Heads Up for Seattle VloggerFair 2014

If you are going to be near the Seattle, Washington area on August 16, 2014 you might want to try to snag a ticket to VloggerFair 2014.



Grove on the above video for a sense of the event; sounds like it is a mash-up of a barcamp meets Vloggers of note. It is very affordable at $49 and who doesn't like to mingle with vloggers?

It is a bit of a late notice because I just found out about it via Twitter. Which is why I think those who want to go that live near the northern California, Oregon and Seattle areas have the best shot of attending at this late date.

Other Posts of Interests

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Videobbloging 10 Years Later 5by5 Interview

It is the 10th anniversary of video on the Internet and the videoblogging group. The Yahoo Groups interface was clunky but a group of people from all over the world got together and figured out how to place video on the Internet.

And unlike what passes for social interactions these days we actually listened to each other, supported, disagreed with facts and met up at various functions. Not saying we were angels I felt it was a safe place. Many people did.

So no, you don't have to damn and cuss someone back to the 9 generation because you disagree with a statement. I digress. It is a peeve.

This is an interview by Jen Simmons with Jay Dedmon, Ryan Hodson and Micheal Verdi. If you are having trouble playing the audio or would like to read the transcript you can visit Jen's The Web Ahead page.





Now I don't want to be misunderstood. There was video on the Internet before the videoblogging group. But it wasn't remotely easy to do. We are talking postage stamp sized videos. I remember video from the hoochi-coochie sites and from tech sites like the original Code Monkey and Help.com

Back in the day, people were trying to transfer analog content from VHS and Hi-8 to the web. You needed a converter. Which there wasn't one on the consumer level until the 2000s. Sometimes that was done using software but it was still tricky.

A lot of things had to be figured out.

And just when that had been figured out came the digital camcorders and memory card storage appeared on the scene. Boom, change again. Then Smartphones recording video. Kaboom, disruptions again.

Now Google glass and the knockoffs.

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• Pathfinders Posts of Interest
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Learning From the Creative Live Blog

Like a hound dog on the prowl, I do like to peep over the fence to see how other folks do their thing. One of the new places I am scoping out is the blog at Creative Live. It is a photography blog however there is a lot of content that web video folks can appreciate.

The blog talks with people that are deep in their craft or are pushing for new forms of expression. You will want to look at the Photo and Video and the Video and Film sections of the blog.

I think the Documenting Devastation article was extremely helpful and reminds me of what can be done. I'm not saying you should deliberately romp around unsafe or putting others in jeopardy. But taking photos and videos can be helpful to demonstrate the story behind the news.

The short SEO for Photographers post reminds me to remember to update my Google + and other social media sites.  Finally, the article on Ben Von Wong got my mind blown with what he does and how he does it. I think I should camp out on his YouTube channel.

Other Posts of Interest 

• Audio and Music
• Copyright/Fair Use 
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Google Map Video - Address Is Approximate

You know how you have an idea that you would like to try? It comes to you and then for some reason you don’t get around to fully testing it out?

I tried recording Google Maps for a poetry video but I never finished it. I will, but I was looking around for some inspiration and I found this animated video on Vimeo. This is a video from 2011 from The Theory.




It is so cool. It is a blending of traditional animation and the uses of the mapping site to create a story. One of the things that I like about it is that it finds ways of working with the limitations in order to make it seem like a real road trip.

You can screencast Google Maps with most screencasting software like Camtasia, CamStudio, Screenr, and on the Mac side you have Screenflow and Screencast-O-Matic.

Behind the Curtain and Recording Concerns

One of the neat things the creator did was place the car in a position where you can’t see the Google maps navigation arrows. They appear on the lower portion of the screen. By placing the car on top of the directional arrows right on top you don’t see it or become distracted by it.
 
There is also the tricky business of when you do move forward there are parts of the screen that will go out of focus. It takes a lot of editing to make it look like a smooth journey.

An additional problem that I had was trying to keep people out of the recording. You also have to be careful of business logos, corporate signage and trademarks. There are a lot of under worked corporate attorneys that would love to nab you for using the company logo in your video.

Yes, even if it is a logo on a trash bag in the street and you had nothing to do with it being there.

In urban areas that is really tough. You wind up blurring the logo or signage or overlaying your own message. But with some effort you can create with Google Maps a storytelling video.

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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.

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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


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• 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

Hecuba Video at MOCAtv - iPhone Music Video

MOCAtv is The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles YouTube Channel. It is place where other artists can curate their favorite videos, create new works or step out into the void.

There are a few of us that continue to believe that intentionally vertical videos can be a good thing. This is another example of busting out of horizontal by the group Hecuba.

Jon Beasley & Isabelle Albuquerque are musicians, artists, photographers or what ever they want to be at the moment.

You can check out their other videos, photos and information about why they do what they do by visiting their Tumblr blog.




This is a video recorded with an iPhone 5 device. There have been no enhancements or filters applied to the video. I have embedded the above video as an intentionally vertical video because that it what it seemed to be as I watched it on YouTube.

However, that might not be the way the creators intended; the heavy black bars does add to the feeling of the video.




So in the spirit of not mucking with the artists intent this is how the video appears on the MOCAtv channel.

I love finding new sources of inspiration.


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• Finding Inspiration in Tom Waits Hell Broke Luce
• Video Art on the Vine - Rob Parish
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Media Digital Library - Home Movies and Home Talkies Magazine

Once upon a time their was a print magazine devoted to people who wanted to make their own movies. These would be movies recorded on film. Home Movies and Home Talkies Magazine was a 1932-1934 publication devoted to helping folks master filmmaker for home users.

The Media History Digital Library contains scanned copies of the various hobby, commercial and fan magazines. This would included radio, film and later television.  It is a hoot to review some of the old publication and find similar content about quality, how-to's and showing your stuff.

The magazine referred to the practice as amateur cinematography. I've read a few of the pages, this seems to be a British magazine. There are items for sale that go for a certain amount of shillings and pounds.

Everything Old Is New Again

There is an article about making your own home movie titles, what size projector to buy and ads for second-hand cine cameras.

As for advice for the new filmmaker it seems that you can't go wrong if you:

• Don't forget the close up
• Record moments that matter
• Get the exposure right
• Use a tripod or find a way to steady the camera.

You can read the magazines or journals on-line or download the PDF version.  If you are a fan of all kinds of film history you have to check this out.


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• Thinking About the 5x5 Videos of Simon Edmonds
• Google's The Peanut Gallery
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Video Art on the Vine - Rob Parish

There are people working creatively in the under 15 seconds video arena. There are creative Vine and Instagram videos.

Sometimes spontaneous and sometimes a bit of planning is required creates to visualize a whole new way of looking at the familiar.





This work was created by video artist Rob Parish. Give him six seconds and access to Archive.org and he will compose a new video composition.

There are times Rob re-cycles old public domain films and commercials. Other times he walks along and composes videos shot by shot in what use to be known as in-camera editing.

Something to think about.

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• The Forge and Eric Lim
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• Home Page for Mobile Users

Neil Hilborn's OCD Poem As Performed at 2013 Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam

Neil Hilborn is a poet. He has known love. And he has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. And in 2:52 minutes he is going to make you remember what being vulnerable is all about.

Mr. Hilborn's poem was recorded at the 2013 Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam in Madison, Wisconsin.



 

A microphone. A camera that is in focus. A poet. Yeah, sometimes that is all you need. Nope, Not letting go of this poetry video journey.  There is something powerful in the poetic narrative that can put a serious hurt of recognition in all of us.

You don't have to be perfect.

You just have to have courage to do the work.

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VidCon 2013 Editing Panel - Keeping A Balance

This is a short clip from a VidCon 2013 panel From Jump Cuts to Dialogue: Editing for Online Video.




The panelists get a question from the audience on how do you doing what you want to do and also meet the wants and needs of your audience.

SeriousPony's Video on Horses: This is Why

It is hard to define poetry. Sure, there are categories, and types and rules and teachers that stomp the life out of them. But poetry is something that resonates with the sender and the receiver. This video has resonated with a lot of people for reasons other than the subject matter.

No matter the reason, it is a beauty of a video. From the blog, SeriousPony this is Horses: This Is Why.







Sometimes it is a person who wouldn't call themselves a poet that makes something that is dang close to the spirit of the art form. This isn't close, this is on the mark.

It is a blending of text, photos and videos to invoke love and memory.

You don't need much to make a video. It is what you do with what you have that counts.


Other Posts of Interest:

• A Look at Motion Poems
• Old School Ideas for Using Text in Poetry Videos
• New Export Options for Windows Movie Maker
• Home Page for Mobile Users

Creating Poetry Videos - Beginnings

Reinvention. What is next on the path? How about a neglected art form? If there is any creative activity that is suited to web video it is poetry. And no, this is not the stuff that was crammed down your throat in school.






A definition is tricky. Most people think it is a poet standing in front of a microphone facing a video or film camera is all that is needed. It can be. It does not have to be done that way. It can be a collaboration like the above video with Joshua Stewart and Fraser Jones.

It can be found objects, text narratives, photo slide shows, experimental or intentionally vertical videos. It can be anything you can conjure if the end result is a poem.

Don't believe me? You should check out Moving Poems where I found the above video and other video poems that got me to thinking. I always seem to be thinking but, just like the hair and beauty vloggers, there may be specific creation tools that poets can use to create their own work.

Most of you have that tools within the reach.of your hand. I will be honest, it might take a tad more time that composing a poem. Which can take months and years for some folks.

It won't take that long. But it will require a shift in process.  I think I can propose some entry level tools and resources to get folks started.

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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.

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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.

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HitRECord Looking for User Generated Content

There is creativity and user generated content outside of YouTube. HitRECord is a community of creators using all kinds of media to make videos. This is a community of re-mixers and collaborators.

Actor and now producer Joseph Gordon Levitt is creating a television series for a new channel called Pivot. This is a video by him explaining the project.




In case you can't view the video the site is putting out the call for all kinds of creators to create and re-mix content for a unique kind of video compositions. They want artists, animators, writers, audio and stuff I can't imaging but somebody else might be able to.

HitRECord is also looking for curators, those folks that can help find the gems inside of all that good and silver.

I don't think this is a vanity project. There seems to be a lot of hard work and vision making buy a focused community. In any case, read the How It Works page so that you get a good understanding of the process or check out the site.

Checking out Pivot; it will be a new television channel for the 15 to 34 year old demographic that, according to the mission statement, wants to change the world. There will be long form programing, documentaries and programs like HitRECord.

That channel will debut on August 1, 2013 on cable and broadband.

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Education or Video Advocacy

A few days ago I listed sources where you could find info on creating advocacy videos. Education is the highest form of advocacy. You help another person understand their world and their place in it or you help another being make their life better.

It is a grand time for education bloggers. They are doing wonderful work and I bow at their collective greatness. This is a video from C.G.P Grey about a topic that can get folks worked up a bit; the United States budget and the Debt Limit aka fiscal cliff.


Advocacy takes all forms and one of those forms it to help to create a educated baseline of discussion.That is what a good teacher does; here are the facts (as we know them at the time) and this is a cause and effect kind of deal.

C.G.P Grey does this with animation, a wee bit of humor and facts. It is a fact that Congress is hip deep involved in the budget and the porking there of. (that was my opinion.)

Your viewers, and a good chunk of C/G/P Grey viewers (based on the comments I kinda wished I didn't read) may not believe you or accuse you of having directional leanings.

Here is the thing. If the information can be verified and replicated outside of your believe system there is a good chance it is the truth. Which isn't always the same as a fact.

It is tricky. I think he does a very good job of communicating a dry process.

If you are thinking about any form of education, resource or info-blogging you are gonna be roasted at some point.

You will have no control over what people think of your video. You do have control over the quality and the responsibility of getting it right (factually)

When in doubt, be true to your school and get it out there.

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Kevin Jones and Diving Into Social Media

I was on the Running Librarian blog when I saw this video from Kevin Jones. I don't know who Kevin Jones is because for all of his talk in this video on social networking there is no current at this time information about him on his web site.



There are a heck of a lot of Kevin Jones out in the world so I haven't found this one as yet. Interesting.

Anyway, the reason I'm sharing the video is that it is well done. It is not just a talking head but it has humor, small videos on the side to give a bit of distraction and a charming ending.

Like I said, I don't know this guy. He only had a limited time to make his case. Kevin got me from the start of the video to the end. It was a good presentation that worked on video.

The other thing I want to point out is that you never know how people will find your videos. Many folks just stumble into them because of other interests and connections.

How did I find Kevin? I subscribe to an international librarian/information technology newsletter called Free Pint. They have a section of the newsletter called Tipples. James Mullen was giving his favorites information web sites and I went to check his blog out.

That is where I viewed Kevin's video.

Yes, there maybe something to this social media/networking thing.

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?


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Rekha Murthy's Video The Emperor’s New Onesie

There are alliances we could seek out. The ones between audio podcasters and web video folks. Certain types of non-traditional radio could benefit from the outreach that a video can provide.

There are some many more communities that could be connected with just a bit out outreach. You don't have to work in a silo. Unless you want to. That is okay too. But checking out what other people do can enhance your creativity.



This is a video by Rekha Murthy who received a grant to take a radio piece and make it visual. You can read more about it at the MIT Center for Civic Media.

I like anything that breaks down or at least provides access to different communities. It seems that there is a vested interest is keeping us apart or divided.

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