Category: Video

Web Guitar Wizard Revealed at Last

Web Guitar Wizard Revealed at Last – New York Times
One of the most popular hits on this blog , since it was posted on Jan. 18th, has been this guitar video. Now the NY Times reveals “Who is this guy?” Turns out we had posted the original version, which later popularized with a version by a guy that called himself funtwo, who had added a drum track.

Eight months ago a mysterious image showed up on YouTube, the video-sharing site that now shows more than 100 million videos a day. A sinewy figure in a swimming-pool-blue T-shirt, his eyes obscured by a beige baseball cap, was playing electric guitar. Sun poured through the window behind him; he played in a yellow haze. The video was called simply “guitar.” A black-and-white title card gave the performer’s name as funtwo.
The piece that funtwo played with mounting dexterity was an exceedingly difficult rock arrangement of Pachelbel’s Canon, the composition from the turn of the 18th century known for its solemn chord progressions and its overexposure at weddings. But this arrangement, attributed on another title card to JerryC, was anything but plodding: it required high-level mastery of a singularly demanding maneuver called sweep-picking. (Click on the pictures to see each video).

Quick Guide to TV on the Net

The Jeff Pulver Blog: Jeff’s Quick Guide to TV on the Net (TV/IP) – July, 2006
During the past twelve months, as the momentum for Broadband TV has snowballed, an increasing number of media companies have decided to take their content and make it available for viewing on the Internet. In some cases, the content offered is “re-runs” of prime time content, in other cases the Internet is being used to channel “vintage” programming (re-runs of old programs) and there is an increasing number of cases in which new content is being developed by media companies for just the broadband Internet.

Video After 1906 SF Earthquake

Here is a 1905 video taken driving down San Francisco’s Market Street. Compare that with this photo taken looking back from the Ferry Building tower, which you can see at the end-of the street in the video. Click on the picture and get an option to download a high-resolution version. Thanks to Randy for bringing this video to our attention. An earlier post on this blog of a simulation of how the Golden Gate would handle a similiar quake.

Rorschach test-inspired Music Video

‘boards – Screening Room
A clever Rorschach test-inspired music video for Gnarls Barkley.(Thanks to Randy)

This song was featured on this blog back in April because the oddly named hip-hop duo Gnarls Barkley made history in the U.K. with the song “Crazy,” which debuted at No. 1 despite being available only as a digital download. It was the first time a song had reached the top spot without being available on CD, tape or record. A live version, in Star Wars costumes, was featured during the 2006 MTV music awards.