Posted by Dave Bull at 6:41 AM, May 10, 2011 [Permalink]
The 'new improved' Woodblock Webcam has had yet another update today - the size of the video window has been increased, and viewers now see a 'full' 640 x 480 image (click this to see the actual size of the new video feed).
It's not HD (yet!), but the larger screen makes it even easier to watch what is going on. I hooked up a new microphone too, and the sounds from the bench are coming through very clearly, at least according to a report from one viewer: "I can hear your brushes, the knife, peeling the paper off the block, the rustle of the plastic when you grab or put away a sheet of paper. Excellent!"
I didn't mention it in the post above, but the larger size is only available when you watch the video - either 'Live' or 'Recorded Live' - on my own webcam page. Over on my channel at the Ustream site, it will still be played back at a smaller size.
I'm loving the webcam (and the new microphone makes a HUGE difference!).
Are you finding that it's slowing down your work at all? It's certainly nice for the rest of us that you're taking the time to explain what you're doing, but I imagine it affects how easily you're able to get into a rhythm (particularly for printing, since it's the same actions over and over).
slowing down your work ...
Actually, it's had the exact opposite effect, so far anyway.
I've been taking fewer coffee breaks, and spending much less time just sitting staring out the window ... something that's very easy to do down there! I guess this is out of some kind of feeling that I have to try and make this 'interesting' in the way that radio stations like to avoid having dead air, but I'm sure that I'll get back to 'normal' after not too much time has passed.
I'm trying to work out what to do with storing the video, and how to make the resource more useful on an archive basis. There's certainly no point to keeping it all, but there is also no way that I can spend X hours on video editing every day. Not quite sure how to carry this forward ...
Perhaps the best thing to do would be to store it on a hard drive and keep notes about particularly interesting things that happen in the course of the session (noting the time, if possible). Then, when you have time (perhaps on a schedule similar to the quarterly one you use for your newsletter), you can review the notes to see if there are any bits you'd like to excise for standalone videos.
I actually do think it's worth keeping all the videos— they're a remarkable document of your craft.
