The ACE in Long Beach marks the first time I got to experience THE WHOLE Convention. I left Houston and New Orleans ACEs after the Opening Session to go back to the office and resume my duties as AAPG’s Web Producer, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the video footage from the rest of the convention so that I could start editing it (and experience the missing ACE days through it vicariously). The ACE in Long Beach, however, presented me with the opportunity (and a challenge!) to get a jump on the motion digits: I was to oversee the student-led efforts to videotape the ACE and to create a video from that footage before ACE was over! (If this task seemed too easy, I was to fill some of my idle time with live tweeting the conference along with some student volunteers.)

Below is the result of that challenge. It’s only been a week, but the video has already racked up 858 views.

For the first time the IBA ceremony was held on a Sunday and was open to the public. The video combines student-shot footage with that of professional cameras.

According to YouTube statistics, most of you watched this video on Facebook (now do you get my clever-ish title?); USA and Thailand are the top two suppliers of its audience (is that a surprise?).

Now that I’m back in my office, I’m getting my hands on the other footage I didn’t get a chance to work with at the Long Beach ACE. You can look forward to seeing more videos popping up on AAPG’s YouTube channel as well as in the completely redesigned Video Vault.

What’s next? Pittsburgh ACE 2013! What opportunities (and challenges) will it bring? More videos? Live blogging? Faster press room WiFi? Anything is possible! :)