The Future of Web Video
January 23, 2007
![[Image: Future of Web Video book cover]](http://kino-eye.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/fwv-cov-small.jpg)
With all the excitement over Google’s purchase of YouTube and videomakers making money putting Mentos into Diet Coke bottles, you’d think that the viral video phenomena is where all the action is. But for independent filmmakers who are looking to get some financial return on their work, there are some serious distribution and revenue opportunities emerging on the web, but it’s not YouTube. Alternative sites like Brightcove, blip.tv, IndieFlix, and CustomFlix offer a range of services to filmmakers who would like to take reaching an audience and distribution into their own hands. Scott Kirsner’s new book, The Future of Web Video: Opportunities for Producers, Entrepreneurs, Media Companies and Advertisers provides the most comprehensive guide to web video to date from materials gathered in 2005 and 2006. The books is available as an e-Book or printed book. Since sites in this space and the services they offer are changing so rapidly, it’s a good thing that Scott has made his chart, Getting Paid: Sites that Help Video Producers Make Money available online for free.
2007 SMPTE/NE Digital Production Showcase
January 18, 2007
The New England Chapter of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) held its Annual Digital Production Showcase (which has become a mid-winter tradition) on Wednesday, January 17th at WCVB-TV’s studio in Needham, Massachusetts. My photos from the event are available on Flickr. In addition to being fed sandwiches and piping hot New England clam chowder (very appropriate given the cold snap) attendees had a chance to experience hands-on demos of the latest digital production tools in a collegial atmosphere. I thank SMPTE/New England for hosting such a delightful event in which I can catch up with what’s happening in the realm of digital production.
DLO HomeDock Deluxe: Integrating the iPod with your television and stereo
January 12, 2007
I listen and watch podcasts on my video iPod as I commute to and from work. Sometimes I want to watch or listen to podcasts on my home stereo system in the living room. My wife would like to listen to her iPod on the stereo too. As far as audio goes, it’s easy to simply hook up a cable, and the same goes for video, but it leads to a gnarly mess of wires.
Santa provided a more elegant solution this holiday season, delivering us a DLO HomeDock Deluxe.
While I have mixed feelings about this gadget, it provides an acceptable solution to the problem of integrating a video iPod into a home stereo system and television. It comes with RCA line outs for the audio and both composite and S-Video connectors for the video.
iPhone: A cinema, jukebox, phone, browser, and e-mail client in your pocket
January 9, 2007
Today at MacWorld expo Apple introduced the iPhone. I am rarely inspired to write about any product introduction, but I think this one is as paradigm shifting as the original Macintosh, QuickTime, and the iPod. And this device presents many new creative opportunities for media makers. No longer will getting good video to a smart phone be a hassle like it is now with so many formats. Just publish your video as an iTunes compatble video podcast and that’s that. I was expecting Apple to introduce a 16:9 video iPod and a separate iPhone, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the iPhone (in the best Apple design tradition) combines a phone, widescreen iPod, e-mail, and web browsing in one small elegant Internet connected device. Like earlier major milestones in Apple history this new device introduces a whole new platform and a reinvention of an entire product category.
Sweet Finnish
January 7, 2007
Credits: Camera/Director: Bre Pettis, Sound: David LaMorte, Guide: Christopher Penn, Customers: Kristen Crusius and David Tames, Barista: Tatiana Martinez, Behind-the-scenes Producers: Steve Garfield and David Tames.
2007 Imagine Party on Tuesday, January 9
January 6, 2007
For those of you who live in the New England area, this years Imagine Party will be held Tuesday, January 9, 2007 at 7pm at the Regatta Bar in the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square. This is the annual gathering of movers and shakers in the New England motion media industry. This event is hosted by Imagine News, the print and online publication covering the business of film, television & new media production in New England. See you there!
