Subscribe to feedThe Dawkins Delusion
October 13th, 2007 by Michael KreidlerThis is one of the cleverest pieces I have heard and seen in a long time.
Brilliant, just brilliant!
Catholic Media Connections
The Empty Inbox
October 12th, 2007 by Michael KreidlerI really like Merlin Mann. He is the author of the 43folders.com blog. He is a fun speaker with a lot of good stuff to say.
One thing that is a plague to all of us is managing email. Merlin gave a talk at Google in July and the full presentation is now available:
It is well work a look/listen.
Video: The Life Of Christ
August 7th, 2007 by John LamanskyDwM website visitor Gabrielle sent us this message via the Contact Us form:
Hi! I found your article about Catholic video onlina and just wanted to share the most beautiful and touching online video I have seen about the life of Christ. Here’s the link:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5crbtwXYc1U
It would be great if you could link it on your website so others can enjoy it too!
God bless,
Gabrielle
This beautiful video is called “The Price of Salvation: The Life of Christ”:
Thanks for the link, Gabrielle!
New Technology is Pain in the Rear but Fun
July 13th, 2007 by Michael KreidlerI’ve complained how I was having increasing trouble with my laptop. I finally broke down and bought a desktop system. While the hard-drive is larger the screen is great and it runs like a dream, I am still going through all of the inevitable install headaches.
First was to get Firefox, OpenOffice, and all of my favorite programs and utilities loaded. As I was struggling with finding all of these, my daughter said, “Just use Filehippo, Dad. That’s what you always tell me.” I guess I’m not a total washout as a parent.
Next, since I decided running CAT-5 up through the ceiling would not be much of a problem, I didn’t get a system with wireless capabilities. I spent over six hours yesterday drilling a hole through an amazingly thick plaster and lathe wall and then discovering after far too much time in the attic crawl-space that I was not going to be able to run the cable up into my attic office without having the cable run through the center of my daughter’s room.
After consulting with my brother-in-law, I conceded defeat and went to Best Buy and picked up a USB receiver for my router. While I was there I picked up a few other “essentials”.
For this weekend I wanted a pass on a few link Carlos sent to me. They are just “dripping” with kewl stuff.
For some killer tips on videography:
plus great tips on storytelling from www.poynter.org:
* http://www.poynter.org/column
* http://www.poynter.org/column
* http://www.poynter.org/column
Thanks Carlos. Enjoy
The Mass Revealed via India, Rome, and Atlanta
July 2nd, 2007 by Michael KreidlerI had a meeting the other day with Jim Dubos. He is doing incredible video, audio, and print work via his non-profit - Thy Kingdom Come, Inc. The production values of his content are just awesome. I was so pleased he was willing to take some time with me and my business partner to discuss a new project we are working on.
He is an unassuming gentleman, but brimming with a vast experience that seems well beyond his years. I wanted to sit at his feet all day and just glean knowledge. He was so generous with his time and know-how. I left the meeting with my head spinning with new ideas and approaches. We hope to have the first iteration of our project out within the month, so keep your eyes open. I hope it is something of interest to you all.
I digress. I suggest you get your hands on the Mass Revealed. It is an awesome video. I have not yet made my way through the Audio CD, but am looking forward to that. I will probably need to rip it to my iPod if I have any expectation of listening to it. My wife and I have been redoing our offices over the last few days, and so things are a bit chaotic.
Jim tells me the Spanish language version will be out in September. It appears he could use some help getting the word out to the Spanish speaking communities not only in the US, but in other countries as well. If you want to help get the word out, just contact them.
An interesting story about “running into” Jim on the web. Recently I posted on a Thai media guru who spoke to a Catholic conference outside of Bankok. I found the article on an Indian website - theindiancatholic.com. While on the site, I looked around a bit, and saw a link to a story about The Mass Revealed. I clicked and found an interview Jim Dubos had with the Catholic news organization based out of Rome - Zenit.
A short time later I was sitting at Applebees outside Atlanta, GA, having lunch with him, discussing his projects, and asking advice on my own. A very interesting trip around the world with Jim Dubos. It was a trip that was worth every mile.
Note: After posting this, I came across a preview of the video on YouTube:
US surfers flock to online video
June 20th, 2007 by Michael KreidlerAn article from vnunet.com about online viewing of video:
Daily use of online video rose by 56 per cent over the past year, according to the online Magid Media Futures survey conducted over the last week in March in the US.Nine per cent of 12 to 64 year-old Americans who used the internet in 2006 reported using online video daily. This number has now risen to 14 per cent.
Weekly use of online video has also risen over the past year. A majority of online Americans aged 12 to 64 are now using online video once a week or more. In 2006 this number was 44 per cent, rising to 52 per cent this year.
Among young adult males aged 18 to 24, 35 per cent report using online video at least once a day, and 80 per cent report watching online video at least once a week. Among females aged 18 to 24, weekly use of online video is 53 per cent. [More…]
Well, it looks like online video is on the rise. What impact do you think this will have on your podcasting. Will you move over to video? Are you likely to supplement you podcast with a video?
I’m interested in knowing your thoughts.
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The Future Of Online Video Advertising For Online Marketers
June 12th, 2007 by Michael KreidlerIt has been one of those days where I feel like the phone is growing out of my ear. I am tired and was not looking to have my mind blown. This came close.
There is a powerful revolution going on and those who do not catch the wave are likely to be left high and dry.
This posting is from the Search Engine Journal and is specifically about a clever online campaign. More broadly, however, it is about the future.
At the Future of Online Advertising convention in New York last week, a commercial was shown to the attendees to show the power in YouTube of not only delivering traffic, but branding as well.
There will be a growing number of opportunities of marketers in the online video space as the net and its technology evolves, and that’s really one place we’re headed now, besides the virtual online world. [More…]
Please take a look at the page and the videos. It is a great example of getting a message out in a simple yet extremely effective way. Can we call it evangelization?
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Do Schools Kill Creativity?
June 5th, 2007 by Michael KreidlerYouTube Catholics: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
May 22nd, 2007 by Michael KreidlerThere is a good article in The National Catholic Register. It discusses the various uses of Catholic media in the Church in the United States. One segment states:
[I]t’s the medium’s advantages that have people such as Atlanta couple Greg and Jennifer Willits excited. They are trying to capitalize on the advantages of online video by using YouTube to evangelize. They hope to catch non-Catholics or lapsed Catholics unawares.
The Willits first began podcasting in 2005. Working with podcasting priest Father Roderick Vonhögen, the Willitses raised $50,000 in order to launch an online video series to teach the faith. The result is the humorous yet reverent “That Catholic Show“. [More…]
“That Catholic Show” is a well-produced video series. I would like to interview the Willits about it in the future for a podcast. They deserve the kudos they are receiving.
I do take exception to a bit of shallow reporting done by Tim Drake. He writes:
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Cardinal Justin Rigali became the first Church leader to make regular use of YouTube. Every week of Lent, Cardinal Rigali presented a weekly two- to four-minute video reflection on the Gospels called “Living Lent.”
“Cardinal Rigali’s first video received 3,000 hits in 24 hours,” said Palmo, a Philadelphia resident. “It was one of the five most-watched videos on YouTube. The archdiocese was stunned by the response.”
The article goes on to site the fact there there have been over 30,000 downloads of the series combined. Pretty good. Right?
Well, on one hand yes, but if you scratch the surface a bit you get a different story. According to YouTube’s own statistics, the first of Archbishop Rigali’s reflections has been viewed a total of 20,849 times. This means the remaining twelve episodes share the remaining 10,000 views. This is an average of just over 833 views per episode. Still, even this paints a rosy picture.
The real story here is how terribly the show is doing. Yes, it is true there have been 30,000 downloads, but let’s take a look at the stats on all of the shows through Lent and up until Good Friday:
1st Sunday Lent 20,849 views
2nd Sunday Lent 4,632
3rd Sunday Lent 1,904
4th Sunday Lent 1,293
5th Sunday Lent 890
Palm Sunday 1048
Holy Week Special 236
Holy Thursday 175
Good Friday 236
You get the idea. The stats for the last two in the series have been in the low double digits.
My point here is not to just bash a well-intentioned video series, but as the question as to why the show has lost 99.9% of its audience (20,849 down to 21) since it’s inception on February 21, 2007?
I look at the numbers and recognize there was definitely a pent-up demand for good Catholic content. I interpret following the numbers as evidence that whatever the viewers were look for, they did not find it with Archbishop Rigali’s video series.
I also note that “That Catholic Show’s” (TCS) week 2 numbers were half those of week 1. I believe it is too early to identify trends with TCS, though it is clear there is a definite one for Archbishop Rigali’s. Frankly, the show is in Hospice, but I would guess, the producers of the show don’t recognize that yet.
This of course begs the question, ‘What is it Catholic viewers are looking for online?’ I don’t have the answer. I’d like to hear your insights.
Studio Primers from Expert Village
May 15th, 2007 by Michael Kreidler
I happened upon a few descent resources at Expert Village. This is one of a slew of niche video sites that have been springing up over the years. This site concentrates on the advice of a range of experts. I was disappointed that there was nothing on podcast or field recording, but some of the stuff in the Music section turned out to be pretty good.
The first video series I took a look at was entitled “How to Build a Home Recording Studio“. It is a 15 video series, but don’t let that put you off, the videos tended to be under 2 minutes. In the series, producer Arie Pytel provides a primer on a wide variety of studio basics. Many of these topics are applicable to podcasters as well. Topics such as choosing a mic, studio software, studio computers, equipment connections, mic connections and more were very interesting.
My main beef with the series is the fact Arie Pytel didn’t mic himself when doing the series. It is obvious he used the video mic to capture the sound. As a result, the sound is thin and tinny. This really pushed my buttons during his discussion of microphones.
There are others in the music section of Expert Village you’d want to check out. Some of the content has to be ‘converted’ for podcast use. Think of taking a look at the following:
Tad Donley : How to Set Up a Home Recording Studio: Free Online Music Production Tips
Matt Bodi : Building a Professional Recording Studio :: Professional Tips and Advice
Jesus Cardoso : Techniques for a Music Producer: Using Home Recording Studio Equipment
All of these have certain nuggets in their series. Each subject in the series is titled and so you have a general idea of what will be covered. Generally, each video lasts around 2:00 - 2:30. What I got out of the various series is how much I want/need a dedicated space to do my recording and post-production.
Sigh. Hopefully soon.