Interview: Andy Cobb of John.he.is video

You know them better as their YouTube name “Election08,” the YouTube member that created "John.he.is."   The video has reached more than 1 million viewers, as a political short to endorse John McCain for the presidential nomination. The video was posted in the same month as the Barack Obama music video “Yes We Can” featuring Will.i.am, both using the respective candidate’s speeches with music. Read on to hear what creator Andy Cobb has to say about The Public Service Administration, a comic and improv group based out of Los Angeles, and interest in political videos. 

 

Andy Cobb: We have uploaded to Funnyordie, Crackle.com, and some other fine comedy-themed sites. It seems to us that YouTube is just sort of the main street for these videos. As a video climbs the YouTube charts, it gets their audience on top of [whoever] checks us out from being directed by political blogs or wherever else we're posted. The other sites just don't seem to have the easy embed-ability, and the blogs aren't as eager to post them. YouYube just seems to be the best medium for the moment. Otherwise, we're stuck on a side street, and we don't get the traffic we're looking for.

CCI: John.he.is uses a candidate's words mixed with music. How important is the soundtrack in creating a video hit? Is music better than narration?

AC: Music is vitally important for these. We're lucky to have some fine musicians in the group. Nothing makes a bit come alive like music, and having folks who can provide copyright-free tunes is a real luxury. We do a certain amount of soundtrack-ing with Soundtrack and Garageband files, but do as much original stuff as we can.

CCI: What makes a good video? Some video producers have told us the key to any good online video is a pretty girl or dirty humor. Can political videos attract the same kind of audience and traffic numbers?

 

AC: The key to political stuff often seems to be coming up with something intelligent enough and insightful enough to attract diehard political junkies. We have a pretty girl in the group, and we all have filthy mouths, but it's not in our best interests to lead with that. The political stuff is its own realm, and has more of an intellectual audience. That's kind of cool. It's a little more challenging than finding excuses to punch actors in the balls on camera. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

CCI: What camcorder equipment or editing software do you use?

AC: A Panasonic DVX, and Final Cut Studio.

CCI: Do you have any advice for online video producers or viewers?

 

AC: Find your audience. It's important to understand why people go to the web, why people might be interested in your little vid, and finding and developing relationships with potential distributors - bloggers, advocates, and people interested in your topics.