Mantic59's Shaving Blog

Love YouTube Hate YouTube

2008-08-14T12:42:00.006-05:00

For all of YouTube's..."issues"...they're still the thousand pound gorilla of the video world. Here's a graph of viewership for one of my videos, courtesy of Tubemogul.

(Sorry I can't resize the chart to get it all in, but you get the idea. YT is the blue line.)

"Portable" Videos?

2008-08-13T14:02:00.002-05:00

I discovered that the video editor I'm now using can render iPod and Sony PSP compatible files. I've been asked about video iPod versions on occasion but that was a while back. Is there any value to offering these options?

You Saw It Here First!

2008-08-11T09:53:00.003-05:00

It's time to come out of hiatus. This "episode" will be on the video sharing sites (YouTube, Metacafe, Revver, etc.) shortly (in hi-res where available)....

Follow-Up

2008-08-04T15:56:00.004-05:00

I have the scoop on the YouTube Partners revenue sharing program now. Its pretty restrictive: only a few of my videos qualify for it in the first place. Sharing percentages are kind of measly.

Meh.

I may put a few videos on it just to see what happens but its certainly not the Big Deal I thought it was going to be. Nothing to see here. Move along, citizen....

Biting the Bullet

2008-08-04T14:11:00.002-05:00

OK, I finally did it. I went ahead with signing up for YouTube's "partners" program. That means ads of some kind in my YouTube shaving videos. I'm not sure how much control I'll have over it, as I won't have the details until I'm officially accepted into the program. But since they invited me to join, I assume the acceptance is a formality.

Why join? Well, according the the stats I've been getting with my Tubemogul usage, YouTube is far and away the site with the most views--too many to ignore.

And if I can make some money from them I can plow it back into making my videos better and better. However I am sensitive to those who might think that I'm "selling out" so I'm going to change my forum sigs to point to Sclipo, which has been my 2nd choice for some time (the other services mentioned in the "What This Blog's About" on the top-right of this page don't carry the full set) and doesn't run ads on the video.

New Toy!

2008-07-31T12:08:00.000-05:00

I finally pulled the trigger on a new video camera yesterday. I had been doing some research and narrowed down what I wanted (and could afford!) when I happened across a Canon HV20 at a local electronics retailer. The '20 is "last year's model" and I picked it up for half the price of this year's version (the HV30).

From the reviews I've read (here's camcorderinfo's) it looks like its just what I need: a tape-based camera (yeah, I'm old-school that way) that has a close-up video light, an accessory shoe, an external mic input, and very good low-light capabilities. I really hope this will give the "live" segments of my videos a much better look (and sound!). Combined with the updgraded production tools I recently bought, it could really raise my shaving videos to the next level!

Knol?

2008-07-29T09:07:00.003-05:00

OK, so the mighty Google has created Knol. From the description:

Blogs are great for quickly and easily getting your latest writing out to your readers, while knols are better for when you want to write an authoritative article on a single topic. The tone is more formal, and, while it's easy to update the content and keep it fresh, knols aren't designed for continuously posting new content or threading. Know how to fix a leaky toilet, but don't want to write a blog about fixing up your house? In that case, Knol is for you.

Sounds like something I should consider. Comments? Convenient poll to the right.

Re-Thinking The Concept

2008-07-25T17:23:00.001-05:00

I've received a lot of good feedback (blog comments and off-blog emails) about the teasers I've posted for my next video. As I half-expected, most of it has centered around "greeking" (obfuscating) specific product names. Pro and semi-pro videographers who have kept an eye on my progress (thanks, guys!) have all said that I need to do it for liability and possible future paid project purposes. Not suprisingly, a lot of the feedback from newbie shavers have said they would really like to know about specific products, good and bad.

Another, somewhat unexpected, issue that came up was narration style. The pro's say that I should narrate/demonstrate on-camera unless its a very short segment, for which off-camera narration would be OK. In the past, on-camera narration has been a dicey situation for me because of audio issues: bluntly, the pickup of the on-board microphone in my camcorder sucks for anything more than a foot or so away. I've recorded off-camera narration into my PC with my video editing software, which sounds a lot better (its easier to "clean up" and re-time narration too).

So I admit I've been in a bit of a conundrum. Happily, my recent trip to Las Vegas may have given me at least a partial solution. I actually came out "ahead" at the tables. Not "big money" mind you, but enough for me to think about getting a second camcorder--one with a microphone input and a close-up light. This could (hopefully) solve the narration problem: I could do more on-camera work using a lapel mic.

As for the "greeking" I admit I'm leaning towards going back to "naming names." Maybe a compromise by keeping the brands obfuscated on the video but listing them as keywords in the video description and leading viewers here for more information. I think I'll post a poll....

Clarification

2008-07-21T17:05:00.001-05:00

Thanks for the comments regarding the obfuscation of brand names in the video I'm currently working on. Here's my thinking behind it.

First, although it doesn't happen often, I do sometimes get feedback that I'm "pushing" a particular brand or vendor in a video. So I took some inspiration from my favorite "instructional" show, Food TV's "Good Eats" (I think Alton Brown is terrific!), and "Greeked" the brand names.

On the other hand, I plan to add a short comment at the end of the video directing viewers to this blog for a lot more information. I'll have a special "landing page" set up just for that video with relevant links for the major portions of the video (I may also put some key brand names as keywords in the video; haven't decided that yet). It also gives me a chance to "monetize" the video without having to lose control of the process (in other words, ads that I select may appear in the blog page instead of ads that I may have little or no control over appearing on the video).

I think this will be my most "professional-looking" video yet and I want the ability for it to not only look good by itself but also have it be a "springboard" for all sorts of information--and possibly advertising--too.

Bear in mind this is in the nature of an experiment. If it falls flat I'll just go back to what I was doing, only with a more polished look.

Another "Sneak Peak!"

2008-07-11T10:47:00.007-05:00

Since I'll be gone next week I'm going to leave you with another "sneak peak" of my next video. I've been learning the ins-and-outs of the new video production tools I'm using for this video, particularly Sony Vegas (editor) and Digital Juice (video and audio effects), and I'm really excited over the possibilities. The DJ stuff is particularly cool, and their website has a ton of really good tutorials and "inspiration" videos. Here's the almost-complete "Tools" segment of the video, so you can compare it to a previous post. It's been fun! I still have to finish the bit on shave brushes, and re-do a little of the narration. Note that I had to compress the video a fair bit to upload to Blogger so there are more video artifacts and audio distortion than I'd like, but they'll be gone when I render and upload the final product to the various video sharing sites (YouTube, Sclipo, Revver, etc.).

[As I writing this post and uploading the video, I see that Blogger has increased their max file size from 20MB to 100MB, so I didn't have to compress the video after all. But I don't think I'll have the time to re-render the video before I leave for my trip so I'm going ahead with this version. I also see that there's about 30 seconds of black at the end. I have no idea why.]

Another "Teaser" For My Next Video

2008-07-02T22:05:00.003-05:00

Here's the first minute of the next segment for the video I'm working on ("How To Shave Cheaply...and Well!"). What do you think so far? Too much "cutesy" production values (over-produced/edited)? Visuals appropriate? Should I be on-camera talking or is off-camera narration OK with you?

A "Teaser" For My Next Video!

2008-06-25T12:14:00.005-05:00

It has been a while since I released a shaving video, as some of my fans remind me on occassion. It's true: "real life" and some other commitments have taken me away from my little hobby. However, I have not "hung it up" just yet! In fact, over the last few months I have modestly upgraded my video production capability, moving from Windows Movie Maker to Sony Vegas for editing, adding some production tools from Digital Juice, iStockphoto, Motionloops, and Footage Firm, and getting some "task lights" to (hopefully!) improve the look of my "bathroom video." My next upgrade will be a better video camera (one with a seperate microphone input and an accessory shoe) but that's a pretty major purchase so its going to be a while! I just finished the introduction segment for my next video and I thought I would share it with you here (note that this is my first video upload to blogspot so please excuse any technical/resolution weirdness). What do you think? Please let me know your thoughts!

Side? Direction?

2008-06-10T11:11:00.004-05:00

Hey mantic, I was wondering if it matters which side of your face you shave first, and if it affects the thickness of hair on that part of your face. I always shave the right side of my face first, but i'm noticing that the hair on that side is thicker (upper cheek) than the left side.You think it's just the way my facial hair grows? Or should I alternate which side of the face I shave? Thanks mantic :)

Some say that you should save the "toughest" part of the beard for last, to get maximum softening from the lather. But I haven't noticed any difference (at least on my face). I think its just the way your facial hair grows, but try alternating to see what happens!

Simpsons

2008-06-05T12:28:00.000-05:00

Scuttlebutt around the shaving discussion boards indicate that Simpson, the venerable high-end shaving brush manufacturer, has been sold to Vulfix, another shaving brush manufacturer. I can't say as I'm suprised: Simpson's quality and customer service has been...uneven...over the last couple of years and they dropped their Coates line of excellent shaving cream some years ago as well (their Tea Tree shaving cream was one of my all-time favorites).

(Image courtesy of Em's Place.)

YouTube Video Annotations!

2008-06-04T11:21:00.002-05:00

YouTube has beta'd a new feature, video annotations! A few other video sharing sites have this as well, but since the bulk of my videos are seen at YouTube, I find this to be an incredibly useful feature. I can now update information on a video without having to re-edit and re-upload a new video. I had been reluctant to do this, particularly on my first 3 videos, because they're linked to from major sites such as Digg, Life Hacker, Metafilter, and Dr. Mercola.

One MILLION Views!

2008-05-26T22:23:00.002-05:00

My Youtube channel just cracked the 1,000,000 total views mark! It must have tripped a metric somewhere too, as I got an email inviting me into the Youtube "Partner" program (e.g. sharing revenue off of in-video ads). Tempting in concept but I can't find any real information on it, like how much I can control the ad content and just how much I can "earn" off it.

Shaving Brush Care

2008-05-14T14:55:00.000-05:00

"I was wondering what one needs to do for brush care. I have seen stands where the brush hangs with the hair down. I have seen brushes sitting on the counter with the hair up. What is best? Do you need to dry the brush as much as possible after each use or can you just rinse and leave it?"

Yes, I am planning brush (and razor) care video. For a brush, basically just rinse well with warm water, give it a gentle squeeze (bristles downward), a quick shake, then rub the bristles gently on a dry towel. You may have to "fluff" it a bit so the hair doesn't stick together. How you place the brush depends on the brand: some prefer bristles up, others down. If the manufacturer does not say, you can set it either way. Just be sure NOT to store it in a closed, air-tight cabinet--it should have some air circulation to dry.

Vegas, Baby!

2008-05-11T17:29:00.001-05:00

My wife and I are in Las Vegas for our wedding anniversary (ahhh, the joys of Blogger's new "schedule ahead" feature)! It is also the "anniversary" of me discovering traditional shaving. In 2004 my wife had seen a (I think) Discovery Channel feature about 'Vegas Luxuries' which included a short segment on old-style barber shaves at Art of Shaving's store at Mandalay Place. My wife adores my freshly-shaven face but was never satisfied with the shave I got with the electric razor I had been using for years (I never really thought about it myself; zip zip, two minutes and I was out the door), so when we went back to Vegas for a wedding anniversary she bought me a shave at AOS as a present.

We were both absolutely blown away with the results: the smoothest, most comfortable shave I ever had. I didn't have to shave again for two days! The salesmen at AOS tried to sell me their whole line of product--which I was very tempted to buy!--but my wife's level-headedness prevailed, saying I could do more research when we got home. And research it I did! However, in 2004 there were far fewer resources than there are now: one forum (the old MSN Wetshavers forum, now defunct) and a handful of commercial websites. But I learned and grew along with the fledgling "hobby." It is hard to believe it has only been four years! It is even more hard to believe I am considered an "authority" (*cough!*) on the subject by some (even though there are many with much more experience than I).

(By the way, Truefitt & Hill has a store with barber/shaving services in Las Vegas, at Caesar's Palace's shopping forum. I hear that Bellagio, Caesar's, and Wynn have good barbers as well; I am going to try to check them out during our vacation (remember I am creating this posting ahead of time).

Adam's Apple?

2008-05-08T11:11:00.000-05:00

"Thanks for the videos, they are very helpful. I just have two questions for you. First of all I grow facial hair like an ape apparently, so hair grows all the way to the base of my neck (which I like to shave off). I always get redness and irritation inferior temporal to my adam's apple. When I use a DE I hack the heck out of my neck down there. Any advice?

Also, I've been using a Merkur HD and I was curious how tight I should screw the top on? Should the blade bow when it is tightened? Thanks for the help!"

For the adam's apple, try swallowing and "holding" the swallow. You won't be able to really hold it of course, but it will briefly flattent the area enough to get a decent stroke through it. For the Merkur DE, screw the top all the way down. Yes, it will bow the blade slightly; its designed to do that (you should see how it bows the Merkur Progress!).

Aftershaves?

2008-05-06T23:23:00.000-05:00

"What is the point of aftershave other than smelling good? Is it
necessary to the traditional shave? I havn't picked any up yet wasn't sure
if I needed it."

The purpose of aftershave is to provide some combination (depending on the product) of protecting, moisturizing (actually retaining moisture), and toning the skin. If you'll be "out in the weather" you'll want something that does more protecting (remember, you've just shaved off a microscopic layer of skin along with your whiskers). If you're in an office with the A/C running all day maybe you'd want something with more moisturizing properties.

April Metrics

2008-05-06T17:07:00.000-05:00

Here is a summary of forum discussions I found interesting or relevant for April:
What is a "weeper?"
Water conservation
Inconsistant results
Scrub before shave?
Dealing with rash & Ingrowns
Shaving with hard water
Preference vs. performance
Fan or bulb brush?
Is talc useful?
How long does it take you to shave?
Blade angle
Advice for those starting out
Optimum size for a shaving brush?

And here are some April summary metrics for this blog:

Average Feed Subscribers: 95
Average Hits/Day: 629
Top Visitor Locations:

United States
United Kingdom
Canada
Sweden
Norway
Australia
Germany
Greece
Italy
Netherlands

Most Popular Postings:

Revver Test
No More CO Bigelow (Proraso) at Bath & Body Works?
Cheap Blades?
Soaps Vs. Creams?
YouTube
January Internet Discussion Summary
Video On The Web
Production Notes for "Intro to Method Shaving Pt. 2"

Top Referring Domains:

www.youtube.com (by far!)
www.google.com
leisureguy.wordpress.com
www.blogger.com
www.shavemyface.com
www.badgerandblade.com
uk.youtube.com

Video On The Web

2008-05-05T10:08:00.004-05:00

The Online Video Watch blog has a good summary of an interesting keynote address at IAB by CBS Interactive's president, Quincy Smith.

Blade Numbers?

2008-05-02T13:07:00.001-05:00

"I use double edge blades made by derby and gilette. They both have
markings, i.e. 1,2,3,4 and L,R on their sides. Does this mean you can reverse
the blade for a longer durability?"

In my experience flipping the blade around doesn't have an effect on durability. I have no idea why the numbers are there.

No More CO Bigelow (Proraso) at Bath & Body Works?

2008-05-01T17:35:00.000-05:00

According to this posting on Badgerandblade, Bath & Body Works may discontinue (or may have already discontinued) their CO Bigelow line of shaving creams (which was really re-branded Proraso). How annoying.

Soaps Vs. Creams?

2008-04-30T17:04:00.000-05:00

"Shaving soap versus shaving cream...what's the real difference? And the tube
cream versus the cream in a container...same company same cream?"

The answer to your question about the difference between traditional shaving soaps and traditional shaving creams can take several paths. Obviously, soaps are hard and creams are softer :) . Soaps generally produce a slightly closer shave while creams generally give a little more "cushion." Some say soaps work better in warm weather and creams better in cold, but I think the difference, if there is one, is very subtle. Creams usually have a stronger fragrance than soaps. But it all boils down to personal preference. I have both soaps and creams in my cabinet. And yes, cream in a tube and cream in a tub is the same product.