Podcasting: The new talk radio

    

Source: Adam Carolla Official Website

      During my commute to work or school I enjoy listening to podcasts or audiobooks rather than pumping bass heavy beats for an hour. I, like many college students, have a lot of things in life to balance. Finding time to read a book or a newspaper is difficult especially when you're always on the go. A modern day solution for this is to use digital audio distribution. The concept of an audio book is nothing new. Remember when books were released on cassette tape along with the book? Now audio books are marketed towards mobile device users which is pretty much everyone excluding your grandparents.

      Adam Carolla is a great example of someone who uses digital audio distribution to their advantage. Before he created his popular podcast he was a popular radio host for Loveline with Dr. Drew. After getting canned from show he decided to gather some of his radio friends together to produce a free daily podcast on iTunes. The format and quality was definitely different from his radio show. The Adam Carolla podcast ran from about an hour to two hours and consisted of Adam's rantings about pop culture or calls from the listeners. The show was no longer live, instead it was readily available to download and listen to when you, the listener, chose to. Think of it like a take out meal; you can eat your filet mignon right then and there or you could wrap it up in a doggy bag and pick at it on your way home.

      What's most impressive to me is how they've evolved the show in terms of production value and content over 2 years. Adam Carolla and his crew have revived the Adam Carolla Show and built a new broadcasting company from it. Check out the ACE network on iTunes  which features several podcasts that appeal to a wide variety of people from movie lovers to car enthusiasts. If you like what you hear Adam even has two audio books out with a ton of great content.

Here's me and Adam last year in Toronto

     

Cinematic Storytelling in Video Games: Uncharted 2

    Source: Naughty Dog

     Following my last post on Naughty Dog's upcoming game The Last of Us I decided to take a closer look at this generation's most recognized title, Uncharted 2.
 
     The first title in the Uncharted series was Naughty Dog's first attempt at making an exclusive game on the Playstation 3 which was a brand new platform for game developers. The game follows treasure hunter Nathan Drake on his journey to uncover the secrets of Sir Francis Drake. As Nate delves deeper into his hunt for hidden treasures he runs into old enemies with armies of goons he takes head on alone and sometimes with the help of an ally. This game was received fairly well among gamers but the install base of the console at the time limited the actual audience experiencing the game.

      About one year later the sequel was announced and the reveal trailer was nothing short of amazing.

 

     

     As more of the game was revealed it started to become clear that this game was unlike anything you've seen or experienced before in terms of game quality. The graphics were top notch and the acting was fantastic. This game looked more like a Hollywood production than a video game and that got a lot of gamers excited to get their hands on a Playstation 3. 

    

     The game was a hit, winning multiple awards at the VGAs and receiving high praise from the press. Uncharted 2 made everyone rethink their preconceived notions about video games and their ability to tell a good story while maintaining fun and exciting game play. 

This isn't a movie?

Image Source

    
     2011 - 2012 had some of the most phenomenal and cinematic game reveals. The industry has shifted its focus from churning out countless first person shooters and annual sports games to producing cinematic quality experiences. I believe Naughty Dog's 2008 action/adventure Uncharted 2 has influenced some of the more cinematic titles to be released in the next year. Games like Tomb Raider, Bioshock: Infinite, Far Cry 3, and Star Wars 1313 all look amazing with stunning visuals on par with modern action movies.

     Naughty Dog, not to be outdone, has revealed their next project which blows all these titles out of the water. Let's take a look at the first trailer for this game which was captured on a Playstation 3 using the actual game engine. Impressive stuff.

     Naughty Dog didn't introduce cinematic style storytelling in video games but they surely brought significant innovation and maturity to the medium. Significant enough to cause a lot of game developers to change the way they make games and tell stories. Although Naughty Dog has succeeded in bringing the whole package in terms of visuals and story it seems like story is now more of a priority for developers than making a game with the best graphics. I personally love that the industry is moving in this direction.The Last of Us represents a different side to video games that the ignorant are not aware of. Gamers are not idiots with short attention spans (not all of us at least) and we do appreciate art and deep story telling. This is a title I'm extremely excited about and my girlfriend who can't even operate a controller is anticipating this game. It is sure to be something that people will want to experience together just like a movie.

    The Last of Us set to be released in early 2013 on the Playstion 3 has a lot potential and there is no doubt it will be a hit among gamers and non-gamers alike. Here is a quick demo of actual game play from this post apocalyptic adventure. Enjoy and mahalo.

YouTube Spotlight: BOH3M3

   

     Over the next few months I will be covering some YouTube vloggers that stand out to me. My first spotlight will focus on one of my favourite vloggers from 2006. Boh3m3 (pronounced Bow-Heem) or Ben Going was one of the pioneers of modern YouTube vlogging. He used quick cut techniques in his videos way before it was an overused cliche. About 95% of his videos are in black and white which keeps the theme of his channel consistent. 

       His first video submission on YouTube was intended to be an audition for Jackass but was rejected. Afterwards Ben transformed his channel into a video log of his life. An intimate look into the mind of a man who wanted to be a professional Jackass. I've followed his channel for a couple of years up until his hiatus and every video post has drawn me into his personality and story no matter how amateur they appeared.

       My favourite videos were his Dear Table ___ posts. These were rantings about his experiences as a waiter and some of his most frustrating customers. A good example of how vlogging is an effective way to vent and share your experiences with like minded people. I would highly recommend taking a look at some of his videos even if they are 3 or 5 years old. It's truly amazing to see the state of YouTube at the time. The early years of the site really brought innovation to the blogging scene.

 

(Source: BOH3M3)

       Stay tuned to my blog for more YouTube highlights. Mahalo. 

     

Digital Story Telling Blog Post #1

     The summer of 2012 had a great movie line up. I'm a big fan of the Marvel comic book movies of the last decade so it's no surprise that The Avengers was a big part of my summer break. In my opinion Joss Whedon successfully incorporated the protagonists from Iron Man, Captain America & Thor into one smooth flowing storyline that was entertaining and easy to follow.

     The Avengers is a fantastic movie and each character has been developed beforehand in their previous movies. The characters continue to develop in the Avengers movie as well and they all get an equal amount of screen time. I believe all the movies looked at together as one film creates the sense of an expansive storyline that continues beyond the ending credits.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) Image Source Wallbase

     The interaction between the actors may be seen as cheesy but if you look beyond that and get yourself in the mood to be sucked into the action there is plenty of it in this movie. Each actor has grown into their role through their respective films so you are likely to flinch at the sound of Thor's war cries or feel an overwhelming sense of patriotism when you see Captain America save a group of citizens from harm. The Iron Man, Captain America and Thor movies are where you will see the characters transform into the heroes you see in The Avengers. Each connecting movie contains a conflict and a climax but more so for those individual characters. The Avengers presents an even more epic conflict for the characters as a whole and that is where the relationship between the heroes really begins. 

     If you haven't seen The Avengers I highly recommend you do. To get the most out of this film I suggest you watch Iron Man 1 & 2, Thor, and Captain America beforehand.

Enjoy this trailer!

Click for more info on The Avengers movie