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.

Jeremy Campbell Lists, Rant Apple, Apple TV, Boxee, film collaboration, Fred, Google Plus, HTML 5, hulu, internet video, iTV, movies, Neflix, new media, online video, online video predictions, online video stars, original video, Roku, social networking, social networks, Social TV, streaming video, TV shows, video ads, video collaboration, video entertainment, video predictions, video views, web video, Yahoo, YouTube

With each passing month, online videos are getting more creative, more fun to watch, and less expensive to produce. Below are 5 remarkable viral videos from August, 2011. There are dozens of others likely just as deserving as these, so if you have a favorite please include the link in the comments below.

1. iPad Head Girl – This girl walks casually through the Bryant Park in New York City with 4 iPads on her head. This was a viral promotional campaign for Cosmo For Guys. Video production takeaway: Do something unexpected and random because viewers like things out of the ordinary, especially using shiny toys!

2. UFO Over Hollywood – There have been a few sightings of this spaceship across America lately thanks to the clever people from Neuro. Video production takeaway: Insane public events can become massive hits online.

3. Foo Fighters – Hot Buns – This saucy viral video by the Foo Fighters is aimed at promoting their North American tour. 18+ only! Video production takeaway: Sex sells regardless if it’s sexy naked girls or hairy rock stars!

4. Say Something Nice – This social initiative was pulled off by Improv Everywhere in New York. Providing a platform to put smiles on other’s faces is a noble and honorable act. This viral video has now received over 2 million views since August 22nd! Video production takeaway: We live in such a cold world, but doing something nice for society gets noticed if it’s remarkable!

5. OK Go and The Muppets – The Muppets movie is coming to theaters this November, but here’s a little something something to tie you over until then. OK Go rock out with The Muppets in a viral video that has earned almost 3 million views since August 23rd! Video production takeaway: Collaboration is key to success =)

Create better quality video entertainment by collaborating with our talented community, be sure to get a Spidvid profile and if you need any help at all just ask us!

Jeremy Campbell Lists Apple, Cosmo, Cosmo For Guys, Foo Fighters, Hollywood, Improv Everywhere, iPad, Muppets movie, new media, New York, OK GO, Say Something Nice, The Muppets, UFO, video entertainment, video production, video production takeaway, viral, viral content, viral video

I asked a question to our Twitter followers and Facebook fans a couple weeks ago; As a filmmaker, would you sooner create a web series or short film? 13 people said they would sooner create a web series, whereas 7 people insisted they would rather create a short film.

What I know is that I watch many more web series episodes vs short films during a typical week of online viewing. I’m obsessed with watching web series creators and producers increasingly improve the production and entertainment value of their content as we push forward in the rapidly evolving media creation space.

When I first started tracking and covering online video news and production “norms” back in 2006 it’s like night and day compared to just 5 years later, now in 2011. The quality gap between TV series and web series is certainly getting smaller and smaller, as the economics are constantly improving for the semi-pro filmmakers and video creators to show off their creativity, passion, and storytelling.

There are advantages and disadvantages of creating a web series vs a short film (see links below for more reading in this area), and I believe that filmmakers and video creators should do both over time. Create as much quality entertainment as you can, promote it like crazy, see which videos find large audiences and engagement, and create more similar content by doubling down on what actually breaks through the noise. Don’t spend too much money or time in the beginning, if your story resonates with viewers then leverage that when reaching out to producers to help take things to the next level.

The number of entertaining web shows is blowing up, and to me it’s extremely exciting because I see progress every week and believe in the potential going forward. I’m bullish on web series, and it will be interesting to see what big hits emerge out of this space next.

Perhaps now is your time to shine?! If you need to build a team and/or collaborate on your video or film projects, then be sure to join our Spidvid community, and post a project for our talented members to check out!

What do you think of web series vs short film in terms of creation and viewing? The comments are yours below! Here are some opinions from other bloggers on this subject: The Short Film Is Dead, TV vs Web Series vs Indie Film, Indie Filmmaking Death Match: Short Film vs Web Series.

Don’t miss another Spidvid blog post or article! Get our content delivered to your email inbox, or to your favorite RSS reader.

Jeremy Campbell Rant entertainment, Facebook, film, film content, filmmakers, new media, opinions, short film, storytelling, twitter, video, video content, video creators, video entertainment, viewing, vote, web series, web show

For every well created entertaining video, there are thousands that are just plain awful and find audiences of 6 people. Just remember that when creating a video, you need to showcase your passion through the lens of the camera, and capture your audience`s undivided attention.

Below are 4 tips for creating and marketing your video entertainment.

1. Write Engaging Scripts – Most online video creators spend very little time on their scripts, and it clearly shows. Many creators are in such a hurry to start filming their project that they neglect what all remarkable films are built upon, and that`s solid writing and storytelling.

Take your time during this phase of the project by thinking out compelling characters that will resonate with your audience, and scenes filled full of interesting situations. If you want your content to stand out, you need to focus on creating something original but at the same time take a look at some of the top viewed and rated content on YouTube or UnleashVideo to get a sense of what works and what doesn`t.

Online audiences expect to watch video content that pushes the envelop more than network TV shows do, so don`t be afraid to tap into your inner Seth McFarlane and be radically original. I recommend that you write your scripts using Celtx, as the software is free and provides a simple and elegant solution for all your pre-production needs.

2. Production Value Matters – If you saw this year`s breakout film “Super 8“ then you likely know that production value is key, as the filmmaking kids in the film were constantly out to get as much as they possibly could for free. You don`t have to compete with Steven Spielberg, but you need to get the basics right. Simple key things such as quality sound, lighting, and shot selection.

Make sure that the dialog between characters can be easily heard, which means that you need to invest some money into sound equipment. Every video creator and filmmaker should have a decent camera, sound equipment, and lighting at the very least.

Once you have got solid acting talent on your team and a tightly written script, then your execution and production values will next determine the success of your project. Don`t forget that online viewers can watch anything they want, so your productions have to stand out from the 99% of crap out there. It`s trial and error, so see what concepts stick with your viewers, and then figure out how you can improve everything by 10x to appeal and reach a wider audience.

3. Understand Your Medium – Chances are good that your video entertainment will be online, at least to start. The ideal length for most online videos is five minutes or less. You need to understand that attention spans are shorter online, so prepare your script and production accordingly. Within your 5 minutes or less you need a beginning, middle, and end.

You need to hook viewers within the first 3-5 seconds or your video will either be turned off, or will be pushed to the background in favor of a text message. Also remember that many viewers watch video alone while online, but are inclined to share content if it will raise their social status in a positive way. Don`t hesitate to ask viewers to share your video with their friends, family, and followers at the end, just remember to do it in a friendly and appreciative way.

4. Marketing, marketing, marketing – What many creators and producers do when they first release their videos and web series is get Twitter profiles and Facebook pages, and start yelling and screaming at people to pay attention. Doing this is like yelling into a chasm that`s filled with the echoes from thousands of people who simply don`t care. Attention is too valuable and coveted now, so you can`t expect to earn it by broadcasting content that only matters to you. Marketing is all about getting people to know, like, and trust you and your content.

The most effective way to build a grassroots marketing campaign is giving to getting. It`s a slow process but in order to receive attention, at least in the beginning, you must pay attention to what others are doing and engage with their content. If you come across a web series that is in the same niche is yours then comment on their videos, blog posts, and jump into the conversation with them on Twitter and Google Plus. Sharing is caring, so if you come across outstanding video entertainment then please give your followers a break from your content and share others instead.

These are just some basic tips, but ones that should serve as a starting point for getting your projects off the ground, and hopefully into a successful flight path high above the clouds. If you need to build a team to help you create your next video or film, then grab a Spidvid profile and post your project for our community to check out.

Do you have any tips you`d like to share? If so, feel free to add number 5 below!

Jeremy Campbell Lists, resources film tips, filmmaking, films, how to, marketing tips, new media, online video, production tips, production value, screenwriting, scriptwriting, tips, tips for video, video entertainment, video tips, videomaking, videos, web series, web video

If someone told me a couple years ago that it was possible to create videos without any cameras I would have thought they were nuts! Fast forward to 2011, and we are seeing new innovative tools being built so new video production possibilities can become realities.

xtranormal is a startup company that’s giving the power to anyone with a computer and internet connection to create video entertainment very quickly, easily, and in a fun way too. How it works: A user selects their desired set, actors, sounds, and writes a script to tell a story then out pops a video. xtranormal even has their very own film festival as sponsored by Microsoft’s Bing product.

While what xtranormal is doing is very impressive for 2011, I believe it’s just the tip of the iceberg for what tools can be built for creating video entertainment with essentially nothing. I heard a quote a few months ago from a studio executive who believes that a future Toy Story movie will be created by a collaborative “amateur” group over a summer. That may be a bit of an exaggeration but truth be told he may not be that far off. Only time will tell!

Below are some short and entertaining animated videos created by xtranormal’s users.

Singles Bar for Bears – A bear tries to pick up another bear without success

Celebz Ranting – Charlie Sheen Goes Off About His Brain and Life (custom created)

Decisions Decisions – iJustine talks to herself inside the Internet

Rainbow Bear has a Frowny

If you are creating a video, or want to create one that can’t currently be done using an online tool, then be sure to get a Spidvid profile and post your project for our community to collaborate on with you. Or if you don’t have a project to post right now, then bid on one that interests you.

Jeremy Campbell Mention, product, resources actors, bing, Charlie Sheen, entertainment, film festival, filmmaking, ijustine, Microsoft, new media, new media platform, production platform, scripts, scriptwriting, sets, story, storytelling, video, video creation, video entertainment, video platform, video tool, videomaking, xtranormal