I changed my mind on increasing the price for an Izzy Video Premium Subscription. Because of this decision, I spent the evening last night issuing partial refunds to everyone who had subscribed at the increased price. Thanks for the support everyone, and I hope to continue receiving the great feedback regarding the premium subscriptions.

Also, you’ll notice that I have installed a new commenting system which is powered by Disqus (pronounced ‘discuss’). What does it do? From their website:

Disqus makes your comments more interactive for readers and easier to manage for you — all while connecting your community with other blogs.

Personally, I like Disqus because it connects all your comments between all the different websites where you left them. It’s fun to discover new blogs by seeing where you left other comments. There are little arrows that allow you to vote comments up or down, and it creates threaded comments, almost like a forum, where you can comment on someone else’s comments.

Both of these items make Izzy Video a better resource for you. And that’s my goal! As always, I’m anxious to hear your feedback and suggestions.

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All past Izzy Video tutorials are located in the membership area.
You can also watch free samples here.

I’m going to do a free session called “Improve Your Online Video” on November 3rd at Podcamp AZ. The Podcamp is free. My session is free. You can follow this link to register. If you can make it to Phoenix on November 3rd, please join us. I’m hoping to see as many of you there as possible.

Following is the description for my session:

Aesthetically, most web video is pretty horrible. Because folks don’t know how easy it is to create good video, they make major blunders. They shoot up their own nostrils; they distort their faces with incorrect lens settings; they ignore audio quality. Avoid these pitfalls! Beginner or pro? Come join the discussion.

Oh, and by the way, I believe Podcamp AZ is going to be streamed live over the internet using Ustream.tv, so if you can’t make it to Phoenix on November 3rd, you can still enjoy much of the event.

Finally, my friend, Justine Ezarik (yes, the iPhone “Bill in a Box Video” Justine), is having a Photoshop contest to help promote Podcamp AZ. Maybe you’d like to participate?

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All past Izzy Video tutorials are located in the membership area.
You can also watch free samples here.

I doubt that Yahoo will be closing its podcasting website because podcasting is not “catching on.”

I think it’s because iTunes is the aggregator people use. I don’t know anyone who uses Yahoo for that.

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All past Izzy Video tutorials are located in the membership area.
You can also watch free samples here.

I just want to say ‘thank you’ to Philip Hodgetts and Michael Horton for having me on their show. It was a lot of fun!

I’m including a link to the show in the RSS feed, something I rarely do, but I think the Izzy Video audience would really enjoy “Digital Production Buzz.”

What a great show! Editing tips, interviews, and news. I’m certainly a subscriber!

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All past Izzy Video tutorials are located in the membership area.
You can also watch free samples here.

If you want to listen, they will be streaming the show live on their website.

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All past Izzy Video tutorials are located in the membership area.
You can also watch free samples here.

Today I finally got approved to host the Izzy Video Wiki on Wikia. I was thrilled when I found out, because it’s something I’ve been trying to accomplish for a while. The folks at Wikia are, justifiably careful about what wikis they allow poeple to create. I’m grateful that they accepted Izzy Video onto the site.

For those of you who may not be familiar with Wikia, I’ll give you a couple details about why I would want to use their service to host the Izzy Video Wiki.

1. Wikia provides wikis for free.
2. I was getting spammed frequently when I hosted my own wiki. It was a major nuisance having to roll back pages all the time. I’ve heard that Wikia has much better spam blockers, so that alone should be a real time-saver.
3. There’s a larger community on Wikia, so if you’re interested in wikis, there should be additional ones in the “neighborhood,” which you may want to explore.
4. A man I respect, Andrew Baron, hosts the wiki for Rocketboom at Wikia, and it has been very successful. It only makes sense that I should follow his example here.
5. Finally, the folks behind Wikia are also the creators of Wikipedia, a resource I use every day. Since Wikia is the “for profit” end of their business, I want to support their efforts. You’ll notice advertisements every once in a while. I’m absolutely fine with that. They need to make money for all the crazy amount of effort they have put in to Wikipedia, Wikia, and so on.

I Need Your Help! In Other Words, Editors Wanted!

A wiki can become an enormous resource (Wikipedia is the first place I check when researching new subjects), but the challenge is creating the content and keeping it up-to-date. I know there are thousands of videographers in my audience, who all have various levels of skill and knowledge. Please help me edit the wiki.

When I create the Izzy Video tutorials, I usually work within a five minute time frame. This limits the depth of exploration on any subject.

My vision for the wiki is that it should become the in-depth resource that covers every aspect of video, whether for new or seasoned shooters, hobbyists or professionals. This is something I couldn’t possibly do by myself. I don’t have the knowledge or the time. I need you! Please help me build the wiki!

Video, in my opinion, will play a large role on the internet in the future. Things are already headed that way. Let’s do what we can to help the current and future content-creators produce the best possible results.

Now that’s something I can get passionate about!

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All past Izzy Video tutorials are located in the membership area.
You can also watch free samples here.