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Check out this compilation of popular and hysterical videos posted on Viddler this month. Thank you to our devoted community for continuing to keep us entertained. Enjoy!!!
Why didn’t I ever think to do this?
You can’t hold me down!
I LOVE cats too!
Explore Viddler to view some more awesome videos from the Viddler Community.
I am very passionate about the use of video and it’s ability to help merchants sell their complex products online. As we all know, some products are not so cut and dry. It has been a huge obstacle to sell certain complex products/services online because a shopper is not able to fully analyze what they are looking at. Whether it is the feel of a sneaker on your wide foot or the way that dress just happens to make you look fat. Sometimes that complex product might just be yourself. Gaining trust from you prospective client is a lot easier when you can actually talk and engage with them rather than posting a picture of yourself with that wide grin smile and a blurb about how great you are.
British retailer Marks & Spencer is using video on its site and is finding that visitors who watch video stay on the site twice as long, says Forrester Principal Analyst Martin Gill in this interview with Beet.TV.
It’s very rare that a person isn’t carrying a device with a light-sensitive electronic sensor (i.e., camera) in it. This means that anyone can capture photos or video within seconds. Whether it be a birthday party, historical event, or your current thoughts on a topic, you can immortalize it and share it with a friend or the world.
Video blogs are typically produced with minimal editing and posted in a chronological order — often soon after they’re recorded. There’s a plethora of fascinating people that share their video blogs online. If you’re interested in starting/improving your own video blogs or viewing some really great ones, then here’s my top 5 (in no particular order).
Alex documents a lot of his life through video. From exams to PackageTodays; he covers a large range of adventures. He records most of his videos with his trusty iPhone.
Sam is an actor, director, and writer in Los Angeles. He posts videos about various projects he’s working on as well as opinionated
Giddy rad dance videos.
Short movie reviews and videos of family.
And, of course, Gary Vaynerchuk
One of the most interesting video blogs to make it big was Gary’s Wine Library TV. WLTV was retired in March, 2011, and Daily Grape was born in its wake. I rarely get more adventurous than drinking water and chocolate milk, but Gary’s knowledge and enthusiasm for wine has me vary interested in trying it.
Gary also records quick video blogs about technology, social media, and so on. He’s quite insightful about the future.
What are some of your favorite video blogs?
Viddler is thrilled to welcome Ask Dr. Heather to our Business Community. I sat down recently and talked with Dr. Heather about the creation of Ask Dr. Heather and her use of online video.
What inspired you to create Ask Dr. Heather?
As a veterinarian, one of my biggest frustrations is communication with pet owners. Most pets only visit the veterinarian once or twice a year for fifteen to twenty minutes. I struggle during that time to educate them about all of the things their pet needs – and there are often a lot of important things to talk about. When pets do get sick, many pet owners look elsewhere for information and many times get bad information which may lead to a delay in treatment.
I also struggle with a seeming lack of trust in the information I present. People don’t want to vaccinate or run tests, etc. because they believe they aren’t necessary or they believe that their veterinarian is just trying to sell them something or make money. The truth is, we are there to help you take care of your pet. We want to HELP. We want your pet to be happier and healthier. What better way to build trust than for clients to get to know their veterinarians as people…because that’s who we believe the most…people we know the best. The internet provides a forum for us to explain what we are trying to do and why we are trying to do it in a place that people can go back to again and again…as many times as they need to…and then ask a question about it, or post a comment that someone else can add to.
You have been able to create incredible content without stressing a very high production level. What would you recommend to businesses that are not yet using video and are apprehensive because they do not feel they have the resources and/or ability to create good content?
I would say that creating good content is as much about being passionate about what you are doing and doing it passionately as it is about the resources that you have to do whatever your thing is. AskDrHeather so far has been built using a laptop, Flip cam, and digital voice recorder. I don’t see that changing in the near future. If we can do it, anyone can. If you can use a digital camera (we got Flip camera for around $200) and a video editing program (available for less than $100), then you can create great videos. We are not videographers here, we don’t have any special training or equipment, we are just people who love animals, love being veterinary professionals, and truly want every pet owner and animal lover out there to understand that we want the same thing they want…happy, healthy pets! Like they say at Nike…Just Do It.
Continue to read full interview!
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Viddler’s core architecture is in the middle of an enormous overhaul that will provide reliability to 50+ internal and external services as well as moving to a world-class datacenter, Internap. This multi-month project will dramatically increase our uptime ensuring your videos get delivered when your viewers need them. I sat down with our Systems Architect, Todd Troxell, to talk about the upgrade.
What is the main goal Viddler is looking to accomplish by making this upgrade?
Our customers have spoken and they want greater uptime and service reliability. This is the theme of 2011 and the goal of this project.
Why did Viddler choose Internap?
We chose Internap for their superior network architecture and network engineering staff. We were burned in the past with mis-managed route failovers and slow unreliable links. This is a move to a very well respected name in Internet transit in a world-class faciity. This means faster uploads, greater scalability, and outrageously greater service uptime.
What new hardware has Viddler installed?
Here is a diagram.
In most cases we are doubling our hardware specs or greater in terms of raw CPU, memory, and IO. It’s a factor the market since newer hardware for the same price == faster, however this may have a noticable affect on site performance. We don’t have an accurate test platform to know for sure until it is operational.
In terms of *new* hardware, we have 6x the database capacity, redundant secondary databases, more complete staging setup, redundant networking gear, redundant links to the internet, redundant power in all servers, redundant logging servers, redundant monitoring and adminstration servers, redundant sending of email, thumbnail generation, video recording, transcoding- in total adding redundancy to 50+ components. All of this is new in Viddler NYC.
Viddler has been making great strides over the years to build out their back end hardware and increase site reliability. How will these upgrades affect reliability?
Our upgrades will ensure higher uptime of our entire platform from the core application to our video delivery mechanism and 50+ ancillary services. This is a many-month effort to build enterprise reliability into our once fledgling platform. They will also allow us to iterate on our platform and build out future offerings with far lower friction.
How will it affect speed?
All of the hardware is faster and some of it is of higher quality (Cisco switches for instance). We’re not investing in speed really here, but it may be a by-product.
What does this installation overall mean in terms of how it effects Viddler’s ability to grow in the future?
This architecture is fully modular and repeatable and can be replicated in micro-clusters around the world. There is even a possiblity that it could be pushed onto appliances for users who would prefer to run Viddler in a closed environment. In this new architecture, we will be able to add capacity very easily meaning we can scale our video delivery to a very high number of users. Being repeatable, it will also allow us to replicate and test load and stage new versions with far greater confidence and reliability. This change is not only about reliability but a core fix to our engineering culture, adding repeatability and modularity and paving the way for architectural iteration and experimentation.
Bryan and I getting ready to do some heavy lifting. Todd plotting his attack!
Casting can be the most stressful and uncertain phase of the preproduction process. If you’re planning to work with actors for your next online video, here are a few tips to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.
If you’re targeting moms, don’t hire a spokesman who looks like he hates kids. But beyond that, think about what your clients want out of your product. If you’re selling legal services, even the schluppiest of McSchuppersons wants someone who looks professional and seems like they’d be really slick about buttoning the top button on their suit when they stand up. A common mistake is to stereotype your core demographic and try to emulate them on screen. This can make it seem like you have an outsider’s perspective of who your audience truly is, and doesn’t effectively reflect what unique attributes your company can bring to the table.
In any creative field, the true artists have an insatiable desire to work on exciting new projects. It’s often fairly trivial to find people who are so hungry for creative work that they’re willing to do it for free. But if the project is being created for commercial purposes, taking an artist’s reckless passion and using it as an excuse to not pay them for their time, talent, and hard work is nothing short of exploitation. Even if you can only afford to pay a small amount out of principle, paying your talent gets you better results, more respect, and a sounder night’s sleep at the end of the day.
No one knows actors better than other actors. Just like when the drama kids in high school were the only ones to know where the super secret sex parties were, being friends with actors can gain you a lot of useful insight. While that insight may no longer be “the 10:30 pm screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show in Jimmy Tanner’s Parents’ basement,” it can still be helpful in ways that won’t involve you awkwardly losing your virginity while wearing a pleather basque from Halloween Adventure and trying to learn the Time Warp. Developing friendships with actors can gain you access to an always-expanding pool of skilled—and often untapped—talent.
People like to say the internet is your friend. That’s not true. The internet can help your spouse figure out how to install a keylogger that gains her access to your Google Calendar and reveals that your “squash league” actually takes place at the uptown Motel 6. Friends don’t do that. But the internet can be a very valuable resource. Open calls and relationships with local talent agencies can be useful in the initials stages of casting, but if you google around you generally find tons videos and other real world samples of your potential actors’ abilities.
So if you’re planning to shoot a video with actors soon, keep these tips in mind. Most importantly, treat your talent with professionalism and respect. This will repay itself in the performances they give you, and ultimately reflect well on the product or services you’re trying to sell.
Viddler Subscriptions allows you to get paid when viewers watch your videos. Easily upload a video or series of videos, set up your store and start making money today! Check out this awesome article where The Hubble highlights our Subscription tool.
The video cameras of yesteryear hated you and your pants. The cost of a camcorder would burn a hole right through your pocket, and the idea of fitting one of these beasts into the front of your trousers was a laughable concept to all but circus clowns and tightly knit communities of nomadic gypsy-people who wore nothing but parachute pants in order to please their humanoid man-monkey-messahiah, Clap Henson.
But technology has shrunk, prices have gone down, and the followers of Clap Henson have secularized and dispersed in order to concentrate on franchising Jamba Juice establishments. What we are left with is a world where fruit conception is easy and convenient, and where there are a variety of affordable, high quality video cameras available to consumers. Below are five of my favorite pocket camcorders.
iPhone 4
The iPhone 4 is the ultimate convergence device, and you best believe video is a big part of that. Did you know with an iPhone 4 you can capture a 720p video of your breakfast, edit it to have opening titles that say “Reeses?! For BREAKFAST?!?!”, bed Eye of the Tiger from your music collection, upload it to Viddler, and then tweet the whole thing to your 14 followers? I know, we live in the future.
T-Mobile G2x
Or maybe you don’t like iPhones, iMovie, iTunes, and other magical iTems. Maybe you like your phones like I like my Haley Joel Osment characters. Fine. T-Mobile has an Android phone called the G2x that shoots in full 1080p. That’s a lot of p.
Kodak PLAYSPORT Zx5
There are downsides to using your phone as your primary pocket cam. You drop your iPhone and the glass shatters into a million pieces. You take your Andriod out of your mother’s basement and the battery dies instantly. Kodak has a little camera that’s built to do anything and go anywhere. It is resistant to things like dust and sand, and can go underwater up to 10 meters! (Please consult with your local headshop or Massive Attack fan for what that amounts to in American.)
GoPro
Speaking of going anywhere, the GoPro really can go anywhere. It’s a tiny little HD camera that’s comes with waterproof casing and a variety of attachments for things like helmets and surf boards. Personally, I’m still holding out for the colonoscopy mount!
PowerShot S95
If you’re going to buy a separate pocket camcorder to use instead of your smartphone, you might what to pick up something that has a nice compact zoom lens and can take killer snapshots, too. The S95 is one of Canon’s bestselling cameras, and for good reason. This sleek little compact takes 720p video, 10MP stills, and sports a built-in HDMI port, so you can instantly reminisce about what just happened before you unload it off your SD card.
Overall, the best pocket camcorder is usually the one you have on you. If you bought a smartphone in the last two years, chances are it takes decent video. Start with that, and don’t let precious moments slip by. Little Bobby’s taking his first steps! Rex is scratching his back on the floor! Grandpa’s telling the girl scouts about how he used to be a triathlete!
If you’re just getting started, or are just shooting video for casual purposes, use what you have. And if you find yourself needing something more rugged or versitle, try something like the PLAYSPORT or the S95. Happy shooting!
We are excited to announce the start of a weekly Webex that will help introduce you to LiveRail. Our very own Director of Support, Bernie, will be giving a step-by-step demonstration on how to use LiveRail integration every Friday, 1pm EST. Bernie will also allow time to answer all of your questions to ensure you completely understand the capabilities and benefits of LiveRail integration. Take control over your online advertising and enhance the monetization of your online videos.
So you have set up your Viddler Account and you are ready to get started. Before uploading your videos, customize your player to fit your brand. Brand consistency is huge and Viddler gives you the ability to change the colors and add your own logo to the player. Link the player to your own website to keep visitors on your own site. Watch the help video for step-by-step instruction’s on how to create your custom player.
Make sure to check out our extensive help section full of articles and videos to answer any other questions you have.
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