Tracy Pattin of Voicebank.net’s VoiceRegistry blog and podcast talked with me about our recent live reading of A Christmas Carol for her voice actor readers. This is Part 1 or 2.
A Live Internet Reading of “A Christmas Carol”
On Sunday last, New Media Interchange Founder Douglas E. Welch, held his 4th Annual LIVE Reading of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and the audio is now available for your holiday pleasure.
It wasn’t your typical live reading of a play. Not a radio play or a televised reading. It was an internet play distributed through the internet’s U-Stream.TV. I had the opportunity to use my voice to be part of this holiday project. Top Warner Brothers sound engineer, Michael Lawshe and New Media Expert Douglas E. Welch team up several times a year to produce these readings. I asked Doug about the process:
(Update 12/19/2009 – 1341 PST – Received links on how to export and import database into new 5.0 version of the database. Working with some knowledgeable others to help me do the process.)
(Update 12/19/2009 – 1024 PST – Looks as if my main database is still in mySQL 4.0 format although GoDaddy support 5.0. Probably never had need to upgrade DB since I moved there. Support email sent in on how to upgrade database)
Hmmm. Upgrading your WordPress installations is typically a part of good system management, but when trying to install the latest version of WordPress 2.9 this morning I received the following error.
Upgrade WordPress
Downloading update from http://wordpress.org/wordpress-2.9.zip.
Unpacking the update.
The update cannot be installed because WordPress 2.9 requires MySQL version 4.1.2 or higher. You are running version 4.0.27.
Installation Failed
I am not sure if this effects all of GoDaddy’s shared servers or just mine, but it could effect a lot of people if their default install of mySQL is this version.
What are you experiencing with WordPress 2.9 installs on shared servers?
Having just returned from PodCampAZ in Phoenix, Arizona I keep thinking about why I enjoy this conference so much, and in fact, why I enjoy smaller conferences in general. For me, there seems to be a lot “more” to be gained from “less”.
PodCampAZ, now in its third year, attracted over 600 attendees and yet still had the feeling of a small conference. Every year I am amazed at the friendliness of the people in attendance and the quality of the content being shared. It carries much the same feeling as the earlier PodCast and New Media Expos held in Ontario, California when podcasting was just getting started. I certainly hope this can be continued in the future.
It could be my small town upbringing, but I almost always enjoy smaller conferences more than larger, seemingly more prestigious, conferences. These larger conferences offer presenttions by many A-listers, but I find myself looking for the less known, the underheard, the underseen speakers. I find that these speakers are still passionately engaged in their topics. In the case of podcasting, the speakers at PodCampAZ are, for the most part, still actively involved in podcasting, vlogging and blogging. They have current and practical information on the challenges they face and how they address those challenges. I believe that these people have more to offer me as their challenges and solutions are based on something that happened days and weeks ago instead of years.
While A-listers can certainly help conference organizers attract larger crowds, bigger sponsors and higher registration fees, I am not sure a long list of A-List presenters is in the best interest of the attendees. In many cases, there are a hundred different sources where attendees can learn what the A-list speaker has to say. The speaker has probably produced hundreds of blog items, newsletters and, typically, a book or two. Is there really much more to be gained from hearing them present these same ideas in front of an audience? I know that too often I find these speakers are simply re-hashing a bare summary of the materials presented elsewhere – condensing and honing it to the point where it loses its usefulness.
Even worse, many A-Listers are often no longer actively engaged in the area in which they are an expert. It is natural that as someone matures in their work, they end up doing less and less of the day-to-day activities which made them an expert in the first place. Sure, their higher level view of an industry or activity is welcome, and often useful, but I also find that, over time, they are talking more and more about less and less. It is very difficult to become an “expert” in an area of study while still actively working in that area. There simply isn’t time.
In that light, I will continue to seek out, and possibly organize, smaller conferences, meetups, mastermind groups and more. I will seek out those underheard voices that bring the newest, deepest and most applicable knowledge to those who need it most. Sure, I will read and listen to what A-listers have to say. Their view from the heights can illuminate things in interesting ways, but I won’t be seeking them out at conferences, classes and other speaking engagements. While I may have been deeply interested in what they had to say as they made their way up the expert ladder, once they reach the heights, I find their information less useful on a day-to-day, down to earth basis.
In the steady march towards the integration of many social networks, LinkedIn announced yesterday that you can now update your LinkedIn status using your Twitter updates.
I don’t update my LinkedIn status nearly as often as I should, so this new feature almost guarantees that I will be interacting more with my LinkedIn connections.
You can send all your updates to LinkedIn or only those labelled with the hashtag #li or #in. In my case, I send all my updates to LinkedIn, just as I do with Facebook and Myspace.
To connect your LinkedIn and Twitter accounts, check the checkbox seen above and log into whichever Twitter account you care to use.
For more info on this new feature, check out this article…
I received an interesting call from a friend yesterday that is leading me down an interesting New Media road.
Our friend is also a teacher at my son’s school, so when her son was preliminarily diagnosed with the H1N1 flu virus, there was a bit of concern. She showed no symptoms herself, but the school administration was concerned with her being in the classroom while she could potentially be carrying the virus. That said, losing her time and skills, when she was not herself sick, pushed them to try something a little different. That fact is, what they asked me to implement has been possible for years, but this particular situation was enough to push them into action. This is probably a familiar situation to anyone who is an new media consultant. People have to come to the decision to investigate New Media on their own. It is nearly impossible to push them into it.
In the classroom
The software and hardware we are using is nothing special and many other systems could be substituted for what I am about to describe. First, all of our classrooms are outfitted with Smart Technologies interactive whiteboards. These are projector based systems where a computer screen can be projected and also “drawn on” electronically. Since these screens can project anything on the host PC, it was a simple affair to load Skype (http://skype.com), create a user id and login. In our specific case, a microphone for their desktop PC was located and tested. The built-in mic on a laptop or a USB headset would also have worked. We are going to try and bring in a simple webcam to allow the remote teacher to see the classroom, but even one-way video would work for now. (An assistant will monitor the classroom locally and act as an intermediary between the students and the remote teacher A webcam, though, would allow the remote teacher to interact more closely with the students — watching for hands raised and confused looks)
In the “studio”
The remote end of the connection, set up in my home office for this first run, includes a standard Windows laptop or Mac Mini desktop computer. On the laptop, we can use the built-in webcam for video or connect my Digital8 camcorder to either computer to use as a more functional camera. A camcorder is a bit better as it has better quality optics and also allows for zooming in on materials and demonstrations. This would also allow you to record a high quality video of the presentation as it happens for later use.
For the audio portion, I am equipped with both lavaliere mics, like you see on television news shows and a shotgun microphone, like those used to record on location for television and film. You don’t need any of these, of course. You can use the audio coming from the camcorder or web cam, the microphone built into your laptop or a USB headset.
Blackboard/Whiteboard/Notepad
Most presenters typically want some way of writing or drawing information for their students and, in some ways, this becomes even more important for remote teachers. I have several solutions ready for this.
1. Flip chart and stand
I happen to have flip chart pads, stand and markers which I use for my own presentations, so we could simply set up one of these and point the camera at the pad. These are available at any office supply store. If you were teaching from an actual classroom, you could also just use the blackboard or whiteboard provided there.
2. Computer applications
On my Windows laptop computer, I have the program ManyCam which not only allows me to select a webcam or video camera, but also allows me to display whatever is on my computer screen. In this way, a teach could use a word processing program to type out whatever she wanted to present to her students, including pre-designed pages, Powerpoint presentations or anything else they might wish. CamTwist is a similar program for the Macintosh. Both are free.
To take it a step farther, I have a small Wacom drawing tablet and pen connected to this computer. This allows me to load any graphics or drawing program and use the computer screen as a virtual whiteboard.
Again, you can make this as simple or complex as you wish within the bounds of the technology you have. In our case, I think I am going to start out with the flip chart and maybe use the other technology if we think it might help.
Further information
We are supposed to conduct our first sessions this Wednesday, so I will right up another report to let you know how it went — the good, the bad and the ugly.
As you might imagine, this same setup could be used to bring in virtual guest speakers for your class, group or event. I am amazed how few people take advantage of this technology and the access it gives to experts across the country and the world. It matters little where you teach or live these days. You can still bring amazing people to talk to your class or even set up virtual “sister classrooms” all over the world. Imagine helping your students learn with another classroom in the UK, Australia, Europe, Africa, — wherever.
If you would like to know more about using New Media tools like these, leave a comment on thie blog post or post your questions to the New Media Interchange Community site. Finally, I am also available to come to your school, business or group (perhaps remotely) and show how New Media can be used to further education in all its forms.
With every voice over job, there are new experiences and occasionally great stories. We want to hear from you! Then YOU get to vote on the best story. Best story gets an iPod Touch. Second place gets a $25 Starbucks gift card.
NOTE! You do NOT have to name names!
PLUS! WINNER AND THEIR STORY WILL BE FEATURED IN OUR BLOG.
HERE’S THE QUESTION:
What has been your WORST voice over job? Describe it in 500 words or LESS.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday August 14th, 2009. SUBMIT IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OF THIS BLOG POST.
No budget for developing a comprehensive Web strategy to engage your customers? Try this trio of simple and quick innovations courtesy of Alexandra Samuel
By Alexandra Samuel
If you’ve got an experienced social media team, a solid budget and an appetite for innovation, you can create an original online presence that engages your customers or supporters in an entirely new kind of online experience.
But many organizations lack the time, budget or experience to start from scratch. That doesn’t limit your social media options to a generic corporate news blog or a standard-issue Facebook page. Here are three great options for robust social media presences that let you manage cost and risk by building on existing tools and established best practices.
I have been testing SpokenWord.org over the last month or so and I think it is great. I consider a YouTube for Spoken Word new media projects. I think it will really help audio podcasters, especially, get some more recognition. If your shows are not already registered here, my recommendation is to get them there.
Here is the press release with all the information.
Marin County, California – February 12, 2009 – There are perhaps millions of audio and video spoken-word recordings on the Internet. Think of all those lectures, interviews, speeches, conferences, meetings, radio and TV programs and podcasts. No matter how obscure the topic, it’s been recorded and published on line.
But how do you find it?
SpokenWord.org is a new free on-line service that helps you find, manage and share audio and video spoken-word recordings, regardless of who produced them or where they’re published.
All of the recordings in the SpokenWord.org database are discovered on the Internet and submitted to our database by members like you. SpokenWord.org doesn’t store media files, but rather the metadata such as titles, descriptions, categories and locations, which is why SpokenWord.org can accept submissions from anyone and anywhere.
SpokenWord.org is particularly useful for those with an iPod, iTunes or other media player. SpokenWord.org’s collections are a terrific way to manage all of your spoken-word programs and subscriptions, which can then be downloaded to your media player as a single feed.
SpokenWord.org is a project of The Conversations Network, a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit best known for its own podcast channels such as IT Conversations (the longest continuously running podcast on the planet) and The Levelator software for podcast, radio and TV audio post-production.
In short – a twitter landing page is a page on your blog or website that is specifically written for those arriving at your blog having clicked on the link in your twitter profile.
It has been said by many New Media folks that if you want to get your message into your audience’s ears, buy a cheap MP3 player, load it with your content and give it away. This used to be an expensive proposition, but today’s Sunday ad flyers show this isn’t true any longer. These 1 GB MP3 players could easily hold hours of content and at less than $20 each retail it might actually make sense. You could probably find similar MP3 players even cheaper at retail.
If you have a message to get out to your employees, your charity donors or your any other audience, there is little excuse in not giving away both the “blades” and the “razor”.
Sheila got this nice picture of me as I presented my session, “…more than podcasting” at PodCampAZ last weekend.
Audio and video of this session is coming soon. I have to get through my all-day podcasting workshop and a conference session at DevLearn2008 this week first.Thanks Sheila!
So, if you have read the previous 2 installments of this series — Get a Blog and Start/Build Your Email List — then you are ready for the next step. Now that you have a place to release your new media and have started a mailing list to promote your new media, it is time to create some new media!
Too many people I talk to look upon this as a challenging task. “Where am I going to find the time to create all this content?” The truth is, you don’t have to make more time to create your content. In most cases, you are already creating content every day. The sad part is, you are probably throwing away this content because you don’t recognize it when you see it.
Every person, every store, every charity, every restaurant, every business creates content every day…or should be. You have a unique message you want and need to communicate to your customers. You goal is to integrate new media into your work and business so that you take advantage of every opportunity to create new content.
Here are some examples from a variety of businesses:
Retail Store
Did you just receive a new product, new product line, an enhancement to an existing product or a promotional video from a vendor? Look for a way to make a short video, a piece of audio or a blog post about this product. Look for opportunities to interview manufacturers about their products. Have your staff create videos about products they really like. Your customers are there to buy your products. Give them as much information as you can to make their purchasing decisions easier. Even more, using your existing staff in your new media productions brings a personal feeling to them. Your customers will see the same people online and in the store and feel a closer relationship with your business.
Restaurant
Many restaurants work on a very seasonal menu. Peaches are in season one week, raspberries the next, strawberries another. Fall calls for comfort food and summer for lighter fare. This gives you a ready-made schedule and reason for new media. Show your customers how you are developing a new seasonal menu. Show them the special ways you are using the seasonal product. Celebrate the change of seasons with menu items, entertainment ideas, party information and more. You can also produce mini-series of cooking classes and recipes, showing some “behind-the-scenes” action that everyone loves.
Charities
One of the biggest goals of any charity is out-reach — telling potential donors what you do and why it needs to be done. If you are a medical charity, I would guess you have regular panel discussions and speakers that come to present to your staff and donors. Make a point of recording these events. While you may have 10-20 people at the in-house discussion, you have a potential audience of thousands on the Internet. If you have influential visitors to your offices, record an interview with them that can be used on your web site or sent out as a podcast.
If you have a yearly event, capture as much media as possible during your next event. Done right, you will have enough content to power a weekly or monthly podcast. This show then becomes a regular promotion for the next yearly event. Instead of making your PR push a few months before your regular event, you now have a series of regular promotions throughout the year leading up to the event. Your goal here is to be make the yearly event a culmination of a year-long event that you have been fueling using your new media productions. Ideally, by the time you open up ticket sales for your event, the demand will be so high that you will sell out almost immediately. Then you repeat the process, gathering more media at this event to fuel your show for another year.
Build your personal brand
Many of us are in the business of providing information and advice. Too often, we wait until customers come to us for information instead of proactively reaching out to them. In the case of one financial planner, the current mortgage and stock market crises has led to frightened customers rushing to their office to inquire about their portfolios. Imagine how you might allay fears by providing a regular informational update to your clients. When customers are clamoring for information, new media is a great way to provide it.
Providing this information also goes a long way towards building your own brand as an expert in your field. Your audience might begin with your clients, but it can quickly grow to include others who might eventually become your clients. It could even raise your profile enough to bring traditional media outlets like newspapers and television to come seeking your insight.
Content surrounds you and your business. You only need to reach out and capture it when it occurs. Starting a new media program isn’t about creating information out of whole cloth. It is about sharing what you already have and know. Start capturing your content and building your New Media future today.
In preparation for my day-long podcasting workshop at DevLearn 2008, Brent Schelenker had me on his show to talk about myself, podcasting and New Media on his GuildCast for the ELearning Guide podcast.
Audio and e-Learning: How to Turn Sound Files into Training Podcasts
Tuesday November 11, 2008 08:30 AM
Doug Welch, The WelchWrite Company, Inc.
As e-Learning professionals, you create content everyday. Much of that content is lost when you fail to capture it, or when you fail to edit and distribute it to your audience. Audio is already a big part of your e-Learning, but you could be using it for so much more. Learn new ways to capture audio content, and how to distribute it via internal and external systems and services like blogs, RSS (Real Simple Syndication), and Podcasting.
In this workshop you will be immersed in sound, and learn how new audio technologies can be used to enhance your learning solutions. You will learn how to capture, edit, and distribute sound files, as well as learn which tools are best for you. You will be learning about Podcasting from an industry veteran who specializes in new media production. If you already know the learning theories related to audio in your e-Learning courses, then this workshop will get you to the next level, and help make your corporate learning Podcast dreams a reality.
In this session, you will learn:
* How to capture good audio, and what tools you can use
* How to edit audio to produce a complete, professional sounding, show
* How to use a blog and RSS to distribute your work
* How to share your work with the world using the iTunes Podcast directory (and other products) can share your work with the world
Audience:
Intermediate Designers, Developers, Project managers, and Managers who have Only basic computer knowledge is required. Additional experience with audio production is helpful, but not required.
I guess I have been podcasting so long that anniversaries no longer make an impact on me. Last Wednesday, September 24, 2008, I started my 5th year of Career Opportunities and my fifth year of podcasting in general.
It is hard to believe it has been that long and yet the podcasting and new media environment has changed dramatically from when I first began.
Thanks to all the readers, listeners and viewers who have part of Career Opportunities! I look forward to many years in the future.
As you may have noticed in the right-hand sidebar, I am going to be speaking at PodCampAZ, this November 1&2. You can find information on my sessions in the program guide.
What is PodCampAZ? Funny your should ask! The PodCampAZ site has this to say:
“PodCamp is a FREE BarCamp-style community UnConference for podcasters and listeners, bloggers and readers, and anyone interested in New Media. It was held for the first time from September 8-10 in Boston, Massachusetts and is now spreading across the world.
These 7 rules define what events can be called a PodCamp:
All attendees must be treated equally. Everyone is a rockstar.
All attendees must be allowed to participate. (subject to limitations of physical space, of course)
All sessions and events must be free of charge to attend.
All sessions must obey the Law of 2 Feet – if you’re not getting what you want out of the session, you can and should walk out and do something else. It’s not like you have to get your money’s worth!
The event must be new-media focused – blogging, podcasting, video on the net.
The financials of a PodCamp must be fully disclosed in an open ledger, except for any donor/sponsor who wishes to remain anonymous.”
So, if you are in the area, join me (and a bunch of other folks) for PodCampAZ 2008. I look forward to seeing you there!
Read more on this topic:
PodCampAZ was cool! Sitting in the last session at PodCampAZ and wishing I...
I look forward to the day when reviewers stop using subtly (and not so subtle) dismissive comments when talking about Internet-distributed shows. (The descriptive term I am coming to prefer.) Still, it is heartening to see some coverage of these shows in the mainstream press.
I often wonder, though, if making shows designed to look more and more like traditional television is really an appropriate goal. Given the new tools and the new freedom of Internet Distribution, shouldn’t we seek to make some new, instead of relying entirely on the old models?
For the last year or so, amid the angsty teenagers talking into their webcams and the skateboarding dogs, you could find professionally made Web series scattered around if you knew where to look, and when. But this month and next, there’s a critical mass approaching: Hollywood is bringing out what you might call the first “new season” of spiffy, corporate-backed Web series designed to be watched on your computer.
There’s now a clear line between amateur “user-generated content” and the new wave. On one side, you have the YouTube revolution in all its rough-edged glory. On the other are slick, premium productions coming from Web teams at Warner Bros., Sony and HBO, and from hopped-up bands of writers and directors who were motivated by the writers’ strike to land corporate sponsorship and create their own shows. Many can boast celebrity names on camera, behind the scenes or both.
Maybe you’ve heard of YouTube, watched a few videos, made some “friends” on Facebook, maybe even listened to a few podcasts, but you’re wondering what New Media can do for you, your organization or your business.
New Media Interchange can open the door to New Media and a new world where you can get your message, your writing, your videos, your music out to a global audience. Visibility is the most important goal in today’s world. You can be the best chef, the best writer, the best Realtor, but if no one knows what you do, does it really matter? New Media can introduce you to a world full of new contacts, viewers, listeners and readers.
Our next meeting of New Media Interchange:
September 25, 2008 @ 6:30 pm Sherman Oaks Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library (In coordination with their twice-monthly Internet Seminars) 14245 Moorpark Street, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 (818) 205-9716 Free Parking
How can you use New Media? The options are almost endless. It all depends on what you want to accomplish.
Start a blog to share your writing, your restaurant’s menu, your philosophy, your charity’s message or communicate with your businesses’ customers.
Create videos to highlight your band’s performance, your favorite hikes, your unique knowledge of a topic, sell real estate or your products, hold lectures and classes online.
Create audio and video shows. Deliver them right to your audience’s computers and media players (iPods and others) automatically.
Broadcast your band’s performance, lectures, speeches, panel discussions, interviews and more LIVE using only your computer, a web cam and an Internet connection.
…and much, much more!
Join us for New Media Interchange, a FREE group dedicated to bringing the power of new media to everyone, and learn what New Media can do for you.
New Media Interchange was founded by Douglas E. Welch, pioneer podcaster and computer consultant of 20+ years. Douglas also teaches Podcasting and New Media for Writers for UCLA Extension.
Visit http://newmediainterchange.com for more information.
Tracy Pattin of Voicebank.net’s VoiceRegistry blog and podcast talked with me about our recent live reading of A Christmas Carol for her voice actor readers. This is Part 1 or 2.
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