The Digital Dojo: November 2005

Sunday Video Editing Workshop A Great Success!

Ionia Kershaw led our first "Video Editing" workshop last Sunday and several people attended. We had a great mix of people, including two with documentary film experience and ambitions, photographers, web masters and novices alike.

Carla Morganstern, a documentary producer who drove up from Los Angeles after we met at a Meet The Vloggers presentation at the Apple Store in The Grove, said

"Great day in Ojai. I really appreciated attending the workshop yesterday. Ionia is a thoughtful and thorough teacher---I got a lot from the workshop and all the people attending."

Ionia is teaching more of these free workshops this month and next. You don't have to be a film producer to attend this class, however. Ionia shows how to use simple and freely available tools, tips and techniques that anyone can apply to their own videos. Simple edits and a little music can often turn your simple snaphots into someone's favorite music video, journal entry or news story.

Fernando's Ex'pression

Here is Fernando Macias' video for the Ex'pression event.

Wal-Mart Documentary

Ryanne Hodson sent me an email about a local showing of the Wal-Mart documentary that was taking place in one of my neighbors home. I had just heard about the documentary on a vlog and so my wife and I had wanted to see it. Ryanne is in NYC, but she connected me to a network of great people here in my own small town. How cool is that. Thanks Ryanne and thanks Kris! Kris is a chiropractor and he and his wife kindly hosted the screening for about 30 people. We got into a great conversation about the film, the local community and the role of a local establishment and community focal point: The Farmer and the Cook. They even have their own Yahoo group (like videobloggers)!

Sunday Video Editing Workshop

Ionia Kershaw, a multimedia designer and the creator of ExploreVentura.com, will be leading some free video editing workshops at the Digital Dojo. Bring your digital still or movie cameras and laptop, or use one of ours. Learn post production techniques to turn your raw footage, photos and sound into a movie you can post to the web. We talk about tools like Quicktime Pro, iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, Adobe Premier, Roxio and Final Cut Pro and Express.

There are still a few seats left for the first workshop this Sunday, November 20th, 2005 from 1:30-3:30. Please RSVP at 805.640.8547.

Teach the Children

Something Ryanne said in an email reminded me that we need to think more about videoblogging for vids. Lots of issues there. Here's a moment from the Meet The Vloggers (the new MTV!) last friday in Los Angeles at The Grove Apple store. So how do we present videoblogging to kids? Josh Leo and others have posted related articles at We Are The Media.

Meet The Vloggers LA - Roger - 93mm.org

Roger of 93-double-m joined us for the recent "Meet the Vloggers" presentation at the Grove in Los Angeles. He did a great job. Check out his site at http://93mm.org.

Surprise Visit

Eric Rice stopped by the Digital Dojo today. What a great surprise.

Vlogger Re-Mix

Kity-Kity, who recently gave a great videoblogging presentation at Node101::San Antonio, has another videoblog re-mix posted. In this video, she sees vloggers everywhere she goes. What's that sign ahead? Is it Verdi?

Also, Juan Carlos Gonzales, a.k.a. Mr. Multiple2, has a vlog re-mix posted on his "This Side of the Cave" site that may become another classic along the lines of our good friend Josh Leo's classic "We Are The Media". It poses the big question of "why vlog", while sampling from the explosion of online videoblog content. Juan Carlos is also a member of Node101:San Antonio.

Way to re-mix it up! Here's a link to the "NOW REMIX!" video from mrmultiple2, just in case you are not already subscribed to his feed.

Be The Media Workshop

Wednesday night is "Be The Media" night here at the Digital Dojo. That means we will be screening new vlogs and podcasts starting at 7:30pm, followed by a discussion about new developments in personal web publishing. This is also an open clinic where you can get help with your audio and video podcasting and blogging issues.

If you don't know where to start, we'll be happy to discuss your interests and suggest how you might go about it. We'll even get you set up with some great tutorials and point out other free workshops that might be of interest to you.

Come on by and make some media. Or come by and find out how to create your own audio, photo and video recordings using the equipment you already have (or ours)

You say you're already doing that? Well please send us your "feed" and we'll share it with everyone at the meetup. Better yet, come on by and share it with us in person. Tell us the how, what, why. where and when of your website.

If you don't know what a "feed" is, then you should definitely come on down and we'll show you and tell you all about it and show you how you can get one in on all the fun. (Psssst: there's a media revolution taking place and a "feed" is like your own private TV channel or radio show, only better cause it's free)

If you think there is something better on television, then you really need to come and see what's happening on the web these days. Seriously, this is big.

Please join us! RSVP at 805.640.8547, instant message or email if you can, but feel free to drop by anytime between 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Directions are in the sidebar.

Jonny Goldstein on Videoblogging

Last Friday, I was able to capture a small part of Jonny Goldstein's presentation on videoblogging that he was giving to some students in NYC. He shared some cool videos and stories that helps put them in context. I really like Jonny's presentation style. As Jonny would say "Digitized from New York ...".

How did I capture this from California? An announcement about the presentation was posted in the Yahoo Videoblogging Group earlier in the day. It pays to keep an eye on those videobloggers; they're always up to something interesting.

Podcast Here's a ten minute MP3 excerpt of Jonny's presentation. Click the button to listen or stuff it in your "pod", man.

Workshops

Please check our blog for upcoming events. If you'd like to help organize an event around a topic of interest, please contact markus at ojaidigitaldojo dot net.

We've added some new workshop and meetup dates, as well as events, to the sidebar of this videoblog. Here are the highlights:

Ionia Kershaw of ExploreVentura.com will be holding Video Editing workshops. Ionia is a talented multimedia designer, filmmaker and local videoblogger (she designed the flyer).
There are several more Meet The Vloggers presentations at Apple stores and colleges in Los Angeles and the SF Bay Area.
We are planning more local meetups in Santa Barbara and Ventura. We are meeting this month in Santa Barbara at the main library, downtown. Local videoblogger Paul Sanchez of SoloRide.org will join us for a community presentation and discussion. We hope to meet in Ventura again soon, at the Underground Coffee House.
We have a new projector and will be screening recent podcasts and videoblogs in the Be The Media workshops followed by open discussion on related topics of interest. These are a great place to jump in to our workshops and find out what people are doing and what's going on in the other workshops. Join us for some videos, podcasts, demonstrations and conversation about personal media publishing. Sometimes we take field trips.
We offer Videoblogging workshops on Saturdays. Produce your own video channels. We present the basics of video blogging. If you have them, bring your laptop and digital cameras (did you know that many still cameras can take some kind of video?). If not, call to let us know and we'll arrange to have a Windows or Macintosh computer available for your use. You can take this workshop on-line at Freevlog.
We're now offering Audio Podcasting workshops. Make your own radio shows. We'll present the basics of audio podcasting. If you have them, bring your laptops and digital recorders, microphones and mixers. Or use ours.

Click the pic to see the flyer for the Santa Barbara event. Call 805.640.8547 for workshop more information, meetup details or workshop reservations. All workshops and presentations are free.

A note to parents and teachers: we welcome all ages to our workshops but wish to point out that personal media is often just that: personal; hence, the content we screen is often of an "adult" nature (mainly language). If this is of concern to you, please let us know and we will be happy to schedule workshops that are suited to specific audiances.

A note about "basics": generally, our workshops are aimed at helping people express themselves through the creation and publication of personal media. Thus, the topics in a given workshop will vary to suit the participants. Sometimes the workshops are more like clinics where you can get help. If you already are videoblogging or podcasting, please feel free to join us. We need your help and value your voice in our discussions. These workshops are a place for both beginners and experts alike.