New Media Tech

In discussing the New Media impact on Broadcast, something occurred to me.

As a content producer for many years, we struggle to produce the highest quality content everyday. We all have understood that our future success in this business is based on the old moto ” You are only as good as your last project”

We knew that to keep paying the bills, we had better be able to produce High Visual Quality content on Time & on Budget.

But if we look at the drivers in New Media.. Authentic & compelling content is what the vast majority of viewers are demanding

Case in Point is the YouTube video of a wedding where the wedding party danced down the isle. No big event, I am sure that many wedding parties have done the same thing. Big Media would not have thought twice to cover it.

The difference was this time, every dancer was entirely into it. They threw themselves body and soul into the celebration, and that made it Compelling & Authentic.

Have a look at it and see for yourself.

In terms of impact, this video has been watched by over 11 million people.. Talk about eyeballs..

The broadcast industry would have rejected the airing of this clip due to “Not meeting acceptable broadcast standards” and they would be right to a point.. The camera work was sloppy. the audio was almost unusable..

But it was interesting enough that 11 Million took 5 minutes to watch this authentic celebration.

When looking to integrate New Media into a Broadcast envoirment, we need to get over our inbred prejudices of “Quality” and value more the Compelling & Authentic Content

In the previous posts I have tried to set the environment of where the New Media & Traditional Broadcasters are now intersecting. In learning the rules for the New Media Space lets discuss how traditional Broadcasters can succeed in regaining their former position of Strength.

I have already laid out the new media rules, how the Pull model needs to supplant the push model. Now to look at how the Broadcasters can put the new model to work for them, and how they can monetize this New Media Space

LOCAL NEWS

As I referred to in the first post, most Local stations are cutting costs in their Local News Productions. WRONG. For the Local Stations the News is the only Content that they own. And if ” Content is King” they are killing their only currency in this new space. The redevelopment of the Local News Broadcast, is one major key to reconnect with your community. For a Station to begin this process, they need to capitalize on the following trends.

Crowdcasting

Crowdcasting is the intersection of broadcasting and crowdsourcing The process of crowdcasting uses a combination of push and pull strategies to first engage an audience and build a network of participants and then harness the network for new insights. These insights / concepts can include new product ideas, new service ideas, or new branding messages.

In the New Rules, we know that people want to create their own content, and with the massive installed base of camcorders, video enabled mobile phones (i.e. The IPHONE) there is a large portion of your viewing audience who have the tools to get comments, breaking news, local sports coverage to your station, via email or FTP.

Set up a program to pre-approve & pre-screen people who want to submit content to you. It would be taking the Mob Casting, or Crowd Casting model, and give it a broadcasting outlet. It would be cleared through your news desk, and allow your viewing audience to have more content input into your Station. The more ties your community has with your station, can only mean better ratings.

For example , If you had 20 pre-approved Iphone users at the airport during a Plane Crash, You would have 20 “Crews” at the scene that could be sending you content, before your crew has left the station. As they would have been pre screened, the issue of “ownership” of the content would have been previously assigned to the Station.

Content Aggregator

Content aggregators refer to applications, client software or Web based, which maintain subscriptions to feeds that contain audio or video media enclosures. They can be used to automatically download media, playback the media within the application interface, or synchronize media content with a portable media player.

As a content aggregator, you would be able to bring content to your viewers by any device they want. Be it over the air on your main channel, over the air on your secondary channels, your website, or to their mobile device. The type of content that could be delivered is only limited by the creativity of your production staff.

Syndicated Content

In discussing Syndicated Content in the context of a Local Station wanting to utilize the content that they have paid dearly for in a Extension of a Station New Media Outreach, I find it quite unbelievable that the Local Stations have “Bought” the story that if Syndicated Content is out on the ” Internet ” it would violate the DMA Boundaries of their Contract.

For some time now, edge serving & streaming video companies such as Akamai , and others have had the ability to Delineate and Deliver streams of Video strictly within a DMA. They use the identification if the DMA’s IP Addresses, and with that Schema can insure the DMA Geographic Identity. They would also have the restrictions to allow the content to play only, and not be recorded by the end user.

It would be entirely consistent with the Syndicated contracts to have the ability to broadcast a Program, over the air, and deliver a program video stream of the syndicated content from a menu of available shows, delivered all within the Stations DMA.

With this simple rework , you would be in essence creating your own HULU, with the Ad revenues that would come from providing this basic service to your Viewers.

For many, many years the Local stations have paid incredible sums to the Syndicated Television Producers, for the local stations to air programs that we all know & love. To help & strengthen the Local Television Stations, it would be in the syndicators best long term interests to allow this for no or Small additional costs.

This is in no means, a complete primer for New Media Integration for Broadcasters. My hope is that it will be the start of discussions on how we can transform the Traditional Broadcast Industry to insure it’s future strength and viability.

I would like to thank Mr. John Price, who as a long time friend & veteran of the Media Asset Management & Broadcast Automation space, saw this convergence coming down the road. We were working out MAM & New Media, before there were even the terms.

I would also like to give credit to Wikipedia for the definitions of terms in this Post.

I have believed for a long time, that we in the television production business have Techno-Lust.

We love gear, and when they come up with new tools and gadgets, it just gets our hearts a flutter. The problem is we get so reliant on gear, we miss the real tools of the trade. And they are tools you were born with..

Use Your Eyes
The need to create compelling Images, is what we are in this business for.
Always look for the “Money Shot”..The visual that will communicate your message for you, or your client.

A great shooter can still create the most stunning images, even if the gear is not top notch. And in the same way a run of the mill shooter will create mundane images, even with the latest & greatest gear.

You can learn to see in a new way, but you have to be patient , and slow down.. Get away for the minutia of your camera, and look at your scene as a painter, and as a painter, your tools are Light & Shadow.

Use Your Ears
One of the biggest mistakes that Directors and Shooters make is that they are absorbed with the Image, the Gear, the Time Constrains, and the forget to slow down and listen to the Talent, the Client, and the overall message that needs creating.

You Are a Storyteller
Every piece that you create has to tell a Story.
People relate to stories,, It is part of Human nature, and you need to hone you storytelling skills in new and interesting ways.

I don’t mean to minimize the obvious need for Equipment, but just because you mortgaged the House to buy the latest and greatest gear doesn’t make you a Professional.

You stay in this business, by creating stories, with compelling Images, and use the tools you were born with, before using the gear to capture them.

Back in the Day or The Things Broadcasters Have Forgot.

I grew up in Broadcasting, My dad produced children’s television in Canada, and I used to follow him around the TV studios, and on production.. I loved it and since then I have always knew what I wanted to do.. When I broke in , you didn’t go to graduate school to get into television.. You came up the hard way. I started by sweeping studio floors during the summers in Jr. High. While I was working in this studio, I found a simple concept that Broadcasters were using, and somehow have forgotten.

In Canada, the local TV stations had a mandate to produce “ Local Production, that was more than just the news. The one program that stands out in my mind is “ Tiny Talent Time” a one Hour weekly of local kids performing ala “America has Talent” but they were all winners..

The station figured out that if a Kid was on TV, then all the mom & dads, family, friends, and neighborhoods, would tune in to see little “Cindy” doing her jazz routine.

It also gave the local advertisers a great vehicle to sponsor to connect with the community. But for me, it seemed to make all the glamour and excitement of Television somehow accessible, and I wanted to be a part of it..

The simple concept is “ Give me a emotional or community connection to the content, and I will be there with my Eyeballs”

“ Broadcaster Today.. Push or Pull???”

To a great extent, broadcasters today view the dramatic loss of their audience to new Media, as a battle. It threatens their Monolithic Control of Content, and the accompanying Major capital Investments.

The New Media has bypassed the Push Model of traditional broadcasters, and have embraced the Pull Model and therefore have connected with a audience that will not be dictated to.

The Core Themes of New Media Pull Model are as follows

1. I want Control of the What(content), Where (location of viewing), When ( My Time, not yours) & How ( Device) of my viewing experience.

2. I want to create my own content, and share it with my Community.

3. I want to Decide what is important content.

4. I need connection & to communicate to my community & society, a community that is not necessarily based on geography.

Television Stations around the country have completed the much discussed “Digital Transition” , but having this forced on Broadcasters during our current fiscal crisis, has left broadcasters wondering how to monetize this capital investment..

They see the trends…They are losing eyeballs to ” New Media Space” , putting downward pressure on Ad rates.. and squeezing margins

But most if not all have approached this new environment as accountants.. not broadcasters.  ” If we can only reduce our overhead & Fixed Costs.. We can still make our margins” So they cutting staff, look to automation to replace labour, and to look at their “Workflow” in the context of Supply-chain management.

the problem with this “accountants” viewpoint is it is based in the old broadcasters business model of Pushing content to viewers with hope that they will want the Content, Time, Format , and Delivery  that the Broadcasters choose for them..

There is a limit to how far you can  cut overhead & fixed costs. If broadcasters continue to hold to the old model, they will cease to exist..

Look for Part Two

The 5 Myths of Corporate Videos
or “I WANT TO BE STEVEN SPIELBERG”

Corporate videos are here to stay. Every industry has myths surrounding it. The world of corporate video is no exception. Let’s go behind the curtain of Oz and dispel some fictional tales that will, ultimately, help you create the inspiring and authentic video your organization deserves.

MYTH #1:
WE CAN PRODUCE IT OURSELVES

You’ve seen them. I’ve seen them. Boring and poorly-produced videos have pervaded the corporate landscape for years. Why? Two main reasons: poor storytelling, and apathy or hubris on behalf of many in the Marketing Departments.

FACT:
You know your business, let a experienced Video Producer do theirs. The mini-documentary format powered by genuine and honest human interest stories produces amazing and compelling corporate videos anybody anywhere will enjoy watching… oh, yeah, and talking about.

MYTH #2:
WE DON’T NEED A SCRIPTWRITER.

don’t try this at home, folks. Saving a few dollars by having a “writer” (i.e. someone who does not write for the eye and ear) craft a television script is not worth the aggravation in the longrun.  Save now. Pay later.

FACT:
A seasoned scriptwriter can craft the most compelling story given all the demands of production (filming schedule, on-location logistics, unearthing the best story, budget constraints, corporate politics, etc). A writer who does not understand the production process can ultimately be a costly proposition.

MYTH #3:
OUR CEO NEEDS TO BE IN THE VIDEO.

nope. Of course, there are times when it will be necessary for executive management to appear on-camera, but not often.

FACT:
not every CEO can tell a great story and come across as “camera-friendly.” Your audience, in most cases, would rather see and hear stories from “the field:” their peers. Creating emotional connections with your audience is one of the biggest gaps to cross in producing a successful corporate video.

MYTH #4:
ALL INTERVIEWS LOOK 20 YEARS OLD.

For years, lifeless interviews were combined with uninspiring cinematography and became the lifeblood of corporate videos. It was easy, it was quick and it required little imagination.

FACT:
In most cases, you can capture an emotionally engaging interview with dramatic eyecatching cinematography in about the same amount of time it takes to set-up and film a stale and tired looking interview.

MYTH #5:
CORPORATE VIDEOS COST $1,000 A MINUTE.

Wrong. How long has this been going around? I’ve been hearing this for over 20 years and the dollar amount hasn’t changed a penny!

FACT:
every single corporate video is hand-crafted. From scratch. So is every video budget. It’s hand-crafted, too. no exceptions. Creating a corporate video that gets conversations started can be fun, exciting, and most importantly, lifechanging. Producing an engaging corporate video isn’t really all that difficult.What’s difficult is showing a video nobody cares about.

We all have people who have ideas that we grab onto and eventually become our own.  I want to thank filmmaker Thomas Clifford who writes what I have thought for so long…

I have been asked for sometime now, to start a blog that would allow me to share my experiences as a Producer/Director in Broadcast & Live event production. I have found over the years that in addition to production & the ever changing tools we use, I really enjoy teaching. So this Blog will allow me to share what I have learned ( the hard way generally) and be a useful site..

Thanks for joining me on this journey..

Steve