ThreeParts » Video

GodTube becomes Tangle

John — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:37:41 +0000

A few weeks ago, I was tipped off by YouthMinistryGeek (who recently got a nice redesign) that GodTube, the Christian online video service that raised 30 million dollars in funding last year, would soon be changing its name. After watching a funny video by the Skit Guys, which formally let users know of the upcoming change, I was intrigued at what was to come.

Sure enough, I pulled up GodTube.com today only to be redirected to Tangle, the new version of the site, including a redesign to go along with it. The site now offers not only video sharing – but blogs, photos, music (band pages), playlists, and more. It essence, it’s now a Christian version of MySpace.

I must admit, I’m always skeptical when Christians take ideas that have already been done well by someone else and make the faith-based. However, if it’s going to be done, it must be done well. And given the funding that the service received, it looks like they have put the time and resources into doing it well. What do you think about it?

Wordpress.tv Launches: Your Visual Resource for All Things WordPress

John — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:45:50 +0000

Anyone who has heard me speak knows I’m huge advocate of using Wordpress in ministry. Well, this somehow slipped by me last week, but Wordpress.tv launched on January 17, and it looks like an excellent resource for those of you who use Wordpress on a regular basis. The premise of the site, as the domain may suggest, is to give Wordpress users a visual way of solving their problems and answering their questions.

Anyone looking for a quick way to find video tutorials applicable to their situation should visit the How-To page to find a list of topics including:

…and more. The layout of each video page is reminiscent of Hulu. You can’t post your comments and questions below each video and let the Wordpress community respond. Looks like a great idea, and a site that I will use for learning how to do new things with an old tool.

Friday Video: I Am a Video Game Addict

John — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:14:50 +0000

This video tells a very intriguing and visual story about the emotional aspect of video games. It’s a little lengthy, but definitely worth the watch. It was first shown during this TED Talks event by David Perry.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Friday Video: A Christmas Greeting

John — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:54:59 +0000

Since my last post talks up the service animoto provides, I thought it would be great to show you what it can do here on ThreeParts. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Much thanks to Relient K, one of Meredith’s clients, for the soundtrack.

Animoto: A Great Solution for Youth Group Videos and Christmas Greetings

John — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:28:40 +0000

I found a link to animoto via Tim Schmoyer’s blog last week. It’s a great service that allows you to upload pictures and music and automatically create a video greeting for friends and family. Not only is this a great solution for creating youth group videos, but a nice, professional, budget friendly alternative to Christmas cards! Here’s the low-down.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Friday Video: Senior Adult Choir Hip Hop

John — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:22:21 +0000

Enjoy – and share it with your students!

Click here to view the embedded video.

A Great Comparison of Mini HD Camcorders

John — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:04:26 +0000

I’ve seen a lot of youth workers talking about mini HD camcorders in the blogosphere and on Twitter lately. These cameras (HD or not) have so many applications from a youth ministry perspective that it’d be hard to outline them all. From video podcasts to youth group announcements, the small size and usability of the devices for these things trumps your average camcorder in seconds. The Flip MinoHD seems to being getting the most attention out of them all. In an effort to see if this attention is warranted, I did little research. While the majority of my research was limited to Amazon.com user ratings and reviews, nothing proved to me which mini HD model was the best. It took me venturing out to Vimeo before I found something truly valuable to help me compare two models. The video below puts video from the Flip MinoHD side-by-side with video from the Kodak Zi6 Mini HD camcorder, with sound. Watch, listen and enjoy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Based on this video, I don’t believe the winner is the MinoHD. The sound and color on the Zi6 is much better. I’m still waiting to see a side-by-side comparison of the VadoHD with the Zi6 before I make my final decision on which I think is best.