The so called Web 2.0 is the medium where readers are also writers or, in a more general sense, consumers are also producers. Every single comment you leave on a blog is content you produce and use to expose yourself while, hopefully, contributing to the whole online community one crumb at a time.
While probloggers build monetization and authority strategies for blogs and internet media sites, millions of other people just share their pictures in social sites like flickr, videos on youtube and so on.
The curious thing is that, to a certain measure, people are more interested in spontaneity than production. The fact that most people on the internet have access to rather advanced technology, makes it less interesting to see the technology by itself and more interesting to focus on each one’s perspective and enables people to use the technology to share those unique skills and ideas each one has.
Michael Martine would go as far as to say:
Over-analyzing before you begin is the best way to kill something before it even has a chance. Just go for it.
But of course you can’t do anything if you can’t handle this technology, so here is a quick guide of interesting stuff around the web, either if you want to be a web video entrepreneur or if you just want to share videos with your friends
How do I make a video easily?
The straight answer would be
- Get a webcam
- Configure it
- Make test videos (and don’t bother to edit them)
- Make a real video
- Upload it and spread the word
It is a little rude to put things like that, but it can actually be that easy. Check Michael Martine’s post to read details on each of these points
How do I create a video show?
Well, if you want to publish a videoblog, then you have to start to concern about other things like giving your video posts a sense of sequence and identity. In other words, you need to think of it as a show.
Youtube isn’t probably the best tool. You’ll need a system that offers you more that merely hosting your videos, you’ll need a system that allows you to host your show. That means, hosting a series of videos that have a chronology, and help you build and maintain your show’s identity.
I found the Blip.tv service very good for hosting a show. They accept most video formats and they won’t resize your video, so you can actually put online a show with the resolution you need.
How do I do live broadcasting?
If you want to create a live show and keep the archives, then you can use Ustream.tv. Ustream.tv is free and allows you to create a program based on live broadcasting and all you need is a camera and a microphone connected to your computer, and your webcam counts.
How do I create a videoblog?
Is nice to have a show at Blip.tv or similar service, but you’ll like to have your own webpage for that, won’t you. Not only a static page, but you’ll like the videos to be displayed on it just like a blog and you want a feed for it so people can get your podcast directly from iTunes.
There is a very nice and easy to follow tutorial on Freevlog that helps you with most of that.
You can learn more at Blip.tv Learning Section, they will even help you monetize your show.
How do I create a screencast?
Screencast are videos of your computer screen taken just like old fashioned screenshots, but animated. You can watch these two I made, to get the idea.
Screencasts are videos just like any other, so the only question that remains unanswered is how to record one.
There are a lot of screencast options avaliable out there and some of them are free.
As a Mac user, I personally have been playing with three
- Copernicus
- Is distributed free, handles screencasts beautifully but doesn’t record sound. It is ideal if you want to add sound in post production or if you want (or don’t mind) to record sound separately. You can use Audacity for that either in Mac OS, Windows or Linux.
- Screencast-o-Matic
- Screencast-o-Matic is a java appication that runs online. No need to install anything, is platform independent and is fully featured. Works like a charm and you can use it wherever you are, even on a cyber cafe in the middle of nowhere. They will even host your video if you want, but you can also export it as a .mov to your computer. The downside is that you can only record in either 640×480, 800×600 or 1024×768px and if you chose to host it with them, they’ll downsize it to a max of 800×600px
- Jing
- Jing is exist in Mac OS and Windows flavors and is a cute little application that sits in your desktop and allows you to record upload and share screencasts from a simple and intuitive interface. It is made to work together with screencast.com, but you can also configure it to share files in any server (or your local computer) via FTP. It also handles snapshots and uploads them directly to flicrk, or any ftp server of your choice.
If you’d like to see a longer list of software available to other platforms, you can check this one. This is where I learned about Jing and copernicus, but I haven’t tested any of the Linux and Windows options yet.
Social Screencasting?
Ok, ok, ok. Not everyone wants to be the star of her own show. Some people just want to use the power of video to show someone distant a screencast and make her understand things as if she were there.
Jing is a tool that allows you to do just that!
By clicking on the little icon that might stand on your desktop (if you want it to) you can start recoding and immediately upload it. You don’t need a blog or any production. All you need to do is create a screencast account of configure an FTP you have. It will automatically give you embedding code and urls for agile publishing or sharing.
And, hey, why I am explaining this? There is a video that show it much better.
15 Comments
Guilherme, I like the way you combine the resource information with your personal observations. This is more fun to read than just a dry list of links with the barest of descriptions. I’m going to direct my readers here–they should see this. :)
Great post! Thank you Zo’C!
By the way, I just loved the TV gif animation! Teach us how to do it, please…
xxx,
Anna
@Michael Martine, Blog Consultant –
Great, thanks a lot.
@annazuhlke –
Might be a good idea for a video tutorial ;-)
See, this post is a great example of exactly what I most enjoy about reading your blog: it’s a always that blend of art and science, ideas and the tools to make them happen. I’m very interesting in the tools for screencasting and other options that let a person avoid getting in front of a webcam!
@Jen / domestika –
Thanks jen. I’ll try to make it even more useful with video. I guess the ideas have a great place within text but maybe the tools could benefit more of the videos.
I’m a bit like you myself, don’t like a lot to appear on cameras, but I’m interested in giving it a try.
59 B.C. Acta Diurna is published in Rome. Julius Caesar orders the major political and social events of the day to be made available to his citizenry. State appointed reporters, called “actuarii”, gather information on everything from wars and legal decisions to births, deaths, and marriages.
This is when newspapers started. So why the big deal with all the WordPress theme designers chasing down the “news themes”. It’s 2008, VIDEO is where it’s at WP designers. Forget news themes, get on with Video Themes. Wakey, wakey — apparently 70% of web traffic is video related. Lets go designers!
Does anyone know of a GOOD WP Video Theme?
@Old Dog – It is an interesting point of view, Old Dog and I’m sure there is space for Video Themes design, they seem to be on short supply.
@Old Dog – By the way, what would you consider as interesting features for a GOOD WP Video Theme?
A GOOD WP Video theme could mimick the best features of the top Viral video sites.
Look at Veoh, You Tube, Metacafe. They all have great features.
As a WP user I want to embed the player on my blog and use the hosting services of these giants for free.
Then I can upload my videos on any or all of these services for the hosting and viral effect and display them on my blog for my blog visitors, who if they choose can embed my video/s on their blog.
Most of all the theme should be clean, not cluttered, easy to place thumbnails, nothing complicated.
A designer could use the KISS principle and have a very successful theme.
ProBlogger or one of the other successful money making machines could hold a competition, similar to what Brian Gardner is now offering, to the designer that can design the best FREE WP video theme for WordPress.
The premium designers could donate to WordPress for the privelage of using the free WP script. As a matter of fact, now that I think of it, premium designers could put a ticker on their sales pages showing how much they donate.
Finally the WP designers could just ignore the above suggestions and design and GOOD preimum theme that they could sell.
@Old Dog – That definitely sounds like an underexplored theme niche. It worths a shot building a theme like that.
perfect timing… I have been looking to find out a little more about videoblogging etc. for some time, and this post has given me a chance to cut my teeth and find out a little more without all that tiresome surfing…
Great work, Gui…
@Scramblejam – I’m glad it’s useful. As you said lots of surfing are hidden behind this post ;)
I’m looking forward to see what you come up with on videoblogging yourself.
You provided a great demonstration of using video and screencast tools. For people who are shy and don’t want to get in front of a camera, they can create videos from a simple slide show or images. This can be done using totally free software like Windows Movie Maker and Windows Paint.
Here is a free complete video tutorial series that shows how to make a video using these tools. Enjoy.
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