I follow the video production and online video news spaces very closely. It’s a personal passion of mine, it directly relates to Spidvid and UnleashVideo, and with the growth we’ve seen over the last few years it’s been extremely interesting to follow! Below are some of my favorite blogs, and podcast shows.
1. IndyMogul – Such an amazing show for filmmakers and video creators, filled full of DIY content, and entertaining too!
3. Partners Project – Anything that show host Shira does I’m a fan of! In this show she interviews some of YouTube’s top partners to extract their knowledge and tips for video creators.
4. New Mediacracy – This is an audio only podcast where a gang of filmmakers get together, drink, and talk shop. Definately NSFW and informative!
5. NoFilmSchool – A blog about the filmmaking world, very interesting insights and resources shared here.
6. Raindance – This site offers training (I attended a weekend workshop of theirs last year in fact), and also has a very good blog too.
7. ReelSEO – I love this site for news, viral videos, and the weekly video production tips.
8. OnlineVideo.net – a good mix of coverage about online video, and tips for creating videos too.
9. Indie Intertube – The girls that run this site are incredible, and their podcast conversations are fun to listen to as well.
10. web series TODAY – This site features lots of amazing web series content to watch on a daily basis, and web series related news from across the web.
These are just a few of my top favorites, do you have any to add?
So long 2011, 2012 is here! With each passing month, online videos are getting more creative, more fun to watch, and less expensive to produce which bodes well for our Spidvid community. Below are 5 remarkable viral videos and production tips from December. There are dozens of others likely just as deserving as these, so if you have a favorite please include the link in the comments below. And here are November’s just in case you missed them.
1. FedEx Guy Throwing My Computer Monitor – Most of us have horror stories to tell of product deliveries gone horribly wrong! Unfortunately most of us don’t have these experiences on video though like the one captured below. This computer monitor likely traveled for hundreds or even thousands of miles to arrive to the customer’s doorstep, only to be thrown on the owner’s property, who by the way was home at the time. Brutal FedEx, just brutal! The views aren’t brutal though as this video has racked up over 8 million views already. Video production tip: Keep those video cameras rolling because you never know when you will catch something out of the ordinary.
2. Flyboard Zapata - This is perhaps the coolest product ever for water enthusiasts that allows you to soar through the air like a flying fish in a Mario Bros. video game. Amazing, and as for the video itself it has earned over 3 million views since December 3rd. Video production tip: Find the most remarkable product you can and give an insane video demo.
3. Most Insane Immersive Movie Experience EVER - Check out this guy’s room totally change into the movie he is actually watching! No SFX, no post production, no cuts, everything you see here is 100% for real. This could be the future of movie experiences in the home, which would give you yet another reason not to go to the movie theater! Bonus: There are more of these incredible videos at GreatFilmsFillRooms. Video production tip: Lighting is key for video production as we all know, but use light in new and creative ways to build environments that are out of this world.
4. Singing Christmas Hedgehogs – OK so Christmas 2011 may be over, but the Christmas spirit lives on with these cute little singing hedgehogs, courtesy of Birdbox. Online video is getting more and more interactive and this video is an excellent case study for the new media initiative. Video production tip: By making your videos more interactive and engaging, you also make them more memorable for your viewers.
5. Hello Little Printer - This little social printer lives in your home, bringing you news, puzzles and gossip from your friends. Use your smartphone to set up subscriptions and Little Printer will gather them together to create a timely, beautiful mini-newspaper. Cool product, but bad news for trees and the environment at large. This little social printer is launching sometime this year, and is already supported by Google, Foursquare, Nike, and other big name companies. Video production tip: Interesting products breed interesting videos, just keep it simple and make viewers think “wow, how cool, I want it.”
With each passing month, online videos are getting more creative, more fun to watch, and less expensive to produce which bodes well for our Spidvid community. Below are 5 remarkable viral videos and production tips from November. There are dozens of others likely just as deserving as these, so if you have a favorite please include the link in the comments below.
1. Google Chrome: Movember – I can’t add a video to this list without including one that’s Movember related. If you live in a cave under a rock, Movember is where guys grow mustaches in support of raising awareness and research money for fighting prostate cancer. I didn’t grow a mustache this year, but support these guys who did, and thank Google for creating this video. Video production takeaway: Create entertaining videos and release them during emotionally charged times of the year.
2. Catvertising – Cat videos are loved by many, many viewers online, and are often found here on my viral video lists. This video tells the story of a company that offers “catvertainment” inside of branded company videos, brilliant! Video production takeaway: Use cats, dogs, birds, or any kind of cute pet you want in a video, just be sure to tell a story that’s original.
3. Carrie Underwood’s Skin Secrets – This year Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley hooked up to host the CMA Awards, and created a short and sweet promo video for the awards. I wonder if Carrie’s beauty sponsors were on board with this campaign?! Video production takeaway: Celebrities are popular, so try to lure them into starring roles in your videos and films. You won’t likely be able to get someone on the A-list, but call up Screech Powers from Saved By the Bell and see what he’s up to.
4. Jorian Ponomareff Drifting – One of the world’s top freestyle motorcyclists shows off his moves going through a tight track, and getting distracted by a sexy female. The video has been viewed almost 3 million times since November, 11th. Jorian Ponomareff is remarkable! Video production takeaway: Shoot as many angles as you can, the more footage you have for editing the better!
5. Old Spice | Motorcycle – Another motorcycle video! No this video doesn’t have the now infamous Isaiah Mustafa in it, but it’s still pretty clever. Video production takeaway: Be original, think outside the box, and do something that most video creators don’t have the balls to pull off.
Many indie video creators and filmmakers who attempt to produce entertaining horror videos and films often make many common mistakes, leaving their content looking very amateurish and cheesy. There are a few things to keep in mind before even sitting down to write a script. I offer 3 tips for creating non-cheesy horror videos below, if you have a 4th tip please add it in the comments.
1. Scary music is key – Have you ever watched a horror film without sound? If you have, then you know that what you are seeing doesn’t have the same emotional impact that the composed music element provides. A good film score builds suspense, and unleashes a climax that can scare even the most manliest man you’ve ever met. Look extensively for a quality sound designer if you are creating a horror video, because if the sound doesn’t match the video, or the score is poorly executed then it will come off as cheesy and have viewers laughing instead of screaming. There are many amazingly talented composers and sound designers in our Spidvid community.
2. Go easy on the makeup – Fake blood on victims, and caked on makeup can leave your lead antagonist actor looking more like a clown, rather than the scary “bad guy” you’re striving to create. Makeup artists are so important when on set for horror projects, so be sure to get ones who have related experience and can successfully pull off the unique look you envision in your mind.
3. The bad guy is critical – A horror story always centers around the bad guy who’s purpose is to cause havoc on people’s lives. The audience has to fear this character, understand their power, and must side with the story’s hero to defeat the bad guy and save the day. Try to create an original bad guy, because all too often this character is overly cliche, and as the story builds it’s just too predictable for viewers to guess how it will all end. Have at least 2 or 3 twists and turns to keep the audience guessing what the bad guy will do next, and how he or she will make it tougher for the hero to ultimately prevail.
Have a 4th tip to add? The comments are yours below!
With each passing month, online videos are getting more creative, more fun to watch, and less expensive to produce which bodes well for our Spidvid community. Below are 5 remarkable viral videos from October. There are dozens of others likely just as deserving as these, so if you have a favorite please include the link in the comments below.
1. Duck Sauce: Big Bad Wolf – This gives new credence to the expression “dick head” please watch with caution. This video now has over 1.5 million views. Video production takeaway: Make people think WTF when they see your video. They will be motivated to share the video with their friends and followers.
2. The Bug Circus Generator - Bugs powering a smartphone? Now this is cool! Video production takeaway: Doing something unexpected with the help from animation can make things seem real, and fool the audience (well some viewers at least) to think things are real.
3. Sauna - A relaxing session in the hotel sauna turns to embarrassment for one poor chap. Who’s that lurking behind the steam? Video production takeaway: If you can ever get a celebrity in your video cost effectively, then sign him or her on as an actor!
4. Introducing Siri on iPhone 4S - Siri on iPhone 4S lets you use your voice to send messages, set reminders, place phone calls, and more. This viral video has almost 5 million views since the iPhone 4S launch. Video production takeaway: A beautiful product sells, but telling its story through video is key to quickly showing people first hand why they should care and how it helps their lives. Sell benefits, not features.
5. The Galaxy Nexus - Galaxy Nexus is the next generation of Nexus devices co-developed by Samsung and Google. This video does a good job showing off the beautiful new features of Android 4.0 – the Ice Cream Sandwich platform, and the phone itself. Video production takeaway: See above, and using lots of beautiful colors and animated characters can really hold people’s attention if successfully pulled off.
1. IndyMogul – Such an amazing show for filmmakers and video creators, filled full of DIY content, and entertaining too!
