Are You Sure You Want to be an Online Video Star?

Posted on February 10, 2006

An AP article talks about vlogging to become a star online. Amanda Congdon at Rocketboom is probably the most popular vlogger to date. The article mentions two software packages: Vlog It for PCs and Videocue for Macs.

Then try vlogging, doing video versions of the podcast. If you have a PC, download a program called Vlog It! (www.seriousmagic.com). It costs $49.
For Macs, the best package I've seen is Videocue (www.varasoftware.com). It comes in two versions, a $40 basic package or a professional version for $90.
Both these programs let you drag and drop video and sound and graphics into a column on the right side of the screen. On the left, type in your script. Then plug in a Web cam, or even your home camcorder, and the text scrolls like a teleprompter.
Any Webcam will do, but Apple's iSight camera ($149) comes with a built-in microphone that does an excellent job. Add Griffin's SightLight lighting kit ($49) and you get great quality video of your on-camera anchoring.

Be sure the video is something you actually want the world to see before you upload it. Some people have been unhappy when their videos viraled out and were viewed by tons of people. A couple examples include Gary Brolsma's Numa Numa Dance video and Ghyslain Raza's Star Wars Kid video. In Raza's case he didn't actually upload the video -- his "friends" did. There will be more vlogger stars but there will also be more videos that are unintentionally funny as well.