Monday, April 21, 2008

This time the revolution WILL be televised

My belief is that video will become the main media of the internet eventually, just like it has now dominated consumer media. This is because:

  • It gives instant gratification
  • It combines audio & video to give a proper 'multimedia' experience
  • It requires as much interaction or engagement as the viewer wants (from nothing upwards)
Professional media organizations will therefore have an enormous role in the future of the Internet. Although the technologies that make getting video on the Web are easy and inexpensive, having the skills to use them correctly need to be learnt over time and require effort. Creating good quality video is generally hard and generally expensive.

So.... what should a company do about this?
  1. Produce different quality video based upon the expectations of your audience
    E.g. if it is a 'grass roots' video for a YouTube clip, then there's proabably no real reason why it can't be shot in-house
  2. Learn what you can do in-house and cannot
    The cost-effectiveness of building your own in-house video capability depends on the use you're going to put it to. Most companies cannot and should not do this as it requires a huge commitment. Use smaller dedicated agencies can provide this.
  3. Understand how video fits in across you media landscape and how you can share in its production & usage
    e.g. Use and reuse clips, capture what you can and store it in the best possible format for possible future use (it will quicklt become a valued reference)
  4. Measure it
    Understand how your users and audience are consuming it, then work out what works best

No comments: