Where in the world am I today?: North Vancouver, BC, Canada
Ok… I’m likely going to sound like an old man for a bit here, but I remember the days when you had to send out your promotional video on a VHS Cassette Tape. There… I said it. And even better than that, I remember the days before I even had a promotional video because the cost of making one and the technology were so far out of reach that the mere idea of having a promotional video was somewhat of a dream…
The first computer I ever bought that could handle video editing was an iMac DV Special Edition which I purchased on January 18, 2000. As soon as I had my hands on a computer that could actually handle non-linear editing I was hooked and was shooting videos, dumping them back onto VHS tapes and sending them to family members. The fact that I was a proud new Dad likely had something to do with it, but I also turned my focus toward the building of promotional videos as well.
VHS tapes got replaced by DVDs when easy DVD authoring became the norm and DVDs seem to be going the way of the VHS tape in that people are using on-line distribution methods to deliver their video content, but what compression method should you use and then there’s the question of Standard Definition (4:3 Aspect Ratio) vrs. High Definition (16:9 Aspect Ratio) that’s worth considering as well. Enter YouTube to level the playing field and create a standard that everyone accepted.
YouTube got it’s start A mere four years ago in February 2005 when three former PayPal Employees created the site and was purchased by Google less than a year later to the tune of 1.65 billion dollars… Yowza!
More than just a huge internet success story it has become, for many, an alternative to TV, a soapbox on which to stand and preach to the world, a resource for researchers, and an absolute necessity for performers looking to promoting their shows to buyers. “Do you have a video up on YouTube” has become such a common phrase that if you don’t have one, you’ve become the exception to the rule.
The vast discrepancy in quality of video content is staggering, but picture quality is less important than content as viewers have become accustomed to watching video of an inferior quality if the content is what they’re after. Come up with a funny idea and produce it cheaply and you could be the next video with a million plus hits or more importantly that on-line video could land you your next gig. In today’s age I’d say that a video that plays well on YouTube could possibly be the most important tool in your marketing arsenal – so get shooting and get posting, or if you feel more like watching than creating, head over to my corner of the youtube universe at:
