Shooting Videos with the Drunk Polkaroo

I've often said I have a face made for radio. The older I get, there are fewer people that get the joke. "What's radio?" they say, slowly back away from my ancient technology. But as I continue my Year of Beer, I want to try new ideas and expressions, so it with that in mind I am starting to make short beer review videos on the YouTubes. I know there is no "the" at the beginning or an "s" at the end, but that's how we tell us old timers apart from the rest of you.

When posting a photo and write up on Instagram or the blog, I have the ability to rewrite and polish my work. Sometimes I do edits later on if I notice something is just not working or spelled wrong. With video, that is a little harder. You can only open a beer one time and in the case of many of my brews, I only have one of them to drink anyway. But I like the rawness that video provides. It pushes me to focus on every aspect of what I do with the beer, from the opening of the bottle to the last drop in the glass. Yes. A glass. Every time. Come on guys, it's not hard, but please stop drinking out of the bottle. You are missing so much. I wrote about it twice, here and here.  Check them out. They both will explain why I always pour my beer into a glass. That subject is becoming like the 1993 Leafs for me, I just can't give it up.

Back to videos. I started with a few simple pour videos, using an old digital camera until I realised my phone has better resolution. I don't have a stand for it yet, so I made my own out of some scrap wood I had lying around in the basement.

A little crude, but it gets the job done.

I think it is time to step it up in the camera department and will venture forth to find an affordable but good webcam. That will make editing a little easier and probably improve the quality.

I use my Wall of Beer as the backdrop, but will eventually be filming all of my reviews and video blogs at my bar, which after 10 years I am actually going to build. For my "research". Man, beer is pretty awesome when it motivates you to get projects done. Just make sure you drink after you build or it might be a little lopsided.

That's a whole lot of fun on one wall.

I really want to capture all the sights and sounds of opening, pouring and tasting a beer, so playing with some different formats and techniques will be something we can do together. Subscribe to my YouTube channel, here, and follow along as I talk about beer and no doubt so much more. I can only promise that I will keep searching for the Perfect Beer and with that a better life. I am not going to lie, watching a video of myself is a little odd, but I do love all my Fat Guy shirts and am glad they are finally getting the exposure they deserve.

Happy Monday to you all and I'll see you later on the Internets.

(Again, I know there is no "s". Just testing.)





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Thanks again for the support and Cheers!



Project 366 - The Polkaroo Challenge

2016 - 366 beers in 366 days!

When I woke up (admittedly a little hungover, come on it's a party) on New Year's Day and went for a lovely breakfast with my in-laws, my mind was churning with all the things I wanted to accomplish this year. 2015 was pretty monumental and the last few months were nothing short of miraculous. I quit binge drinking, started to face my dual demons of depression and anxiety and began to chronicle all that here, at The Adventures of the Drunk Polkaroo. Feeling the love from all the family and friends I have been reconnected with and basking in the afterglow of my best New Year's Eve in a long time was making me feel pretty damn good. But what to do next?

After the fun time I had with my Beer-vent 2015 and the daily joy of trying a new beer, I was struck with an idea. We have an extra day this year with the Leap Year, so why not attempt to do 366 new beers, one a day. Sounds simple, but as anyone who knows how hard it is to find new beers in Ontario will tell you, it will require some planning. My journey to the U.S. last week gives me a head start on this count, but I always choose my local brewers over anyone else and will make every effort to put Ontario Craft beer first in my work.

I am going to do this in conjunction with all I laid out in my post What I want in 2016. So it will require me to get off my ass and be active so I can achieve all the ambitious things I hope to accomplish this year.
My plan is quite simple really. The first beer every day will be new and I will post a review on my Instagram account, found here. I am not advocating drinking all the time and to be honest, most days that will be my only beer. But I no longer crave the black hole that binge drinking brings, so I hope you can follow along at home knowing I am not returning to those dark days.
My goal is to explore all the seasons, flavours and varieties that craft beer has to offer and by openly stating my desires, I hope to engage with you, my loyal readers, on a journey of discovery.
I will still make personal posts, they are my favourite kind to write and with the exciting chase to keep my fridge stocked with new beers for an entire year ahead of me, I am sure there will be interesting tales to tell.
I want once again to thank you for your taking time out of your day to read my blog. It is part of my continuing recovery and a large section of what I write about is the feelings I encounter as I try to reboot my life. Without craft beer, I don't think I would be here to do any of this and with The Polkaroo Challenge, I keep that connection alive.
Cheers!

With outfits like this, how can I not be the
Drunk Polkaroo!