Sukhjit 3.0 » The Video Blogger’s Toolkit

What’s the YouTube Editor Good For? Zombies.

sukhjit — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 05:49:31 +0000

I tested out the free editor on YouTube using some footage I shot during Comic Con. When I say “footage” I’m using the term very lightly! I captured a couple of clips on my point and shoot camera of the Zombie Parade going on outside the restaurant while having dinner at with my friend Liz. I mean, come on. A zombie parade happening right outside while I’m sitting down with a fantastic window seat view had to be captured.

When I brought the clips home and looked at them, I knew the footage was something I wanted to share even though its not the best vantage point. I was lazy about getting up to get some significant shots, but there was still something about that moment that made me decide to polish it up just a bit to share online. Typically I’d upload video into Final Cut Express or Vegas editing software and make something but since I captured such little video I decided to see how the YouTube editor could help for a simple project like this.

The process was simple and straightforward and I’m happy to say, the YouTube editor gave me better results than I expected.

Here’s how it works. First upload your clips as is onto your YouTube channel. They have to be there for you to pull them into the editor. Next click on the link at the top of the My Videos and Playlists section that says Video Editor. You should have a new project started then drag an drop the clips you want to the timeline at the bottom of the page. I put my two clips right next to each other and added some simple transitions. The tab on the top of the video editor that looks like a little bow tie is where your effects and transitions live. There aren’t many, and most are kind of cheesy, but I found a simple fade and wipe and they helped my Zombie video cut together nicely. Finally, I’m a firm believer in adding a soundtrack to your video. It helps so much with the energy and pacing. I found royalty free music directly from the YouTube editor and was pretty impressed with the kinds of music available. I actually love the song that I paired with my video, safe to say I’m pleasantly surprised with that part of the YouTube editor experience.

Sony Foodie Day teaser video and cameras notes

sukhjit — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 15:29:43 +0000

This is a quick mashup of some clips from a video I’m working on at Sony. I got to spend the day with a group of awesome food bloggers showing them a new camera we have that features a gourmet mode for capturing great photos of food. For now, wanted to share these quick pics.

I used a combo of the NEX-VG10 and Handycam to film. Definitely still getting use to using the interchangeable lens camera… I haven’t been filming much so my technique is a little rusty too. Overall, I think the VG10 is best for thoughtful composed shots where you have time and a tripod. Handycam is so fast and easy to use, doesn’t have the depth of field, but still a solid camera for someone like me.

Look for the video blog about the Sony Foodie day coming next week on Sony.com/blog. By the way the camera the foodies are using is the Cyber-shot DSC-WX9.

Video technology and social media, my interview with ReelSEO

sukhjit — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 04:19:25 +0000

This year at Blog World, I had a chance to talk to the folks from ReelSEO about video and how easy it is to add it to your blog. ReelSEO is a great resource to learn about trends, tools and tips for video and marketing. Check out the interview above and then go read the full article on their blog. Yes, video is important, it gives your readers a whole new dimension to know you or see the things you are talking about, not to mention it keeps people on your blog longer too.

You know I add video where ever I can and with the tools available today, it’s so easy. Do you use video when you blog? How have you found video to be a useful tool? If you’re not using video on your blog, what’s the hold up? Here’s your chance to ask questions and (hopefully) get some answers from me or my community of bloggers who continue to push the limits with web video.

This is video camera I’ve been shooting with lately

sukhjit — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 05:14:58 +0000

I’m pretty impressed with this year’s line of Handycams and wanted to make sure those of you who video blog or are interested in a video camera that is high quality know about this one. I did this video at the Photo Marketing Association show earlier this year and this years line of video cameras have since come to market. This year’s Handycams have s a wider angle lens than previous models, the low light capability has improved since last year and the zoom response is amazing. Watch how quickly the camera comes into focus with all of my movements. I shot the video above with the DCR-SX83 which is also the camera featured in the video. I’d have to say $399 is a good price too. What do you think?

How I Made the Love Machine Valentine’s Day Video

sukhjit — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:42:53 +0000

We had a Valentine day VAIO and bag bundle in the Sony office for a few days before Valentine’s day and I wanted to do something with it before it had to be shipped out. This video is so simple and silly, but it got a great response. I also produced it with the most minimal staff and gear.

Basically, I pressed record and I put my arms in front of the camera, and there you have it! Ok, maybe it’s a little more complicated than that but it really was a barebones effort. For this shot, I used a tripod (if you watch any of my work you know I do a lot of handheld) because I knew I would do some kind of time lapse or transitions that would work better with a steady shot. I also knew I wouldn’t be talking, though if I wanted I could use voice over. The part of this production that is the coolest, I think.. is that I shot this video with a Cybershot camera in movie mode. That’s right, I used a still camera to record the video and then upload the clips to my computer to edit.

Besides the cheerful color of the VAIO and bag, the music really helps make this piece fun. I used royalty free music which I found from a site recommended by friends on twitter. Music is really important for setting mood and pacing of a video. The cuts on this video and the audio are very rough but it was a quick edit and the outcome is a really fun and quickly shared piece. If you have any questions about the process or steps, please ask. I am still amazed at how easy it is to make something fun and share it. For those of you who are still new to video blogging, don’t let anything stop you.

Here are some simple DIY video blogger tips:

* Use a tripod.
* Try out different devices for recording video, see if your still camera has a video recording function.
* Look for music to help match the mood you’re trying to accomplish. See the royalty free music link above.
* Try editing, even simple cuts can help polish up your video.
* Just do it.

Royalty Free Music Sites Recommended by Freinds

sukhjit — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:53:32 +0000

This is a very quickly put together list of sites recommended by friends on twitter where royalty free music to use in projects like my video blogs can be found. This is a work in progress, I will be formating this and adding more detials soon. I wanted to share in the meantime, because it’s a great resource. Thanks to friends who sent me a music site.

@BjornLynne: Hi Sukhjit For quality royalty free music try us at http://bit.ly/gfbny Tweet back if you need help!

@chimala Hi Sukhjit, you may want to try www.Shockwave-Sound.com for good quality royalty-free music. Hope this helps

@solobassstevet I used music from Kevin MacLeod in my short http://bit.ly/g4Oy9. His RF music is herehttp://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/

@rubenorozco For commercial or non-commercial usage? There’s loads of CC-licenced music out there

@AccentMusicProd Try @Grooveshark Sukhjit…its Awesome!

@shadowcatsd Hi Sukhjit. Try Accent Music Productions – royalty-free music at http://bit.ly/6lEW4l Hope this helps!

@imagium istock.com also has audio/video…

@qthrul Try Jamendo on Creative Commons (note, i haven’t tried it yet) http://bit.ly/d0Xkzl

@roxannedarling http://www.archive.org/details/audiospecifically http://www.archive.org/details/audio_music

@samlevin try www.iodapromonet.com or search for “podsafe music” and you will find more

@Arktistt http://www.sound-effect.com/

@urbanturbanguy Try http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/

@ChefMark www.phulki.com

http://www.thedvshow.com/store/royalty-free-music-library/

UPDATE – I’m going to start listing out the sites that I find and like too:

http://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty_free_music/breakbeat-dnb

Using Ustream to Share Life LIVE

sukhjit — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:56:08 +0000

This weekend I was tasked with recording some video for my nephew, Conner, who is applying for university music programs. Some of of them requested a live taped performance as part of their requirements. As his video blogging auntie it was my job to help him figure out how to capture what he needed to deliver it to the schools. I recorded his audition on a Sony Handycam and when we were done with that I decided also to stream it live too. This video and audio is from my Sony VAIO laptop computer. I broadcast the audio and video you are watching above live to friends who tuned in after I sent out a few notes on twitter and facebook pointing them to the URL.

I’m astounded by the technology both on my computer but also of the website I used to stream live called Ustream. I recorded a similar video back in 2008 and it was almost unwatchable. This time, I’m proudly sharing the link over and over again both because the quality is so good and because my nephew is a star. BTW- some of the pieces he performs are his original compositions.

Enjoy the concert and if you have any questions about the live stream, or about the music leave me a note!

Unboxing some Social Media Inspiration

sukhjit — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:30:52 +0000

I got a very well wrapped box from my friend Adam Smith this week. It contained a book written by a man who has made a huge impact in the Social Media space by being his awesome self. His name is Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary is a social media phenomenon. What does that mean? It means that Gary has found success, in part, by being himself and authentically connecting with people via his show Wine Library TV, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites.

If you get a chance to see Gary in person, I recommend it. I’ve seen him a couple times and he just makes you feel like “crushing it”. Follow him for a little bit and you’ll know what I mean by that.

Thank you Adam Smith, for the book and the wristband. You are cool.

PS I know the video image is backward, sorry about that everyone. I’ll try and fix and reupload if I get a chance this week.

Blogging and Belly Dancing

sukhjit — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:51:43 +0000

What do blogging and belly dancing have to do with each other? Absolutely nothing… that is unless my friend Adam Helweh is involved. Adam puts on a social media mixer called the “Secret Sushi Social” and part of the June Social was Egyptian Dancing. The food was awesome and the raffle was great but more importantly it was an opportunity to meet other people interested in social media. I got to talk to Jun Loayza, founder of Viralogy.com. Viralogy is a site that helps bloggers get noticed, something I think is important when you’re a little blogger like me! Once you register your blog, Virology calculates your site’s rating based on data like your popularity in various social media spaces. In theory, you don’t have to be a big blogger to rank on the site, which is nice because it’s a chance for fresh voices to be heard.

I just registered Sukhjit 3.0 on Viralogy yesterday. I did have a small challenge figuring out what category my blog fits under since I cover a spectrum of things on this site. But I’m going to see if it can help my blog get some recognition. What do you think? I know a lot of your have blogs that you love and your content is fantastic. Let’s try Viralogy together and compare notes!

Last, if you watched the video outtake and are wondering what that was all about, I was trying to get a dance lesson from the owner of the Egyptian dance school but she wouldn’t let me record while getting my lesson. Needless to say, the song ended while we were debating back and forth! Sometimes I wish I wasn’t always compelled to record things because then I might have been able to learn some new moves! If you’d like to see some awesome pictures from the event check out Ken Yeung’s photos from the night… and thanks Ken for the thumbnail image for this blog!

Belly dancing at #secretsushi social. on 12seconds.tv

Tools I use to Post Mobile Video

sukhjit — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:29:39 +0000

this is what I use to post on the go on 12seconds.tv

As a video blogger I use whatever gear is handy to instantly share moments via video. I post mobile video using my 3 year old Samsung phone! That’s right, I don’t have an iPhone, gPhone or Blackberry (yet), my phone is just a basic device that takes pictures and records 15 second videos. It also has a nifty light on it. The phone is only part of the equation. Knowing the right online tools is equally important and here’s a little run down of what I use.

To post mobile video clips to Twitter I use 12second.tv and a few weeks ago I enabled the 12seconds.tv Facebook app to share my little videos as status updates with my Facebook friends. As an aside, I want to say the 12seconds community is one of my favorites. I have a lot of friends there from Seesmic, but even beyond my Seesmic family, it is fun being a part of the growing 12seconds community.

For the last couple of months I’ve also been using a site called Zannel. When I post pictures to Zannel my Flickr and Facebook pages are updated too. Zannel has an interesting embeddable player and I like their audio quality.

Of course, everyone’s gotta have a Twitpic account and I use mine (quite a bit) to post pictures to Twitter. Usually it’s pictures of food or flowers or something silly I see while I’m on the go. In the vein o f Twitpic, is Twitvid.io. It’s a video sharing service set up by the guys who created Fliggo. Twitvid.io is nice because it’s easy for me to use but also for viewers of my videos it is simple to comment, retweet, like and follow videos. The mobile posts I send to Twitvid.io are strictly twitter updates. In contrast the videos I send to 12seconds.tv and Zannel are for my twitter friends but also other communities.

Testing Out Some New Sites

I like testing ways to post on the go, especially video. I gathered a list from my very savvy twitter community the other night of new sites and services and I’m going to give each site a try. If you’re interested you should give em a try with me! Here’s a list of the tweets I got the other night. I’ll update as I test each site and if there’s something you’re using that you like, I hope you’ll tell me about it so I can add it to the list.

qthrul You might want to check out Radar.net and @radarnet since it is by far the most inclusive sharing service I’ve used

radarnet – as long as you can send a picture message (or MMS), Radar should work.

sujamthe you’ve gotto try @qik, I am a video addict and used to use a flip camera, qik is on many phones chk it out.

corvida Qik is for mobile streaming mainly. http://www.qik.com/video/12… You might also want to try pixelpipe (http://pixelpipe.com/) or shozu (http://www.shozu.com/) re: mobilevids/pic posting

Shadez I use twitpic.com or posterous.com for images. Never uploaded a video on suckyGPRS connection. For native S60 app try Youtube app (http://is.gd/wvNP) or check outqik.com. There’s another service called - JuiceCaster. Hope this one works. But I guessqik.com should work for ya.

monkeysplat Flickr & Qik

tmofee blip flickr all creative commons and easy to use

Sites and Results

Radar.net – FAIL. Tried using the email address provided from my phone. It didn’t work. Radar send me several tweets to help me figure it out, but it didn’t work.
Yfrog – FAIL. I got a tweet from them that said it should work after I posted a tweet that it didn’t. I tried again and it still didn’t work and then I didn’t hear from Yfrog again.
Qik – FAIL. They said my phone is too old.
Pixelpipe
Shozu
Posterous
Mosh
Juicecaster
Flickr – FAIL. I sent them an email a while back and need to follow up with the reply.

Tips on Video Blogging for Guru Tube

sukhjit — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:26:48 +0000

Gurutube.net is a site that features experts like Guy Kawasaki, Jeremiah Owyang, Stefanie Michaels and MC Hammer sharing their knowledge about building business and brands online. It’s a no frills look a spectrum of topics related to social media. Here’s my talk on video blogging:

Thank you to Jeremy Vaught for the image used as the thumbnail for this post.

Sun, Surf and the Zx1

sukhjit — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:56:58 +0000

I’m back in San Francisco from a few weeks away in New York City. One of my favorite things to do when I get back from a long trip is to take my bike for a ride to the Golden Gate Bridge. I figured this would be a perfect time to test the Kodak Zx1 I got in New York to record some new video for my blog. It’s been interesting getting use to filming in HD and HD60 mode. The HD version makes the aspect ratio different from the standard Flip I’ve been using. That means I don’t always get my face in frame! It’s not a big deal, but it is something I will need to get use to if I’m going to keep using it! I really like the form factor of this camera and I love the color. It’s easy to keep in my bag and feels pretty sturdy. Plus I love that it’s pink! You can actually choose from a range of colors.

The Kodak Zx1 records in 3 modes VGA, HD and HD60. You can also take pictures. One thing I noticed, while using an HD camera is that HD video shows imperfections and is less forgiving than a standard Flip video which is what I’ve been using for most of the videos on my site. That means that when I have a bad camera movement, it’s more obvious. It also means that when I roll out of the house and go for a bike ride…. you get a clearer picture of me. That’s not always so pleasant! That being said, the picture quality is nice. I love the shots of the bay and the bridge. The colors are nice and the picture quality is good though the image stabilization could be better.

Video is stored on an SD card and it runs off rechargeable Kodak AA batteries. The camera comes with a charger (but no SD card so you have to buy one of those in addition to buying the camera). Uploading the video is done with a firewire cable that comes with the Zx1. I use Final Cut Express to edit my video and that is a bit of a challenge because the media is HDV and since Final Cut doesn’t recognize this format, I had to convert all the files to DV to introduce them to Final Cut. That was time consuming and a challenge to figure out. Now that I’ve done it once it will be less time consuming in the future, but in all honesty, I really, really, really, really wish that my files imported without having to convert them all.

My friend David used the Kodak Zx1 to record while riding his scooter around town. This is a great test of it in action. I thought the audio quality wasn’t half bad for being on the road and moving up to 45 mi/hr.

Last, here’s the episode of unboxing featuring the Kodak Zx1!

Twitter and Video Panel at the 140 Character Conference

sukhjit — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:11:19 +0000

I had a great opportunity while in New York City for the 140 Character Conference to participate in a panel on video and twitter. This is the first panel I’ve been on about social media and it was a pleasure to be a part of the discussion. The use of video is on the rise but it can also still be an intimidating process for some folks or an element they haven’t even considered. The panel was a quick discussion about video blogging, there is much, much more still to discuss. It seemed like we’d only started talking when our time was over. The funnies moment for me was after the panel seeing myself quoted in the twitter stream! Some of my quotes where “reality takes time”, ” I do tea time on my site” and “I’d like to pay my rent”. All true statements, but weird when you hear them coming back at you! All in all it was a great gathering. Thank you to Jeff Pulver for putting it together and making it possible for some good discussions to take root.

If you’re interested in seeing video from the rest of the conference you can find it on Justin Kahn’s Blip Page. I suggest watching the news gathering panel with Ann Curry of the Today show (for back story read Massucchi’s Take: and Curry steals the show), Twitter, Media and Chaos Theory and Twitter for Social Good. Those were my favorite discussions. I also want to add that my fellow panelists, Christian Payne and Steve Garfield are 2 video bloggers who have influenced the way I blog. If you have a chance, do check out some of their work.

Last, I want to thank Kodak for asking me to be on the video panel. By the way, Jeffrey Hayzlett, the moderator and CMO of Kodak, if forgiven for butchering my name. Misproununciation of it is something I live with everyday and don’t mind helping people say it right. (sook-jeet… sook-jeet). I know he practiced before the panel, so he tried! Some of my friends think it was probably a barrier from the audience pushing my twitter follow (cause they couldn’t figure out how to spell my name) but it is what it is, right? Hope you enjoy the video and if you have questions about the conference or about video blogging leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to answer!

Building brand awareness using video conversation tools

sukhjit — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:18:49 +0000

The availability of self publishing tools allow anyone with an internet connection to create, send and connect with an interested audience. Video can be a key visual element and useful tool to quickly explain an unusual or complicated product. At a more basic level, video lets you connect with a person beyond text, links and pictures. Interactive video like in the examples below allow you to build a relationship with people interested in your content or brand.

How can you use video tools to build community around your brand? The first step is starting the conversation. Below are some examples of how to use video conversation tools to build community and brand awareness. I produced them originally as live events on Seesmic. The videos are a cut down of the live events.

Summertime kickoff event with a camping expert.

Community members use their webcams to correspond via video with a wilderness expert. Showing off cool camping products coupled with access to a wilderness expert was a successful way to get the conversation going about summer gear. In addition, people shared stories about thier own camping experience creating a community feeling to this event rather than just a sales pitch. This is a perfect opportunity for a brand to follow up with a discount code or giveaway.

Meet the inventor of Batter Blaster

Here I talked with the inventor of a product called Batter Blaster! This was a successful interactive event that resulted in a number of requests from participants to have the product stocked in their local Costco or supermarket. In addition, the buzz spread to other social media spaces, blogs, facebook, twitter, etc about Batter Blaster. In this case, video gives online viewers quick access to an unusual product. Seeing the ease of use and being able to talk with the inventor resulted in a few minds being changed about “pancakes in a can.” Click the link above to see the uncut interactive event.

Here are links to 2 interactive brand activities I’ve had on www.Sukhjit.me

Follow the links below to the pages where these online events are displayed and please make sure to scroll down to see the various videos including the video comments. Video comments are an important way to create an interactive community experience.

Mimobot Valentine Giveaway

Great iPhone & iPod accessory

Unboxing Sena Cases

The TokBox tools I use on Sukhjit.me

sukhjit — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:43:59 +0000

This is for anyone interested in putting video mail or live video on their site. I did this video for my friend @bryanbuchan who asked me on twitter how my video mail is set up.