Today's video is brought to you by Katie and myself. We made this instructional video to illustrate how easy it is for any random stranger to post an instructional video to YouTube without having any qualifications.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
How to Talk like a Pirate
This is an instructional vlog of people demonstrating how to talk like a pirate. It is hard to belive that people can really make silly videos like this and them become somewhat popular. Why others watch this and comment on it is interesting.
Why YouTube?
There are so many different avenues a person could take to seek instruction from manuals, professionals, friends, family, etc, yet so many people flock to the internet, and specifically YouTube to get help from people they've never met. One reason for this is easy access; it's pretty simple to go to YouTube and search rather than drive to a store or place where someone knowledgeable can help. With the internet, comes an extraordinary collection of knowledge and it's easier to find someone on the internet who knows the answers than to seek it yourself.
Another element that makes YouTube an ideal place for people to go to seek instruction is the visual factor. People can read an instruction packet, but the diagrams on the page don't move and you can't see the process of assembly. A person can call a help desk but if they don't understand the jargon or technical language involved with the task, it can greatly increase the level of difficulty of the task. Whether it's someone putting together a crib or a clarinet, it's easier to imitate a process when you can see someone going through the motions rather than it is to just read the steps or being told directions over a phone.
In addition to the visual element, there's also the personal touch and experience involved when watching someone do the steps. For the same reason people like to watch vlogs, people like to watch instructional videos because the people giving the instruction are seen experiencing the same issues and problems the viewer has had. Many of the users who create these instructional videos can tell viewers where they had trouble doing something or shortcuts to accomplish the task more easily.
An example of a series of instructional videos that have become immensely popular is Fix Your Own Xbox. They have a handful of videos advising users how to fix common problems found with Xboxes including something called a "red ring of death" and broken disk drives. One of their most popular videos is "How To Open An Xbox 360":
This video is extremely effective and one of the most popular instructional videos regarding fixing problems with an Xbox. He uses language that even the most incompetent person can understand, he shows the process all the way through, he lets you know what's going to be difficult, what's easy, the best ways to do certain tasks. These videos have been so successful, he and his partners in the Xbox-fixing world have opened a site to help viewers purchase parts.
Another element that makes YouTube an ideal place for people to go to seek instruction is the visual factor. People can read an instruction packet, but the diagrams on the page don't move and you can't see the process of assembly. A person can call a help desk but if they don't understand the jargon or technical language involved with the task, it can greatly increase the level of difficulty of the task. Whether it's someone putting together a crib or a clarinet, it's easier to imitate a process when you can see someone going through the motions rather than it is to just read the steps or being told directions over a phone.
In addition to the visual element, there's also the personal touch and experience involved when watching someone do the steps. For the same reason people like to watch vlogs, people like to watch instructional videos because the people giving the instruction are seen experiencing the same issues and problems the viewer has had. Many of the users who create these instructional videos can tell viewers where they had trouble doing something or shortcuts to accomplish the task more easily.
An example of a series of instructional videos that have become immensely popular is Fix Your Own Xbox. They have a handful of videos advising users how to fix common problems found with Xboxes including something called a "red ring of death" and broken disk drives. One of their most popular videos is "How To Open An Xbox 360":
This video is extremely effective and one of the most popular instructional videos regarding fixing problems with an Xbox. He uses language that even the most incompetent person can understand, he shows the process all the way through, he lets you know what's going to be difficult, what's easy, the best ways to do certain tasks. These videos have been so successful, he and his partners in the Xbox-fixing world have opened a site to help viewers purchase parts.
Monday, April 19, 2010
This is another instructional video two girls created on how to do a dance to a song. Even though it might be a fun dance and easy to learn, but what gives these girls the credibility to make this video? What exactly gives any people the credibility to create "how to" videos and post them on YouTube to share with millions of people?
An Introduction to Instruction
There are tons of different genres of videos on YouTube and we've talked about some of the most popular ones in class including vlogs and remix videos. However, one genre of videos we haven't discussed is instructional videos. Instructional, or "How To" videos are extremely popular on YouTube. Many are produced by actual companies for their own products, such as CoverGirl's numerous "How To" videos for their makeup products. Other instructional videos are produced for various reasons including entertainment value, gaining internet popularity, increasing personal skill, or just trying to help other users by amateurs or ordinary users with no specific degrees or qualifications.
One type of video that mirrors an instructional video is a satirical piece; this kind of video criticizes some part of society or culture by mockingly telling you how to participate. It's not an instructional video but rather a parody of an instruction video. This videos are meant to be humorous and are made for entertainment value. We won't be discussing these in our future posts, however, I think it's important to show one of these videos that has been done extremely well.
While it appears to be a well-produced "how to" video, it is, in reality commenting on the cliche that journalism and news reporting has become.
The bottomline is, there are hundreds of instructional videos on any given subject. Whether you are attempting to assemble a crib or a clarinet or trying to build anything from a computer to a lego toilet, there's at least a couple of dozen videos to help you. The question we seek to answer in this blog is why do so many people turn to instructional videos on YouTube rather than the tradition instruction manuals or professionals? Why do those who make the instructional videos add their own despite the hundreds that are already available? What makes these videos so popular?
One type of video that mirrors an instructional video is a satirical piece; this kind of video criticizes some part of society or culture by mockingly telling you how to participate. It's not an instructional video but rather a parody of an instruction video. This videos are meant to be humorous and are made for entertainment value. We won't be discussing these in our future posts, however, I think it's important to show one of these videos that has been done extremely well.
While it appears to be a well-produced "how to" video, it is, in reality commenting on the cliche that journalism and news reporting has become.
The bottomline is, there are hundreds of instructional videos on any given subject. Whether you are attempting to assemble a crib or a clarinet or trying to build anything from a computer to a lego toilet, there's at least a couple of dozen videos to help you. The question we seek to answer in this blog is why do so many people turn to instructional videos on YouTube rather than the tradition instruction manuals or professionals? Why do those who make the instructional videos add their own despite the hundreds that are already available? What makes these videos so popular?
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Welcome...
My name is Kathy, and this is just a test. Soon, my classmate and I will be posting some videos of questionable taste for your viewing pleasure.
Check back soon!
Check back soon!
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