 YouTube™ Stiffles Creativity
Online Video Comunity Brings Out the Worst in Aspiring Editors
At the inception of these very pages the most frequently asked question (FAQ) went something along the lines of, "where can I host my video (dude)". After years of frustration the advent of YouTube™ and other various online video communities now provide ample space for budding amateurs to share their videos. Thanks to these video hosting sites, amateurs accross the globe can share their short films. Some users even host their own pseudo television channels. Unfortunately that's not quite what's happened.
It seems these video communities promote a "film it and host" mentality. Rather than encourage amateurs to strive for quality, these sites seem to encourage an attitude of "more, more, more". And why shouldn't they? After all, for each video hosted sits along side at least one ad. Why should it matter if the video's the graphical equivalent of a 20 car pile up? Infact the worse it is, the more likely the viewer clicks on an ad to "get him the hell out of there".
I have no interest in seeing someone throw themselves off a ladder. If I wanted to see some fat bloke dance in front of a PC screen I'd just watch the original version sent to me in the 90's. No. We can do better than this. We need to teach the world that video editing is an art. That filming takes practice. That for every upload to YouTube™ a poor defenceless kitten... okay, I exagerate, but I do find it saddening that users posting on these sites aren't provided with the tools to make better video. Instead their peers chant "awesome" and everyone gives themselves a pat on the back.
And what, you may be asking, is the reason for this diatribe? Well, since you ask, I was trying to justify the existence of the user videos section. Why should people post here when a whole community of "talent" exists on these sites. The point is that we care. We care enough about the art or video editing to provide constructive critisism. To encourage, indeed promote, higher standard. Above all, we're needed. And we're here to help. So host your video on YouTube™ (because believe me I've tried many times to set up an equivalent here at VideoForums), but post it here to learn.
Now if only I could get someone to code video upload and sharing for the forums...
Marc
Digital Director
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