By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – People curious about life here should be able to watch video snapshots with a mouse click this summer.

Video crews from production company e•LocalLink began taping footage for an Internet video guide Friday at the Lewiston Maineiacs playoff game. Melanie Shiree, community liaison for e•LocalLink, said film crews would be back in May to continue taping.

“They want a general overview of what it’s like to live there, work there, play there,” Shiree said.

The final product should be posted to the city’s Web site in June or July. It will include segments on recreation and leisure, education – from public schools to Bates College – real estate, business opportunities, economic development and tourism. Each segment will be several minutes long, professionally written, taped and edited.

“Each is a singular video on a given topic designed to show the community’s best face,” she said.

The target audience is businesses looking for expansion opportunities. Once finished, the videos can be seen through a link from the city’s Web site. Viewers will see a computer panel in the Web browser. One side will show streamed video and the other will provide links to other videos and community Web links.

The company has also signed a deal with Google to provide video content. That means that all video will be searchable and downloadable from Google Video. It’s also designed to be viewable on video smart phones.

Lewiston is getting the service free of charge for three years.

“Then, if they’ve loved the program, they’re welcome to sign on,” Shiree said. “If they don’t want to continue, we just go our separate ways.”

Shiree’s company does sell advertisements, and local businesses will be encouraged to buy space on the video panel.

“That can range from a simple logo to a video of their own,” she said.

The company has provided similar programs for cities and states across the country. They designed a similar showcase for one Maine community, Scarborough. That went up online last year.