Defining “quality” in video content.

Much of the discussion that took place at VON07 centered on the idea of creating and discovering the “quality” content. As I plough through the video I shot in San Jose, more than a couple of people essentially said – just because people can publish video, doesn’t mean that everyone should. What, and perhaps more importantly, who defines quality? ZeFrank’s “studio” looks like crap. So, if that’s the sole metric of quality, then his show is crap. Obviously I don’t think that’s true and neither does Dewars. The quality he brings to his show is community and direct conversation. Remember the episode where he tells us to clench our butt cheeks? I did it!! I actually did it there while I was watching!! Come on, admit it… you did too. But the fun doesn’t stop there. So I emailed Ze:

what a strange world we live in.

On 2/10/07 8:22 PM, “Jim Long” wrote:

> Ze,
>
> I actually clenched my butt along with you…REALLY!
>
> Your obedient fan,
>
> Jim

So the “quality” of his show is in the community and participation. He gives people a whole range of tools to get involved and help build the experience. In many respects, he should be sort of the guide for building social media. So there, mere technical quality is trumped by community. I love this picture taken by Jonny Goldstein when i was a guest of the DC Media Makers.

Both of those tools are equally valid and useful and there is a time and place for both. But as Chris Daniel aptly pointed out – NO i cant’ do the “arms length shot” with the big one (and yes, i tried).

Having said that, people hoping to create connection with their audience can’t show contempt for video production technique and the attendant grammar of its storytelling.

Sometimes I get the vibe from some blog discussion that there is a bit of suspicion toward the diaspora of displaced old media types entering the new media space. There’s also plenty of dismissive, smug commentary from old media toward the upstart media. It reminds me of the friction between career and volunteer fire departments, which are real inside baseball squabbles. At the end of the day, if my house is on fire, I don’t care who shows up. So with media, I don’t care if it’s something a friend made or a show on NBC. Sometimes I want lean-forward, sometimes lean back.

In San Jose, Mike Arrington was telling Robert Scoble that video was difficult. He’s half right. It’s hard when you do it well.