If you go down to 990px wide, there will be no sideways scroll for users with screen resolution set to 1024x768 using IE. If you care about that sort of thing.
I'd be up for going back & forth on Skype during spring break - I have some free time during 3/16 to 3/18.
I'd like to see a near-blank canvas to build upon, but that's well thought out for how people could customize it.
For example: I've just spent a bunch of time teaching my web design class about CSS by having them edit the CSS for their Ning profile. Ning's layouts are pretty slick in this regard. Most have anywhere from 1-3 background images users can replace via interface. Any others have to be hunted down with Firebug and hosted elsewhere, or uploaded to Ning in a discussion thread and then the image link would have to be harvested from there.
Anyway, the gist is, all their header background images are 955px wide, set to no-repeat. Most profile pages have a background image for the body element that's set to repeat-x. Some also have a main-content background image set to repeat-y. Maybe a similar set-up and some documentation included with the theme would give enough customization options, but strike a balance where you're not trying to allow each user to completely alter the entire layout.
Featured content slider sounds awesome!
I'm still looking for a theme whose index page is set to use 3 loops. One to prominently feature the latest video from a "featured" category - this is where I'd include the featured content slider. But I'd like another loop to include the latest video (or maybe latest 3) from a category of less important videos, like the random, daily-life ones. Videos that I want people to know are around, but that I don't want knocking my latest "featured" video out of center stage. I'd like a third loop that pulls up the latest 1-3 posts from another category - one for text and photo posts (posts that do not contain video).
I'm still wanting a layout that breaks the boxy, bloggy look as well. But that's hard to fit into WordPress' standard output of a main content area, a side bar, header and footer. And everyone would want to do it differently.
These are just ideas for a personal vlog. I don't know if they'd suit every vlogger or your purposes. But I'm throwing them out there for contemplation.
Oh, and there's more!
I really dig the video presentation over at Photobus http://www.photobus.co.uk/
Hover over the video, you get its controls. Take the mouse away, you’re looking at a picture, only it has a play button to indicate you can play it. The video space looks custom skinned in a way, at least with the video player having its own drop shadow. I’m pretty sure this is accomplished via the JW FLV Media Player – the new 4.3 version has features I want and will let users skin & control the appearance of the player – but I still need to learn how (frown). When played through to the end, the video doesn't sit on a black frame, it returns to the poster image for the video. I want that.
I'm excited to see what you come up with!
Cheryl
