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Yes.  I’m going to video blog again.  Another iteration, but still, I think an important one.  I’ve been looking at getting myself in front of a camera to grow a little bit, much like Chachi did on his Chachi Says series, which was a great growth thing for him to go on to host Unsung and his own Let’s Play show.  Plus, I want to play with different platforms a little bit.  To start with, I’m going to use this iPhone 4S to shoot, then edit in iMovie on the phone.  You can find the first results here….

Every once in a while, I tend to spout my longer thoughts on my Google+.  And they make it to blog form here: 

I’m starting to see the problem with search.  I live in the Google ecosystem with Google+, Youtube, Gmail, and the rest.

In the past week, Google unveiled some new social search features that have me worried.  Maybe it’s who I follow, but I have this issue on Google+ where my feed is full of posts by social media luminaries like Guy Kawasaki, Chris Brogan, or Leo Laporte.  They often drown out the more localized “real people” I interact with, but thanks to the new slider tools, I’m able to handle this a little more effectively.

Now with these new search features, I notice a similar effect happening.  Instead of the usual results, I see a lot with familiar faces attached, often the same names I see in my overrun Google+ feed.

While I appreciate the the social integration, I’m worried about the fishbowl effect.  If I’m constantly being fed results from within the same circles I cultivated on purpose in my social stream, this lessens my chance of stepping outside of that box.

One of the most interesting is a random search we did on Wrestling Mayhem Show for Diamond Dallas Page’s Yoga for Regular Guys.  Even before I could find the official web site, I was greeted with no less than two posts by Chris Brogan.

It’s early in the new settings, and as with everything Google, it will change as they get feedback, but still, some early flags on how I search.

A couple of weeks ago, my banner of Sorgatron Media ventured into it’s first foray in representing at a Comic Con.  We partnered with our fellow creative mind, Mulango of Mangtoons, and Dan of Comic Book Pitt with a plan.  We decided to take a shot at the cheaper Artist Alley table for some visibility for our shows like Wrestling Mayhem Show, AwesomeCast, and Dan’s show as well as for Mulango’s comic strips, Carbon Copy Squared and Buy Shack.

We wanted the presence, and we wanted content.  Dan and I received press passes and planned to cover the show in a joint efforts of our two web sites.  I needed a comic book expert to host, and he could use some video skills in the fold.  We managed to score fourteen interviews with all sorts of comic book artists and writers over the weekend (which may mean about 15 videos contributed to both our sites).  Dan was amazing in organizing the meet ups and knowing when to bother them and not to.  He was also very good on his feet, as you can see in our launch video for the series, when the power goes out two ours from the end of day three, he turns it into an observation about paper comics vs digital.  Amazing.

Courtesy Dan Greenwald

Is This a Flea Market? That’s the sort of feeling I get from something like the Steel City Con in the past when I’ve attended, and I got a little bit of it here.  Early Friday morning I walked the floor to get a look at what’s out there for our shoots later, and was fearful to get close to some booths.  I step up to just take a peak at something that catches my eye to be bombarded by the sales and deals of the weekend in a desperate plea.  We talked on AwesomeCast 47 about this at more length.  It was a big turn off, and you probably didn’t get the business you seek.  Especially since I had a press pass and mentioned I’m just scouting right now.

Interactivity.  Much like when you’re doing any other marketing, you need a call to action.  Since we were not going to sell anything, and, in fact, be giving away business cards, stickers, raffle prizes, and scores of prints of comic strips, we had a little more than displays and prices of some, yet less since we didn’t have the greatest in large art displays..  Mulango realed people in with some signs for his new buysHACK comic, including “Best Buy Sucks!” “Do you still shop at Radio Shack” “Tell me your story” to go along with his user generated idea for the comic.  I, on the other hand, knew a giant banner that said “wrestling” on it would get another sort of subset of con visitors, and both sets intermingled.  We already have ideas to make our presence even bigger because…

Size matters. Looking at the included picture, it should be revealed that we sort of started taking over our open neighboring tables that weren’t sold off.  We needed more room (and ended up getting it, by luck) But this isn’t the way to do it.  Granted, we had some sweet placement in the back of the event near Bob Hall and the kid from The Walking Dead, so our oversized banners, signs, and video playback had a lot of chance to get noticed.  For the next venture, we have plans to go bigger and better.

Actually, sir, I'm a member if The Press...

It’s a tight and awesome community…but not… Filming the interviews over the weekend, I had a first hand look at the true nature of the show, and the artists that are the true lifeblood.  What they see in the con, why they’ve come for 5, 10, 15 years…and why maybe it’s not so great anymore.  The comic book world is certainly in some form of transition with the move to digital for some, and greater accessibility for artists to reach out to fans and get noticed.  No longstanding community is going to be perfect, and without anyone talking up the glory days, but I’m glad to be a small part of this one from an “outsider’s” (not a comic creator.  Heck, not being much of a drawer).

What’s next? This was the trial run for us to test things, see if this was a good angle for getting the word out there for our respective projects to get readers, viewers, listeners, and build a community into something really cool.  We have a few select cons on the posible list, but are almost certain we will be returning in a hear to Pittsburgh’s.

Oh, and editing all of those great interviews!  Check our initial Wrap up video here!

Way back in about 2000, maybe 2001, my friend had a crazy love for all things football.  this was something that led to his love for Arena Football.  He sold me on a trip to Grand Rapids to see the Rampage play.  This was coupled with a trip across Canada to the Falls and back home, making a trip out of it.  We did this twice.  I became a passing fan of the sport.  Attended another one years later when the same friends moved close to the Ohio Valley Greyhounds to catch a game there with a smaller league.  I knew from his and Wikipedia’s history lessons of Arena Football that Pittsburgh had the very first AFL Champions, and always hoped they would return.

I was ecstatic to hear we were finally getting the Pittsburgh Power this season.  Not that I’m crazy about the name, but I’m sure it’ll grow on me.  Chachi picked up tickets to the inaugural game, so it was on.

To begin the night, some organization snafus spoiled the night’s start for some. LiveingSocial had a deal for tickets. But you could only redeem them at one window, causing some to wait for 45 minutes, and well into the game in some cases. Aside from that, they closed the lower American Eagle (blech) entrance, forcing a mass of people to the Trib entrance, making another mess of things. The tickets for general admission are first come first serve, and seem to be open to most, if not all, of the upper seating area, which is plenty perfect for a view of the game from anywhere. Already people were sporting Pittsburgh Power jerseys and t-shirts. There was even a Power Man super hero that was walking around and got featured on the big screen!

It was the general feeling that most had no experience of Arena Football before this. For most, it seemed to resonate the Ginny’s That’sChurch.com posting first pegging the XFL in relation. A misnomer for most since this AFL has existed for over 20 years (sans that year they sort of folded and relaunched.)   But it is sort of the best relation on a national stage.  I was surprised to hear a familiar voice screeching on the mic in Bubba the Bulldog of The Fan, and more personally, filmed doing the same yells at IWC for one of my part time gigs, doing the in-arena announcing throughout the game.  Mullens and The Fan plugs in tow.

Already, the sport was Yinzer-ized.  Duquesne alum Joshua Rue, who fast was greeted with a low “RUUEEE” just as we have “Heath” in our Steelers games.  Twitterers and other watchers started debating the yinzer version of Power “Let’s go see the Picksburg Pahr!”

By the second half, Chachi was hooked.

And he’s not the only one…

On Shireman’s point, you have to admit, this isn’t NFL football, and I think that cheaper option is the appeal.  At one point of the game, I turned to Chachi and mentioned “if this was a Steeler game, we’d be broker, cold, and not able to see nearly as well the action from the nosebleeds”.

A tradition I knew from the old Rampage days, was after the game when the team and cheerleaders were on the field, and it was open to the crowd for meet and greets and autographs.  I was more than pleased to see that that AFL tradition continues.  Here’s a video of that experience, including Chachi meeting his new favorite player, Mike “Joystick” Washington, and Woycheck doing some field work for ThatsChurch.net.

Aside from the opening snafus, I haven’t heard a negative things since that game on Friday, and most are talking about going back just like Chachi is above.  Here’s to the Pittsburgh Power.   And here’s hoping they last longer than their predecessor.

Sometimes, In a rare instance, I’m pleased to look at what we’re building at SorgatronMedia.com and realize that, on the fornt page, it looks like an honest to goodness “content network”.  We have so many irons in the fire right now, and it’s only going to grow.
SM Special: Doug Bradley Interview
This was fun.  finally, the Toonseum footage was unveiled.  Mulango really did a good job for not really ever seeing Hellraiser.  And we did get a tip from one of the other patrons of the night to ask about the new Hellraiser.  Mulango went into Football, and his disdain for it, soccor, and a little bit of what he’s working on.

Proof of the awesome stuff that can happen just for getting off the couch.

My only hangup with the interview was that Doug was a little slow and methodical to his answering.  Nothing to bad, but I stretched for ways to keep it a little peppier.  It’s a great interview either way.

AwesomeCast 41: Naughty Droid

I’m still on the couch.  Along this time.  The fun part of this episode was Chachi happening to still be on call for his IT day job.  A problem since he was running the switcher.  Awkward, but one of those “realism” spots to a live to tape Podcast like I like to run.

Mulango came back, which is always welcome.  We’re working on some promotional stuff with him, and as always, his comic now at carboncopiedsquared.com

Wrestling Mayhem Show 260: They Call Him Boom Boom

Jake Garrett is an independent wrestler from the area that I see socializing everywhere I work these days.  Didn’t matter how awesome or less than awesome of a promotion I thought it was, he was there.  I’ve engaged in some good conversation about said indy scene for a while now, and when doing so probably around January, I stopped mid conversation and said “why the hell aren’t we having this talk on the show?  To which I made sure to note to myself to schedule him for a future shot.  He was real great to have a frank discussion, without the hate that some workers seem to steam of, about the indies and even the big television.  Jake was great enough to hang out with us going through the news of the week after our getting to know him session, and we made sure to give him a chance to plug his countingthelights.com

Chachi Says 25: It’s a Scary World Out There…

Chachi made an episode out of one tweet, and the causing situation, out of his endeavor to play 1,001 games via his blog (which has just been revamped and moved at www.ChachiSays.net).  The man has become a machine in blogging.  I’m still trying to find my ultimate muse on this one that he seems to make look easy with his gaming obsessions.

Music Funtime Show 36

Part laziness.  Part busyness.  All because I really dug most of this new Noncents Vol. 17 album at Scrub Club Records.  

“Have Fun.  Make Money!”

It was a saying that I’d often hear as I left the house in Jamestown, PA as I ventured off in my early “career” as a bus boy at the local country club, or more necessarily, waiting at a Perkins on the weekends while commuting to my first quarter at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.  This was a period when I wasn’t all that excited about my job.  Customer service is hard.  And I was very much still developing my people skills.

But still, that was a phrase that resonated with my from my Dad.  As I continued to find myself in work that didn’t quite excite me, or felt like where I wanted to be.  I’d do my best to have fun, whether it be with my co-workers in the office, or making a game of the monotonous work.  But then I looked at it another way.  Maybe I didn’t have to struggle to counter the “job suffering” everyone thinks we are entitled to until retirement.

Have fun AND make money.

I made a choice back in August to change my work to grow a bit more.  Thankfully, my employer went for it along with me.  (along with some suggestions on how it could actually help the company.  Yes, my not being here helps the company.  Trust me.  It makes more sense then it sounds.)  Now, while still working a few days a week as a safety training “Video Specialist and Technologist”, I also have a a job helping with social media and new media oppurtunities, including, oddly enough, a print magazine, as a Director of Web Media.  Aside from this, I have the openess to obtain gigs shooting pro wrestling, Democratic debates, edit activism videos, assist with a web series, and continue with my attempt to build a media empire on the side.  I transition from videography, editing, and juggling social media on a daily basis.  I’m busier than I’ve ever found myself in my life. And no matter how busy…

I’m having a blast doing it. Every day.

While it’s been hard to strike that balance to find the work that pays the bills, as long as that’s accomplished, what more could you want?

Are you having fun yet?

So, I’ve been a bit of a social butterfly in the last ten years, gaining lists of friends from all walks of life that just love to chat.  I love the community and the socialness of it all.  When there’s something to converse about.

And you’ve all had this conversation…

Them: Hey man

Me: Sup

Them: Not much

And that’s it.

I mean, I think I know what’s happening here.  This is someone’s attempt to reach out.  But lets put this in a group setting.

Fellow walks up to me at, say, the Podcamp Pittsburgh meet n greet as I’m obviously engaged in gathering some delicious free snacks.

Them: Hey man

Me: Sup

Them: Not much

Awkward moment.  I go back to my snacks.

So this is a PSA to all of you Facebook and IM chatters out there.  Don’t be a Hey Man.  Have a followup.  Have a reason for being (online).  Give me a reason to put the free snacks down…

Chachi Says 11: Fan Request 2

Chachi returns to his fan request concept, and continues with the next week’s.  He’s really building a real interactive community.  We’re going to have some fun working with that here in the near future.

AwesomeCast 26: The Slaughterhouse

From all of the crazy reorganized scheduling from this week’s Baristas shoot, we managed to find time Tuesday to film AwesomeCast on location at Rob’s place.  I’m really enjoying the experiments we’ve had with this show’s setup.  A laptop running my trusty BoinxTV, and my Panasonic patching in firewire and the shotgun mic.  An easy 2 camera setup.

I’m looking forward to our next few lined up guests, and some fun in studio stuff.

Wrestling Mayhem Show 245: Deeeeelicious Chesty

And speaking of in studio, you can’t have a bad show with our favorite local indy guest Jimmy Demarco.  We were supposed to do this Sunday, but had to back this up to Thursday due to some unavoidable issues.  But we had a great hour and a half with Jimmy and Chest Flexor.  The fans were alive in the chat, despite the recording date move, and the questions pored in throughout the week leading up.  Jimmy lost his career ending match Saturday night, but I hope that doesn’t keep him from stopping by to have some fun on the show.

Music Funtime Show 26: Paul Hammond

Dr. Espling really stepped up our show quality this week.  He moved his segment from an audio setup to video to suite our expansion to YouTube and Blip.tv and stepped things up.  No I have to work on the rest of the show to keep up with what he’s submitting.  Only leads to great things.  Also part two of my interviews at TrackAddict Records with my old friend Paul Hammond.

With the whole crazy schedule, I didn’t get a chance to do our wrap up video, so I decided to throw something together when Chachi was over tonight doing this week’s Chachi Says.  Look for that late Monday.