Facebook Video .... Not bad

During my recent cruise, I shot a large amount of video. Although sometimes I am conflicting on what to post to youtube that the people who subscribe to me might actually enjoy instead of showing them my vacation footage. Well I was rather excited to learn that a few months back, Facebook started allowing HD videos.

So I posted my first HD video from the cruise on this site as I find that more of my friends would actually see it there than on youtube, and I got to say it looks pretty damn good.

Ironically enough though, I have yet to create a HD video for youtube since they launched their HD ability.

A Spock Sackboy!

Ok, I'll admit it, after all the fun I've had in Little Big Planet, I would mind owning my own cute little Sackboy doll. Especially one with one of the many fun outfits, but one designed as Spock?? Oh hell yea, I'm in!




















I don't suppose anyone could make a Picard one? Or even a Geordi?? Ooh, Worf, or a Seven of Nine! Ah forget it, they should should just make 'em all.

Addicted to (Caribbean) Photosynths

I'd have to say that I really enjoy Microsoft Lab's new Photosynth site. If you are not familiar with it, it is a site\program that will stitch together a series of photographs to give you a panoramic, a view around a specific point, or the ability to drill down by zoomin in or out to closer or farther away perspectives.

I just took a cruise through the Eastern Caribbean. This gave me a great opportunity to build a few of these photosynths of the beautiful locations I visited. I am not a photographer and these were done just through the point and shoot camera inside of my CanonHV20 Camcorder, but they look decent and it is still a very fun way to get a good complete view of the scenery.

These are the synths I built:
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
St. Thomas, USVI
St. Thomas 2
Megan's Bay
Dickenson Bay, Antigua



Note: You will have to install the app in order to view them.

Where I play

I have a website, but haven't done anything with it in years. Will probably get a better one that is central location for everything I do, but that will be somewhere down the line. But in case, you want to know where it is I play, you can find me on twitter and youtube.
http://twitter.com/jesse1701
http://www.youtube.com/user/jesse1701

Fire at Universal, damages BTTF courthouse

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-studiofire2-2008jun02,0,5175136.story

I just read the Universal Studios is battling a fire on their backlot. A part of the story also indicates that many classic movie sets have been damaged due to the fire. It saddens me to learn that the courthouse square from my favorite movie, Back to The Future is on of those affected.

I actually got to see the courthouse a few times as a child. However, it was before I considered that movie to be my most liked. And I really don't think I took it all in back then knowing what it was that I was looking at. It's too bad, as now I may not ever see it again. I guess you always figure it will be there, and you figure someday you will return to see it again. I hope I can find images from my parents to help remember me being there.

I also hope that no one else gets hurt and that many of the other movie memorabilia that can not be recreated makes it out of this one.

Mexico Video Completed and Doing Well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH5ZfI79tJ4

Almost two weeks ago I completed the first video from the Rocky Point, Mexico trip. Immediately after doing so, I received a large amount of positive comments about it. It was also estimated by a couple people that this will become my most highest viewed video. At 1,400+ views so far, it is definitely climbing higher than any other video I have done. However, my most viewed video is at 53,800 and still gets viewed regularly. And all it is is a cruise video from one of my trips. It will take a long time for it to ever catch up, which is doubtful that it will.

It's very hard to predict views on these things, but I do believe my cruise video does well because of the search terms I included in the description , tags, and title. This new Mexico video seems to be doing well as Don Giannatti has it linked on a few of his sites, and I'm sure the thumbnail plays a part too, as it features all five models together.

Also, I followed youtube's suggested resolution for their new "high quality" feature. And I was ecstatic to see that this one actually has a high quality version! You can't see a huge difference, but it does look better. Most noticeably, you can make out the facial features much better.

It's funny too, that this video was just going to be a quick "teaser trailer" feature snippets from the shoots. Makes me concerned that the feature videos won't be considered as good. Needless to day, since the release of that, I started playing GTA IV and couldn't really stop. I also picked up a Wii and a Wii Fit. I will speak more on that in the next TGI episode (one is coming, I assure you). I solved the story mode of GTA over the memorial day weekend , so now hopefully I can concentrate on another video.

Inspiration to be creative, post Mexico

Photo by Jerry O' Connor

I've been back from my trip to Rocky Point, Mexico for 1.5 weeks now. As soon as I got back I had to pick up a copy of GTA IV. Haven't played very much, for every time I sit down and turn on the TV, I feel guilty for not working on the videos from the trip. All the photographers who attended have produced some outstanding photos from this trip\workshop (example shown above). Yet, I have nothing to present. And because of my awkward muteness (I tend to not talk much when around people I just met), everyone probably thinks I was some creepy guy taking footage of the girls and has now run off with it.

But just watching these photographers set up their shots and create a new setting and a new shoot every minute was amazing to me. If anything, this trip has inspired me to be more creative. Whether it be with more viral videos, the show, or maybe starting photography myself, I don't know. But for now, I'm going to work on the videos from this trip, and then record another episode for the show. We'll just see what happens from there.