Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bassexpander]

Hi all,

Recently, as you may know, I have been recording podcasts for my site, www.themidnightrunner.com . Podcasts have been fun, but as a former TV producer, I know that I have the ability to do more interesting and useful things for our teaching community.

Recently, I have become interested in producing a series of FREE videos for new teachers in Korea, and people who are thinking about teaching here. These short/simple videos would teach those new to Korea how to do numerous things. Here is a random list of some sample ideas, and I'd love your input for more:

How to make your ondol/boiler work properly, and maintenance
How to make sure your boss gets you health care
What to do if your boss doesn't pay you
How to purchase a used car, get insurance, etc.
The best products for cleaning your apartment
How to find a good apartment
Where to find home improvement supplies
Where to shop for a computer in Korea
How to understand your washing machine
How to set up online shopping


The list goes on, but these are just a few ideas.

I hope to YouTube them, rather than host them on a site. I want the videos to be free to view (thus the YouTube idea) but I am open to suggestions as to how people appearing in the videos could receive compensation due to advertising or whatever. If people feel they should be free of any profit-making motives, then I'm open to that route, too. I'd like some discussion on the subject.

So I need your help...

I need experienced teachers/expats who would be willing to help me write, produce, and/or appear in a video or videos based on their areas of expertise. In short, I want to take your knowledge and put it on video for others to benefit from. The videos will be simple, of decent quality (not hollywood productions... haha), and useful.

Maybe you know a lot about shopping in Youngsan -- you could be the star of the video for that (you could appear on camera for some/all, just do voice, or write down your advice and I could voice it). Maybe you consider yourself something of an expert on one of the above topics, or another topic -- let's put your experience on video!

Anyone game for this? Please post your thoughts/ideas below.

[Ukon]

I had my co-teacher translate the pictorial instructions for a washing machine by pencil....

[bluelake]

Great idea, Bass!

[cruisemonkey]

Excellent idea!

May I suggest you add a section on basic differences between 'western' and K-law - the concepts of: 'blood money'; liable/slander and 'fault'.

[tob55]

Great suggestions from everyone. Bass PM me and I would be happy to help you in any way possible to see this happen. Great idea for getting some information out there for people.

[losing_touch]

I also think this is an excellent idea. I wish some resource like this had been available when I first came over here. However, the learning has all been part of the experience! I am not sure if I am an "expert" in anything. I will think it over. Again, great idea and I sure love the podcasts!

[T-J]

Good idea Bass, good luck with it and keep us up to date.

Playing devil's advocate for a second. The easier you make it for people, increases the number of people here that have no business living overseas. Compare the expat crowd pre and post internet, it's an amazing difference.

Impossible to put that genie back in the bottle though, so might as well be as helpful as you can.

[cruisemonkey]

[bassexpander]

Thanks guys.

I laughed at T-J's comment! Yeah, I think that too, sometimes!

If anyone is wondering what kind of time commitment would be involved in doing a video, it would vary depending on what you want to do. I'd ask you simply to make a short outline of what you'd talk about. I would modify the outline with suggestions. This outline could be used in writing a rough script, which I would clean up. We could also keep much of it "off the cuff" rather than having to write everything -- the goal is to provide good information and keep it simple.

So if you wanted to volunteer for a video, you'd provide a simple outline (I,II,III and A.B.C -- that kind of thing) then we'd go from there. After that, we'd probably end up meeting for 1 to 3 hours on a weekend to record it.

We could do the videos as a voice-over with your voice or mine, and/or with a short video if you want to appear on it. Or, using the example of the washing machine, maybe i'd record just your hand pushing buttons while you talked.

This is a very simple sample, but here is a guy I like watching who gives great gun reviews -- he keeps his videos simple, but they're extremely informative for those interested in the topic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZmVcR4CEk4&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v-mxvnFLfc


I could make the videos better than that from a production standpoint

[cruisemonkey]

[nobbyken]

Fantastic idea.

[Ruraljuror]

Great idea -- especially important now that so many people coming over are going to public schools for their first job. Back in the day, people learned how to do things from the half dozen teachers at their hagwon who took them under their wings. But if you are at a public school, you are the only foreigner there and I can only imagine how difficult it must be for that first month or six.

[Ukon]

[Bibbitybop]

Would you help me out and do a video about pick up lines and how to pick up Korean girls. I was working on my game a few years ago from a website called English Spectrum. The info is a bit old. What I specifically need is how to work in the Dokdo issue into my conversations in a sexy manner.

[cruisemonkey]