Whew! What a week it was last week… Last Wednesday, I brought pal and photog instructor guru Zack Arias into my studio for another episiode of chasejarvisLIVE. We chatted photography for 2 hours and took questions from the live Twitter audience via #cjlive. Was a blast. While about 20,000 of you caught the interview LIVE–it seemed like I got at least that many tweets/emails/fbook requests to post it again here on the blog, so… As you wish. Here ’tis.
From there, we shipped Zack and his crew into our creativeLIVE studio where he put on one heckuva studio lighting course all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Hopefully you saw the interwebs booming, especially with the @creativeLIVE and #askzack tags. I’m pretty sure Zack swiped some ratings from the World Cup. Or at least we had fun trying. I wanted to give a huge shoutout to Zack and his team for an amazing effort. You guys and gals nailed it. Also a shoutout also to all the manufacturers that kicked in gear for Zack to give away, as well as uber thanks to B&H Photo Video for their support of the creativeLIVE studio and G-Technology for keeping our gobs and gobs of data safe. They support us, please support them. I hope lots of you tuned in. And if you didn’t but wished you had, the course is available for download here.
While I’ve got you, I wanted to ask for your feedback. Not somebody else’s…YOURS. In the comments below, we’re looking to find out a few things with the goal of making creativeLIVE the best it can be. Tell us whatever you want, but please help us by answering some or all of the following particulars about our LIVE, free, worldwide creative education platform:
1. What makes the creativeLIVE approach different, better, worse? How does our class format compare to others?
2. Where do you live? We want to understand the breadth of our audience with the comments on this post. Where are you from, and when are you watching the LIVE feed?
3. Does this live worldwide format really work? This is the important part. What does the experience feel like to you? Can you help describe this format to someone who’s never seen it?
Thanks for taking the time! If you’re new here, I invite you to subscribe/follow via links above and to the right. Lots more stuff heading your way soon on all our channels…
What makes CreativeLive experience different?
It was LIVE! We could ask questions (although seldom got an answer ’cause there were so many people). Zack could post his “lists” of gear, etc. (although I could never find them) but it was a great idea. I’m probably just not as “with it” as most of his viewers. I’m 67. I think it was great watching the crew operate. I used to work in live TV here in the Sacramento, CA area and for ESPN and it was sorta like being on the crew again.
It felt like I was in the studio with everyone. Very informal people and some good jokes. Didn’t miss being able to touch the gear, but do wish I had been able to find the page where he lists everything he uses and why. Perhaps CreativeLive could have it on their site instead of somewhere on Zack’s page or blog or wherever it was.
I loved it! The crew was fantastic and the instructor was incredible. Learned so much in the times I was able to watch it. Bought the download (but wish CreativeLive had been able to put it on a few disks for me. Great being able to get the video too. so I can review it with my husband. Really good info. even though I don’t shoot in the studio.
I’ll be back.
1. I’m familiar with creativeLIVE’s approach from their previous courses. They’ve been around for a long time but I, frankly, ignored them because it was always pay to play. I went to school for design & photography in Seattle and Germany. I haven’t taken any traditional classes in this millennium.
creativeLIVE’s approach better fits my life. For Zack’s classes, I let it play in the background while I worked and picked up a few nuggets here and there. Finally I got sick of the low streaming framerate and had to quit watching (was giving me a headache.) But I felt the class was worth the money so I purchased the download. I got a good taste to see if the classes were for me and my goals. Much of it was, so now I’m looking forward to being able to watch, fast-forward, rewind, pause…
2. Seattle. I watched the feed when it was live. FWIW, I think you should restrict the replay based on IP. Ping me if you want to know why.
3. This format gives users a great glimpse at the value of the class. If they have a ton of free time, they can sit and watch. If they don’t, hopefully it’s because they’ve got work to do and thus can afford to plunk down some cashola and buy it.
Overall I think you’re somewhat asking the wrong questions. ~75% (maybe more) of this class to me was Zack. Having never heard of him, it’s not like I had some preconception about the quality of the class. It doesn’t matter where I am, what time it was, where he was filming, if the format worked… I bought the class simply because it was extremely clear Zack was bubbling over with experience and insight. He couldn’t squat down to put some tape on the floor without providing some insight on other uses for gaff tape 😉
I’ve been surprised before by Craig’s choice in instructors. I think being able to get a taste and play the freemium game is great, but it only works because of creativeLIVE’s selection of instructors.
1. What makes the creativeLIVE approach different, better, worse? The fact that it’s live is a really cool feature and obviously I’m not gonna lie – being free is awesome. From someone who’s photography business has just taken off the ground, I’m pinching pennies and having the ability to watch and then buy such high quality training is unbelievable.
How does our class format compare to others? Love the format – particularly the ‘hands on’ approach Zack took this past weekend. Weekend workshop is definitely preferred for me personally vs. once a week over a period of ten weeks. I find it hard to commit to the training a the same time every week. A weekend workshop – I can mark it off for the weekend and commit knowing I’ll get to see everything.
2. Where do you live? Born and currently live in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. 4.5 hours ahead of PST so timing can be an issue for me sometimes.
3. Does this live worldwide format really work? I personally think it does. Obviously you don’t get the ‘hands on’ experience you’d have actually bing there – but I don’t have the coin to jump on a plane for a weekend photography workshop (yet! haha)
What does the experience feel like to you? Feels like a full on in-person workshop outside the physically shooting. I’ve done workshops here locally and they are no where near this level – even though they are hands on. There have to be some limits to this format and this is pretty much the only one in my opinion that exists.
Can you help describe this format to someone who’s never seen it? For sure. It’s a knowledge sharing community by which you can learn new things, ask questions to the instructor or other attendees and often get immediate responses. Might be nice to have a que or something for the Q&A portion – that way you’d know if you’ll have your particular question answered. I’m sure this is a lot harder said than done though.
Overall – this is a bad ass set of training. Zack’s weekend workshop has made me want to download others in the creativeLIVE catalogue. Would love to see a “reviews” section for those who’ve taken/downloaded the others. Maybe there is but I haven’t come across those yet.
Keep’em coming!
Cheers,
Jim
First of all, as one of the folks contributing to a similar approach to education (http://EscalateLIVE.com conference), I just want to go on record in saying you guys are just killing it. What an amazing lineup and execution. There is no question you guys are pioneering and leading a model of collaboration that will have a ripple effect in the creative profession for decades to come. Not only is it helpful but I believe it’s critical for the new paths that need to be forged. Thank you.
The only critique I have this time around is that Zack hit it so far out of the park, I feel a little bad for the next guy. It’s going to be tough to deliver at this level over and over again.
I say “a little bad” because I actually love that you’ve set a standard that is that high. Again, our industry needs it. This is the kind of game we need to be playing as professional creatives.
Regarding your questions…
1) Your format is affordable (either free or silly inexpensive), comprehensive, dynamic, accessible and most of all scalable. Zack can pour himself out that far and still get back with Meg in the ATL in just a couple days… after reaching more people than even he imagined possible… with a topic I know he is absolutely passionate about getting out to people.
You’re removing virtually all obstacles to learning.
At this point, it’s hard to point to an excuse beyond commitment that a photographer can make in not getting the content they need to flourish.
2) Southern California… first time through I watched in & out LIVE & and then VOD later.
3) It does work… without question.
And, I think, this is just the beginning of what’s possible.
The classroom approach, pedagogically, works and has worked for centuries. That said, with the removal of time and space as obstacles, I have dreams of interactivity that could flatten things even further. I know you guys do too. I’m excited to watch and participate in finding those mediums in the future.
Bottom line: it works and I think we’re just getting started when it comes to collaboration between creatives. A lot of it will hinge however on spectators willingness to become contributors.
I hope these comments are helpful. Thanks for asking.
– Dane Sanders
Chase you guys need to get J cowart!!
also take a look at michael Howard.
the zack weekend rocked!!
I think its great. My only comment is the timings can be horrid for those of us in Europe (I’m in the UK). I had to miss the second and third sessions on the Aperture course because it was just way too late in the evening with my early starts for work. I managed to pick up the first one on the free reruns. So my only suggestion is perhaps have more scheduled reruns in the first 24 hours after a session to help those of us not in the USA.
The sessions I have seen have been superb, many thanks for those