Viddler

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.

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We love bringing you great examples of brands breaking new ground with Viddler’s technology. Today we want to share Beckinfield.com, the first ever mass participation web series.

What’s a Mass Participation Web Series?

It’s a NEW new media experience, an ongoing web series where anyone can join in, create a character, and play a part.

It is also a social community of like minded creatives who inspire one another, collaborate on subplots, and just have a blast creating this new genre of entertainment. Or, you can just watch.

Cool! How can I get involved?

The sci-fi story of Beckinfield goes like this; citizens have been asked to record video blogs showing the world what everyday life is like in their small town. It soon becomes clear that life in Beckinfield is far from typical. The quirky residents (of which you are one) are suspicious of the local governments denials of the town oddities; snooping scientists, alleged UFOs, seemingly haunted libraries, earthquakes that “caused no damage” … and that’s just the beginning.

As a Beckinfield resident, you upload video blog entries describing your opinions of, and reactions to, these events. The format gives you the creative freedom to follow the scripted story, or make up your own. It’s a playground for creativity. And Beckinfield.com makes it even easier with weekly story updates, tutorials, and a plethora of inspiring activities.

Viddlers can shape the future of Mass Participation TV

The guys at Beckinfield are inviting all Viddlers to become a part of the future of entertainment. If you sign up at Beckinfield.com, with the promo code VIDDLER you’ll get 2 free months of full access; create and play your own character, interact with the community, peruse the tutorials and become a part of the show. They’re also inviting us to join the New Beckinfield Historical Society, to give them feedback and guidance from our experience there.

Check it out at Beckinfield.com, promo code VIDDLER.

If you frequent our homepage, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that all of us at Viddler are huge fans of Engadget. We feature videos from Engadget on a regular basis, and why wouldn’t we? They do comprehensive and witty coverage of a topic that’s very dear to our hearts: technology. Personally, I’ve been reading Engadget since I was in diapers (which, for me, would be about the 10th grade). In high school when I wasn’t playing Tetris on my TI-83, or watching—mesmerized—as the dock of my Rio Karma pulsed to the beat of my mp3′s, or getting suspended for a proxy I set up to circumvent my school’s web filter (true story), I could be found scrolling through my RSS reader, geeking out at the latest posts from Engadget. Since then I’ve shelved my calculator, moved on to more convergent devices for playing my music, and found a job at a place that would never block me from watching a web video. But one habit still remains. Engadget’s coverage of the gadget world has kept me coming back for more ever since I went through puberty and first noticed how sexy a USB port can look.

Last week I had the honor of hanging out backstage at Engadget’s live talk show, The Engadget Show. As a video producer, it was a real thrill to see Chad Mumm and his crew come into Cooper Union’s venue, set up a top notch production in a matter of hours, and put on a great live show in front of a full auditorium. Oh, and getting their guest, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, to sign my iPad was pretty cool, too. I documented the whole production and sat down with Engadget editors Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, and Paul Miller to talk about The Engadget Show and other ways Engadget is using video to inform and entertain. The result is a new video in our series called Viddler Spotlight, embedded below. Watch it and get inspired. The world of online video is getting more exciting every day.

Last week I had the privilege to sit down and interview Gary Vaynerchuk about his show Wine Library TV.

Gary’s the kind of guy who completely immerses himself in the things he’s passionate about. His office sits atop two stories of wine, inside is enough valuable Jets memorabilia to open a small museum, and scattered throughout the room you’ll find all kinds of video equipment that is used for his show. Anyone who passes through his doorway encounters two giant crates of WLTV-branded armbands that say “Bringing The Thunder” on them; one right outside his door, and one right inside his door. The man loves armbands.

Walking into Gary Vaynerchuk’s office is like walking onto a TV set. “Oh wow,” you think. “I’ve seen this couch before. It looks so much smaller in person!”

But despite the cameras, the lights, and the familiar set pieces, you quickly realize the biggest difference between Gary’s office and a television set: Gary’s office is a place where real things get done.

He’s constantly hustling. In the short time we were there he handled several meetings and filmed three videos (not including ours). No spare moment went to waste. In the few extra minutes he had while we set up our lights and cameras, he hopped on his computer and engaged with his fans, responding to emails, replying to tweets, and even snapping a picture for his DailyBooth account.

At Viddler, we’re infinitely grateful that Gary has brought this passion and work ethic to our video platform. He’s played a role in using Viddler to promote his personal brand, his best-selling book, and even his sports heroes. But Gary’s flagship show, Wine Library TV, is possibly his most impressive use of Viddler. Just a few weeks ago, Wine Library TV surpassed 900 episodes, and Gary shows no signs of stopping.

To share how all of this got started, and how video continues to add value to Gary’s businesses, I created a video profile where Gary discusses WLTV’s beginnings and the long-term impact the show has had on his life. I hope you find it as inspiring to watch as it was for me to make.

Many of us on team Viddler are gamers. Heated debates about PS3 vs. Xbox 360 are pretty much a daily occurrence at Viddler HQ. The team plays everything from first-person shooters to MMORPGs. That is why if any of us were to work anywhere besides Viddler it’d probably be at Gamervision.

Gamervision, a Business Services customer, is an online gaming magazine that has one of the best company cultures I’ve ever experienced. After visiting their headquarters in Doylestown, PA (just a stones throw away from Viddler HQ) a few months ago we knew we had to start our Business Profile videos with them. And so we did.

Billy Disney, who is off on vacation somewhere in some tropical location burning his legs to oblivion, helped us put together this video profile on Gamervision and we think it is great.

We’ll be putting this video up, as well as a use case for Gamervision, on our Business Services site soon and we’re already planning many more of these videos with our incredible customers so stay tuned.

Thanks to the entire team at Gamervision for being so willing to put up with our cameras in their faces as well as for being absolutely great customers.