I got ambushed! John P and I were out for lunch and he decided to bring Dave Curlee to shoot a Rapid Fire Q&A with me.
Turns out, the guys over at Domain.com were behind this whole scheme! You guys know they’ve been supporting GeekBeat.TV for a while now (thanks for that!). And tons of you have bought your domains from them. One of the things I love about the Domain.com team is how fun they are!
Two things I want to point out:
- I didn’t have enough time to give complete answers! I guess that’s the whole point behind “rapid fire”. Now I know how Gary Shapiro feels. But I’ve fixed that by putting my answers below! 🙂
- John asked me a series of questions that YOU GUYS asked him to ask. Sneaky, sneaky! You’ll have to watch the video for those answers!
How did you get started with this whole video podcasting fad?
Back in 2005, when video podcasting was just getting started, the geek in me had to learn about it! The potential of this new form of communication was obvious and I embraced it wholeheartedly. I was lucky! 5 months later, it was a full time job for me.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
There are a few things.
- I love that it’s never the same! Technology and the world of new media is always changing, so day to day, exciting new things are happening.
- The mixture of getting to be creative with production AND deal with the business side is thrilling! And all in the same day… stressful, yes, but challenging. And I can’t live life without challenges!
- Getting to meet and interact with our viewers makes what we do worth it. I’m super thankful for everyone who watches, so when I get to put a face to the name I see in comments every day, it’s super cool!
What advice do you have for people who’d like to be like you?
First: just get started. Put a plan together. Shoot it and get it out the door. You’re going to be bad at first, but you have to be willing to constantly push to get better. Better in terms of delivery and better in terms of the equipment you’re using. Better all around. Never settle for the quality level you’re at, but don’t let it stop you from producing it.
Also… it’s hard work! Be ready to work harder than any of your friends and family.
How much time and planning does it take to film each episode of GeekBeat.TV?
When we first started in 2005, it took up to 12 hours to produce an entire episode. Now, it can be done in 4 or 5 hours, from research to uploading.
Why did you decide to use .TV for the domain?
We produce video. The .tv domain just made sense!
What are the advantages of having a .TV?
There are more possibilities to securing the name you want! And it immediately gets the point across about who you are – video! Visual content.
Do you use WordPress hosting on your website with .TV domain name, and if so why?
Absolutely! WordPress lets us focus on the content, and not have to worry about administration. It allows us to have 50 different authors contributing content all the time! So when you visit GeekBeat.TV there’s always something new and fresh.
What’s your favorite movie?
I don’t watch a lot of movies. I’m not sure I have a favorite, but I’ll always watch 5th Element. And the new Star Trek. Oh… and Elf!
What do you watch? What’s your favorite podcast other than Geek Beat?
It’s really difficult to watch other shows when we’re all so busy making content! But of course I love my friends and try to catch up as I can with Chris Pirillo, Leo Laporte, Soldier Knows Best, Techno Buffalo…
What did you have for breakfast?
I didn’t eat breakfast. I know I should! I just don’t get hungry until around 10am at the earliest.
Do you drink coffee?
Bacon-flavored coffee – absolutely! 🙂
Finally getting caught up on GeekBeat videos and episodes and I just had to say that I love this one! Love it! I love the mixture of business and personal. It has good advice and humor.
Can you do a rapid fire interview with each of your team members?
See why I named my dog Bacon? She would accompany Cali on a deserted island!
LOL!
Martha, Cali might get confused and eat her with a name like that. And that’s one good looking retriever.
My Q is; how do you do shoots like this in public places? I’m guessing you pick a quiet area, and you’re well prepared in advance, but you must get permission before rolling yes? “B”
Well, for this particular one, we were at Joe’s Italian Cafe. They’re our next door neighbors and let us shoot any time we want.
For other shoots, yes we ask for permission before hand. I’ve only been told no a couple times out of hundreds of attempts. As long as you’re not disrupting their customers, they don’t mind. And plus, I’ll usually buy a cup of coffee or something to thank them.
Here’s the most important question of all, how’s the Alfredo there?
Well I’d never turn you down, who would do that? Shame on them…….
The open environment remote shoot I loved most was when you were sitting on the floor in the supermarket eating the chocolate & didn’t want to leave, I laughed so hard some hair grew back 😉 Could you post that link again please, I couldn’t find it!!! “B”