Saturday, July 23, 2022

THE GLOBAL VIDEO ENCYCLOPEDIA & THE SOCIAL VOICE

Dr. Bard interviewed by CH11 PIX News: 10/8/2021
To gain an understanding of today's digital video messaging is to accept the very basis behind social media and its community.  Video is the trending media for high-speed message delivery, harnessing the major global share- seated within all screen & cell phone users.

In our digital age, the written word continues to suffer a major loss of followers over the impact of VIDEO messaging.  Where book stores and magazine publishers are at a major decline, the cell-phone generation (with a device too small to read a full article) finds a 2-minute video clip to better comply with their Gen-Z attention span.

This concept of bringing awareness and education strongly exists in many areas of the local news community with an expansion in programing to include educational and informative content for social media platforms.  Veteran journalist and lead anchor, Marvin Scott (recipient of 12 Emmy Awards) has been the bedrock of NYC's CH11 News. For over 50 years, he has delivered all areas of local news to millions of homes in the NYC area.  Mr. Scott also pioneered educational and medical segments in his news reporting by covering topics like cancer and other health issues.  He expanded the reach of his reporting beyond the daily TV newscast by producing CH11's Facebook Live and Youtube Channels.  It is this visionary use of our current media trends that shape the distribution of useful, share-worthy information that adds to the intellectual expansion of our web community.


THE VIDEO MESSAGING TREND:
By: Lennard Gettz  (Producers of NYCRA NEWS/TV)

Since the inception of YOUTUBE, the multimedia video platform is vastly conquering the lion share of public info access and distribution- especially throughout social media.  Education and News are materials that we can never get enough of. They provide insight, awareness and a connection to the world at large.  These genres are considered by the social media platforms as useful information and relevant material.  They are preferred content because they suit the SHARE-WORTHY nature of the viral distribution concept.

Search engines (like Google, Bing and Yahoo) helped to forge the discernment between true information vs. commercialized material as part of a conscious effort to not mislead the public.  In social media, publishing (or posting) promotional, marketing and commercial videos are a violation of terms of use and are usually frowned upon by subscribers. The poster is often reported or blocked leading to their accounts to be frozen or even cancelled.  

WHAT IS CREATIVE COMMONS?
The continued expansion of FREE EDUCATION is an industry that aligns with the current social media rules- while offering useful content for sharing. They follow non-commercial behaviors like branding, calls to action or all the marketing actions to buy something.  FREE SHARE content is part of our entire social culture driving information throughout the 'interweb' without charge, cost or commitment. Producers of these videos who legally own the copyrights to their work invite this form of free sharing by offering Creative Commons licenses. This gives everyone from individual creators to large institutions a standardized way to grant the public permission to use their creative work under copyright law.

The production and distribution of industry news, technical education or (How-To) instructional content has confidently carved a major presence in our digital media. Educators and news reporters are flexing their talents in this trending platform while generously sharing their content through moving image and sound. From amateur videos shot with a cell phone, to well-produced prosumer grade educational clips on YouTube (and other video platforms), our current digital media is the next encyclopedia for just about any researcher or student.  As search engines and social platforms like Facebook and YouTube continue to filter out commercial content, this gives educators a fighting chance to support their noble cause of sharing enlightenment and proper science.


ZOOM IS LIVE TV... AND RECORDABLE TOO!
By: Roberta Kline, MD

The vast majority of the business community attributes the explosive popularity of ZOOM CONFERENCES to the current Covid-19 Pandemic. To divert our public engagement toward the safer digital & web-based alternative of a web-based video meeting far achieves so many benefits from infection prevention to travel cost reduction to optimal time management.

Meanwhile, the VIDEO RECORD feature of ZOOM is also a powerful instrument for educational video productions for speakers and interviews. Patterning after the movement of 2020 mainstream news and many late night talk show hosts who worked from home (using more advanced broadcast equipment), video producers from all levels have taken on ZOOM recordings as an alternative (or even a replacement) to on-site professional video shoots.  This saves $$ on the significant cost of transporting lighting, camera, audio recording equipment & video crews. 

Of course "Zooming" with your consumer grade 1080dpi webcam will never replace broadcast quality equipment but a new "Pandemic-Grade" video style has exploded throughout the web, casting a massive demand for more webinars, zoom video interviews and productions using Zoom-recorded videos.    This trend may be inspired by the pandemic, but producers and clients alike are enjoying the financial advantages of filming interviews via Zoom will continue its presence in the prosumer video market for social media distribution.


THE KING OF HIGH SPEED DISTRIBUTION AND RETENTION
By: David Dachinger (Producer of Responder Resilience podcast)
Edited by: Graciella Davi (Sr. Editor of The RightWriters Content Group)

As we are now deep in the age of digital media, producing a video on your own has become extremely fast and easy.  One person can take on the role of what used to be a team of union-scale professionals, ie. camera experts, online editors, lighting designers and audio/sound engineers.  With the advent of  the smartphone, which offers satisfactorily high-enough quality optics and recording capabilities, the ECONOMY OF SCALE (of smaller, faster, cheaper) has reshaped the entire multimedia industry to re-think the production and distribution (formerly called BROADCASTING)  to re-scale every area of video work- including its access.  

The effectiveness of video as a multi-sensory messenger matches its function as a personalized and intimate experience.  Where reading a newspaper once dominated the media industry, the GenZ society (that's everyone who owns a cell phone) finds reading to take significantly more work for the audience (to process the read word into relatable content).  Video engages the audience by delivering both a visual and auditory message, capturing the viewer's brain processing with motion and engaging sound and/or voice. 

The average person can read 5-10 words per second, while images can be processed so much more quickly. Over 80 percent of the information processed by our brains is visual and our brains can process images 60,000 times faster than text.  Visuals are also better remembered than audio or text: 80% of us remember what we see, versus 10% remembering what we hear and 20% recalling what we read. A recent survey reported that 95% of business-to-business buyers wanted briefer and extremely visual content. This makes sense as we are seeing a constant uptick in video consumption on social media, with 100 million hours of video being watched on Facebook daily. On social media, compared to text and images combined, videos get 1200% more shares.

Psychologically speaking, video has the power to cause strong emotions, which encourage viewer behavior like commenting, liking, and sharing. In general, increased interaction is influenced by better content. Video content can help you engage your audience and help you get your point across better than virtually any other marketing medium. Video can also be the difference between the customer who’s only interested in your product versus one who’s willing to buy. Video is an excellent tool for creating a deeper connection with viewers and for creating a higher level of engagement.  When it comes to communication and content marketing, video is king. Video plays a crucial role in our podcast, which we use to build community and bring important information to the first responder community. 

INFO REVOLUTION: THANKS TO FAST AND FREE ACCESS
Since the camcorder in 1982, personal, pro-sumer grade quality video became accessible to everyone. Since then, digital video cameras have flooded the market at a small fraction of the VHS era- making it even easier for anyone to pick up a cell phone to shoot and edit a video. Hosting platforms YouTube became global channels for global consumption, driving 24-7 access to any production from just about any electronic device.  Thanks to the digital revolution, fast access to video (both on the production and web access ends) has mostly conquered public communication- where the written content has taken a back seat to a 2-3 minute online video clip. 

Thursday, July 21, 2022

GETTING RE-MOTIVATED BACK TO FITNESS (Part 1: Running)

PROLOGUE:
By: Graciella Davi /IPHA Editor

In the thick of the summer, enjoying the outdoors is (yet) another reason to get into, or get back into fitness. Having an ACTIVE LIFESTYLE is #1 in every wellness  how-to article and coaching program- whereby staying in motion positively affects all areas of our health.

Whether you drive through the city or the suburbs, you may get a glimpse of an occasional runner or cyclist at the side of the road, diligently pushing themselves into fantastic shape. The non-active spectator may wonder what it could be like to become that person- and what attracts people to that form of exercise in the first place.  The idea of pounding the pavement for miles and miles appears grueling, painful and often lonely - and yet those who are dedicated to distance exertion truly is the wiser in so many ways.

We asked our own PT JOSH (in-house physical therapist) about the mind-set of a health regimen follower after his own presentation on the love for RUNNING.  IPHA-NEWS hopes to share  PT JOSH's message of getting off the couch, getting in motion and enjoying the running zone.


THE MINDSET OF STAYING IN MOTION:
Written by: "PT JOSH" Schueller

“All body types are beautiful”- Brittney Runs a Marathon. This 2019 films depicts Brittney going through the journey in becoming a runner.  Brittney is an out of shape, party girl who decides to improve her health by training for a marathon.  

The stereotypical runner is tall, lanky, fit, and attractive striding across the finish line like a gazelle.  In reality, this type of runner is in a very small minority.  As the quote above suggests “all body types are beautiful” runners come in all shapes, sizes and conditions.  Most runners start out in poor shape.  My research shows that the average runner can run less than ½ mile prior to starting their training.  The misconception is you are born a runner, but most people must become a runner.  As cliché as it may sound, taking that first step is the hardest.  

Running is an art and a science. The difference between a good run and a terrible run can be razor thin(1).  In my research, many factors can determine a good run vs a bad run.  Contrary to many beliefs running is 90% mental. A poor mental outlook or self-sabotage can end a training session very quickly (2).  Many people quit a running program before it even starts because they do not think they can do it.

COMMON REASONS WHY PEOPLE QUIT RUNNING:

1. Unrealistic expectations —when I started training for my first race, I bought a book on running programs. I am not a prototypical runner by physique.  This program set unrealistic training regimens.  Running 6 days a week for 5 months was mentally and physically overbearing and I ended up quitting after 3 weeks. Start small. Set achievable goals and expectations.

2. Not enjoying the Journey- make running an escape from your daily life. Just you and the open road or trail.

3. Injuries - to help reduce injuries consult with your doctor, find proper footwear, and listen to your body (4)

4. Weather can affect your runs.  In my experience some of the best runs occur during less-than-ideal conditions.  

5. Unrealistic goals - Many runners set unrealistic expectations.  Running is an individualized journey.  Winning a race is not realistic, but finishing a race is the real accomplishment.


BENEFITS OF RUNNING (some may surprise you)

1. Improve health and wellness- this is a common reason people run. Improved heart health and bone density and weight loss in running, 5 to 10 min/day is associated with reduced risks of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease, even at slower pace (3)

2. Improved socialization-whether training with a group or the camaraderie of race day being around like-minded people who know what you are going through can be a enormous advantage.

3. Improved emotional health-1000s of studies have shown a link between improved mental health and running (5)

4. The Great Outdoors-being outside carries a lot of benefits.  Most of us sit inside all day long. Many benefits of getting outside such as Vitamin D, better breathing, improved sleep can lead to improved health and wellness. (6)

5. Improve memory-In a recent study running has demonstrated to increase in a protein that suggests a correlation between improved memory and running (7)


STAY THE COURSE

In my experience, some helpful tips to overcome the hurdles of running-

1. Type of surface -Vary the areas you run.  Some people prefer treadmills vs outside.  Treadmills have never been my preferred training method.  Always too easy to stop anytime and if you let your mind wander you may end up falling.

2. Sounds of silence-Find what is best for you to listen to while you run.  Many people choose music, podcast, audiobooks, or just silence. Experiment with different ways to entertain yourself   

3. Reward yourself.  Most runners run because they counterbalance the good with the bad lifestyle habits.  Reward yourself after a good run or meeting a goal.

4. A missed run is no biggie.  Somedays life just gets in the way so you might not be able to do a long run or any run at all.  Tomorrow is a new day.  This is your journey.

5. Variety is the spice of life. Varying your distances, speed, surfaces, and locations increases your enjoyment and results. 

6. Embrace the suck—some of the best runs are in the worse weather or didn’t have the best motivation to run that day. 

Whether it is a 5k, 10K or marathon the atmosphere and excitement of race day can be one of the most rewarding days of your life.  The dedication, hard work, perseverance all pays off when you cross the finish line to people cheering you on.  So next time life throws you a challenge  grab the shoes and let the rubber hit the road and forget about life for a while.

One run can change your day, many runs can change your life!

   

1. https://www.runverity.com/blog/running-is-an-art-and-a-science

2. https://runnersconnect.net/mental-aspect-runner/

3. https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2014.04.058?articleID=1891600

4. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-prevent-running-injuries-6-expert-tips/

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7663387/

6. https://www.healthline.com/health/health-benefits-of-being-outdoors

7. https://www.cell.com/fulltext/S1550-4131(16)30247-9


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