Andrew- I don't know if I'm in agreement with you or Ed, but I'd like to put my two cents in, perhaps to instill a sense of collaboration...I think we're looking to the same forested horizon.
If we have folks that don't have 6-9 minutes to view a video that is topically appropriate, they can go on to whatever they priortize to spend time on...ENTS/WNTS wasn't as far back as I can remember focused on meeting the needs of the 'sound byte society'. Heck, there's a number of forum members that don't even have the CPU/Graphics Cards/ISPs to view videos. But for the middle ground, those of us whose computers can play videos, and whose operators have the interest and time to view them, it's a great thing. If you haven't been with Bob or Barry or Ed in the woods, you're missing out on part of what they're about. From my perspective, I say keep them coming...beginners will get better, with verbal support from the forum members. Pros will get pleasure from having a venue to share. It's all good... -don > Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:14:08 -0400 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: [ENTS] Re: Web Video > > > Hello Ed and ENTS, > I think you misunderstood my comments, I'm not saying that web videos > should be more like professional/polished video but that the public has > been conditioned by watching professionally produced film/video to > expect tight editing and highly focused content. I completely agree with > your analysis of the state of popular documentary film and video. > > Barry had commented that he wasn't getting much response to his video > postings, I sympathize and was offering some explanation, ie: people > aren't used to watching real-time unedited video and it's difficult to > persuade anyone to take 9-10 minutes out of their day to watch anyone's > video no matter how interesting or compelling it may be. Some judicious > editing can keep the feel of the real-time walk through the woods and > keep the length of the video down. Something to think about anyway. > > I've been shooting video for 3 months now, I'm in the middle of my > learning curve, I've posted everything here: > http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=mossTreeClimber&view=videos > > My most popular (most viewed) videos are usually purely technical > content related to tree climbing technique. > > My personal favorites get very few views, for instance this meditation > on a small woodland brook: > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ1V0hU0fXc > > Or this study of a male Pumpkinseed Sunfish on it's nest: > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8m6hdMIRPI > > Best watched in HD if you have the bandwidth. > > Looking forward to seeing more video from Barry and the rest of the ENTS! > -AJ > > > Edward Frank wrote: > > Andrew, > > > > Do you have videos online? I would disagree about comparison between > > web videos and the professional videos on television. The main point > > I think is the poor quality of the content of the documentaries as > > shown on television. The images are beautiful and fit together > > perfectly, but for most of them they have been polished until the life > > is sucked out of them. Most of them are visual equivalents of musak - > > elevator music for your eyes. The content has been dumbed down till > > it tells you nothing. There is more content in a second grade text > > book than most videos. There also is the question of integrity of the > > documentary programs shown on television. In certain famous > > historical documentaries, photos of different battles and event were > > mixed together in order to improve the story flow- accuracy be > > damned. The stories of the cute baby foxes out on a day of > > exploration are typically mixtures of shots taken over the course of > > several weeks and edited to some editor's cutesy story line. I will > > not get into a further rant on the current poor state of documentary > > on television and film, but only say that well edited and polished > > video does not a great documentary make. > > > > I am not arguing that web videos are great. Most of them are not. > > There is a saying that 90% of everything is crap. (The percentage may > > be higher for web videos.) Nor am I suggesting that the lack of or > > poor editing in the videos make them quaint or endearing. Many could > > use some editing for content. What makes them interesting is the > > immediacy of their content. They are interesting to watch in spite of > > their limitations. > > > > I was posting video clips in Real Media format since the > > mid 90's YouTube.was created in 2005 and marked the true beginning of > > the web video explosion. It is a much more democratic medium in which > > everyone can participate. It is egalitarian rather than elitist. > > Forums like YouTube are changing our perceptions of how documentaties > > should be created. Many of the accepted conventions in movie making > > and video making were not originally designed out of a sense of > > artistic integrity, but as a reflection of the limitations of the > > equipment used in the filming. People posting on the web are ignoring > > these conventions for better or worse. These experiments are seeping > > into the broader world of television and movies. There was a TV movie > > set in the last major earthquake in California showing some of the > > heroics of average people. What jumped out in this movie was that > > there was nota sound track. There have been sound tracks for movies > > since before there were sound in the movie. This was a direct result > > of news cast video styles and home movie styles. You look on the > > news, often incorporated into the broadcasts are raw footage shot by > > people using their home video cameras, cameras, or cell phones. > > Correspondents are being interviewed overseas during wars via cell > > phones. Home videos of tornados and disasters are a mainstay on the > > Weather Channel. There are still limitations in this medium in > > streaming over the web and with the mechanics of capturing motion and > > sound with the equipment you have, but with the ability to shoot video > > clips available in an $8 digital camera the trend will continue to grow > > > > It is this immediacy of the medium, the grittiness of the medium, the > > first person perspectives that make web videos interesting to watch. > > Could they be better? Sure, but they are interesting to watch in > > spite of their limitations. The web is the place to see the next phase > > of television documentaries evolve. As I said for better or worse. > > > > If we are to make an impact as individuals, or as a group in the > > future we need to be part of the medium as it evolves. We need to > > make these web videos and experiment with the medium. We need to > > embrace the phenomenon. Some things work out, some do not, some > > techniques now considered to be unacceptable will become the new > > standard in the future. So for everyone out there shooting and > > posting web video, keep shooting, and keep posting. > > > > Ed > > > > > > /PS: Don't be disappointed that people don't comment, it's difficult to > > get anyone to take 8 minutes out of their day to sit and watch a video, > > no matter what the content. For my longer videos (9+ minutes) I expect > > only a small number of people to watch them all the way through, > > remember that today's viewers are used to professionally edited > > video/movies with tight segments of concentrated information. Maybe > > consider doing some editing to get the length down a little, if you can > > have more focused "segments" you might have greater success getting > > people to dig into your video, keep up the good work! > > -AJ > > / > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live: Make it easier for your friends to see what you’re up to on Facebook. http://windowslive.com/Campaign/SocialNetworking?ocid=PID23285::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:SI_SB_facebook:082009 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
