YouTube videos have come a long way since Evolution of Dance. Instead of just staring at the computer screen, a new crop of videos are encouraging users to interact with them by clicking on links embedded within the video. Interactive YouTube videos are being used to create games and quizzes and their use is only limited to the imagination of their creators.

First some examples of the videos, then on how to how they are created. Viewing each video on the YouTube site itself is highly recommended.

Barack, Paper, Scissors

Bboy Joker

2009 Oscars Interactive Picture Photo Hunt!

Super Mario Slots

Interactive Card Trick

YouTube Interactive Spelling Bee

Interactive YouTube videos function a lot like Choose Your Own Adventure books wherein the action comes to a crossroads and the viewer is left to make a choice to determine how the story continues.

The combined effect is a seemingly infinite number of choices, but for interactive YouTube videos it is in fact very finite: a separate video has to be created for each choice (Barack, Paper, Scissors has at least 140 different videos and thus at least 140 different outcomes).

The interactivity is created by overlaying annotations on top of the video. Annotations were previously used solely as captions or speech balloons leading viewer to another site for more information related to the video. Now they are transforming YouTube from a static video player to a tool for engaging the audience. Check out YouTube's help section for more information on how to create annotations.

The uses of interactive videos by mainstream news organizations remain to be seen, but the technology is absolutely worth exploring. The most obvious use would be to create news games, but lets hear from you: how would you use interactive YouTube video? Share your thoughts in the comments.


Also on 10,000 Words:

• Online news games are fun (and informative!)
• Newspapers on YouTube: Dos and Don'ts
• 8 Interactive online projects that educate and captivate
• Exploring the human body with Flash and video
• Where to find the best in Flash journalism

Labels: video

Sure your fancy video camera cost $2,000, but can it record underwater? No? Well if you're feeling extravagant or just have some extra funds left in the budget check out these gadgets that will take your work to new heights.

ContourHD Wearable Camera

Other helmet cameras have been featured here before, none of which captured such sweet-looking high definition video. The ContourHD records in a 1280 x 720 pixel, widescreen format at 30 or 60 frames per second and records up to 8 hours of video and audio. Be sure to check out some of the video captured by satisfied customers.

($299.99 | B&H Photo)

ProTrack Handheld Audio Recorder for iPod

Turn your iPod or iPod Touch into a powerful recording machine with this cool add-on. The ProTrack has a built-in stereo microphone and requires no cords, but also has an XLR input for connecting external mics. The recorder also comes with a headphone jack and — for 20 bucks more — a nifty tripod.

($159 | B&H Photo)

GardenWatchCam

Perfect for the horticulturally-minded photojournalist, the GardenWatchCam is a time-lapse camera that can be placed anywhere to capture nature's beauty over time. The small camera is weather-resistant and can capture photos at seven different time settings. The 1.3-megapixel camera runs on AA batteries and connects to the computer's USB port.

($139.95 | Amazon)

SRV-1 Blackfin Mobile Surveillance Robot

Let this pint-sized robot camera do all your dangerous shooting for you. The tank-like camera operates wirelessly, shoots at up to 1280 x 1024 resolution and fits in the palm of your hand. The little guy moves a foot a second and can run for 4 hours on a single charge. The SRV-1 requires some knowledge of computer programming to operate, but because it can tread where no human dare go, it is worth the effort.

($474.99 | ThinkGeek)

Infrared Flashlight Video Recorder

Sometimes journalism takes you to some dark and mysterious places. You can use your regular camera's onboard light or just use this handheld flashlight that doubles as a video camera. The flashlight records up to 15 seconds of video at 30 frames per second or 500 photos at 640 x 480 resolution with its 128MB of built-in memory. All the footage shot is downloadable via your computer's USB port.

($399.95 | Hammacher Schlemmer)

Pet's Eye View Digital Camera

Entertain Fido's ambition to become a photographer with this compact camera that fits securely on your pet's collar. The digital camera can be set at 1, 5, or 15 minute-intervals and is perfect for gaining insight on the daily lives of animals. Note: expect lots of photos of fire hydrants and worn out couches.

($49.99 | ThinkGeek)


Also on 10,000 Words:

• 30 Must-have gifts for journalists
• Crazy gadgets that are (possibly) crazy useful
• 6 Creative approaches to photography

Labels: audio, photos, video

With President Barack Obama's recent nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court, many are left wondering who are the justices and what exactly it is the Supreme Court. Thanks to the internet, the inner workings of the Court can be explained visually, bringing to life the centuries-old government institution.


In response to news of the nomination, Congressional Quarterly has detailed the sometimes lengthy nomination process in an easy to use interactive bar chart. The stages of each nominee's confirmation are lined up side-by-side to give the user an idea of the complicated process.



Congressional Quarterly also has a compelling slideshow of the history of Supreme Court nominees that is worth a look. Other news media that have taken the online slideshow approach include the Huffington Post, which showcases photos of Sotomayor's childhood and family, and Pinko Magazine, which, in a more humorous approach, selects the top 13 television judges Obama should have nominated to the vacant seat.



Earlier this month, the New York Times asked its online readers who they thought should be President Obama's pick for the court. Visitors were presented with an interactive graphic that contained bios of possible candidates. Readers overwhelmingly chose Sotomayor to replace Justice David Souter after his retirement.

Back in 2005, the Times published a comprehensive interactive graphic of major court decisions and the judges that presided over them that is still relevant today. The information is sortable by year or by issue.



PBS has a wealth of online information about the Supreme Court itself, including a video series that traces the history of the Court back to the early 1800s and a text-based timeline that reviews some of the major court cases. The site also hosts an interactive quiz that questions visitors on the Supreme Court cases that affect our daily lives.



CNN has an entire multimedia package devoted to the Supreme Court and Sotomayor's nomination, including videos, timelines and a photo of gallery of the eight remaining justices. HowStuffWorks also has several videos that detail the history of the Court.

With all this talk about the inner workings of the Supreme Court, wouldn't it be better to just to see it for yourself? The Oyez Project, the go-to online resource for all things SCOTUS-related, has virtual tours of the Supreme Court building, the courtroom and the justices' chambers. The 360° panoramic images are made possible by the internet and are an invaluable inside look that in the pre-internet age could only be described with text.




Also on 10,000 Words:

• How to invigorate boring courtroom sketches
• Post-Inauguration Wrap Up: High-tech coverage of the tech president
• 15 Ways to follow the 2008 election online
• 7 Eye-popping interactive timelines (and 3 ways to create one)

Labels: flash, video

1. The White House

Just a few months ago, the new presidential administration was greeted with antiquated computers and technology that forbade access to social networks like Facebook or even outside email. Fast forward to today and there are now a variety of ways to connect and interact online with the White House.

The official White House site has been revamped and updated to include a blog to keep the world abreast of President Obama and crew. The site also contains a number of photo slideshows based largely on photos from the official Flickr photostream.



The White House's official YouTube channel contains loads of speeches and press briefings and — to dispel earlier allegations of technology favoritism — the same content is also available on Vimeo.

After Barack Obama's landmark use of social networking during his presidential campaign it should come as no surprise that the White House is also friending people across the world. The president's pad has more than 126,000 followers on Twitter and follows a number of government agencies, including FEMA and NASA.

The White House also has more than 205,000 fans on Facebook and the president himself has more than six million fans, more than anyone else on the site. The White House is also on MySpace, along with both President Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden.

2. The Vatican

As highlighted in this month's issue of mental_floss magazine, The Vatican — the centuries-old religious institution — is also down with new technology.

The official newspaper of The Vatican, L'Osservatore Romano, is available online in several languages as are many programs from Vatican Radio. The official radio station of Vatican City also has podcasts available for listening or to download.


Flickr photo of Pope Benedict XVI by Paul Resh

The Vatican's official YouTube has almost 200 videos that range from morning prayers to papal visits. The Vatican even has its own iPhone app that contains prayers and scriptural readings and is available in six languages.

3. Major League Baseball

MLB has all the bases covered with its wide range of ways to follow games electronically. The most impressive offering is MLB.TV, a subscription service where baseball fans can watch live games online in high definition. The site streams 100 games a week to hundreds of thousands of subscribers and the quality is hard to match.

If you prefer your baseball on the go, MLB has a series of iPhone apps including MLB At Bat, where fans can find the latest scores, standings and schedules, and MLB World Series 2009, an interactive game that features all 30 MLB clubs.

The official MLB site contains various other ways to get your baseball fix, including a series of blogs, podcasts, video clips and photo galleries. There is also an official Facebook page where social networkers can step up to the plate.

4. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

The FBI, America's hub of criminal investigation with a reputation for secrecy, recently announced a slew of online efforts that will make the agency more open and approachable.

The Bureau's official Twitter feed shares criminal alerts and press releases with its thousands of followers and similar content is shared on the official FBI Facebook page. The videos featured on the FBI's YouTube channel give an insider's view of such operations as bomb training and prostitution stings.



In an effort to spread news of and apprehend the fugitives on its famed Most Wanted List, the FBI also has several widgets available that anyone can embed on their blog, site or social network profile and apparently the new media approach is working. The widgets have directed more than 2.5 million people to the FBI website and the Most Wanted widget averages more than a thousand views a day, according to a press release.

The FBI even plans to take its Most Wanted list to Second Life where virtual visitors can keep tabs on real-life criminals.



Also on 10,000 Words:

• 12 Things to tell your tech-impaired editor
• Great online journalism from non-traditional journalists
• Create brilliant multimedia projects from the mundane
• Visual and interactive guides to the economic crisis
• Sports arenas: How to put a multimedia twist on traditional coverage

Labels: audio, photos, social networking, video, widgets

New York City...center of the universe. Okay not quite, but there are a lot of great multimedia stories and interactive projects emerging from the City that Never Sleeps.

There is perhaps no better way to take in the many landmarks of Manhattan than an aerial tour of the area. In today's economy, a helicopter ride perhaps isn't the most efficient means of transportation, but thanks to Pixelcase you can still take in magnificent views of the city. The interactive, panoramic photographs let users zoom across the New York skyline, above the noise and traffic. More on how to create similar panoramas here and here.



The following map of a horizonless Manhattan has been circulating around the internet for good reason: it is a unique take on the flat map we are so used to seeing. The map, created by London design studio Schulze & Webb, was created and fine-tuned using 3D imaging software.



The City Concealed, a project of THIRTEEN, explores some of the hidden gems of New York City through a series of online videos. Offbeat locales such as the tombs and catacombs of Green-Wood Cemetery and Brooklyn Navy Yard — places likely overlooked by even native New Yorkers — are profiled. (Link courtesy of @fgeorge)



While the sights and sounds of NYC are fascinating, it is the city's more than 8 million residents that bring it to life. Tough Times, a project created by students at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, uses a combination of print stories, Flash, audio slideshows and video to tell the stories of New Yorkers struggling with the current economic crisis.

For example, the harrowing story of Maisha Morales, a single mother from Brooklyn, is detailed in a print story, but her raw emotion emerges from the accompanying video. A thoughtful analysis of Morales' situation is explained in an easy-to-navigate Flash infographic.



Local publication amNY also has a comprehensive collection of interactive photo slideshows and video, including "Young and Muslim in NYC," a series of video interviews complemented by traditional print stories.



Of course, one cannot discuss multimedia in New York City without mentioning the New York Times. The new media powerhouse is known for its captivating projects that explore global and national issues, but some of its most intriguing are those that focus on the city itself.

One such example is One in 8 Million, a series of audio slideshows that explore the lives of average New Yorkers. Stories include those of Melissa Dixson, a painter turned taxidermist and Christian Hubert, a bicyclist who suffers from vertigo.



The project is reminiscent of the Going to the End of the Line photo story featured in this post. The project focused on stations at the end of train lines where most commuters never venture.

The Water Dance, another photo slideshow from the New York Times, takes a simple, often overlooked moment and visualizes it as a metaphor for humanity. The result is one of the most captivating multimedia pieces to emerge this year.



One point should remain clear: While New York attracts creative minds from all over the world, the city does not have a monopoly on multimedia journalism. Large papers like the New York Times may have vast resources, but compelling multimedia projects can be created by anyone anywhere.

Have a multimedia story or project you're proud of? Share it in the comments and it just might be featured here on 10,000 Words.


Also on 10,000 Words:

• Multimedia: Chicago, in Color
• Innovative multimedia centered on the ordinary and everyday
• Exploring the human body through multimedia
• Great online journalism from non-traditional journalists
• Museums as Inspiration: Museum of Modern Art

Labels: audio, flash, maps, photos, video

Shooting great video doesn't have to be a time-consuming process. By streamlining your workflow and limiting the chance for mistakes, you can reduce the time needed to shoot and edit your masterpiece.


Pre-production

When breaking news hits, the videographer is tasked with grabbing the camera and running out of the door with little preparation and often a vague idea of what needs to be filmed. But for those video projects for which prep time is available, it is a good idea to brainstorm what the video should look like before you go out to shoot.

Take a minute to consider and jot down the various setups, interviews and shots you'd like to capture. For example, if the story is about a bake sale, consider interviews with the bakers, including shots of the baked goods, people eating them, etc. If you are so inclined, draw a storyboard but leave it open-ended as news videography is often subject to unforeseeable change. The story itself shouldn't be planned ahead, but at least by brainstorming, you'll have an ideas of what the shoot will entail.

For novice videographers, a good portion of the time wasted in the field is experimenting with the video camera's various settings. Before going on a shoot, become familiar with the camera and know how to quickly access essential features like white balance and focus.

Once you and the camera have become best friends, remember to bring its buddies along: a good set of headphones, the appropriate microphone(s) for your shooting situation and extra tapes and batteries just in case. Nothing drags down video production like having to run back to grab a missing piece of equipment.


In the field

Before you begin shooting, limit the amount of unusable video by testing your audio levels beforehand. Prior to an interview, have the subject speak naturally into the microphone for as long as it takes to determine that the audio quality is perfect. Audio meters can give you an idea if sound is indeed being recorded, but use headphones to be doubly sure and, if possible, keep them on for the duration of the shoot.

Cut down on the time spent in the edit room by only shooting what you need. Before you hit the record button ask yourself "Is this necessary for the end product or am I just bored or antsy?" An itchy trigger finger will result in loads of necessary film. On the other hand, shooting B-roll, or video footage used to supplement the main idea, is necessary to give the video some flavor and break up lengthy interviews. Just be cautious not to overshoot.

For those shots you do need, capture each one in close up, medium, and wide angle so you will have options when you finally begin editing. Additionally, be sure to hold each shot for at least 10 seconds to ensure the shot is usable. There is nothing worse than having a great shot that is rendered useless because it is too short. If the video is intended exclusively for the web, concentrate on close ups as it is harder to make out important details on a relatively small computer screen.

The human brain is by nature forgetful so while you are shooting, create a log of your shots which will reduce the time spent looking for them later. Feel free to note whether a shot was good or bad and if it should be included in the final product. Once finished, label your tapes so they can be easily located.



The edit room

It's tempting to walk away from the edit bay as your video is being imported, but depending on its length, it is good idea to keep an eye on what has been shot, even if you have kept a detailed log. This will help in quickly identifying whether a shot turned out good or bad and will serve as a reminder of the sequence of events.

Most experts agree that online video should be at the most 4 to 5 minutes in length to ensure that it is watched from beginning to end by finicky web viewers. When editing, include succinct soundbites and be sure that interviewees are not repeating the same points. Avoid time spent selecting fancy transitions and wipes by just omitting them altogether. Include only what is absolutely necessary to tell the story and makes for compelling video.


Thanks to @danielday for suggesting today's post.


Also on 10,000 Words:

• How to edit your video online for free or cheap
• Newspapers on YouTube: Dos and Don'ts
• 9 Telltale signs of amateur video
• What if YouTube died tomorrow?: The alternatives you need to know

Labels: video

As the economy continues to take a turn for the worse, many media organization and citizen journalists are finding creative and innovative ways to explain the complex factors that contribute to the slump.

USA Today uses a Flash-based map to compare homeowners who took on large amounts of debt to purchase a new home in 2000 versus 2007. Viewers of the interactive project can use a scrubber to toggle between the two years and make direct comparisons.



The New York Times also uses a scrubber to illustrate the ups and downs (but mostly downs) of the nation's stocks and commodities in 2008. Along with facts and figures, the interactive also provides a chilling narrative that explains the dwindling numbers.

Nothing's scarier than a sea of red, whether it's tons of edits scribbled in red ink or an indicator of a declining stock market. The S&P 500 Heatmap is a visual representation of the stock index that more cleverly illustrates just how bad things are.



MapLib takes the stock market/mapping idea in another direction with its Google Maps mashup of the world's financial centers. Bad news is it's red all over the world.



CNN has blended video of the everyday people who have been affected by the economic downturn with an interactive map of the unemployment rates, job losses and foreclosure rates in each of the 50 states. The project puts a face on what otherwise would be a series of sobering numbers.



The Crisis of Credit Visualised by Johnathan Jarvis is a unique video that explains one cause of economic woes through motion typography and animation. And because even a global financial meltdown sounds great when put to song, "Mortgage Crisis Blues" aural interpretation of why many homeowners found themselves in more debt than they could afford is depressing, yet catchy.



The New York Times asks "Has your portfolio plummeted? So has ours." It would be funny if it wasn't both serious and true. Nevertheless, the Times' "Calculate Your Financial Comeback" lets users input a set of variables, including current portfolio value, to determine how long it will take to recover from financial lows. The time span can be either heartbreaking or optimistic, depending on the answer returned.


Also on 10,000 Words

•Exploring the human body through multimedia
•8 Ways of visualizing the news
•Where to find the best in Flash journalism

Labels: database, flash, maps, video

News photography at its core illustrates concepts that cannnot be conveyed through the written word. As such, some of the most basic but compelling stories can be told through a series of photos.

"Boxer" is an example of such a photo story: Photographer Nicolai Howalt captures adolescent pugilists before and after their bouts. In print, the story read something like "Little Johnny's cropped blond locks were now wild and tussled," but by comparing the two photos side by side, viewers can form their own reactions.



The same simplistic approach can be seen in AirlineMeals.net, a photo project that catalogs thousands of modern and historic food offerings. The site serves as a unique database for those who wish to know their culinary fate before they board the plane.

As technology enters into the picture, the possibilities for still-based photography become even more open. Photographer Nicole Young set up her Nikon D200 to take intermittent snapshots of her time cleaning her kitchen. While the resulting video sounds simple, it is evidence that time-lapse photography is a great way to document events as they happen over time. The same time lapse idea was applied by father Francis Vachon to capture his very active infant son, the results of which are humorous, yet enlightening.



Some of the best ideas are the most simple. Greg Peverill-Conti aims to photograph 1,000 faces and naturally uses Flickr as the place to host the collection. While there are few criteria of who gets photographed, the idea could easily translate into a news project that captures the faces of a particular community.




Simon Høgsberg, whose work was previously covered in this previous post, has created "We're All Gonna Die - 100 meters of existence," a 100-meter long panoramic photograph of 178 people shot in the same spot over the course of 20 days.




Also on 10,000 Words:

• 21 Free online photo editing tools
• 12 Creative uses of time-lapse photography (and 4 ways to create it)
• Photojournalism: Where to find the best in news photography
• Create brilliant multimedia projects from the mundane

Labels: photos, video

It's easy to take good video for granted until you've seen bad video: the poorly shot, poorly lit, shaky kind that makes any viewer cringe. Here are some of the worst offenses in videography:

1. Everything looks blue or orange

Video shot outdoors looks blue, while video shot indoors is a puke-colored orange.

Solution: Off-color video is often a result of unbalanced color temperature (see an example here). Use the camera's white balance feature — usually a single button or found in the features menu — to counteract the offending color.

2. Zooming back and forth during shots

Many video newbies have a trigger finger when it comes to the zoom button: static action is happening but the videographer repeatedly zooms in and out.

Solution: Let go of that zoom button! The temptation exists to do something with the camera if, for example, a person is talking for an extended period of time. But using the zoom too often can be distracting and result in mismatched edits.

3. Video alternates between clear and blurry

You've seen it before. There's some action happening in the video and as the subject moves the video becomes blurry and out of focus.

Solution: Most consumer-level cameras come with the autofocus feature turned on, which means anytime something moves in the video, the camera will try to regain focus, resulting in a blurred image. If you anticipate any sort of quick movements, turn off the autofocus which is usually found in the camera menu.

4. Jumpcuts

He's over here, now he's over there! If video begins to resemble stop-motion animation, something has gone incredibly wrong.

Solution: Zoom out and keep the action in frame. Refrain from stopping and starting the camera between continuous shots.

5. Subject of video is off-kilter, unbalanced or cut off

Something is weird about the video. It's tough to pinpoint, but it has to do with the framing of the subject.

Solution: One of the biggest mistakes when shooting video is ignoring the rule of thirds and the concepts lead room and headroom. Learn the basics of video composition from any book or online resource.

6. Excessive ascending or descending shots

The subject in the video is sitting down, but the camera is towering over him/her/it. Or the camera is at a low angle, making the subject look like a frightening giant.

Solution: Good video — especially the kind of video used in a journalistic context — should be shot at eye level. This means raising or lowering the tripod so that it is at the same level of the subject being shot.

7. Video looks like it was shot during an earthquake

The video won't stop shaking and is making the viewer nauseous.

Solution: Unless you're going for the Cloverfield style of videography, use a tripod whenever possible. If you don't have one, try low-budget tricks like placing the camera on a stack of books or leaning against a wall while holding the camera.

8. Video is dark and grainy

Nothing makes video more unwatchable than not being able to actually see anything.

Solution: Video shouldn't be a Rorschach test. Videographers should make use of a light kit or at the very least turn on a nearby lamp.

9. Audio is drowned out by ambient noise

The main character or interviewee is saying something deeply profound...but the sound of passing cars, honking horns or violent wind is drowning them out.

Solution: Get thee a microphone! The built-in microphones that come with most video cameras will pick up every sound in the area, but using a cardioid or unidirectional microphone will pick up only the sound you want to hear.


Once you've mastered the basics of online video, check out blogs like Video 2 Zero and MultimediaShooter to learn even more about what makes great video.


Also on 10,000 Words:
• How to edit your video online for free or cheap
• Tips for shooting better video for the web
• Video tips and tricks for the financially challenged
• Newspapers on YouTube: Dos and Don'ts

Labels: video

Obama's Team

Sure you could read the in-depth reports or watch the tiresome press conferences to find out more about Barack Obama's cabinet team members. Or you can just use the interactive infographic from Spiegel Online that uses a carousel menu to illustrate the President-elect's political circle (learn how to create a similar effect here). The text is in German, but you don't have to speak the language to understand how engaging this project is.

Going to the End of the Line

Anyone who was ever lived or visited New York will recognize areas like Canarsie and Far Rockaway as a sort of a mythical no man's land, the end of the line where many subway riders rarely venture. The New York Times brought these and several other train stops to life through a compelling photo project that functions as an multi-level slideshow.

wordia

The dictionary has been around for centuries, but even its current digital form not much has changed since they were first being printed. Wordia is giving the lexicon a Web 2.0 makeover by providing a forum for anyone to upload what particular words mean to them. "Refuge" is commonly defined as "shelter or protection," but the user in the screenshot below describes refuge as "jumping into a hot shower after being trapped outside in the cold for hours." You won't find that in Webster's.

Breathing Earth

Because we can't physically see CO² emissions, it's hard to imagine the possible destruction the gas is causing the planet. The Breathing Earth simulation attempts to visualize the effects of greenhouse gases and blends an interactive infographic with changing statistics.

Obama's "Whistle Stop" Train Tour

CNN again makes use of its iReport feature to let citizen journalists be the ones to capture Obama's ride on the rails as he made his way to Washington, D.C. User-generated video is blended with CNN reports and mapped to give the user an interactive feel for the journey.

AfricaMap

There are likely hundreds of thousands of maps that document the African continent, but internet users can find all the map they'll need at this Harvard-created interactive project. The simple map can become more and more complex as various levels of data are layered on top of each other. Below, a 2007 index of Africa's power plants rests atop a 1770 historical map.

Perspectives

Imagine talking heads who don't talk at all. The video series from BaseMotion asks several people for their opinion on an issue and instead of showing their answers, shows only the pauses, breaks, ums and aahs. The stripped-down interview is a demonstration of human idiosyncrasies and reactions, rather than an attempt to gather opinions.

Whack-A-Bone

It's a human anatomy lesson cleverly disguised as a game! Players attempt to drag and drop bones in their correct locations while facing a timer. After playing the game, you'll not only know where the phalanges and humerus bones are, but you'll be able to identify them in record time.



Also on 10,000 Words:

• Exploring the human body through multimedia
• Create brilliant multimedia projects from the mundane
• Online news games are fun (and informative!)

Labels: citizen journalism, database, flash, photos, video

After American newspapers that are using YouTube were organized into an interactive map and table, readers in other countries wondered when information for their area would become available. Recently, two more maps have been created to visualize traditional newspapers using YouTube.

Andy Dickinson has mapped UK newspapers using the video social network, powered by Yahoo! Pipes. Blogger Cristoph Schmitz has created a similar map for Norwegian newspapers, both of which are absolutely worth checking out.



UPDATE: Blogger Alexandre Gamela has put together a map of Portuguese newspapers using YouTube. Gamela found that out of 173 newspaper websites, only 19 use video and just seven have YouTube channels. The others rely on Portuguese video social network SapoVideos to host their work. Also, check out this list of Polish newspapers on YouTube (English translation).

Those living in countries who do not have an available map of their local newspapers' use of YouTube are encouraged to put together one of their own and share the link either in the comments, or by sending an email to info@10000words.net. Here are two tutorials to get you started: How to create a Google Map in about 30 minutes, 5 Ways to create a Google Map in minutes. Good luck!

Labels: video

As recently as a year ago, very few newspapers had their own YouTube channels. Many media organizations were hesitant to share their content on a site they had relatively little control over. Now more than 150 newspapers are realizing the benefits of posting video on the site, including attracting viewers who would not otherwise see their content.

The following is a map of those newspapers (click here for a larger, interactive view, as well as an interactive table). If your local newspaper does not appear on the map, please send an email to info@10000words.net...and then send them the tips below:




DO customize the look of the channel

By default a YouTube channel is black text on a white background, but the site allows for custom colors and images. Make sure your channel stands out from the pack. For a good example of what a properly branded channel looks like, check out the Las Vegas Sun, the Explorer News (Ariz.) or the Orlando Sentinel.


DO NOT leave the description area blank

A keyword-laden description is essential for SEO purposes and for users who are searching for a specific newspaper's content to actually find it. It should include the full name of the newspaper, a link back to the website and the name or names of the city or area the paper serves. The Randolph County Herald Tribune, for example, lists each of the cities it covers, which is ideal for smaller newspapers trying to reach viewers in those communities.


DO use a custom thumbnail

YouTube automatically extracts an icon from the first video uploaded, which means many icons are random news subjects. Once the waiting period has passed, change the icon to a perfectly square, thumbnail-sized image of your logo or masthead.

Yes			No

DO include bumpers

Establish brand identity by including a logo and web address before and/or after each video posted to YouTube. No long prerolls necessary, just a reminder where viewers can find more excellent content.


DO NOT use a nickname as a username

Ideally, an official newspaper YouTube channel should use the full name of the newspaper as the username for brand recognition and search engine optimization (i.e. TheOaklandPress or WellingtonDailyNews). For example, instead of bcd47448, use BrownCountyDemocrat. This information applies to not-yet-created channels, as YouTube does not allow users to change their existing username.


DO NOT allow videographers to be renegades

A few YouTube channels consist of a single videographer producing content for the newspaper, but are under their own name (and thus are not listed here). Any officially sanctioned videos should be on a channel under the newspaper's name, not the videographer's. This is not only good for search, but establishes authority and brand identity.


DO let users submit video

Simply uploading the newspaper's proprietary video content follows the old media model of having a one-way conversation with readers. YouTube is a social video network, meaning all users should invite and encourage as much interaction as possible.


DO treat YouTube as an extension of the newspaper site

This means checking in often, uploading fresh content (many newspaper channels are sadly inactive) and reading comments. A YouTube channel should represent the quality readers have come to expect from the paper.



Previous video posts on 10,000 Words:

• 15 Tips for shooting online video
• How to edit your video online for free or cheap
• Tips for shooting better video for the web
• What if YouTube died tomorrow?

Labels: maps, video

On November 4, millions checked The New York Times online for news of the U.S. presidential election. Click the image below to view an exclusive time-lapse video of the site's election night coverage.

Labels: video

Burger King's notoriously creepy King commercials as well as the company's recent debut of ads featuring awkward singing duo Shroom & Swiss have made one thing clear: weird is the new jingle.

In the age of Tivo and DVRs, advertisers have to do a lot more to compel viewers to watch their commercials. Many have found that the way to capture the minds of the elusive 18-34 male demographic is to emulate those crazy YouTube videos that they are watching. This has led to an onslaught of head scratchers like Quiznos' "Eat $5" campaign, Skittle's piñata man, and a centaur touting the virtues of Axe Body Wash.

While some intentionally weird campaigns have been successful (BK's King is now a sought after Halloween mask), most just end up falling flat. Television viewers are a lot more sophisticated than advertisers give them credit for and can recognize when they're being pandered to.

It's hard to think that this trend in advertising — along with the prevalence of reality TV — isn't a part of the dumbing down of American television, but as long as campaigns like the King continue to go viral and become cultural phenomena, advertisers will continue to do whatever works. The fundamental point of any ad is to get people talking about the product, which, ironically, is what I have just done.


Burger King: Shroom & Swiss, Wake Up With the King

  


AXE: Chocolate Man, Centaur

  


Skittles: Piñata Man, Long beard

  

Labels: design, news on the news, video

The power of the net to provide more innovative political coverage than what is possible in traditional forms of media has never been more evidenced than in this political season. Major news organizations and citizen journalists alike have harnessed the power of the web to provide the most comprehensive coverage of the US presidential election than has ever been possible. Here are some of the best ways to follow the political landscape online:

1. perspctv

If there weren't 14 other sites on this list then perspctv would be the one stop for any election news seeker. The site culls the latest news, blog posts and tweets and provides insightful charts and maps as well as an embeddable widget for keeping track of it all.

2. Patchwork Nation

We know the candidates are campaigning all over the country, but who are they campaigning in front of? The Christian Science Monitor has the answer. The site's analysis shows both Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama spent a good chunk of their time in wealthy suburbs and big cities.

3. Election '08 Twitter Chatter

Everyone knows Twitter is abuzz with political views, skews and insights, including the observations of Twitter stars FakeSarahPalin and CNN's Rick Sanchez. Twitter Chatter is one way to wrangle these conversations as well as to see on a map where they are coming from.

4. FiveThirtyEight.com

FiveThirtyEight.com is the dream of any political statistics hound. The site has the latest polls, the latest news, the latest charts, graphs, statistics, hypotheticals...the latest everything. It's like a political rabbit hole...check it out only if you have time to spare.

5. Map of 2008 Presidential Contributions

"Show me the money!" Okay it's 2008, not 1996, but if you're curious to know where the campaign money is coming from, Political Base has you covered with a well-designed Google map as well as a list of big name contributors and a handy search form.

6. Tube the Vote!

Tube the Vote strives to provide a balanced view of issues that are affecting this year's presidential election by scouring the web for video, blog posts, Flickr photos and more that celebrate or repudiate either side.

7. Candidates' life journeys

Get to know the presidential and vice presidential candidates a little better by following the milestones of their lives on a Google Map. Anyone can follow the journey of John McCain, Barack Obama, Sarah Palin or Joe Biden.

8. PolitiFact's The Attack Files

Voters tired of the spin and searching for the truth will appreciate PolitiFact's analysis of recent campaign assertions. Was Sen. Obama referring to Sarah Palin when he mentioned "lipstick on a pig?" No way, says PolitiFact. Does Sen. McCain support tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas? Not that simple, according to the site.

9. Election 08

iPhone users will be glad to know that they don't have to be at a computer to track the latest on the 2008 presidential race. The iPhone application is a great source for tracking the latest polls as long as you don't check to often — Election 08 is sometimes behind in its updates.

10. McCainPedia/Obamapedia

To say these two wikis are unbiased would be a big misstatement — the former is run by the DNC, the other is populated by Obama fans. Still, using modern technology to encourage citizen participation is never a bad thing.

11. What Would You Say to the President?

This genius bit of citizen participation encourages everyone to not only speak their mind to President Bush, but to presidential hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama as well. Recent responses — which are themselves wholly interesting and telling — are displayed on each page.

12. Google Maps (campaign trail)

This Google map knows where the candidates will be and when and makes that information at the click of a button. Campaign appearances for both candidates are listed in reverse chronological order as well as marked on a map.

13. Google Maps (video)

Video of campaign speeches from both Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain are tracked and mapped on these map mashups that incorporate video from YouTube.

14. Everymoment Now

Everymoment Now uses a unique graph to chart the number of times a candidate was mentioned on any particular day since August of this year. Clicking on a bar in the chart reveals news stories that were published that day as well as more detailed charts and graphs.

15. ABC News' Match-o-Matic

If you plan on voting in the upcoming US election, but still don't know which candidate to vote for, the Match-o-Matic is sure to help. The humorous, interactive quiz gives the user two quotes — one from Sen. Obama and one from Sen. McCain — and the user selects which one they agree with most without knowing who said it. The final tally reveals which presidential candidate's platform the user is more likely to side with.

Labels: citizen journalism, database, maps, mobile, photos, social networking, video, widgets, wiki

Sometimes the best multimedia projects aren't those that cover elaborate and complicated news stories. The following stories show that ordinary concepts make for extraordinary multimedia.

Spot the Knockoff

Can you tell the $1,600 Jimmy Choo handbag from the $55 knockoff? Portfolio.com wants to know. The test puts the users plagiarism-detecting skills to use and is a simple but fun twist to the Flash quiz.

Rising Gasoline Costs

Everyone knows climbing gas prices are scary but this animated chart from Flowing Data may cause heart attacks. The chart illustrates how gas prices have climbed in the US from an average of about $1 a gallon to today's hefty $4 a gallon price tag.

Interactive Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Visitors to the actual Vietnam Vets memorial can only stare at the granite walls and wonder about who the soldiers were. Visitors to the interactive version can read about the stories behind each name.

Judgement to the Wife

Journalists and audiences alike are big fans of This American Life in both its radio and TV incarnations. The animated video illustrated by Chris Ware takes a simple premise (the differing recollections of a single event by a husband and wife) and brings it to life.

Fold-Ins, Past and Present

Mad Magazine's fold-ins are a great piece of Americana (as well as an encapsulation of the concerns of the times). The New York Times gives them a digital makeover, decreasing the need for actual folding.

Watching the Growth of Wal-Mart Across America

Along the lines of the aforementioned gas chart is this map of the spread of Wal-Mart stores across the country. It is interesting to see the megachain begin as a small clump of stores in Arkansas to several thousand stores that cover a large portion of the Western hemisphere.

2008 US Movie Box Office

Box office charts make good filler for the evening news broadcast or as anecdotal evidence for entertainment stories, but this well-designed chart shows the fluctuation of box office popularity for the entire year.

Fleshmap: Listen

Last but not least is this visualization of the frequency of mentions of specific body parts in different genres of music. Not surprisingly, the rear end is popular among hip hoppers and the hand is big among gospel artists. Possibly NSFW if you're scared of (literally) a little booty.

Labels: flash, video

As recently as a year or two ago, coverage of a natural disaster simply meant a reporter in a wet slicker being whipped around by gale-force winds.

Today's news audience demands immediate and hyperlocal coverage and the internet is here to give it to them. A recent study shows that people are more likely to turn to social networks like Twitter and Facebook than traditional news sources in the event of an emergency.

There have already been a number of blogs created exclusively for coverage of Hurricane Gustav, which was only on the radar a little over a week ago. These include the Hurricane Gustav Online Newsroom created by the Red Cross and Hurricane Gustav Resources maintained by OneStorm.

However, we are now living in a digital world where even blogs can't beat the immediacy of Twitter. There already a number of feeds on the microblogging service dedicated to Gustav, including news from the Red Cross, the SunHerald based in Mississippi's Gulf Coast, and the Chicago Tribune's GustavReporter.

Because of the fast breaking news happening on Twitter, major news media have already started to reference incoming tweets on their broadcasts, as evidenced in this story by Mike Elgan. You can follow updates about the hurricane by searching Twitter for "gustav" or joining the conversation by including the hastag #gustav in your tweets.

As recently as a year ago, many news outlets were reluctant to add their content to public video sharing sites like YouTube, but now those mainstream organizations are often ahead of the pack. The Associated Press has already posted a number of video clips to YouTube, which fit right in with the citizen journalist-created videos that exist on the site.

 

The way to show the path of a hurricane on a news broadcast used to be a relatively simple graphic that highlighted a large swirling cloud on a colorful map. The net has extended the possibility of what this map can be. MSNBC's Hurricane Tracker is a user-friendly interactive map that not only shows where Gustav is headed, but a host of other data to accompany it. The Palm Beach Post also has a Gustav tracking map, this one showing the hurricane as it relates to the southeast portion of the US.





CNN's iReport has also made use of maps, but in a different way. Photos and video from "iReporters," or citizen journalists who are in the middle of the storm, are geotagged and posted on the map where others can view by area and leave comments.



The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has gone all out and provided every type of news coverage imaginable, including video, a variety of maps, constantly updated blogs, archival footage and more, in addition to its traditional print stories.

Other useful online tools that likely wouldn't have existed a few years ago include a Google Maps mashup of evacuation destinations and the HurriCam, a live streaming webcam stationed in southernmost Louisiana. And because average Joes are no longer content to sit around and wait for mainstream media to report on the news that matters to them, the Ning-based social network Gustav Information Center has been setup to provide a forum for Hurricane Gustav-related news. Credentialed reporters and citizen journalists alike will also find the social network Storm Tools for Journalists incredibly useful.

Finally, there has been a recent trend in newsrooms to provide links to organizations that provide aid to those devastated by natural disasters. After the recent cyclone in Myanmar, many online news sites like the New York Times streamlined the donation process.

Labels: citizen journalism, maps, news on the news, photos, social networking, video

Covert Camcorder Spy Sunglasses
Brickhouse Security | $299.95

These shades were made for spyin' and that's just what they'll do. But don't let the "spy" part dissuade you. These beefed up Oakley-style sunglasses can record first person perspective video so the world can be seen through your (or someone else's) eyes.



Bluetrek Levis Bluetooth Headset
Wireless Ground | $79.95 (On sale for $64.95)

This Bluetooth headset's dog tag look is a lot more stylish than others in the market, yet it still offers 7 hours of talk time and more than 10 days of standby time.




120 Tri-lens Stereo Camera
3D World | TBD

This three-lensed camera takes stereoscopic images that create the illusion of 3D photographs. Perfect for the photographer looking to give his or her work a little punch.





Olympus Waterproof Digital Camera
Amazon | $348.95

The waterproof camera is perfect for capturing those splashy summer photos and be used year-round wherever water is involved. According to the manufacturer the camera is also shockproof, freezeproof, and sand/dustproof and can be used underwater up to 10 feet/3 meters.



Snowflake Mobile Professional Microphone
Blue Microphones

The professional grade cardioid mic connects to your computer through USB port which makes it especially useful for recording podcasts or VoIP. The Snowflake is plug and play and greatly reduces the need for cords and other clutter.


Also on 10,000 Words:

• 7 Gadgets for the eccentric journalist
• 6 Must-have gadgets for journalists
• Inexpensive gadgets for backpack journalists

Labels: audio, photos, video

There have been a number of technological advances in journalism in the four years since the last Summer Olympic Games so this year promises to be a breakthrough in how the Olympics are covered. News organizations, citizen journalists and corporations have been gearing up for some time now to present the best in multimedia, print and online coverage as well as advertising and social networking. Here is some of the best of what to expect:


Blogs

One of my biggest dreams is to attend the Olympics games, but I opted out this year for two reasons 1) I was concerned about the restrictions on journalists and 2) I have a strong aversion to Chinese food. That said, I'll see you in London in 2012. In the meantime, there are a number of other media and interested parties that will be covering the Olympic Games:

• The New York Times Olympics blog
• Los Angeles Times: Ticket to Beijing
• BBC Sport Olympics 2008
• ESPN Olympics Blog
• Indian Olympic Blog
• San Jose Mercury News Olympic Games Blog
• Beijing Olympics Fan
• Reuters
• FanNation Beijing Olympics Blog
• Reuters
• Times Online: Barnes in Beijing

Google also has an interesting way of keeping tabs on the Games. Just enter the name of the event you are interested in plus the word 'olympics' in the search field and Google will return a schedule of upcoming events. You can also get updates from a number of Twitter users.



For those journalists reading from Beijing, PopPhoto has some advice for navigating around China and the Olympic atmosphere.


Video


In addition to offering more than extensive coverage of the Olympic Games in the US, NBC will make an additional 2,200 hours of streaming video available online at NBCOlympics.com. On the other side of the world, CCTV.com and Adobe have partnered up to offer more than 5,000 hours of streaming video to mainland China and Macau via CCTVOlympics.com

In countries where NBC doesn't have exclusive rights to Olympic video, the games will be broadcast online on YouTube. This includes 77 territories in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

US residents who are unable to watch the Games either on television or online have the option of downloading Olympics on the Go, a Tivo-like service that will download selected events straight to their computer. Best of all, the service is free.


Multimedia

The New York Times, that stalwart exemplar of multimedia, has some pretty comprehensive coverage, including two awesome Flash-based interactive projects: Olympic Medal Count Map, which uses expanding circles to illustrate the number of medals won over the years by various countries, and Passing the Torch, a visual history of the Olympic torch.




The Chicago Tribune's photo gallery "Olympic athletes you can root for" is a compelling look at Olympians who may not be household names. Some of the venues where the athletes compete and visitors will tour, including the Olympic Sports Centre and Tiananmen Square can be viewed in 3D by clicking here.


Print

Text is the foundation of journalism and there have already been a number of feature stories published online that are worth a read.

From BBC News: The Olympic torch's shadowy past

From Sportingo: The top ten greatest Olympic moments

From mental_floss: What happens to Olympic facilities after the games are over?

From WebUrbanist: 8 Pivotal Olympic Villages And Venues Then And Now


Widgets

    

    

Left to right: USA Today, NBC , Google Gadgets, Widgetbox


Mobile


When you just got can't make to the television in time to catch your favorite Olympic event, be sure to turn to any of the following mobile sites offering Olympic coverage:

Yahoo!

Sky

NBC

New York Times

Sports Illustrated/SI.com

USA Today

Times Online


Advertising


Coca-Cola wasn't yet invented at the first Olympic Games, but the beverage corporation and a number of other companies are making up for lost time by plastering their image all over Beijing and the web.

Lenovo, a similarly ubiquitous sponsor of the Olympiad, has put together Voices of the Olympic Games, an online site in which real Olympic athletes share their stories and experiences. Olympians like Peter Lopez, a member of the Peruvian taekwondo team, seem genuinely excited to blog about Beijing, and — good news here — he and others are blogging in their native language.

As Panasonic will gladly tell you, the electronics giant has been sponsoring the Olympic Games for 20 years. This year is, of course, no different. It's Japanese site offers Olympic-themed video/ads and other goodies like desktop wallpaper. In the U.S., the Panasonic Mobile Tour is already underway. A huge rig equipped with the latest in television technology is traveling around the country to show off the Olympic Games in high definition.

McDonald's will be feeding many visitors to Beijing in the Olympic Village, and, in some selected countries, will offer its "China Menu" which includes a burger topped with sesame seeds, chop suey and ginger sauce. And finally you can catch Olympians in all their glory in a visually arresting set of ads for Powerade by clicking here (SFW).



You can check out my personal contribution to Olympic fever at Entertainment Weekly. How are you covering the Olympic Games? Or, if you are a fan, how will you be following them? Share your plans in the comments.

Labels: blogging, citizen journalism, maps, mobile, social networking, video, widgets

This post is one in a series covering the multimedia sessions at the 2008 UNITY Journalists conference



1. Remember the rule of thirds.

2. Use a tripod every time.

3. Same goes for headphones.

4. Use a wide shot to set the scene.

5. White balance before every setup.

6. Lay off the fancy transitions.

7. If you can get closer without zooming, do it.

8. Always shoot B-roll.

9. And pre-roll.

10. Rock and roll.

11. Use an external microphone whenever possible.

12. Remember video on the web is seen on relatively small screens.

13. Lose the auto focus.

14. Experiment with your camera's features...before you shoot. Be sure to restore settings after.

15. Bring extra batteries.

For more video shooting tips, check out this previous post.

Labels: video

Scientists have made amazing discoveries about the human body over the years, but because journalists and scientists speak two different languages, trying to explain those discoveries can be difficult. What better way to explain the complex processes of the body than through new media?

Specialized Bicycle Components has put together an amazing interactive Flash animation to demonstrate how bicycles, and more specifically the company's products, interact with the human body. The centerpiece of the project is a figure stripped down to blood, bone and sinew that mimics the different movements of a bicycle rider. Users can toggle between a number of bike moves, including the spin and the hammer, and simultaneously isolate several systems in the body, including the nervous and circulatory systems.




The next presentation isn't for the faint of heart (pun intended). Hybrid Medical Animation, in order to present the viewer with a clearer understanding of the beating heart, has created the Hybrid Interactive Heart. Users can toggle between the opaque tissue of the organ and a "glass" version that shows the inner workings of the heart. The result is absolutely mind-blowing and somewhat hypnotic. A similar video animation shows the beating heart with blood flow.




As part of its "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibit, the Museum of Modern Art hosts a project entitled The Inner Life of the Cell. According to the creators "We follow a macrophage as it patrols the wall of a capillary and encounters a chemical signal from a capillary cell indicating that an inflammatory event has occurred in surrounding tissue." In layman's terms, it is a visually stunning video that shows with scientific accuracy what's going on beneath the skin.




(Note: The next site is admittedly a little morbid but is safe to view at work.)

Interactive Autopsy, as it's name suggests, allows visitors to go through the steps of performing an autopsy, including removing and weighing the internal organs and cutting and stitching the body. In the middle of the interactive is a brief video of a forensic pathologist who discusses the removal of the brain. At the end of the project is a link to read more about the instruments used in autopsy that, honestly, rival those used in any Hollywood horror movie.

Labels: flash, video

In a continuation of 12 Useful online tools for journalists, here are 12 more tools for getting the job done.


Gcast
Computer-free podcasting

Who needs thousand of dollars in equipment (okay maybe hundreds) to record a podcast, when Gcast lets anyone record a podcast by calling a toll-free number on their phone? The recording isn't exactly broadcast quality, but it is useful for recording in the field.


Listen and Write
Improve note-taking

In the last post, Learn2Type was suggested as a means of improving typing skills. Well once you have the keyboard mastered, it's time to visit Learn and Write and practice recording skills while listening to actual news stories.


wikirage
Find out what's going on

Wikirage lists the pages in Wikipedia that are receiving the most edits per unique editor over various periods of time, according to the site. This means journalists can find out what's popular (or controversial) on the web and the world without leaving our cubicles.


Urban Dictionary
Speak the lingo

Language changes all the time and if you're covering teens and preteens, or just very cool adults, Urban Dictionary will help in translating those unheard of words. The dictionary was especially useful in helping a former editor understand the word homothug and whether it should be used in print.


Tablefy
Compare data

Tech savvy journalists love a good Excel spreadsheet, but if more of us use Tablefly, a useful tool for comparing one or more things to each other, then Excel may go the way of the dinosaur.


Alerts.com
Manage appointments

The free service makes it easy to juggle multiple appointments with sources, editors or whomever, by sending alerts directly to you by email, phone or text. The site can also send traffic and weather alerts, baseball scores and gas prices, or updates about your favorite websites.


Hey!Spread
Video distributor

Journalism is all about getting as many eyes on a story as possible. Hey!Spread makes it easier with their tool for distributing video to almost 20 different video hosts, including YouTube, Google Video and DailyMotion. P.S. It's not free.


SimplyNoise
Block out distractions

Newsrooms can be a noisy, raucous affair that makes it difficult to concentrate when writing a story. The white noise generator from SimplyNoise will block out your surroundings with just a slide of a little orb.


FindSounds
Find sounds (yes, it's that simple)

Producers, especially those in radio and multimedia, will appreciate this online search tool for finding all the booms, clicks, bangs and dings that make audio projects sing.


eufeeds
Stay in touch with the world

Eufeeds is a one-stop shop for finding out what newspapers around the world are reporting. Its front page can be used for quick scanning and reference or click one of the almost 30 countries to read several of its newspapers at once.


The Alphabetizer
Sort your lists

The aptly named Alphabetizer takes any lists and sorts in alphabetically in just a few seconds.


Time and Date
Distance calculator

Journalists, present company included, love to say this place is about X miles from this place. Instead of pulling out a ruler and map, use Time and Date's distance calculator to get a more accurate number. The calculator came in handy in this post when determining the distance between England and Israel.


And one bonus tool:

Tell Zell
Resignation form creator

For our colleagues at Tribune Co. properties, including the Los Angeles Times, this handy form will let you craft your resignation letter with just a few drop down menus. This would be hilarious if the situation wasn't so dire.

Labels: audio, site management, video

I'm not a fan of the documentary mostly because the great majority of the ones I've seen are stodgy, tedious and/or boring. Sure, there are a couple of docs that have bowled me over like the gritty film Dark Days, the Oscar-winning The Times of Harvey Milk and more recently The Secret World of Haute Couture, but most just don't interest me.

There are, however, two excellent, recently released documentaries that made me realize why most others fail: because they don't appeal to my generation, the MTV-watching, iPhone-owning youngsters with the attention span of a pine nut.


The first of the two is Bigger, Stronger, Faster*, a documentary film on steroid usage in America that owes much of its greatness to its coverage of a sensitive topic with humor and pathos without seeming overwrought. The movie enhances its coverage of the subject with witty graphics and the pace never seems to slow, though it has an almost two-hour running time. The film has an impressive 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, an indication that it is better than the average doc.

The second is VH1's four-part series Sex: The Revolution, one of the channel's ongoing Rock Docs features. The documentary is not as titillating as its title suggests. Rather it approaches the subject matter with a rock star attitude while maintaining a high level of informativeness. The doc is full of talking heads, of course, but they are cool talking heads relaying information and experiences without the haughtiness seen elsewhere. Sex, along with its sister doc The Drug Years, take topics that can be found in most textbooks and present them in a way that makes viewers feel invested in the subject without being tawdry or talking down to the audience.

Sicko by filmmaker Michael Moore is another equally compelling documentary. Moore's methodology and style may be suspect, but his film put a human face on the serious issue of health care in America. I'm not much of a crier (last time was my graduation from college), but as I watched American citizens who had long been unable to afford essential medical procedures finally receive appropriate care in Cuba, I felt the tears begin to flow. It speaks to the power of the medium that it provoked such an emotional reaction. Now if only all documentaries could do the same...

Labels: video

1. Track flight patterns


2. Document the reconstruction of a Katrina-ravaged home



3. Capture the excitement of a carnival



4. Watch a fire burn



5. Shorten a cross-country trip to four minutes



6. View the progress of a winter storm



7. Track the activity in a busy parking lot



8. Watch the sun set



9. Journey through the Panama Canal



10. Visualize 8 years of aging



11. View the wonders of underwater sea life



12. Roll out the fog of San Francisco

...and how to create time-lapse photography

• Most newer video camera models have interval recording built into the camera, a detailed rundown of which can be found at Photography Today. Those that don't can make use of SingleFramer, a free software that captures individual frames from DV cameras, either manually or automatically.

• Time-lapse software Flix is a great option for those projects that can be captured on a webcam (like the winter storm video above). The software is $10 after a trial period and also works with digital cameras.

• Instructables has a detailed description on how to use a graphing calculator to determine mathematically correct intervals to create time-lapse videos from photographs. An example of this method can be found at Digital Photography School.

• If calculators aren't your speed, the Pclix LT100 works with compatible photo cameras to shoot images at pre-determined intervals, anywhere from 1 second to 100 hours, according to the manufacturer. At $140 plus the cost of cables, the tiny device is a little more expensive than a graphing calculator, but its certainly better for the mathematically challenged.

For more on time-lapse photography, read this previous post or for more inspiration check out the Flickr "timelapse" pool.

Labels: photos, video

Google Maps helps you drive, but have you ever driven on a map? There are a number of driving simulators that use online map technology to provide a 2D driving experience. Map Channels' Street View Driver lets users get a first person perspective of driving down any of the cities mapped by Google Street View. It's obviously not the same sensation of driving, but users can accelerate and decelerate and turn left or right down any mapped street.


Geoquake turns the concept up a notch by adding a virtual steering wheel and letting drivers pick their own car for a fast-paced drive through a number of cities, including Tokyo, Las Vegas and Manhattan. GoogleDrive is comparatively underwhelming, but it's still fun to zip the little car through any street mapped by Google.

For those who are better spectators than they are drivers, this mashup of a YouTube video of the recent Big Wheel Race in San Francisco with a Google Maps widget shows viewers the actual race while plotting its course on the adjacent map. The result is, dare I say, genius and the technology has practical applications in journalism.



The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race may be traveling the globe, but its impressive map remains in one place. The paths of competing yachts are tracked in real time on a Google Map with stats available for each vessel. As of this writing, the yachts are headed from New York to Nova Scotia and Team New York is narrowly ahead of Team Uniquely Singapore followed by Team Glasgow: Scotland with Style. It's exciting, kind of like watching a carnival's water pistol horse race.

The more literary-inclined will enjoy We Tell Stories: The 21 Steps, a continuous story that unfolds over one map. The "digital fiction" work is inspired by The 39 Steps by John Buchan, written a century before the advent of Google Maps. The story itself is a good read and breathes new life into a well-worn medium.



If it's between 5:30 and 8:30 a.m. Central Time, you can find AirFox Live hovering over the virtual skies of Google Maps. Most TV stations have a news helicopter, but Fox News Chicago is making the most of theirs by streaming live video shot from the copter as it cruises the Illinois skies. When the cameras aren't rolling, the site has a live skyline cam and a slideshow of some of the best aerial views of the city.


This post is the fourth in a five-part series on maps. Previously: Online tools for getting more out of maps, Exploring the Earth, Tracking down criminals with crime maps

Labels: maps, video

It's a complex world out there...a world that is better explained through multimedia. The following projects capture what could have been belabored or excessively long print stories and turned them into visually arresting online works.

"Who has the Nuclear Weapons?" isn't the first expository video from GOOD Magazine, but it may be one of the best. The magazine explains who is controlling the world's nuclear weapons in a video that is a cross between Sesame Street and a Nine Inch Nails music video with a little Michael Moore thrown in for good measure. Most importantly, the magazine presents facts in a visual, easy to digest way.



Non-profit organization Just Vision documents the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through an interactive timeline, which is itself made of interviews with the people who lived/are living through it. The project mixes personal and historical events to provide a multi-faceted view of the conflict.

Flight and Expulsion from new media designer Christian Behrens is an interactive map that shows the flight patterns of refugees around the world based on UN statistics. The Flash map has some technical issues (tiny hit states), but is a sobering way visualization of where the incredible number of refugees are fleeing.



The BBC's History of Stonehenge is a computer-simulated time lapse video of one the world's most mysterious structures. The video delineates the position and degradation of the monument over thousands of years.

The Discovery Channel online's Volcano Explorer is a bit of creative genius — after learning about the fire-breathing mountains, users can adjust viscosity and gas levels to create their own virtual volcano and watch it erupt. It's definitely a step up from the baking soda and vinegar models made in grade school.



Ironic Sans' 60 Seconds series is proof that sometimes the news is happening right in front of us, if we take a moment to look. Each video spotlights a slice of life or nature in just a minute. There is something serene and American Beauty-esque about videos like 60 Seconds in the Life of Summer, 60 Seconds in the Life of an Aquarium or even 60 Seconds in the Life of a Fly. The videos are proof that you don't have to go far to find great ideas for multimedia.

Labels: flash, video

The number of news organizations producing video exclusively for the web is increasing. Here are some things to keep in mind when shooting video for the web:


Picking a camera

Most major news outlets by now have a stash of video cameras (okay maybe just one) available to multimedia/ video shooters. But if your newsroom is just catching up and/or is reluctant to spend a gajillion dollars on a video camera, know that a web quality camera can be bought on the cheap. Purchasing a video camera that can also shoot photos and capture audio is ideal for the backpack journalist who plans to create a total multimedia experience. There are some other technical factors to consider, including external mic and headphone jacks and a firewire terminal. This previous post lists some inexpensive cameras that will get the job done.

Once you have the right camera, play around with the settings and become familiar with them, but don't mess them up before you get out to the field. You don't want to have shot an exclusive interview and later found out you messed up the white balance settings — which is to say check your white balance settings. You can't always fix it in post.


In the field


One of the top causes for headaches in the editing process is not having enough footage to produce the best quality story. The trick is to shoot more footage than you think you will need, including B-roll and ambient sound. However, if the video will be produced on a tight deadline, don't shoot too much or you will end up with a mess of video clips that must be sifted through and uploaded.

Video should be shot outdoors whenever possible to take advantage of the great lighting the sun provides, but sometimes this isn't an available option. Make sure to turn on overhead lights, lamps or whatever will help to brighten up the room (unless you're going for the scary, shadowed, whistleblower look. Some cameras will produce a grainy effect in low light situations that should be avoided whenever possible.

The importance of a tripod cannot be stressed enough. Not using one will cause visible shaking that is incredibly distracting, especially on relatively small computer screens. If the boss was too stingy to cough up the money for a tripod, you can still steady the camera by leaning against a wall with your upper back and both legs spread in a 'V' in front of you for leverage. For low angle shots, kneel on one knee placing your elbow on the raised knee and holding the camera to your eye. If this sounds too complicated, use a steady flat surface such as a table and increase the height of the camera using thick books. Avoid using the camera's zoom function as any shaking becomes more apparent the more the camera is zoomed.


Interviewing

Be sure to use a good pair of headphones (not earbuds) to be sure of audio quality before you begin to roll. In an interview situation, have the speaker talk naturally before you the actual interview begins to make sure there is no audio interference and you can in fact hear them. If you are a one person show, keep one headphone on and keep an eye on the camera, but remain engaged with the interviewee. You can also keep both headphones on but slide the arc of the headphones to the nape of the neck to lessen the distraction.

If you are blessed with a tripod or monopod, avoid panning and tilting during an interview because it is also distracting and you will hate yourself come editing time.


Editing time!

Final Cut Pro is the industry standard for editing video for good reason: it has more features than one will probably every need. But when it comes to the web, iMovie or any of these alternatives will suffice. Editing on the cheap isn't a bad thing. A video is only as bad as its editor (and shooter).

As internet connection speeds get faster and faster and more internet users have taken to the idea of watching video pieces on the web, the temptation increases to put even longer video clips on the web. But it is important to remember that many web surfers have the attention span of a walnut and rarely sit through long video.

Again the importance of using headphones, especially when editing, is paramount. You may have shot Peabody Award-worthy video but if the audio sounds like crap, then the whole clip is a wash.


For more tips on shooting video for the web, visit Creative Pro, Ourmedia, the Online Journalism Review, or andydickinson.net.

Labels: video

Nothing brings the world together like the Olympic Games. The same goes for multimedia journalism, so the two are a match made in heaven. Media outlets around the world are gearing up for the 2008 Games in Beijing. In addition to airing 1,200 hours of Olympics coverage on five different channels, NBC plans to broadcast 1,000 more hours of video on the web. That means all the badminton, taekwondo and Greco-Roman wrestling you can handle.

The Beijing Guide, a website run by the China International Travel Service, has photos and 360° views of popular Beijing attractions including the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and The Gate of Heavenly Peace.



The upcoming Olympic Games aren't without their share of controversy as evidenced by the efforts of Reporters Without Borders, Human Rights Watch (which has a well-designed and resourceful site), and the many protesters around the world.

BBC News has an eye-opening take on the history of the Olympic torch, which has incited protests almost everywhere it goes. Track the progress of the Olympic torch, or perhaps the site of the next protest, using Google's Torch Relay map. The map has detailed information on past and future locations of the torch, whenever available, and includes photos of each location.

The International Olympic Committee recently approved blogging as a means of coverage because blogging is "a legitimate form of personal expression and not a form of journalism." Right. And don't expect any multimedia elements: bloggers are banned from posting any video or audio. Olympics bloggers must adhere to strict standards and must write about their experiences rather than news stories.

There are a number of blogs already covering the progress of the Olympics including Beijing Olympics Fan, Reuters' Countdown to Beijing blog, Beijing Olympics Blog on FanNation and this now defunct blog on the architecture of Olympic arenas in Beijing (with includes stunning photos).

Labels: blogging, video

November 4 is right around the corner, so if you haven't had a meeting or two about elections coverage, now's as good a time as any. If you're already on the ball or if you need to get rolling, here are some online sites that are infusing new media into traditional political journalism and powered by citizen journalists.

For the average citizen, presidential primaries can be a confusing and complicated process. Regular guy/techie Jim Edlin presents an alternative to the existing process of electing a president with the site OnlinePrimary. Visitors are asked to rank the presidential candidates and the results are posted on the front page.



One part of the political process that is a head scratcher for the average person is the Democratic Party's use of superdelegates. The Superdelegate Transparency Project aims to remove a little bit of the mystery behind these all-important politicos by examining who they are and who they plan to vote for (right now, the count is in favor of Hillary Clinton). The site also provides in-depth, yet easy to read information on how the delegate process works.

In a play for the Naked News crowd (link semi-NSFW), SexyPolitics is encouraging political awareness by adding a little incentive. It's simple: take a quiz on political candidates, issues or general political knowledge and the more questions you get right, the more articles of clothing the "stripper" removes. The questions can get admittedly difficult so you're going to have to work hard to get that sexy prisoner to disrobe. If you're only interested in taking the quizzes, there is an option to skip the strip. On the plus side, the site is making politics and a whole lot more interesting and, ahem, sexier.



YouBama, a portmanteau of video sharing site YouTube and presidential candidate Barack Obama, is exactly what its name suggests: a site for sharing videos of the presidential candidate. Users have uploaded roughly 600 videos of campaign ads, attacks on the competition, news clips and poems(?).

Can you really tell a lot about a candidate based on his or her website? Dustin Brewer thinks so. The freelance web designer judges the candidates' web presence from a purely technical standpoint, examining the lines of code and overall design. Barack Obama comes out on top for his site's clean and modern look and cross-browser compatibility, while John McCain and Mike Huckabee fall to the bottom for their lack of effort and faulty coding.

Every political candidate has their own website, faulty or no, but 23-year-old Meghan McCain is getting serious mileage out of the web by blogging her experiences while on the road with her father, newly minted Republican presidential nominee John McCain. The site is like a journal/family photo album and makes the elder McCain seem less staid as he and some other candidates can appear to be when making the rounds on television.

Speaking of blogs, a recent Harris poll showed that "only" 22 percent of Americans of read political blogs regularly, but I'd like to flip that notion on its head. Considering there are roughly 303 million people living in America and blogs really became mainstream in the last few years, I'd say that's quite a lot of people reading political blogs.

Consider also that the public's reliance on newspapers and television as a source of political news is slipping (but you knew that already), according to the Pew Research Center. That means its time to beef up online political news and perhaps look to the average Janes and Joes for a little inspiration.

For more politics, check out previous posts on tracking the presidential candidates online and unusual political news coverage.

Labels: blogging, citizen journalism, video

Video editing doesn't have to mean shelling out tons of cash for Final Cut Pro or limiting oneself to iMovie or Windows Media Maker.

After the news of Jumpcut's demise, Motionbox remains the next best online video editing tool. Motionbox users can upload up to 300 MB video to the site (100 MB at a time) and edit it as they wish. Users can stream the completed video for free, but must upgrade to the premium version ($29.99 a year) for downloading capabilities and unlimited upload space. Motionbox is not a substitute for professional video editing, but it is a cheap and easy alternative.

JayCut lets users upload video from their camera, webcam or mobile phone and edit it on an iMovie-esque interface that is incredibly user-friendly. The finished video can be hosted by the service, downloaded to a PC or embedded on video social networks such as YouTube or MySpace.

Kaltura is where YouTube meets wiki. It offers a web-based platform where many users can collaborate on the editing of one or more videos using a Flash-based editor. Kaltura is geared toward businesses and the created video can be embedded on your site.

If your video is nice and edited, but was captured on a less than stellar device such as a cell phone, commercial digital camera or webcam, FixMyMovie can quickly improve its quality. The site will increase the video's resolution, remove noise, and brighten any darkness. Users can either use the site's upload tool or send the offending video via email. The process can take up to an hour depending on its size. After the video is scrubbed clean, FixMyMovie will email you a link to the enhanced version where it can be downloaded or embedded on the web.


Also on 10,000 Words:
• 9 Telltale signs of amateur video
• Tips for shooting better video for the web
• Video tips and tricks for the financially challenged
• Newspapers on YouTube: Dos and Don'ts

Labels: video, wiki

Sports journalism has an intrinsic fan base, so it only makes sense to parlay that readership into online sports communities.

Takkle, an offshoot of Sports Illustrated, is hooking them while they're young. The site has an active network of high school athletes and fans who can submit photos and video of their favorite teams or participate in throwdowns on just about any topic.

Impressively, the site ranks the top 25 basketball players and top 100 football players from high schools across the country. Takkle users can rate each player as over or underrated, view stats and debate the player's cred in the comments section.

Elsewhere on the site, SI.com's College Football's Greatest Rivalries video series is well-packaged and is sure to get football fans talking. All the greats are there including University of Florida v Florida State, USC v UCLA and Army v Navy. The opportunity to debate the prowess of one's home team exists elsewhere on the site at FanNation, but it would have been nice to have a comment section or direct link to each rivalry's discussion board to make the debate more immediate.

Bleacher Report is perhaps the best citizen journalism sports site not tied to a mainstream media outlet. In the vein of Associated Content, users can register and write their own sports-related articles, which, when posted, can be reviewed and rated by other users. Writers are free to speak their minds and throw unbiasedness out the window (especially today's front page story "ESPN: The Ultimate Hypocrite". Totally valid argument, but wow what a headline.) Bleacher Report covers most of the major sports, including football, basketball and soccer and its thriving community is making it one of the best on the web.

And because no post is complete without a good map, soccermap.net takes soccer league tables and plots them on a user-friendly map. The site is Europe-centric, but is very comprehensive and is RSS-enabled for news on any specific league. The site's stats can even be embedded as a widget on any webpage.



Read more about tackling the online sports section in this previous post.

Labels: citizen journalism, maps, rss, social networking, video

More than 77 million users watched roughly 3.2 billion videos on YouTube last December, according to a recent comScore report. There are no clear estimates of the number of embedded YouTube videos floating around the web, but it is safe to say that if the de facto file sharing service crashed tomorrow, a lot of blogs and news sites, including 10,000 Words, would suffer greatly.

YouTube is unrivaled when it comes to video sharing, but when it comes to video quality many videographers prefer Vimeo, which shares similar features with its competitor.



Other alternative video sharing sites include Veoh, Moonk, Dailymotion, blip.tv and a slew of others listed at WebWare and Mashable.

To compare the various video embedding tools, check out this side-by-side comparison.

Labels: video

The handheld video camera is the cornerstone of any multimedia journalist's arsenal and the Sanyo VPC-HD700 is bringing high-definition recording to the party. The small and sleek camera records HD video and doubles as a high-powered still camera. It comes with a remote control, has in-camera editing abilities and saves files to SDHC memory cards. It doesn't have a dedicated audio recording feature, but with a little ingenuity and conversion, that can be resolved. The HD700 is available for $350 at Amazon.

For high-definition video without the HD cost check out the Aiptek A-HD 720P High-Definition camcorder, which retails at Amazon for $134.99. The viewfinder is small and the zoom is not much help compared to other handhelds, but its great for newsrooms on a budget (which is to say, almost everyone).


The Tony Hawk HelmetCam is a tiny camera that can be strapped on to any helmet and is great for capturing elusive action shots (I wish I had one for a project on downhill skateboarding). The compact camera is great for recording from the viewpoint of a staffer and records 640 x 480 video in a range of formats. The HelmetCam is available from Amazon for $30.


With all the useful and cool gadgets available, it may be easy to run out of room in your proverbial backpack. There is, however, always room for the ZRAD Super Mini SPY Cam. The tiny camcorder is about the size of a pack of gum and record up to two hours worth of video on a single charge and can store up to 33 hours of video. The video output is not broadcast quality and is barely web quality, but is useful for capturing spot news on the fly when a larger camera is impractical. The SPY Cam is available from Spy Gadgets for $129 (please refrain from actual spying).





If size is not an issue and pitch perfect, broadcast quality is what you're looking for, look no further than the M-Audio MicroTrack II. The battery operated audio recorder has two-channel WAV and MP3 recording and playback and stores to Compact Flash cards. It records up to four to five hours on a single charge and connects with a USB cable for quick uploading to the web. The recorder also has input jacks for professional and consumer microphones and headphones. The MicroTrack II is available for $300-$500, depending on where you get it from.





Recording phone calls with sources can be a pain, but the Teleport 2.0 makes it a little easier. The gadget connects your telephone to your PC's USB port, and records incoming and outgoing calls. It also keeps a log of calls made and is compatible with any telephone set. The Teleport 2.0 is available for around $70. A friendly reminder from 10,000 Words: remember to check state laws before recording phone calls.


Also on 10,000 Words:

• Crazy gadgets that are (possibly) crazy useful
• 7 Gadgets for the eccentric journalist
• Inexpensive gadgets for backpack journalists

Labels: audio, video

It's easy to be inspired by the work of mainstream media powerhouses like The New York Times and CNN, but there is great multimedia to be found outside of the traditional journalism sphere.

The role of individual musicians in an orchestra is illustrated in the following clip from the short film "Das Sein und das Nichts". As the music plays, the contribution from each musical instrument is visually represented.



Many people are aware of the spread of HIV, but unclear about how the disease attacks the body. The slick-looking video "Targeting HIV replication" is more Star Wars than PSA and interprets the debilitating process in a very easy facile manner.



People in Order, a series of short films that translates statistics in a very visual and emotional way, is one of the greatest video series to emerge this year. The four shorts by filmmakers Lenka Clayton and James Price were filmed over four weeks in February and arranged 471 Brits by age, yearly income, relationship length and pregnancy.

The embedded videos are "New Age, BANG, Old Age," in which a person of every age, between 1 and 100, bangs a single drum. The second is "New Love Order" in which 48 couples are arranged by length of their relationship. The other two films are "We Make This Much Money" and a video showing women at various stages of pregnancy.






Along the lines of People in Order and a previous post about finding multimedia in the mundane is a series of photos dubbed "Taking pictures of strangers," courtesy of mental_floss blog. The photos of random people are innately compelling without the need for a news hook or a nut graf.


A series of video and flat graphics illustrate how New York reaches out to the rest of the world. The project tracked international phone calls and ISP connections between NYC and locations around the globe and it is presented in a visually arresting way. The multimedia project is available online and is on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.






Finally, this simple, yet effective animated gif of how a sewing machine works takes what could have been a flat graphic and turned it into a hypnotic, "so that's how it works" moment.

Labels: citizen journalism, video

Poor weather. The size of the weather page is shrinking in newspapers across the country and the meteorological report is almost always at the end of the television newscast. Many radio stations still read the weather at the top of the hour, but that's been happening since Marconi pushed the on button. However, there are a group of online sites that are bringing a new twist to an old phenomenon.

Old standby The Weather Channel/weather.com is also a vibrant social network. Users can post photos and video of good and bad weather happening around them and discuss local climates on the site's message boards. In addition to its hour by hour, weekend, 10-day and monthly forecasts, Weather.com boasts interactive maps, a bookmark-worthy blog written by weather experts and meteorologists and other weather-related tidbits that are too numerous to mention.

By now you're familiar with the broadcast TV weather map that has the temperature of an area overlaid on a map of that area (i.e. 75° in Miami, 32° in Seattle). Weather Bonk has scaled that map down and made it available with just a click. Regional temperatures across the globe are plotted on an interactive Google Map, along with storm warnings and embedded webcams.



WunderCam and EarthCam also take advantage of webcams stationed around the country to display local weather condition. While the sites' individual coverage doesn't exactly blanket the United States, there are many webcams to choose from.

Do you love a good sunset? Wish the natural splendor of the sun setting on the horizon would last forever? Well, Eternal Sunset took this idea and ran with it. The site is collection of 266 webcams around the world, all facing west to capture the sun set in 48 different countries. Eternal Sunset also has two maps that assist in determining where the sun is setting at any given moment.


Sunset at 9 am PST, 6 pm Central European Time. From left, Carro, France, Santa Ponsa, Spain, Riederalp, Switzerland



Eternal Sunset Realtime Global Map

Several sites, including WeatherBug, RSS Weather and the aforementioned Weather Channel, are taking advantage of RSS technology to make up-to-the-minute weather alerts available through RSS feeds. Distributing something as useful as weather predictions through RSS is a great way to encourage users to subscribe to your content and is also a great branding tool.

Labels: maps, rss, video

The ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America has changed the media world as we know it. Major awards shows have been revamped, scores of TV shows have been put on hold, and movie scripts are being stockpiled. The result is a proliferation of reality shows and online content and a boom in online advertising.

Where does your average news site fit in with all this? Now, more than ever, users are turning to the internet for original content. That means it's time to push video and multimedia content to the forefront to snatch up visitors who now have a little more time on their hands.


There are a number of online services offering TV programming on the web, including my faves Joost, LikeVid, Mogulus, video giant YouTube and the still-in-beta, NBC/News Corp. venture Hulu. Be sure to check out this mashup of Google Maps and live TV streams from around the world and visit Mashable for an exhaustive list of TV on the web.

Online programming also trumps TV because the user's close proximity to the computer decreases passivity and negates the use of Tivo, the enemy of television advertising. The aforementioned sites should provide some inspiration on how to present your original content on the web, if you haven't done so already.

Labels: video

The Queen of England has one. So does the Japanese Prime Minister. And nearly every presidential candidate has one. Does your local politician have one?

It's pretty easy to set up your own YouTube channel and potentially reach millions of viewers so it makes sense that many politicians have their own videos on the crazy popular video site. There are many local, national and international politicians staking their claim on YouTube, but if your local politicians aren't among them, why not put your own video on YouTube?


Chuck Norris stumps for Mike Huckabee in the Republican
presidential candidate's YouTube vid.

If you already have footage of local candidates' speeches, rallies and forums put them on YouTube and watch the users flock to the videos (and if you don't have footage, shame on you). YouTube visitors looking for information on their fave candidates will very likely be drawn to your content and, if you include a link back to your site, traffic to your related content. Controversial or though-provoking videos are likely to inspire discussion and debate even after the 2008 election is over. Uploading to YouTube is simple and is the height of community and hyperlocal journalism.

Labels: social networking, video

For his "Faces of New York" project, Simon Hoegsberg asked random New Yorkers of different ages, races and genders what they thought about their faces. The results are surprisingly introspective. Said one woman:

Essentially I would say I have made a drastic change the last three years. Age caught up with me. Good times caught up with me. Wild parties caught up with me. And what I see now is a truly aging woman. I no longer see the spontaneous, witty, charming... I see an elderly woman. And I find that difficult, but in a way very freeing.

For "The Thought Project," Hoegsberg stopped 150 strangers on the street over the course of 3 months and asked them what they thinking just before he approached them. The results range from the great mysteries of life to how to score something to eat.

Private and Public is a stunning collection of photographs of passersby taken from the same spot (Marble Arch in London) over the course of a year. The faces are sad, pensive, romantic... and captivating.

Labels: audio, photos, video

Time-lapse photography is a very visual way of illustrating change over long periods of time in a matter of minutes. Still photos taken at predetermined intervals create the illusion of something happening more rapidly than it actually is. Time-lapse can be used to show the change in a neighborhood or the evolution of a work of art. The technique, however, is rarely used in journalism because of the time commitment. But if you've got a spare camera, the internet is making it easier to learn how to become a time-lapse master.

EzineArticles has a tutorial on how to create a time-lapse video with a digital camera and Kinsman Physics Productions has a complete rundown of how the technology works. If you already have a set of photographs that you'd like to convert into a time-lapse video, try JPGVideo, which can also be used to string together any series of photos.

Here are a few more examples of how time-lapse photography can be applied to journalism:

The following video shows the construction of a single building over the course of a year


This video uses time lapse photography to document the change made to the Virginia Tech massacre Wikipedia article in the first 12 hours after the event.

Labels: photos, video

Many candidates are courting the young vote even more so than 2004's Vote or Die campaign. Mitt Romney has invited Jumpcut users to create his official campaign TV ad. So far the Romney camp has received more than 100 submissions, some of which are pretty good like this one and this one.

It seems like every candidate has a MySpace or Facebook page but kudos to Barack Obama for his presence on LinkedIn, the more professional social network. You can also find out who in your network supports Obama.

Yahoo! has partnered up with the Huffington Post and Slate to create a make-your-own debate that lets the user choose the candidates that they want to see go head to head on a particular issue. The site also incorporates Yahoo! Answers technology to let users post and answer election-related questions.

And because inspiration is knows no boundaries, check out Google's Australian election coverage which includes a Google map embedded with photos and other political content as well as the YouTube channels of various Australian political parties and RSS feeds.

Labels: maps, rss, social networking, video

Field reporters who don't want to carry a bulky tripod will fall in love with the XShot. The device attaches to the mount on the bottom of your digital camera or video recorder and allows for freedom of movement, unlike a tripod for which you must stay in one place. XShot extends from 9 inches to 3 feet and is a steal at $24.95.






The Riproar Creation Station takes the green screen out of the TV station and puts it wherever you are. The kit comes with a camera, a mic, 2 green screens, a tripod and editing software. At $129.99, the Creation Station is great for creating online newscasts in newsrooms that don't have the more expensive equipment.


Whether you're trekking through Baghdad or climbing the Rockies to get a great story, the Trackstick II should be in your pocket. The device tracks your every move at 5 second to 15 minute intervals which can be uploaded into Google Earth using the built-in USB port. Let your readers know exactly where you've been by uploading your location into an map or an interactive graphic.




Your source may be a bit bewildered if you pull out the mi VDO FX DV Cam, so it's best to use it as a cheap alternative to a heavy camcorder for internet-only video. The pocket camera has a 1.5" monitor, built in mic and speakers, and most importantly enables you to edit video on he fly. The price? About 100 bucks.

Also on 10,000 Words:

• Crazy gadgets that are (possibly) crazy useful
• 7 Gadgets for the eccentric journalist
• 6 Must-have gadgets for journalists

Labels: video

It's not to early to start pumping out 2008 election coverage. There are a number of sites cropping up all over the web that can be used as both inspiration and as a resource. The PrezVid blog picks up the slack where the YouTube debates left off by collecting videos of the candidates' speeches and public appearances. 2decide's interactive table makes finding a candidate's position on a variety of issues a little more simple, even if the candidates haven't quite figured it out themselves.


What would election coverage be without a few great maps? Map the Candidates tracks the location of presidential wannabes from both sides of the aisle. The site is comprehensive and frequently updated. This Google Map shows where Democratic candidate John Edwards' campaign spots are airing around the country and contains embedded YouTube videos.

TechPresident keeps tabs on election-related issues, but more importantly keeps a running tally on Democratic and Republican candidates' Facebook supporters, MySpace friends and YouTube views. In case you're curious, Senator Obama leads the pack in all three categories with Senator Clinton coming in a close second.

The Hitwise Election 2008 Data Center takes this methodology a step further by calculating the top Democratic and Republican websites (Obama and Ron Paul respectively). The site also gauges the top political websites and search terms.

According to a Read/Write Web post, Web 2.0 tools like Facebook and Digg favor Democratic candidates. Democrats outnumber Republicans 5-to-1 on Facebook and 3-to-1 on MySpace, according to the site. Speaking of which, be sure to catch the now delayed Republican YouTube debates November 28. Should be informative if not entertaining.

Labels: citizen journalism, maps, social networking, video

Every mainstream newspaper and food magazine has a treasure trove of restaurant reviews and/or recipes that are, at the most, archived or stashed in a shoe box by some homely octogenarian. Its time to dust off those clips and put them to good use.


Instead of forcing readers to recall a restaurant they read some time ago, create an online database of your restaurant reviews. Maps would come in handy here especially if they are searchable by location and categorized by food type, atmosphere, price, etc. Yelp does this quite well (better than most media outlets anyway) for restaurants across the country. Both include both editorial and user reviews as well as photos and maps.

While we're on the subject of food, the tons and tons of recipes that have been written over the years are often sitting in the news library somewhere. It's time to put them online, and because this a multimedia world, why not show your readers how to make those recipes? The L.A. Times building includes a test kitchen where all the recipes were cooked before they were printed. If you have such a space, or even a presentable kitchen, get a camera in there and show em how its done. Chow.com uses video to show its visitors how to butterfly a chicken, poach an egg and pimp a burger (?)

A great YouTube cooking lesson from Cooking with Kids in the video below:



Foodieview tackles both restaurant reviews and recipes in an elegant, well-organized way. The site also features a blog and makes use of widgets and Google Maps.

Labels: database, maps, video

Many sites have vidcasts like this one from The Roanoke Times and these from lawrence.com. Even more news sites offer video online, but most times the video can only be watched on the web, at a computer.

Roanoke.com and a few other sites make the video available in the iPod-ready mp4 format, which lets the millions of iPod users to download the video to their mp3 players and watch it at a later time. This is a great alternative for users who don't want to sign up for regular podcasts.

There are tons of free or nearly free programs that convert video to the mp4 format (see this list at Download.com ). There are also several online file-conversion services like Zamzar which converts uploaded videos and sends them via e-mail.

Labels: mobile, video

YouTube, the source of all things funny and under 30 seconds, is not only a great source of entertainment but is also an easy way to reach new readers/users. Most news websites now feature some sort of video that cannot be found on any other site. Why not share that unique or interesting video with the rest of the world? Several news organizations, including the Houston Chronicle, New York Times and CBS, already use the "channels" feature of the YouTube as a vehicle for sharing their content. For those concerned with maintaining brand identity, YouTube now offers a custom video player that can be tailored to suit your design needs. The company logo can also be added to right of every video produced. Video quality on YouTube can be less polished than proprietary video players. Luckily, Crunch Gear offers tips on optimizing your video for the web.

Labels: maps, social networking, video