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…
Man you dude arw what’s up – you are history makers in your own rights – I am a wedding shooter but I am on your heals in the next couple of years – Thanks for letting me chase you !!!
1. I thought the live format was great… but a little long… the problem with watching a live event over three days is that you invariably miss something.
2, I live in a town called Timmins, about 175 miles south of Hudson’s Bay and 500 miles north of Toronto in Canada.
3. I think that this type of live webcast is the future of visual media… over the next few years, as the “pipeline” becomes bigger and faster, we North Americans will finally catch up to Korea and Japan in being able to stream live HD. It would seem to me that CreativeLive has demonstrated a capability for doing a unique live event that will set the stage for even greater content choices in future… I’m not sure how the business model will play out, but I am sure that I will be tuning in to other seminars run by CreativeLive… Thanks for a great weekend… and thanks Zack Arias!!!
1. What makes the creativeLIVE approach different, better, worse?
The ability to participate in a live class situation with a world-class expert in the convenience of you own home–no travel expense/inconvenience; also the convenience of being able to purchase the downloads so if you have to miss a session or part of a session you know you can catch it later, and you can replay any session to reinforce the learning. Further, the ability to ask questions in real time is great. Finally, the fact that it is FREE is terrific–almost unbelievable that such a learning experience with a world-class instructor is free! And $79 for the download package is a bargain!
2. Where do you live?
Knoxville, Tennessee
3. Does this live worldwide format really work?
Yes! It allows you to participate in a real-time classroom teaching experience with a world-class teacher and ask questions via computer as the class is proceeding in real time. It is like BEING THERE without the cost/inconvenience/interruption of traveling to a distant location.
Thank you to Zack and the entire crew that it took to make this happen. I watched the parade of folks that were recognized at the end of the class and realized what a large group of experts it took to put on this class. Your efforts were obvious as well as your passion and professionalism. Many Thanks!! I am looking forward to my next creativeLIVE experience!
#1. What makes the creativeLIVE approach different, better, worse? How does our class format compare to others?
Watching creativeLive workshops from home, knowing I’ll have a download of all the sessions, helped me relax enough to hear and learn better than when I’m actually attending a workshop, knowing I wouldn’t be called on to participate.
This type of online format where gear is repeatedly shown, described and discussed, where lighting setups are repeatedly performed helps me understand and learn better than I do in a workshop or classroom situation.
Watching students try their hand at using the equipment while shooting live and often needing help made me realize I need to let up on being so hard on myself.
CreativeLive’s intent is to teach, to inform, not to impress. Sessions are geared toward starting slow and making sure the beginner isn’t lost. The humble instructors generate a calm environment making learning much easier.
#2. . Where do you live? Where are you from, and when are you watching the LIVE feed?
I live in Rancho Mirage, CA, located near the better known town of Palm Springs. I watched from my home in Rancho Mirage. My husband could not believe I watched for 10 – 11 hours straight on Saturday (10am until the end) and 6 hours on Sunday. (10am until 4pm when I felt sorry for my husband and went to a movie with him. I really didn’t want to leave my computer and Zach’s workshop but I knew I had the pre-purchased download for later viewing.)
#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?
Yessireeeee, this live worldwide format REALLY works. I felt safe. And because I felt safe during the workshop I was surprised to find myself understanding things I’d previously not been able to grasp. I haven’t been this excited about anything in a long time. I couldn’t get enough. I didn’t tire. I wasn’t ever bored. My friends who called on the phone while I was watching couldn’t believe how excited I sounded AND that I’d been online watching as long as I had been.
How can I describe this format?
This format is the absolutely perfect learning environment for the person who wants to learn but is reluctant to learn in a group environment for whatever reason.
Breaks between the sessions were long enough.
Sessions were varied and kept interest up.
Zach is an incredible communicator and has a way of going over concepts long enough and in varied enough ways to ensure understanding.
The crew behind the scene were professional.
The informal nature of the actual workshop was interesting.
I value my time and would not have spent an almost entire weekend online watching had I not been thoroughly interested and satisfied with what I was learning. That this workshop is free is unbelievable. The information so generously shared is invaluable. This gift giving of this Chase’s free online teaching format will change photography forever.
Thank you, thank you.
Linda
1. The live format is just that: live, exciting, unexpected. I like the unpolished aspect of it.
2. I’m from Atlanta, watching at home.
3. Yes, the live format works. It felt like being at a big, worldwide party with other people interested in the same things. You can’t get the whole Twitter and live questions aspect in a pre-recorded class. I couldn’t watch on Sunday, but the buzz on Twitter convinced me that I had to buy the class, which I did while on the road.