On any normal Gootube page, you see the video and then comments below it (if any). On CBS videos, however, you don’t get to see the comments. You only see the links to the pages where the comments are supposed to be. Clicking them reveals more EMPTY pages of comments.

The only way to see comments on CBS videos is to click “View All XXX comments”. This is really odd considering I was able to read GREAT comments about Craig Ferguson’s show only a few days ago.

It looks like the comments war has been ranging for a few months already. Here’s the excerp from the NY Times:

CBS began moving and filtering comments on some videos in mid-October, shortly after announcing its licensing agreement with YouTube, in order to remove “profane, unconstructive criticism,” and off-topic political vitriol, said Quincy Smith, the president of CBS Interactive. To many users of sites like YouTube, of course, being profane, unconstructive, off-topic and vitriolic is the point.

All I can say as a Youtube regular, the new pages are butt-ugly. Now, that’s a profane comment CBS would probably want removed.

Tags: CMG, directors, google, show, user generated content, youtube

CMG, directors, google, show, user generated content, youtube

There’s little need for an elaborate argument. Just check out the Most Viewed and Highest Rated pages. The most viewed video of all time is The Evolution of Dance which is OK but once you look at the rest of the “countdown”, you will start questioning the other user’s taste and … sanity.

In short, a very high number of views means the video appeals to the LCD (lowest common denominator) crowd. The ratings are a better indicator of the quality of the video but only marginally so. They suffer from the LCD syndrom too.

This isn’t to say there are NO hits on Youtube. On the contrary, shows like Ask A Ninja or Chad Vader are very good.

My point is that most good shows are good because they are unique. You can’t see them on TV. The reason you can’t is because they are cater to a niche audience. Today I saw an amazing extreme snowboard video. It will never get 36 million views or 50,000+ ratings. Within its niche, however, it’s amazing.

Tags: CMG, directors, google, show, user generated content, youtube

CMG, directors, google, show, user generated content, youtube

The video has received more than 35 million views so far and continues to grow. Unlike LonelyGirl15, there’s no trick here. They guy’s is no Numa Numa.

Tags: CMG, directors, show, streaming, UGC, user generated content, youtube

CMG, directors, show, streaming, UGC, user generated content, youtube

The guys behind popular DIY shows (like Ask a Ninja or Chad Vader), demand bigger dressing rooms, better microphones… See the whole list of demands:

If you have trouble with Mark’s Scottish accent, I suggest you rent Trainspotting. Do get the version with subtitles!

Tags: CMG, directors, google, show, user generated content, youtube

CMG, directors, google, show, user generated content, youtube

I just saw this announcement from the creators, it provides a peek behind the scenes of a show like that.

It’s a relief to see that some of the so-called Youtube Directors are actually directors, who think in terms of pre-production, script, etc. The prevalent notion is that user-generated content is a phenomenon similar to entropy, only with a reversed electric charge.

Tags: CMG, directors, show, streaming, UFC, user generated content, youtube

CMG, directors, show, streaming, UFC, user generated content, youtube

I recently came back and saw one of the new ones – Minjas. Actually, this show was kind of funny. There’s hope.

Since that episode, Ask a Ninja started putting ads in the episodes. And why shouldn’t they? According to Youtube, Minjas was seen a record 470,000 times!

Tags: CMG, directors, ninja, show, streaming, youtube

CMG, directors, ninja, show, streaming, youtube

There’s no doubt some of these are REAL directors. The director logo, however, raises the bar somewhat in terms of expectations. I expect these are people who have something to say or at the very least have a basic understanding of how to shoot video.

The guy on the right, does a few thing wrong (no pun intended). His composition is off – his head exits the frame. The exposure is so-so. Worst of all, as he was moving (not obvious on the screen cap), his shadow was moving on the background as well. He should’ve left more space between him and the background, or even better, used a background light.

I do understand the caveats of user-generated content. As Will Wright of The Sims put it: “We knew 95% of the creations will be junk.”

At the same time, I don’t think it’s that hard to keep your head in the frame. Learning about four-point lighting isn’t that hard either.

Tags: composition, content, directors, exposure, lighting, video, youtube

composition, content, directors, exposure, lighting, video, youtube