Spidvid's Blog » online video

Minimum Viable Video

Jeremy Campbell — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:05:44 +0000

I love reading a book or two per month! This month I’m reading The Lean Startup by Eric Ries. The book’s core premise is that startups should build a minimal viable product (MVP), release it, get feedback, learn, iterate, and rapidly shape the product towards establishing a solid product-market fit.

How this methodology applies to video project development is that perhaps you shouldn’t create a long-form video, or develop a full web series until you know it will work and get traction. A minimal viable video (MVV) if you will. So maybe instead of writing a script for an 8 episode web series, you should write pilots for 4 potential shows, create those, see which one of them resonates best with viewers, and then develop that particular series fully. Pilots are a good way to learn about how your viewers would like to see the story develop (and if the story is strong enough to move forward in the first place), and which characters are liked and which ones aren’t.

This is something to think about, always try to do extraordinary things but minimize the risks associated with developing original content. Create something fast, release it, learn, and you should have a better idea of what can work longer term.

And of course by all means, if you’re passionate about a story and want to see it all the way through then go for it because nothing feels better than creating something you love. If a topic or subject makes you feel good inside, then go for it no matter what others may say to you.

Always be listening, always be learning, and stay foolish and hungry.

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Niche Video Channels Are the Future

Jeremy Campbell — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:53:09 +0000

It seems that niche programming is the way that internet video is heading. Firstly, an online video channel is being used by scientists to open up dialogue about their fields of research and lives. The series is another example of a video series that appeals to a small, but dedicated market that would probably not otherwise become the focus of attention.

Publicized on the New York Times, the series is called Cambridge Nights: Conversations About a Life in Science and is hosted by César Hidalgo, a Cambridge physicist. The program has support from two scientists at the famous MIT Media Lab which has made its name with a number of innovations in the field of multimedia and technology.

The project is very much a product of its environment, as Cambridge and the area is filled with academic research institutions which make rich pickings for interview subjects. We can imagine that if he carried out his research in most other parts of the country, he’d be faced with the usual number of football fans, Party Poker enthusiasts and film buffs, without quite so many scientific minds to probe. Hidalgo explained to the NYT that when he arrived in the area he discovered the intellectual hot house that was the Cambridge area and thought a video series that had not been dumbed down would find both the perfect subjects, and also a responsive market too.

This all ties in with the statement from senior YouTube executive, Robert Kyncl who told the New Yorker recently that the site was looking to deepen it’s niche programming. He explains that niches are more immersive than general programming and the internet has the advantage for advertisers and program makers of being ‘on demand’, so they don’t have to program 24/7. You just need a few hours of content and your target audience will be happy. For YouTube, this is the direction they intend to head.

12 Online Video Predictions For 2012

Jeremy Campbell — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:06:05 +0000

It was a massive year for online video in 2011, which saw our community’s content from Spidvid exceed 1 million views on UnleashVideo in 2011.

This is my 4th straight year making predictions for the online video space. If you want to see how my predictions fared in other years here’s 2009, 2010, and last year’s 2011 list. For my 11 predictions last year, I rate them a 8/11 which is pretty decent. Let’s see how I fare this year.

12 online video predictions for 2012

1. Yahoo invests $250M into original video content – Yahoo has a new CEO and seems to be getting more and more focused on online video. I think that Yahoo takes a big step towards re-establishing their corporate identity and it’s in the video space.

2. Standards for views and ad creatives are finally implemented – There is still lots of confusion as to what constitutes a video view online, and 2012 will be the year where a standard will be set. Some people think that if a video starts that’s a view, while others think a whole video must be watched for it to count as a view, clarity will come in 2012. Every video ad company seems to have their own formats but this will end as ad standards will be put in place for video, much like display banners abide by now.

3. Mobile video explodes – I’ve been predicting this for a few years and every year mobile video traffic seems to double it’s viewing audience thanks to increased penetration of iPhones, Android based phones, and tablets.

4. Apple’s “iTV” makes OTT mainstream – There are a bunch of great “over the top” products out there for your TV including; Apple TV, Roku, Boxee, and others, but as Steve Jobs says they are just hobby businesses well at least for Apple to date. But in 2012 Apple is going to be releasing TV’s in the 30″-50″ range which will sell like crazy to Apple’s raving fans, and these iTV’s will dramatically increase consumer’s use of iTunes for purchasing video content.

5. Social TV - More and more people are watching TV and sending out tweets about what they’re watching, their perspectives on what they’re seeing, and engaging with other passionate viewers. Social TV will be huge in 2012 as Twitter and Facebook create tighter relationships with the TV networks.

6. HTML 5 – This seems to be the format of choice long term even though it’s still in its infancy right now compared to flash. This format is much more dynamic than all the others and will ultimately become #1, but not until 2015. HTML 5 will see more growth than ever before in 2012.

7. YouTube will buy a company – The world’s largest video sharing site continues to build out its ecosystem both through building features internally, and acquiring technologies externally. YouTube is growing up and is stepping outside of Google’s shadow, and 2012 will be the biggest year ever for YouTube. If you are tired of YouTube coverage now, you haven’t seen anything yet!

8. Hulu gets acquired – There was a ton of speculation that Hulu would be acquired throughout 2011 but it never happened, but in 2012 it will. I’m going to double down on my Yahoo prediction and say that Yahoo buys Hulu to become a serious online video player.

9. Netflix gets acquired – There was also lots of speculation that Netflix would be acquired in 2011, but again much like Hulu nothing happened. Netflix has seen its subscriber base and stock price dramatically decrease since its pricing model changed, but it’s still a strong brand in the streaming video space. I’m going to call Netflix is sold, but not at a price that its CEO, board of directors, or investors are overly happy with.

10. Google Plus delivers big views – Facebook and Twitter drive huge video views as social video emerges. Google Plus’s social network is exploding and as a result it will become a major player in delivering video views, especially to its toddler site, YouTube.

11. More online video stars get movie deals – Famous Fred of YouTube got a deal with Nikelodeon to star in “Fred the Movie” which did quite well from what I heard. There will be more of these kind of deals happening in 2012, mainly to the YouTube partners who have strong character personalities like Fred possesses.

12. Remote video collaboration takes off – With more and more cloud based video editing platforms emerging, along with matchmaking sites like Spidvid emerging, 2012 will be a year that many video creators and talent open up to the possibility of bringing on external talent to their teams and using new tools to help manage those projects.

If you have a 13th prediction to add then please add it below!

Cheers to 2012 which will be online video’s biggest year yet!

Other online video predictions can be found on Media Post, VidCompare, ReelSEO, TubeFilter, New Media Minute, and Streaming Media.

Video Projects For 2012

Jeremy Campbell — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:59:20 +0000

2011 was a year when online video took another big step forward. Just a couple years ago you couldn’t talk about online video without hearing the word “user generated content.” That term seems to be on the way out as more and more quality video entertainment is getting created for distribution.

Video production value is starting to matter more and more to viewers online, which bodes well for our collaborative video production community who create and produce “mid-tail” video entertainment.

Some videos are shot on a mobile phone, uploaded, and go on to find large audiences, but unless you have a talented cat or capture a remarkably random life moment then chances are your unedited videos won’t get many views. If a video creator and his or her team don’t spend a decent amount of time on their content it really shows through, and audiences don’t spend much time watching their content as a result.

It’s now 2012, a new year, and an opportunity for a fresh start to explore new and interesting video projects. I got an email from a video creator on January 1st stating that his new years resolution was to create videos that viewers love and are proud to share with their friends and family. This guy has a perfect mindset heading into 2012! Don’t waste your valuable time developing video projects that you aren’t proud of, and aren’t passionate about as you will create a video that even you don’t want to watch. Delete your worst project ideas and stories, and leave them behind in 2011 where they belong!

If you have a killer video or film project you want to launch then get a Spidvid profile and post your Spidvid project, or you can join teams who are collaborating on Spidvid projects by bidding on them. 2012 holds tons of potential for developing new and original video content as audiences are exploding and eager to consume it. If you need to build a team of partners and collaborators then keep our Spidvid platform and community in mind, and don’t be shy to tap into their super powers.

We wish you and your video projects a very prosperous 2012!

Best Of 2011 List

Jeremy Campbell — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:26:02 +0000

It’s always an incredible thing to be recognized for what you build and contribute to the world! We were recently notified that we were voted Best of 2011 by Daddy Van Productions. Daddy Van Productions produce amazing concert videos each year, and do many other video productions as well. These guys love what they do, respect other companies who contribute to the industry, and as such want to publicly recognize those contributions and efforts.

Spidvid was firmly on their list this year, and here’s what they had to say about us:

Spidvid.com is a necessary resource for filmmakers. Young filmmakers. Filmmakers that want to make it in the industry. Their online community and blog feature some of the better insights into how to build a career as a filmmaker. Video production is an industry that can take you a number of places: directing TV spots, acting, dramatic film, and even concert videos. Spidvid offers those producers who are just starting out an otherwise unattainable resource.

We are honored that Daddy Van Productions thought of us, and really love what they do in video production as well. They have collaborated with some of the world’s biggest bands including: Nine Inch Nails, Aerosmith, Maroon 5, Motley Crue, Rascal Flatts, Dave Matthews Band, and countless others, so it certainly is humbling that they gave us the big nod. Thanks guys, rock on!

An Appearance On the XConnect Show

Jeremy Campbell — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:28:59 +0000

Just recently I was graciously invited onto the XConnect Show to talk about startups, entrepreneurship, online video, collaboration, and of course, Spidvid, with show host and entrepreneur Karim Kanji who’s co-founder of Third Ocean.

Tips For Attracting Big Actors To Your Web Series

Jeremy Campbell — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:01:41 +0000

I connected with Matthew Giegerich recently, who’s a talented co-creator (along with Chelsea Mize) behind the “Home At Last” web series which debuts later next month. Watch the hilarious trailer below! So how this post came together is Matt reached out to us via Spidvid to help promote his web series. I get lots of these kinds of requests every day but most don’t excited me. This one really did, and I was most impressed with the fact that Matt attracted many top actors for his web series including William Russ, who many of you know from Boy Meets World, and Jeff Lewis who is best known from The Guild.

I pleaded with him to put together a post so our community could learn how to attract top acting talent to their videos and shows. He graciously did and I’ve posted it below, so big thanks to Matt, and huge congrats to him for getting top tier acting talent in his web series! We anxiously await episode 1 of Home At Last next month.

Home At Last – Trailer from Matt Giegerich & Chelsea Mize on UnleashVideo

Tips For Attracting Big Actors To Your Web Series

I think the most important thing we did to get big actors attached to the show, was to have the idea that maybe we could do it. I think that the reason it doesn’t happen more often is probably because creators don’t think it’s possible to get good, recognizable actors to work on their projects.

We actually didn’t even consider it either, until a few recognizable faces sent in their head shots and info through Actor’s Access. At that point, the seed had been planted. What if we could cast whoever we wanted (within reason) for a couple of these roles?

So once we gave ourselves permission to allow ourselves to think that way, we were off. We made a list of all of the actors that could possibly play the role of “Bob” (the homeless guy) on the show.

William Russ was at the top of the list. We all grew up watching him on Boy Meets World, and he’s incredible in American History X. Obviously, we thought it was a long shot, but we contacted him right away. We used IMDBPro to get his contact information. This is a big tool that might be under utilized. Basically you pay 20 bucks a month and you have access to contact info for most actors (well, usually for their representation).

So we got in touch with Russ’s agent, and the agent was a very straight forward guy. He just said “send the script and if he likes it we’ll get back in touch.” I think it was only a couple of days. William enjoyed the script and said it made him laugh out loud, and he wanted to meet with us.

So we met. We didn’t officially have him on board yet, but we had lunch. And we talked about the script, and his involvement, and the kind of tone of what we were going for. He wanted to get some exposure to new media, and we obviously had a ton of knowledge to gain from him (he’s directed a few shows, in addition to having starred on BMW all those years).

But I think William’s curiosity for new media production and the fact that he liked the script are almost entirely why he did the project. And once he came on board he was just as amazing to work with as we all expected. He has such a good sense of timing and rhythm and pacing and blocking – pretty much everything that goes into making a show.

Those contributions were almost bigger than his acting itself. Of course his acting was phenomenal, but between takes he had tons of nuggets of wisdom to share. One thing in particular, and it’s small, but lots of small things really add up… One thing was a problem we were having with an entrance. We needed a character to enter the apartment and close the door quickly. But having him turn even slightly to close the door was messing up the flow of the scene. We were kind of clueless as to how to solve the problem. Then William suggested that he just close the door with his foot. It’s the kind of thing you see on TV all the time and you don’t even notice, but it makes a big difference in the show, and I think we used the foot close on more than one occasion!

Then it was pretty much a similar process for getting Jeff Lewis on board. We had a part that we thought he would be great for, we contacted his agent, he liked the script and took the role.

Another thing that may have helped us with bringing Jeff onto the project is that we were using a great director (Stephen Sprinkles) who worked on an IFC web series a couple of years back, and has made some really good shorts. We were also using a very talented DP (Chris Darnell) that Jeff had worked with before on both The Guild and The Jeff Lewis 5 Minute Comedy Hour. Darnell has worked a lot in new media, and his work has probably been seen by twenty or thirty or forty million viewers.

So when we contacted Jeff, we definitely mentioned that we already had Darnell on board. I think having that kind of quality assurance goes a long way. I think that actors are sometimes hesitant to work on an online project because stuff online is bad so much of the time. So if you can crew up with really talented, established people, better known actors might come on board because they know that you will turn out pro-quality work.

So I guess the three big things are:

1. Use IMDBPro

2. Write a good script

3. Build a solid team before you contact actors

Needs actors for your projects? We have many talented actors in our Spidvid community! Grab a free Spidvid profile right now, and join our new media movement.

6 Steps to Producing a Marketing Online Video

Jeremy Campbell — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:05:06 +0000

I love sharing content that I feel has value to filmmakers, video creators, and members of our Spidvid community. Russ Pond recently reached out to me to give me the inside scoop that he was releasing a new ebook to help video creators in the marketing video area, an area where so many individuals struggle to produce successful results.

This ebook is packed full of research, stats, stories, and of course juicy tips and advice for creating marketing videos that cut through the clutter and get your brand in front of targeted viewers. To get it, all you need to do is visit the ebook’s page, and send out a tweet to download “6 Steps To Producing a Successful Marketing Online Video” for free!

6 Steps Ebook Teaser:

1. Conveying a clear message.

2. Creating a persuasive call to action.

3. Focusing on production excellence.

4. Maximizing video optimization.

5. Considering multiple distribution channels.

6. Tracking your videos across the web.

Now that your interest has been piqued, go download the valuable ebook now, and if you have something to say about its content then please comment below. Or you can reach out to Russ directly via his website.

About the author, Russ Pond (in his own words)

Since the mid 90′s, I’ve been producing and directing corporate video projects for a variety of clients, including a handful of Fortune 500 companies. Other producers often contact me with questions about budgeting, client relationships, workflow, cameras, equipment, crew structure, contracts, business structure, accounting and other questions. So, I decided to share my resources for those interested in the business of corporate video production. My hope for this site is to provide a stream of resources to help those in the freelance production business or those interested in getting into this business.

I’ve worked on both sides of the fence. I spent 16 years working for two Fortune 500 companies in their marketing department. I was the one hiring video production companies for a variety of projects. I’ve worked with high-end ad agencies, marketing consultants and the smaller production companies. In 1996, I bought my first editing system — a Media 100 — and started learning the art of media production. Shortly after that, someone actually paid me to produce a short presentation for them. My first paying project! That excitement sent me down a path of learning where today I now run my own production company, Top Pup Media.

Since launching into the corporate video production business, I have produced projects for Nokia, AT&T, MasterCard, Haggar, Uniden, IndyCar, and a handful of other large clients. I’ve also produced, directed and edited a full-length, feature film called “Fissure“. I also recently finished work on a new television show called “Marry Me Again” that we are starting to shop around to networks.

A couple years ago, I took an assessment called “Strengths Finder” and with the help of a certified Strengths Finder coach, I learned quite a bit about the way I’m wired. My top five strengths are Learner, Relator, Responsibility, Individualization and Belief. Why do I share that? My top strength is Learner. I love to learn. I get a buzz when I learn. I look for opportunities to learn. And, I hope that this site will be an outlet for me to share all that I’ve learned about corporate video production.