One of the most significant announcements in video technology this month comes from Adobe with the launch of Project Primetime, a fully integrated video technology platform. Elsewhere, Nokia has launched the new 808 PureView Symbian smartphone with a ground-breaking 41 mega pixel camera. And finally the upcoming Olympic Games continues to drive press coverage and in particular within a recent Evening Standard article, the importance of video technology was highlighted.
ADOBE
Digital content technologist Adobe has unveiled what it is claiming is the industry’s first fully integrated video technology platform, codenamed Project Primetime. It will enable smooth, TV-like experiences for ad-supported videos across Web-connected devices. Project Primetime creates a single workflow that interconnects Adobe streaming technologies, content protection, analytics and optimisation with Auditude video advertising platform.
The platform, it has been claimed, will transform the way video content and ads are served and consumed. It will give media companies a solution to deliver and monetise their content across tablets, mobile phones, TV and PCs.
THE OLYMPICS
The Olympic Games have often been an inspiration for technological change, from the humble stopwatch to today’s ‘connected-games’. While the footage captured during the Beijing Olympics totalled more than all the previous games put together, this year’s London event will usher us fully into the HD era. It’s predicted that 90% of the world’s data traffic will be taken up with HD video in 2014.
The 1956 Games in Melbourne barely had three hours of footage flown to the US to be shown on a small number of independent TV channels and while the Tokyo Games in 1964 were broadcast via satellite link, most audiences didn’t have the capacity or understanding to fully appreciate its significance.
Neil Crocket the MD London 2012 at Cisco Systems was interviewed by the Evening Standard and said: "The big thing that's changed between this Game and the last Games in terms of networking is the absolute explosion of video. That's not just broadcast, it's also personal video filmed by spectators. And (London organising committee) Locog is using collaborative video technology in a way that no one would ever have thought of four years ago. It's been a major change in the world of IT."
NOKIA
At this year's Mobile World Congress 2012, Nokia announced the 808 PureView Symbian smartphone with a ground-breaking 41 mega pixel camera along with full HD 1080p recording capability.
The big draw for the camera is the 41mp camera. This has never been seen on a phone before and has been teamed with Nokia's pixel technology to produce sharp pictures, even in low conditions, along with the ability to easily share the images. For budding photographers and filmmakers this could make an ideal hand-held for when you're out and about.
FROM SOCIAL TO VIRAL PADDY POWER'S LATEST CONTROVERSIAL CAMPAIGN GOES VIRAL - WHAT DO YOU THINK?
VOTE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST
It may be quite an extreme reaction from Paddy Power with their latest campaign "Chav Tranquilizer", but it's interesting to see how a viral campaign can spread from a simple comment by a follower on Facebook.
The "Chav Tranquilizer" ad was created following a post by a person called Dan Collins on Paddy Power's Facebook page that says "I hope the chavs don't ruin Cheltenham like they did Ascot..." Que a veterinary style hitman stalking the grounds of a racecourse firing darts at unsuspecting members of the public.
It's not the first time Paddy Power has caused controversy, but many are asking; has the brand gone too far? What do you think?
Pinterest has certainly come into the fore in recent months. It already has 13 million monthly unique visitors with 200,000 of these coming from the UK and this is only set to continue. What stands Pinterest apart from other social media networks is its simplicity. It’s ability to show your personality and what you like, it’s about inspiration and creativity.
It’s a fantastic tool for brands to witness customer loyalty as consumers can add specific likes / interests to boards from the brand itself or even specific products. The tool allows interaction with other social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook therefore building on a brands solid fan base and followers. There are some best practices brands may want to consider including; pin from various sources rather than one specific site, repinning from within the site to engage with others and creating boards that cover a broad range of interests, rather than maintaining a single board devoted to one topic.
What brands need to consider however, is Pinterest is not just about selling your brand, but showing followers your personality and what inspires the brand. One of the most successful Pinterest brands to implement a strategy so far is Whole Foods. They already have 14,111 followers with 22 boards covering a wide range of categories from food, recycling, green living, holidays and cool kitchens. These diverse boards reveal more of the brand personality than simply selling health foods.
Like any new social networking tool there is always a risk it will be a passing fad. Like most new trends we’re guided by consumers and the question should be, when do brands join in? Whole Foods has shown that it does work well for them, and for those brands ready to engage their customers with the latest tool and show their personality, it's a fantastic platform to use.
The Old Spice videos have had huge success over the past few years, gaining the brand enormous recognition and increasing sales. Each new transformation of the campaign is received by a loyal customer following and industry interest. The latest is no different.
Old Spice and Proctor & Gamble have teamed up to create co-branded campaigns featuring Old Spice's Terry Crews and the brands Bounce and Charmin.
The body spray's "Smell is Power" campaign takes Old Spice to new levels by invading the somewhat quiet and unimposing campaigns for Bounce and Charmin.
View the Bounce version here:
And the Charmin Freshmates version here:
Since launching, the Bounce video has received over 4million views on YouTube, gaining both awareness and loyalty for both brands. Who will Old Spice team up with next?
This week was Broadcast Video Expo 2012, the show deemed one of the largest events of its kind in the UK with over 15,000 broadcast and audio professionals in attendance. It showcases over 300 companies exhibiting alongside an extensive programme of seminar content.
Adjust Your Set headed down to Earls Court over the three days to attend the various seminars and try out some of the new production equipment on show.
Our own Founder and CEO Chris Gorell Barnes, presented alongside Justin Khaksar from Brightcove in the Content Delivery Theatre. Together they discussed brands becoming media companies and the need for brands to have a video strategy, from online channels to connected TVs. Chris used Adjust Your Set’s work with Marks & Spencer to illustrate the points.
“It’s not just about the quality of the video that must be considered, but the quality of the video experience.”
Our own seminar led on nicely to Thursday’s Red Bee Media session on ‘Are Brands the new Broadcasters?’ Red Bee Media presented several lessons that brands must consider as they become broadcasters including; see people as audiences and not consumers, be reactive to your audience and of course consider dual screen experiences. They illustrated their points with their own work with Bacardi and the US series The Walking Dead on the FX channel which they created an interactive app for.
“Good content is remembered and spread”
Following Red Bee Media, Thinkbox presented a session on Connected TVs. Matt West, Planning Manager at Thinkbox, revealed interesting statistics including:
68% of people watch catch up TV via BBC iPlayer compared to 36% for the next VOD service with iTV
Currently 4% of TVs in the UK are connected TVs
Matt highlighted the need for convergence across the various TV manufacturers and perhaps a way forward could be the integration of Google’s Android operating system across all connected TV devices. Matt also used the example of the Samsung M&S Smart TV app, developed by Adjust Your Set, to show how brands are entering the connected TV arena.
Broadcast Video Expo also runs The Production Show, specifically targeting those entering and already working in the production industry. Below are some of the key highlights from The Production Show:
One session provided interesting insight into the use of effective, but cheaper vintage lenses with a lens adaptor on a Canon 5D in order to achieve a unique and stylised look.
We attended the ‘Sex Factor’ session about why women lose out on media jobs. There were some shocking statistics that showed although more women than men enter the industry in their early 20’s, work longer hours and do more training, 51% of these women leave by the time they’re 35. In order to combat this the industry is encouraging women to network more and learn their rights.
There was a lot of talk about the importance to think about post-production on set and how less footage is sometimes more when it comes to the edit.
The Albert Carbon Calculator was interesting – it lets you work out how much greenhouse gas is emitted as a direct result of a film shoot. Hopefully it will take the industry one step closer to thinking more economically on shoots.
There was also a presentation by the former art director of Elle magazine and Tatler talking about the change from film to digital and the importance of constantly evolving technology so you can keep delivering the very best to clients.
One of the key highlights of the show were the seminars hosted at the Arri Production Skills Centre. Gavin Struthers the DoP on Downtown Abbey discussed why he chose to film the second series using the ALEXA camera. He provided interesting insight into how big scale productions deal with the workflow and how the DoP designs the look and style of the show.
Here are some of Adjust Your Set's Tweets of the week from BVE:
Lots of buzz around the GoPro HD cameras at #bve2012
Just saw some amazing 3D time lapse technology by site-eye at #bve2012 it can shoot continuously for years
Great to see the M&S smart TV app developed by @AdjustYourSet shown in the @Thinkboxtv Connected TV preso at #bve2012
Great Q&A session on production on a budget and aesthetics of using old lenses at #bve2012
Today’s blog post focuses on the increasing trend towards interactive videos whereby you, the viewer, are the director. The share-ability of online video, or virals, makes the medium incredibly powerful. But does the interactivity of specific videos make them more social?
This week, the Red Hot Chili Peppers released an interactive version of the music video for their single ‘Look Around’, where viewers can literally look around the room as the band plays. Using your keyboard or mouse you can move between four different rooms, zoom in and out, and also click on hidden photos and videos. Have a ‘look around’ below:
To view the interactive version on the official site, click here.
Fox TV has also jumped on this creative idea, releasing an interactive music video for ‘Hey Girl’ - the theme song of their hit TV show, New Girl. Performed by Zooey Deschanel, and starring the entire cast of the series, viewers can decide how the house party develops.
There are over 900 variations of this video. In addition, viewers can share their directorial masterpieces on social media networks.
Since its launch three days ago, the New Girl video has been very popular across all social media platforms:
Twitter: 3,000 tweets
Facebook: 7,000 likes
Google+: 200 recommendations
YouTube: 13,000 views
The question is – does the interactivity of the videos make them more social?
As a result of the digital generation, we have moved from next day conversations about TV series and branded content (i.e. the water cooler moment), to real-time conversations on social platforms (i.e. the virtual water cooler moment).
There has been a shift from ‘must-see TV to must-tweet TV’.
Now, real-time conversations are an essential part of entertainment, and
so brands, media companies and record companies must include social media platforms
in order to drive sales and boost ratings – but it has to be done
creatively in order to differentiate themselves from their competitors. The interactive video is a fantastic way to do this.
This innovation is a great way to engage and interact with the audiences, and to generate conversation beyond the screen. It is the personalisation of mass-marketing and it is this that ensures a video becomes social.
This beautiful animation shows Louis Vuitton's Little Groom travelling to Rome and falling in love with more than the city itself. We enjoyed the brands use of an animation to tell an entire story in one concise piece of content. The romantic and beautiful illustrations represent the luxury brand perfectly.
M&S SMART TV APP LAUNCHED Marks and Spencer launches a Smart TV App for M&S TV (Febuary 2012).
This is a first for branded content expanding into new mult-channel opportunities that until recently only the likes of the BBC and LoveFilm have attempted.
M&S believe an opportunity is arrising where customer are beginning to interact with their TV sets, especially Samsung's Smart TV.
Sienne Veit, head of mobile, R&D for new channels at M&S reported: “We’re seeing more customers shopping from the comfort of their sofa, and there is absolutely a relationship between TV and retail.”
Samsung's TV app from Marks and Spencer is available from today (2nd February). It includes branded M&S video content from the M&S TV channel including top tips, insights, how-to's and complete guides to food, non-food and fashion.
The Super Bowl, one of the most highly anticipated events in the American calendar, is due to be played on February 5th 2012. With an average viewership of 100 million per year, there is fierce competition for commercial airtime.
This year, there are expected to be over 14 car related ads aired during the event, including Volkswagen, Lexus, Honda and Hyundai. As the world slowly emerges from the credit crunch, consumers are starting to spend more on cars, and these car companies are sparing no expense with their Super Bowl ads in order to draw in sales.
One of the main trends in the 2012 ads has been comedy, but other themes include celebrity endorsements, animals and dark dramatics. Here is a selection of ads from this year:
Honda enlisted Matthew Broderick to revive the role of Ferris Bueller from the classic film ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’. The ad for the new Honda CR-V is a spoof of the film, and sees Broderick taking a day off from acting. According to Honda, there are more than two dozen references to the original film. Take a look and see if you can spot them all.
Acura took a similar approach, and brought in the comedic legend Jerry Seinfeld alongside Jay Leno. This advert follows Seinfeld’s attempts to be the first owner of the new Acura NSX. Does he succeed? Find out below.
Volkswagen has continued on last year’s popular Star Wars theme this time using dogs. The advert, entitled ‘The Dog Strikes Back’, sees Bolt the dog on a mission to lose weight and get fit – all so that he can get through the dog flap to chase the all new VW Beetle.
Lexus has taken the dark and dramatic route to advertise the new 2013 Lexus GS and represent the car as a ‘beast’. Unlike other companies, there are no comedic references or actors. How impactful will it be?
AUTOMOTIVE BRANDS IN 2012 have recognised the increased use of social media, and have used this to their advantage. Several of the brands released ‘teasers’ prior to the release of the full length adverts in order to stir up excitement. Some also used Twitter to start trends, such as Honda with #dayoff and Audi with #SoLongVampires.
Many journalists have already predicted what they believe will be the most successful ads from this year, but who do you think win?
January has certainly been awash with technology news, particularly following CES in Las Vegas. Generally the overall theme of CES 2012 was convergence. The
convergence between multiple devices within the home, how they
communicate with each other and with consumers themselves. We now have
access to information across smartphones, tablets, computers and
connected TVs and it is the convergence of these platforms, along with
appliances from your washing machine to the fridge, that will
revolutionise the "connected-home".
To view a detailed overview of CES 2012, visit this blog post here.
Samsung
One particular piece of technology from CES that stood out was the Samsung Smart Window - an oversized transparent one-way mirrored touchscreen. The Smart Window provides a view of both the physical and virtual world which can be manipulated using 'blind apps'.These digital blinds control the amount of actual light that comes in through the Smart Window.
HTML5
In other video technology news HTML5 has continued to become more prevalent as technologists look for easier ways to build and integrate online video across multiple platforms.
Brands are entering an era where almost any device or
surface can have an internet connection and video can be displayed almost anywhere
– Cisco recently claimed, by 2015 1 million minutes of video will cross the
internet every second. As connected TVs continue to enter the home video
content will need to transfer across all companion devices to ensure brands
have an on-going and uninterrupted conversation with audiences. With the ease
at which it can support video content on whatever platform, HTML5 will be the
key advocator for multichannel engagement.
As well as it's support for video content, HTML5 is also fundamental in transforming how apps are created. As more devices and platforms enter the market, relevant apps have to be created, from Android, Blackberry, Samsung, LG and Apple. Marketing strategies nowadays are developed to reach the largest possible audience but to do this they need apps developed across each platform. While HTML5 can underpin the development of apps on competitive platforms there is still a way to go to allow compatibility across them all.
YouTube
Google has also been making updates in video technology and this month announced updates to YouTube's browse, video editor and video manager pages. Channels have moved into the focus on YouTube and according to Google the updated page helps users "find even more great channels on YouTube."
Google+
Elsewhere in Google's Universe the company has been making changes to the way consumers can share and interact with videos on Google+. Previously consumers were able to use Hangouts or watch YouTube videos embedded within Google+, but as of January you're now able to make your own videos using your webcam.
