video blogs

[BeaverDon]

So I'm a little frustrated and curious. I notice the number of views of the videos I've been making start out pretty good and then become less and less with each episode and near the last end up being about 1/3 the original numbers. So I wonder... are the videos boring, are there too many of them, is the subject matter not instructional enough or too repetitive? I want to contribute to the wealth of video coverage of carving as a topic and I want the ones I make to be as useful and watchable as possible. There are a lot of woodcarving videos that are poorly shot, poorly lit, drag on or are just badly produced and I want to not be one of those. Any thoughts as to what I should be doing different (meaning better)? I realize my skills as a carver are firmly in the intermediate range, so I wonder if I'm losing some viewers with skills greater than mine or do folks just not keep up with too many installations of one topic. I don't want them to be too long.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

If you can figure this one out let me know! Personally, I think people take you for granted after a while. I too noted that when I first started my video project a couple years ago it generated over 400 individual hits each day. Not just page hits but unique site hits. Now I'm down to an average of about 250 daily. Why the fall-off? Who knows? I try to keep it as interesting as possible by trying to choose subjects that you won't normally see on this forum but maybe most carvers are satisfied with just doing roughouts, 5 minute quickies or something else that doesn't offer to much of a challenge. It's their choice. Whatever, I'll still keep putting new ones up for those who want to punch the envelope a bit and do something out of the ordinary. Maybe one day I'll reach a point where I will think the effort is no longer worth the limited response I receive but I haven't gotten there yet. My advice? Just hang in there.....if you're helping just a few they'll thank you for it. At least I hope they do.

[BeaverDon]

Lynn, thanks for the encouraging words. The production quality of your videos is the bar I have set for myself. You have the advantage of a camera operator. I do what I can with a tripod. I've seen some guys try to carve and hold a camera at the same time. That's quite amusing.

[Budatmaint]

I don't think to watch many videos on here but i checked yours out. Looks pretty good to me.

Buddy

[vllsr]

Sorry I haven't written you about this before but like Buddy said, I don't think to watch and that's a shame because as a beginner carver I love to see how you use the different tools. I need to "see" how you make a piece look. Such as how you work the spiral, how do you make that top of the wizard hat look like that. I really appreciate all of the videos you guys do, thanks very much.
Vito

[chisler10]

Don, you are doing great, keep it up. And thanks for all the effort.
Patrick

[Buffalo Bif]

I'm a video viewer as opposed to a maker, and can only speak to my own attitude and habits.
45 mineto an hour worth of video is tough. I have cable internet but the video may still pause several times.
If I want to carve what you are carving, I'll watch the entire video, follow along on all the steps.
However, that's not usually the case. I'll watch to see what you might do differently, once I see how you rough out on the bandsaw or hog away material with a knife, I have no need to see you do that step again. Same with painting. After that, I'll cherry pick your videos to see something that catches my interest- how do you carve eyes, how do you use the chainsaw to do a particular part. Again, once Ive seen that, I have everything I need (for the moment).
I would never watch anybody paint an entire piece.
I'm not sure if that is helpful. You guys are both good (or great), I hope you keep doing the videos, they are useful, and interesting. Nothing I've said here is meant to detract from your work or your skills.

[BeaverDon]

Interesting. I try to not show the same tools or techniques over and over, but that is good to know. Thanks for your comments. By the way, I think I can pretty much speak for anyone who does a blog or videos for no money in return, the comments people leave keeps us going. It's our "pay". Other wise, we start to think were just talking to the vast and empty void of internet space.

[Claude]

I'm not a video director, film critic, or anything like that, and no longer even own a video camera. Having said that, I am opinionated, so I'll tell you a couple of things that bother me a bit.

When one is carving for a video, every now and then pause to let the viewer see how the carving looks, particularly after a "special cut" that helps define an eye, a mouth, a nose, etc. Pausing is not enough, however; the carving must be held such that the viewer (camera) can actually see the cut that was made. If one is hand-holding the carving, then the carving should be turned toward the camera. If one has the carving in a vise, the vise must be loosened and turned toward the camera.

Second item: lighting. While indirect lighting is good, I think it fails to show the carving cuts. My example: indirect lighting for a relief carving - one has difficulty seeing the different "layers" because there are no shadows to help the eye out. For a handheld or viseheld carving, perhaps a strong light directly above the carving (plus the normal indirect) would cast shadows to show carving cuts.

Third item: blocking the view. Sometimes, while video-taping a carving, the carver will interpose part of the body, arm, or hand between the camera and the carving, so the viewer can't see what is being done. I realize that for certain cuts, the body/carving position may be necessary, but the carver needs to always remember that it does no good if the viewer can't see. Perhaps after making the cut, the carving can be held so the camera can view it, and the knife used in a "pretend" cut to show the path the blade took; or maybe just repositioning the camera for that one cut (and editing out the dead time)...

These comments are not directed specifically at any carver or video maker, but just some things that bother me about videos... I do appreciate all the time and effort you all take to provide us with these videos.

Claude

[Manteo]

I am not sure why your viewership tails off, but I find them to great resources. I can only ask that you and Lynn, and others keep them coming. If I could have one request it would be for one on keeping tools sharp, a big problem for me. Thanks for your work in putting these out.