vlog: The new post-blog fever

A clip in RocketBoom

Through short-filmed video clips and reality shows that show themselves, vloggers are taking advantage of unlimited digital power to invite people to visit their own world. The theme of the video clips looks like it: from deep discussion of "big slaps" like the meaning of the universe, to "the old pump in my house garage", or even "the dish snacks I eat every day ".

From blog to vlog

The blog fever (or weblog) is really intense. After stirring up the Net world last year, making bloggers, who became "citizen journalists," the blog took the wire to the birth of podcasts - a kind of phonetic blogging. radio and radio programs.

In 2005, podcasts moved and developed rapidly, from where no one knew "it was something" to become the Year's Key, a technology familiar to many people. With Podcasts, anyone can become a "talking journalist" and a newscaster, with billion radio shows they can think of.

Now, when humanity is about to enter 2006, the latest variant of the blog has appeared. Logically, it is a video blog - a Web diary with images and video clips.

Never before, the creation of a vlog is as easy and convenient as it is now, thanks to a new, low-cost camcorder, simple software and image editing programs available - not to mention bandwidth connection. The wide range of video downloads is also quite popular.

"True" television

vlog of Steve Garfield

For a long time, the press still dreamed of an authentic "television" like this. " People want to see pictures of real people, real things - hidden corners of life. Reality, angles and flanking. They are fed up with polished, painted, appearing moats. on television every day, "said Amanda Congdon, co-writer and host of" Rocketboom "- an extremely successful vlog in the US - said.

In the most recent broadcast on a vlog, "The Carol & Steve Show", producer Steve Garfield wandered in Boston's snowy streets, walking and discussing the newly declared vlog culture. born with . wife.

" Sometimes people say a video blog is perfect for professional television. But please remember that we tried to show ourselves as a TV program. We just tried to record the most normal moments in the world. live every person, "Steve said.

Convergence of television and Net

The birth of vlog makes people can't help but think about the near future, when the Internet and television finally converge. Then there will come a day when a TV program is broadcast as a package for viewers to download from the Web, instead of what channels they want to play, play as they are now.

Well-known media outlets - both print and broadcast - see this trend. They continually integrated podcasts, videocast and news video clips into their websites, in addition to written articles.

Last October, Apple launched a new product market: iPod can watch videos. This can be an extremely important premise for vlog to take off - if you recall, this kind of Mp3 player has paved the way for how the Podcast has grown so strong in 2005. Short, simple video clips The compact, vlog-style model is especially ideal for tiny screens of devices like vPod and mobile phones.

In fact, vlog has appeared since the tsunami in South Asia exactly 1 year ago. Meanwhile, video clips shot by tourists were played back by all major TV channels, as well as uploaded to the Web. Similarly, until August last, when Hurricane Katrina attacked the United States, amateur "television reporters" also offered extremely precious images.

Free or charged?

It is unclear how many people in the world are setting up vlogs, only knowing that vlog is booming in the US, Canada, Western Europe, Australia and is beginning to attack to Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Among these, Rocketboom seems to be the most popular, the "dream lover" of all vloggers. This is a hot pot, mixed between news, gossip (web) on the web and entertainment programs - broadcast 5 days a week.

Launched in 2004, this site has about 100,000 downloads every day and forces advertisers to pay attention to the potential of vlogs. And of course, it doesn't need millions of dollars of investment costs to broadcast like classical television.

Currently, vlog sites are free. Their revenue is mainly based on advertising and selling products, but in the future, maybe some special content will be charged.

Thien Y