VEDA 2012!

Hello vloggers and bloggers!  Today marks the first day of the traditional and original VEDA event, Vlog Every Day in April. That’s not a joke, either.

Captain Ashley and Nico will not be participating in this year’s April VEDA, but we can definitely offer some strategies to help you be consistent with your videos and complete the challenge.

  • Off The Cuff - The most popular way to complete this event is to just turn on the camera and start speaking. Seriously! Say what’s on your mind and upload it every day. While this is going to give you a grab bag of content, it will take you to the end of the project very easily.
  • Responder - We learned this technique from another vlogger, but a good way to always have talking material is to respond in video form to other YouTubers’ videos. It promotes them, it promotes you because you get to list your videos as responses, and it supports the very important value that vlogging provides — being social. Plus, you will find through simple searches that there are more vloggers participating in VEDA than you think.
  • Scheduled - The August VEDA crew uses this technique and publicizes it to encourage newbies to vlog and to share a common conversation across videos.  While we don’t set these up in April so as to encourage “advanced vlogging” and true improvisation, this shouldn’t stop you from coming up with a calendar on your own. You’ve likely got a bunch of ideas! All you have to do is write down 30 of them and then talk about one per day.1
  • In The News - You can go all Phillip DeFranco style and talk about the news that matters to you, and what’s good about this is that news happens literally all the time. It creates a broad discussion because published news is meant to be shared, and it does give us insight into you as a person because we learn what you care about.
  • This One Time - Some people are born storytellers, and maybe this is you. In that case, you don’t have to talk about what’s happening in your daily life if you’ve got some good stories to tell, whether they’re personal anecdotes or fiction and fables. After all, some of us watch vlogs on our phones before bed, and who doesn’t like a good bedtime story?
  • Abstract - Some videographers just have a good eye, and if you’re willing to use your vlogging time to compose colors and sounds together to communicate, you should go for it.  This technique does take a good amount of effort to pull off, and you don’t have to do this every day, but it is very rewarding. After all, it’s better to have created mediocre art than none at all, and good art always takes practice.
  • Show Us Your Moves2 - Karaoke, original compositions, dancing, covers, remixes, acrobatics, dramatic readings, a cappella, you name it. If you’ve got performing arts talent to span the entire length of a video, then why not share? You can even consider documenting the creative process as well.

Obviously, these are all suggestions, and there’s nothing stopping you from mixing and matching techniques to complete the project.

Are you participating in VEDA 2012? Drop a link to your channel in the comments!

  1. You’d still like a calendar? Okay! Veteran vlogger CQBrett has created her own topics calendar and she’s nice enough to share. You can check it out here!
  2. That’s a reference to this, in case you didn’t catch it.
Penguin Awareness Day (#PAD12) on Friday

Last year, we celebrated Penguin Awareness Day by vlogging about a journey we would be undertaking in 2011.  Well, we’re going to do that again.  And we want you to participate!

Here’s How:
1. Dress in black and white (like a penguin) and record a vlog about a difficult journey you will be undertaking this year (like penguin migration).  Aim for less than 3 minutes.
2. Upload your vlog on Penguin Awareness Day (January 20, 2012–FRIDAY).
3. Use the hashtags #PAD12 and #WBWV.
4. Watch and comment on the videos of other participants.
5.  Ask Nico or Ashley if you have questions.

If you participated last year, reflect back on the video your recorded then.

An example from last year:

Time Capsule Vlog (November 1, 2011)

Vlog Event: Time Capsule Vlog
Date: November 1, 2011
Who: All are welcome to join!

We miss your faces. It’s time to do that vlogging thing again!

Here’s the topic: You are creating a video to be placed in a time capsule that will be opened twenty years in the future.  What do you want the people who find it to know about your life now?    You can talk about what’s going on in your personal life or what’s going on in the world.  What do you want to remember about this time?

(During VEDA we made vlogs talking to ourselves in the future.  This is more about telling people in the future about life in 2011. This was a suggestion left over from VEDA, and the person who suggested it referenced Saved By the Bell, if that helps.)

Here’s How to Participate
1. Create a vlog on this topic.  Shoot for 3 minutes or less (more vlog tips here).
2. Post it on November 1, 2011 (You Tube is easiest, but you can use any video site).
3. Use the hashtags #wbwv and #timecapsule on twitter.
4. Watch and comment on the videos of other participants.  Many of us know each other already, but we will try to spread the word about all participants.  Post your links here and search the hash tags on twitter to find other participants.
5.  Ask Nico or Ashley if you have questions.

VEDA Punishments!

Congratulations if you’ve completed all 31 days of Vlog Every Day in August 2011!

If you didn’t complete it, it’s time to be punished.

And a quick list here of the completionists (Subject to change! Keep your eye on this list!)

VEDA Completionists:

youtube.com/bookthiefadventures
youtube.com/Btchonheels
youtube.com/curiousnotions
youtube.com/dmbosstone
youtube.com/grace1686
youtube.com/Harryisaleaf (recently discovered!)
youtube.com/heyitstabitha
youtube.com/jennbizzzle
youtube.com/kickingYYC
youtube.com/kissandhug83
youtube.com/kmortland
youtube.com/Ldutch
youtube.com/NicoleMarieSays
youtube.com/peterdewolf
youtube.com/SarahAHall86
youtube.com/SpazzyMcGee235
youtube.com/sukibean
youtube.com/superawesomeashleyd
youtube.com/week11net
youtube.com/writetoreach

Where is the list?

There seems to be a little bit of confusion on the listing of participants, so we would like to draw your attention to the page where we’re keeping track of everyone:

http://weblogwevlog.com/veda-vlaugust-2011/

The list of vloggers on the original post is much more dated than it is now, but that page will be updated as people show up in vlogland.

Thanks for jumping in, everyone! Now let’s get to filming! :D

Topics, Calendar, and New Participants

Topics
You should now have access to the google doc titled VEDA 2011 Topics.  You were invited through the google account you gave at registration.  Add your suggestions!

Calendar
View the calendar of topics RIGHT HERE.

The calendar is a work in progress.  We will be taking suggestions from the Topics doc. and filling in the days.  Most of the calendar should be completed by Sunday.

New Participants
We’re trying to keep up with adding new participants to the participants post [EDIT]Participants Page[/EDIT].  Check the bottom of the list for new people and please subscribe!

VEDA: What You Need To Know

Just over a week to go until VEDA begins. A majority of the people who participated last year are returning, but we have several new faces, so I’ve written up some tips for getting the most out of the experience. There are no strict rules, but here are some general guidelines.

What To Do
1. Subscribe to the YouTube channels of everyone I’ve listed below (consider following them on twitter and subscribing to their blogs as well).
2. Check the calendar for daily topics. The calendar is a work in progress. (I’ll post it soon.)
3. On August 1st, start making a video every day and do not stop until August is over.
4. Try to watch and comment on as many of the other participant’s videos as you can. This is the part that makes VEDA fun and meaningful.

Tips for Vlogging
1. Keep your videos under 4 minutes.
2. Have some idea of what you’re going to say before you start.
3. Look at the camera. Talk to the camera like you’re talking to us.
4. Try to limit background noise and other distractions.
5. Don’t worry too much about being interesting. Just be honest and as much yourself as you can (while awkwardly talking to a camera).
6. iMovie and Windows Movie Maker are both pretty simple.  If you’re interested in trying your hand at editing, search for tutorials on YouTube.
7. If you’re having technical problems, ask for help.

FAQ
Q: What if I miss a day?
A: Keep going. The point is to make a vlog every day, but don’t quit if you miss a day. Remember, you’ll get as much out of it as you put into it.

Q: Can I make videos in advance?
A: No. You should always make your video that day. It’s part of the challenge. We will all have video-making obstacles to work with this August.

Q: Do I have to use YouTube?
A: We super highly suggest it, because the YouTube subscription feature makes it so much easier to follow everyone.

Q: What do I do if I have problems with YouTube/my video/life.
A: You could ask Ashley or Nico. Or you might start by asking on twitter to see if another VEDAer has the answer.

Q: Who chooses the topics?
A: You can add your suggestions to the google doc (you’ll have access soon). We will be choosing the suggestions we think will work best and adding them to the calendar. If you have particularly strong feelings about a topic, you can make your case.

Q: What if I don’t like one of the topics?
A: The topics are just suggestions. You are always welcome to go off topic.

Q: What do I get if I win (make a video every day in August)?
A: The respect of a Captain. Probably some new friends. Likely a meaningful experience. Possibly a badge to post on your blog.

Q: Who is the Captain? Why is she called Captain?
A: Ashley (@writetoreach). She doesn’t exactly remember, but thinks it had something to do with the number of Ashleys who participated last year.

Q: What’s this business about loving people’s faces?
A: Well, it started during #winetoreach, but it just makes sense, because we will be seeing a lot of each other’s faces in August.

Participants (Get to Subscribing!)

VEDA 2011

It’s almost time for Vlog Every Day in August (VEDA).

If you want to participate, here’s what you should do:
1. Complete the form linked below (the one that says Sign Up For VEDA Here).
2. Mark August 1st on your calendar.  That’s when it begins!
3. Start thinking of vlog topics. We’ll probably have a google doc brainstorming session in the next few weeks.
4. Watch this blog and Ashley’s tweets for news.
5. If you have any questions, just ask!

Sign Up For VEDA Here!