On Saturday me and my girlfriend arrived in Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) from a 16 hour bus journey from São Paulo. We didn’t sleep on the bus so, tired and hungry, we decided not to waste the day by sleeping and went to see the famous Iguazu falls – one of the New7Wonders of Nature . It was spectacular. It truly has to be seen to be believed.
20% of the falls lie in Brazil with 80% belonging to Argentina. We took a day off from travelling the following day in order to do some work but on Monday we got the bus to Puerto Iguazu; which is the Argentinian city you need to go through to visit the other side of the falls.
Whilst standing looking at the waterfalls on the Argentinian side two days ago, I had the ideal of recording a quick video for all of you to introduce myself.
One thing I know I need to do this year is video, audio blogging and podcasting. I had made, and broken, a promise to myself 3 or 4 years ago to learn more about video blogging. It never happened. I never made the effort to actually do it, which is something I now regret. Due to this, the thought of doing video had been bugging me for a long time. Looking back, I can’t say there was a good reason for not doing it. I simply always gave other things more priority.
Why video?
Video is one of the most powerful tools on the web. It’s used everywhere. More importantly for me, it’s used by all the top people in my field – bloggers, marketers, social media promoters and even coders.
The are many reasons why I want to start doing video:
- To help readers get to know the real me.
- To raise my profile.
- To do video blogging regularly.
- To do webinars (conferences)
- To save time. It might take me an hour to write something that would only take me a few minutes to say.
- To give detailed tutorials via video. This is important as I plan on developing a membership website.
- To organise video chats with readers. Wouldn’t that be fun!!
Video is going to be a huge factor in how I connect with all of you and I am acutely aware that the relationship I have with my you will play a huge part in my success moving forward.
A Quick Hello from Iguazu Falls
I don’t know why I decided to record a quick video two days ago. I hadn’t planned it. Before going to Rio I had the idea of doing a video there as it’s such a beautiful and exotic city; but I didn’t do it and I honestly hadn’t given it a second thought since then.
It was a spur of the moment decision. The second I decided to record the video, a thought crossed my mind: what the hell am I going to say???? I hadn’t written down any notes or even thought about what topics I would speak about. I decided to just say a quick hello and show the beautiful Iguazu Falls.
One thing that surprised me was that whilst I wasn’t 100% comfortable in front of the camera, I didn’t feel too nervous either. The biggest problem was with what I had to say. You will notice at the end that I wasn’t sure what to say e.g. I said mmmmm a few times between my sentences. I’m aware a lot of video newbies do this but it still frustrated me afterwards.
The video was recorded on a simple camera and the sound isn’t great either due to us being at the falls. Still, you should be able to hear me.
Here’s the quick video that I produced:
For those that haven’t heard it before, that’s a Scottish accent 
My Scottish Accent
The Scottish accent was another issue I have to look at. I am fully aware that people from other countries struggle to understand our accent and the speed in which we talk. I’m not different to anyone else on this planet that I speak quickly when I speak naturally. I’ve learned from travelling that I need to slow down the way I talk considerably in order to be understood.
I remember the first time I encountered this problem. Ten years ago I travelled back up to Bangkok as I had to change some details with my flight. The woman behind the desk only spoke basic English and really couldn’t understand anything I said. A few minutes later a Russian guy walked up to the desk and spoke a few words in poorly spoken broken English (not criticising him, I know how difficult it is to learn another language). You guessed it, the woman understood the Russian guy fully.
I’m still conscious about having to speak more slowly whilst I’m speaking with non-native English speakers. The thing is, I find it quite uncomfortable speaking at such a slow pace sometimes. You can see in the video that I slowed down what I said a few times. It felt strange to me.
The key thing to understanding accents is getting familiarised with it. In the USA I found a few people that had trouble with my accent (and inevitably assumed I was from Ireland). Thos was partly my fault for not speaking more slowly and their fault for not being exposed to the sexy Scottish accent After talking to them for a few minutes, you could see they understood me much better. I hope you all do too. If not, I’m going to have to start posting random clips from Scottish people talking. You have been warned!!
Moving Forward
I wasn’t delighted with my first video however I’m not terribly disappointed either. I know it was my first attempt and I was going to make a lot of mistakes. I went through the same thing with blogging. Looking back at my first blog posts 6 or 7 years ago is embarrassing but that just shows how far I’ve came. I believe the same will happen with videos. I truly hope that in a year I will look back at this video and cringe; as that will probably mean I have improved considerably. Who knows, perhaps my terrible first attempts at video blogging will be an inspiration for some of you later when you begin to tackle the medium.
Whenever I’m learning something new, I want to learn as much about the subject as possible via books etc. That’s something I know I will need to do with video blogging but in the short term, I don’t think that’s the best thing for me to do.
At this stage I think it is better for me to throw myself in the deep end and do more videos for you. Once I feel more comfortable in front of the camera, I will then look at improving certain aspects of my video blogging skills by learning from people who are experienced with video.
I would truly appreciate your feedback on this. I know it may just seem like a silly little video but to me, this is the first step for me into something that I don’t know much about. Which is quite exciting in a sad kind of way
Thanks guys,
Kevin
About Kevin Muldoon
Good morning, Kevin. Your video of the beautiful Iguazu Falls was fine. There were times when your volume was low because of the sound of the water. As for your accent, I’ve heard it before, spending many years working downtown, where the world comes to work, play and make the deals that run the world. But someone who hasn’t had that exposure may have trouble, and you could slow down a little. Overall, though, it was great and will only get better, because you were considerate enough to ask. God Bless.
Thanks. I appreciate the feedback. Yeah the volume was an issue. It was far from a professional set up haha. We just used a basic little camera.
I’ll try and slow down the way I talk in future videos.
Kevin
Kevin,
My reaction in a word…WOW!
About your accent? Don’t worry, the more you speak to us, the more we will simply accept it. It’s all good. Just look at the use of video, as talking to, and making a historic record for your girlfriend, and just let the words flow, the occasional “hmmmmm”, is OK, in time they will simply disappear, because you will fill in the blanks, without thinking about it. Your videos are just a series of conversations… I grade your first attempt as an “A”. Can’t wait for the next installment…keep up the good work.
Thanks Golden. I think you are being too kind with the ‘A’ but I appreciate the kind words. I’m sure I’ll get better over time.
I’m keen to do videos more regularly. I just need to get an idea of the issues I will talk about. We arrived in Paraguay today. I’m going to go to the shops later and look at suitable headsets and microphones so that future videos will be clearer.
Kevin
Great video Kevin.
Sound quality as already stated was not perfect but surroundings dictated that.
Video posts are definitely the way forward as it now brings the post to life.
Anyone can write words but the beauty of video posts is that you are now human and not just an auto responder.
Keep up the good work.
Hi Darren,
I hope no one thought I was an auto responder before haha
I know what you mean though. Email marketing gets quite automated so it’s important for people to realise there’s someone at the other side.
Thanks for the feedback
Kevin
Kevin,
While I cannot speak for others, I know that I would be interested in your likes, dislikes that form the process that you settle on to determine what type of camera, headset, microphone is best for you, and the type of video that you will be producing. In that regard we are at a similar stage of development.
I have been looking at some options online today. I’m just about to head out in Asuncion to see what shops they have here. Hopefully I can find a good tech shop that sells most top products. I’ve found it difficult in some South American cities to find what I’m looking for.
Kevin
Kevin,
A quick add-on to my inquiry about equipment, I offer the following, about a camera I purchased recently for the expressed purpose of eventually using it for video blogging.
I looked at many brands including Cannon, and Nikon, but I quickly came to the realization that I had no working knowledge of any of the many features offered by both brands. Additionally, because of the relatively high price points, I decided to look for a camera that had many of the kinds of attributes that the high end cameras had, that I could use, learn on, and perfect my ‘style’ on.
The Polaroid iS2132 was my camera of choice. Features: 16 Mega Pixels, 21x Optical Zoom, 4x Digital Zoom, 3.0 Preview Screen, HD Video, and it does a whole host of technical tasks, none of which I understand yet.
So good luck shopping, have fun.
The camera we had that day was a small compact that is 12mp for photos. It’s about 6 years old. We have a brand new olympus slr and that takes HD video…but we had forgot to charge it for the day
Kevin
Goldenpath2,
I’m not even that advanced yet. My camera is only a few steps above a Polaroid. Well, actually, it was one of the first digital cameras. The point is that the camera does not do much. I don’t think it is capable of video. I will probably upgrade when I decide to use a smart phone rather than a flip phone that was manufactured around five years ago. Right now, I use the pictures and video that other people created. However, I would like to create pictures and video for the blog myself. Thank for sharing your suggestion.
Scott
Scott,
I am still in the dark ages technologically speaking, smart phones and the like, seem far off on my timeline, and the only way I will ever make a go of it, is by making a go of it. The Polaroid camera has all kinds of icons on it, for all manner of picture (video) situations, so it is going to be awhile until I become well versed in the equipment. Having said that, there are also issues of my personal development, like creating content, speaking, etc. Reality is, that I have a lot of challanges, before I go “live”. Scott, I wish you success in your efforts
Bruce
Kevin,
I had no problem no problem understanding you. As was mentioned by other people, the roar of the falls is much louder than your voice, but your first attempt at a video was a tremendous success in my mind. Thank you for sharing the video. If you have a chance, please share more.
Scott
I will do Scott. Planning on doing podcasting and video tutorials this year too.
Nice one Kevin! What an amazing place indeed. I’d say it’s a great start, whatever the quality it’s just so much better for building a real connection when video is used. So now, you’ve not only inspired me to travel to this place, but also to start doing video myself
I’d love to see you doing video too Jean. I think it would be great if a few of us were learning together as we could share ideas about the subject.
Looks nice .I like you to start a travel blog,exploring your experience.
I’m not sure I’d enjoy blogging about it all the time (or how to monetize a blog that focuses on travel).
I think it was fantastic to connect a face and a name to a “real” person – that far outweighs the roar of the falls, and you could always tweak that out with a decent audio editor.
I’m at the same stage you’re at, Kev – I look at my early attempts and say “Oh, no”… I’ve been playing more with making mash-ups than shooting fresh material, but I know I’m going to have to bite the bullet soon.
Love the accent! I didn’t have any problems understanding it, but I but if I went back to my native New York accent I could throw you a few times.
Great job!
Thanks Phil. I’d love to see you do video too. I’m keen on doing it more. It’s a lot quicker than writing for one. Sometimes I will spend hours writing an article. It will save me a lot of time if I can do a video instead.
There’s a lot to learn, that’s for sure.
I love the New York accent. I’ve watched too many Scorcese films not to be familiar with it.
Kevin
I think both video and written blogs have their place. I know I’m prejudiced but writing is still superior for introspective topics, for those that require a lot of references and, sometimes, just to give you time to pause and think. The emphasis is on the idea.
Video is great for more newsy-type subjects, short and to the point. The only thing I fear about video so far is the terrible lure of playing Hollywood and getting too fancy – I shot a 15-second video of my cat yesterday and I had 12 extras, a stunt cat and a catering service!
I agree. Writing is my bread and butter too. For some things, videos are much better. Tutorials for one. In the past I have broken down how to do something step by step using lists but it would be much better to do it via video.
I think a mixture of writing, video and audio is the best formula for success with blogging. The more avenues you are promoting yourself, be it YouTube or Amazon, the more people will find out about what you are doing online.
I’d love some advice on how I can get more stunt cats in my videos.
Kevin
Excellent advice – it IS a mix of everything, and I think before long we’ll be seeing some amazing stuff from you.
For more stunt cats, you of course have to go through the Stunt Cat Union …
That damn Stunt Cat Union. They restrict everything I do!
Kevin,
I think your video is fine, especially for your first time. What a view! I too would love to travel there to see it in person. Regarding the video, my cell phone has HD quality video on it. It is a Samsung Galaxy 2 and I understand that the iPhone has excellent video quality as well. What do you and the other readers think?
I’ve yet to buy a good mic and headset (was looking today) so I may do my next video on my ipad. That should be slightly better than my last effort.
Most smartphones produce at least 720p quality video, which is good enough. I think audio is a bigger concern than video.
Kevin
Hi Kevin, great video and I have a blog design related question – did you make your opt-in form by customizing the coding on your blog? I like the placement and prominent design right under the header, very classy! ~Mark Edward Brown
Thanks Mark.
I’d love to take credit for the header but I’m a crap designer myself. I modified one of the forms that are available at http://diythemes.com/thesis/aweber-email-signup-forms/.
Glad to see you’re doing some video Kevin! It’s a decent first video, and awesome view as well. I’m doing some more of this myself in the future. Most of the time, I’m behind the camera, but in the near future I’ll be stepping in front of it as well. I believe video added to your blog gives a personal touch and develops a deeper connect with your following and contributors.
Having some experience with this, I would suggest getting a DSLR camera with HD video capabilities, such as the Canon Rebel T3i:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/753762-REG/Canon_5169B003_EOS_Rebel_T3i_Digital.html
And the BEST thing you can do with video blogging is get an off camera mic. Sounds is usually the biggest problem with most v-bloggers so if you can improve that, the results will be dramatic. I’d suggest investing in the RODE Stereo VideoMic Pro (if you get a DSRL camera): http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/839897-REG/Rode_STEREO_VIDEOMIC_PRO_Sterei_VideoMic_Pro.html
I personally use this mic with my 5D Mark III, and even if you use it on auto settings, the sound will be significantly better than built in microphones.
Hope this helps.
And to be honest I think your accent is an asset.
Thanks. We actually have an SLR camera (Olympus) but didn’t have it that day.
I was looking at mics the other day. I could only find one shop in Asuncion that sold mics and they were pretty large, too big for taking with me travelling.
The Samson Go Mic looks like a great option until I return home http://www.samsontech.com/samson/products/microphones/usb-microphones/gomic/ however I’m not sure if I’ll be able to find it here.
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Congratulations on your first video here.
What a spectacular and exciting locale for any video, let alone your first.
Yes, it was hard to hear you over the roar of the falls, but otherwise a fine video. The accent is not an issue for me. I had no trouble understanding you, even with the low audio.
As others have mentioned, a mic might have helped here. In some cases, however, it is often best to let the scenery do the talking.
The visual quality was good, and you showed us a stunning view of this natural wonder.
K.K.
Thanks K. Glad you enjoyed it. It’s going to be a while until I get a good microphone as I couldn’t find anything in the city here. I’ll get a really good set up when I’m back in the UK.
Kevin