Smash creative people together... is it video blogging?

[Lan Bui]

I was talking to Jay about doing something special for the October 1st Node101 - OC Video Blogging meetup and he came up with a great idea. Have people go somewhere together to record video blogs then edit them and post them.

But I was afraid there will be nothing to record. So I began to think of ways to fill those holes and came up with the following.

I can invite people like actors, actresses, writers, or artists that would be willing to participate and if any video blogger needed someone to do something there would be people there. I think that would be so much fun. Like if I have a story or message I want to tell on my video blog but have not been able to because noone wanted to participate, this would solve this. It would be like improptu film making... But then, would that be counter productive to what Node101 is all about? I feel like it does go against Node101 because it may not produce "personal media" but rather "impromptu films" that are then posted to a video blog.

Then again, I've never heard of anyone mashing up a bunch of creative people to collaborate like that either. Is this possibly a part of videoblogging never explored yet?

Help me out with this guys... I want to hear your opinions.

-Lan
www.LanBui.com

-----Original Message-----
From: "Jay dedman" <jay.d...@gmail.com>
Date: Thursday, Sep 14, 2006 10:43 pm
Subject: Re: OC Video Blogging - Node101 event

> That is actually a really great idea!!! We have done this before with flickr
people... go somewhere and shoot pictures... I don't see why we can't do
that with video too.
Ok that will be the workshop we do, we will go shooting somewhere close by.

cool..tell us how it goes.
we should try it here.
maybe others will try it out too.
lead the way.

jay

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[da...@outhink.com]

>
> This is a great idea. I would love to connect with people from other
places, with complimentary skills to participate in impromptu film
making, maybe a way to connect the people from different nodes around a
story. I think this supports advocating more people exploring personal
media and using videoblogging as a way to deliver a collective form of
expression.
There are a few that have done it with music, some small efforts with
video but would be great to see more.

I think its important to start with some level of structure, a story a
theme a collection of content, a collection of people, creativity and
collaboration can start from so many different places but having some
structure helps to move it along.

Do you have some ideas on how you would pull this together?

Dave

[Jay dedman]

> I can invite people like actors, actresses, writers, or artists that would be willing to participate and if any video blogger needed someone to do something there would be people there. I think that would be so much fun. Like if I have a story or message I want to tell on my video blog but have not been able to because noone wanted to participate, this would solve this. It would be like improptu film making... But then, would that be counter productive to what Node101 is all about? I feel like it does go against Node101 because it may not produce "personal media" but rather "impromptu films" that are then posted to a video >blog.

I would avoid turning it into a "production".
then there would be too many rules etc.
if youre dealing with actors/actresses....i wouldnt know how to stop
it from becoming a narrative.
but if you like to shoot short movies..this might be cool.
I think of channel102.net.

After our email exchange, i thought a cool thing would be to visit a
Place as a group. For example, there is a sustainable community in
Marin where they are building windmill, have solar power, and plan to
go off the grid soon.
I imagine our videoblogging group go there and we each record the
place/people in our own way. I assume there will be enough people in
the community to talk to.

in this way, everyone can have their own perspective of the same place.
no one can record it "wrong".
someone could do it like a news story, or an art piece, or a comedy, etc.
Plus everyone gets to learn something new.

Jay

[Lan Bui]

Thanks for the response Jay. I want to avoid it becoming a "production" too. That is what I don't want to do; I don't want to taint video blogging. Maybe inviting actors and actresses would not be a hot idea... I thought of them because they are plentiful here in Southern California and would be likely to show up to something like this.

I revise what I want. I want to invite "creatives" to attend the Node101 meetup; and then we will smash creatives with video bloggers to make stuff.

I know there is a lot of creativity that needs a push to get made. Or maybe someone that has an idea can collaborate with a video blogger to show that idea. Or a video blogger can... well, I don't know... I want people to show and tell their story, or their message, whatever it is I want them to be able to make it.

Again, thank you Jay for your reply. It means a lot to me.

-Lan

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[Lan Bui]

Dave,

I would advertise... advertise it on vlogs and on flickr (thanks markus for the idea).

I really want this to work out and not in any way taint video blogging. This should be about collaborative work with other creatives. 

Thank you for responding Dave!!! I really need help thinking about this and a appreceate everyones ideas, I hope someone will bring up criticisms with this idea.

-Lan

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[Jan / The Faux Press]

I do this kind of thing a lot - involve lots of people to make a single, cohesive thing - together - with minimal preproduction or control.

Here are three I've done, both based on parade models:

http://fauxpress.blogspot.com/2006/09/faux-pressthe-faux-paradetesting.html

http://fauxpress.blogspot.com/2005/05/faux-press-vlog-music-video.html

http://fauxpress.blogspot.com/2006/03/welding-brides-song-ill-cut-you-if-you.html

Instructions in all cases were simple: show up at this place, at this time. For the Plaza Hotel, I asked that folks come in disguise, take as many flash pictures as possible, and to "be dancers". Gave one line to Lauren Moore, "No photos!"

Preproduction included hiring a still photographer, cinematographer & brass band, choosing a theme song, and making some party favors, including reporters notebooks, pencils, faux press passes, stickers and posters.

Installing the posters along the parade route gave The Faux Parade excuse to pause and engage. To engage the community (including the businesses who'd supported the goofy street art I'd beeing doing) was important for the longer duration of that particular project.

Pretty simple stuff.

Let me know if I can help.

XO,
Jan

--
The Faux Press - better than real
http://fauxpress.blogspot.com

[Jay dedman]

> Thanks for the response Jay. I want to avoid it becoming a "production" too.
> That is what I don't want to do; I don't want to taint video blogging. Maybe
> inviting actors and actresses would not be a hot idea... I thought of them
> because they are plentiful here in Southern California and would be likely
> to show up to something like this.
> I revise what I want. I want to invite "creatives" to attend the Node101
> meetup; and then we will smash creatives with video bloggers to make stuff.

yeah...dont get me wrong. i think we should each take advantage of the
people in our communities. So in SF, im surrounded by tech people. In
SoCal, you got the actors.

i say you invite all the actors and actresses....but make sure that
THEY are learning to videoblog. I can imagine everyone acting for each
other in some weird collage.

> I know there is a lot of creativity that needs a push to get made. Or maybe
> someone that has an idea can collaborate with a video blogger to show that
> idea. Or a video blogger can... well, I don't know... I want people to show
> and tell their story, or their message, whatever it is I want them to be
> able to make it.

im glad youre pushing this idea.
I taught a videoblogging workshop yesterday.
Everyone who came was over 50. (and It was really awesome)
I simply point out the age issue because i think the younger people
know how to put video online now. I think most of the technical
challenges are gone.
Now we can focus on content and collaboration ...which is what i think
Lan is trying to explore here.

jay

[Jan / The Faux Press]

I think inviting actors is very HOT.

Why not?

Use whatever resources you can imagine.

Jay's right - make sure they know you can teach 'em how to do it or themselves.

Actors are prime targets. Esp. if they imagine getting a reel online.

XO,
Jan

http://fauxpress.blogspot.com

[ryanne hodson]

lan
i dont think anything you do will 'taint' videoblogging!
you are experimenting
and that can take whatever form you want it to.
invite whoever you want
and see what happens
could be amazing
could be lame
it's worth a shot.

look at dan mcvicar
he's an actor
and he is incredibly passionate about videoblogging
http://danielmcvicar.blogspot.com/

so you never know what people might get out of it.
even folks who act or portray fiction general.
it might be really cool.

i'm glad you're shaking things up a bit

-ry

On 9/16/06, Lan Bui <L...@lanbui.com> wrote:

--
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Educate ----> http://FreeVlog.org, http://Node101.org
Community Capitalism----> http://HaveMoneyWillVlog.com
iChat/AIM ----> VideoRodeo

[Lan Bui]

> i say you invite all the actors and actresses....but make sure that
> THEY are learning to videoblog. I can imagine everyone acting for each
> other in some weird collage.

YES! That is it, but not only actors... Any creative person.

> Now we can focus on content and collaboration ...which is what i think
> Lan is trying to explore here.

I talked to Bonny and Vu a lot about this today, they are also very
excited about collaboration with others. We talked about how after
someone sees us making video blogs they will think they can do it
too. And we will be there to teach them how.

-Lan

[Lan Bui]

Thank you for the links Jan I'll check them out. Also, thanks for the encouragement.

We will be here to teach... that is why I like having these meetups with new people. They have ideas that i have not thought of yet, especially someone that has not done it yet. They have no limitations or mental blocks.

-Lan

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[Lan Bui]

I'm glad you like it!!!

I met Daniel McVicar the first day he was filming for his video blog. He was so interested in what everyone had to say. it was funny (and sad) how disappointed he was that none of us knew him from his acting.

Ok, my next step is to get the word out. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. As anyone can see from my vlogs, I don't do graphics at all, I looked for the .zip files on node101 wiki but the links seem dead... Oh the server must be down because node101.org isn't even coming up.

If anyone had something I can use for a flyer or graphic for flickr I would love it!!!

-Lan

--------------------

[Steve Garfield]

Did you see what we have planned for our Oct 1st meeting?

http://bostonmediamakers.wordpress.com/

"On October 1st, John Herman is going to tell us about his new
realtime live movie making improv project, and then we are going to
make a movie!

John describes it for us:

Boston Neutrino producer John Herman will be talking about
Neutrino to Boston Media Makers on October 1st. He will also lead the
gathered in an improvised drama on video. Come join the fun! The
Neutrino Video Project was started in NYC by a daring troupe of
improvisational theater performers. With three cameras and a large
technical crew, Neutrino takes to the streets to shoot, edit, score,
and mix a completely improvised movie in the time it takes for you to
watch it. Spontaneous, beautiful, and hilarious, this “theatrical
movie experience” is the first of its kind. The show has been
heralded in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Detroit, San Francisco,
Toronto, and Washington, D.C. where it is performed under the
Neutrino name by different groups. Now it will be in Boston. Join the
revolution!

John participated in the Ze Frank Video Workshop I ran at PodCamp
Boston. We had such a great time. I’m glad John will be with us to
make some media together.

There’ll be plenty of time for each of us to share what we are
working on too!

Join us.

Contact Steve Garfield"

--
Steve Garfield
http://SteveGarfield.com

Watch Vlog Soup: A video tour of the vlogosphere
http://stevegarfield.blogs.com/vlogsoup/

[Lan Bui]

Great!!! I didn't know about that. 

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