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…
1. What makes the creativeLIVE approach different, better, worse? How does our class format compare to others?
A) The creativeLive format excels at providing information, answering questions, changing directions based on feedback, giving examples. Regrettably, but understandably, I can’t be in the studio having Zack tell me that my photograph would look much nicer if I took the lens cap off. That’s a lesson I have to learn on my own. I have to go out every day and shoot. But while I’m shooting, I remember what Zack did to provide a better light. I remember what John told me about the shutter speed. I, along others who are watching, can say, “Hey, I don’t get that.” And Zack can change directions and show another example of why an Octo is different than an umbrella, or Scott can show a slightly larger, but softer brush in cloning. Finally, the samples are awesome. Zach can bring in a model and make small talk. John can provide flawless graphics and examples on focusing. In short, after watching, I get it. Creativelive can’t look over my shoulder. They can’t watch me grow as a photographer and guide me and help me change directions. But that’s why I take classes taught by teachers who are paid to critique me.
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?
A) It live in a small town in Connecticut. I think I learned about CreativeLive initially through an email from B&H or Canon. (Don’t remember which). So, I’m watching Eastern Time.
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?
A) It works for me. It feels like I am watching the best work at their job. But I’m also looking at the unedited parts. I see what it’s like to make a mistake. I hear the questions from others. It generally makes me feel more human. You would think by listening to the best, I’d feel less human. I’d feel like I could never take a picture like that. But I see the beginner pictures that John was kind enough to share. I see that Zack was working a crappy job seven years ago. Does that mean I’m as good as John or Zack? Probably not. But it means that I may be able to become a photographer who can always get better if I keep shooting. In short, the experience of creativeLive allows me to watch people who are damn good at what they do, but didn’t come out of the womb that way. They worked hard. They failed. And they succeeded. That’s life. That’s creativeLive.
This is a great format. I think that only talking about “fundamentals” or the beginners stuff isn’t going to get the attention or viewership as a specialized, advanced shooting. I live in So Cal and I enjoyed Zack’s workshop, but I would purchase ones with advanced problems/solutions more than I would the 101 course.
I Love this whole idea though. I hope it continues on for a long long time.
1 – This format is better because it is LIVE, and internet entrenched which gives the quality of I Need To Be Here and Pay Attention, vs. I have the dvd, I can watch it anytime, whatever. The interactivity also gives a “who’s who” – “did you attend” aspect, which I enjoy.
2 – Peoria, Illinois. I make the time for the courses I want to watch. Self Employed has benefits.
3 – I consider it the next best thing to an in-person workshop. I have also found that the classes I watch are ones in which I am already familiar with the instructor and have either attended a workshop, weminar or class and/or own their DVD’s. You have my personal thanks for the efforts you are putting forth. This is a very good thing.
1) One little word: Passion. You might have thought that the word was going to be “free” but I’ve seen other free broadcasts and I’ve never felt inspired by them. You can tell that this is something that everyone at creativeLIVE believes in. It’s not a gimmick chock full of advertisements. It’s from the heart and no amount of production can fake that.
2) The Central Valley of California.
3) There’s a sense of immediacy to this format that makes it all the more engaging. You feel like you’re one of the lucky few to actually sit in on a weekend seminar with a top name in the industry and moreover, you connect with them. After watching Zack Arias live, I now feel a connection with him and his work that I otherwise would have never found. Speakers can’t be “on” for two and a half days straight. They’re going to open up, let the viewer in, and that’s the point where the true connection is created.
A suggestion before I stop prattling on about how amazing you guys are: We’re just starting work on our own studio now. Once it is up and running, I plan on holding creativeLIVE weekends where we hook up the computer to a projector and beam your broadcast onto a wall. We’ll put the word out to other area photogs and give them a place to go.
One of the biggest problems we had was conveying to non-tech savvy people how important it was for us to block out an entire weekend for creativeLIVE. Even a lot of the tech savvy didn’t get it because of how new and innovative creativeLIVE is. People ask if you’re available, “No, actually I’m watching a seminar.” “No you’re not. You’re playing on the internet.” But, if people had someplace to GO, then it would be no questions asked. It might be interesting to partner with studios around the world willing to throw creativeLIVE parties. Perhaps selling passes in advance at a 10% discount in an effort to generate pre show profits. It builds on the sense of community that creativeLIVE is all about.
Many thanks to Chase and the team. Definitely looking forward to the next one.
1. I absolutely love the format you guys have setup. I’ve watched several of your classes. I’ve purchased a few too. The fact that the live experience is free is amazing. Keep it up and I’ll keep supporting this. BTW I’ve been watching before you switched it to creativeLIVE.
2. I’m in Memphis. But would hop on a plane in a second to come sit in on one of these workshops in the flesh…
3. The fact that someone in the UK or elsewhere in the world is having the same kind of questions I may be having is a great thing to know. Makes this big ole world seem a little smaller. And that is a good thing considering the way no one seems to see eye to eye these days.
THANKS and keep it up!!!
J