Will Video for Food

Failblog: Bolivian Television Station Mistakes “Lost” Photos for Air France Crash June 23, 2009

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video , 7comments

Man I love Failblog. It’s like “The Onion” only real. Last weekend while recovering from being out past my bedtime Friday night, I watched maybe 20 of them. Tonight I found this gem. A Bolivian television station shows images of what it believes to be the Air France crash, and are actually blurred photos from NBC’s “Lost” (did you know that was the original name of “Land of the Lost”?).

We have some editorial embellishment here because I doubt the b-roll of the Oceanic flight made the Bolivian telecast along with the photos, but it’s still a wonderful FAIL. And perhaps a WIN for the person that sent in the images, knowing full well that the race for visuals was too tasty for some networks to scrutinize.

Learn Inexpensive Special Effects via Film Riot June 23, 2009

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video , 1 comment so far

If you haven’t discovered “Film Riot” (Revision 3), check out the past few episodes to learn how to fake a gun shot, snap an arm in half, or make daylight look like night time. You don’t have to be a desktop wizard for all of them — the gun shot effect is as simple as fake blood blown through a tube.

How to Customize My YouTube Channel Page & Banner June 23, 2009

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video , 6comments

Good news. YouTube is preparing to open its new channel features to everyone (see channels beta blog).

I wasn’t crazy about the early “channel page” beta, but it’s improved a lot in recent weeks. When I was at YouTube last week, they gave me a tour of the new functionality, and showed me how they’re dealing with early criticism.

Here’s my YouTube Channel page, with clickable links to my other websites. Now it provides easier access to my playlists and recently uploaded videos, and shows comments… it’s a little counter-intuitive to get out of the channel page view (click “show all comments”).

The primary benefit to creators is that it allows audiences to watch your videos (with ads) without ever leaving the channel page. This means (in theory, anyway) that audiences are less likely to escape to related videos. And perhaps more likely to watch more of your videos per session.

So here’s how you can glamorize your page, and I don’t believe you need to be a YouTube partner to do so now (or at least that appears to be the plan):

If you’re reading this before public launch, activate the beta via this super_seekrit link.
Create a banner as a jpeg 960 by 150 pixels. Mine is below if you want to mimic the navigation buttons, but don’t save the 60% version I’m displaying below. Click here, and save the full-sized one, which will be 960×150 pixels. Even better, try this one. It’s the banner with empty buttons. You may want to compress yours so it’s lower resolution and loads fast.

The positioning of my buttons was precisely matched the the banner (designed by “sharkeyejones” on the Vlogbrothers page, because I wanted to use their “map” code. HTML aint my thang. Map code allows you to have certain portions of the images behave like buttons, and be clickable. This is great because it makes it easier for people to check out your Twitter or subscribe to your videos via e-mail.
When you visit your new channel page while logged in, you’ll see several options for editing your channel. See image below, which shows settings, themes/colors, modules, and branding options (the latter I thought was for partners only).

When you click “branding options” you’ll currently revert to the old branding options (I’m sure this will be fixed soon). Again- I’m not sure if this is available to everyone or just YouTube Partners.
On the “branding options” page, simply upload your image, with buttons sized precisely as mine above unless you are brave enough to customize the map code.
Then use this “image map code” html below to create the links to each image. Obviously you’ll change my URLs to yours accordingly, but even I can handle that. Don’t forget to change the name nalts to your username. Initially my banner subscribed people to the vlogbrothers! Of course they deserve that for giving me the top-secret coordinates and buttons. I’m not a imgmap dude, but I gather the coordinates are the four corners, and that the second is the top (counting from top, since they’re all about the same) and the last of the four numbers is the bottom. Presumably the first and third are the x axis, representing left and right corners. There’s probably a free ap to generate these, but why reinvent the wheel?

When Were You Going to Tell Me About the Guild? June 23, 2009

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video , 2comments

Dang. I’ve been reading about The Guild and its collection of awards for months — maybe years — but I’ve never actually watched it.

I’m not sure what compelled me to finally check it out today… Maybe it was Greg Benson telling me last week that he was happy to meet with me in SanFran since The Guild was filming in his spare bedroom (his wife, Kim Evey, produces). Turns out Benson directed a bunch of episodes I’m watching as I type.

The Guild, in case you’ve been under a rock near mine, is a web series staring Felicia Day (from Buffy or Twilight or something) and her guild of neurotic gamers. Like Arby ‘n the Chief, you can oddly appreciate it even if you’re not immersed in The Gaming Culture.

The short webisodes are charming, well written and lightening fast… I just watched about 6 episodes, and found myself mimicking Clara, the hysterical breast-feeding mom, who ignores her children as she plays.

Felicia Day, with more than 750K Twitter followers, also is a good example of someone from tv that had better fortune as a “weblebrity,” where she enjoys perhaps more creative freedom in exchange for an uncertain monetization… Since The Guild (see official site with cast) is subtitled, you can see the lines sometimes before they’re spoken. Try pausing it and reading one of the lines like you THINK Day will read them. And then watch her out-act you with some weird nuance you couldn’t have predicted.

Happy, Happy Father’s Day Video June 20, 2009

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video , 13comments

If this doesn’t make you smile your lips are stuck. By the Vlogbrothers and FallofAutumnDistro.

Delphine Dijon Teaches “Travel Fabulously” (Nalts cameo) June 19, 2009

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video , 8comments

I was on the JetBlue flight from JFK to LA this week, and Howcast shot a video about how to travel fabulously. Here’s Delphine Dijon (a Ford Model), and if you advance to step 6 you’ll see my cameo. They edited out my favorite shot… the cheesesteak pouring all over my chest.

Top-10 “OMMA Video” Insights & Favorite Twitter Posts June 16, 2009

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video , 14comments

Here at NYC’s OMMA Video conference with discussions about online video, monetization, engagement, advertisements, mobile video, and so on.. here are my top 10 insights, followed by my favorite Twitter posts.

Everyone seems to think advertising dollars should fund production. But if I’m a marketer, I’m not diggin’ that model. Shoot- I wanna sell product not finance creative.
There’s a Starcom “pool” coming soon will change everything. Unfortunately I wasn’t paying attention so I have no idea what a pool is.
Way too much emphasis on interruption marketing (interactive ads and companion banners) versus promoting with relevancy within the content. Oh well. It’s OMMA.
More of a mind meld of industry insiders (as opposed to brands/advertising budget holders). Not many actual clients represented, perhaps because this space is so new. The celebrity was Andy Markowitz (Kraft) who was widely quoted. Eileen Naughton, Google Media Platforms, also got the crowd excited announcing that FRED is making more than $1 million dollars per year. YOW.
Online video is still only about 3% of video consumed, so the cable guys don’t look too worried… yet.
Some guy named Phil Leigh (Inside Digital Media) spent most of lunch convincing me that PCs are being connected to television sets like crazy. Not just the early-adopter nerds. He has a white paper about it, but it’s $1500… and I could afford a full media center for that.
Because this event involves a lot of online-media buyers, the gay/hetero mix was far higher than 1 in 10.
Monetization discussion, moderated by Digitas’ John McCarus, began with a recount of all the online-video studio casualties in recent weeks. Clearly nobody was making any money yet, and some are going back to broadcast.
Lots of discussion about what to measure, but not about sales… more about “engagement” as defined by time spent.
“Only $5000 per 1-minute of production” was a way to boast over efficiency. I like the “$10 per 1-minute of production” rule better.

Here are the best tweets.The winner of the “best Tweets from the OMMA video conference” goes to Corey Kronengold (ckronengold). Daisy Whitney is MC’ing, but recently lost the hip jean jacket and her tweets are lacking zest.

Mobile piracy doesn’t seem to concern the panelists – yet.
58k iphone apps as of this week.
More internet connections for UGC on mobile than the wired PC — Nihal Mehta,
YouTube’s “Fred” is making a 7-figure income says Eileen Naughton from Google here at #ommavideo
Andy Markowitz of Kraft “We’re not doing online marketing, we’re doing marketing in a digital world.”
Gordon Borrell doesn’t expect local advertisers to adopt models where they have to manage
“How do we move from promoting our content to where content promotes us?” Andrew Markowitz, Kraft
“Relevancy has become an increasingly elusive goal,” Andrew Markowitz, Kraft #ommavideo. Time should be the new currency of media, Kraft marketing exec says
“If Google can be an agency, and agencies can be technology providers, Kraft can be a content provider.” – Andy Markowitz/Kraft #ommavideo
PointRoll just showed brilliant Visible World-like web tool for marketers to customize auto banners
idea that we can somehow make online video ad units that consumers will love to watch is charmingly naive.
“The Pool will raise the watermark on the entire online video industry.” – Alan Schulman, #ommavideo
ckronengold “we aren’t in in a position to author best practices in online video.” A. Schulman #ommavideo
“We know one thing — pre-rolls suck.” — Joe Mandese, editor, MediaPost at
moderator says “pre-roll sucks” but Tracey Scheppach of SMG restates as “preroll doesn’t take advantage of empowerment”
Starcom exec says we will move past pre-rolls and to new online video ad formats #ommavideo (via @DaisyWhitney)
Ckronengold: We’ve discovered an ad unit that will replace pre-roll as the workhorse – The Pool #ommavideo. Details, please. Before the panel ends.
joebobatl Ugh – just saw a conference attendee leave the bathroom w/out washing his hands. #hazardsofconferences #ommavideo
thisjenn #ommavideo cocktail hour is a cash bar. Interesting.
ckronengold What is a Hit? Seibert: The question is “What did it cost you and is it efficient, and for advertisers, can you do it again?” #ommavideo
RE engagement, I tell people that “you can’t tell how much someone weighs with a yardstick.” #ommavideo
- Measurement + Meaning = engagement

If Salvador Dali Used Photoshop… (killer photos) June 16, 2009

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video , 4comments

Check out these photos. One of the more popular links on Twitter, and you’ll see why…

ImprovEverywhere Strikes Again: MP3 Experiment at Roosevelt Park, NYC June 16, 2009

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video , 2comments

Not as ROFL as lemonade, but bound to bring a deep smile to your face. Watch hundreds in Roosevelt Park, NYC as they follow the instructions of a MP3 file they downloaded. It’s another ImprovEverywhere public stunt.

Facing My Biggest Fear: Improv Comedy June 15, 2009

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video , 11comments

I’ve always been enchanted by great improvisational performers… from the classmates I used to videotape in college, “Rebels Without Applause” to Drew Cary’s “Who’s Line is It Anyway?” I will never forget watching improv live at Second City in Chicago, and even in Amsterdam. Improv comedy is the highest form, I believe, because it’s spontaneous and fluid. I adore the interplay between the stage and audience.

But I’ve feared it. Then again, when I feared heights, I dove out an airplane. When I feared needles I gave blood. When I feared being self-employed, I ditched the day job.

Now I’m facing improv, and have enrolled in the Thursday 3:00-6:00 pm class taught by Jonathon Gabrus class at UCB Theatre starting July 3. I can’t wait, yet I’m terrified.

It’s one thing to be goofy, and be able to edit out the unfunny. But to perform unscripted in front of a crowd? Yowza.

« newer posts — older posts »

Failblog: Bolivian Television Station Mistakes “Lost” Photos for Air France Crash June 23, 2009

Learn Inexpensive Special Effects via Film Riot June 23, 2009

How to Customize My YouTube Channel Page & Banner June 23, 2009

When Were You Going to Tell Me About the Guild? June 23, 2009

Happy, Happy Father’s Day Video June 20, 2009

Delphine Dijon Teaches “Travel Fabulously” (Nalts cameo) June 19, 2009

Top-10 “OMMA Video” Insights & Favorite Twitter Posts June 16, 2009

If Salvador Dali Used Photoshop… (killer photos) June 16, 2009

ImprovEverywhere Strikes Again: MP3 Experiment at Roosevelt Park, NYC June 16, 2009

Facing My Biggest Fear: Improv Comedy June 15, 2009

About...

Menu

Nalts Sites & RSS

Subscribe Via eMail!

Twitter Visitor?

Nalts is one of the most-viewed online-video creators. Want proof?

Tweets

Ad for BlueHost

Recent Posts

Funny Comments

Recent Nalts Videos

Archives

Blogroll

Feeds

microsoft office software oem

oem software bundle

Buy cheap PhotoShop CS 2

cheap software downloads

adobe cs2 photo shop total training

Microsoft window 2000 professional oem software microsoft windows 95 oem software 141.

adobe cs2 photo shop total training

microsoft office 2003 oem

adobe cs2 photo shop total training

locate software oem files

iCorrect EditLab Pro 4.52

cheap software downloads

adobe cs2 photo shop total training

Microsoft window 2000 professional oem software microsoft windows 95 oem software 141.

"software oem cd line business"

import oem software cds!

software oem italiano

Buy cheap After Effects 5.5 Production Bundle

Microsoft window 2000 professional oem software microsoft windows 95 oem software 141.