New Youtube Channel Notes

I started a new Youtube channel to place videos about fishing and live bait fishing in particular. Its The Mullet Run on Youtube, and I wont bore you with the fishing stuff, just gonna focus on the new Channel and what approaches me and my crew are taking to get the channel out there and to get as many quality subscriptions we can. Something worked, cause this week Youtube notified me that The Mullet Run Channel was the #29th Most Subscribed Reporter channel for the week.

Youtube's Featured Videos Add Hits

I was going over my Youtube Insight numbers and noticed a few big spikes in views, and it turns out it was because the Youtube engine decided to "Feature" a couple of the videos. I'm not talking about getting on the front page like Hank Green and other mega popular Tubers. I mean the Featured feature that sits atop of the related videos on the right hand side of the player page.I really have no idea how why those two videos were suddenly promoted to featured status but I will take. This is why its a good idea to keep up old videos. About a month ago I thought about pruning some of the weaker performing videos from my channel. Turns out thats not always a good idea. For example: Fishing Report Captain Jeff is a video I uploaded in January of 2009 and it wasn't really getting to many hits, maybe 10 a day. Now that it is a featured video of mine, and it shows up at the top of related videos, the video jumped to get up to 50 views a day. I was able to see this because I check the box that says I want to see Youtube Insight results on my homepage.

Youtube Moderator - What is it?

Youtube rolled out a new feature called Youtube Moderator and says it enables real time feedback from your audience. And its about starting a conversation. I cant really figure out its purpose. The best i can guess it that it allows you to crowd source suggestions, ideas, and responses from the audience, and it also incorporates a Digg like thumbs up or thumbs down voting system. Based on the popularity and scope up the thumbs up votes, Youtube can make certain discussions popular or featured.

Ok here is the deal. Its a locked system that requires you to link your Youtube account with a Google account. That kinda sucks because its just an extra hoop to jump through and as we know nobody wants to stop and re-register or whatever. Even still I'm happy to test dummy this MF'er to figure out if it is really gonna have any value for a normal Youtuber. Of course it will work for Shane Dawson or Onision who are gonna get 45,000 remarks a day no matter what system Youtube throws into their sandbox, but is there any real value for a normal Youtuber that doesn't have a million subscribers?

You can check out my Youtube Channel and play with my Moderator thing.

Follow me on Youtube and Twitter.

Happy Birthday YouTube You're 5

Can you believe its been 5 years? Crazy. 10 years ago I was still cutting 16mm motion picture films and trying to get into film festivals, and failing. And even if you did get in, you were gonna get at the most a dozen film nerds to maybe look at what you shot. Thankfully that system died. Youtube changed all of that. Now anybody could get thousands, even millions of views. Be sure to check out the 5 Year Youtube page and see some of the videos of the SuperTubers. Those arent the only stories. Make your story and upload it.

Youtube Update - Unlisted Videos

This week Youtube rolled a small update to the Privacy control of users uploaded videos. The new feature is called Unlisted Videos. In the check box where you used to just be able to designate a video for public or private distribution, users can now opt into Unlisted Videos. Basically it means that viewers need a direct link to watch a particular video. The old way Youtube did this was to allow up to 25 people to be invited to watch a video. Now its link based meaning you can send the video to anyone and anyone that has the link can watch the video. Youtube cautions users to share Unlisted Video links only with people that they trust.

I see a huge possibility for generating Viral momentum via the link sharing. Unlisted Videos have the ability to create a demand for links beyong just stumbling onto someone's Youtube channel. You actually need the link. I predict the big power will use the Unlisted Video links like a ticket to exclusivity and these valuable video links will be in high demand. I already have a few videos that I will probably change to Unlisted. Got links?

Youtube Email Subscrition Alerts

Reading the Youtube Blog I found buried in last weeks posting a little note on Youtube Email Subscription Alerts. The posting doesn't really go into detail but basically it gives the subscriber the option of receiving an email alerting the subscriber that a YouTube channel has uploaded a new video.

From the YouTube Blog

Email Alerts: We're experimenting with a new form of subscription alerts. Now, when you subscribe to a channel (or edit your subscription to an existing channel), you can elect to receive an email the instant the person you're subscribed to uploads a new video. This will appeal to people who check their email more frequently than they log in to YouTube (though we've never heard of such people *wink*) but who also want to know immediately when their favorite content creators upload new work.

Thats it, no link to give further details. The keyword in the paragraph has to be the word "experimenting" YouTube like to do soft roll outs or limited releases on some features so it may just be a beta test, but I kinda like the idea as long as it is easily managed and easy to uncheck either on the homepage or within a click away from that. I sub around 200 channels, and some of those channels are power users that upload several new videos every day. I dont want my email box filling up with alerts from channels that I know update daily or almost daily. So lets hope that YouTube takes that into consideration when and if they roll out the new Alert model as a usable feature.

Lets face it YouTube hasn't made it the easiest way to find videos or follow or subscribe if you will to the smaller channels and filmmakers, vloggers, and videomakers that aren't power users or often featured on the front page. Its still hard for viewers new to YouTube to find buried content beyond the featured and front page videos. I would like to see YouTube open up a simple follow system like Facebook or Twitter that allowed viewers to show more or even hide channels or playlists with a small check box.

YouTube Channel Redesign

Youtube has been playing around with the look of their channel so I decided to make a couple quick and easy changes to my personal channel as well. I have no idea how to use Photoshop or any of the fancy illustration software packages that are out there. All I used was a simple App called Logo Studio. The results are what they are. I'm not a typesetter or a graphic designer but these limited changes I did only took about 15 minutes in total and I think it gives my Youtube channel a fresher look than it had before. I'll be watching the return numbers to see if the new look cause a significant increase in Subscriptions or views.

Youtube has also been rolling out alot of new features. There are 5 new languages available, easy share buttons to Blogger and Buzz, and a tweak to the Post a Bulletin feature that I haven't quite figured out how its actually any different than the previous version. Check out the YouTube Blog for yourself and get out there and make some videos.

Kodak Zi8 Test Miami B Roll

Well I finally stepped up to HD by way of the Kodak Zi8 video recorder. I posted a few test videos on the new Youtube channel, be sure to subscribe, its gonna be mostly techie videos and behind the scenes. I'm still testing the Zi8 and believe me I am really pushing the limits of what this camera was made and intended for. But hey, thats what we do right? If you cant wait for the full review, and need to know. Yes go get a Kodak Zi8 right now. Its like 200 bucks (I paid more) and it records 720 60fps om SD Cards and has a mic input. Sold. I will be posting more test videos and a full review. Remember I dont review gear, I just use it to the limit andd then report back. So go film something and get off the net.

Susan Boyle vs. Pit Bull on Youtube!

YOUTUBE just dropped 2009's most viewed videos the list is here. Susan Boyle and Pit Bull are at the tops of their charts. Youtube also posted the most popular search terms by month. All of the search terms are connected to popular culture topical fascination and specific events like Christian Bale, Michael Jackson and Kanye West. You get the idea. I guess we will see a whole bunch of new vloggers aand video makers trying to catch the tail of the Tiger, or whatever media obsession du jour.

New Social Features at YouTube

YouTube just rolled out some new features making it easier to connect with Yahoo and Facebook friends. Big whoop right, they also snuck in a few other minor tweaks like the ability to show off your total views on your channel page. I wouldnt recommend it unless you have a million views.

Youtube Channel Oranse

MOBILE VIDEOS ARE HUGE ON YOUTUBE

YOUTUBE BLOG - I know I'm a little late but the story remains the same even if the date has changed. No suprise, Mobile video is huge and the numbers are staggering, and its gonna get even bigger with the new iPhone 3GS. Its gonna be a great capture device and Im sure there will be tons of videos going viral, but most of these will be once in a lifetime videos, or what I like to call America's Funniest Home video moments. But what about created content. The pixel peepers are hell bent on making films with their Nikon D90's and Canon 5D MkII models, but these are still traditional devices in the sense that you must transfer the files, edit them and use a third party system to upload. Lets see what happens as more and more people can get their hands on camera devices that have built in Youtube connectivity, and lets see some good content!

YOUTUBE - POST VIDEO WITH ANDROID

YOUTUBE - Its 2008 all over again folks, the official Youtube blog has posted an article on how to use MMS to post video to Youtube, it involves a unique youtube address and requires a team of network engineers and social media experts, not really. No word on the Iphone tackling video anytime soon.

42nd St. and Youtube

Have you seen the utterly pathetic offering that Youtube is proud to announce? I know its only the first round of movies and shows, but most of them are really really bad, in the public domain, or just about unwatchable. Its like Youtube is now the $1.00 Closeout bin at the front of the video store. I'm not gonna bash Night of The Living Dead cause its one of my all time favorite films. But isn't it funny, that a movie that was made by friends in Pittsburgh for barely no money, went uber viral via drive in movie theaters and made gazillions before falling into Public Domain becaue of paper mistake is now being pimped by Google as blue ribbon content. There is irony there folks.

Bottom line, all we can do is keep making content. I'm not afraid of Dario Argento and his lilttle Giallo movies or any of that other trash that Youtube thinks is gonna pull its own weight. Cause its not. Its gonna sit there, unwatched but for a few fanboys of obscure Italian horror films. Trickle trickle trickle.

YOUTUBE IS CHANGING...

If you aren't following Alan Lastufka's Viral Video Wannabe Blog, you should. The last couple posts talk about some big changes coming to the Youtube site. Basically the redesign will push the big media companies to the front of the line and push the rest of us content creators to the back of the line. Lastufka recently applied the breaks a little bit and explained that he's been in contact with some folks at Youtube but he couldn't divulge the content of those conversations. Geez whats with all the secrecy. Whats the big secret? Youtube is losing over 100 million dollars a year. To make money Youtube has to do more than just partner with somebody yelling down the barrel of the lens, and since none of us has any money to promote our videos, Youtube has to take money from those that have it. Big Media.

What does this mean for us? I think its its great, because the creative freedom is still in our corner. Simply put, we as artists can do anything and say anything we want. Big Media can't. We can make episodes for nothing, no money, no production costs, no post production costs. Big Media can't. Yeah maybe it will be more difficult for new viewers and fans to stumble across our work, but the landscape is ever changing, and the good content will continue to go viral the old fashioned way, by word of mail or email or twitter.

So let the bean counters keep worrying week to week whether or not they will have jobs. We keep making it rain tapes.

FRED Hits 1,000,000 Subscribers!?

YOUTUBE BLOG - Youtube blogged congratulations to FRED on getting one million subscribers. Reading the comments most of the Tubers are pissed off haters, and there are claims of Youtube favoritism and cheating but I dont know about any of that stuff, aas I'm not one of the million subscribers. Haters will hate. But I'll tell you who is really hating this, is the Main Stream Media - The networks and studios that are trying to gain traction online and can't get a million subscribers but some kid with a camcorder and a couple effects can? And worse, FRED's viewers, the younger generation, belong to the demographic that the Media and its advertisers covet the most. So congrats to Youtube, and congrats to Fred. I don't know if those types of numbers translate into development deals with studios or not, but I know one thing. Hollywood is watching these numbers, and are scratching their bald heads.

VIRAL VIDEOTECH UPDATES

CHRISTOPHER AVE - Tips for recording better voiceovers and interview audio.

TWIP - Basics of Light revisited.

DPS - The Art of Panning. (for stills but principles also apply to video)

YOUTUBE - Vancouver Film School Youtube Scholarship

VIDEOTECH UPDATE | YOUTUBE BEGS FOR LOVE

YOUTUBE BLOG - Just checked out the Youtube blog and Youtube are asking Youtubers and Partners to create original videos hat explain the extended set of Youtube features. I dont really even know what this means, but they have a video example by LisaNova talking about how she couldnt exist without the subscription feature. They go on to explain the best videos made about the features with be embeded on the front page incuded in the Help section and that should get them some serious traction. I dont really have an opinion on the exercise, and probably wont make a video about my favorite Youtube feature button but it could be a great way for the right videomaker to gain some exposure on the overcrowded Tube. Its also a good starting point if you want to make videos but dont know what subject to tackle on video.

VIDEOTECH LINKS

Short on time today as we are shooting a new series so here are a few links to check out.

CONSUMER VIDEO TIPS - Do You Want Better Audio on Canon 5D mkII?

NEWS VIDEOGRAPHER - Thorough Review of SONY HVR - Z5U Camcorder.

VIRAL VIDEO WANNABE - Win a Copy of Alan Lastufkas's Book: YOUTUBE AN INSIDERS GUIDE TO CLIMBING THE CHARTS.

TWITTER - Follow @David Lynch

DPS - Leica C-Lux 3 review (Another promise of HD video in a Point and Shoot)

VIDEOTECH UPDATES

TECHCRUNCH - CAN VIRAL VIDEOS BE REPEATED? Techcrunch takes a look at the Evolution of Dance videos and how the success of the videos affects each other. Since the videos are related the success of the 2nd EOD video is actually increasing the growth of the first video. The comments also have some good stuff.

YOUTUBE HOME PAGE GOES HD - Just click to view in High Quality.

VIRAL VIDEOTECH UPDATES

YOUTUBE - For some of the nerds out there that drink and comment this is probably a good thing. Youtube will now allow users to delete their own comments. For those times when you just wish you could take that back. Youtube is Social, and commenting on videos is an effective way of reaching out to other Youtubers. Now you can go back and erase all that crap you were talking.


CONSUMERVIDEOTIPS - WHICH VIDEO ACCESSORIES DO YOU NEED? - Scott blogged about the items you will need when you are just starting to build your video package. He's got some great suggestions. I added a few to the comments on his blog. Check em out.


REELSEO has a collection of links on how to maximize your videos for sharing and Youtube. I'm weary of so called Video SEO's but this seems like a good list of tips you can do on your own, let me know how it works out.