Mike & Evo Get All “Chili Palmer” with the Press…
The Dragon Page scored some well-deserved ink in this in-depth article on video blogging and podcasting. While the article starts off with a hint of a “Who do these weenies think they are?” attitude, the reporter actually cranks out a very sharp, very slick article on what podcasting is all about, how people are doing it, and what the future holds for us as podcasters and video bloggers.
Now I’m thinking “Hmmm…vlogging, for the thespian in me? But where’s the fun in that?” First, the file sizes for a vlog have to be huge, even as an MPEG! The bandwidth for them has also got to be a monster. And what aboutportability? It’s not like you can watch them on the iPod…
Then I read in this article that Apple is working on an iPod that plays video. A VIDEO IPOD?! Okay, now before I completely spaz out over this (too late), I want to know a few things about this possibility, such as…
- The battery life
- Memory capacity
- Screen resolution
- Starting price (I’m going to say Apple cuts us a break and we get the first model at $599.)
I just can’t make up my mind what geek avenue to take in life…while trying to make a career at writing Science Fiction and Fantasy! ARRRGH!!!!
On a side note: how long do you think it will be before Dragon Page’s best friend, Wil Wheaton, starts up his own vblog? It’s familiar territory for the guy who’s got the biggest one in four counties…
March 24th, 2005 at 2:49 pm
Don’t give him ideas! And if you do so, give him the idea of doing finally an audio version of his books first!
March 24th, 2005 at 2:54 pm
Okay, guys - you are looking better than I imagined. Really. Believe me.
Ad Astra
March 24th, 2005 at 4:21 pm
Tee, Write Fiction, let the publishers slap labels on it.
Please someone for God’s sake tell Wil Wheaton to publish his books in audibook/podcast form.
I’ll pay a subscription fee… break it into chapters charge a buck or two a week/episode/chapter, whatever.
And while you’re at it tell Cory Doctorow the same thing. Actually Wil should narrate Cory’s books and Cory, Wil’s - that’d be awesome.
Love the shows guys and p.s. you are the ONLY podcasters I’ve voted for on podcast alley.
March 24th, 2005 at 5:34 pm
We need to focus here. First his book. Then other things.
Charging per chapter without payment in advance is kind of crazy because most of the services take a basis fee per payment, in case of paypal 30ct I think.
March 24th, 2005 at 7:17 pm
Nichole I remember a few years ago when Stephen King released “The Plant” in one chapter increments for a buck a piece.
While I’m not really a SK fan, I ponied up my money just to support the idea. I think it’s a great way to get the ball rolling. Anyway what actual expense does the author have in making the audiobook version, besides time and a couple bucks for a decent microphone? not much unless S(he) contracts a voice actor to do the reading for them.
March 24th, 2005 at 7:56 pm
Well, Chris, speaking as someone who is podcasting a novel…
No, it’s not that easy. Yes, you take the time to record and make an investment in a soundboard and a quality microphone. Certain writers, however, feel that their time is BEST spent writing, so they get up in arms when they aren’t writing.
And I swear, I’m gonna slap the next author who bitches and whines about how “Promoting my work takes me away from writing.” No, you weenie, it gives you a break!
No one is forcing you to promote. If you really feel that strongly about promoting, just write…and soon you’ll be writing for an audience of one.
Sorry, different rant for a different time. Back to the recording of an audiobook…
Along with the time to record, there is also editing time. Editing the chapter I’m going to record (because if I don’t abridge this book, we’re looking at some seriously healthy downloads…) and then editing out any odd bobbles, blunders, and bloopers. Add to this composition time if you want to feature musical segues such as the ones I’m mixing in GarageBand. Oh, and with the mention of the “m” word…mixing. Getting levels right with music, other tracks, vocal SFX, and any other SFX you want to throw in for good measure.
It’s not just “time and a decent mic” that goes into a quality audiobook/podcast, and by no means am I berating you for the comment, Chris. There are a lot of folks out there who think you sit in front of a mic, click “record,” and in an hour or three, you have a chapter. Hell, I thought the same thing ten weeks ago! With eight chapters under my belt now, I know differently.
I’m just pointing out what goes on behind the mic and in front of my Mac whenever I sit down and put together a chapter…which will be my mission next week. (Stay tuned for my quick and easy podcast tomorrow and you’ll understand what I mean.)
March 25th, 2005 at 6:09 am
Hey now… Come on people, let’s focus here. What’s with all this audio book talk?
I found the green halo effect interesting. Our photographer took an hour to set up everything perfectly and then in the last couple of minutes started just randomly snapping shots while turning the camera. I guess that all those other ‘perfectly setup shots’ must have sucked? I would have loved to have them taken in our new studio, (the one that I spent the last week building)
Pay attention, this post is all about ‘ME!’ (And that other funny looking guy.) LOL
Oh well. Just a thought I had, now you can all go back to book promotion and Wil Wheaton chat.
March 25th, 2005 at 6:22 am
hey Tee, I oversimplified, but I was trying to get the point that there’s not “much” up front cost involved. There is time cost, and time does = money, but it doesn’t hurt as bad (at least to me).
I’m well versed in recording studios etc… as I was a vocalist in a heavy metal band (something Evo would have liked) in another life, a long time ago. We would record using a 24 track mixer in a local studio, we are talking tens of thousands of dollars in monitors, mixers, instruments, microphones, studio time, etc… but now, you can create a great sounding audiobook almost entirely for free, using garageband and your computer, an inexpensive mixer and a shure mic. That is a world of technology away from the old days.
Anyway, I give you much props for putting your work down in audio format, you’re doing the fans a terrific service. Thanks and keep the chapters coming… After Morevi, I suggest you test out the pay-per-chapter idea, I think it’ll work, heck I’ll be the first to sign up.
March 25th, 2005 at 6:31 am
Ok Michael, you guys looked totally Pulp Fiction in the picture, not the part where they’re wearing Jimmy’s tee shirts and shorts, the part where they’re going to get some Big Kuhuna burgers.
March 25th, 2005 at 10:24 am
Does that mean Evo’s got a wallet with “Bad Mutha Fucka” stamped on the outside of it?
March 25th, 2005 at 12:17 pm
yep, and I get to be the Wolf, and well, anyone wanna play Marsalis Wallis—er Kojak?
Tee, you can be Butch.
anyone else noticed problems with the new firefox 1.02? laggy, slow
March 25th, 2005 at 12:26 pm
Actually, I was hoping to be Chris Walken…
“So I carried…this podcast…up my ass…and I give it you, little man.”
But Butch…yeah, I could do that…
March 25th, 2005 at 2:25 pm
If anyone gets to be Marsalis Wallis, it’s me. I’m halfway to the hairstyle as it is.
March 25th, 2005 at 5:45 pm
I not sure I want to be a heroine addict, and then jamming a big-ass needle into Uma Thurman’s chest. Jackson was much cooler, but I don’t have the skin tones to pull that off.
I’m still trying to figure out how I ended up looking like the little guy in that pict. (I feel so small and insignificant now)
March 25th, 2005 at 6:03 pm
How the fuck did I miss this conversation? Say ‘what’ again, mottherfucker, I dare you!
March 26th, 2005 at 5:44 am
Michael, can you do the heroin addict foot-shuffle walk?
Maybe you guys should start a guess the movie/book trivia game on the website, like this:
Name this movie:
“What’s happened to you people? Six months ago you were the honor society, not a drug pushing gang of thugs”
March 29th, 2005 at 2:36 am
I suppose that makes me either the coffee house robber, or the gimp.
Fraggin’ lovely.
Anyhow..Great article guys! Speaking on video stuff…You’ve seen the new Sony PSPs, right? There’s a 1 GIG memorystick available for them, and since you can save computer video/sound files on those, just imagine how many episodes of the shows you’ll be able to save on it! Not to mention the whole wi-fi capability, and the fact that you can play some keen games on the thing while waiting for Mike and Evo to crank out the next installment of Sci-Fi goodness!
March 29th, 2005 at 2:47 am
Well, trooper…you DO have a full, body-covering outfit. I guess we’ll have to spray paint it black…
;^)
“Bring out the TD-Gimp.”
“The little trooper’s sleepin’.”
“Then I guess you gonna wake him up then, won’chya?”
You know, this idea is growing hair…why do I see all of us adopting “callsigns” ala Battlestar Galactica, but all of our callsigns are names from Pulp Fiction?!
April 11th, 2005 at 11:39 am
“Derail Polygamy’s Money Train”
…time to get a perma-link for your story rather than just pushing through to whatever the pnt finds “current”