Would You Pay for Youtube?

When I first heard about Youtube introducing paid subscriptions for certain channels, I was initially surprised and confused about how Youtube can charge people to watch content on their site. After thinking about it, I had to consider that Youtube (ultimately Google) is a business and their main goal is to make money, so testing out a subscription based model for channels on their site isn't a bad idea for them. A lot of people, however, don't feel the same.

Youtube has always been a platform for people to watch and share videos for free, so many people don't like the idea for paying for free stuff, respectfully. For me, I had to really think about would I really pay for Youtube. From the amazing things I have seen from some creators on Youtube, I feel guilty that I'm not paying for some of the content. According to the article, certain channels are going to be a part of this paid subscription program, charging $1-$5 per month for a subscription to the channel. For me, as "economically aware" that I am, I wouldn't mind paying for a Youtube channel, but it really depends on what content the channel is offering.

For example, if a Youtube channel was going to show old television shows that can't be found online (such as Netflix, Hulu Plus) or high quality content from independent creators (I honestly feel YOMYOMF is worth a paid subscription based), I wouldn't mind paying a small low-end fee a month. This system is going to be implemented this Spring 2013, so we'll have to see what channels have the paid-sub model and who will be willing to subscribe and pay. In the end, I will be upset if certain channels receive this model that I feel don't deserve it, but then again, I don't have to sub to pay; the magic of Youtube. At least we still have the power of choice.

What do you think? Would you pay for Youtube?

-Video Vix[o]n

FullScreen: The bigger picture

Being a part of a Youtube network hasn't changed anything for me so far (except having a banner on my YT page and a few more opportunities), but it's the small things about being in this new community that count; such as having the opportunity to meet up with new people. Luckily for me, after a few messages and emails later, I had the chance to meet with two cool Youtubers that lived in the NYC area, Janice (left) and Samore Love (right).



After hanging out with them for the afternoon, I realized that, even though our content is different, we share similar feelings about Youtube and how we interact with our audiences. The best part about Youtube is being able to meet people outside of the screen and knowing them for who they are. We talked about who we are, to what videos we like to make, some of our Youtube experiences, and what videos we can possibly collab on. For me, that was the major reason for wanting to meet up with new Tubers, to work together and help  promote each other to keep growing. Of course, we all have our strengths and weaknesses, but as long as we keep consistent, everything will work out great.

As we continue to have meetups in the future, we hope that we can reach out to new people and make the network in NYC become more active. Nothing great is built overnight, so it may take some time for this movement to pick up steam. But, as long as I'm able to work with others for the sake of creation, my job will never be done.

-Video Vix[o]n

Frame x Frame: Freelensing My Shots

I've noticed lately that I am getting more and more into photography (which I make sure to claim to people that I am not a photographer because of my camera), so while I was looking at my Youtube subscriptions, I came across a video from DigitalRevTV explaining a different photography technique, which I felt inclined to try. The technique is called "Freelensing" and it involves taking pictures with the lens not attached to the camera.

I didn't know that my camera was capable of functioning without the lens attached, so I was curious to try this technique out, and I was impressed with the results. To explain the effect, when the lens is detached, the field of focus can be manipulated, so certain parts of the image are out of focus, while others are. It can even work with video, which I'll be excited to use for an upcoming project.



Learning new things to apply to my work is exciting and can lead to improving the production quality of my videos. As a creator, I need to constantly improve my craft and using new techniques can help make my work stand out. I will make an effort to seek out new skills and show it off to you all when I get the chance. Improvement never sleeps.

-Video Vix[o]n

Rewinding Back 2012, Going Forward 2013

It's been a while, but another year is done and new opportunities await us.

As I look at this video rewind I created, I feel a sense of pride for all the things I accomplished, especially with all of the trials and tribulations I had to go through recently. A year of content creation is never easy, especially when you're constantly trying to climb the Youtube totem pole. But, I did become a Youtube partner (which was the main goal for me starting back on Youtube in the first place) and successfully created four films for my short film series #VideoDictionary. All in all, I would say it was a good Youtube year for me and 2013 shouldn't be any different.

Last year made me realize that as much as I love making videos, there are still a lot of things I would like to learn in order to be the best videographer/filmmaker that I can be. So far, I am on the path to taking some production courses to get certified in editing and television studio work so I can beef up my resume. Also, I am aiming to finally become a part of this production assistant training program, where I can gain experience being a P.A. and eventually work my way to being placed in an actual production project. Of course, these are all of my plans for the future and there's no guarantee that things will go as planned (especially if I get a job), but it's a start to realizing what I really want to do.

It would be easy for me to say that this new year is going to produce a new me, which I am hopeful for, but I don't want this new year to shadow the progress that I've made in 2012. Most people think that a new year must be the reason to change themselves, but a change in the calender shouldn't mean a change in self. Change can never be set on a calender, so why should we wait to change ourselves? This year looks promising, but I am staying realistic and keeping in mind that anything can happen.

P.S.: I've been treating this blog like an abandoned step-child. I need to do better, new year or not. Here's to more blog posts in the future.

-Video Vix[o]n