Studio Blog
… until one day when I was 18. I was a freshman in college and enrolled in, what appeared to me as, a fluke of a writing class. I hated the professor; she seemed incompetent, and let’s just face it, she was mean. I loathed her assignments but usually excelled in them. Everything was fine, until one fateful spring afternoon. It was a Friday, and I was eager to find out what I scored on an assigned article. It wasn’t a topic I particularly liked but one in which I thought I did well. So, you can imagine that I, the student always did well and prided herself in writing, was shocked when I discovered I got a 67 and a note that read “Are you sure you want to be a journalist?” I couldn’t believe it. I walked the half a mile from her classroom to my dorm room, fists clenched, face red, body tense. As soon as I got back to my dorm room, I examined the article. There it was, this brilliant piece of word art (or so I thought), saturated with her violent red pen marks: misuse of a comma here, wrong descriptive phrase there, unnecessary paragraph over there, extraneous verbiage over here—the list went on and on. I must admit I felt like Ralphie on “The Christmas Story.” He was so eager to turn in that paper, proud of what he had written and so disappointed when he got it back. I started crying, cussing, yelling and even stomping. Yes, I stomped. My behavior immediately reverted to that of a 4 year old, and I had a pretty self-indulgent temper tantrum. And after I calmed down, I did what any logical, passionate, aspiring journalist would do: I called my professor and asked her to sit down with me and explain my errors. Don’t get me wrong: Her condescending remarks were a big slap in the face, but I was determined to find out where I went wrong.
When I met with her a few days later, she stuck to her guns in shredding my article apart. It was a tough pill to swallow, to say the least, but in hindsight, I really appreciate that day. It was the first time I was surged into the real world of writers. I experienced what every writer experiences: those horrific moments of rejection, or worse, failure. Writers can be prideful, yes, but there will always be an editor that is going to rip your words apart. And there will always be that one you never forget, that one editor that really gets under your skin until the epic “aha” moment when you realize that she was actually right. You see, this is how mediocre writers become great writers. It usually takes someone to point out your flaws before you can fix them. Sometimes, it’s from a respected editor and you professionally say “thank you” and comply. And then sometimes it’s from a callous professor, and you shamefully channel the outbursts of a toddler. Eventually though, you learn to take these moments of rejection with a grain of salt and move on. As a writer, we have no choice but to build some pretty thick skin.
I’ve worked for various publications since then, and every time I edit someone’s feature story—or better yet, have someone edit mine—I’m always grateful for that horrible, albeit beneficial, day.
How long have you been a DS filmmaker? I have been shooting videos for DS since November 2007.What is your favorite part of the production process, and why? My answer to that completely varies on different days. There are days when I love the shoot the most, when I'm working with an expert who doesn't need as much basic coaching for on-camera presence, and is instead a true collaborator, making the video come to life. I once worked with a local TV weatherman who had extreme confidence on camera, and opened the topic up to camera moves, walk-and-talks, and other techniques that aren't usually available in my expert's toolbox.
On the other hand, there are some evenings when I come home and I have an enormous amount of footage, and I lose myself in a sort of puzzle, which is finding the narrative within tons of sometimes very disconnected footage. When I manage to produce a unified, consistent video, that can be the single most satisfying moment of this work.
What challenges did you face shooting at an indoor pool and how did you work around them? The biggest consideration when shooting in an indoor pool is the ridiculous amount of noise echoing around the structure. We considered using my Sennheiser boom mics so we would have flexibility, but they simply picked up too much ambient noise for clear audio. Using my highly directional Sennheiser lav mics mitigated that issue for the most part.
Another issue was determining what we could demonstrate in the water. Showing moves out of the water lacked authenticity; but it would be hard to show clear demonstrations when the expert was submerged. I decided to shoot both ways, so I could have above-water demonstrations showing specific detail as needed, then shot b-roll so viewers could see what those exercises looked like in the pool.
A final issue was the matter of light. I always have at least a Lowel Rifa-Lite handy for indoor lighting situations, and also a Tota-Omni kit for more complex setups. The indoor pool, however, had several big negatives. It was an area with large dark areas that needed some decent fill lighting to be usable; however, the pool area was soaked enough - and conducive to splashes - that I worried about introducing electricity to the situation. The approach I took was to use the best-lit part of the area, which had decent overhead lighting, and then used my standard LitePanels Mini LED light mounted on-camera, just to provide some low-level fill of my expert's face.
What methods did you use to secure this expert? This was as basic as it gets. I had originally needed a triathlon expert on another set of videos, and I had no contacts in this subject. I googled for triathlon and fitness experts in the city, and my expert's name came up near the top of the list. I sent him an e-mail through his website, and he responded almost immediately. (This is a good example of trying to find an expert who is good at more than one thing. By finding a great triathlon expert, I also now had an expert for future running, biking, and swimming topics.)
What equipment did you use for this shoot? I used my trusty Canon XL-H1 camera, Sennheiser G2 series wireless lav system, Libec LS-55 tripod, and a LitePanels Mini LED light, mounted in Canon's hot shoe.
What attracts you to filmmaking? I love storytelling. Whether it's writing screenplays or capturing someone's expertise on video, I love communicating a central idea and developing the narrative spine of a fictional or non-fictional project.
Dimiti LaBarge is a Nashville, TN based filmmaker who specializes in instructional, wedding and commercial work. In addition to being a full-time filmmaker, he also moonlights as a freelance film poster designer.
What challeng
With the rapid growth of new technologies and social media today, it can be difficult to keep up with the facts. How fast are we actually moving? Where are we now compared to where we were yesterday? Where are we going?
One of the most valuable things you can do for yourself as a citizen of the internet is to stay educated.
I recently attended a community meeting for my local public library, and the head librarian closed with this video. It is about five minutes long and shows how fast and in what quantities media is growing and changing online.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8
Content by XPLANE, The Economist, Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod and Laura Bestler. Design and development by XPLANE, http://www.xplane.com.
Great Essay About Why the Internet is Awesome. Literally.
Posted by Anna R | October 24, 2009 | Comments (2)
"If you use Google to look something up in 10 seconds rather than spend five minutes searching through an encyclopedia, that doesn’t mean you are less patient. It means you are creating more time to focus on other matters. In fact, we’re devoting more effort than ever before to big-picture questions, from the nature of God to the best age for marrying and the future of the U.S. economy..."
The entire essay is interesting, thoughtful, encouraging, and definitely worth a read. Tell me your thoughts, and keep fighting the good fight. Just, you know, make it snappy.
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Image courtesy of xamad
I'm an Internet junkie. I shop online. I write online. I make doctor's appointments, buy movie tickets and connect with friends all online. I read my news online, and I generally won't go to a restaurant if they don't have a web page. I even met my husband online. More than anything though, I use the Internet for information. If I have a question, I'm on the Internet within seconds looking up the answer. As a quick sample (and an intimate view into my life,) in the past week I've typed the following things into a search engine: can dogs eat sunflower seeds, what shrubs survive through winter in Texas, how much to feed a fat cat, do you need a rabies shot if you get scratched by a wild squirrel, baked sweet potato fries recipe and how to prevent hairballs in dogs. I have a hunch that I may be independently fueling large portions of Demand's titling algorithm.
In my constant quest for random tidbits of knowledge, I've come across a lot of information. Some of it is good, but much of it is bad. I may love the Internet, but I hate text speak and the incoherent rambling found on message boards and poorly sourced answer sites. I'm a writer, so I want my information professionally written. I want it to be factual and authoritative. I want reputable sources and reputable authors, and I don't want to go to traditional print media to find them.
Maybe it's this extreme reliance on the Internet for quality information, or maybe it's just my writing background, but I revel in coming across an article from a Demand Studios writer. I love it because I know that what the Studio is doing is integrating all the wonderful qualities of traditional media with the convenience of web content. Articles are written by professionals, facts are cited and checked, and I won't have to wade through horrendous grammar to get the information I need. Moreover, I know the article I'm looking at will be about the title I clicked. I know the information will be concise and well-organized, and I know that the author of the article worked hard to research and create just what I was looking for.
So, while I respect those people in traditional media who are mourning the ailing print industry, I'm celebrating the fact that all that knowledge and skill is on its way over to the online world. Are things perfect just yet? Of course not, but as more and more professionally trained journalists and young graduates make their way over to web content, whether willingly or begrudgingly, the quality of information on the web will improve. Not only will that quality improve, but the quantity of quality articles will increase. While we work on this transition, this melding of the old and the new, I think it's important to remember that despite the kinks and frustrations that need to be worked out, we're all on the cutting edge of something that's going to be really good for both writers and readers around the world, and there’s really something to be proud of there.
"In the South, perhaps more than any other region, we go back to our home in dreams and memories, hoping it remains what it was on a lazy, still summer's day." --Willie Morris
They say every journey begins with a single step. For me, it began with an 1,800-mile drive to a bustling city where turn signals are a sign of weakness and a friendly “hello” to strangers gets you funny looks.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m no country bumpkin, but I certainly wouldn’t call myself a “city girl.”
I grew up in Baton Rouge, La., a town that revolves around work on Monday, church on Sunday and (most importantly) LSU football on Saturday.
I’ve always loved my hometown, with its ancient, hanging oak trees and fragrant, delicate magnolias. I love the people, who know that anyone deserves a smile and even a random grocery store cashier can become your temporary best friend.
But you see, I’ve always known I wouldn’t spend my life there, especially when I decided upon journalism as my career. The main news arteries in my town remain a game of “who knows who,” a remnant of old Southern aristocracy.
All the while, each of my professors continued to speak about “The Death of Journalism” in dark and hushed voices. All anyone seemed to know was that media is rapidly changing, and online is the inevitable and unfortunate absolute.
“Good luck,” they’d lament. “Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”
But I didn’t want to be the new starving artist. I wanted to jump onboard the journalism train, hold on tight and ride out its aimless, racing journey to wherever it will end.
I decided that by the end of my college career, I would get a taste of each form of media. If I could jump into each arena and survey the playing field, maybe I would know which team would be my best bet. I interned at two online media companies (one of which was LIVESTRONG, the opening to my eventual position on the DS team), a national broadcast news network and completed two years as a managing editor at a local magazine in Baton Rouge.
Now, as I become part of the community here at Demand Studios, I feel as if I’m actually ahead of the drifting, stumbling train.
I still miss my old life every day. I miss the wider streets, the sense of belonging and the food... Oh, the food. All my fellow Southerners out there don’t need to question why I brought two bottles of cayenne pepper in my spice rack arsenal.
But in addition to learning how it feels to be just one in a crowd of thousands, I’m learning how it feels to be a part of something unique and exciting. We’re standing for something completely new. For the first time, readers decide what journalists write. It seems so simple when you put it that way, doesn’t it?
So, rather than focus on my longing to be back home with family, friends and a little Cajun gumbo, I’m hanging on tight to this exciting new form of media.
As we say in Louisiana, laissez les bons temps rouler!
We're pleased and excited to announce that Demand Studios will be offering access to health care to our creators. As you know, many of us on the staff have been freelancers and we realize how challenging it can be to get access to affordable health care.
This program starts on November 1st. We will email full details and enrollment forms on Thursday, October 29.
Demand Studios has negotiated 3 different plans that should be about 2 to 3 times less than what you can get as an individual (for similar coverage).
We are offering access to health care coverage at a discount based on the power of our freelancing network. This is only for Writers, Copyeditors, and Filmmakers to start. You must meet DS eligibility requirements to access these plans.
Eligibility is as follows:
o Writers – must have written for the past 3 months at 30 articles a month
o Copyeditors – must have reviewed for the past 3 months at 200 articles a month
o Filmmakers – must have produced for the past 3 months at 30 videos a month
For the November 1st kickoff we will go back 3 months from October 31st to determine initial eligibility.
Those who are already at these levels on November 1st will get emailed enrollment forms and are available to immediately enroll.
Ongoing, at the end of every month we will invite the new set of writers/CE/filmmakers that have qualified for these benefits.
Again - more info next week! Be sure to join the conversation in our Forum Thread or on our Facebook Page.
When I was writing for my college newspaper I sometimes felt like I was sent on some wild goose chases with the story ideas from my editors. Because my ambitions to become a great writer wouldn’t allow me to avoid these challenging assignments, I usually wandered out on campus without a clue about how to approach the subject. Would my story turn out to be chicken turd or chicken salad?
This is a problem all writers probably face at some point in their career, and they’re lucky if it only happens once.
The way I solved this recurring problem was to build a network of sources I could use more than once. My intent was not to interview the same sources for every story, but to utilize their social networks to find new people who would make great interview subjects. Without great sources it’s practically impossible to write a good article.
This is something that you can apply to your writing in the Studio as well. Instead of searching blindly on the Internet, build your own research library of trusted sites one source at a time. Eventually you will know exactly where to go for credible information on gardening, health, legal or any other categories you regularly cover. This will save you research time and help you avoid rewrite requests based on untrustworthy sources.
I also encourage you to take one article a month and give it a little extra attention by finding a person to interview. Just to be clear, I’m not speaking about a new editorial policy. I’m just encouraging you to, every once in a while, spend a little extra time on an article when you find a title that really speaks to you. Or better yet, try it out on a title that makes you scratch you head and question the sanity of Demand’s title algorithm. Sometimes those titles turn into something really interesting when executed properly.
Here are two examples of titles most people would not even think twice about claiming, but they turned out to be really good articles.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5391278_build-turtle-robot.html
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5256421_reasons-against-back-window-car.html
One of my most memorable oh-my-lord-how-am-I-going-to-handle-this-one moments was when I was asked to write an article during Black History Month about black students at our school who defy stereotypes. I had three days to find people to interview and come up with an interesting angle. This was the end result:
http://sundial.csun.edu/2006/02/studentshelpdefystereotypesofyoungafricanamericans/
Chicken turd or chicken salad? You be the judge.
The Importance of Correctly Categorizing Your Articles
Posted by Jennifer M | October 20, 2009 | Comments (1)
One of the topics we consistently receive questions on is title categorization—both when searching for available titles and once an article has been claimed. We thought we’d take a minute to address both.
As you know, when you write an article, you have to categorize it with the appropriate categories. What many of you probably don’t know is that each time you categorize a claimed title, you are categorizing it within the destination site’s taxonomy. What is a taxonomy you ask? Essentially, taxonomy is a fancy word for “categories.” It’s not too important for you to know the specifics of it, but, in short, a taxonomy is a classification system, and each of our sites have a different taxonomy—or category system. The taxonomy guides how articles are organized on the destination site.
We have noticed that many articles are incorrectly categorized. Though it may seem like a minute task when completing an article, it’s very important to categorize your articles correctly. As mentioned above, the categories you choose are the exact categories in which your article will appear on the site, so it’s essential to categorize them correctly. When a reader is browsing topics, you want your article to appear. However, if it’s miscategorized, chances are the reader won’t find your article. For example, if a reader is researching the job responsibilities of a nurse on eHow, she would click the Careers & Work category—not Health. If your article was categorized under Health, she wouldn’t find the quality article you have spent time writing and researching.
Many of the errors we noticed could be solved simply by paying closer attention and practicing diligence when categorizing your article. For example, we saw the Answerbag title "Who invented the prom?" in Home & Garden, rather than Life & Society/ Parties & Entertaining/Prom. Likewise, "How many 1979 Chevrolet C10 Pace trucks were made?" was in Hobbies/Collecting/Sports Cards, not Transportation/Autos/Antique & Classic Cars.
Additionally, as you're categorizing your article, think about the intent the title implies. For example, "How many years does it take to be a medical technician?" should be in Business/Professions & Industries/Health Care Professions, since the intent is to find out more about the profession, rather than somewhere in Health & Fitness.
On a similar note, many of you have noted that some of the titles in the Find Assignments queue are miscategorized. Rest assured, we are working on this, but we wanted to remind you to write your articles according to the title, not the category in which you’ve found the title. Titles are assigned a category to help writers easily search for titles. Every so often, an incorrect or ill-defined category may appear with a title. Do not base the meaning of a title or the way you categorize it solely on the category you found in the available titles queue. The category is to help you search for the article, not to specify the details of what the article should contain. Always write and categorize the article to fulfill the goal outlined in the title. For example, if the title “About Blood Glucose” is assigned a category of diabetes in the Find Assignments queue, do not write the article addressing blood glucose for diabetics. The title does not specify diabetics, so the article and categories shouldn’t either.
Happy categorizing!
With a coffee cup in one hand and a laptop in the other, I could hear the bloggers. They were close, but the Las Vegas Convention Center is giant and I was lost. This was not the first escalator I went up thinking I knew where I was going.
Bloggers! I guess this shouldn't have been as surprising as it was, but it was just really funny and a little unnerving to see so many, so close and so quiet. I was really happy to finally see them though, and could not wait to make it to our Demand Studios booth.
Let the games begin!
The main room was much louder than the blogger hallway.
Yury who is our Marketing Acquisitions Manager, started setting up our booth and was ready to hand out some swag.
Our Demand Studios booth at Blog World 2009!
Anna Roth, editor of Travels.com and me holding down the fort. We had a chance to talk with so many interesting people that shared their stories and interest in Demand Studios.
Studio editors helped out by explaining what Demand Studio is from an editorial perspective.
Lights, camera, action! Yury works to explain what Demand Studios is to people that are unfamiliar with the site. There were a lot of questions, but the positive response from almost everyone we spoke with made the day that much more exciting.
5:30pm marked the end of Blog World 2009 and my bones were ready for a break. We received a lot of good feedback and great ideas from an diverse group of bloggers. It was great to have the opportunity to talk with writers face-to-face and share what we do.
After spending the day here, I feel so confident in what were are doing. I know everyone that is a part of the Studio is focused on quality, but it was really encouraging to see that the individuals in attendance of this convention were too. It was also a great reminder that new media is a world unknown to most of us. Everything we do and every step we take is the first of its kind and everyone right now is in the process of trying to figure it out. This conference really got me excited about what is to come. Did you know that they have these little devices now that all you have to do is touch yours with someone else's electronic device and all of your social media information is swapped? I am kicking myself right now for forgetting the name (I will get that for all of you ASAP), but check it out. If anyone knows what these things are called, please let me know. See image below.
Until next time... happy writing.
