@ The Network2 get-together, I showed up late to a conversation about "internet personas" between Bre, Grace, and a guy whose name I didn't catch, but who was pointed out to me as "that guy over there that looks like Hugh Grant".
As I was in the process of giving my opinion on the subject, I mentioned the word "acting". Now, I didn't mean acting like as in Shakespeare, but the basis of the conversation was "personas", which implied to me that we're talking about a particular presentation being made, which is acting. Not only that, but depending on HOW you're making your videoblog or show, I think you're acting merely by looking into a video camera or webcam and interacting with it as if it's a real person you're having a conversation with. I realize that there are people that just turn on the camera and say whatever comes to them in a heartfelt manner, and that's their videoblog. That's not what we were talking about. We were talking about choosing a style of presentation... deciding how to deliver the information as opposed to just having the information and saying it however it comes out. I also feel like it's "acting" because there's certain information you need to deliver. You have to get from point A to point B, so there's a particular amount of calculation that goes into what you're saying... even if it's not scripted. It's different from stream of consciousness, "this is merely a videotaped documentation of how I felt and looked and what I said on this particular day". I also referred to the persona as a "character". There are lots of examples of characters on YouTube. You can see the same people in some videos "in character" and in other videos "behind the scenes", apparently being themselves and hanging out with other people. There are also lots of examples of people that aren't attempting to do a character and are just trying to document what they're feeling and thinking. Do _you_ consider yourself "acting" when you videoblog? Do YOU have a character? If so, how did you select it and what does having a character do for you? -- Bill C. http://ReelSolid.TV
