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!

2. FilmRiot – see above!

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?

I love reading a book or two per month! This month I’m reading The Lean Startup by Eric Ries. The book’s core premise is that startups should build a minimal viable product (MVP), release it, get feedback, learn, iterate, and rapidly shape the product towards establishing a solid product-market fit.

How this methodology applies to video project development is that perhaps you shouldn’t create a long-form video, or develop a full web series until you know it will work and get traction. A minimal viable video (MVV) if you will. So maybe instead of writing a script for an 8 episode web series, you should write pilots for 4 potential shows, create those, see which one of them resonates best with viewers, and then develop that particular series fully. Pilots are a good way to learn about how your viewers would like to see the story develop (and if the story is strong enough to move forward in the first place), and which characters are liked and which ones aren’t.

This is something to think about, always try to do extraordinary things but minimize the risks associated with developing original content. Create something fast, release it, learn, and you should have a better idea of what can work longer term.

And of course by all means, if you’re passionate about a story and want to see it all the way through then go for it because nothing feels better than creating something you love. If a topic or subject makes you feel good inside, then go for it no matter what others may say to you.

Always be listening, always be learning, and stay foolish and hungry.

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2011 was a year when online video took another big step forward. Just a couple years ago you couldn’t talk about online video without hearing the word “user generated content.” That term seems to be on the way out as more and more quality video entertainment is getting created for distribution.

Video production value is starting to matter more and more to viewers online, which bodes well for our collaborative video production community who create and produce “mid-tail” video entertainment.

Some videos are shot on a mobile phone, uploaded, and go on to find large audiences, but unless you have a talented cat or capture a remarkably random life moment then chances are your unedited videos won’t get many views. If a video creator and his or her team don’t spend a decent amount of time on their content it really shows through, and audiences don’t spend much time watching their content as a result.

It’s now 2012, a new year, and an opportunity for a fresh start to explore new and interesting video projects. I got an email from a video creator on January 1st stating that his new years resolution was to create videos that viewers love and are proud to share with their friends and family. This guy has a perfect mindset heading into 2012! Don’t waste your valuable time developing video projects that you aren’t proud of, and aren’t passionate about as you will create a video that even you don’t want to watch. Delete your worst project ideas and stories, and leave them behind in 2011 where they belong!

If you have a killer video or film project you want to launch then get a Spidvid profile and post your Spidvid project, or you can join teams who are collaborating on Spidvid projects by bidding on them. 2012 holds tons of potential for developing new and original video content as audiences are exploding and eager to consume it. If you need to build a team of partners and collaborators then keep our Spidvid platform and community in mind, and don’t be shy to tap into their super powers.

We wish you and your video projects a very prosperous 2012!

It’s always an incredible thing to be recognized for what you build and contribute to the world! We were recently notified that we were voted Best of 2011 by Daddy Van Productions. Daddy Van Productions produce amazing concert videos each year, and do many other video productions as well. These guys love what they do, respect other companies who contribute to the industry, and as such want to publicly recognize those contributions and efforts.

Spidvid was firmly on their list this year, and here’s what they had to say about us:

Spidvid.com is a necessary resource for filmmakers. Young filmmakers. Filmmakers that want to make it in the industry. Their online community and blog feature some of the better insights into how to build a career as a filmmaker. Video production is an industry that can take you a number of places: directing TV spots, acting, dramatic film, and even concert videos. Spidvid offers those producers who are just starting out an otherwise unattainable resource.

We are honored that Daddy Van Productions thought of us, and really love what they do in video production as well. They have collaborated with some of the world’s biggest bands including: Nine Inch Nails, Aerosmith, Maroon 5, Motley Crue, Rascal Flatts, Dave Matthews Band, and countless others, so it certainly is humbling that they gave us the big nod. Thanks guys, rock on!

We’ve been getting lots of positive and a couple negative pieces of feedback over the last couple months for collaborating with talent on Spidvid. For the most part video creators, filmmakers, actors, and other talent are having excellent experiences on our collaborative platform which is great to hear, but a couple of issues have come up including payment to talent who didn’t complete the work, and lack of communication and involvement.

Below are 3 tips to get the most out of talent on Spidvid

1. Talk to them – The most effective way to build solid relationships with users on our site is to speak to them directly. Whether that’s in person (which is ideal), over the phone, or on Skype, make sure that you establish verbal communication before any formal collaboration begins.

2. Outline objectives and goals – Before doing anything be sure that everyone on the team is on the same page. If an editor is to edit a video then the elements which need to be completed should be clearly laid out on the table up front. If the editor can’t do everything needed, then an alternative individual should be attracted. Establish milestones, which lead up to the end goal of getting the video or film completed and ready for distribution.

3. Be careful with financial compensation – If you intend on paying someone who you’ve connected with on Spidvid, first be sure that a firm deal is in place. We don’t yet have a payment solution in place inside of Spidvid, so if you are paying someone via PayPal or on another third party payment site, you may want to have signed papers in place to protect yourself. So when the work gets done, you pay. Or maybe you pay 50% up front, and the other 50% when it gets completed. We will eventually be accountable for financial transactions between our community members when our internal payment solution is implemented, but right now we can’t be as all deals are externally happening outside our site.

These are 3 simple things to keep in mind when collaborating on video projects via Spidvid, and elsewhere on the Internet for that matter. Understanding them will ensure a smoother Spidvid experience, and ultimately projects getting completed safer and more quickly.

Keep updated on tips for getting more out of Spidvid, have our posts delivered to your email inbox. And join the other 11,338 people by following us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook.

If you are interested in learning about project management, many universities offer a project management degree online for individuals with a busy schedule.

I was out of town for the last week attending the Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle InfoSummit 2011. It has been one of the greatest experiences of my life as I was sitting among some of the top marketers in the world. These aren’t just business owners but real life, genuine, not-afraid-of-anything entrepreneurs. While I was sitting in their “diamond luxury” lounge (set up for only some of the wealthiest and most successful of marketers) I found myself talking to a gentleman by the name of Carl. Carl has a multitude of businesses but he was best known for writing on the back of plates.

While his methods were strange, there he was sitting in the corner surrounded by an audience diagramming his thoughts in a mind map on the back of a paper plate and no, he didn’t not obtain the plate from the hotel. He was actually packing them in his carry-on luggage! When his presentation was over, he asked me if I wouldn’t mind holding his video camera and filming a brief demonstration with a few marketers of how his next product will sell. I found myself fumbling the controls because I personally use very high end equipment (more on this later). Surprisingly, I was lost trying to use this little Sony Handycam and after 3-5 minutes of putting on quite a “display” for Carl, I had realized it was fully automatic.

So let me jump to why I have thousands of dollars worth of equipment and why Carl was running a WebTV show with around $300 worth of equipment. Let’s break down a few numbers here. First of all, the WebTV show I run for work is only obtaining around 3,000 views a week and I was hesitant to admit this to Carl after he astounded me with his 15,000 hits per week. Given my show for work is limited by the concepts and ideas approved by my higher-ups, I shouldn’t be making excuses. Here this man was using $300 to create a show that was making 500% more viewership than mine. This is by no means a reflection upon me or my work as my show is fairly limited. I have to have all of my concepts, scripts, graphics and ideas approved by about 3 people before it can even go out to the web. Carl, being the owner of his company and his own boss has pure creative freedom to produce any videos he wants. Even better, he doesn’t have to hold back.

So why are his videos so much more successful?! I was racking my brain trying to figure out what it was. Could it be he had a better graphic designer? A better website? Better quality of video or sound? Maybe he was throwing a bunch of money into marketing his videos. I was dead wrong so I met up with him later over a drink to ask, “How do you do it?”

He leaned over to me and whispered, “You’ve got to entertain them.” He went on to discuss how it doesn’t matter the quality of your footage and it doesn’t matter if it was cinematic. You have to captivate the audience. Make them laugh, cry or even angered. Something to create an emotional response. It hit me like a ton of bricks. The WebTV show that I run is all educational and that’s fine and dandy but we don’t use any cheesy tricks or funny story lines to introduce the content– It’s strictly been teaching.

So the number one secret to great videos is making sure that you can obtain some sort of emotional response out of your audience. A response that is so intense that they must share the video with their friends or even share their opinion of the video with their friends.

If you like this post by guest blogger, Zephan Blaxberg, founder of RookieVideoPro.com please visit our website, the online source for video production tips, tools and gear. Follow Rookie Video Pro on twitter at @rookievideopro for the latest updates and information.

Another video production secret is to partner up and collaborate with the talented individuals in the Spidvid community.

All too often video creators and producers want to use the same production teams over and over again. Is talent recycling a good long-term strategy? I explore this often overlooked topic below.

4 reasons why switching up your video production teams is a good idea:

1. Safe is risky – Quite honestly it’s a big pain and challenging problem building teams around video and film projects. So what many video creators and producers do is save time by just using their same local talent, without exploring opportunities outside their city. Call it a “team building comfort zone” or whatever term you want to use, but bottom line is that having a core team is perhaps a good idea for stability reasons, but learning to be flexible for attracting outside talent can be very beneficial for your projects.  Sometimes good things take time!

2. Fresh perspectives – Teams can get stagnant, so bringing in even one or two new members for every project can help liven things up a little, and ignite more conversations that ultimately beat a better path towards the end goal. Individuals who challenge the status quo should be at the very top of your list.

3. More resources to draw from – Raw human talent is a wonderful thing, and so too are the assets which each member brings to the table. Some examples are videographers who have their own cameras and lighting, producers who have money to invest, composers who have sound equipment, etc. When bids are made on Spidvid projects we always urge the talent who are bidding to specify what they can contribute in terms of skill set, and any equipment, tools, props, or software they have at their disposal.

4. New connections – When you attract new members to your teams the chances are good that a few of them will be valuable connections beyond video projects. As a small non video production example, I’ve been offered places to stay should I decide to visit San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, London, New Zealand, and even Australia. Harness these relationships, and never burn bridges if things don’t go according to plan.

Build the teams you need for your video entertainment projects, join our Spidvid community to gain access to a vast pool of talent from across the world that wants to collaborate with you on developing your content!

Do you have a 5th reason to add? The comments are yours below!

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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.

Create better quality video entertainment by collaborating with our talented community, be sure to get a Spidvid profile and if you need any help at all just ask us!

Today the iPhone 4S by Apple (pictured above) launched, and what a beautiful looking product it is! I’m personally not going to buy the iPhone 4S as I already have the iPhone 4,  but I’m anxiously awaiting for the projected iPhone 5 later next year.

I have shot numerous videos on my iPhone 4 including my Spidvid team’s enchilada video embedded below, and really enjoy the experience of using a simple yet powerful device fully equipped with a 720p HD video camera.

How To Make Chicken Enchiladas from Jeremy Campbell on UnleashVideo

The new iPhone 4S video camera is 1080p HD that has stabilization built right in for steadying shaky shots, and video editing can be done in a native way on the device as well.

3 of my favorite iOS apps for mobile video production are:

- ReelDirector: Full editing suite to add titles and credits, cut scenes, add music, and add transitions.

- 8mm: Has a few various lenses to shoot source video with including; 60s, 70s, Sakura, XPro, Noir, Siena, and 1920.

- Movie Looks: Select already filmed clips and select the look  you want including; Black and White, Cold Day, Face Light, Mojito, Pop, Soft Faded, Sunset, Vintage Color, Bleach Bypass, Bronze, Cinematic, Cold Beauty, Cross Process, Grunge, Warm Beauty, White Diffusion, Crime Scene, Curahee, Epic, Hughes, Neo, Night Vision, Ohio, Warm and Fuzzy, Auto Art, Blue Note, Crush, Gold Tone, Hi Con Glow, Platinum, Selenium, Sepia, Action, Connor, Garber, Jake, MC, Optimus, Resident, and War. 40 different looks in all, very cool!

Perhaps the most important thing to my video shoots is my little, trustworthy tripod as pictured below. Steady shots are key and this product provides a wonderful solution.

Mobile video production is ever improving as the tools and technologies are paving a path for new filmmakers and video creators to explore, and prosper from. It will be interesting to see where these products go in the future. Perhaps by 2015 or 2020 the top mobile devices will have RED quality cameras come standard.

Side note: RIP Steve Jobs, you truly changed the world with your passion, vision, and execution. You will be truly missed.

Where do you see mobile video production going? The comments are yours!

You could watch videos and films for hundreds of hours and study each of their elements into exhaustion. You could read dozens of books on filmmaking. You could listen to podcasts on how filmmakers made their first feature film, and what they learned along the way. Or you could write a script, grab a camera, team up with some actors and other talent you need, and get out there and start creating content.

Far too often we want to learn everything we can before jumping into something new. The best thing you can (likely) do is learn the fundamentals of the craft you seek to master, and simply get out there to make something and then as Seth Godin says, ship it.

It`s scary starting something new, but to get good at anything I believe you must fail, learn, fail, learn, and then ultimately break through towards finding a path to success. Malcolm Gladwell believes it takes 10,000 hours before mastering anything.

Stay foolish, stay hungry, and get out there and create some entertaining videos, starting with one that`s 1 minute or even just 5 seconds long.

If you need some partners or collaborators then get a creators profile on Spidvid, post a project, connect with our community, and build the team who can help you execute your story`s vision.