Larry Kless' Weblog: DNC08

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Social Media and Video at the DNC 08 with Seesmic, ooVoo, Qik, Kyte, Flixwagon (Plus Ralph Nader and Citizen Kate!)

Social media applications have changed the way we experience current events creating new distribution networks that circumvent the corporate owned media networks. The DNC 08 is a great example of how people are connecting, communicating, sharing, reporting and changing the world using real-time and instant video messaging. In 2004 blogging gained influence in the political process but now in 2008 it's completely different with Twitter, Qik, Flixwagon, Seesmic, ooVoo , UStream, Stickam and so many other live and on demand video services. These new communication tools are much more powerful and direct and enable us to broadcast our feeds across the globe instantaneously. Who knows what it will be like in 2012? Chris Albrecht posted The Ultimate Web Video Guide to the Democratic Convention on NewTeeVee and here are a few examples of the "New Media Press" that I saw today.

Seesmic has a created Public Conventions account giving people access to post their messages from and to the conventions. From the Seesmic blog, "... Dan Patterson and the crew from TalkRadioNews are rocking the DNC.Also continue to participate in the video conversation at LinkTV powered by Seesmic. Below is the latest update from Dan in a long thread that has been the center of conversation. Please check it out, but also be warned, there is some harsh language.

Eileen Smith from the Texas Monthly, who I met earlier this month for the My ooVoo Day With.. Political Edition, is using ooVoo for exclusive videos and round table discussions. She and Paul Burka will be "Crashing the Conventions" and recording daily reports from both Denver and Minneapolis at the two major party conventions. Videos are available at Texas Monthly: Multimedia.

The Uptake is a small using Qik and captured the Ralph Nader News Conference. This may be one of the only venues you'll actually be able to hear from this staunch 3rd party candidate. At the end of the clip there's a fun exchange between Ralph and Citizen Kate.

Citizen Kate featured again in another The Uptake Qik video covering the political events the one hug at a time.

The Huffington Post created a branded player using Kyte to post its Media Shows.

Trevor F Martin is a Think MTV Street Team Reporter using Flixwagon and caught the Tent State Music Festival today. On his blog he says, "Today at the Tent State Music Festival, Rage Against the Machine headlined a star studded line-up including the Flobots, Wayne Kramer from the MC5s, the Coup and State Radio. Check out interviews with Wayne Kramer, Andy ROK and Johnny 5 of the Flobots and Boots from the Coup at http://think.mtv.com/profile/trevorFmartin"

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Qik and Flixwagon Mix it up at the DNC 08

The two popular live mobile broadcasting services, Qik and Flixwagon, are covering the events at 2008 Democratic National Convention. These mobile reporters and citizen journalists use their cell phones (which replaces the large camera crews, bulky video equipment and satellite uplink trucks) to provide an unfiltered view that you won't see on the network television broadcasts.

Qik has an event page here with 16 Qikkers attending and while the convention is only televised for a few days the Qik event one week long. I've included a few videos below.

This video which already has over 33,000 views from TPMTV is a Qik report following Hillary Clinton's speech this evening. (UPDATE: The reporter is David Kurtz and his delivery is very much in the traditional news reporting style. His other videos of interviews and on the floor coverage are already some of the "Most Viewed" videos on Qik with A look from behind the podium as Michelle Obama finishes with close to 87,000 views)

This is one is from C-SPAN of protesters, vendors, delegates outside the Denver Convention Center. About a minute into the video you can some protesters getting arrested.

Another one from the Uptake is titled "Who's Wolf Blitzer?" and features a colorful protest through the streets of Denver.

I'm always interested in behind the scenes video and this one is "Inside C-SPAN's Production Truck."

Flixwagon is also on the scene partnering again with MTV and arming a number of street reporters with Flixwagon-equipped mobile phones to cover the action in Denver. They're also streaming live videos directly to their pages on the MTV Think website as part of MTV's Choose or Lose campaign .

The official release is here.

Some of the videos and street reporters can be found here: