Distribution
Video Blogging and Podcasting (page 2)

Even before Apple Computer blew the roof off podcasting by including it as a feature in its iTunes software, there were thousands of podcasts produced and published. Like broadcasting, podcasting allows the delivery of content to an audience.

A podcast, or vidcast, is audio or video that you can deliver or receive automatically via a special kind of web-code. The code is RSS 2.0 (Really Simple Syndication) that supports enclosures and can publish a work to multiple people all around the world. It's the same technology blogs use to inform readers that new content is available. This is great for forming a community of video-loving people who are interested in your videos! Creating a video podcast is a multi-step process. First, a video file must be uploaded to a web server. Then you can use a service such as FeedBurner to create your own RSS feed. Adding your feed to video podcast directories ensures that your video will be visible to as many potential viewers as possible. Viewers typically download these videos via their preferred RSS feed reader, rather than playing them immediately. This poses some problems for lengthier videos, mainly storage space the viewer needs. Downloading a handful of 200-megabyte videos each week could easily lead to a hard-drive that runneth over.

Along with iTunes, software such as Miro and Juice collect available podcasts into an internet TV environment. Viewers can subscribe to many video podcasts for viewing videos at will. Although many videos have compressed formats compatible with the iPod, there are currently no standards for resolution. Make it 320x240 or 1920x1080 - an RSS feed makes no distinction.

The content of vidcasts varies widely. Larger companies now routinely "repurpose" their existing TV shows as 'casts. This act turns their podcasting into a service that is very Tivo-like. Be forewarned: your nature vidcasts will sit in the same basket as National Geographic's. Independent producers are creating fresh, unique video content in the form of web serials and news programs, most of which are available on a weekly or daily basis. These work best because the producers tailor them for podcasting by minimizing length and set complexity. Some episodes run under ten minutes in length. Still, hour-long video podcasts exist. If you're thinking of creating a vidcast, consider creating it as a standalone product or as a teaser to a larger project you may be working on.

It's all up you, the video content producers, to keep energizing these new modes of communication and self-distribution. When you create your vidcast, consider subscribing to the offerings of others. When starting a video blog, it's handy to make comments and link to other blogs from your own. In time, these links create connections that lead more eyes back to your video. The demand for web video content is still high. With luck, our broadband internet providers together with our government will make sound decisions to ensure viewers have fair access to this great content. That way, the words blog and podcast may stick around for years to come.

Andrew Burke has worked in all areas of video production on three continents.

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