Creating video blogs

QA Staff would love to see more Video Blogging on QA. The internet is becoming as dynamic as the people who inhabit it, and we want to embrace that. Let's tell each other who's out there! This how-to document will help you put your Vlog together and post it online for us to see, and provide a few content guidelines.

Creating & Uploading a Video

On a Mac (by Robin)

• If your Mac doesn't have a built in iSight camera (small black square above the screen) then you need to plug in a compatible camera. Any camera that connects via FireWire will work. USB cameras may need a bit of fiddling - consult Google.

• Choose a video capture method. If you just want to straight record the video, skip ahead to "On YouTube" section ... however if you might want to trim and edit it, read on here. If you have QuickTime Pro, this is simplest (just press New Movie Recording and go). If you don't, iMovie is ideal and offers more useful editing options.

• Once you've captured your vlog, and edited it to your satisfaction, you need to export it. YouTube can understand almost any video format, but will always change the video to something small first, so there's no need to spend time making a huge file that will take you ages to upload.

• In iMovie 08 (icon that looks like a black star), you can press Share --> YouTube to create a file especially for YouTube use. In previous versions of iMovie (blue clapper board icon), Press Share --> QuickTime, then select "Web" from the list. In QuickTime Pro, Press File --> Export for Web and make sure only Desktop is selected (this will create multiple files ... make sure to select the M4V file when you upload).

On Windows (by Catie)

• We'll be using Windows Movie Maker for XP, although it's very similar in Vista, so open that up.

• Ensure that your microphone/audio equipment and your camera is connected to the computer. In the panel on the left, click Capture Video in the left menu, then click Capture from video device. The Video Capture Wizard should open. Select your camera from the Available Devices section, and choose the correct microphone if it is not built in.

• Click Next. Now, choose a suitable name for the file and a location to save it to, where you can remember it.

• Click Next again. This part allows you to choose the quality of the video, the best option for YouTube and your computer is an .AVI format, as most Windows computers can play it. It also uploads faster to YouTube.

• Click Next. This part is where you record the video, so get ready. When you are, click Capture Video, and it will start recording. Click Stop Capture to finish. Click Finish to close the window. The video file is saved in the location you specified earlier and you are ready to upload it.

• Optional
  If you want to edit it, the video will now appear in the collections area. Drag it to the timeline and go to the part you want to cut, at the beginning of the section, click the cut tool. Then at the end of the section you want to cut, cut it again. Then, click on the part you want to delete, and press delete on your keyboard. It’s now gone.

  

  Then, once you are finished, you can export the file. This means to convert it into a video file ready to share. Go to File, and select Save Movie File. Now, use Save To Computer. Choose a file name and a location to save it to. Click Next, and choose a file format. Click Next one last time, it will now save the file and produce a video file. Press Finish, and now the video is ready to upload to a website.

On YouTube

YouTube can directly record video straight on to the website from your webcam. The features this offers are limited, but it's possibly the simplest way to go. Simply go to www.youtube.com and press "Upload Video," selecting "Quick Capture" as the method on the next screen.

Upload to YouTube or Vimeo

If you've recorded your blog on your own computer (as opposed to directly to YouTube), you'll now need to upload the video. A good alternative to YouTube is Vimeo; Vimeo allows you to password protect your videos but be careful when registering there because it asks you for your full name -- don't give it! Use your first name only.

• Go to youtube.com (or vimeo.com) and press "Upload Video". This will take you through the options step by step. Make sure to add the following tags before your own: qa queerattitude.com. Remember to leave embedding enabled, otherwise you will not be able to put your video on to QA BlogBase.

All methods - adding to QA

If you have not already done so, you might want to press "My Account" to set a few details like your blog's name and a picture. Once it's ready, you can press "My QA Blog" on the top left of any QA page. The page this will take you to has a link, "+ Add an entry to your Blog". Press this. You might want to include a bit of normal text explaining your blog.

To embed the YouTube video you've created to the page, go to the page of the video on YouTube itself and select all the text in the "embed" box. Paste this as it is in to the main box on the QA BlogBase page. Once you press Submit, it'll be there.

Some Content Tips

• Have something to say. You need to know the basic idea of what you're going to say to your audience before you start to say it. Hesitation is an annoying thing to see on a video. Unlike a traditional blog, you can't go back and correct & refine little bits of it as you go. It might be helpful to keep a few "topic sentences" on the screen as you go - but not a whole script!

• Look at the camera! It's tempting to look at the video preview of you on the screen (assuming there is one) but that means you won't be making eye contact with your viewers. They wanna see your eyes!

• Make a point. Just like on traditional blogs, no-one wants to see a vlog that's there just for the sake of it. Your message can be whatever you like about anything you like, but there should BE a message!

• Be yourself. People can tell when you're "acting," even if you think they can't. If that works for the kind of vlog you're making, go for it ... but if you want to be sincerely yourself, don't "try" to ... just be natural.

Some Technical Tips

• Try to have a light source in front of you lighting up your face. Try to avoid having light sources, like lamps, windows or mirrors, behind you because the camera will pick it up and probably compensate incorrectly, leaving your face darkened.

• Eliminate as much background noise as possible. If you can hear the background hum of your computer when you play the recording back, try checking the sounds settings for a noise reduction feature. Also, try closing all unnecessary programs as this may slow and quieten your fans. If your voice level is low, increase the input volume level -- this is also in your computer's sound settings. Don't play music when recording.

• Adjust your position or the position of the camera so that your face and shoulders are clearly in the shot. Face the camera head on.

• Take a pause after hitting record before you start speaking, and after you've finished speaking so that if you want to edit your video, you can chop off the bits showing you reaching for the start/stop button.

Content Guidelines

Content rules and T&Cs still apply to video entries here just as much as written ones. Check the Terms and Conditions for more details ... here are some important ones to be aware of when making your vlog...

• No personal details! Nothing should be seen or heard in your video that reveals information like your surname, where you live, phone number, et cetera. Also nothing identifying ANY other person (even members of your family) unless they've given expressed permission.

• Safe Space content. Bear in mind our younger members. Anything that belongs in DYMK should stay in DYMK in text form. As if it wasn't obvious, no pornography or nudity of any kind should be on videos posted to QA (they'll probably be removed from YouTube as well).

• All vlogs should be posted to your own blog and not the forums. The only exception to this is any new members who may wish to introduce themselves with a video, in which case these should be posted to Introductions (BlogBase is not to be used for introductions in any case).

You should also be aware of the QA Blogging Guide, which applies to vlogs. The key points are that entries should have a message "worthy" of being imparted, and that while forum topics are intended to start discussions, blogs\vlogs are there for you to express yourself. As always, if you want to start a discussion about something, do so in the forums without a video.

Happy Vlogging!