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INTERNET VIDEO
By Lorraine Grula, Internet Video Gal

The single greatest thing about the Internet is the incredible power it puts into the hands of the little guy.

Free, wide and open. Anyone with a little time and an Internet connection can contribute.

I've met street people who turned into millionaires because they harnessed the power of the Internet. Obviously, they were smart, hardworking street people. Certainly had the needed time.

Technology makes it possible today for anyone to share their vision of the world with the world. Whether you're an artist or a politico, you can make yourself seen and heard. Video is the single best way to communicate over the Internet and it's dirt cheap if you know how.

Video is especially powerful if your particular vision is one that must be "seen" to be "believed." Video lets people experience things for themselves. Mere words provide only a trifle of impact in comparison to video. A simple close-up with a video camera can elicit more emotion than Hemmingway could with a wordy paragraph. (Gag, I hated reading that crap in college! See, there's emotion.)

A good example of someone taking full advantage of Internet video to share something that simply can not be understood fully unless it is SEEN, is an artist by the name of Daniel Edlen.

Daniel creates an incredible, unique collector's piece that music lovers born before 1990 are sure to enjoy. He paints acrylic portraits of musicians on copies of their old vinyl LP records. The details are incredible. The pure white acrylic contrasts beautifully with the black vinyl.

Like I said, this is one of those things you gotta see to believe and what better way to do that than Internet video? Once someone sees Daniel's videos, which give a behind-the-scenes look at his distinctive artwork, they'd be crazy to NOT want to check it out further.

Daniel produces time-lapse videos and uploads them to his own personal YouTube channel. The time lapse shows the development of his paintings and is set to background music of the particular artist he's painting. Listen to The Doors doing "Break On Through" as Jim Morrison's face evolves from a simple line painting to a full-fledged portrait.

Daniel says he uses about 25 different images for the videos, which last about two minutes. He edits using Windows Movie maker, the free software Bill Gates finally wised up and decided to offer free and pre-loaded on PC's. (You can watch a video tutorial on Windows Movie Maker here.)

YouTube is a great traffic getting strategy for increased sales. Daniel links his online gallery, http://www.vinylart.info/why.htm to his videos. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=dedlen.

I guess this is the modern version of an artist setting his pictures out on the sidewalk for passers-by. Daniel has taped into the enormous traffic of YouTube to get people interested in buying his stuff. Only now customers will zap your videos to all their friends, try getting that window shopping to haul your heavy canvas across the street!

Daniels says he gets into something like a meditative trance while he's working, rocking out to whomever he's painting onto his vinyl canvas. That shows in his final work.

"It's a joy to do what I do, and when I write my blog posts, I often end up adding how lucky I feel that my passion allows me to touch people," Daniel says.

See? Not only is producing Internet video FUN, (most of the time) it connects with your customer like nothing else can. Once they SEE it, their curiosity is piqued, their trust is heightened and they feel like they are you're friend. Powerful stuff.

Daniel Edlen is definitely a good example of the power of Internet video and the Internet Video Gal commends his efforts.