Video Mash-Up

Washington Post staff writer Sara Kehaulani Goo and 18-year-old mash-up artist Molly McRoberts were online Wednesday, Aug. 2 at 2 p.m. ET for a live discussion about this latest trend in online user-generated content.

washingtonpost.com Business and Technology editor Bob Greiner was also be online to answer specific questions about our own mash-up challenge .

A transcript follows .

In what has become an increasingly predictable pattern, the most talked about events of the day are quickly finding their way to the Internet and then "mashed up," or edited, by amateur video editors who use them as a form of commentary or entertainment. Mash-up video mixes original video or audio content with music, quick-witted narrations or creative transitions. The result is a video dialogue of sorts that makes a statement that is political, personal or just entertaining.

Read more of the story: Art and Marketing All Mashed Up .

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Sara Kehaulani Goo: Welcome, everyone. I'm so glad you could join us this afternoon to talk about video mash-ups. I first started noticing mash-ups on YouTube not too long ago and I was struck by how creative they were. We're really excited about our own mash-up contest so please check out the video we've provided, starring Dana Milbank.

So let's get started.

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washingtonpost.com: Create Your Own Video Mash-Up

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Fairfax, Va.: Um, maybe I'm missing something. Instead of combining two pieces of existing material to make something "original" -- why not create something truly original. Do you see mash-ups a way to compensate for a lack of talent/vision?

Sara Kehaulani Goo: Quite the opposite. I think with news-related mash ups in particular, people are using video as a way to comment on what they see and hear. It's a great way to respond to original content in a creative way. I like to think of it like a DJ, mixing his own songs, and seeing how the crowd responds.

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Harrisburg, Pa.: Do you consider mash-ups a legitmate, lasting form of artistic expression or simply a fleeting fad to eventually be replaced by some other techno innovation?

Molly McRoberts: I think with everything in life people always find ways to move onto something bigger and better. I believe mash ups will be around for awhile but could become obsolete once something new comes along. But for now I think the trend will only continue to grow with popularity.

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Bowie, Md.: Not to turn this into a tech help session, but what video editing software do people use to create their mash-ups? I'd like to get into the game but am unsure what I would need to be able to do it.

Thanks!

Bob Greiner: We won't be recommending any specific software, but a Google search for "free video editing tools" yielded this page , which seems to be a pretty good overview. There are plenty of free options, plus lots of review sites that will provide ratings of retail editing software.

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Santa Cruz, Calif.: Have you ever heard from any of the people you've mashed-up? Were they upset or happy about it?

Molly McRoberts: I have yet to hear anything directly from the cast and crew from the show Lost about my videos, but my "Brokeback Island" spoof has been published in places that have given more more insight as to what they think. A few months ago an issue of Details magazine came out featuring Josh Holloway (Sawyer on the show). It had an article on him and his wife, and she had mentioned my video. It said:

"Back at home, Kumala is downloading Brokeback Island, a spoof movie trailer that splices together hilariously homoerotic footage-shirts off, smiles, hands on pistols, lingering glances-of Jack and Sawyer. "You've made it, honey," Kumala says as we pile through the back door. "You've been brokeback'd." While Holloway hits the head, Kumala shoots off an e-mail to Abrams, giving him the link. "

To know that my video is what Josh Holloway's wife judges his career on in terms of "making it" is very, very flattering. And then to know she sent the email for JJ Abrams, creator of the show, is just mind blowing.

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Berkeley, Calif.: I love your Brokeback Island mash-up! It was so funny!! How many hours of Lost did you watch to select the scenes you used in your mash-up?

I also would be interested in hearing about the latest mash-up you are working on. Where do you get your inspiration?

washingtonpost.com: Here's a link to Molly's video on YouTube. This page may contain material that some may find offensive: Brokeback Island .

Molly McRoberts: Because Lost is my favorite show I have the earlier episodes pretty much memorized. When I'm looking for a specific clip usually I don't have too much trouble finding it. I don't watch so many "hours" as much as browsing through many, many clips to find what I'm looking for.

My next mash up I'm working on is for the much anticipated movie, "Snakes On A Plane". My version will be "Snakes On An Island". My inspiration is for my videos is what I like and what I think would be funny. It just works out that others find it humorous too.

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Silver Spring, Md.: I want to try this but not sure about the editing software. Can you please help me to decide one? Thanks

Molly McRoberts: Most PC's come with a program called "Windows Movie Maker". It's very basic and fairly easy to use. I started off making my videos with that but soon out grew it. Now I use Vegas Movie Studios 6.0 which is a much higher powered program. It took me a bit to get the hang of but eventually I got it. For someone brand new to making videos I suggest starting out with something basic and working your way up.

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Silver Spring, Md.: It is entirely a new thing for me. I want to know what is the main purpose of using Mash-up?

Molly McRoberts: Truthfully, mash ups are there for entertainment purpose. Most are there just to make you laugh. The more creative ones try to make you look at two things in a way you haven't really thought about them before. Plus it's a way for amateur editors to show their skills even if they don't have their own material to edit.

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Washington, D.C. : Just wondering if you've seen the mash up "At War With Baraka" which puts together the Flaming Lips new CD and the Film Baraka. What are some other movies that would be ripe for mashing?

Molly McRoberts: I haven't seen that mash up but it sounds interesting. I think the most popular movie mash up is Brokeback Island. Snakes On A Plane has already gotten a lot of internet hype, and once the movie is released I'm sure there will be a lot more videos of snakes and Samuel L. Jackson running around in different situations.

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Seattle, Wash.: I'm seeing more and more mash-ups in a business context - real estate sites using online maps for houses, etc. Is this something where you see consumers taking the lead, and businesses catching up? What are some really cool ideas that you're seeing businesses use for mash-ups?

Sara Kehaulani Goo: Well, just to clarify there are other kinds of mash-ups that are not video mash ups. Techie types might be more familiar with the term as it applies to taking data from two or more web sites and merging them together in a different purpose, such as aggregating crime data by location or real estate data--which is what i think what you are talking about.

But generally, yes, I think consumers and Internet users are using their own creativity and skills to lead where this is all going. Businesses are just experimenting with ways to get invovled because they know more people are spending more of their time online.

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Johnstown, Pa.: After reading the article in the post today, I went to the 2 websites mentioned and viewed some of the videos on both sites. I have to say; I wasn't that impressed; they seem like glorified home movies. Is it that this is just the beginning of a trend and the talented will rise to the top?

Molly McRoberts: I work on the website www.lostvideo.net where anyone can submit their video for the show Lost. And by anyone, I mean people who have never edited a video in their life can submit one to be posted on the website. So although we encourage anyone that wants to to submit videos, we do get our fair share of bad eggs. The majority of them are ones that are clever, but not mind blowing. Some of the more seasoned editors have mastered their craft and are able to do amazing things with their videos (such as incorporate animations and different angles not originally used on the show). So to answer you questions, yes. I think the true talent will rise to the top. It's nice that those who want to try their hand at editing get a chance, but there are a few who shine more than others.

Sara Kehaulani Goo: Yes, a lot of video mash-ups are pretty bad. Some work and some nail it. Usually people who have some kind of video editing experience are doing the ones that are really great. I don't know where it's going, but I can definitely foresee someone like Molly, who is just doing this for fun, somehow using that to her advantage as a career. Online video is really hot right now and entertainment companies will need talented artists to figure out new ways to reach audiences on the Internet.

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Rockville, Md.: Can't The Post devote its time to more pressing issues other than "mash ups"? If I wanted to hear this junk than I'd turn on DC 101 on Saturday nights to hear Flounder's mash ups, but I don't because the whole concept is just plain stupid.

Sara Kehaulani Goo: Fair criticism. It's probably not everyone's idea of good entertainment, but my guess is that you probably haven't seen too many of these or maybe you don't see the Internet as a vehicle for entertainment.

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Arlington, Va.: Gotta say I laughed at Brokeback to the Future. Seemed original -- three months ago. Why is the Brokeback angle still so popular -- why aren't people looking for something original?

Molly McRoberts: It's not that people aren't looking for something original, it's just that people think that their Brokeback mash up is different than everyone else's. Yes, they all have same homosexual undertones, but I've seen parodies of movies, TV shows, even cartoons. From my own experience making a Brokeback spoof I can say that I was trying to do something different because there had yet to be a pairing for the two characters in my video (Sawyer and Jack from Lost). Now a good handful have popped up around the internet, but at the time I was trying to be clever in the sense that no one had used that pairing before.

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Berkeley, Calif.: Do you consider you and other mash-up artists the vanguard of a new art form? What do you see as the future of mash-up?

Molly McRoberts: Because no profit is really made of mash ups, I think they will continue to be looked as more of a hobby. It's something people do for fun to entertain themselves and others. I wouldn't go as far to call it "a new art form", but I definitely think there is some uniqueness to it that not everyone can master.

Sara Kehaulani Goo: I see it as a new form of entertainment/comedy but more along the same vein of "The Daily Show"'s take on the news. People are able to catch up with the events of the day and get a good laugh by watching mash-ups In a sense, mash-ups catch you up and test your knowledge, even, of popular culture. Some of them are really clever pop culture inside jokes.

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Washington, D.C.: Molly, how long does it take you to make one of these Mash-Ups and do you just post it directly to YouTube? Any trick to making sure the work you do gets seen by more than just a handful of people?

Molly McRoberts: When making a video it really depends on how "in the zone" I get. If I'm making a video to a song that fits perfectly for the plot I'm editing for, then I can probably finish it in one day. My Brokeback Island video took about two days where I worked on it a couple hours the first night and then finished it the next day. Some other videos can take a week or more if I don't have time to devote to working on it straight through. Truthfully I have no tricks on making sure your video is seen by thousands. I can honestly say that my Brokeback Island video's popularity had nothing to do with my advertising for it. I had put it on YouTube for a contest I was entering it in, and then one day when I checked it I saw it had 40,000+ hits on it. I did a little research and found that it had been posted on the Entertainment Weekly website in their Pop Watch section. I really didn't do anything to circulate my video around and I'm very grateful for those who have posted the link all over the internet. At last check I think my video is at 108,000+ hits.

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Boston, Mass.: Movies use any old song to enhance video, why shouldn't students use any old image to express something completely new?

Atom Films has some political videos that don't stay on most viewed list long, yet do open ones eyes, in severity of humor.

Good or bad is not point, point is just being free to use any image or idea to create what one wants to express. Internet is a budding artists' paradise. Arn't we all members of many faceted society that needs introspection at all levels.

Sara Kehaulani Goo: Interesting comment. Thanks

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Washington, D.C.: What are your thoughts on Mash-Ups being used by mainstream entertainment firms. For example in 2005 a Mash up called "I'm the Juggernaut b----!" of an 80s cartoon version of the X-men was really popular and in the 06 version of Xmen 3 the character juggernaut uses the same line. I must say that when he said it the whole theater went wild like they had seen the cartoon video.

Molly McRoberts: Hahaha, I was definitely one of the people belly laughing at that part of the movie. But I think that by having some little mash up become so huge to the point where major motion pictures are putting a references to it in their movies says a lot for the internet. Everyone has access to these mash ups online- including high powered movie and TV executives. I think people underestimate that famous people are people too, and they laugh just as hard at a good mash up.

Sara Kehaulani Goo: Actually, Molly, you should mention the reaction that your mash-up of "Lost" and "Brokeback Mountain" from one of the stars of the "Lost" show. I wasn't able to get that into today's story but it's a fun story.

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Molly McRoberts: I mentioned before, I have yet to get a direct response back from anyone on the show Lost. But a few months ago issue of Details magazine came out featuring Josh Holloway (Sawyer on the show). It had an article on him and his wife, and she had mentioned my video. It said:

"Back at home, Kumala is downloading Brokeback Island, a spoof movie trailer that splices together hilariously homoerotic footage- shirts off, smiles, hands on pistols, lingering glances of Jack and Sawyer. "You've made it, honey," Kumala says as we pile through the back door. "You've been brokeback'd." While Holloway hits the head, Kumala shoots off an e-mail to Abrams, giving him the link. "

And before that was published the Entertainment Weekly website got a hold of the link to my video and said this about it:

"But wait just a second: The producers of Lost have just clued PopWatch in to Brokeback Island, voted by the series' producers, cast and crew as their favorite of the many Brokeback-Lost spoofs they've seen in recent weeks. It's pretty funny stuff (you have to love the way it reinterprets Sawyers' ''You know what? I'm sensitive to you.'')."

To hear that my video is a favorite of the cast and crew of Lost was more than flattering. I had made this video not thinking it would become anything, but the way it's been embarrassed makes me so proud of what I've created. Again, here is the link to my video (May contain some material that others find offensive):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0E1s9CFnG4

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Sara Kehaulani Goo: Thanks everyone for joining us to discuss this and especially thanks to Molly for sharing her knowledge and passion for mash-ups.

We hope you come back and check out progress on the mash-up contest!

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Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.