Discovery Channel Canada wants MY video!

[aaron_gx]

This may or may not be a good idea.

I want to ask your opinion, since this is a better forum to do so than RCG, I'd just get stomped on.

Since wednesday, my Turbine video has been getting explosive viewing from many different websites. I've had over 100,000 views on my video in just over 3 days. The comments have been mixed, as you may well imagine, due to the risky nature of the video, and due to ignorance (THAT PLANE IS MADE OF METAL, HE SHOULD BE LOCKED UP!).

I get an email this morning from Discovery Channel Canada, and they would like to use my video in an upcoming "Daily Planet" episode. WOW! How flattering... But the consequences could be bad... No? I would most likely be wanted to do an interview, and my name would likely need to be released. Just the fact that people are people, someone might make this video my worst nightmare, especially if it went on a popular national TV show?

It could be a very cool thing for FPV, if I were to present it properly...

What do you all think?

[aaron_gx]

Here is a copy of the email:

Discovery Channel Canada
To:mraarongx

Hi,

I'm with Discovery Channel Canada. We produce a daily science magazine program called, Daily Planet.

I'm interested in mentioning your vdeo piece on "Playing Chicken with a Wind Turbine" in an upcoming show. Would you happen to have any hi-res images or video that I'd be able to broadcast? It would be broadcast across Canada and available worldwide on the website.

Thanks for your time,

xxxxx xxxxxxx
Daily Planet
xxx-xxx-xxxx
xxx.xxxx@ctv.ca

[SENTRY]

I would speak to them - I cant ever seeing Disc Channel start a smut campaign - but they do try to view all sides of a scenario in their journalism. How I would proceed would depend on a lot of things...

* if I had permission to fly there (and recover the plane legally if it went down)
* if I was flying on legal frequencies
* flying within all Canadian laws
* if they wanted to interview me and get MY view

It could be a good thing - but it really depends on how the journalist wants to spin it. I think that if they really wanted to paint it negatively, they COULD easily report on it without your commentary (like another popular video since it went viral...).

Just make sure they you are prepared to answer the questions - not just this "hey this is cool - how does it work?" questions - but the "what if you would have hit a propeller and caused $10,000 in damage?" questions... or the "we spoke to the owners of the turbines - they are not happy, what do you say to that?"

But you could also say that your $$$ rig could be used to inspect turbine farms at a FRACTION of the cost of a commercial outfit etc etc etc.

[rawlmark]

I haven't seen it, can you post a link?

[aaron_gx]

Solid advice.

I was almost thinking along the lines of recommending one of my other videos, slightly more tame, if FPV is actually the topic of interest. But that may not be the point. I may contact back, and chat, just to find out more about the motives and what they wish to display. I doubt they would run the whole 2+ minute clip.

[aaron_gx]

Sorry... Here:

View this video on Vimeo

[rawlmark]

Ahh yes, I do remember that one. Good stuff.

[kev.au]

How exactly does a video go "Viral"?, did you post heaps of links in other random forums?, how does it work.
100,000 views in 3 days is crazy.


Cheers, Kev.

[aaron_gx]

I didnt do anything! All of a sudden I just started getting massive amounts of hits. I looked at my embed status and I was on Gizmodo, Dailywhat, Todaysbigthing etc etc... Thats the funny thing about viral videos... They just go by themselves. "like a disease"....

[galaxiex]

I think it would be cool to allow Discovery Channel to use your vid.....

IF you can somehow ensure that something is said about permissions, and how little risk there was to the turbines from a foam plane.... just to appease the fear mongers...