MWGblog

I decided to experiment with some video. If it works, the post should display a movie poster you can click to play as well as a download option for an iPod version of the video. The movie segment above was created by Noah Bonnett from 88SLIDE for a series of episodes he produced at Disneyland. (BTW Noah is an Instructor at the upcoming Podcast Academy.)

I am pleased to announce that GigaVox Media launched this week with our three initial channels. My partner, Doug Kaye, and I decided that an appropriate launch would be one with little fanfare - why talk about it, when we could just do it. Doing it, however, was a lot of work and is the main reason things have been quiet here recently. (It is also the reason I haven’t done a Reel Review in a while - though I plan to rectify that.)

For the last few months, Doug and I have been hard at work shaping the vision for GigaVox and handling all the details it takes to role an established brand like IT Conversations (with over 1200 episodes) into our new company as well as to begin the initial expansion of the network. Every startup tells you they have great plans - I’ll just tell you what we can confirm publicly.

IT Conversations has so much content we split off a channel devoted to open source and open standards called Open Source Conversations. We are pleased to have Zend as a sponsor at launch. We have also created an entire channel devoted to podcasting with BSW as an initial sponsor. The Podcast Academy Channel will have content from the Podcast Academy events - coming up now on #4 - as well as conference content. We will begin releasing the audio from the Corporate Podcasting Summit next week as well as our own Podcast Academy #2 which was a sold out event held at Boston University in April of this year. We will debut a hosted show, by yours truly, called Behind the Mic which will focus on the timely and topical events in podcasting. We are also pleased to announce that we are the exclusive audio content partner of the upcoming Podcast & Portable Media Expo.

Speaking of the Expo, we are producing a blockbuster Podcast Academy on Thursday, September 28th, the day before the Expo. It is a schedule chocked full of luminaries in the podcast and videocast fields. This Academy is aimed at Corporate users as well as Podcast Experts and Consultants. We have included an entire afternoon on the cutting edge in video podcasting. Confirmed Instructors include, Leo Laporte from TWiT, Alex Lindsay from MacBreak, Craig Syverson from gruntmedia, Tim Street from French Maid TV, Noah Bonnett and Rachel Rhodes from 88Slide, Denise Howell from Bag and Baggage, Greg Cangialosi from Blue Sky Factory and Kris Smith from Croncast. We worked hard on this line-up and we are extremely pleased with the instructors. This is a not t be missed event. You can register now at a reduced rate at the Podcast Academy.

For ITC fans, IT Conversations will continue to bring you great conference content - in fact we have just completed deals with a number of exciting events as well as informative hosted shows. ITC is our flagship channel and we intend to keep it that way.

While the real work is still ahead of us, I’d like to offer a thank you to my partner Doug Kaye, who has worked tirelessly, as well as Tim McNerney, Paul Figgiani and Darusha Wehm who, among many others, have made this possible. Thank you.

Noah, Rachel, Louis and myself at Disneyland

I had a great time on Friday spending the day with the crew from 88SLIDE. We were there to shot a week’s worth of 88SLIDE episodes that will run the week of July 17th. Watching the process, you can tell Noah comes from a professional production background and having watched all day long, I am amazed how Rachel keeps track of all the lines. If you are curious you can check them out starting July 17th here. Also, I posted a bunch of pictures from the day.

Podcast Academy 4 has just been announced and registration is open. It will take place in association with the Podcast and Portable Media Expo on Thursday Sept. 28th, 2006. (The day before the start of the Expo.) The line up this time is geared towards podcasting and video for the corporate/commercial user and podcast pros and consultants. Come and learn from the experts who have done podcast projects for companies such as Disney, MTV, Verizon and Pontiac as well as those involved in the exploding video podcast world including MacBreak, PodGrunt, 88SLIDE and French Maid TV.

The current registration is discounted and prior Academies have sold out, so sign up now. Find out all the details at - Podcast Academy #4.

(Paul, we expect you as our first registered attendee.)