With the increasing popularity of YouTube and portable-video players (iPods, Zunes, and just about every other portable media device on the market now), Vodcasts and Vlogs are only getting more popular. Being able to watch your favorite show on your portable media device on your daily commute to and from work on the bus/subway/train has been a godsend for hundreds of thousands of people.
To make your own Vlog or Vodcast, there are a few things you will need:
- Computer….duh
- Webcam or a Digital Recording Camera (An analog camera will work, but you will need a RCA to PC converter).
- Video Editing Software (Camtasia, Adobe Premiere, Final Cut… or even Windows Movie Maker)
The first step is definitely to record your footage. Record QUALITY footage! If it is a Vlog, and you are just ranting, make sure your rants are QUALITY rants! Rant about something entertaining, make sure your viewers will be interested. The bottom line is to make sure that your stuff is entertaining.
As for the actual compression quality, you need to keep in mind that you should optimize it to the point where it is still clear, but easy to load. A good way to make sure of this, is to record between 300×240 to 800×600 in full color. If you are uploading to youtube, your video will automatically compress. Windows Movie Maker has an automatic compression tool for web, just select the web settings when you export your video.
You then need to tag your file. To do this, upload your video into iTunes and click the info tab. Then enter the information! An alternative
Once these steps are done, you officially have a vodcast video. For more information on vodcasting, visit http://www.macworld.com/article/46066/2005/07/howtovodcast.html.
