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==Description==
==Description==
Rocketboom is presented in the format of a newscast with a comedic slant. Each weekday Rocketboom offers oddities, vlog excerpts and explores emerging social movements. It sometimes presents political commentary. Apart from an occasional use of old newsreel footage or vintage commercials, mainstream media is avoided. The Rocketboom weblog and Apollo Pony feature supplemental material that isn't fit for the vlog.
Rocketboom is presented in the format of a newscast with a comedic slant. Each weekday Rocketboom offers oddities, vlog excerpts and explores emerging social movements. It sometimes presents political commentary. Apart from an occasional use of old newsreel footage or vintage commercials, mainstream media is avoided. The Rocketboom weblog and Apollo Pony feature supplemental material that isn't fit for the vlog.

===2004 to 2006: The first years===
On October 26, 2004, the story begins with [[Amanda Congdon]] and a [[TI-99/4A]] on her desk. Her latest in the news was about [[Apple]] [[iPod]], Grand Theft Auto, George W. Bush, and other things.

On Feburary 18, 2005, Rocketboom celebrates its 75th episode anniversary.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Congdon
| first = Amanda
| title = friday feb 18, 2005 : casual friday
| date = [[2005-02-18]]
| work = Rocketboom
| url = http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/rb_05_feb_18/
| accessdate = 2005-02-18 }}</ref> Only 25 more, and maybe they'll make it out of beta...

On June 21, 2005, Amanda leaves her workplace in her apartment and moves into a new studio.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Congdon
| first = Amanda
| title = tuesday june 21, 2005 : daily
| date = [[2005-06-21]]
| work = Rocketboom
| url = http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/rb_05_jun_21
| accessdate = 2005-06-21 }}</ref>

On October 26, 2005, Rocketboom celebrates its one-year anniversary with a [[Where the Hell is Matt]]-inspired video.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Congdon
| first = Amanda
| title = wednesday october 26, 2005 : anniversary
| date = [[2005-10-26]]
| work = Rocketboom
| url = http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/rb_05_oct_26
| accessdate = 2005-10-26 }}</ref> The video features Amanda dancing at places around New York.

On Feburary 27, 2006, Rocketboom goes widescreen, recorded by a Sony HC-1 in 16:9 aspect ratio, in High Definition.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Congdon
| first = Amanda
| title = monday february 27, 2006 : daily
| date = [[2006-02-27]]
| work = Rocketboom
| url = http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/rb_06_feb_27
| accessdate = 2006-02-27 }}</ref>

===2006 and present: Rocketboom 2.0===
On July 12, 2006, [[Joanne Colan]] began hosting for Rocketboom.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Colan
| first = Joanne
| title = wednesday july 12, 2006 : daily
| date = [[2006-07-12]]
| work = Rocketboom
| url = http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/rb_06_jul_12
| accessdate = 2006-07-12 }}</ref>

Due to the response of comments regarding about the clicker, she proposes not to use it for the show.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Colan
| first = Joanne
| title = tuesday july 18, 2006 : daily - bye bye clicker
| date = [[2006-07-18]]
| work = Rocketboom
| url = http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/rb_06_jul_18
| accessdate = 2006-07-18 }}</ref> Later on, she proposes not to use the map for the backdrop and plans on finding a different backdrop for the show.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Colan
| first = Joanne
| title = tuesday august 1, 2006 : daily - help replace the map
| date = [[2006-08-01]]
| work = Rocketboom
| url = http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/rb_06_aug_01
| accessdate = 2006-08-01 }}</ref> A new map was used for the backdrop,<ref>{{cite web
| last = Colan
| first = Joanne
| title = monday august 28, 2006 : special report
| date = [[2006-08-28]]
| work = Rocketboom
| url = http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/rb_06_aug_28
| accessdate = 2006-08-28 }}</ref> but then she decides to continue using the old map<ref>{{cite web
| last = Colan
| first = Joanne
| title = tuesday august 29, 2006 : daily
| date = [[2006-08-29]]
| work = Rocketboom
| url = http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/rb_06_aug_29
| accessdate = 2006-08-29 }}</ref>.


===Distribution===
===Distribution===
Rocketboom is available on the website, [[Akimbo (on-demand service)|Akimbo]], [[Democracy Player|Democracy]], and via an [[RSS (file format)|RSS]] 2.0 feed. Viewers may subscribe to feeds using a podcast [[news aggregator|aggregator]] such as [[Apple Inc.]] [[iTunes]] or Juice, which periodically checks for and downloads new content automatically. In addition to [[TiVo]], it is also available on [[Windows Media Center]] with a third party plug-in from mcesoft [http://www.mcesoft.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=119&Itemid=2].
Rocketboom is available on the website and also on [[Akimbo (on-demand service)|Akimbo]], [[Democracy Player|Democracy]], and via an [[RSS (file format)|RSS]] 2.0 feed. Viewers may subscribe to feeds using a podcast [[news aggregator|aggregator]] such as [[Apple]] [[iTunes]] or Juice, which periodically checks for and downloads new content automatically. In addition to [[TiVo]], it is also available on [[Windows Media Center]] with a third party plug-in from mcesoft [http://www.mcesoft.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=119&Itemid=2].

Rocketboom is also available as a web app for [[iPhone]] and [[iPod touch]].<ref>{{cite web
| title = Rocketboom for iPhone
| date = [[2007-10-11]]
| work = Apple
| url = http://www.apple.com/webapps/entertainment/rocketboomforiphone.html
| accessdate = 2007-10-11 }}</ref>


==People==
==People==

Revision as of 17:45, 4 November 2007

Rocketboom
File:Rocketboom logo.jpg
Presentation
Hosted byAmanda Congdon (October 26, 2004 to July 5, 2006) Joanne Colan (July 12, 2006 to present)
UpdatesDaily

Rocketboom is a daily vlog produced by Andrew Baron. It was launched on October 26, 2004 and was hosted by Amanda Congdon[1] until she left on July 5, 2006. Joanne Colan began hosting on July 12, 2006[2].

Description

Rocketboom is presented in the format of a newscast with a comedic slant. Each weekday Rocketboom offers oddities, vlog excerpts and explores emerging social movements. It sometimes presents political commentary. Apart from an occasional use of old newsreel footage or vintage commercials, mainstream media is avoided. The Rocketboom weblog and Apollo Pony feature supplemental material that isn't fit for the vlog.

2004 to 2006: The first years

On October 26, 2004, the story begins with Amanda Congdon and a TI-99/4A on her desk. Her latest in the news was about Apple iPod, Grand Theft Auto, George W. Bush, and other things.

On Feburary 18, 2005, Rocketboom celebrates its 75th episode anniversary.[3] Only 25 more, and maybe they'll make it out of beta...

On June 21, 2005, Amanda leaves her workplace in her apartment and moves into a new studio.[4]

On October 26, 2005, Rocketboom celebrates its one-year anniversary with a Where the Hell is Matt-inspired video.[5] The video features Amanda dancing at places around New York.

On Feburary 27, 2006, Rocketboom goes widescreen, recorded by a Sony HC-1 in 16:9 aspect ratio, in High Definition.[6]

2006 and present: Rocketboom 2.0

On July 12, 2006, Joanne Colan began hosting for Rocketboom.[7]

Due to the response of comments regarding about the clicker, she proposes not to use it for the show.[8] Later on, she proposes not to use the map for the backdrop and plans on finding a different backdrop for the show.[9] A new map was used for the backdrop,[10] but then she decides to continue using the old map[11].

Distribution

Rocketboom is available on the website and also on Akimbo, Democracy, and via an RSS 2.0 feed. Viewers may subscribe to feeds using a podcast aggregator such as Apple iTunes or Juice, which periodically checks for and downloads new content automatically. In addition to TiVo, it is also available on Windows Media Center with a third party plug-in from mcesoft [1].

Rocketboom is also available as a web app for iPhone and iPod touch.[12]

People

The Rocketboom production team members have included Andrew Baron (writer, producer, director), Amanda Congdon (host, writer, producer) and then Joanne Colan (host, writer, producer), Kenyatta Cheese (Producer) and Joe Bonacci (Editor). Rocketboom and Rocketboom Human Wire's World Video Report both present webcasts packaged by its correspondents in the United States, Europe and Kenya: Annie Tsai (Los Angeles), Andy Carvin (Washington DC), Zadi Diaz (Los Angeles), Ruud Elmendorp (Nairobi), Steve Garfield (Boston), Milt Lee (South Dakota), Chuck Olsen (Minneapolis), Bre Pettis (Seattle), Tyson Root (Houston), Stefan M. Seydel (Switzerland/Germany/Austria) and Graham Walker (Prague).

Popularity

Rocketboom interviewed Jimbo Wales at the Time 100 Most Influential People Gala as of May 8, 2006 as featured on this vlog on May 9, 2006. Watch the vlog here.

When Rocketboom debuted in 2004, it went from an initial 700 viewers to 70,000 viewers in its first ten months. The vlog's success was noted in the summer of 2005 by CBS Evening News[13], Wired News[14] and other publications. BusinessWeek labeled it "the most popular site of its kind on the Net."[15] The January 9, 2006, issue of Newsweek stated that Rocketboom had "130,000 daily viewers."

On October 26, 2005, one year later after the start-up, Rocketboom made a one-year anniversary video featuring Amanda dancing at locations around New York. On February 2, 2006 Rocketboom was incorporated into an episode of the TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in a fictional scene of a murderer watching a Rocketboom commentary on the crime.[16] In the month following the CSI episode, the number of Rocketboom viewers jumped to 200,000. As noted by Dan Mitchell in the New York Times (2006-03-11), this is similar to the size of a small cable show audience. In "A Blog Writes the Obituary of TV,"[17] Mitchell wrote:

One recent week, the video blog Rocketboom drew an average of 200,000 people a day to watch its short daily news reports on technology, the arts and other topics. The Abrams Report on MSNBC, meanwhile, drew 215,000 viewers to its weekday hourlong show about legal issues. Does this anecdote -- that an unpopular cable news show and a wildly popular Web site draw similarly sized audiences -- prove that the Internet is upending the economics of the television business? It does for Prince Campbell, a former media executive who runs the Chartreuse (BETA) blog. Mr. Campbell wields superlatives in a particularly bloggish manner at chartreuse.wordpress.com. "Broadcast television is dead," he declares. "Just like the Internet killed the music industry, it's about to do the same thing to broadcast TV."

In April and May 2006, Rocketboom introduced its first commercials. The first commercial sponsors were TRM and Earthlink.[18] Each of which was a series of 5 commercials shown, one per day, over the week that they were featured.

In Fall of 2006, Rocketboom's popularity claims and self-published statistics came into question. In an interview with Dow Jones, Baron claimed "400,000 viewers per day" and that "some episodes are more popular and receive well over a million complete downloads." After extensive analysis[19] BusinessWeek reported that Rocketboom provided incorrect statistics data resulting in "cutting in half the original estimate... to 78,500 downloads" and noting that Rocketboom refused "to let any third party... verify these stats."</ref> Green, Heather (2006-10-27). "The Continuing Saga of Rocketboom Numbers and Yanking Our Estimate". BusinessWeek. Retrieved 2007-05-29.</ref>

Spoofs, knock-offs, reviews

Video bloggers chimed in with their spin to Rocketboom's He Said[20]/She Said[21] with posted clips of their take on Rocketboom founders' separation in July, 2006. Parodies include MissleBlast[22] and RocketBum[23] in the style of SNL/In Living Color/MadTV, or YouTube LisaNova on LittleLoca performances. The former producing "Soup of the Day" knock-offs, and the latter a male in drag replacement anchor, attempting to reinvent Comic-As-News medium now dominated by award winning the Daily Show and Colbert Report. CIOInsight Edward Cone interview of Amanda Congdon sums it up: On the Set with Web Video's Crossover Star[24].

References

  1. ^ Congdon, Amanda (2004-10-26). "october 26, 002004 : daily". Rocketboom. Retrieved 2006-07-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Colan, Joanne (2006-07-12). "Wednesday July 12, 2006 : daily". Rocketboom. Retrieved 2006-08-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Congdon, Amanda (2005-02-18). "friday feb 18, 2005 : casual friday". Rocketboom. Retrieved 2005-02-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Congdon, Amanda (2005-06-21). "tuesday june 21, 2005 : daily". Rocketboom. Retrieved 2005-06-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Congdon, Amanda (2005-10-26). "wednesday october 26, 2005 : anniversary". Rocketboom. Retrieved 2005-10-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Congdon, Amanda (2006-02-27). "monday february 27, 2006 : daily". Rocketboom. Retrieved 2006-02-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ Colan, Joanne (2006-07-12). "wednesday july 12, 2006 : daily". Rocketboom. Retrieved 2006-07-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Colan, Joanne (2006-07-18). "tuesday july 18, 2006 : daily - bye bye clicker". Rocketboom. Retrieved 2006-07-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ Colan, Joanne (2006-08-01). "tuesday august 1, 2006 : daily - help replace the map". Rocketboom. Retrieved 2006-08-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Colan, Joanne (2006-08-28). "monday august 28, 2006 : special report". Rocketboom. Retrieved 2006-08-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Colan, Joanne (2006-08-29). "tuesday august 29, 2006 : daily". Rocketboom. Retrieved 2006-08-29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "Rocketboom for iPhone". Apple. 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-10-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "FutureMedia News, Reviews, Interviews, Analysis, Expos, Press Events, Parties". Retrieved 2006-07-07.
  14. ^ Cohn, David (2005-07-13). "The Vlog World's Greatest Hits". Wired News. Retrieved 2006-07-20.
  15. ^ Green, Heather (2005-09-05). "Rocketboom's Powerful Lift-Off". BusinessWeek. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
  16. ^ "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation". Retrieved 2006-07-07.
  17. ^ Mitchell, Dan (2006-03-11). "A Blog Writes the Obituary of TV". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
  18. ^ Anderson, Diane (2006-02-17). "Rocketboom Takes Off: Earthlink and TRM are First Advertisers". Brandweek. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
  19. ^ Green, Heather (2006-10-27). "Why Ze Frank is Right and Wrong About Rocketboom". BusinessWeek. Retrieved 2006-10-28.
  20. ^ ((cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxIt20bNpEI)
  21. ^ ((cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuHzWZu0qK8))
  22. ^ ((cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIEWKx5R-ls))
  23. ^ ((cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6N4tvT03vs))
  24. ^ ((cite web|url=http://www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1540,2094010,00.asp))

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rocketboom&oldid=169194291"