Technology

Gearing Up for the Boom in Online Video

When the first professional-grade cameras came out that could shoot both stills and high-quality video, one of the first questions some photographers asked was “Why?” Since then, the answer is becoming clearer.

Short videos are being used to enrich the usefulness of millions of corporate and commercial websites, blogs, digital magazines, advertising, and e-books. The hybrid cameras can make it more cost-effective to add produce online video, because publishers of online content can hire a single creative professional to capture both stills and video while shooting on location, or interviewing a subject.

Here are five news items that illustrate market projections and how some creative professionals are developing new business models, products, and services to meet the demand.

BrightRoll Survey Shows Agencies Expect to Spend More on Online Video

According to a survey of advertising agencies conducted by the video ad network BrightRoll, “Media buyers predict online video will see the largest overall increase in spend in 2011.” The survey found that “65% of respondents plan to reallocate campaign dollars from TV to online video.” BrightRoll cited a recent eMarketer study that showed the average number of hours Americans spend online has been growing by 6% a year while the average number of hours spent watching TV has been declining 1% annually.

Although the cost of online video is still regarded as a barrier to more widespread adoption, 27% of the agencies surveyed said that more than half of their RFPs in 2010 included an online video component.

LINK

BrightRoll Video Advertising Report, Q1, 2011

E Video Productions Makes Video Marketing Affordable to Local Businesses

E-Video Productions in Forked River, New Jersey is offering small-business owners a “12 Months of Video” package at a low monthly fee. According to partner Darcie King, the program “allows businesses to budget for their video content without having a large up-front cost. Video content is so important in this current market, and we want to make sure it’s available to everyone.”

The plan includes the production of:

  • six “Expertise Videos” in which the business owner or spokesperson can demonstrate their knowledge of a certain subject;
  • four customer-testimonial videos;
  • two videos that combine highlights of the expertise videos and testimonial videos.

“We noticed that a lot of businesses wanted to get into doing video, but didn’t know where to start,” states E Video partner Kristopher King. “We created this plan to make it easy and affordable for anyone who wants to get in front of the YouTube generation.”

LINKS

About E Video Productions

Press Release: Video Production Studio Opens in Lacey

Photo Festival to Showcase Outstanding Videos Shot on Hybrid Cameras

Some of the finest examples of videos shot with cameras that can capture both stills and high-resolution video will be exhibited to a live audience in a “film-fest” format on October 21 at the Goat Farm Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

The evening of curated videos is part of the Atlanta Celebrates Photography festival, which seeks to nurture and support photographers, educate and engage audiences, promote diverse photography, and enrich Atlanta’s cultural scene.

In the open call for entries, the show’s curators emphasize that “We can’t accept videos shot with a dedicated video camera. We specifically want to see what the hybrid still/video camera creates, and learn how it’s being used to do more than shoot stills. In doing so, we learn about what ‘moves’ us as an audience, and as videographers, and photographers.”

They will be looking for works that are expressive, engaging, emotionally satisfying, or envelope-pushing: “We want to see your best work. It might be a low-res video shot on an old cellphone or an HD beauty shot on your brand-new 5D Mark III.”

A $250 award for “Best in Show” will be awarded by guest jurors Tom Brown, vice president of original productions for Turner Classic Movies and Michael Kochman, creative director of Turner Image Management.

Entries are due September 15 at 11:59 pm (EST). There is no charge to enter.

LINKS

Atlanta Celebrates Photography

ACP Film Series:  Open Call for Entries

Red Square Visual Arts Produces ‘Video Lookbook’ for Fashion Marketing

Corey Weiner of Red Square Visual Arts in Boca Raton, Florida, is a former advertising account executive who began to offer photography services to architecture, design, and travel clients in 1997. Over the past two years, his services have segued into motion-picture services for a broad spectrum of projects, including fashion video look books, shows,
behind-the-scenes, and other promotional films.

Red Square Visual Arts Production Stills from Video Shoots
Production stills from video lookbooks Red Square Visual Arts produced for models.

Weiner says the web-based video look book is becoming a staple of fashion marketing: “From early Egyptian art to today’s haute couture magazines, fashion has always been seen as a flat, static, two-dimensional stiff image. The only time you saw a moving garment was either in person or a feature film. But think about what Audrey Hepburn did for the ‘little black dress’ and that’s the power of the moving picture.”

Recently, Red Square Visual Arts produced a two-minute film that features clothes from the new collection of Dear Earth, an organic clothing line designed by Miami-based Danielle Moore. The film features fully licensed music and a link back to Dear Earth’s website so consumers can purchase what they have seen. As the video gets picked up by fashion blogs and social networking sites, Moore and Weiner will track Facebook and Twitter comments, blog posts, and Internet traffic generated back to Dear Earth’s  e-commerce site. The entire cost of adding video production to an existing catalog shoot was $900.

“Just a few years ago, producing a video like this would have been cost-prohibitive for a small designer,” says Weiner. “And it would have cost even more to televise it to people around the world. YouTube and other online channels allow you to see exactly which point in the video is most interesting to people, and how many are clicking to purchase your product.”

LINKS

Red Square Visual Arts

Press Release: Fashion Videographer Now Producing Video Lookbooks

Video: Dear Earth:: In the Name of Love

CineSkates Compact Camera Sliders Delivers Fluid Video Shots

Cinetics is launching CineSkates™, a lightweight, professional-grade camera slider that will allow photographers/videographers to capture stable, high-resolution video footage without lugging heavy gear. The device also makes it possible to achieve fluid camera movement in space-constrained environments where traditional camera sliders, dollies and cranes are too cumbersome.

“Today’s cameras allow you to take high-resolution video in a small form factor, but the result can be shaky and distracting if you don’t have stability.” explains Cinetics founder Justin Jensen. “I wanted a camera slider that was lightweight and mobile for professional events or even spontaneous shots.”

Developed in an MIT MediaLab class, CineSkates is a unique set of wheels that attach to a tripod and enable the user to put their video in motion. They are designed to work specifically with the GorillaPod Focus™ tripod, and a ballhead, like the BallHead X, also from JOBY®.

Jensen envisions CineSkates being used for product demo videos, wedding films, music videos and other high-quality productions. He says the device enables filmmakers to produce shots that have previously been difficult to capture with bulky equipment. For example, using CineSkates with a DSLR that shoots high-res video enables videographers to produce:

  • Arcing video shots that rotate around objects
  • Sliding video shots that push or pull the subject into focus
  • Rolling video shots that glide over the subject
  • Time-lapse video shots that move the camera slowly and smoothly
  • Panning video shots that scan a wide area
  • “Worm’s eye view” video shots that slide just above the floor

CineSkates are available to preorder through Kickstarter at cinetics.com/kickstarter for a limited time, reduced price of $150 and $275 for the complete CineSkates System that includes the GorillaPod Focus and Ballhead X.

LINKS

About Cinetics

Press Release: CineSkates Compact Camera Sliders Delivers Fluid Video Shots

Video:  CineSkates Camera Sliders

New artMatch App Lets Buyers Order Art from iPhones

ARTISTS. Art.com, Inc., a leading online provider of wall art, has introduced artMatch™ for the iPhone. The free app makes it easy for art lovers to find, explore, discover, share and purchase art right from their iPhones. After snapping a photo of any work of art, you can instantly search for matching or similar items on Art.com. You can also preview selected artwork in your own space by simply holding up your iPhone. The application is free and can be downloaded through Apple’s App Store.

“Art.com has one simple goal—to make art accessible to all—and our new artMatch application for the iPhone takes that one step further, making it easy and fun for people to engage with art wherever and whenever inspiration strikes,” said Geoffrey Martin, CEO of Art.com, Inc. “Imagine walking down the streets of your favorite city, spotting a work of art you love in a café, gallery or museum and being able to go on your phone, find that work on Art.com, frame it and have it waiting for you at home when you return.”

ArtMatch uses Art.com’s Visual Search™ technology. This makes it possible to:

Instantly find a work of art. Take a photo of a work of art, upload a photo from the phone, or enter a URL, and Art.com will instantly tell you whether it is available for sale on the site. If it’s not on Art.com, you will see similar works that are available on Art.com.

Browse the collection of more than one million works of art available through Art.com. The collection is conveniently presented in list, grid and single views optimized for viewing on the iPhone. Read information about each art piece and use the Super Zoom™ feature to examine brush strokes, texture, and other details of specific art pieces.

Visualize how the selected work of art would look in the room you have in mind. Simply hold up your phone to see the selected work in your own room or select from the gallery of rooms on Art.com.

Save your favorites to a gallery and share them with via email or Facebook. This feature can be useful if you want a second opinion before ordering art for a certain room in your house.

Purchase your pick right from the phone. The app’s integrated shopping cart can sync with your phone contacts for easy shipping to the selected destination. Your artwork arrives ready to hang on your wall. Learn more at www.art.com/iphone.

Art.com was founded in 1998 to make art accessible to all by transforming the way the world discovers, personalizes, shares and purchases art. Art.com, Inc. runs three sites in the USA—Art.com, AllPosters.com, and ArtistRising.com—and has a strong international presence with 25 local sites in Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, Mexico, and South America. Art.com, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Emeryville, CA, with other facilities in Ohio, North Carolina and the Netherlands.

LINKS

artMatch App

About Art.com

 

 

Tagwhat Augmented Reality App Tells Stories Behind Places

Here’s a new application of augmented reality. Tagwhat, a media company based in Boulder, Colorado, has a “Great Stories at Places” app that lets users of iPhones (3GS/4) and Android-using smartphones learn some of the stories behind places they visit.

Tagwhat Augmented Reality App for iPhoneFor example, on the steps of Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, you can watch Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech.” Or, while touring San Francisco, you can see historic photos that show how different sites were devastated by the San Francisco Earthquake.

Tagwhat’s team of new media journalists and filmmakers worked with publishing partners such as the Associated Press (AP), the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Virginia Beach Public Library System to create and curate thousands rich-media stories that can “augment” your understanding and enjoyment of some of the places you visit.

Organized like TV channels, the stories pop up on top of real-life locations and change based on where you are looking. If a story is too good not to share, you can send a personalized, digital postcard to friends via Facebook, Twitter or email.

Tagwaht Digital Postcard from Great Stories at Places Augmented Reality App

Channels include: Heritage, Movies, Sports, Food, Nature, Music, and Art.

In the “Movies” channel, you can watch a clip of the parade from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” while walking down the same Chicago street. Or you can read about Woody Allen movie settings while touring New York.

Visitors to the LA Coliseum can tap into the “Sports” channel for a look back at the 1984 Summer Olympics with videos of gold medalists Mary Lou Retton and Carl Lewis.

In the “Music” channel you can hear Janis Joplin sing outside the Austin club where she got her start and see images of her preparing to perform.

A “Visit” feature lets you take a virtual trip to Tagwhat’s featured cities: New York; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Washington, DC; Chicago; Boulder, Colorado; Portland, Oregon; Austin, Texas; and Virginia Beach, Virginia. You can look around and interact with multimedia stories as if you were standing in that city!

Tagwhat is already seeded with thousands of stories, with new stories being added every day.

 

See Visionaries Discuss Technology, Creativity, and Art

If you enjoy learning about trends, technologies, and ideas that will be shaping our lives and culture, check out the videos posted on TED.com.

Artist Janet Echelman talks about “Taking Imagination Seriously” at TED2011. Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” It originated in 1984 as a conference for leading thinkers in Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and has since broadened its scope. TED now conducts two annual conferences, offers other idea-sharing platforms, and covers topics such as business, culture, science, and global issues.

TED.com was designed as a clearinghouse of free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers. It was also developed to enable curious souls to engage with ideas and each other.

On TED.com, you can watch videocasts of some of best talks and performances from TED conferences. Each talk is no longer than 18 minutes long. The interactive transcripts that accompany the videos enable you to preview the key points in the talk.

Two talks that caught my attention recently were given by sculptor Janet Echelman and author Eli Pariser.

Janet Echelman: Taking Imagination Seriously

In this nine-minute video, self-taught artist Janet Echelman tells the story of her first creative breakthrough into sculpture and how it became a catalyst for monumental artworks that were commissioned in Portugal, Phoenix Civic Space Park, the Vancouver Winter Olympics, and at the San Francisio International Airport.

Image of aerial sculpture by Janel Echelman
For the Inaugural Biennial of the Americas in Denver, Janet Echelman created this 230-ft. aerial sculpture entitled “1.26” Photo: Janet Echelman

She recalled walking through a fishing village in India and recognizing the latent beauty and sculptural possibilities in fishing nets. “I’d seen it every day,” she explained. “But this time, I saw it differently—a new approach to sculpture, a way to create volumetric form without heavy solid materials.” With the help of local fishermen, she used the ancient knotting craft to produce a billowing sculptural self-portait entitled “Wide Hips.” Today Echelman is internationally known for her place-making sculptures that transform urban environments.

VIDEO: Janet Echelman: Taking Imagination Seriously

Eli Pariser: Beware of “Filter Bubbles”

Book Cover for The Filter Bubble by Eli PariserIn this nine-minute video, the former executive director of MoveOn.org , shares insights from his new book: “The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding from You.”

He talks about some of the unintended consequences that are occurring now that web companies use algorithms to predict what type of content they think we want to see while filtering out other information we should see. As as example, he shows the vastly different results two individuals received after searching for the word “Egypt.”

Pariser contends that when online companies “personalize” our content for us (without our knowledge or consent), we get trapped in a “filter bubble” and don’t get exposed to information that could challenge or broaden our worldview. He believes this will ultimately prove to be bad for us and bad for democracy.

“We really need the Internet to be that thing we all dreamed of it being,” said Pariser. “We need it to connect us all together. We need it to introduce us to new ideas and new people and different perspectives. And it’s not going to do that if it leaves us all isolated in a Web of one.”

VIDEO: Eli Pariser: Beware online ‘filter bubbles’

BOOK: The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You

About TED.com

 

6Sight Summit Discusses the Future of Imaging

6Sight LogoPHOTOGRAPHERS. Creative pros know that innovative thinking comes from seeing new things, listening to different ideas, and being open to new experiences. That’s why successful entrepreneurs attend conferences about topics other than the skills and equipment they need at the moment.

By paying attention to where technology is headed, smart entrepreneurs are the first to envision new types of business models and anticipate trends that could potentially disrupt their current businesses.

If your business involves selling photography products or services, check out the program of the 6Sight Future of Imaging Summit, which will be held June 20 to 22 at the Sainte Claire Hotel in San Jose, California. Produced by PMA® International, this event brings together technologists, marketers, futurists, industry analysts, educators, high-volume users, and journalists to preview breakthrough imaging technologies, forecast innovative uses, and spark new ideas and alliances.

At this year’s event, mini-summits will focus on technology, trends, and opportunities in four areas: mobile imaging, social imaging, photo publishing, and photo image capture.

Mobile Imaging Summit. This track is chaired by 6Sight mobile-imaging analyst Tony Henning, who observes that “Ten years after their introduction in Japan, camera phones are finally delivering on their promise. In the last few years, camera-phones and their ecosystem have progressed from being the unwanted stepchild of the imaging industry to the driving force. Significant growth and innovation in the photography industry is coming from the mobile side.”

The keynoter will be J. Gerry Purdy, PhD., principal analyst, mobile and wireless, MobileTrax. He points out that, “The largest selling digital camera in the world sits inside a smartphone. We are seeing sales of over one billion units a year. Through technical innovations, you can now take a really good photo with a phone, as well as HD video.”

Dr. Purdy predicts that more content will be generated by users with camera phones than all the cameras and camcorders combined. Following Dr. Purdy’s presentation, Henning will lead a discussion of the future of mobile-imaging hardware and software with panelists from Nokia, Vidyo, NVIDIA, Verizon Wireless, and other leading companies.

Photo Image Capture Summit: 6Sight’s digital photography expert Paul Worthington will lead this summit, which will explore imaging innovations that will change the way we capture images. He notes that “Affordable, quality cameras are so ubiquitous, it’s easy to forget they are exponentially better than the pricey hardware of yesterday. But those improvements and cost reductions bring a new challenge: What will make consumers buy new cameras, and how can the industry continue to grow and profit?”

The keynoter for this summit will be Vincent Laforet, a Los Angeles based commercial director and photographer who is regularly commissioned for advertising, fine art, corporate and editorial projects. Laforet’s work has been published in most major publications around the world.

Social Imaging Summit: Social media pioneer, business guru, and investor Guy Kawasaki will lead the social imaging summit. This topic is of great interest to photo-service providers because social networking has replaced the traditional 4 x 6-inch print as the primary method people use to share their photographs.

Kawasaki is well-known for his best-selling book “The Art of the Start,” which is a must-read for entrepreneurs seeking funding for start-up companies. In his newest book, “Enchantment,” Kawasaki explains why delighting your customers, bosses, and employees is much more effective than trying to manipulate them. He explains how enchantment can change skeptics and cynics into believers and the undecided into loyal customers and followers.

Photo Publishing Summit: Digital printing and marketing expert Barb Pellow of InfoTrends will lead this summit. She says that as the photo market continues to explode, “Consumer-based photo merchandise, including photo books, calendars, and greeting cards will experience double-digit growth. Numerous vertical market and business applications are emerging to support real estate, travel and leisure, events, and special interest groups. The 6Sight Future of Imaging Summit is going to provide a tremendous opportunity for participants to explore new business ideas.”

For more information about the conference, visit www.6sight.com. For a preview of the quality of insights you can expect to get at the 2011 conference, visit the Video Rewind Archives of the 2010 Future of Imaging Conference and watch the 30-minute wrap-up panel discussion that concludes Day 2 of the conference.

The 6Sight Report keeps you posted on the types of technologies that will be discussed at the Future of Imaging Summit.

 

 

Trends in 3D Entertainment Featured at 2011 NAB Show

In a recent Content Insider newsletter, Andy Marken reported that the state of 3D filmmaking and broadcasting was one of the themes discussed at the 2011 NABShow® April 9-14 in Las Vegas.

NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) was originally formed to advocate for the interests of radio and television broadcasters. But like other associations, they have rebranded some programs to reflect the ongoing convergence in communications technologies. For example, the NABShow is now described as “the world’s largest electronic media show.” The event attracts more than 90,000 attendees from 151 countries and covers filmed entertainment and the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums.

In his newsletter, Marken reports that 3D filmmaker James Cameron chided broadcasters for not moving faster to make 3D content available on a wider range of screens. Here are some of the stats and projections cited at the conference:

  • There are about 25,000 3D movie screens worldwide (8,000 in the US).
  • Between 2008 and 2011, there were 160 3D movies released. About 140 3D movies will be released between 2012 and 2015.
  • In the US, 10 3D TV channels will launch this year; 25 will launch in 2012.
  • In the US, one-third of households will buy a 3D TV in the next three years.
  • In Europe, 42% of homes are projected to have 3D TVs by the year 2014.
  • In 2011, about 95 million 3D devices (including gaming devices, set-tops, and PCs) will be sold.
  • By 2014, the global installed base is projected to be nearly 900 million 3D-capable devices.

Of course, statistics and projections often turn out to be wildly optimistic. And Marken points out that a lot of these statistics assume that people will either accept the idea of wearing glasses for their viewing or the current “glasses-free” technology will be refined.

He also notes that if one-third of US households buy a 3D TV in the next three years, it means that two-thirds won’t.

Nevertheless, if you’re in the business of producing content, it’s important to pay attention how quickly new forms of technologies might be adopted. And to a certain extent, the adoption rate of 3D-capable devices will depend on the quality and variety of available content.

Other sessions at the 2011 NABShow focused on social media and mobile delivery of video, cloud computing and storage, and how the converging TV and film industries (Tellywood) could optimize their content assets.

There was talk about Google’s plans to produce content for YouTube and discussions of trends in the online video-viewing habits of different generations. More people are watching videos online than ever, but we’re also all watching more video content in general. Right now, people over 18 years old spend an average of five hours a day watching TV compared to three to five minutes a day watching online videos.

By the year 2014, eMarketer analysts predict that more than 90% of people from age 12 to 34 will turn first to the web to watch video content.

 

Expect to See More 3D Digital Signage

3D Digital Displays in Automotive Broadcast Network
The Automotive Broadcasting Network (ABN), which provides digital signage in the waiting rooms of car-dealership service areas, showcased Exceptional 3D displays at a recent exposition for car dealers.

Movie theaters, TVs, and iPads won’t be the only screens displaying more 3D imagery in the near future. Thanks to technology that allows 3D images to be viewed on-screen without special eyewear, expect to see more 3D images on the digital signage used in out-of-home advertising.

For example, a press release for Exceptional 3D notes that the company that produces auto-stereoscopic 3D visual displays. “Auto-stereoscopic” means the displays can show high-definition 3D content that is visible without glasses. Until more 3D content is developed, the devices can also playback traditional 2D content for digital signage.

Currently, Exceptional 3D is focusing on producing 3D signage and displays for vertical markets such as automotive, casino gaming, retail, cinemas, and hospitality.

The firm has an in-house design team that helps clients convert conventional 2D signage content into 3D content and devise creative new ways to incorporate 3D images into new signage content.

If you’ve never given much thought to why we’re seeing more digital signage these days, check out the “Solutions” tab on Exceptional 3D website.  Here, they list how and why 3D digital signage might be useful in airports, amusement parks, car dealerships, corporate communications, entertainment, educational institutions, financial-services institutions, healthcare facilities, hotels, casinos, resorts, cruise ships, movie theatres, fast-foot restaurants, retail shops, sports stadiums, and transit hubs.

For example, the site points out that digital signage can provide an uplift in sales while enhancing the user’s experience. Not all of the content on the signage must be sales-related. Digital signage could also be used to entertain and educate people in a doctor’s waiting room.

LINK

Exceptional 3D