First up in the Summer of Projects, a 100 Comments challenge. Here’s the goal: take the question from the post, and respond with thoughtful comments that are hopefully of use to others.
The trick: invite people from YOUR blog, and from YOUR circle to come and add to the comment stream by writing a quick blog post on your site linking back to this (and other) 100 Comments posts. Once we have 100 useful comments, we move on to another post on another site. Thus, when THIS post is full, someone else will start up a 100 Comments question to be answered. One last thing: add a tag of 100comments (no spaces) to every 100comments post.
The Question
This comes from Laura Fitton of Pistachio Consulting:
Why does some video content grab viewers by the throat, compel them to watch
and then suck their mouse towards the bookmark/email/blog about link?
How do we get us some of that mojo for our productions?
So, let’s head to the comments section and come up with something thoughtful. (Oh, and you can now “subscribe” to comments and be notified of what gets added after your comment. Click the subscribe button below the comment window).
Photo credit, Reza Vaziri
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Cause the content resonates with me in some way, based on my tastes.
Web video content, perhaps more so than other content, is very personal. Because we watch, usually, by ourselves, on a small screen, often listening on headphones, we respond well to one face talking to us or to one voice narrating a simple scene. We trust the duration will be brief, that there will be a well-structured point, that we will gain by taking the few moments to watch and listen. When the video delivers, when we gain a valuable insight, learn a helpful lesson, get a good laugh or experience beauty, our trust is honored. We feel satisfied. If the means to share is intuitive, we’ll gladly do it, so our friends may benefit and appreciate us for having provided a service.
I think humor works most f0r me in terms of something I want to share. I’m only likely to pass on a serious-toned instructional or educational video to someone I’m just about positive will benefit from it, but if it’s funny I’m more likely to send it on to people.
The humor can have a point, of course, and it doesn’t have to be “falling out of my chair funny,” but a light-hearted approach puts me in a good mood and a mood to share that with others.
Speaking as a biologist, part of it is evolutionary - our eyes are drawn to movement (more than colour which we see better when we’re looking straight at something) - and we’re drawn to observe potential threats and potential rewards.
Tigers, dragons and other “visceral fear” responses, and sexually attractive humans are both good for this. Esso used tigers, Frosties used tigers and children (also an attention grabber), and “sex sells” is as old as the hills.
These things grab most of us hard, then the intellectual stuff “It will be over in a minute” etc. kicks in I suspect.
I think viral videos resonate because they have something obvious and simple that appeals to the everyman: slapstick comedy, cute fuzzies, or some sort of emotional message that almost anyone can relate to.
Voyeurism also seems to play a huge part. I’m not sure why the banal everyday seems to be so fascinating, but maybe it’s because we’re tired of being spoon-fed the shiny slickness of mass media. Or maybe the realness is just familiar and comfortable and lets us feel like a part of something.
I’m looking for:
(1) Investigative reporting that presents a an accurate (and often shocking) view of events thta are not adequately covered in the mainstream media.
(2) How-to videos that demonstrate something that can’t be explained clearly enough without video.
(3) Offbeat events, situations, and comedy that others have been talking about.
To me, the reason some online videos grab us is no different than why some more traditional video experience (movies & TV) compel us to watch and tell our friends. Online video is inherently more “sharable” than traditional, so it takes much less effort to tell all of your friends.
The second part of the questions asks how content providers can create videos that we, the viewers, want to share. That’s a tall order, as everyone’s triggers are tripped by different things. Some of the most “viral” of videos I’m not a fan of, and I’m guilty of sharing things with others that cause them to look at me like the RCA dog. In my mind, it remains a uniquely personal experience that is sometimes resonant to the proclivities of many others. I’ll staunchly stand by my position that content creators should strive to create the very best content that they like as their primary goal. It’s difficult to judge what everyone wants, but you should have a pretty good handle on what you want.
I suspect that different video resonates with different people for different reasons, so instead of trying a blanket explanation, let me focus in on one aspect that I have noticed a lot of.
I’ve seen a lot of video that has relevance to a person’s life get bookmarked and forwarded. It has to take a piece of the viewer’s life, and then portray it strongly, either in farce or in drama.
For example, my wife and mother-in-law for the last 4 years have been buiding a business where their main sales platform is the internet, and shipping products is a fact of every day life. For a long time while they were working out the best ways to create a shipping workflow, it was very stressful for them. Take the orders; correctly assemble and package the orders; correctly label the packages with the right addresses and shipping labels; and getting it all done before the drop-off closed (or later, before the truck arrived for pick-up). Any step along the way consisted of a failure to some degree, and some mistakes were costlier than others.
During that time, nary a day went by when Fed-Ex’s commercial “Doomed” wasn’t played. It hit their needs directly and made light of what was otherwise a very serious situation by putting things in perspective. The video isn’t up on FedEx’s site anymore, but you can still find it on YouTube.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NmZRDUO1wGQ
Bottom line, I suppose, is that sometimes you’ve just got to be able to look at something and point and yell to other people, “Hey! That’s us!”
I look at a LOT of Internet video. It’s part of my job, and beyond that, it’s something I’m passionate about. What really keeps my interest is probably a little different than others, because I like watching a SERIES of video, or watching someone grow over time.
To that end, series like JETSET turn me on, because I feel that Steve and Zadi have really amped up their efforts. Ditto Galacticast. They’re GROWING each episode.
Beyond that, when discovering new stuff, or watching a unisode (to use Jeff Pulver’s word), I guess what catches me is something that I feel a relationship with, an attraction. When I share a video on my site, it’s because it’s touched my thoughts and sensibilities.
Most recently, I put up a video about how silly Second Life is when acted out by people in Real Life. It went EVERYWHERE. I got pingbacks from all kinds of friends. Why did they share it? Because those of us who don’t really do well in Second Life felt a common bond with the video’s premise of how awkward we all are there.
Video that connects me to a feeling or builds a relationship is what holds me the longest.
short innovative video, strong hook, pro actors good production human story that can pull people in and leave them wanting more and admiring the inventiveness
Video content- intelligent humor with reasonable production quality is key for me.
I think two things do it for me. One, it has to connect me to the person. Usually a person I’m already interested in. But if it’s the first one I’ve seen of there’s then hopefully it grabs me enough to subscribe to.
The second thing that a video could have to really get my attention is capturing a moment. So many great videos are made when someone just happen to have a camera out at that exact moment. Whether it something planned or something just happened by accident; 5 secs to 5 mins it’s all about whats going on at that moment.
Those are the two types of videos that make me bookmark, fav it, share it. It’s what I strive for with everyone of my videos I put out.
Because I laugh out loud or go oooh and ahhh, and then immediately want to share it with my friends. I then think who will have the same visceral experience as I did, and blog it, email link, del.icio.us it, or all three.
Of course this is just saying the same thing as the basic description. We are dealing with an experience that people have, which is relevant in some way, and profound at some level.
Something new in a new way or told in a new way. New new new.
Bleu and Jason hit on the everyman quality and the strong hook. Good points.
For me, an online video works if it surprises me, delights me or amazes me.
So, go do something surprising, delighting or amazing, in a way that isn’t cliched, and you stand a chance at getting my attention. Since countless companies have been routinely failing to do that in their traditional advertising campaigns, I’m not spending a lot of time waiting for a flood of commercial videos that blow me away.
Take chances. Aim for the niche, not the mass market. Do something fun. Do something daring. Let talented people try new things, even if they’re not as technically skilled as the pro down the street. Be willing to target your inner child. Then you might get past the impulse to copy what’s worked for someone else.
In my mind, the best video uses storytelling conventions that, while evolved and refined over the years, have remained largely constant since the pioneering efforts of the likes of Sergei Eisenstein in the early 20th century.
Motion pictures, film, video - however you describe this medium - it’s a medium of emotion. There is a grammar to film, and it’s structure, puntuation, and style are all tools that can be used to convey meaning and heighten emotion. A good visual storyteller can make an audience laugh or cry, make them feel anger or fear.
At every step of the production process, these gramatical conventions can and should be used with purpose. Lens focal length, aperture framing, lighting, and camera angle are some of the tools that empower the storyteller in the acquistion process. Dialectic montage, pacing, music, natural sound, and narration are important parts of the post-production toolkit.
With the advent of democratized, conversational media, we’ve entered an era where anyone can be a publisher. In this bi-directional communications construct, a new breed of audience seeks a one to one connection.
I believe traditional film storytelling tools can be applied to this new paradigm. By combining the best techniques and practices of traditional one to many, with the intimacy of one to one, or many to many conversation, new visual storytellers will engage audiences and build community. Those who understand this, I belive, will be the winners creating the most compelling content.
I think something it’s about being different, unique and remarkable.
Like Seth Godin says, if you’re driving and you see a cow along the side of the road, you’re unlikely to stop. If you see a purple cow, however, you’re probably going to go “wow”, and stop and take photos and tell your friends about it. It’s remarkable, because it’s different and unique.
Same goes for videos. If it’s unique, and something that nobody has seen before, it will strike a chord. It will make people think. And to quote Paul Arden (in his book Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite), “The effort of coming to terms with things you do not understand makes them all the more valuable to you when you do grasp them.”
It’s all about being different, and challenging mindsets.
Derrick, a good visual storyteller can “paint” that regular cow purple. ;-)
It seems like there’s always somebody better than you, right?
Turn on your radio today and you’ll hear digitally pitch perfect DJ’s playing sonically-engineered super-hits. Turn on the television, and you’ll see drop-dead fuckable celebrities speaking only the wittiest, perfect words. They never cough, cry or show weakness. And film is their tyrant king, spending millions of dollars a minute to bring you the most heavily produced, profitable 90 minutes they can.
In the old world, we as consumers looked up to these giants as if they were gods. We’re told that our music is insignificant if it isn’t on the radio, and it’s okay not to be a real doctor, as long as you play one on TV. We even let our actors play politics. The media was a VIP Club for only our best and brightest humans.
Not anymore.
The internet has taken its place alongside the Railroad and the Revolver as the great equalizer of humans. We don’t need the old media, we don’t need their TVs or their Radio stations or even their pungent, poorly managed video stores. We got your text, we got your sound, and now we got your video, too. Are you scared yet?
So, what is it about this new age of video that is so enthralling? Truth is, nothing.
That feeling of “whoa, cool!” is just the old ways, fighting to save their throne. They want you to think video is extra special, they want you to think that it takes somebody pretty smart to shoot that video, and it takes somebody pretty attractive and witty to stand in front of the camera, and they want you to think that its real hard to put it all together. There were thousands of barriers to keep you off camera, away from the microphone, and firmly in line to buy whatever product they were pushing.
But web video is different. We aren’t special. We aren’t cool and we certainly aren’t celebrities. We’re just like you. We are not talking heads or Hollywood behemoths syphoning you culture in exchange for your hard earned money. We’re just here to give the information. Me, I do news. Others do tech, comedy, cartoons, documentaries. Everything!
We waste our time trying to dissect the finer points of WHY something is the way it is. It doesn’t matter. If you want video, make video. It’s as simple as that.
Don’t bother trying to psychoanalyze exactly what about video content it is that drives people. That’s just the old ways, telling you there’s something magic and special about it.
There’s nothing special! It’s not rocket science and it’s not a gnostic art. It’s moving pictures! Now get rolling…
Always always always always leave them wanting more.
Follow-up to my own comment above — we do this by keeping our work short and to the point, and always having some kind of call to action integrated into the video.
I watch because it’s relevant. Mainstream media can’t involve itself in new media the same way online content creators can (yet) because they’re not set up that way.
With millions of content creators, someone is always hitting that meme that is relevent to me and the people around me and gets me thinking about new ideas I want to add to the conversation.
Constant many-to-many communication causes ideas to tip faster and videos if relevant to current ideas spread across the multiplying communication outlets.
p.s. I was directed to this blog post by twitter and commennting by blackberry on the Lucky Star from New York to Boston
I watch because it’s relevant. Mainstream media can’t involve itself in new media the same way online content creators can (yet) because they’re not set up that way.
With millions of content creators, someone is always hitting that meme that is relevent to me and the people around me and gets me thinking about new ideas I want to add to the conversation.
Constant many-to-many communication causes ideas to tip faster and videos if relevant to current ideas spread exponentially across the multiplying communication outlets.
p.s. I was directed to this blog post by twitter and I’m commennting by blackberry on the Lucky Star from New York to Boston
Many of the responses here accurately capture the reasons why videos capture us.
For me, it has always been about connecting to human emotion. While I may be lured in by pretty pixels, I stay because I become part of the work and it becomes part of me. It expresses a part of the soul that I either accept or hide.
It’s all about emotion, whether it be good or bad. Video that doesn’t spark some sort of emotion doesn’t get fully watched and doesn’t get linked too. I would like to ask these questions of everybody who produces video: What emotion are you trying to spark with your video? Laughter? Happyness? Sadness? Anger? Make sure your video sparks some sort of emotion that sucks your viewers in!!!
-Jeff O’Hara
http://blog.zemote.com
grey,pink,red,green,orange,yellow,podcasting,videoblogging are the new BLACK. Fashion lines are obsolute, you are assessed on your ability to be personable to excite me, to strike up a conversation from your neck of the woods, to make me identify with your sole, what makes you tick. I watch and consume because secretly deep down in my sub strata i have the human desire to reach out and touch and be touched by others at different times of my day and at different places in my life journey.
Make yourself known. Dont point score, share in the talents we have as unique creators of our own realitys. Spread the love. Drop someone an email or comment today.
Oh, and i think that comments should be built *INTO* the quicktime player, the flash player and anything else that PLAYS media. When a video ends i should be able to say something - RIGHT THERE.
Per Why I disagree with Chris Brogan on the 100 Comments Project:
Maybe in this case more isn’t better. Maybe a little tweak Chris: see if you can get 100 people to go out and find at least one new voice and leave them a comment and/or link to them. Then trackback to a new post of yours Chris, so we can tell your big audience about all the newly discovered ideas.
It’s a way to merge your tremendous reach with my idea of discovery and intimacy.
Any takers?
I watch things I can relate to. Sometimes humorous, sometimes informational, and usually things TV would not have the interest or time to show.
I comment either to thank the person who provided the information, or to praise the quality of their work. Sometimes to ask a question, or to offer additional information.
I keep hearing that network TV folks are trying to create online content so they can be cool and get in on this new Internet video thing. They are assuming that people prefer watching things online to watching them on TV. That’s a bad assumption. People prefer relevant, interesting content (regardless of venue or production quality) over the drivel the networks produce.
Things like HGTV and Animal Planet qualify as relevant and interesting (for me). “Reality” shows (whose reality is that, anyway?), game shows, dramas, soap operas, and sit-coms are drivel.
I look at it as the same way I look at making films or writing screenplays. In order to know what grab the viewers, you must know what they like and relate it to what you like. Then you listen and watch as many podcast/videocast/vlogs as you can and see what it is that brings the viewer back for more. Now to make it something that is unique to you, you must put your own twist to it and everyone has a twist you just need to take time to find it. Also just like any creative community you must try and interact with those that have connected to the viewer. Sometimes the best work that has ever came out any creativity has been between partners. Know what works, know who is making it work, and find out what to add to make it even better.
I think that if your doing your videocast on a subject/topic you feel strong and passionate it comes across to the viewers. If that happens there is a connection.
A lot of video content is crapola. I especially think these talking head videos are mostly a strip tease for exibitionist nerds.
Though I do think the ones that are well done- an actual story plus production value keep my attention. The only ustream I really enjoy is the one of the bird feeder. I could do without watching Chris Pirillo eating corn flakes.
I havent really run into many that grab me by my by the throat. (love to hear some examples
http://www.twitter.com/mmcallen)
The way to get the mojo is the story to make it compelling not ego centric crapola.
Humour is the biggest hook. That being said, the only time I really look at You Tube, (Is that what it is you’re talking about specifically? Or do you mean any video content in general?) Is at 0200 at work ( I ‘m a Nurse) . We are looking for a laugh, because EVERYTHING is so much funnier at 0200.
a unique Point of View. Ze Frank was not technically advanced, nor was he especially attractive, however he did possess a point of view and a cornucopia of ideas vast enough to be the only show i watched religiously.
I do watch several other shows consistently like Galacticast, Ask a Ninja, Can We Do That and Mr. Diety. they all execute genuine, effective comedy.
The only other vlog i check with consistency is Clintus from I do it Digital. The reason there is…i shared a few drinks with him and I like the guy.
REASONS: Personal Interest, Humor, Unique POV.
people are visual. blogs are fantastic, but video transcends. even the idea of video is compelling. wouldn’t it be interesting if some of the most popular bloggers did even a weekly video chat?
face to face will beat the internet any day. thats what podcamp taught me. its people. video is a stopgap for not being able to be in person.
that last comment sets up my advice (hit enter too fast)
- Don’t give everything away. Build a relationship with your viewers.
- When something flubs production, be transparent. As transparent as possible.
- Read the comments and feedback. Take both good and bad seriously, don’t take either TOO seriously though.
One overlooked ingridient in that MOJO is called audio/sound design. To really get your message across audio and video has to work together as a whole. It is really worth the extra money to let a soundsperson/composer build audio to the content even for an 11 sec trailer. Nowadays when music is almost regarded as free content many people throw away their expensive video productions while forgetting/saving on the audio side. The audio production should work together with video from start. It is time to have inhouse sound designers on board at the production companies.
For me - good story, cliffhanger at the end, impressive first 30 seconds, clear context WITHIN the video (I don’t want to read anything about the show - watch and understand).
Here are some of the opinions i’ve got in my blog:
http://pravdam.com/2007/05/16/the-secrets-of-a-good-fiction-web-show-i-the-plot/
Also, though i was a great believer in production value, after seeing ScobleShow, i believe that good content will be consumed, no matter what.
Universally understood and transportable themes seem to catch me if their is an underlying thought. Twisted endings and cliffhangers are possible if you are convinced by the characters circumstance. You need some one to love, whether cute and fuzzy or virtuous, and someone to hate, dislike, or not approve of. If people don’t look like they are acting and it seems like I am privy to viewing the circumstance, the feelings are more intense about the scene. Mind you, circle circle dot dot had me mesmerized on you tube. Ahem….
Everybody seems to have an “I hate it when” rant that goes on in convoluted twists and turns but some, the ones that have connectable substance are thought provoking. Just my $1/50!!
Cheers
I like videos that ask questions and start a conversation but don’t really fill in the punchline.
Less is more and when you allow a thought to belong to someone else through what you create then I think they are more likely to want to involve others in the conversation.
When the producer understands the content and the context there is synergy. So if possible make content about things you, the producer, knows or from the angle you know.
Research the content if possible, look for similar content and follow up on the response trail, trust your gut, if it is boring to you it probably is to others.
Oh and Hi Chris, I keep running into you all over the web!
I think this is a hard answer to narrow down. The video would appeal to different people for different reasons, so there’s not one answer fits all.
Some may click the share button because of how good it is, while others may share it because of how stupid it is.
The title has GOT to catch their attention in the first place as well, just for the video to be viewed.
I think that if the title of the video and the content of the video are dead matches and it’s a good video, the viewer would watch it to the end and then share it.
I don’t think there’s one definitive answer
First, we all need to carefully re-read Jim Long’s advice on camera work. Jim does this for a living, and he is an amazing resource for us!
Second, I focus on small business, so I see video as a tool to use on your site, more useful as standalone than as a repeating serial. To me, the mojo is in a video that helps a customer make a purchase, or builds a customer relationship.
Besides my own ramblings on this subject, Chris Punke has very useful thoughts, too.
How to get some of that mojo… Well honestly don’t think everyone can. I don’t believe everyone can successfully and interestingly express themselves in every medium. Good and gripping are all very subjective terms and influenced heavily by individuals cultural and personality filters.
Ok, I’m not sure how much I have to add here but here we go. What makes the difference is awareness.
People watch and share videos for different reasons. Maybe it is an interest they have, maybe it was a clever way of presenting things, maybe it just made them feel strongly good/bad/angry/involved/impassioned. Are you aware of what it is about your video that would make someone interested?
By being aware of what people are focused on, or what people in the group you are aiming at are focused on you can get a feel for what will draw them in.
When filming awareness of what effect you are looking for and and what you are putting on the screen can make a difference in the effectiveness of your video. Quick cuts from different angles gives energy, but might not be so great for a romantic love scene. Pets might draw viewers in but if you want people to focus on the speaker having a dog playing in the background isn’t going to help.) And be aware of what is on the whole picture (that’s why backdrops can be great) The place I first became aware of this was taking photos. I would be focused on what my subject was, but not on the surroundings - then I would look at the picture and go “Oh look, a curtain rod in the middle of the lines of that menorah, ok that picture is useless”
Awareness of the components craft of making video/film can change the quality of your picture. Lights, the sound, the ambient noise, expected noise (foley). And you can fake it a lot of the time. I know my lighting is usually awful, but I can get a half decent 3 point lighting with two clip on lights from Costco and a two part reflective sunshade. This isn’t to say I wouldn’t like the Lowel light kit that is on my wish list, but it is a step up with the material I have. Foley editing can be fun - we made a short that had a fight scene where a guy’s neck is broken, a paper bag being crunched at the right time had everyone grabbing their necks. Knowing what you want can get you half way to having what you want within your budget.
Are you aware of the resources you have, people who would love to help? People with natural talents in the areas you could use help with. That can up the level.
Being aware of the energy and passion of the person in front of the camera is also going to make a difference. When I was doing the live broadcast of making challah the third part (which I forgot to record) had a lot of dead space. I couldn’t figure out what was different until I thought about it - I was running out of energy, and it showed on the screen. I suppose this could translate into an awareness of your health. Better health means more endurance and more energy to work with. But I knew you were already aware of that.
It’s important to be aware of if you are having fun, and if not why? Sometimes there are tasks that just have to be done, but sometimes something is being gone about the wrong way. (Like the word order of the previous sentence?)
By being aware of your strengths and weaknesses you can take advantage of them, and know where you can grow. This also plays into the above on knowing your resources. We all have our budget of camera, lights, location, people to throw on camera, time, editing software, etc. But you can use your limitations to foster creativity - what you have provides parameters for what you can focus on creating right now and can encourage you to make it the best. Think about the difference between a laser and a flashlight - both are light - but a laser has focus and can be used to cut.
Another thing to be aware of is that it is more important to do and improve than to wait until you have it all down. Don’t get caught up in analysis paralysis. Robert Rodriguez says that everyone has 10 bad movies in them, so feel free to get them out of your system. They can be your best teachers if you are aware of what you are seeing in them.
Now I think I’d best go apply this advice to myself :-)
Cliche as it is, it’s always about connection for me. If I connect with the subject *that* grabs me by the throat. If it makes me laugh. If it makes me cry. If it makes me sit down and say wow three or four times afterwards? If it motivates me to do MORE, to do better. Then I want to find out more about the subject or the person behind the video.
One fine example of that is Mitch Joel’s personal branding session at PodCamp Toronto. I watched that and was blown away that I immediately grabbed his RSS feed and subscribed to 6POS. Even listening to the old shows as I come across time to do so.
Inspired by one video. Because his passion was apparent, his message was clear and his content is something that I needed to learn and focus on.
However, there is no one answer, each person is grabbed by something different. So, who do you want to attract?
These comments and suggestions are helpful to me as I explore the potential for video. Thanks Chris, and everybody.
Video content, audio content, magazine articles, books, etc. All SUBJECTIVE. I am engaged by that which engages me. There is no formula. There is no method that wins over another. I like what I like.
havent read all the comments so apologies if theres duplication.
My own reasons are generally
a - if the content is something im interested in
or
b - someones sent me it
People in Marketing and Social Media get this request all the time - “I want you to make a viral video for our company”. But the truth is - that rarely works. Videos become viral because they are unique and strike a cord with their viewers.
Anyone who has seen The Dramatic Praire Dog video knows that a video doesn’t have to be a work of art - or even all that interesting to go viral in the first place.
Geeks especially like unique things to latch on to and call all their own. We like to cultivate our own brand of “cool”. That’s why we have things link memes in the first place ;)
I have been mulling this question over for a couple of days and still can’t come up with one distinct answer because it depends on what I am looking for and where my head/heart is at for that given moment.
If I need something to make me laugh then I seek out viral videos, funny pet flicks and the like. Many times those videos are unscripted and unedited, just lucky in capturing the moment.
If the video is providing me with information then more factors come into play such as the personality of the presenter(s), video & sound quality, and final editing. Just as with a feature film I think editing can make or break a videocast.
Lastly, when it comes to watching live, streaming video my favorites are where there are two people bantering back and forth on topics, where their personalities complement each other. One person live streams can be interesting if the chatroom is active but like many I don’t find it interesting to watch someone stare at their screen through their webcam.
Having said all that I have been experimenting with live streaming video and video blogging and have had no idea what I am doing. The comments provided by everyone have given me things to think about.
I think anyone looking at doing a video blog, like myself, needs to experiment a bit and see if their personality is “video worthy.” Personality is definitely key for vlogs.
Option A: A subject that people are ALREADY passionate about.
Option B: Characters that people GROW to care about.
Option C: Information that you CANNOT FIND elsewhere.
Option D: An EMOTIONAL impact.
Option E: A good punchline.
Obviously, every one of these criteria is subjective. But a video doesn’t become “viral” without one of the above elements.
Humor goes a LONG way.
So does bullsh!t.
In terms of a serial or on-going set of content, I think it’s about finding the balance between being modularly satisfying enough to not piss me off and tantalizing me enough to want to come back for more.
A little gratification and payoff or at least the hint of it goes a long way.
I believe slimy marketing types refer to that as “correctly baiting the hook”.
something that i don’t see mentioned here, but seems obvious to me, is that attention grabbing mojo comes in part due to perceived motivation. the more i think you are sitting around conversing with others on how to grab me, generally speaking, the less interested i am. seriously.
everyone here talks of camera work and ideas, and those are important, but the best ideas and content most often come from folks who are not trying to sell you something.
Not sure. I like to think there is no step-by-step for creating media that grabs people… sometimes a vlog stands out because it’s creative, or sometimes it stands out because it’s personal… or well-polished… different… honest… et cetera :) But yea, basically, I just don’t know.
Here’s my answer: See my blog for the hypertext version with references, etc. linked: http://gpmb.wordpress.com/2007/06/25/100-comments-sixty-something/
I am a total outsider to vlogging. I’m bearish about it, I don’t subscribe to any, I don’t have much interest in watching them. But, I can see where in the right hands, they could catch on. The whys and the audience questions fascinate me.
I think degree of fit with/use of the medium is a significant chunk of what makes the experience suck/not suck for the audience… In no particular order…
* STUDY FILM/TV: Successful vloggers will have come to understand at least some film/TV production history/theory, if only to break the “rules.” Whether they’re native talents or they took time to learn, it’s going to help. Just ‘cuz vlogging’s new, and arguably the film/vid establishment doesn’t “get” it, doesn’t mean there are a hell of a lot of things the establishment DOES get that vloggers NEED TO — a whole raft of qualities that make video watchable. Video can be so completely compelling and addictive. But, the majority of it is not. At all.
* FITTING THE MEDIUM, 1: you don’t need video to:
o understand that someone is talking
o digest a lot of information and new concepts with no visual aids
o experience music
* FITTING THE MEDIUM, 2: you DO need video to:
o even conceive of what really happens when mentos hit diet coke.
o be astonished that someone is walking through the mall/driving down the 101/being interviewed during a commute/etc. WHILE videotaping (and in some cases) broadcasting live via the internet
o see that Millie truly cannot open it
o understand the context, see what the subject is seeing
o (sadly) see that the chick is hot (tho remember there is a lot of radio talent whose stock in trade is perceived sexiness even though they can’t be seen and in many cases are not hot)
o laugh at what the cat/dog/kid just did
o have an emotional response to color/shape/form/movement/scenery
o construct the absurd/make certain humor work. seen the LOLCATS podcast? (the LOLCAST?). the script, written out as text, wouldn’t have been funny at all. audio of the dialog would’ve been cute, but… the actual scenario — people speaking in LOLCAT in an “actual” restaurant in an “actual” situation was frigging hilarious.
And some “applications” of what fitting the medium means:
* Baseball actually kind of sucks on TV — just not that much happening most of the time. Even though the video gives you more than just the “call,” and you can’t replace the thrill and tension of waiting to see if it leaves the park, a well-called game is pretty darn good listening. It can actually draw in ALL of my attention much more sometimes than a game on TV can. Sure, there are huge benefits to watching the big plays, but you really have to be a fan to get excited about the visual aspect of every single pitch.
* Learn from YouTube hits, but also, before YouTube there was Wayne’s World. There’s actually a lot — good and bad — to be learned from public access TV. They tape those damned town meetings and who the f___ cares? Put a camera in someone’s hand and go to the part of town where the development is proposed and show me how it looks now, then cut to the artist’s rendering. That’s more productive digital democracy.
* A videocamera in the finest concert hall with the best orchestra playing an incredible symphony pretty much blows. Fantasia does not. Why?
Whether the goal is entertainment, digital democracy, professional development, adult education, hacks and tips to just make life better; better storytelling makes a more effective experience for the audience (or the people formerly known as the audience)
Really, it’s a lot of what presenters struggle with. A lot of what is hated about powerpoint is the bigger/more general problem of poor use of any given medium. (OK, that and scant or misguided preparation.)
Already at 60 comments and the Summer is just a few days old. :)
Want to improve your video abilities? Check into courses offered at local colleges. Way back in 1990 or so, I took a tv production class that included camera work, editing, etc. The course is still offered in the Mass Comm dept. Talk to the instructor about enrolling in or auditing the course.
It’s all about content, really. If I am browsing and like a web video, I’ll look for similar videos, it’s just how I am.
Having been involved with marketing demos as well as jounalism, etc, I’ve found that humor or scandal (sadly) is the draw for many people. Additional lures are brain teasers (e.g. how do they do that?), gross content, sex, etc.
I’m not sure what you’re looking for as an answer—the alluring tag-line to get viewers or the actual content. Humor works best with me though. Even if it’s something I’m interested in I won’t forward a video link or search for more of the same if the content isn’t entertaining. For example, I enjoy fast, sexy cars—not just boring races around a track, but what makes these cars tick and just how far they can be pushed. I learned about “Top Gear” (a UK based series) and, because of the silly ways they present racing information in their previous videos, I seek out their new videos.
Also I’m not sure what you’re looking for as an answer,but i suggest you can loot at this site:
http://www.powerleveling-wow-powerleveling.com
A cool WoW Powerleveling Service site.
^^
These comments and suggestions are really helpful to me.
Thanks,
Web Development
(Bangs Luddite head against wall of cave)
Short does it for me, because (glances shame-faced at Scarlet D on chest) I am (sniffle) on dialup.
Me and fully half of all Internet users. We’re sorry. We live in areas where broadband is not available. We can not watch long videos because it takes hours to download a five-minute clip, and we often lose the connection and have to start over, which really transforms your priorities.
Chris, your book is on its way.
:)
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Website friends
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