“Farting in Public” Kid Goes MIA: Campaign to Bring Back Spencer May 15, 2008
Posted by Nalts in : Nalts, Online Video, Viral Video, YouTube, popular videos , 9commentsSpencer is my nephew’s friend who appeared in “Farting in Public” (now almost at 5 million views). We’ve done about 12 mostly public videos together, and here’s a playlist so you can watch them all on YouTube: “Best of Spencer.”
Spencer has a unique ability to suspend social anxiety and do just about anything without cracking up. Meanwhile, I stand behind the shaking camera laughing with tears in my eyes. He reminds me of The Man Show boy.
I’m starting a campaign to bring him back, because I miss him more than my online-video viewers. And he hasn’t returned phone calls lately. Maybe another creator has signed him. Well rest assured I pay better, Spencer! Free food, iTunes cards, gift certificates, Target trips and even a free Hamster that debuted in “Hamster on a Walk” (I hope Beaowulf is still alive).
Here’s my “Best of Spencer” video, appealing to viewers to charm him back in the “comments” section.
One Small Step for Video Ad Standards. One Giant Leap for Creators and Brands. May 7, 2008
Posted by Nalts in : Future of Online Video, Google, Making Money, Video Advertising, Video Business, YouTube, advertising, google video , 10commentsOne of the factors that has limited the growth of online-video advertising is the production and traffic work. Mike Shields of Mediaweek reports that the Interactive Advertising Bureau this week introduced a set of guidelines to standartize online-video advertising and make the medium “easier for advertisers to buy.”
The new guidelines cover three basic forms of online video ad formats: linear ads — interruptive video spots which are typically of the pre-roll variety, non-linear ads — which include the increasingly popular ‘overlay’ ad units, and companion ads — bannerlike ads that appear alongside video as it plays on the Web.
The guidelines, writes Shields, are the product of work conducted by the IAB’s Digital Video Committee, which is composed of 145 leading media companies, including Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. “This is a historic day,” IAB president and CEO Randall Rothenberg said, likening the announcement to a similar set of landmark guidelines put in place for banner advertising in the late 1990s. IAB senior vp David Doty said he thinks leadership and marketing, predicted “seismic shifts” would occur in the online ad business as a result of their adoption.
So while the viewer in me isn’t too excited to see the new “interruptive video spots,” the creator and marketer in me looks forward to the possibility that this may unlock some of the potential of this medium.
In related news, tech writer Leah Messinger writes about other sites beyond YouTube that offer advertising models brands can consider.
Study Shows People Who Don’t Watch Online Videos Are… Boring April 23, 2008
Posted by Nalts in : Nalts, Online Video, YouTube , 24comments
A recent study shows that the shrinking percent of US citizens that don’t watch online-video regularly are more likely (by 45%) to be boring than their video-watching counterparts. This study, mind you, is based not on a significant N or any official methodology. It’s just based on my own experience.
For example, here’s a result of last evening with Zipster08 and ChristopherMast. It’s a video called “Loco Mama and the Boys from the Hood.” Call them crazy, but don’t call them boring.
Incidentally, Mast (an Indie singer and nurse) is “couch surfing” with the Nalts family this week, and documenting every waking moment. Again- call it what you will, but it’s not boring.
And, all things being equal, life is more interesting when it’s not boring.
Doritos Video Contest April 21, 2008
Posted by Nalts in : Contest, Online Video, YouTube, advertising, popular videos , 11comments
So there’s a galary of amateur videos (consumer-generated advertising) posted on Doritos’ UK website, including this classic Davideo hit. He’s the UK creator of the exploding Diet Pepsi Mentos girl, and one of my favorites in the use of abstract video animation (so be sure to rate it if “five sizzling chips” if you like it too).
It’s another agency produced flash site, so no direct links to the videos are provided, but it’s called “Just Can’t Wait.” So you have to go to the site, skip the intro, click “Just Can’t Wait” and vote. At least you don’t have to friggin’ register to vote.
Dear agencies: when are we going to learn that it’s cost prohibitive and unnecessary to create a custom site with subpar video players? To its credit, Doritos also set up a YouTube channel that features “Just Can’t Wait,” but I’m not sure votes count there.
Here’s another brave entrant featuring a guy whose tongue burns off. Kinda gross (as reflected by the votes) but has the most views.
Madonna: Not a YouTube Virgin April 17, 2008
Posted by Nalts in : YouTube , 10comments
Madonna aint acting like a virgin on YouTube. While other stars have fumbled in their attempts at the largest online-video site, Madonna gets 5 stars for her homepage video. Why?
- We imagine this video was featured by the advertising department (likely a paid promotion for her new album “Hard Candy”). And although YouTube editors may not have selected it … it was funny, short and self depricating. Madonna is seen vacuuming the set of her music video.
- The style was relaxed and had an amateur feel. Stark contrast from Oprah’s apperance in front of television monitors.
- She looks pretty good for her age, and that makes me feel young. After all, I was in highschool when I won her album by being the 10th caller at the New Orleans radio station. I actually won ten records (the old-fashioned black CDs that were bigger than a laptop). Of course I had made friends with the disc jockey and he rigged it so I’d win. But now I’m sounding like a blogger drifting off into meaningless blah.
So go get ‘em Madonna. I may not recall any of your songs since I last saw you in a limo, but you’re like a fine wine. You age well. Anytime you wanna do a collaboration on YouTube, you just let Uncle Nalts know. But I’m married, okay?
How Many of the 10 Billion Videos Viewed in February Did YOU Watch? April 17, 2008
Posted by Nalts in : Future of Online Video, Online Video, Video Business, Video Sites, Viral Video, YouTube , 6comments
We watched 10 billion videos in February, according to ComScore yesterday. That’s a 66 percent gain from February 2007, and apparently about 73 percent of people online are watching videos. Which means the other 15 percent are losers that are too busy brushing up on their math skills.
35 percent of this activity is on Google/YouTube, followed by about 6 percent by Fox and 3 percent by Yahoo. So if you want the “long tail,” go diggin’ into some of the big-media entities that top the list with one percent share.
I’ll be on YouTube.
Want to Be Seen and Paid on YouTube? Your Relatives Matter… April 16, 2008
Posted by Nalts in : Making Money, Making Videos, Online Video, Viral Video, YouTube, popular videos , 21comments
As many as 25% of the views of a video may come from people finishing a related video. This chart shows the percentage of views that come from various sources to my “The Best of Naked Vlogs.” This is not a representative example, but look at the percent of traffic that comes from “related video” (more than 50 percent). That means someone watched another nude vlogger and then saw mine show up as “related video” and stopped by. Or it means they saw one of the other nude vlogger videos that was posted as a response to mine (or vice versa).
So what’s this mean? Please don’t jam your tags with the same words of popular videos, because that used to game the system but frustrates people. YouTube/Google also has means for penalizing this trick if overused. But do try to make videos about things that are of high interest or topical, and you’ll get some help from relatives…
In other news — as you might have read — YouTube announced that it has paid out $1 million in cash to video creators that are part of its Partners program. Excerpt from NewTeeVee article…
YouTube said today it has paid out more than $1 million to its user partners through its partner program. The figure came as part of an announcement that YouTube is expanding the program to users in Japan, Australia and Ireland. YouTube doesn’t disclose how it splits its revenue, but we’ll make do with what scraps of numbers we have. The site currently lists 100 partners, though that also includes entities that we’d think would be designated as professional partners rather than “user partners,” such as Universal Music Group and CBS.
Should You Buy an AppleTV? Only if You’re an iTunes and YouTube Junkie April 14, 2008
Posted by Nalts in : Blogs on Video, Online Video, YouTube, apple , 13comments
I’ve had an AppleTV for a while, and I was amused by New Media Minute’s video report that is almost entirely positive on the AppleTV except for some criticism of the the manual search process (source: webvideoreport).
Don’t get me wrong. I really enjoy my AppleTV (Amazon carries the 40GB for $224, 160GB for $324… yes I put in an affiliate link, so sue me). But I only started using it after it was a desk ornament for months.
The bottom line is that if you’re an avid iTunes user (music and movies) and a YouTube junkie, you’ll wonder how you survived without this puppy. If not, you may want to buy a used one (not too less expensive), or wait for a future version which will presumably offer more functionality, content and certainly more storage and speed.
What I dig:
Groovin’ with the concept of a device that feeds on existing broadband without another annoying monthly charge. It gives me access to my downstairs Mac via my bedroom television! My wife is not as excited that I’m watching my favorite YouTubers before dozing off.- I find the interface quite elegant (albeit spartan), and a recent redesign improved it and addressed some of my previous criticisms. I chew the remote, though, so I’d like one that was a little more sturdy.
- I love laying down while I catch up on YouTube videos, but I mostly resign to surfing the “highest rated” section because it’s so much easier than digging into my favorite creators through the clunky account options. The “top rated” section of YouTube is unfortunately also loaded with a lot of music videos that are simply ads for cell phone ringers, and the animated parodies seem to represent 50% of the top 70 list (oddly it doesn’t list the top 100).
Here’s what AppleTV needs to do before I’d recommend it for broader use…
- Make it easier to synch. I’m fairly computer literate but it doesn’t seem to pick up a lot of my media.
- Start the clock on my rentals when I start the movie. Not when I rent it.
- Improve the selection of movies for sale (it’s as robust as that of a fish & bait store in a small Southern town). I was at a lousy hotel in Nashville Saturday night, and the pay-per-view selection was dramatically better. Mac: Integrate with Netflix or Blockbuster and you’ll have a gem (okay- tough one to work out, but a girl can dream).
- YouTube via AppleTV needs a lot of work… four key considerations:
- Allow me subscribe to more than a dozen or so creators. Show me their videos in thumbnails, and sort them by most recent. Keep these populated without as many errors (it’s buggy). To track my favorite creators I needed to set up a new account called appletvofnalts. I’m missing a lot of my favorite creators unfortunately.
- I’d like to comment. I’m not crazy about the remote/keyboard, but I’d like the option. And I’d like to enlarge descriptions of videos so I can read them without sitting up.
- Give the search functionality (and “related videos”) the same juice that YouTube gives it on the site. It appears these features are “watered down” for AppleTV.
- When I find a good creator I want to subscribe. I can’t, so I end up favoriting the video in hopes I’ll remember to subscribe when I’m at my desktop.
AppleTV won’t yet replace your DVR or your cable TV, but it’s a nice alternative when you’re sick of the overcomplicated and slow Verizon Fios media box that doesn’t want to play any of the shows you recorded on the media base that’s downstairs because the poor man’s unit upstairs can’t handle HDTV. I love the access to YouTube, which represents about 80 percent of my use (followed by an occasional movie or television show).
Please take this seriously, Mac. There are a lot of us that want to see this model proliferate, and we’re ready to promote it to our YouTube audiences (for a modest price, naturally… we can’t live on food alone). More users means more content, and I look forward to being able to share recommendations and preferences with friends.
New YouTube User Interface April 10, 2008
Posted by Nalts in : YouTube , 20comments
New YouTube design. Whatya think? Nothing on the YouTube blog about it yet, and I’m not seeing any major functionality changes other than:
- A bit different way to toggle between comments and stats (honors)
- A better advanced search user experience
What am I missing? I really wish they would have replaced the YouTube messaging with gmail…
Top Secret YouTube Tricks & Hacks April 9, 2008
Posted by Nalts in : Nalts, Online Video, Revver, YouTube, metacafe , 15commentsOkay maybe “top secret” is an over statement, but most readers of this post will find a few surprises here. I give you some of the lesser known tricks on YouTube to optimize your experience as a viewer or creator…
- Find Best Videos on YouTube
Don’t surf the homepage or most-recently uploaded section if you want to find the best videos. There are two places to go… the “top rated” section and the “most viewed.” I prefer the latter, because the community decides what’s lands there. Note that some creators live on this page because their fans rate them 5 stars without fail, so it’s not all good. There are also a few people that are “gaming the system” by artificially rating themselves 5 stars with sock accounts or autobots (boo, hiss). If you like vloggers, check the “most discussed” section of “People and Blogs.” You can also surf the “most subscribed” creators (by category) and when you find someone good (say, for example, Nalts) be sure to subscribe. Then visit your subscription page first, which is like an RSS for new videos by your favorite creators. - Watch Blocked Videos.
See previous post on this blog to see how to hack YouTube if a video’s URL is blocked by your ISP. - See “Recently Deleted” Videos.
Delutube and ReviveTube allow you to find deleted videos if you know the 11-digit URL. Source: ReelPopBlog. - Make Your Videos Upoad Faster.
Apparently SpeedBit Video VideoAccelorator makes YouTube videos load more quickly. It works for other sites as well (see site details at Accelorator.com). - Upload to YouTube and a Bunch of Other Sites at Once.
I use TubeMogul whenever I want to upload beyond YouTube on a mess ofwebsites including, currently, Yahoo!, MySpace, Metacafe, Google, Revver, DailyMotion, Blip.tv, Veoh, Crackle & StupidVideos. - Reference a Video in Comments Section.
You can post a URL in the comment section of videos, but you can provide the 11-digit alphanumeric code, and then people can post this before it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= - Get More Views on YouTube
I’ve written a free eBook about how to promote yourself on YouTube (”How to Become Popular on YouTube Without Any Talent“), and there are other books including this 25-pager I haven’t read. - Download YouTube Videos
This is a post with some tips, but I like VideoBox from tastyapps.com (but it’s Mac only). KeepVid can download videos as FLV files pretty quickly. I’m also using Snapz Pro or Snagit to grab short sections of videos very quickly. - Upload Videos for Best YouTube Quality
For starters, you gotta export your videos in the best resolution possible — that means making them larger files (mine are 100 megs or more) and ensuring all the specifications are YouTube friendly. Trippy’s blog covers these specs well. Some argue that it’s best to convert it to an FLV per YouTube specifications before uploading, but I don’t like the idea of sending YouTube anything compressed so tightly. - Subscribe to Someone When You Can’t.
YouTube accounts without videos don’t have a “subscribe” option. To get around this (or to make it easy for people to subscribe to you), use this code, substituting the profile name where I have “Nalts.”
http://youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=nalts
What did I miss? I’m updating this!