The Vlogging Minimalist, Just What Are Your Equipment Needs?

Manhattan Beach, CA—I met with my favorite Media Guru, Michael Rosenblum yesterday.  He’s a long time TV producer and founder of TheVJ.com. Michael is giving 30 rookie Video Journalists their hands on training to cover news for Spectrum’s SOCAL-1, 24/7 news startup.  I suspect there’s no doubt that this offering will shake up the L.A. news market in a big way.  

Gone at SOCAL News1 are the news crews and the obscenely expensive TV gear.  The news stories will either work or fail through the individual efforts of these hand picked youngsters.  These lucky VJ’s will be seen by all manner of agents, producers and TV network decision makers. Those talented ones, that shine will have unlimited opportunities.  

Spectrum has already done the same thing in NYC and this concept is spreading over the nation. Traditional TV new is in a death spiral over their insane fear of making the slightest changes in format or style. Frankly people have flocked to YouTube because their content is a huge departure into a new world of wonderful technology and real eye candy.

Storytelling today is enhanced with wonderful inexpensive user-friendly cameras, audio equipment, editing software and even drones!  The Mainstream broadcast media and their overpaid news managers are being left behind in the dirt.   

Vloggers like me will only have success if I post great content and promote it daily.  That’s easier said than done.  If I do that, I demand compensation now, not after six months or a year.   My rent does not pay itself.  I won’t be one of the dozens of YouTube multi-millionaires anytime soon.  I will however be ready for the right opportunity.

The skills and abilities to vlog about whatever you like is beyond empowering!  You can use a vlog to promote yourself, business, hobby or political ambitions.  You can report news items you come across and so much more.  

You must begin with the basics of good writing and storytelling abilities.  You must snag your viewers right away with interesting video or you’re toast.  When they leave they will not return.  

You can easily spend $25K on vlogging equipment.  I have what I need but I still want a lot more.  Then there is that significant issue of lugging all that expensive crap around as you travel.  I say go light!

Your editing suite can be as simple as a quiet place to use the incredibly powerful iMovie app on your cell phone or iPad.  Using Final Cut Pro X on a laptop gives you more options but you can get very pleasing results with iMovie.  

I like using GoPro cameras because of the versatility of the cameras and the high quality images.  I may need my cell phone as a communication device so having the GoPro is a plus.  

As for audio your iPhone or GoPro cameras can disappoint especially beyond let's say, six feet.  I now use Zoom brand recorders to capture audio especially for interviewing subjects.  I’ve not been using my expensive wireless microphones because they are less reliable than the simple Zoom recorders.  Quality wireless microphones cost a bundle more than the terrific Zoom recorders. 

I have one word to say about audio, redundancy.  Better to have more sources than less. 

Let me make this clear, if you’re lucky enough to be around a really important news happening and you’ve got viewable video documentation, you can demand as much as $100K for a one minute video.   

VJ training can be obtained on line at Michael Rosenblum’s TheVJ.com or you can attend his class in NYC or the UK.  

Be empowered and let the world see what you create!

My Minimalist vlogger kit is lightweight, easy for travel and a lifesaver.  The best camera is always the one you have with you.  

The list as pictured above:

iPhone

iPad

DJI Mavic Pro Drone

Zoom Hn4 microphone recorder

Zoom Field Recorder 1

Lav mic

Zoom Shotgun mic capsule for use with Field Recorder 1

Earphones

Cables
batteries

Below is a fun GoPro vlog I did during a trip to Chicago last February:

Electronic Newsgathering, the FAA and Drones

NJ Governor Chris Christie captured by an exclusive drone photo by, NJ Advance Media

Los Angeles, CA—The FAA is over-regulating while moving at a snail’s pace as drone technology is advancing at supersonic speed.  Right now camera drones manufactured by DJI are totally safe and virtually crash proof.

Despite claims of potential airline crashes and total mayhem there is not a single death, serious injury or significant property damage from our modern camera drones. They've been around for years now. 

TV news is spending millions that they really don’t have on $1,500.00 to $2,000.00 per hour news choppers.  Drones operate at a tiny fraction of the cost of news helicopters and they are much safer.  There are already million of drones out there in the hands of Americans of every description.

Noisy helicopters are a serious distraction to first responders even at the 500-foot altitude they are required to maintain.   Today’s camera drones fly much lower and can barely be heard.  The prop-wash from drones is miniscule. 

It was a low flying drone that recently caught New Jersey Governor Chris Christie arrogantly enjoying the beach he closed to the public during a fiscal crisis. Drones are actually superior to choppers for covering all manner of news stories except high-speed police chases.

Journalists everywhere are feeling the pinch of lost viewers and readers.  Newsroom budgets are under the ax all over the world right now.   Using drones can save jobs.  The single largest expenditure of every medium and large market American newsroom are for helicopters. 

Where is the media lobby when ignorant and paranoid politicians are trying to ban or restrict drones for electronic news gathering?  The First Amendment issues are glaring! 

Media organizations are fighting for survival right now but the empty suits in corporate management just don’t get it.  Commonsense and the desire to improve the product they are selling should motivate media executives to demand the FAA and Congress allow for unbridled drone use in urban areas.  Certainly,  just as helicopters are allowed drones belong integrated in our skies.

The spectacular video below was captured by a $1,000.00 DJI Mavic Pro, 4K camera drone. 

FAA Drone Regulation, Is It Time For Mass Civil Disobedience?

Let me begin by saying my views on this subject are my own and doing what I suggest could result in prosecution. The risk however is very low…

Being an avid photographer for most of my life, the amazing drone technology has become an exciting addiction.  Ive been flying them for over four years now getting images I could only dream about before.  Placing great musical soundtracks on my videos has been pure joy.  

I fly really safe having never once damaged property or caused injury. I follow sound advice like staying away from other aircraft, flying well below 400 feet (flying higher does not aid in capturing great images).  I fly sober and watchful and accordingly I have never needed crash repairs.

I won’t ever ask permission to flyover or photograph private property.  That’s constitutionally protected activity that fixed wing and helicopters have enjoyed for years and there is plenty of settled appellate law that guides me.  

As for the FAA.  FAA rules, until drones became to be, were always written in the blood of actual air catastrophes. Prior restraint regulation was not part of the FAA’s culture until modern hobby drones appeared in our skies. 

Conventional pilots understood only too well that drones were going to invade their professional turf and threaten their livelihoods. Pilots and FAA officials entered into a public relations conspiracy to demonize drones, their operators and to frighten the public that their safety, privacy and wellbeing were at serious risk. 

Pilots were calling in phony drone sightings and near collisions constantly creating what I called, Drone Hysteria. The phony reports are few and far between now that the novelty has worn off. 

The Obama Administration’s FAA’s mouth was watering with the idea of punitive drone regulation followed by thousands of new enforcement jobs and promotions.  

Fortunately drones increased by a few million and still there were no collisions with conventional aircraft, serious injuries or property damage.  Any excuse to grow the FAA because of drones was and is a total failure.   

The FAA has since created a horrendous, two tiered system for drone operators with separate rules.  The somewhat relaxed hobbyist rules and the substantially burdensome, stricter and more unreasonable commercial user’s regulations.  

The Part 107 Commercial rules are petty, unfair and do nothing to make our airspace safer.  The simply make unnecessary work for everyone akin to digging holes only to fill them back up.

The petty, Part 107 rules are virtually unenforceable because the FAA lacks meaningful manpower to police them. 

Drone operators love answering questions to FAA officials and that ignorant behavior allows the FAA inspectors to easily build cases against them. If the drone operators simply were smart enough to ask for a lawyer instead of blabbing and making admissions there would be virtually no cases to prosecute.

It’s much easier to talk your way into a courtroom.  Keeping your mouth shut tight will do wonders to keep you out of trouble, away from lawyers, their fees and court fines.    

I say when in doubt, fly if you really need the images. Lets say your two miles from a major airport and you want to inspect a roof or capture real estate marketing material at less than 70 feet above the structures go ahead.  

If your in such an area considered sensitive, fly your drone early in the morning before the FAA, local police and public have had their coffee. Use your vehicles to shield drone take offs and landings. Above all fly low and safe. 

Above all tell your Congress people to get the FAA off of our backs and have them return to real safety issues with conventional aircraft. 

DJI Drone Warrantee Repair a Disappointing situation

I

Los Angeles, CA--I had my somewhat pricy DJI Inspire 1 camera drone for five months.  

I love the product and it never gave a bad moment.  Well not quite.  

DJI has an update policy from Hell.  They suddenly announce a firmware update.  You can't fly until you get to good internet service with a computer, download and install the update.  

That is a disaster when you drive to a location for a shoot and everything stops.  

Okay that sucks but while attempting my last update for the cold weather battery fix things went to Hell.

The camera stopped retaining the little SD memory card spitting it out! 

There suddenly was a second problem with the coupling of the camera and gimbal to the drone.  Contact was somehow lost.  

Technical support was sympathetic and told me to take it to Fedex and provided several explicate pages of instructions on shipping it back.

The repair facility is in nearby Carson but they demand it be shipped by Fedex even if you are located across the street!  Same with the return!  Two full days are added to the repair time and DJI eats the unnecessary cost! 

They fiddled with my drone and returned in in just over two weeks.  I put in the memory card without a hitch. However when I fired up the drone to move the landing gear for camera attachment it failed.

The ink was not dry yet on the FedEx receipt and I had a new problem!  After a 45 minute wait for technical support another sympathetic support agent quickly advised me it had to go back once again.  

Thankfully I had another copy of my original sales receipt to put in the shipment or I be paying for the repairs!

Just to make thing interesting they give you a 25 digit number to write in several places that begins with RMA.  I'm sure only God can help you if you screw that up!  

I know that everyone that crashes their DJI products blame the products for their own failures.  DJI must have a repair staff of people dealing with customers from Hell.  

Both legitimate and bogus claims must be difficult to deal with.

My repair return is complicated further by travel issues. I must now have it shipped to an address somewhere else!

Yep, I got the DJI double repair whammy.  What's going to be my next DJI misadventure? 

When it works I love it! When I'm in warranty jail I hate it.   

There's got to be a better way! 

Update:

I shipped the drone to DJI after the tech support guy said it needed to go back when the landing gear was apparently stuck in shipping position. 

They returned the drone to me in Las Vegas and upon upon trying once again the landing gear wouldn't budge. I called tech support and was told to send it back again. 

Suddenly it struck me that perhaps my radio controller was no longer coupled with the drone.  The lights went on in the tech support Guy's mind and he talked me through re-coupling and that was the issue. Now I can fly once more! 

The tech support guy was not as sharp as he should have been.  

  

Using Drones in Governmental and Private Security Applications is Safe, Effective and Economical

Santa Barbara, CA--Private Security is really more about deterrence, and loss prevention.  Bringing in drones is a perfect application for security contractors to rid their clients of burglars, sex offenders and vandals. 

Of course homeowners associations can create their own in house program but it's generally not needed.  However there are times when criminals show up in soft target communities then it's time to call in a qualified security contractor with drones.  

Wether it's a burglary or vandalism problem drones operated and flying at less than 300 feet can can easily observe and record the deeds.  Ground security and police can be quickly alerted to handle enforcement activities.

Drones are excellent for all industrial security applications.  They can be sent up as needed to examine areas or for responding to various alarms and such. 

Drones have been used to smuggle contraband into correctional facilities.  Actually those kinds of facilities could greatly benefit from using the drone technology to watch their own facilities augmenting ground patrols.  

FLIR thermal imaging and drones go really well together making night operations incredibly effective.  

Any professional guard agency can easily add drone patrol to their list of services. 

The only real question is when the FAA will stop standing in the way of progress and public safety?  Despite the existence of three million drones in unlicensed hands there's not been a single fatality, serious injury or notable property damage anywhere yet the FAA has engaged in massive restraint of trade and prior restraint style enforcement activities. 

The FAA seems to be in far greater need of control than America's drone operators. 

Your “Toy” Camera Drone Can Save Lives, Really!

Los Angeles, CA—The word of the day is FLIR!  I knew this was in development but now it’s actually here!  FLIR became a major public safety and search & rescue tool more than two decades ago.  Now even civilian camera drones are in the FLIR mix! 

Flir has primarily been delegated to expensive cameras carried on board conventional aircraft for military, police, fire and every public safety application.

Recently the popular drone maker DJI and Flir teamed up to offer these now affordable lifesaving cameras.  They can now operate from the popular DJI Inspire1 and Matrice 100 drone platforms.  That means anyone with these drones can save or at least protect lives. 

Flir is simply an optical device that captures imagery of heat signatures or thermal patterns.  At 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit our bodies are normally warmer than the ambient air temperature.  At night the outside air is almost always colder than the bodies of humans or warm-blooded animals.

A human walking in total darkness in a desert or wooded are stands out as a bright shadow and easily spotted from either the ground or air.  In many ways the FLIR is superior to conventional night vision devices and is essential when looking for lost people, trespassing criminals, lost pets and other such suspects.

You can also spot recently parked motor vehicles by their heat signatures too.

For firefighting efforts hotspots can easily be pinpointed directing the efforts to extinguish fires faster and more safely.  More importantly firemen can know in advance if and when they need to evacuate rooftops avoiding potential agonizing deaths or injuries.

This is truly a game and public perception changer on the value of the popular camera drones.   At a minimum people will be locating lost pets, children or wild animals roaming in their surroundings.  Until now you’d have to wait for first responders to evaluate the need, and then for them to travel to the search areas.

In our world we have earthquakes, floods, tornados and wildfires. Drones can operate safely in tighter areas where helicopters cannot enter.  Civilian FLIR equipped drones particularly in remote areas can be worth more than gold.

At the 2015 International Drone Expo I interviewed FLIR VUE specialist David Lee about the new camera. 

Drones as Distress Signals for Maritime Emergencies

Los Angeles, CA—Let me offer this lifesaving idea for the thousands of watercraft both large and small sailing the seas.

Drones are perfect as a backup to radar for observing watercraft in the area.  Drones won’t be affected by watercraft power failures.

Additionally the drones can be sent up with special flashing emergency lights.  Unlike sending up a flare drones can stay in the sky for extended periods of time. 

The only real issue is educating boaters about recognizing the drone distress signal indicating a boating emergency.