Not too long ago, one of our less than supportive friends (hard to believe but true), was asking ‘what happened to all the VJs from 5Takes? Are they working’.
Well, strangely enough, yesterday, I ran in to Francisco Aliwalas, ‘one of the VJs’, who is now VJ-ing (if there is such a word) for The New York Post. Yes, the newspaper.
Newspapers, it seems, are fast moving into video.
No surprise there.
I don’t know if you’ve ever read the Post, it’s a Murdoch paper, and New York’s number one tabloid.
Here’s Francisco’s most recent video.
(note: the Post has Francisco pass around a stick mic with a flag. These are not on-air reporters (but you’ll figure that one out soon enough yourself)
[Youtube=<object width=”425″ height=”344″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/_LV6MtZIR8o&hl=en&fs=1″></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/_LV6MtZIR8o&hl=en&fs=1″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”425″ height=”344″></embed></object>]
13 Comments
How to Get Six Pack Fast April 15, 2009
The topic is quite trendy on the Internet right now. What do you pay attention to when choosing what to write ?
Royce November 27, 2008
A fantastic site, and brilliant effort. A great piece of work.,
Tyreek November 27, 2008
A fantastic site, and brilliant effort. A great piece of work.,
Thaddeus November 04, 2008
At you the excellent site, a lot of useful info and good design, thank.,
Cliff Etzel July 05, 2008
Chris Weaver said:
LOL – far from it Chris. My best friend of 30 years would disagree with you on that accusation.
I see stories like this as superficial fluff content for the non-critical thinking sheeple masses.
eb said:
I agree 😉
eb July 04, 2008
Bikini – not news.
Cars – not news.
Car wash – not news.
Chicks, cameras, not news.
This debate is getting old.
Even this debate isn’t news.
Chris Weaver July 04, 2008
Cliff Asks – “but is this REALLY news worthy content???”
I answer – It’s not up to you to decide if you didn’t produce it because you don’t HAVE to watch it.
The whole point of everything I’ve read about using VJs and the cheaper business model is to open up the world of video and news to everyone…on the giving and receiving end.
That is…to have more diverse stories on the (almost wrote “air”) web for people to see. More diverse and opening up the cheaper business model of VJ-ing does not preclude anyone from doing any story they’d like to do(even a scantily clad, bikini car wash story).
If there is an audience….any audience…that wants the info, pictures, video….then it’s news. It may not be hard news (no pun intended) and it may not be breaking news, but it’s news…and it’s the kind of thing that IS good for video.
If you’re trying to knock this story because you think it’s not news, you’re thinking too mainstream. AND you’re a prude.
Peter Ralph July 03, 2008
brilliant – as per usual subtlety wins the day.
The true conundrum is how we convince the bikini car washes, high school football teams, starving africans etc. to leave the video making to professional journalists. We can’t convince them that it takes a lot of skill, talent or expense – they will never believe that.
Anyone got any ideas? Could we maybe create a VJ Teamsters, buy a bunch of baseball bats and start threatening people?
eb July 03, 2008
Skin will always get high ratings.
The cynical, journalist in me…. wonders if Michael is just trying to get more hits on his blogsite….by putting up Bikini videos.
😉
Journalism?
Entertainment?
Opinion?
News?
I didn’t look at the video. Yet.
Evans July 03, 2008
At least in the past The Post had a scantily clad young woman on an inside page near the front every day. Might have been the Page Six Girl. This content does fit right in with what The Post does. However, I hesitate to call them a “news” paper. Facts were of secondary concern before Murdoch took over.
Francisco is gainfully employed. Good for him. Does Playboy still make those soft-core shorts of naked girls under waterfalls? It would seem to be in his wheelhouse. Heck, probably pays better than VJing for the NY Post, too.
I hardly know how to respond to this type of thing except to voice concern that in the brave new world “journalists” of all stripes may find themselves having to do all sorts of unseemly things to pay the mortgage. Heck, I might have to go into PR. That’s hardcore.
Cliff Etzel July 03, 2008
I don’t agree with the subject matter (sheeple content factor) – but as $ stated, the shooting and editing are done well.
Content wise – IMO, The subject matter reduced the paradigm of solo vj’ism to tabloid paparazzi – not something I professionally don’t want to be associated with while advocating solo video journalism as I see it. It actually reminds me of some of the lame excuses for local news programming I’ve seen.
Little rant here – I know what’s discussed here is about making a living as solo vj’s – but is this REALLY news worthy content??? More like pablum for the testosterone driven masses. I’d rather practice the foundational elements of shooting as a solo vj and applying them to worthwhile paying projects – I guess being here in the PacNW allows me to see things from a different perspective, but I would have to be REALLY hard pressed to shoot content of this type.
Each to his own I guess.
rosenblumtv July 03, 2008
well, of course, I don’t make the call here, but the content of the video is pretty close to the editorial content of the paper.
$ July 03, 2008
Very well shot and edited.
News?
I have to admit it’s hard for me not to laugh after all the comment from you and others about doing things differently with this VJ thing, then seeing this pandering to the most base factor of any audience.