Celebrate Penguin Awareness Day (#PAD13) With WBWV on Monday
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For the last two years, we have celebrated Penguin Awareness Day by vlogging about a journey each of us would be undertaking in the year to come.  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 21, 2013–MONDAY*).
3. Use the hashtags #PAD13 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.

*Penguin Awareness Day is actually January 20th, but we are observing it on Monday this year.  You may choose to honor penguins on both days. WE SUPPORT THAT.

A Vlog For The End of the World
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Vlog Event: November 28, 2012

Say the world is going to end on December 21, 2012.  What will you do with the time you have left?

How To:
1. Record a vlog answering how you would spend your last weeks if the world was ending.
2. Upload your vlog on November 28, 2012.
3. Use the hashtag #WBWV.
4. Watch and comment on the videos of other participants.
5.  Ask Nico or Ashley if you have questions.

Please help us spread the word to the We Blog, We Vlog community!

VEDA Recaps, Anyone?
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Our pal Patrick has been kind enough to film some VEDA recaps for us on the weekly, so if you’re like me and have been working your butt off and seriously asking yourself why you make certain career decisions busy lately, these are really a boon to keeping a finger on the pulse of the community!

Patrick, I owe you a beer.

#VEDA Buttons, Get Your #VEDA Buttons Here!
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I know you’re asking, “do we really need buttons to advertise VEDA? We already have over 100 participants.” Short answer, Yes! Although some of us may have found WBWV through a Google search (guilty), I’m sure the rest found WBWV either through word of mouth or from someone’s blog. By joining #VEDA, you have also joined a family, but while watching the vlogs, it’s natural to start to lean towards people you can relate to on many different levels. For that reason alone, I say we need to keep growing the group.

Below are six different buttons in two different sizes, all are GIF files. One is a pretty generic button with facts about #VEDA and the other two are different quotes you may hear every so often. Just simply copy the code* that you would like and paste it onto your blog (might need to go into the HTML editor to actually paste the code). Inside the code is a URL that will bring you to a tool** that has all 100+ vloggers listed. This tool will allow you watch all of the #VEDA vloggers on one page. Pretty easy, right?

If you have any ideas for another GIF (or still image), don’t hesitate to contact me and I will see what I can do in between watching 100+ vlogs.

See you on the Tube!

*Please do not change the code that has been given to you. The link will bring you to “Nico and Joey’s Amazing VEDA Tool (NAJAVEDATTM – pronounced /nah-HA-vee-daht/) where people can view all of the #VEDA participants on one page.

**Also, this tool might not be operational quite yet, but it will at least bring you to a page where you can see all the faces of VEDA. 

<a href="http://weblogwevlog.com/najavedat" target="_blank"><img src="http://weblogwevlog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/VEDA2012.gif" alt="Vlog Every Day in August " border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://weblogwevlog.com/najavedat" target="_blank"><img src="http://weblogwevlog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/VEDA2012-2.gif" alt="Vlog Every Day in August " border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://weblogwevlog.com/najavedat" target="_blank"><img src="http://weblogwevlog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/VEDA2012-3.gif" alt="Vlog Every Day in August " border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://weblogwevlog.com/najavedat" target="_blank"><img src="http://weblogwevlog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/VEDA2012x150.gif" alt="Vlog Every Day in August " border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://weblogwevlog.com/najavedat" target="_blank"><img src="http://weblogwevlog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/VEDA2012x150-2.gif" alt="Vlog Every Day in August " border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://weblogwevlog.com/najavedat" target="_blank"><img src="http://weblogwevlog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/VEDA2012x150-3.gif" alt="Vlog Every Day in August " border="0" /></a>

 

Some Vlogging Tips From A #VEDA Veteran
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It’s weird to think that almost a year ago I made this awkward video with no dialogue and entered the world of VEDA.  As I look forward to another month of vlogging I wanted to share some knowledge and wisdom I’ve learned from VEDA and my other life as a video producer.

In addition to the information in the vlog, here are some other helpful tidbits:

Doing VEDA doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy a fancy camera. If you don’t already have a webcam, camera, or smartphone you can pick up an entry-level Logitech webcam for about $30. I personally own a Logitech HD Pro C910 for my webcam videos but it is a bit pricier.

Backlighting is a common mistake I see with a lot of first-time videomakers and I give a more detailed explanation of it in this VEDA vlog from last year.

Vertical videos: just say no. Watch this PSA to learn more about this problem affecting millions of YouTubers.

I talk about editing videos and shooting videos for editing but you don’t have to edit you vlogs. You’ll see a lot of vloggers out there bang their vlogs out in a single take. That’s perfectly fine and I would actually suggest beginners to do that so you can spend more time making videos and getting comfortable being in front of the camera.

If you are interested in video editing here are some programs and apps I mentioned (and not mentioned) in the vlog:

A few tips on uploading your video:

  • Use a descriptive title that effective tells the viewer what to expect. Ok title: “VEDA Day 13: My Favorite Book” Better title: “VEDA Day 13: Why ‘50 Shades of Grey’ is my new favorite book.”
  • You can enter as much information as you’d like in the description but remember the first couple of lines are the ones that will be visible before the “show more” line. It’s a great place to include links to your profiles/blog, or other imported related information.
  • Don’t forget to double-check your thumbnail and make choose the most-engaging/interesting image among your choices.
  • Create and organize your vlogs in a playlist so users can find all of your VEDA stuff in one handy place.

Got any other VEDA tips or questions? Feel free to send them my way or leave them in the comment below!

Patrick Pho is a millennial, social media flack, blogger, stage manager, videophile, and Quarter Life Crisis enthusiast. You can find him on Twitter (@dmbosstone) or on his YouTube channel.

#VEDA Tips
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1. Keep your videos short. 2-3 minutes is ideal.
2. Watch and comment as much as you can.  This is the best way to build relationships with your fellow #VEDAers.
3. Do your best and don’t stress.  Try to vlog every day in August, but if you miss a day, then keep going.  Try to watch as many videos as you can, but don’t worry if you can’t watch them all.  Even as Captain, I can’t watch every video. I do my best and have as much fun as possible.
4. The topics are just suggestions.  If a topic makes you uncomfortable or you don’t have anything to say about it, pick another one. Make the topics your own.
5. You will get as much out of #VEDA as you put into it.

#VEDA 2012: What To Do Before August
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Hello #VEDA participants.  It’s almost time.  Here’s what you should do in preparation for August:

1. Sign up for #VEDA if you haven’t yet.
2. Add your suggestions to the Topics Google Doc (you will get an invite if you leave your gmail address in the Google Doc).
3. Visit the participants page and subscribe to everyone’s YouTube Channels.
4. While we’re all getting to know each other, you might want to subscribe to the blogs of other participants and follow them on twitter. You can find that information on the participants page or you can visit the Twitter list here.
5. Practice vlogging! Let me know if you have any questions or direct general questions to other participants on twitter.
6. The calendar will be finalized before August. You can find it here.

Important Links
Sign Up
Participants List
Twitter List
Topics Calendar

#VEDA 2012 Sign Up
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#VEDA stands for Vlog Every Day in August, but I’m guessing you know that already.   This will be our third year doing #VEDA as a group, and it is just the absolute most fun.  But, more than that, it will fill you with the warm and fuzzies.  And it won’t be the same without you.  If you’re scared of cameras or you’ve never vlogged or you’re kind of shy, we can put you in touch with someone just like you who did #VEDA and did not regret it for a second.  So sign up already!

If you need more information, here is the full #VEDA run down.  And for those of you we don’t have to convince, jump down to the sign up already and tell your friends to do the same.

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 have a google doc brainstorming session soon.
4. Watch We Blog, We Vlog and Ashley’s tweets for news.
5. Ask Ashley if you have any questions. Or, try Nico if you have technical questions.

Sign Up For #VEDA Here!