- As you may have noticed, I’ve reinstated the Poester Gallery forum. It’s less comprehensive than the old one, based on the fact that most of you seem to prefer doing your discussion here on the blog, but I wanted to give you all somewhere to discuss topics I’m not covering. You do need to register to use it–however, you may already have registered for the site via the forum format I used two forums ago, so you may just need to get a password reminder. If that makes any sense.
- I’m going to give you to the end of the weekend to enter the contest for the three-of-a-kind Poehammer. The contest ends at 11:59pm ET this Sunday.
- Nomad of the Idle Hands blog has a fantastic, comprehensive list of SDCC 2011 exclusives. Which do you think is the best? While it’s not the one I’m most excited for personally, I think the Starscream Skystriker takes the cake. It’s the perfect exclusive–an awesome repaint that isn’t necessarily a must-have item for your collection (i.e., a unique character, a la Queen Marlena).
- There seem to be a ton of toy-related online video shows and podcasts these days. I have to admit I am just not that into them–I prefer reading. I can read faster than a person can talk, and I have complete control over how fast and how thoroughly I read an article or review. But I’m curious–do people watch a lot of videos and/or listen to a lot of podcasts? Is this something I should be getting more into?
T16skyhopp
Only videos I generally go out of my way to watch are Peaugh's and Vangelus'. Vangelus is just really entertaining. Peaugh does a great job of showcasing transformers and really helps me decide which ones I want to pick up. Ever read a TF review that tries to describe the transformation? It usually doesn't actually help.
Podcast wise I listen to WTF@TFW for transformers. Great cast and great discussion on the toys and fiction. The Fwooshcast for general Toy discussion, a little less technically impressive, but a nice group of hosts and topics. And Preorder 66 for high end toys. I don't collect high end stuff (I have 1 Hot Toys figure and 1 sideshow figure) but the hosts and the discussion are really great. And I would collect high end stuff if I could afford it, so its a good listen.
Newton Gimmick
I've been working on getting a podcast together, but I think they're much better as additional content, not the main portion. An entertaining podcast is pretty hard to pull off in my mind as well, with only a select few really being able to do it.
Video reviews I tend to loathe, even though I've done a few. They're either so poorly produced that they're more frustrating to watch than entertaining and full of information, or they're too slickly produced and feel more like a poor man's infomercial. There are again, a few exceptions to this. As usual, I think these work best as additional little snippets to a review, instead of the full review.
Ultimately, I think podcasts and video reviews are becoming so popular because they are so easy to do. No offense to those who work hard on them, because I know there are some that do, but as someone who spends entirely too much time of his life writing up reviews, taking pictures, formatting HTML, I realize why people go for the quick and dirty options of turning on a camera or a mic and broadcasting. I still prefer the print. When it's done right, it's just as engaging, if not more and Poe, there's no doubt that when you do it, you do it right. (That's what she said?)
Huzzah!
Mecha-Shiva
I usually turn off the audio to just see how they look being manhandled by people.
Slick McFavorite
I do the whole nine video, casts and written. Working web development I have all day for podcasts and at least listening to videos. My wife and I do a show on Masters, SW, Joe and TFs and it's a ridiculous amount of work. You can get away with a little bit less, especially if you're not doing 2+ hours, but in the end I read all the news for all four franchises, compile show notes (~4 hours usually) with links to the stories and pics for the wifey. We record it (~3 hours). Mrs. McFavorite adds intros/outros, toy commercials, VMs and runs all the audio engineering stuff (~2 hours). It would be much longer if we actually edited for content, but I always like the ramblings on other casts so we keep them. Then I write the post for the site about the show with a little musing each time (~1 hour) and finally about 30 minutes to edit the XML manually.
In the end each format serves a different purpose and adds value.
misterbigbo
I love podcasts and look forward to more ideas from comments on this post. I just can’t read as fast as you!
And there are plenty of SDCC exclusives I think are really neat, but like you i feel that Starscream is flipping brilliant. I don’t collect joes anymore, but that thing is nifty enough that I might hunt for it.
PrfktTear
I'm not a huge fan of video reviews. I watch Pixel Dan's and that's about it.
It feels like many reviews just ramble on and unless they're particularly funny or charismatic it gets boring fast.
If I do watch a video review its usually just to see the toys, so I skip around until I get to the part I want to see. Even ones with great production value, what takes them ten minutes to say I could read in less than half that time.
The only video reviews I find especially helpful are Transformers reviews when the occasion arises that I just can't quite figure out how to complete the conversion. Of course Transformers reviews can also be kind of a train wreck, especially if the person hasn't familiarized themselves with the actual conversion. I can think much better things to do with my free time than watch some dude fumble around with a toy for eight minutes…
Philip Reed
I'm not a fan of podcasts or video reviews. I'd much rather read words — and see photos that I can study — than hear someone talk or watch a video. The only exception is Transformers video reviews, which I sometimes watch for a closer look at how the toys transform.
dayraven
video reviews have their place though… like if i'm contemplating an import toy, or something from a new company, i like seeing video reviews so i can watch someone pose the toy, or move it, so i can see if it stands or falls over, or bits fall off, etc… my most recent set of video reviews viewings, for example, have been several of the play arts kai figs, ezio, solid snake, the halo stuff, mostly so i can see if they're sturdy. i also watched some videos on the medicos super action statue jojo figs to help me decide whether or not to pull the trigger. the problem w/ a lot of those vid reviews is, most of these guys don't know how to do a video. no scale set up shots, sometimes there's no real hands on time w/ the fig (which then begs the question, did i just blow 3 minutes listening to some nasally asshole ramble on about a figure he hasn't opened while he masturbates a box? cuz that's what it amounts to) and as you say poe, text is faster to get through. if you add a video component to some of your reviews, i tihnk that'd be great added content, but it doesn't need to be a full video review nor for every figure… trot it out when you've got something special (or especially bad) to showcase, and that make might that effort worth it.
George
I only watch Peaugh's reviews, even though I really don't collect transformers I find him very charismatic. Although I think if you incorporate videos like say Justin Gammon from Weirdo Toys it would be cool, somethings no matter how well written, can only be shown in videos, and obscure figures are usually a best visited in video format. So I think Poe I would welcome the idea, but only as long as the writing wouldn't suffer (you concentrating on a video might reduce the quality of your excellent writing)
Reverend Ender
Does Starscream transform?
Henry
Starscream is a repaint of the recreated skystriker jet, so it isn’t an actual transformer.
On the topic of video reviews, like t16skyhop, I only watch videos by Peaugh and Vangelus. Vangelus is very entertaining so the actual subject matter is not important, whereas Peaugh is still funny, and transformers are unique in that you need a video to see everything you are paying for. He is also brief, almost to the point of missing the occassional feature. And those 3am reviews always have lots of fun tangents.
If you are considering doing video reviews for the site,go on an archive bing for all the semi-pro video reviewers to avoid the basic production mistakes. Sound and lighting errors could drag down an otherwise decent start.
I’d avoid reviewers who get prerelease stuff from the source though, since you need to be able to articulate critisms on camera, and I’ve never heard a word against mattel in a fwoosh review. Not that the fwoosh does post video content, but the point stands.
dean
I like reading better. Many video reviewers are slightly annoying, and really seem to just want an opportunity to mug for the camera, or seek their 15 minutes from our small corner of the universe.
I also tend to turn off the audio and check the various aspects of the figure.
And I tend not to be as trusting of any review where the product was a free review sample from the manufacturer. Often, that is a recipe for shilling. The fwoosh also comes to my mind, and so does Jeff Parker on Crawford’s site. Those examples read more like advertisements than reviews. Off topic mini-rant over. 🙂
Heli
No to podcasts. As a person without a portable mp3 device, I find them excruciating. Maybe if I could listen in the car or something, but just sitting in front of the computer listening to a podcast is mind numbing.
I prefer regular old pictures to videos, but they're okay.
AJ7
Q1. Do people watch a lot of videos and/or listen to a lot of podcasts?
I don't watch toy related videos or listen to toy related podcasts. If I'm interested in learning more about a toy, I'll look for a written review with photographs.
Q2. Is this something I should be getting more into?
No. I like the regular written reviews with photographs, although where you're reviewing new figures in an existing line of figures (e.g. a new DCUC or MOTUC figure), then I would be happy for those repetitive elements (e.g. articulation breakdown) to simply refer back to an older review.