A demonstration of how images make video blogs better…
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Where is the “how to” part? The title is a bit misleading.
I like it. The pictures do wonders for making it way more effective.
Great job, CT! I’ve been pondering doing a video post once in a while here on Blogging Tips, but I see you have beat me to it.
@Deaf Musician: How to use images isn’t the same as how to add them or insert them, which would be difficult to cover since there are many video editing applications and web services out there. I see your point, but there’s more than one way to understand the word “use” in this case. No doubt, other people are thinking of it in the same way you were.
Great video CT. It highlights how a few pics can really change how you view a video.
Interesting video, CT.
I have to say though (and this is purely constructive criticism), the whole editing thing where you say each sentence and then edit it together isn’t nice. You’re certainly not the first. I see it everywhere, and the lack of fluid speech and the head that is close up to the screen for the first half of the sentence and a few meters away for the second half is just plain annoying.
I know it’s hard, because I’ve done a couple of video blogs, but do try and record it all in one go so the video and speech is fluid. It is *so* much better.
Apart from that… good job!
@ Deaf Musician, I think Michael pretty much understood where I was going with the title. I thought of this problem, but just wasn’t sure how else to go about naming it. I’m just trying to show people how they can “employ” images to break up the talking-head effect.
@ Jamie Harrop, I’ve actually echoed a similar sentiment (http://www.bloggingtips.com/2007/10/12/video-blogging-not-made-for-tv/), but I still disagree with you. I think that the talking-head effect defeats much of the purpose of having a multi-media channel at you disposal. Anything over a minute/minute-and-a-half, I think, is hard to watch if there’s not visual effects.
Oh, I fully agree that the visual effects should be there, CT, it’s just the constant edits/cuts of the head when you are shown talking that is distracting.
I know some people manage to work the movement of the body well so it looks good when its close up as well as far away, but in your example, because you have recorded each sentence in different shots, it becomes distracting.
I fully agree that visual aids should be used, but recording the audio in one go would make the times when the head is visible a whole lot smoother.
I hope that makes sense.
Interesting post. Thanks to you!