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

Sandy Blows Away The East Coast: Aftermath

Some have called it the "Perfect Storm," but the damage resulting from this storm has been anything from perfect.

Last week Monday, a Hurricane named Sandy hit the Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and left a path of destruction and loss. Last year, a similar storm, Irene, visited the East coast and did some damage, but some people felt that Sandy wasn't going to be a "serious" as Irene was; but some people would end up being sadly mistaken. Strong winds, massive flooding, property damage and burned homes are a few of the travesties Sandy left in its path. Even when officials called a mandatory evacuation of specific coastline areas, homeowners refused to leave and decided to "wait it out." A majority of these people now have nothing left.

Right now, as I write this post, there are neighborhoods in New Jersey who have had no power since last Monday (10/29/12). My girlfriend was in one of those areas and her brother and I had to drive to New Jersey to get her and bring her back to New York so she can be safe. Driving in New Jersey was like entering a ghost town; whole neighborhoods and streets in complete darkness and people congregating at the local diner, charging their phones just to communicate with others about their status. For me, in Brooklyn, the most damage I've seen were fallen trees and a few places without power. Here is a small vlog I did when I first stepped out my house after the storm:



Another effect of the storm was a shortage of gas at stations for vehicles, which resulted in long lines at gas stations, where some people waited for hours just to get some gallons in their cars. Looking around me and seeing the damage of the storms on news reports, this storm created the perfect ingredients for a modern day apocalypse; people shooting and threatening each other for gas, now a precious commodity, power outages leading residents to scavenge for resources for their families, transportation halted due to flood water and police enforcement increased for potential looters in certain affected areas. It reminded me of the atmosphere on the show "Revolution" (NBC).

For those still affected by the storm, it is important to remember that we'll all have to be patient. The damage made by the storm has be immense and it will take time for authorities to access and fix all of the problems people are going through. I hope and pray that NY and NJ gets back on their feet soon, especially for those who lost more than others, and show Sandy and the rest of Mother Nature that we are stronger than this.

-Video Vix[o]n

Frame x Frame: Barclays in Brooklyn

The opening of the Barclays Center has dawned upon Brooklyn for about 2 years now. Finally, it is done and standing in all its glory. All of Brooklyn has been anticipating the stadium, and I must say, it's a beautiful structure indeed and the feedback from most of the public has been positive. While shooting my latest Internet show in front of the center, I got into a conversation with some local Brooklynites (all more experienced than me) about the changes in Brooklyn, from the past to the present. It was nice hearing their stories and relating to these people about the borough, and ultimately, the city we love. However, this new stadium has brought together people in more ways than one.

I knew about the stadium's arrival back in 2008 when I had to write a journalism report about the upcoming changes in the Downtown Brooklyn community. When I first heard of the stadium, I didn't know how to feel about it. I knew it was a big project and a lot of the community members weren't alright with the project going underway and changing the community for the worst. Concerns were higher property values and lack of affordable housing, not to mention that the stadium was the catalyst for other smaller businesses around the area closing down and being replaced by more "mainstream" establishments. The time I spent around the Downtown area, collecting the story of people and places in the area made me appreciate Brooklyn more. There's a spirit to the place that doesn't like to be altered, and all of the changes happening down there is turning that part of Brooklyn into "Little Manhattan," with the stadium being the final nail in the developmental coffin.

There are some people who are still protesting the failures of the development company in charge of the Barclays Center (Forest City Developers) by not fulfilling their promises of affordable housing, jobs or paying workers their compensation when it comes to the project. Nevertheless, the stadium is here to stay and it has become the beacon for what I like to call the New Brooklyn. Will I ever get a chance to go inside and have an experience there? Who knows, but for those who will be going to see Jay-Z perform there soon, the stadium does have the capacity to hold many memories of Brooklyn to come.

-Video Vix[o]n