The Video Spurnalist

Cool New Video Camz

2009-12-31T00:45:00.003-05:00

I think one of the really exciting current innovations in technology for video journalism is the integration of still photography and video technology. With the most recent line of slr cameras from Nikon and Canon, it is interesting to see how entry level professional cameras are choosing to integrate video technology. I’ve found that one of the most annoying things about creating video content is the hassle of transporting the equipment. As smartphones and still photography cameras become more capable of producting video content, it should really help solve that problem. In similar news, I got an HD flip cam for Christmas, and we’ve grown to love each other quicker than the protagonists in the second scene of a Rogers and Hammerstein musical.

Social Video and Oprah

2009-12-01T11:50:00.001-05:00

In an article written last Thursday on Tech Radar, I was surprised to see that in addition to Hulu one of the sites that is gaining the most ground is Facebook in terms of online video content. Youtube, which receives an amazing 1 billion views a day, could soon be losing some of that staggering statistic as social network sites continue to develop more ways to incorporate video content with their services. The trend reminded me of the trend predicted in class a few weeks ago of the future of Internet search content. There it was discussed that perhaps in a few years, people will be searching sites like facebook and myspace for restaurant recommendations from their friends etc. rather than random strangers on the internet. Perhaps video content is heading down a similar path.

Secondly, I was surprised to see online video being brought into a media business conversation where you normally wouldn’t see it. In a recent Reuters article discussing Oprah’s imminent departure from her daytime television throne, ABC’s Sweeney discussed Disney’s various moves to push into developing content for various platforms and target specific audiences with that content. I also find it interesting that she forced her Daughter to have a television in her room. If only I had a TV executive as a parent growing up.

Bing and News Corp

2009-11-24T13:34:00.003-05:00

It’s interesting that this interview done about a month ago was so right in predicting the current intrigue going on between Microsoft and News Corporation. Basically, Jason Calacanis laid out his theory that one way to finally break Google’s hold on the search market was to partner with various news organizations, pay them for their content, and get them to exclusively let that content be accessed by a search engine like Bing.

The New York Times published a piece today on the negotiations that News Corp is currently in with Microsoft to do exactly that. Basically, Microsoft would pay them for the opportunity to exclusively index it’s content and News Corp would then completely remove all of it’s content from Google. This is an interesting idea that would obviously largely affect consumer’s access to all of the online video content of News’ Corp’s publications. Additionally, it could largely affect the business model of future media endeavors on the Internet from the current model to something similar to the “cable” model that we’ve been studying in class.

Is this a good business decision? Wired thinks not.

YouTube Direct

2009-11-23T21:34:00.001-05:00

Here is a really fascinating piece, published by the New York Times last week, which describes the new Youtube technology that various news organizations are beginning to take advantage of, and incorporating into their business models. “Youtube Direct” is a service that outlets such as The Huffington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and NPR are using to manage user-generated video content for their sites.

This is exciting because it provides an easier way for a sense of communication to be established through video content on MSM channels. For example, a publication such as the Rocky Mountain News could ask for funny or interesting video on local Colorado news, people could submit it through this service, and it would then find a new home of the outlet’s site. This could be an effective business model not only as a result of driving people to a site, but also a new model on online video citizen journalism.

NPR Reports On Future Of Web Video

2009-11-17T17:36:00.003-05:00

On yesterday's All Things Considered, Omar Gallaga discussed the future business models and technology that may support the viewing of web video content on HD televisions. In addition to various companies and technology that I've previously discussed on this blog such as Boxee, Gallaga also brought up some really interesting new ventures that I had not been previously aware of.

First of all, The New York Times reported earlier this week on the new company "Clicker." Clicker hopes to be a "TV Guide for the web." It seems to be an appropriate company to bring up this week since we've been discussing the importance of search for the future of media. Clicker hopes to act as a sort of "search" for online video. Where you may be able to easily find some select network's shows on sites such as Hulu, Clicker will be able to point you to content as far-ranging as TED talks to video from NYTimes.com!! Exciting! If this takes off, the focus and importance placed on legally uploaded footage from established media companies could be great for those businesses.

Speaking of TV Guide, the other interesting new venture discussed on All Tech Considered was TV Guide's new "My TV Guide" which fulfills a similar purpose. Acting as a "web DVR," the service informs you when your favorite television programs are posted online. However, I think it could definitely benefit from more of an emphasis on search.

Telegraph Arts Videos

2009-11-05T00:10:00.007-05:00

I'm in love with this video, and a lot of the other videos on The Telegraph's website. I think that they are doing a great job of creating captivating online video content that can stand alone on their own merits. I think this piece does just that. First of all, the video content in the piece really centers around strong sound bites. The reporter was sent to Georgia to document the way that women live there, and framed his journey as a search to “find the most beautiful woman” in Georgia. Through the interview with the older man and later the conversation in the car, the treatment of women in the country is explored in interesting ways. Also, the clip of the women singing is fascinating, even if it adds less to the story.

The format of the video is a “video diary” style, but I still wish that some of the shots could have been framed a little better. For me personally, I thought that the shots of the older man and the car driver were a little too close. I would have liked it if he could have zoomed out a bit so he wasn’t cutting off too much of his head. The shots of the smoke rising in the woods and the tunnels the car drives were both really striking. There was obviously an abundance of photos incorporated of women in Georgia, but I think the piece could have benefited from some profile video shots as well.

I really liked how the filmmaker used graphics and text in a notebook rather than tracks. I also thought that the text used, provided a nice overarching theme to the story, while not repeating what was being said in the sound bites. They gave the viewer information about the reputation of women in Georgia while the interviews gave the viewer information as to what their actual lives were like. Though this piece may not have incorporated a lot of research with an abundance of statistics or historical background, I think it was visually arresting enough to leave the viewer with a lingering impression of the state of women in Georgia. The number one thing that drives up page views is good content.

NBC To Feature HD Video on Olympics Site

2009-11-03T21:13:00.002-05:00

NBCOlympics.com, scheduled to go live tomorrow, features a lot of great interactive video content. NBC will be using Microsoft Silverlight technology to offer full HD videos on the site reports Tech Crunch. Additionally, the video player will have a DVR-like feature! This will allow visitors to the sit to rewind videos, highlight clips, save them etc.

Another cool video feature, that NBC will be unveiling tomorrow is the incorporation of facebook chat with the videos. With this, people will be able to chat with friends while watching videos. I definitely think that this added connectivity could greatly increase view counts. It will be interesting to see whether it will prove popular enough to be added to video content in the future.

Truce Between White House and Fox?

2009-11-03T01:17:00.003-05:00

As the intriguing “war” between Fox News and the White House raged on for the last few weeks, I think everyone was curious as to how it might end. Well, Fishbowl DC reported last week that a sort of “truce” had apparently been brokered. Putting aside whether or not this conflict was good for the country, was fanning the flames of this war of words good for Fox News?

From a business perspective it seems to have been. After displaying graphics across their opinion programming such as “Not White House Approved” on Hannity, Fox saw it’s ratings increase over the past week. It is interesting what the effect of “becoming the story” is on news’ organizations. Whether or not it’s good for their news, it does seem to be good for their business.

Is Journalism in a Crisis?

2009-11-03T01:02:00.005-05:00

Jeff Jarvis argues against the popular notion that the journalism industry is currently facing a huge crises in today’s issue of The Guardian. The main reason that he sees for realizing this fact is the current push for government supported media. With the recent publication of The Reconstruction of American Journalism by Columbia University there has been a lot of buzz surrounding the idea of government sponsored media like the BBC in England.

Jarvis argues that a government supported business model of journalism is unnecessary and may prove detrimental to journalism’s purpose in society. He cites the fact that some view the BBC as an unfair competitor in England, and that it creates a distortion on the internet.

I’m not that familiar with England’s media landscape to know whether that it is true or not, but I do think that there’s something to be said for embracing change rather than surrendering to it. Perhaps more attention should be paid on developing solutions for the former.

OWLE Creates Amazing Video With iPhone

2009-11-03T00:04:00.005-05:00

In this incredibly impressive video recorded from an iPhone, OWLE has created some pretty remarkable footage. After a whole bunch of modifications, the team was able to record was appears to be almost broadcast quality footage from a simple iPhone. The comparisons between the before and after shots are pretty crazy.

If this technology developed it would be amazing for any media company interested in creating cheap video content. I know many media outlets are currently depending on flip cams for this sort of footage, but just think how much more watchable their finished products would be with after taking advantage of improved technology such as this. Hopefully, OWLE will be able to develop their project further!

Condé Nast Plans iPhone App

2009-11-02T23:11:00.001-05:00

In another example of a traditional media company branching out into new mediums, Condé Nast has recently announced their attention to create an iPhone App for some of their popular publications. This December, an app of the latest GQ issue will go on sale for $2.99 as opposed to the $4.99 price of the print version. The most interesting news surrounding this upcoming app, however, is that the app will basically consist of a digital version of the magazine. It will replicate the print version on a page by page basis but also include additional content such as videos!

It will be interesting to see whether this new venture will generate that much additional revenue for Condé Nast, but I do think they are heading in the right direction with it’s development. Also, as Peter Kafka points out, this will perfectly situate them to take full advantage of any tablet technology emerging in the near future.

CNN.com Relaunches With Emphasis on Video

2009-11-02T23:07:00.008-05:00

This Monday, CNN.com, one of the most popular websites on the internet, will relaunch with a greater focus on video content reports The Guardian. The homepage will now focus much more on photo and video content rather than the previous text-heavy design.

Nick Wrenn, CNN’s VP of Digital Services, said that a lot of their “deep, rich content” was falling off the homepage too quickly. Another interesting change is the new website’s focus on Entertainment news. This could be a result of the Huffington Post’s mixture of Political and Entertainment news and the success that mixture has had driving viewer’s to their site.

Other interesting tidbits from Wrenn: 1. There will be more TV material online. 2. The new design will focus on getting “all of the multimedia within the field” and 3. 50% of CNN’s users watch both the video and read the story of an article!!

Craig Newmark Looks Into The Future of News

2009-11-02T22:57:00.004-05:00

Craig Newmark wrote an interesting article in The Huffington Post today regarding the changing face of journalism. One important change that he highlighted was the emergence of “new display systems” which will better incorporate multimedia reporting. Newmark went on to discuss what issues news organization should be focusing on in the coming years. The problems, he says are less in the changing format of news, but with ideas such as “trust” and “curation.”

Newmark says that news organizations top priority should be to restore the public’s trust in their work which has been somewhat lost after occurrences such as the financial crises and the lead up to the war in Iraq. He goes on to argue that their problems involve not only constructive demonstration of trustworthy reporting, but also in the fact that the GOOD journalism of these times was buried by the structures of newspapers rather than highlighted.

Here’s a problem that incorporating more video content into publications may help fix. By highlighting important content with video, news organization can draw more attention to it, and therefore work towards repairing a damaged relationship with the public.

Barnes and Noble Announces The ‘Nook’

2009-11-02T22:55:00.003-05:00

The big tech news the last few days, has been surrounding the release of Barnes and Noble’s new ‘Nook’ E-Reader. Other than a somewhat unfortunate name (“nookie” reader, anyone?) the device looks pretty promising. In fact, I would really like one just in case anyone out there was feeling generous. Email me!

There are a few big differences between the Nook and other E-Readers such as the Kindle or Sony E-Reader. With the nook, you have the possibility to “lend” out books to friends. This can only be done once per book, and you can only lend a book out to one person at a time, but it might still prove to be a big enough impetus to spur sales.

In addition, however, the Nook offers two different screens in their device. The top screen is your average “electronic ink” reading screen, but the bottom screen features an LCD display which allows readers to flip through available titles as well as find newspaper and magazine content to display above. With such content being offered on this tablet-like a device, and google android capability being incorporated into the model, it seems like only a matter of time before this or a similar device may start displaying video.

Obama's Weekly Address

2009-10-20T03:09:00.005-04:00

I see what Obama's going for with these weekly addresses to the nation through youtube, but do you think they're effective? Taking into account the medium, I guess that youtube just seems somewhat less presidential to me than the radio addresses of FDR's time. Is this an issue that Internet video is going to have to deal with in the future? Is there a sense of gravitas present in other mediums that it's lacking or is that just me?

Video Journalism and Activism

2009-10-13T01:18:00.001-04:00

A blog post today over at left click blog analyzed what I think is one of the more exciting aspects of the changing face of video journalism. While television journalism was routed in an often cheesy and artificial form and print journalism has had various traditions governing its form for centuries, the form of video and digital journalism is still being developed and open for experimentation.

Left click blog took this fact to the next step and argued that because of this opportunity for experimentation, video journalism is a medium that is ripe for social activism. In fact, Dave Riley goes so far as to say that "formality collapses" with video journalism. I think that this is a perfect way to describe the current freedom and room for creativity found in the medium, and I would argue that that lack of a constrictive formality will be an overall good thing for journalism as a whole.

Case Study: Vanguard

2009-10-09T10:05:00.004-04:00

This Death Train segment is one of my favorite pieces of journalism from Current TV’s ‘Vanguard’ series. A backpack journalist recorded the dangers that Guatemalan workers face as they attempt to migrate to America. The piece was incredibly moving and I think really serves as a testament to Current’s form of mass sourced citizen journalism. Last night, I noticed that Vanguard has recently been added to Hulu providing another outlet for people to stumble upon this great series.

Boxee could bridge Internet and TV Video

2009-10-08T18:48:00.005-04:00

Bridging the gap between television and Internet video is going to become increasingly important in coming years. With formerly print publications adding video to their content, and formerly broadcast companies adding print websites, the ability to exist across mediums will come in incredibly useful. An article in The Guardian yesterday explored this emerging problem and what the possible solutions currently being offered were.

The first technology discussed is one that many of us are aware of: the xbox. Formally known as XBMC, xbox technology was one of the first to integrate television and Internet content. Many people who play interactive video games on their television already know this. Gamers are currently able to communicate on their Xboxes with each other while playing a game on their television.

Another product that offers interaction and connectivity between Internet and television is called the Boxee. Boxee lets you navigate TV shows, movies, websites, movies, and photos on your television. Internet channels such as Hulu exist along side traditional channels like CBS and CNN.

As magazines and newspapers explore their relationships with video content further, I think this technology has potential to be very promising. Eventually, the New York Post or Daily News can have a television channel with their web video content which exists along side other broadcast news outlets on consumer’s televisions. Boxee also has additional benefits such as being able to see what your friends are watching or what they recommend through the incorporation of social media technology.

With Boxee currently offering premium services such as paying for major league baseball on demand, I see no reason why they couldn’t offer a future service such as a flat rate “video newspaper subscription” which could prove to be another revenue stream for struggling media companies.

Video Book Hybrids

2009-10-08T00:58:00.008-04:00

A story in the New York Times about a week ago on the emergence of "vook" technology was analyzed further in an article for Salon yesterday. Both articles do a pretty admirable job of summarizing the fact that a sucky novel is not going to turn into the Great Gatsby by adding a slide show. What a surprise. But even though the specific content they are analyzing seems to be somewhat sub-par, I think that the integration of media in this specific format is exactly where newspapers and other news outlets should be heading in the future.

Yes, a good vampire novel may not benefit to much with simultaneous Edward Cullen music video, but multimedia technology such as this can provide richer details on a non-fiction subject or event. Maybe some of the current smartphone apps that newspapers such as the New York Times are now providing can learn from this technology to create a more integrated content experience. I could definitely see it improving the horribly boring app the Times currently has for Blackberry. Maybe people will even pay for a product if it's more than just a repackaging of another one.

Even if, as the Times article states, a reader's "cognitive ability will actually go backwards" because of the multimedia experience. Horrifying!

Charging For Online Video; Rather Loses

2009-09-29T17:40:00.007-04:00

Today there were three interesting stories floating around the web that in some way involved the business of video journalism. First of all, the Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece by Peter Kann discussing that newspaper’s early decision to start charging for their online content. Though “expert’s say it’s too late to charge” for many other major newspapers today, the Wall Street Journal was an early advocate for charging for online content.

I can see the attractiveness in the inherently faulty business model that Kann currently sees in effect for many newspapers across the country. The idea of charging for a lackluster print product, and giving a better, multimedia product away for free doesn’t seem to make sense. I, do, however, think there is a benefit of having a set collection of articles to read for a day. That’s probably just my OCD nature needing organization though. Also, is it ironic that this article about charging for online content can be read online for free? Anyone? More after the jump.

I think that a large part of the online product’s superiority can be connected to its multimedia content including video. It makes sense to me that you should have to pay for this additional content. I thought that his other assertion was pretty correct as well, describing network news as having “abdicated” a large part of its responsibility to cable news channels. And those channels are most certainly “covering the wrong things” and focusing on “extremists yelling at each other.” Many cable news shows are more entertainment than news. I’m looking at you, Glenn Beck.

It was also announced today that Dan Rather had lost his 2-year-old suit against his former employees at CBS for “breaking his contract” and damaging his reputation. He tried to frame the disagreement as him fighting against some evil corporation, but I think it had more to do with Rather’s ego than a sense of morality. He’s not exactly Norma Rae if you know what I mean. I already think that in many television news operations today too many resources are being used on talent.

In other Anchor News, it looks like Byron Pitts will be the next full-time correspondent at 60 minutes. The 2nd African American in the show’s history, Pitts also has the interesting distinction of having been functionally illiterate until the age of 12.

Conservative Catfight

2009-09-24T23:16:00.002-04:00

An article published over at the Daily Beast day provides a pretty hilarious description of the new war of words between Joe Scarborough and Glenn Beck. Love it when similarly minded news show hosts just THROW DOWN THE GAUNTLET like that.