From left: Christopher Wink, Brian Blanda, Sean Blanda at the Eiffel Tower

So, that was fun.

If you have noticed the lack of posting around here, it is because my friend Chris Wink and I have been traveling Europe while podcasting our advice along the way over at We Dont Speak the Language.  Im back now, and if you are looking for some sort of summary of the trip, head on over the WDSTL (the last episode will be released on Sunday).  However, I’d guess if you are reading this blog you are more concerned about media and behind the scenes aspects of the podcast.

This was my first experience with any sort of video podcast, as well as the greatest test of my ability to produce content under a wide range of circumstances.  I’ve written posts in London train stations, filmed an episode in a Eurail train, and co-interviewed a former prostitute in Amsterdam.  While I would be lying if I said I mastered the art of the video podcast, here are a few lessons I can pass on to anyone considering something similar:

Promote, promote, promote. Initially we sent out a mass email to those in our contact lists that we thought were interested.  We also created pages on multiple social networks.  This wasn’t anywhere near enough promotion.  In reality, for every three posts we wrote we should have sent an email to a travel blog.  We should have left comments on other blogs.  We should have hung a billboard on Philadelphia City Hall if we had to.  This is not to say we were unhappy with our numbers.  I cannot speak for Chris, but our hits and subscribers were right around where I thought they’d be.  I was happy with the comments left as well.  However, after about two weeks on the road, the numbers stayed relatively flat.  Had we been more active in promotion our numbers may have been better.

I severely underestimated the work needed to grow an audience in the short term.  Most projects I have had were long term in scope and, foolishly, I was never in a rush to attract hoards of viewers.  I was big believer in getting the ball rolling and then letting traffic grow organically.  But WDSTL taught me that your promoting to content creation ratio should be somewhere around 25/75.

You need tons of hard drive space. According to the “WDSTL” folder on my external hard drive we created just under 30 gigs of content.  Additionally, when editing video you need a large portion of your hard drive available as a scratch disk.  Luckily, Wink had a laptop with a decent amount of space and I lugged along an external hard drive.  As a rule, I’d say each minute of video you wish to produce in your episode you need at least a gig.  Sounds obvious, but the first time I received the “out of disc memory” warning it blindsided me.

Carpe Wifi. The odd thing about trying to maintain an Internet property on the road is that you, um, need the Internet.  The hostels we were staying in often had shoddy connections, if they had one at at all. And when you are uploading video that can be as big as several hundred megabytes, a bogus connection can slow you down for hours.  An alternative was to pay as much as $3 every half hour for Internet access at a cafe. I once was so desperate that I walked the streets in Hungary at 11 p.m. with a laptop in hand trying to mooch off of a open wifi connection.

So whenever we found a reliable and fast connection we stopped and uploaded all of the video we could.  Sometimes this caused us to delay our plans, but mostly it was a matter of seizing the great wifi while we could, because we never knew when we would get another chance.

You can produce a decent looking podcast with a digital camera.  We produced all of our video using a Nikon Coolpix s210 camera.  It produced 640 x 480 video that was more than good enough to be played on a computer screen.

Seriously, our tripod saved our lives. We didn’t have a camera man after my brother Brian went home, but our trusty bendy tripod usually fit the role just fine.  To learn about all of our equipment used, check out the WDSTL post.

Being on camera is tough. Aside from once presenting a business plan and speaking at CMA, I have very little public speaking experience.  Although, I was once conned into doing our high school play (I was Kili the dwarf in “The Hobbit” thank you very much).   Being on camera and constantly rewatching myself as I was editing forced me to pick up on my verbal and physical ticks.  Ticks such as talking too fast, using certain phrases repetitively, and not speaking clearly. I also began to dissect my posture so I could appear comfortable on camera.

I still have a lot of work to do, but the only way to get better is to do it.

Be familiar with compression.  I spent more time than I would like to admit recompressing video in Final Cut and Windows Movie Maker.  Before you begin your podcast shoot some test video and try to get the right mix of quality and size.

Be familiar with distribution options. Know that iTunes needs Quicktime video. Know how to utilize BitTorrent.  A true podcast will make the content available in whatever format their views demand.  If I were to start over, I would have done a better job and offered more options than just an iTunes and a XML feed.

Above are just a handful of suggestions.  I do recommend you check out Kelly Sutton‘s work if you want someone who knows way more about video podcasting than I.

Time to put food on the table

Sean's future is in this box.

Since graduating, I’ve been lucky enough to travel cross country, work for one of my favorite newspapers, and podcast my trip across Europe. But I’m done vacationing and exploring for the time being, and it is time to get to work.  I’ve struggled with what my ideal job would be.  Throughout my college career I’ve wavered between what industry I wanted to get into.  Did I like writing?  Video?  The Web?

But I’ve come to realize that I just love information and will do any job that allows me to create content in multiple forms.  This may be through personal projects such as Consumer Whore (which will get a kick in the pants in a few days) or by getting on the staff of a forward thinking newspaper.  But as of now, basic parts of my life such as of where I will work and live in the coming months are a big question mark.

If you excuse me, I have some cover letters to write.

Like good the good media nerds we are, my fellow Temple graduate and ex Temple-Newser Christopher Wink and I will be producing a video podcast and writing blog entries along the way.  The result is WeDontSpeaktheLanguage.com.

Ever wondered how to get a passport in less than 24 hours?  Want to know how much the average day in London costs? Or maybe you want to know what do the French really think of Americans.  All of this and more will be covered.

Why?

The goal is not so much to document the trip, but to discover and share travel tips with other young budget travelers.  As a side project, we’d like to document the perceptions of America while abroad.  And given the upcoming election, this should be a good time to do so.

We also wanted to become a resource for anyone mulling any sort of long term travel.  There are already many great Web sites featuring this information, but most are told through personal anecdotes.  With some luck we hope do put those journalism degree to good work and interview some travelers and locals about their journey and community, respectively.  Although as noted in the title, we don’t speak any other languages other than English.  Presumably we will get really good at interviewing via hand gesture.

If you’re like me you’re thinking “Oh great two more college kids backpacking through Europe”.  Trust me, we know that this adventure is a well worn path.  But we failed to find many travel video podcasts that weren’t meant for older, more vacation oriented travelers.  Also, as wannabe travel writers we are hoping to add some work for our portfolio.

What we hope to learn

Speaking of portfolios, there is also a selfish aspect to the project.  We feel that if we can produce a watchable podcast with just a point and shoot camera and and old laptop we can handle the new media production that today’s journalists are expected to know.  Ideally we would return with dozens of videos to show to perspective employers.

Until then, I will not be posting here.  If your curious to what I am up to, be sure to subscribe to WDSTL!

The day after eating dinner atop the Space Needle (I had the chicken, and it was wonderful), we ventured to Pike’s Place market.  The market is home to many small vendors of food, clothes, and just about everything else you can think of.  The media nerd in me was fascinated by the Old Seattle Paperworks store.  Those in the print media industry may get a kick out of what I found.

We also saw the first Starbucks, lounged by the Puget Sound, and went to The Penny Arcade Expo where I saw a gown man in a pink dress outside smoking a cigarette.  This was after the Captain Hook and Mario and Luigi sighting.  I even passed Wil “Don’t Be a Dick” Wheaton.

One aspect of this West Coast city that stuck out in my mind as we drove around the streets of Seattle was how impatient people in the Northeast are.  On the flip side, the people of the West Coast could just be relaxed.

Either way, while driving we were the second car stopped in the left hand turn lane at an intersection.  Once the light turned green, the truck in front of us began to turn left, only to be cut off by crossing pedestrians.  In every city I have ever been to, a car in this situation would creep its way forward until there was a break in the pedestrians (or until the pedestrians would through caution to the wind and risk getting run over).  In Seattle, I saw no such urgency and the truck ended up never turning left and even backed up as to not “block the box”. Of course, our car of impatient Northeasterners was hooting and hollering.

Okay, we were cursing.

But to me this was a cardinal sin of driving: not moving the traffic along.  Perhaps we Northeasterners just need to mellow out?

The Trip Back

After three beautiful, rain free days in Seattle we packed up the car for our return journey.  Because we were on our own, we had time to stop at any place we saw fit.  After traveling with a time limit and then traveling while taking our time, I can’t speak highly enough of the open ended itinerary.  Every time we saw something interesting on the side of the road or in our atlas we were able to explore.

It was also good for doing those little things in life you always wanted to do.  Like touch the desert, see the stars 100 miles away from any city, and pet a cow.  In Washington we stopped at the top of a mountain to produce the lovely view you see below:

On the way back we stopped in Pendleton, Oregon looking for a truly local place to grab some lunch.  We found a place named “Rodeo Lanes” that had arcades (including the game Crusin’ USA – ha!) pool tables, bowling, and a small concession stand. Expecting standard roller rink fare, we ordered our food and prepared ourselves for something deep fried.

Boy were we wrong.  I’m pretty sure I had the best burger ever (two obnoxiously large patties with ham in between for 6 bucks or so).  One of the people I traveled with got roast beef and mash potatoes that were fit for Thanksgiving.  All in a place were you could play Frogger and lace up bowling shoes.

After Oregon and Idaho we dipped into Nevada were I decided to catch up on some sleep. At around midnight, I was awoken to the car reaching a complete stop.  By the time I woke up and looked out the window, all I could see was complete darkness.  No street lights, no city, no cars.  Nothing.  I wandered outside and looked up and saw the night sky unfiltered, undiluted, and pure.

After passing through Utah and Montana, we arrived in Nebraska.  It was Labor Day and we were looking for a place to swim.  After talking to the nicest Welcome Center attendant ever, we were directed to Lake McConaughey.  It was odd approaching the lake as we started passing marinas and jet ski dealers in one of the most land locked states in the union.

Lake Mcconaughey (or Lake Awesome as it is forever known) was a beautiful fresh water reservoir that was the perfect swimming temperature.  Families had driven to its shore and set up grills to relax and enjoy their prolonged weekend.  Suddenly, I didn’t mind being so far from the Jersey Shore.

That night, we ended up in Iowa and we were hours ahead of schedule.  For the first time all trip, we decided we should all get some sleep at the same time.  However, while the Nitro is large, four people can not sleep comfortably.  We ventured a few miles outside of Atlantic, Iowa down a residential farm road.  Here we pulled over, as two of us slept on the roof of the car, while the other two slept inside the car.

I imagine it was a strange thing to a passerby: seeing two kids sleep on top of a car with Jersey tags in the middle of Iowa.  One car stopped and peered in to make sure everything was OK, but largely we were undisturbed as we stared up at the night sky.

Chicago

The next morning around 9 a.m. we arrived in Chicago.  Thanks to my dad, most of the visions I had of Chicago were through the movies Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.  So, dammit, I was going to reenact as much of that movie as possible.

First up was our quest to get that famous Chicago pizza.  While I don’t think we got the deep dish the town is known for we got the largest pizza slice ever known to mankind.

Next stop was the Sears Tower.  I’ll admit that I am a big sissy when it comes to heights, but I did manage to snap few pics.

Then a river ride.  Although I have never seen the movie, one of my friends was obsessing over doing this as it’s done in My Best Friend’s Wedding.

Afterwords we managed to fit in a quick swim in Lake Michigan, where it is surreal to be at a beach, turn around and see a city skyline.  Afterward, we threw on our Phillies gear and headed to Wrigley Field for a Cubs v. Astros games.  Because the Phillies had just finished up a four game series with the Cubs, we got a few heckles but nothing major.  A TV crew even came up to us and asked us if we were Cubs fans.  Foolishly we said no.  I would give anything to take that back as the following exchange could have been possible:

Anchor: So what are you most excited about in this game?

Us: Well, I think the Cubs bullpen … GO PHILS! *running away screaming*

Attending the game at Wrigley Field was only the second time I viewed a sporting event outside of Philadelphia (Camden Yards being the other one).  People always comment on how nasty Philly fans are.  If Philly has the meanest fans, Chicago certainly has the nicest.  In one at bat, Jim Edmonds quickly ran to count up to 0-2.  There were two outs and two men on base. In Philadelphia he would have been booed relentlessly for swinging at two bad pitches.  At Wrigley, they gave the man a standing ovation as a show of support.

He struck out.

After doing some math we knew we couldn’t sit through the entire game as some of us had work the very next day in Philadelphia.  So shortly after the 5th inning, we ran to the car and raced home.

In retrospect, I’m glad I got the chance to travel across the entire US, but I wish I could have done so at a more leisurely pace.  But I highly recommend if you have a few weeks of vacation time, a decent vehicle, and few hundred bucks that you take the plunge.  At the very least it will make two semi-interesting lengthy blog posts.

10 tips on driving cross country

As promised, here are some tips for making the trek across our amazing country:

1. Take your time - On the way out we ruhed, and on the way back we took our time.  Guess which way was more fun?  If you have a limited time span, pick a few states to spend some time in and view the rest from your window.
2. Whenever possible, venture off of the highway – When you look at the route you are taking, is there a state or county road you can take that will go in the same general direction as the interstate?  You can’t really get the character of a place from the highway.
3. Whenever possible, avoid the truck stops – After my sixth of seventh cherry coke / Subway sandwich meal we all decided to try and eat at a local place.  At the very least, eat at a chain that can only be found in that part of the country.  After all, you can eat Subway anywhere, but how many places can you get a slice of pizza bigger than your head?
4. The driver is boss – We had a policy that the driver has final say on music, rest stops, and routes.  It turned any backseat driving into mere backseat suggestions.
5. Use the buddy system – With four people in car we had a counter clockwise rotation of seats.  So the passenger would be the next driver, and the driver would move right to sleeping after being finished driving. This worked out well as there was usually a person awake to keep the driver entertained and awake.There were a few times where someone was the lone person awake on the car, and it was a dangerous thing to do.
6. Seriously, it gives you wings – Everyone has different feelings on energy drinks, but they probably saved our sleeping schedule on numerous occasions.  If you aren’t adverse to do doing so, I’d recommend stashing a few away.
7. Pack some stand-up comedy – After a while all of the music just sounds like same.  Spice it up with some comedy.  Also, talk shows and comedy keep you awake easier than even the heaviest of metal.
8. Orange Juice – I was in a car with three other people, and they all got sick.  I didn’t.  The difference?  Lots and lots of OJ.  Seriously.
9. Have a point-and-shoot handy.   With video if you can swing it.
10. Don’t let anyone drive longer than 200 miles or 4 hours. They’ll go nuts.

Now back to standard journalism/media posts.  I swear.

I remember the first day I got my license.  I was 17, it was my senior year in high school, and I had just dropped my mom off after passing the driving test to embark on my first solo car ride.

I sat in my Chrysler Caravelle and stared down my street.  The possibilities seemed endless.  Technically, I had the capability to go where ever I wanted, the freedom was intoxicating.  Of course, being 17, the best first trip I could muster up was the local Wal-Mart (In my defense, I needed socks damnit).

Last week, I was able to realize my most ambitious adolescent intentions as three friends and I drove a Dodge Nitro from Philadelphia to Seattle and back.  It’s been a few days since returning from the trip. After returning to my everyday life, I hope I can offer tips to those who want to do something similar, as well as offer highlights of our wonderful country.

The Plan

The original intention was to tag along with the Penny Arcade cross country super trippers.  To prepare for the trip we went shopping and ended up stocking the car with the following items:

• 24 cans of Red Bull
• 8 Muffins
• 4 boxes of granola bars
• 1 atlas
• 1 Microsoft Zune with a hookup to be charged in the car.  I asked everyone driving what their “must-have” songs were, as well as my Twitter followers.
• 1 laptop with several movies that were themed with the trip (Rookie of the Year and Ferris Bueller ruled the trip to Chicago).
• Tons of Blankets and Pillows

After packing the entire truck up we woke up 5:30 am on August 26th to leave.  What does 24 cans of Red Bull look like?  Glad you asked.

The Trip Out

As we hit the road in morning, our sleepiness was replaced with excitement as we began driving for 200-mile shifts.  However, in our excitement we forgot one very important fact: cops kind of get upset when you do 80.  Thus we were nailed for our first speeding ticket without even leaving Pennsylvania.

Every stop you see in the first graphic above, we picked another group of people to join our long line of cars.  Our first was in Ohio.  As our caravan grew, each car had a radio, so discussions such as “Is Gary Busey they king of Gary Indiana?” had more and more participants.  One of the people in caravan, Captain Cactus, posted this video so you can see the ridiculousness (note, turn down your sound a little bit, the video is loud).

Previously, I had never driven west of Ohio.  However the way out, we never ventured off of the highway so all I could gather about a state was what I could see out of my window.   When we passed Chicago I was amazed at the size and beauty of the nighttime skyline.  Chicago was previously the largeat city I had never been to, and on the way back we were set to spend some time there.  On the way out I could only quote Ferris Bueller and keep driving.

We did not see much in Indiana with the exception of a truck stop and Wal Mart where I finally discovered the Sean Blanda police department.

Wisconsin was a fun place to drive as it is not every state where you can stop at a cheese castle.  Minnesota passed a law banning billboards from their highway.  This made the natural features of the landscape stand out, but didn’t offer much reading material.  The next evening we drove through North Dakota and it was here I first felt I was in a “different” part of America than the Northeast I have spent all of my life.

Growing up in New Jersey I would hear a common refrain: New Jersey is just a big smelly wasteland full of obnoxious wanna be mobsters with blow out hairdos.  Obviously, I would disagree with this characterization, but what bothered me most was that I could never really put a finger on the source of this criticism until I saw the jaw dropping natural landscape of this country.  Being caught between New York and Philadelphia, most of New Jersey (with the exception of the most Southern region and the Pine Barrens) is suburbanized.  With the exception of the occasional trip into Pennsylvania dutch country, I have never been in a truly rural area.  That is, a place where your neighbors are not immediately visible from your home.  For the first time I saw the sun set over untouched landscapes, and I could see why someone would choose to live in North Dakota or Montana.

Where some would see the “middle of nowhere” others see tranquility and purity. I could then see how the Northeast, and especially New Jersey, would look dirty to some people.  I suppose it was just a matter of what you consider to be your “normal” environment.

I wanted to interview the people that lived out here to see if my thoughts were correct, but we had a schedule to keep.  The reason for the rush? Everyone in the caravan wanted make it to Seattle for the Penny Arcade Expo.  Our car was more concerned with dinner reservations we made in Seattle for the day were set to arrive. However, when we got to Idaho we realized we were cutting it close with the amount of stops that the caravan had planned, and we decided to speed ahead on our own.

This ended badly.

In Washington we received another speeding ticket. The whole time we were pulled over we just kept our eyes on the horizon hoping the caravan wouldn’t turn the corner.  After all, we stated their speed as a reason for going ahead. For them to pass us would mean we didn’t know what we were doing.

And then then they passed us, and it was hilarious.

But it was all made better after arriving, where quickly showered at a friend’s house and headed out to eat on top of the Space Needle.

Later this week I’ll cover the ride back where I got the greatest burger ever and slept on a car roof in the middle of Iowa.  Also, I’ll try to give some tips on how our car managed to drive for two and half days straight while maintaining 200 mile shifts.

We plan to drive straight to Seattle stay for 2-3 days, and come right home.

I plan to post video of the trip when I return, but until then you should constantly refresh my Twitter.  <ah-nold> Do it now </ah-nold>