Video Blogging in Cambodia

This is a video of the camera kits.  I have spent almost all day today testing different ways to compress and host video posts that might work where the Internet access is slow or if you are video blogging from an Internet cafe and the computer does not have windows movie maker on it.  It took me a long time because I also made a series of screencasts using jing.   It was actually quite liberating not to be carefully scripted and staged.  I should do that more often. 

I always like to start with the why ... right now two reasons:

• Sometimes pictures and people's voices are a better way to tell a story than text alone
• You need to add Cambodia's voice to the global conversation happening on video blogs

Note the cameras are very inexpensive.  The compression is high.  So there are some trade offs to quality.  I've included some tips for getting good clips in small video files.    Am I missing anything?

I decided to show how to use moviemaker because I think it will be important to compress the files.   I set up a series of compression tests and plan to see if play at all while in Cambodia.  I will also go to an Internet cafe and attempt to upload these files and bring my stopwatch to see how long it takes.

I tested three video hosts - blip.tv (which doesn't have online editing yet), YouTube (And  YouTube Remix), and Jumpcut.

YouTube's Testube has a remix option that uses Adobe video editing.   It offers very simple features and the interface is well designed.  The only problem is that your remixed video takes forever to get posted on YouTube.   That's not gonna work.

However, if they can edit offline or if they take a good clip that can be uploaded right out of the camera without editing, posting on YouTube might be a good idea.   The reason.  There is an active Cambodian community/groups there.  Mostly these are Cambodian Amerricans or Cambodian Canadians.    I know this because my Cambodian videos on youtube have gotten 20,000 plus views compared to other videos which range between 100-1000 views.

I also tested Jumpcut.  The interface is confusing.  It took me many takes to get it right.  Also, it does weird things to the video and the auto posting to your blog does not work.

The curriculum is here:
http://cloggersummit.wikispaces.com/Video+Blogging

 

Is there anything else to think about in terms of video blogging from places in the world where the internet access is slow. very slow.