Check out the show release file here: ASNews.net Videocast #3

For show #3 we finally step it up a little bit with the production and format of the show. In this episode, our host Jason Slezak speaks to us about moving into the Silver Sands Resort, surfing the beach break there and then appears in a few different locations showing Barbados surf before interviewing and bringing in Professional Kiteboarders Andre Phillip and Sam Bell.

Here are some show notes:
Finally, out of the ghetto and into a nice place at the Silver Sands Resort. In this episode, Jason has now been introduced as the host and was able to work with me to put together a few ‘spots’ where he would introduce a section and then we would cut away to the action. Ironically, as it was pretty much he and I putting it together, he would cut away to himself at those other locations and lead into the section.

In watching this again just now, we did a pretty good job for the limited resources we had to work with. As I mentioned in the lower posts, the nice tripod was left at home, so all of this was shot guerilla style handheld and with ‘whatever tech’ which is, use whatever you can find, in the best way possible, to get the best shot possible in any given situation.

As with the 2nd show from Barbados, I was there to do photowork and Jason and the boys were there to kiteboard and do other things, which is what we spent most of the time doing. These podcast shows were done in between and in our free time, between other favorable sports conditions and responsibilities. I was lucky that the guys saw the vision enough with the technology and possibilities that they were willing to give some time and make it happen.

If I didn’t tell you this you’d probably not even notice, but all I brought with me was a Sennheizer G2 Evolution wireless lav system for audio. As it was I was constantly fighting to get decent sound. In order to have more of a hand mic and an omni that could pick up all 3 guys speaking, I had to get creative. I didn’t want Jason just holding a transmitter and wired lav, but I wanted to get the mic as close as possible. Don’t know how I came up with it, but ended up implanting the transmitter and mic into the hard, dry outer shell of a coconut. You will see, now that you know, that Jason is holding the coconut in most of his shots and that the coconut is in the middle of the table when they are all sitting around. It worked out much better than I would have thought.

The greatest thing this show does is show the potential for what can be done, in many ways, with creating video podcasts and what can be done with limited resources. This show was made with a crew of 1 and the help of a couple riders. 1 HDV Camera, wide angle lens, P.L. filter, handheld, no tripod, 1 Wireless Lav mic, couple of tapes. Edited on a borrowed laptop G4. $0 budget or support beyond our own pockets and time. Unfortunately, without any support or backing and with the Barbados trip finished, so were the travel style ASNews.net podcasts. I was back in the Gorge and didn’t have content to create for this show. ASNews has since put some video’s down the feed, but hasn’t since made a ‘show’ out of it. I put up the video camera for a bit and was working in my commercial and sports photography as tekkophoto.

For show #2 we once again partnered with the ASNewswire / ASNews.net action sports feed to deliver video podcast #2.

Click and Watch HERE to see the show.

Or Better Yet!! Subscribe to us in Itunes!! Here is your simple one-click link to subscribe to the GorgeMedia.com Video Podcasts.

If you didn’t get that the first time: CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR VIDEO FEED IN ITUNES Copy the feed link and past into your rss browser, feedreader or itunes podcast subcribe under the advanced menu. Having issues with the html for the direct link, but it’s coming.

Ok. Now that we’ve got that out of the way…
Let’s get to some show notes about this podcast.. and where it fits in to the history of Gorge Media video podcasting…

It was the first week of January 2006. We had just released our snowkiting netcast video and were excited about the possibilities. We knew we had to do another show and get on some sort of schedule if we were to get this going. I was on my way to Barbados for a kiteboarding photoshoot in a couple days and figured I could bring some minimal video equipment (I was already in overweight baggage status for the amount of photo gear I was carrying) and maybe convince the guys to help put together another show.

The crew consisted of professional kiteboarders Andre Phillip from Antigua, and Jason Slezak and Sam Bell from Cape Hatteras, NC. I had worked with all of these guys before and was ecxcited to be checking out a new island with them. They were all in a rest stage of their busy travel and event schedules and had put together this casual trip to Barbados to surf, kite, relax and recharge. I was there to photograph for the Kiteboarding publications and if I could, do some more video podcasting.

This show was more of a weekly update. We wanted to quickly put out another show so that anyone who actually subscribed to our video feed would be rewarded with some more content. I convinced the boys to play along and Jason sat down with me to do the intro and communication part of the show. The idea was to introduce Jason as the new host, so that for the other shows, I could actually get behind the camera and do some work to make a good product!

One thing I quickly realized in the first show and was taking steps to fix in this second show was that while delivery was now quick with this new technology, quality production is still quality production…. or lack there of! It is much easier for an audio podcaster to plug a mic into a recorder or laptop and start their prodcast rant and have it sound pro. Video on the other hand, even though displayed online at 320×240 for the net and ipods, still requires production knowledge and time to produce. Luckily I emerged into professional video production from years of run and gun whitewater rafting and kayaking production, shooting hi8 tapes and editing reel to reel 1/2 hour shows everyday and carried that into the digital guerilla video age. (Sick book back in the day… and still relevant!) But, I have also prided myself in working in all aspects of production and with talented other individuals in the DVD releases and TV work I have done in addition to all of the internet videos I have produced over the past few years. So here I was in Barbados, faced with the dilemma of minimal gear (HDV camera, 1 Wireless Lav mic) but a burning desire for a soundtech, lighting modifiers, multiple camera angles, mics etc, to be able to make it more pro.

Going Guerilla. So for this opening shot, here we are on the south east side of Barbados at Long Beach. Just and handful of days from when I sat with Alex Peterson at the Honey Spot in The Gorge. Same guerilla set up… Makeshift tripod, hidden Lav mic for audio, frame it with Jason in both seats, hit record and walk into the frame to do the show. The rest of the footage is from around the island of Barbados, driving the back way with Dre into Bathsheba and the Soup Bowls surf break. Worked into the video are some images and image sequences, including one from Irie Man- Brian Talma- The Action Man! On his windsurfing rig. I was indeed there to take pictures of kiteboarding… so most of the video footage is from odd, non kiteboarding events like surfing and driving around.

Edited on a laptop from our rental house and uploaded to the ASNewsWire from an internet cafe net connection in Christ Church. All of a sudden, this was the first trip I’d ever been on whether as a photographer or videographer, where all of the normal work and responsibilities were just kind of happening and the daily buzz and driving to town to get online were all about getting these video’s out. We didn’t even know what to call it… Podcasting, video-podcasting, video casting, net casting??? All we knew is that we had to get the show up within the week. To keep it rolling.

Well, as one who has been creating both video and still images my whole life, and after moving from tape to tape editing, to Avid stations, to the emerging DV/DVCAM/Mini DV formats to my first G4 and Final Cut Pro 1.0 and the first compressed QT video’s for the web and the evolution of producing for DVD rather than tape… This was the promised land! The future…

Now, if I was to understand it correctly, we can shoot and edit digital video and distribute it through the internet and itunes and all the people millions of people who were buying and receiving these units for Christmas would be flooding to the itunes store searching for any and all available and free video podcast content. I was so excited and yet had no real insights to the true potentials, just a flood of excitment surrounding what I knew was the beginning… of Something?!

So that was in November or Decemeber that I saw that. I knew that I had to get involved somehow and began thinking about what I would video podcast about. At the time, I was shooting photo’s for Kiteworld Magazine with US Snowkiter Alex Peterson. Alex and I talked about doing a show on snowkiting. Our friend and The Kiteboarder Magazine Editor, Ryan Riccitelli had been doing a kiteboarding talk radio show for his ASNews.net action sports network for a while and was establishing a listener base, interested in action sports podcasting. After communicating, Ryan and I agreed that we needed to use this Video Podcast technology and put kiteboarding into the mix.

Our 1st Ever podcast was put on the ASNews.net podcast Newswire and released in itunes on January 1, 2006. We were pioneers.. (in our own minds)

This show is available Here ASNews.Net Presents Video Cast #1

Show Notes
It wouldn’t be good to start off without doing it right, so here’s a quick show notes for this video podcast. Filmed, and produced by Gregg ‘Tekko’ Gnecco this show was the first action sports listing for video podcasts on itunes and was released on the ASNews.net newswire and podcast feed. For this show we had Snowkiter Alex Peterson talking about the sport of snowkiting, flying off of mountains with his skiis and kite and the evolution of the sport. The show was illustrated with wonderful footage provided by Dan Gavere and was produced at the GorgeMedia.com / TekkoPhoto studio in The Gorge.

For more info on snowkiting, as per this show, check into the following links:
www.ussnowkite.com, Dakine.com, Slingshot Kiteboarding, Kiteforum.com

Oh the humble beginnings…