I’m getting really serious about vlogging!

Canon 80D

Los Angeles,CA—I just got a new vlogging DSLR camera.  I already had a decent news gathering video camera, a couple GoPro cameras, an iPhone and four drones.  

I actually have a working video and photography studio in my home. Needless to say, I also have a video editing suite and can post whatever I please on Social media sites.  However now, I really do have all need to regularly produce a very watchable vlog.  

I’m still learning new things every day.  The largest vlogging obstacle is a lack of subject material.  I finally made the realization that the best vloggers can make a story out of a trip to the dentist or even the grocery store watchable and interesting!  It’s time for me to learn how to be an enterprising vlogger.  I must go out and find my stories and share them.  

I do have a huge TV news background working on such stories as The Oklahoma Bombing and Ted Kaczynski, the long sought UNIBOM, serial bomber.   I’ve produced hundreds of news stories on high profile murders and other infamous crimes. 

Running around with a camera in the cities where I spend most of my time seems so lame by comparison!  Then it dawned on me that most of the other people in the world rarely or never have the opportunity to see things through my eyes!  They are in all different parts of the country or world! Yes, it’s all brand new to them! I’ve become jaded and unimpressed with my lame surroundings!  It isn’t my surroundings but me that has been lame! 

Super Vlogger, Casey Neistat who makes $8 million a year from YouTube, takes us to all of his local haunts in Manhattan when he’s not traveling.  Since I only visit NYC occasionally I find it very interesting.  Casey can do a vlog about, doing laundry or riding his skateboard interesting and that is the fundamental art of storytelling.  

It’s not the material, but the vlogger’s ability to bring his or her adventures to the audience. Telling the story with excitement and energy is an absolute must!  However, I’ll skip the Neistat skateboard and the trip to my local hospital emergency room. Sorry, I know there are people that would enjoy that episode, way too much! 

If you’ve thought about doing a vlog to cover your hobbies, travel or business just do it!  I want to tell you that without phenomenal luck the likelihood of you getting rich is similar to winning the lottery.  The reward is in getting to know how to let others far away live your adventures.  That is incredible empowerment! 

You should also know I’m a senior citizen and and I’m convinced vlogging will help keep me young.  Last but not least you can learn the mechanics of shooting, editing and posting your own videos at my own video Guru, Michael Rosenblum’s teaching site, thevj.com 

Did You Know There Is A Real Empowerment Tool Hiding In Your Smartphone?

Los Angeles, CA--Do you have a cause, perhaps a beef with your government, school, employer, homeowners association or even the news media?  Do you have something you need to promote or sell?  You can unleash that beast in your smartphone and get results! 

If your voice is not being heard you’ve apparently found yourself helpless in calling attention to your situation.  Don’t expect others to speak up for you, but now you can speak up for yourself through technology.

Yes, you can tell your story to the masses on your own terms.  It’s far easier than you may think.  

Your smartphone has a powerful video camera and video editing system.  You just must be able to tell a coherent and compelling story.  You use that smartphone to shoot, write, edit and create your story just as any seasoned TV journalist or vlogger would.

You simply sign up for a free Youtube account.  An important part is creating the tags or search words that people will use to find your video.  If the names, places and subjects aren’t listed in the tags, nobody will find your video unless you first send them the link.  

If you put up a watchable video that contains solid and steady pictures, good audio, decent voiceover and perhaps some text or even music you will get your video noticed.

First and foremost always hold your smartphone horizontally!  TV and computer screens are horizontal!  

Keep your videos short and to the point.  Speak naturally as you would to a friend.  Always obtain interviews from witnesses whenever possible.  

Find a pleasing news story or a vlog that you can emulate in monkey see, monkey do fashion and your good to go. 

There’s lots of internet training videos out there.  I highly recommend taking the on line course offered by thevj.com because they train video journalists worldwide.

Imagine that you’re inside a business or at the scene of an important news-making event.  If you can put a news video story together you can sell it for a tidy sum!  

You too can become video literate.  Once you begin, there may be no stopping you.  You may even find this learned skill is life changing and bring you unexpected wealth.  

When Conservative Blogger, Andrew Breitbart suddenly suffered a heart attack and died, I wanted to do a simple story for my blog.  

There was a belief by many that Breitbart was murdered because of stories he was publishing about Barack Obama. 

I went to the scene and just by chance I ran into an eye witness that saw Breitbart fall and die on the street.  I included that interview in my video and made a bundle! 

Here is that story:

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:

The CEO of the New York Times said print news will be dead within 10years...

That’s a sad but realistic view of our society that tolerates ignorance despite our taxpayer funded public education.  

Our massive immigration invitation to the worlds poor and illiterate combined with acceptance of their refusal to learn how to read and write has become a major crisis.

Too many of our own children, particularly Blacks and Hispanics are allowed to reject the tools needed to escape a lifetime of financial dependency.  

Our illiterates are doomed to only receive communication rather than creating and influencing their world.  The future is in clearly creating watchable video.  Government, businesses, news providers and entertainers must cater to our illiterate society. 

Of course video communication is now superior to any other form.  Being able to create exceptional video will be the ultimate influencing skill.  

We must equip our children with the tools and resources so they are not allowed to fail.

The best camera ever is the one you have at the moment.  For billions of people that is the smart phone.  The very young and even our senior citizens can easily master the iPhone and iMovie editing software. 

The versatility of more sophisticated camera equipment and microphones do have distinct advantages.  But we all must begin somewhere.  

There are many special ways of creating watchable eye candy that traps and holds the viewers enabling you to get your messages to the masses. 

Do you really have a choice about learning this amazing technology?  The good news is really satisfying and fun! It’s truly empowering!