We Are Organized Chaos

YouTube Holding Webinars For Basic Video Production Techniques. Film School 2.0?

From The YouTube Blog comes news that YouTube is now partnering with Videomaker magazine to offer Webinar’s on basic video production techniques.  YouTube is asking people to vote on the track that is most appealing to them to determine the first Webinar:

• Shopping for a camcorder: Learn what to look for before buying one
• Button basics: Master the most important buttons on the camcorder and how each of them works
• Light and filter it right: Creative tips on lights and filters that will improve the look of your videos
• Microphone techniques: Get the best sound from your mic with the least amount of hassle
• The art of composition: Simple composition rules to set your video apart from ordinary videos
• Smooth moves: Handheld camera techniques

These are very basic video production techniques but it will be interesting to see how far YouTube goes with this.  They are already the #1 destination for aspiring filmmakers looking for mass distribution and have cultivated and grown their “YouTube All-Stars” base who create original content that amasses large numbers of subscribers and traffic.  By holding these Webinars, YouTube is positioning itself to capture original content creators before they develop an affinity for competing sites such as Vimeo and Metacafe.

Will YouTube ever replace Film School? No.  But from a filmmaking perspective, YouTube is quickly becoming a version of Film and Video 2.0 where the future of online film and video techniques can be found:

• Development of interactive storylines through annotated Choose Your Own Adventure Videos
• Collaboration with other cast and crew once YouTube moves to interactive real-time video (ala Ustream)
• Distribution through the YouTube platform and embeds
• Advertising & Promotion through Adsense on Videos and now on Adsense sites outside of YouTube
• Revenue through Adsense and, if you’re lucky, Motion Picture Film Deals. Yes, Fred someone got one..

These are amazing digital tools for any aspiring filmmaker to have and should help usher in a new wave of “Online Educated Interactive Filmmakers” from the Gen Y / Gen Z demographic set that grow up using them.

Interactive Video Ads – Next Growth Area in Online / Digital Video

Liz Gannes at NewTeeVee recently posted about an IAB report on 2008 Q4 Internet Advertising Revenues. For brevity’s sake, I’ve included the 2008 chart from the IAB report (pdf) here:

However, digital video ads will need to evolve into interactive video ads to set the stage for explosive growth. Why Interactive Video Ads? Studies showing that demographics sets like Gen Y are expecting social features and interactivity with their TV viewing experience are becoming more common as viewers consume more video content online. Interactive videos ads can allow for a transformation to a more engaging and seamless experience for the consumer. How these interactive video ads are integrated into the online viewing experience will determine their ultimate success.

What constitutes an Interactive Video Ad? Well I would argue it’s not just content with a URL plastered on it. This is what re-purposed broadcast content is already doing. No, the Interactive Video Ads of the future will need to allow for a more ‘enhanced’ experience for the viewer. This can run the gamut from integrated social video experiences like Harper’s Island to more simple community / social based components like trivia / polls used in the Interactive Video Ads themselves. And of course you have interactive product placement. Any way you slice and dice it, Interactive Video Ads are the future for a jacked in generation and will set the stage for growth in the Digital Video Advertising category.