Whenever I come across a cool new product or multimedia company, I normally inquire about their product offering and costs so that I can hopefully share it with you. One such company, Immersive Media, recently sent me their product specs and, since I didn’t sign a nondisclosure agreement, I assume that I can share it with you. So let’s dissect their business plan …
Many times non-profits make a passive video with a compelling story to donate with a corresponding link. Or, in the case of K.C. Mahindra Education Trust & the Naandi Foundation, they make a horizontally-synced animation film which progresses based on donation level, social media integration, AND a storefront featuring video cut-outs of the girls to entice donors. If you haven’t seen “A Girl Story” and “A Girl Store,” make sure to check it out now for inspiration on how to effectively develop a philanthropic campaign!
Multimedia doesn’t always have to be deep and compelling pieces of storytelling. Sometimes, such as the case with “The job challenge,” it can simply be fun visual eye candy. Daniel Romano did just that by using stop motion animation to depict his professional transformation as he portrayed holding 14 different job titles in 24 days. The end result is a quick-paced and humorous 80 second video with 755 images.
I am always weary of external sites asking to gain access to my Facebook profile in order to “continue the experience.” However, former II translator Andrea Ballocchi sent along a link to “Holidays without Internet” by Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett so I gave it a shot and loved it! The Swiss tourism site uses Facebook Connect to customize their advertising campaign by pulling in my name, latest status update, photos and profile information. The end result is a witty and creative video telling me that I spend too much time online and need to escape to one of the disconnected villas in Switzerland to vacation. Point well taken!
In this age of tablets, smart phones, and social networks, video is a powerful way to introduce people to a cause. But on YouTube and other video-sharing sites, real-world issues often take a back seat to pop-culture favorites like “Fuzzy Fuzzy Cute Cute” (which, incidentally, surpassed a nonprofit video about global warming by more than 2 million views). The reality is, many advocacy groups are struggling to capture the attention of the general public. It’s time for them to step up their digital-storytelling game. These five tips can help.
I first started producing web video in 2000, while pursuing an MFA in the Massachusetts College Art & Design’s Studio for Interrelated Media program. Since that time, video production has gotten cheaper, faster and more ubiquitous. Meanwhile, audiences have evolved to develop an affinity for this type of media. Ever the optimist, I say we are all the better off for this. In this blog post I’ll trace this web video evolution via three major projects I’ve produced over the last 10 years.
Duckrabbit recently featured Kauri Mulimedia’s latest video “Alma” over on their blog, which impressed me enough to republish here on II. You can learn more about Kauri in a Q&A I conducted with co-founder Diego Vivanco awhile back in II’s company spotlight series. Honestly I have no interest in violins, but the shooting style was superb and held my attention throughout the four minute story. For visual eye candy, I suggest you take a coffee break to watch this video – enjoy!
Video journalism is an evolving field that has yet to cultivate an obvious identity for itself. Many companies have different needs and objectives and staff videographer positions will inevitably vary in their responsibilities. But there are a few skills that I strongly believe all budding video journalists should take note of as they begin their careers in multimedia production.
To kick off the 2011 summer guest blogger series, UK-based HCI specialist Keith Bound discusses the background of interactive videography and discusses his latest research that “enables the audience presence to restructure their story world in real time, creating meaningful personalized experiences.” He is looking for collaborators so read on to learn more!
If you are looking for a detailed analysis on video compression and formatting for different devices, I encourage you to check out Jan Ozer’s recent book “Video Compression for Flash, Apple Devices and HTML5.” In it, he gives an overview of video compression and streaming before doing a deep dive into H.264 production work flow for a multitude of end user devices.
