New Media

Interview series with National Geographic Traveler

August 15, 2011 by Ian MacKenzie

In February earlier this year, I flew down to Washington, DC to shoot an interview series with the staff of National Geographic Traveler. The idea was to capture travel writing and photography tips for students of the new media school MatadorU.

Check out the promo:

The Rise of Crowdfunding

July 26, 2011 by Ian MacKenzie

Watch the talk I delivered for Pecha Kucha Coquitlam, May 31, 2011.

Full Transcript & Slides:

Hello and thanks for coming. Tonight, I want to talk to you about a massive shift that is currently happening to the way art is created. This includes music, photography, literature, and for myself, film. This shift is called crowd funding and it has evolved from a variety of factors that I will outline tonight.

But first, I would like to share with you a story about Sean Aiken. In 2007, Sean graduated from college and realized he had no idea what to do with his life. So… he decided to find his passion.

He launched The One-Week Job Project he would work any job, anywhere in North America. After one week he’d move on. If that sounds impossible…well…he actually did it.

Read More »

A Video Introduction To MatadorU

March 7, 2011 by Ian MacKenzie

A little piece I whipped together to promote MatadorU – the online media school offering classes in travel writing and travel photography. It’s part of a new crop of videos I just completed shooting in DC and New York. More to come!

The Power Of Crowd-Sourced Funding

August 7, 2010 by Ian MacKenzie

As part of our fundraising campaign for the One Week Job documentary, I shot a clip explaining the power of crowd-sourced funding. Basically, the idea is that content creators can appeal directly to their fans to finance their projects.

If you’d like to help us out, and score some great VIP perks, check out http://www.indiegogo.com/One-Week-Job

Portrait Of A Travel Writer

November 19, 2009 by Ian MacKenzie

To help spread the word about MatadorU, the online travel writing school, I’m producing a video series celebrating the life of travel writers.

The first profile features Robin Esrock, gonzo journalist and host of the tv show Word Travels.

It was a fun shoot, basically walking around Vancouver haunts like Commercial Drive, Granville Island, English Bay and of course, Stanley Park. The vibe is meant to be casual, just like you’re meeting the writer for coffee and walk around the neighborhood.

Hope you like it!

Why I Finally Gave In And Started Using Twitter

January 26, 2009 by Ian MacKenzie

Walking to the plane

I’m fairly willing to try new technologies. But I’m not exactly what marketers call an “early adopter” since I like to see a trend prove its worth before jumping on board.

This was the case with Twitter.

Even though it seems that everyone and their grandma is now using the service, surprisingly few actually know what it does. Basically, Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that let’s you broadcast real-time snippets of text, called “tweets.”

These tweets can be anything: what you’re having for lunch. A link to an interesting article. Your current mood.

If it sounds like plenty of (mostly) irrelevant information, then you’re right. Our world is already clogged with incessant chatter from blogs, Myspace pages, websites, forums, etc.

I was hesitant to jump on the bandwagon because I felt it was just another online presence to maintain, and I scarcely have time to devote on projects that matter.

Eventually, I gave in. And no, not because David Bowie has an account.

I finally realized that Twitter doesn’t suck time. It saves time.

Consider that this blog post allows me to ruminate on why I joined Twitter in an expanded format. It took me approximately 45 minutes to craft and publish.

Alternately, I could have just posted a line on Twitter that would instantly broadcast a similar, though brief, message to my followers.

Approximate time spent: 6 seconds.

Of course, there are many other benefits of Twitter. The immediacy of crowd sourcing. The value of ambient awareness. The lexicon of Twitter-spawned phrases like “Twits” and “Tweeps.”

But if you’re someone who has a need to share online, but lacks the time or focus to develop a lengthy blog, Twitter is your tool.

Hurry up and join already.

The Web’s 20 Most-Visible Individuals In Vancouver

September 29, 2008 by Ian MacKenzie

Photo jahdakinebrah

A recent article in the Vancouver Sun, in partnership with NowPublic, lists Vancouver’s most visible web personalities.

The list includes blogger staples like Travis Smith, Kris Krug, Miss 604, and at number one: Darren Barefoot.

Topping the list in Vancouver is 34-year-old writer and marketer Darren Barefoot. His blog – in combination with his presence on Flickr and Twitter – draws about 10,000 readers daily.

Barefoot’s online opinions vary from the professional to the personal on topics ranging from the environment and poverty to politics and pop culture.

Hey, that’s similar to the things I write about! Maybe there’s hope for me making the list among the ranks of Vancouver’s finest someday.

I was somewhat surprised to read a tacky post by correction: Dale Mugford, writing for MatthewGood.org, who wonders why their site wasn’t in the top 5. In the grand scheme, what’s more important: occasional recognition? or having readers return everyday?

Would have been classier to write a congrats to the others on the list and move on.

Update: Jeff Simpson over at MetBlogs Vancouver writes a hilarious critique of the list, which he dubs prime linkbait. (Which it was).

Ask Ian! Answers To Your Freelance Questions

June 25, 2008 by Ian MacKenzie

Handsome guy in Freelance SwitchMy interview in the mega-popular blog Freelance Switch came out recently. Here’s a little excerpt:

Want to turn your personal interests into a booming career? That’s what Ian MacKenzie had in mind when he started his career as a new media producer.

A jack-of-all-trades, Ian recently finished producing the web series OneWeekJob.com, where a friend worked one job a week for a year. He creates citizen journalism pieces for the new portal VancouverIAM.com, and completes freelance web development projects for companies as well.

Read the full interview here.

I started getting a few emails in my inbox from others asking for further tips. So I figured I would open it up to anyone else, in an initiative called Ask Ian! I’ll collect the responses and publish them here.

UPDATE: Here’s a few questions (and answers) so far:

Dayna says: I am a freelance designer that has been asked by my client to meet in person with a committee. It’s a 4 hour/230 miles round trip. Is it appropriate to include the cost of this trip in my bill?

Yes. If the trip was a 20 minute drive, that’s one thing. But because you’re being asked to drive a significant distance, I think it’s more than fair to include the cost of gas in the bill. If the client expects you to make the trip, they should expect to pay for it.

Dhane says: How do I go from a college kid who has all these skills in media production, to a successful business owner who uses these same skills to help businesses reach their goals?

The first step is creating your business website to offer your skills. This helps to portray you as a legitimate professional. Second, you need to start building your portfolio and contacts. Volunteering your skills for a few key gigs will help fulfill both these areas, and likely lead to future paid work.

Derek says: I notice some freelancers incorporate themselves as a small business, and others (like you) just brand their names. What would you recommend for someone starting out?

I’m only familiar with the tax law in British Columbia, so as far as I know, if you keep your own name for your business, you don’t need to officially incorporate. But even so, there are many different pros and cons to how you set up your business structure. It also depends on if you’re going it alone, if you’re hiring other people, and how much income you generate. My advice is find a good resource (like Small Business BC) for your province/state and start reading.

Have a question about freelancing you’d like answered? Leave a comment!

« Older posts