of course some newspapers and print publications do understand that they have to make that move. The kicker is implementation. Reuters has a new app for the iPad.


It is called The Wider Image and it is a download at the Apple Apps store. This will be an advertiser supported app. You as the consumer will get to see great photography, video storytelling and documentary content.

You will also experience advertising; although I'm not sure what you can sell or promote during a civil unrest.

I'm paying attention to this because this is a way for Reuters to re purpose content. Hopefully it is a way to financial compensate professional photographers and video journalists.  But more than that, it is an observation of the on-going transition of visual media to the mobile platform.

Is this the way to go? Not sure.

Is this something that can be re-interpreted and expressed via other topics? Like you love motorcycle history and you want to document it?

Possible. Very possible.

Other Posts of Interest

• The Waves of Change and Michael Wolff Video
• Professor Lin's 5 Shot Checklist
• Quick and Easy Storyboard or Planning Is Good

The Future of Storytelling 2012 Videos

I'm not quite ready for the future of storytelling. Trying to work it into my day to day living is challenge enough. But I keep an eye out for people that are looking at the long view.

Once upon at time in 2012 there was a panel of thinking people talking about the The Future of Storytelling. That is not unusual, people talk about it all of the time. 



What if you could here a bit more about the presenters and dive deeper into the reason they create and interpret the world?  There is a collection of videos from some of the people that presented at the 2012 The Future of Storytelling.

The video above is Damian Kulash from the band OK Go. This is 12 minute exploration of how Damian looks at creativity, music, business and re-defining boundaries. Much good stuff in the video and two or more dogs.

Can't go wrong.

Other videos include biologists, game designers and more.  Make space on your media player of choice cuz some of this videos could get you through a long day.

Other Posts of Interest

• Narratively Telling Stories of New York
• Kansas City Digital Storytelling Forum
• Digital Storytelling Examples - Educate the Educators

Videocollectif - Three Minutes In Your City

Things are jumping all over the joint. Ah, well. I do the best I can. If I could, I'd write more about the experimental/artistic possibilities of what people are doing with video. Currently there is a bum rush to monetize and bump up the viewers with formulaic content.

Nothing wrong with that, there can be great work created in a structure. But what if you are not the structured type? This is a video by Camille Geoffray


My French is almost non-existent but my understanding from the English side of Videocollectif is that there is (was?) an on-going on-off collective of folks who record video of their environment. Those videos can be artistic, experimental or documentary in nature. However the artist define what they do.

There can be an organized display of the work but not necessarily. From what I can figure out, if you are so moved you can make your own three minute video with 10 seconds worth of credits to show the slice of heaven or hell you currently occupy.



I don't know more than that. This might be just an archive of prior submissions. I'd like to think of it as a touchstone of possibilities waiting for the next group to move it a bit forward. Dive in, sample and think about the alternatives to L7.

Other Posts Of Interest

• Narritively Telling Stories About New York City
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CicLAvia Is Rolling Around Again – Bring Camera

CicLAvia Is Rolling Around again. I copied the name from the site to make sure I spell it consistently. Here in Los Angeles we have a day where we shut down the cars and let the bike freak flag wave high. It is going to be this Sunday, October 7 from 10 to 3pm.

It is a lot of fun to ride in CicLaVia but to photograph and record is even better. The laughter. The looks of pissed off drivers trying to go the wrong way. The hidden contradictions that pop out at you when you are on street level.

Don’t take my word for it, let Tawny school you up on it.



If you can’t find 30 seconds of a story here you need to hang it up and breath. Lots of fun, good walking, documentary opportunities all over the joint. Not to mention the bacon wrapped hot dogs with grilled onions and jalapeno peppers.

Oh, the dude with the bicycle cranked ice cream with mango chili vanilla I will be looking for you. That was so good.

Other Posts of Interest

Glossary - Interstitial Videos

A Look at Powtoon Presentation Software

Adding A Beep Tone To Mask A Cuss Word

Narratively Telling the Stories of New York City

There are stories that you don't expect to find and when you do you are changed, just a bit in you perceptions. That is one of the powers of storytelling.

Narratively seeks out the stories that are in plain sight in New York City and make them visible.



This is one of those stories. Two women who drive cabs in the city that never sleeps. This is a film called, "What's A Girl Doing Here?"

There are more videos at the Narrative.ly site. They will be audio stories, photo essays and long form documentaries. The contributors come from a variety of media backgrounds.

You want to visit at least once a week to get a hit of inspiration.  

Related Posts

• Image Oscillite Video Literary Magazine
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