Several people are reporting about the new Flickr video, but no one has quite articulated how to use it yet.
Covering certain events in video form for the net can be very challenging, especially when the idea is to boil it down to just a few minutes, and of course when conceptually, the work must be linear (think boring dry interviews and conferences).
This is a challenge I’ve always faced. How can you get the info across in the most effective and precise way, without wasting the time of a jaded, snarky and very click-away-busy-like audience?
Even when the sights and sounds are as compelling as a Maker Fair, for example, its still a bit overwhelming to try and convey all the goodness in just a few minutes.
Last year, I consequently came up with a method for covering events I called the Flickr Video Pool. Instead of a liner presentation, I tool a bunch of tiny clips – just enough in each case to get the point across – and put them up in the form of a Flickr pool set, as seen here:
It was effective, I think, because you could get a quick view of the still images and then decide which was worth drilling deeper. Each time you click on an image, a short clip pops up, usually raw and unedited. There is no complaining about production, or the 3 minuets of your life that you will never get back. Just keep on clicking.
I posted about the method to the Yahoo videoblogging group last year: “Much like a photo set, we set out to capture tiny little clips that, all together, stand as a fun little, self-paced video ride through the fair. I see it as somewhat of an evolution on the Flickr Set experience, in one baby step.”
So next time you find yourself at an event or a party, dont be afraid to capture 10 or 15 small little clips, anywhere from a few seocnds to a couple of minutes if its worth it. Put ‘em all up together in a flickr video pool, and there ya go, a new dimension will be added to your flickr pool experience, as seen here:
