Thursday, October 29, 2009

May the Source Be With You... The 2010 Streaming Media Industry Sourcebook Exclusive Interview

Every year since 2003, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) has published the Streaming Media Industry Sourcebook, an annual publication for technology managers and executive decision makers who are implementing rich media within their organizations. The Sourcebook, first appeared in print in December 2003, blends a comprehensive directory of solution provider companies with highly practical articles on choosing, installing, and justifying a streaming initiative. It's also Streaming Media's annual double issue and is a yearly review and look ahead at the year to come.

Streaming Media magazine Editor Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen announced the 2010 Streaming Media Industry Sourcebook today and offered a glimpse of the contents of the publication:
"The Year in Review and Futurewatch sections will look back and ahead, respectively, at the enterprise, entertainment, and education verticals as well as at mobile video, content delivery, advertising, and video to the living room. We'll also feature buyers guides aimed at helping you make smart purchasing choices for online video platforms, encoding solutions, enterprise video solutions, and video formats and players. On the how-to front, we'll take a look at deploying a DRM solution, encoding for multiple devices, and optimizing video search engine optimization, among other topics. We'll also announce our annual Editors' Picks—our writers' choices for the best products and services of 2009"

Eric also included this exclusive video interview with a special Streaming Media magazine subscriber who had an interesting perspective on "The Revenge of Online Video."



Subscribe today for your FREE copy of the 2010 Sourcebook at:
http://www.omeda.com/strm/

Full media kit can be downloaded here.
http://www.streamingmedia.com/mediakit/2010SourcebookMediaKit.pdf

See the digital version of the Streaming Media Sourcebook 2009

Monday, October 26, 2009

Web Video Pick of the Week, "The Spark Series: Part 1, The New Dial Tone"

According to Trust Agents author Chris Brogan, “Social media… is the new dial tone,” a concept that is the subject and title of a new short documentary by Marc Ostrick, CEO and Co-founder of eGuiders and Michael Sean Wright, founder of nicefishfilms. The video, which documents their day at the Blog World Expo and the conversations with noted bloggers and reporters who describe the growing shift in media production and consumption through social media networks. This is the first in their Spark Series which explores the documentary style of filmmaking using consumer grade new media tools.

By shooting with Kodak Zi8 and Flip Ultra HD cameras they wanted to see how far they could push the limits of the technology by bringing a filmmaking sensibility to amateur event coverage video. They also used a few other accessories to increase the production value, like a Sennheiser ME 66 shotgun microphone and a Frezzi Micro-fill light, all of which all could fit into a bag. The soundtrack of the video was composed in Garageband.

The video discusses how the disrupters are becoming mainstream and as eGuider Brian Rothe says:
"The new dial tone is a dialog among media producers, technologists and bloggers who are looking to express their ideas in the stream of the real-time web."


Appearances in the new dial tone include:

Robert Scoble - Tech Blogger, @scobleizer
Don Lemon - CNN Anchor, @donlemoncnn
Hugh Hewitt - National Talk Radio Host, @hughhewit
Leo Laporte - Chief Twit, @leolaporte
Chris Brogan - Author, @chrisbrogan
Chris Morrow - CNN iReporter, @morrowchris
Ben Parr - Co-Editor, Mashable, @benparr

The next Spark Series will focus on Jeff Pulver's 140 Character Conference that will be taking place the next two days on October 27 and 28 in Los Angeles.

Follow the Filmmakers:

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Videoconferencing Best Practices: 12 Tips for Moderating a Panel Discussion

I recently posted two articles, 10 Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Tips and 7 Presentation Tips for Speakers, as part of a series of Videoconferencing Best Practices. This post expands on the role of the moderator of a panel discussion. The moderator facilitates the discussion on the program topic(s) between several speakers, provides order and continuity and acts as an advocate for the audience. The tips below were developed for moderators participating in a live videoconference broadcast and can be applied to any presentation or webcast.

1. The Intro/Setting the Tone
The moderator sets the tone for the program. The moderator is the host and opens the program, introduces the topic(s), states the main ideas, reviews the agenda, objectives, key points, format of program (i.e. panel discussion with time for Q&A or clinical presentation) and share any ground rules (i.e. how questions will be handled, feedback loop, etc.) Most panelists will not be seasoned television personalities, and will be nervous. Even if you are also nervous, as moderator you need to project that you are calm, confident and prepared. This will help the panelists to be the same, and will allow the audience to concentrate on the material rather than your nervousness. It is important to smile and be animated (which isn’t always easy when talking to an unresponsive camera.)

The intro should be brief so be sure not to drone on, stutter, be plagued with “ums” or “uhs” or have any uncomfortable pauses in your delivery. It is important for the moderator to speak clearly, be concise with the information, and move through it at a comfortable pace. The general concept of “tell them what you’re going to tell them” applies here. Overcome jitters by focusing on positive thoughts and take a few deep cleansing breaths before you go live. After the open the moderator introduces the panel and launches into the discussion, usually by pitching a question to a panel member, presenting a case or simply handing off the program to the panel. During the rehearsal, reminding the panelists of their expertise, the program outline, and the nature of the interaction will help them relax.

2. Managing the Program
Cover your objectives. Use the objectives you developed as your guide to stay on track with the subject matter. Content planning meetings and script/outline should have prepared the groundwork; your speakers should know the material, the focus and how the information is to build and lead the audience to the key points that were pre-determined by you and your panel. Nerves may cause them to forget, so you have to be the conductor who brings them back to where they need to be in the discussion.

Ask your panelists a question to get them to address the issue. You may have to ask another question to snap them back to the focus of the discussion. A good strategy is to provide a copy of the script/outline for each guest to have with them on hand. Make it very clear that the script/outline is a reference only, a form of prompting. It is not to be read or stared at during the broadcast. Encourage your guests to arrive early, especially if you sense they are apprehensive. This will give them time before the show goes live to work through some of the nerves.

3. Managing the Time
Be aware of time. It’s your responsibility to make sure you cover the material you and the
panelists have decided in advance is the most important. Allow equal time for participation and if you are running out of time, you need to make a quick decision on what to cover. Give plenty of time for Q&A and if you have more time left than material, you need to decide whether to close or ask more questions of
the panelists. You can end early if you have covered the material, but that is very rare.

4. Facilitating the Discussion
You need to make sure that there is interaction between the panelists. Content/planning meetings and conversations are the pre-cursor to the discussion on broadcast day. You’ve already had these discussions with each other and can re-visit them during the program. If you feel one of your panelists is being too quiet, ask the panelist a question to get him/her engaged. Remember that you are not a panelist, even if you are an expert in the field; you need to facilitate your panelists’ presentations, not give one yourself. By interacting with the panelists, looking at both of them, involving them in the discussion, you are role-modeling the behavior you want them to emulate.

5. Representing the Audience

Again, your role isn’t subject expert, you are there as the surrogate for the audience, asking the
questions that they would ask, making sure the information is usable to them (as defined by the objectives). Although the audience can usually interact with you by calling in with questions and sending in chat messages – but if you can anticipate and ask first, it saves them the trouble of finding a phone – and spares you from handling unpredictable phone calls.

6. Direct Address
The goal of the moderator is to establish rapport with the audience. You can do this by looking into the camera lens, which makes "eye contact" with your audience. They really are out there, even though you may not see them. So remember to smile when you can. This gives the feeling of direct address with the audience. Maintain steady eye contact with the camera and your panelists. Avoid darting your eyes and only glance at your notes, don’t study them. Stay engaged with the discussion by keeping your focus on the panel and include the audience when possible.

7. Body Language
Body language is very important. Maintain a comfortable posture so you don’t look rigid or stiff. You will be seated, so be sure not to hunch over, slouch, or rest on your elbows. Don’t swivel in your chair or lean back in it. When you’re nervous it’s easy to fidget. Don’t shuffle papers around or fiddle with any object like pencils, glasses, buttons, microphones, paper clips, etc. Avoid any distracting mannerisms like head bobbing, scratching, sniffling or coughing. This is can be all picked up and exaggerated on camera.

Your facial expressions reflect the mood you want to create in your audience. You won’t motivate them to be interested or enthused by looking deadpan. You may cover the range from smiling, serious, laughing, inquiring, to doubtful. Keep it lively and varied and appropriate to the situation.

Put your hands in a natural position. Don’t fold your arms across your chest. It looks defensive. Don’t be too conscious about hand gestures, but don’t wave your arms around - try to keep these broad movements to a minimum. Stay engaged with your panel, look directly at them and listen attentively while they speak. Keep a close comfortable distance with them. Big gaps between panel members along with leaning back may non-verbally say, “I don’t want to be
here.”

8. Vocal Technique
The pitch or tone of your voice should be natural and varied so you don’t
sound monotone. Your voice pitch changes when you’re nervous and the audience usually can tell. A high voice pitch may sound nervous and rushed and a low voice pitch may sound slow and bored. Try to maintain an even pitch and speak clearly so you don’t sound nasally, breathy, thin or harsh. Unless you’re speaking in front of a live audience, you should not have to raise the intensity of your voice. The audio technicians will adjust your sound to a comfortable listening level.

9. Cues
In some studio settings, moderators are fitted with an earpiece called an IFB (Interuptable Full Band) which they wear during the broadcast just like the newscasters. The producer communicates with the moderator and gives him/her cues via the IFB. These cues are simple time cues, content cues and various quick bursts of information to coach and keep the moderator on track and looking good ! Always assume the microphone or camera is “ON” unless the producer tells you that you’re off the air. Always follow your producer or director’s cues. Remember, they want you to look good. When you're not using an IFP you can establish your own cues with your panelists through phrases or specific actions.


10. Transitions
Transitions are passages that take us from one place to another and are used to thread sequences together. Transitional elements link themes and subject matter by moving from one to the other. You need to manage the transitions -- from one section of the discussion to the next, to and from Q&A, and to and from any videos or slides. You should practice these during the rehearsal so you can do it smoothly. They should flow logically and easily as an integral part of the program. After a video, your panelists should address the issues from the video or expand upon it. Determine in advance who will get the initial question after a transition. You should also practice how to use the slides during the discussion.

Sports terms like “hand off,” “pitch” or “toss,” are used to describe transitions between to and from each presenter and the moderator. The timing each of each transition should reflect a balance between the live action and the rehearsed content. Sometimes a presenter can miss a cue or you may run out of time for an allotted segment, and it’s the role of the moderator to be ready for a quick “save.”

11. Q&A
Usually in the last 10 minutes of the discussion is saved for Q&A. If you're in front of a live audience you can open it up for questions in the room and remind your remote viewers that questions can be called into the broadcast. Keep the discussion going and make sure there's no dead air space. Talk radio is a good example of how the host or moderator keeps the program in motion. There is never any long pauses or dead silence, unless there are technical difficulties. When you are ready for Q&A, you can say something like, “Questions can be called in now by dialing XXX-XXX-XXXX, but while we’re waiting for questions, let’s move on to…” Or you can move into a discussion of frequently asked questions, but you must keep things moving along. You will be cued if questions come in or not.

You will need to direct questions to the appropriate panel member(s). Sometimes it will be clear to you who will answer a question, and sometimes a caller may direct their question to a specific panel member. The most important thing is to get the question answered. You may need to cut in if a panel member or caller is going too long, but don’t cut them off. You can help by transitioning to the next call or the next topic of discussion. Keep answers simple and succinct, don’t speculate or guess, if the question can’t be answered it can followed up offline after the broadcast.

12. The Close
Let the audience know that the program is coming to an end by saying something like, “We’re almost of time...” This helps everyone know that you are wrapping things up. Give the panel an opportunity to review the key messages and closing comments. Thank the guests and viewing audience and draw their attention to upcoming events, future programs, and remind them to complete their evaluation forms. This feedback is very important and comments from the audience helps in the planning of future programs.

Lastly
Above all, have fun! Moderating can be a quite enjoyable experience for all concerned. If you are enjoying yourself, your panelists will too – and that will make the discussion more enjoyable for the audience as well.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Voice of the Customer: When To Listen and When To Lead

This post is a commentary on customer service and in some cases disservice. Having been in the AV and live event business for over 20 years, I've worked with thousands of people from corporate executives, government officials, doctors, lawyers, middle managers, front line staff, motivation speakers, techies, artists, musicians and the like. Through all these interactions, I've come to learn that the most important piece of the puzzle is direct communication with the presenter.

In many cases, professional presenters have many layers between them and an event producer or meeting planner. Key information tends to get lost when tech requirements and special requests go through multiple parties rather than directly from presenter to meeting planner to AV service provider. Even more challenging is when no rehearsal takes place and a quick response to last minute changes leads to added cost and potential risk. There's a lot of room for error when you don't rehearse and it usually shows on stage and is amplified on the live video feed. Tech rehearsals and talent dress rehearsals are key to a successful live event.

Live events are just that, they're live! There's no do-overs!

You don't have the opportunity for retakes unless you're doing a series of multiple shows which you record and edit after the fact. "Fix it in post" is a common term among the AV profession since you can edit out any mistakes or goofs that occur in the live event like they never happened.

But when it's live there's no way to take it back or erase a major blunder from people's memory. Falling off the stage, the clicker not working, problems with videos and dead links are common occurrences that can be avoided.

So that's why it's so important to rehearse. Just like the real estate mantra says, "Location, location, location" I follow the AV mantra, "Rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal."

Here's a few case examples around stage set up that may sound familiar.
  1. The busy CEO comes into the room with minutes to spare before going live and says, "Where's my podium?" or, "Where's my Teleprompter?" when you've been told repeatedly that he won't be using a podium or there's been no mention of a Teleprompter.
  2. Or you been told that the company President will have a more formal stage set-up with a podium for his notes, a chair for his jacket and he'll walk the stage and click his own slides. He walks and says no podium, he wants to sit at a table and have it informal. He then asks why didn't anyone talk with him about how he wanted it set up.
Of course, both cases could have been prevented if the CEO or President had a walk through scheduled for them. It may not sound like a big deal in either case, but last minute change has some affect -- lighting and camera positions which needs to be adjusted, stage elements that may or may not be accessible, view of stage monitors, extra stage hands available to help, and how that change affects the rest of show -- you see that it can become a big deal and would have been better to have a conversation with the executive in advance.

So, my advise is get to know your executives and presenters and find out what they want to do. In most cases they'll know exactly what they want but in some cases, the may be looking to you for answers. Know when to listen and when to lead. Every presenter has both common yet specific needs and each presentation space has different requirements. Get to know your AV team as well. Whether it be hotel or convention center staff, local union crews, freelancers, whoever it may be -- they are part of your team and contribute to your success -- and it's everyone's job to make the people on stage feel like rock stars.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Tubefilter Acquires Tilzy.TV, Combines Top Web TV News and Promotion Sites

Mergers and acquisitions continue to heat up in the online video market and consolidation in the space is not just happening to video technology companies. In a strategic move that merges two hot web TV news and promotion properties, LA-based web television company Tubefilter, Inc. has acquired New York-based web televsion news and media company Tilzy.TV, LLC, according to paidContent who broke the story last night. Respected leaders in web television news industry, both companies have been leading authorities in covering episodic web television and web series and passionate advocates of the space.

Tubefilter and Tilzy have each spent considerable time and energy over the past few years working to grow the audience of web television through industry events like first annual the Streamy Awards, which they co-produced with NewTeeVee, Tubefilter's Hollywood Web Television events and Tilzy’s annual Onfronts, which matches online entertainment executives with the press and major advertisers and the creation of the International Academy of Web Television.

Tilzy was founded by Jamison Tilsner and Joshua Cohen in early 2007 and have both reported on the growth and guided the web video scene. In a joint statement on Tilzy.TV, Jamison and Joshua said:
"Though our form has changed over time, our goals today are much the same as when we launched. The industry and artistry that we've watched develop look much as Josh and I anticipated when we began our conversations about the medium in 2006. Though it has taken longer than we ever expected, the efforts of those devoted to online video have brought upon a seismic shift that benefits both creators and consumers. We're proud to have grown up with this community. The combination of Tilzy.TV and Tubefilter — under the Tubefilter brand — will allow the five founders to best serve the community of creators devoted to the advancement of open entertainment. "





















Founders of both companies will be taking on new roles with official corporate titles.
(Left to Right) Brady Brim-DeForest, Marc Hustvedt, Jamison Tilsner, Josh Cohen and Drew Baldwin (Photo by Wm. Marc Salsberry)
  • Tubefilter co-founder Drew Baldwin will serve as Senior Vice President, Product
  • Tubefilter co-founder, Brady Brim-DeForest, has been named CEO of Tubefilter, Inc.
  • Joshua Cohen is the new Chief Information Officer,
  • Tubefilter co-founder Marc Hustvedt will serve as Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Tubefilter News
  • Jamison Tilsner is the new Chief Operating Officer
Now as one company, things just got interesting, as Marc Hustvedt said:
"Going forward, Tubefilter is now a bi-coastal media company, with offices in Los Angeles and New York. This allows us to expand our operations and with that our News coverage, adding a strong crop of writers with solid backgrounds in web entertainment. And in terms of events, the Web TV Meetups will now be signature events on both coasts, bringing together online creative communities for some quality face time."
Congratulations to Brady, Drew, Marc, Jamison and Josh! Thanks for your tireless efforts in growing the audience of web television and building out the online entertainment ecosystem!


About Tubefilter, Inc.
Tubefilter is the definitive source for industry news, program reviews, events and online entertainment market intelligence services for the Web Television industry. Properties include Tubefilter News, the leading authority for Web television industry and Web series news; Onfronts, the annual upfronts for professional Web TV creators and advertisers; and business services, including entertainment industry market intelligence. The company is a pioneer in the digital content ecosystem and co-founded the annual Streamy Awards, which honors excellence in web television programming. Tubefilter is headquartered in Los Angeles and has offices in New York.


See Marc Hustvedt next month at Streaming Media West moderate, Web Television Comes of Age, on Tuesday, November 17, 2009.

Tubefilter also kicked off Web Television Week Fall, a full week of web television and digital entertainment related events from October 19-23, 2009 in Los Angeles.

Related:

Friday, October 16, 2009

Veeple Introduces interPlay, New Interactivity and Analytics API

Veeple has announced interPlay, their new interactive API and plug-in that adds interactivity and analytics to 3rd-party online video players. This is a shift in Veeple's business model as an all-in-one solution, in a move to a modular structure to offer their interactivity and analytics modules to customers who already have an existing video solution. Many potential customers were interested in interactivity, metrics and increasing user engagement but wanted them to work with other platforms. By opening up the platform, Veeple sees a greater opportunity to provide a solution to online marketers and content owners that dramatically increases viewer engagement and improve conversions.

Veeple CEO and Co-founder Scott Broomfield said that interPlay is based on customer demand:
"We know that Veeple customers are experiencing the power of interactivity in their videos and are seeing phenomenal engagement rates, at some points, up to 63%, well above the industry average. Due to numerous requests by potential customers who have already invested in their own video environments but need interactivity to give a boost to their video content, we have decided to provide access to our entire interactive library via our interPlay API. Now, people have the ability to add interactivity and enhance conversions, without overhauling their existing online video infrastructure."


















interPlay is free and will be bundled with a 30-day free trial of Veeple's Intelligent Video Analytics Suite. The interactive capabilities consist of:
  • Actionable objects including image & Flash animations
  • Documents including PDF’s, Word & PowerPoint
  • Transparent actionable overlays
  • Popular social networking sites
  • Textual overlays
The analytical suite includes:
  • Videos views over a time span.
  • Videos views in a geographic region.
  • Interactions over a time span.
  • Views at time intervals over video duration.
  • Interactions against views over video duration.
  • Real-time video ratings wave.

Scott recorded this interview for Kris Drey at VidCompare to answer a few questions about the new service.




  • How will it integrate with other online video platforms?
  • Do you see the Interactive API as a new feature of Veeple’s or a new business model in and of itself?
  • How does the Interactive API position you as a business today as it relates to your core competency as an OVP?
  • How will you address the competitive nature of the business as it relates other OVPs who are, to a large extent, your potential new business partners?
Unlike other companies that raise funds through investment groups, Veeple is a self-funded private company. This has allowed the company to grow organically into the space as an intelligent interactive video platform.

Veeple InterPlay will be bundled The beta program will be available beginning November 3rd, 2009 and anyone interested can pre-register here. They plan to roll out three plug-ins by the end of November for the JW Player and thePlatform and BrightCove.

Scott Broomfield will be a featured speaker at the Online Video Platform Summit in November speaking on the panel session, Building Value With Real Interactivity.

About Veeple
Veeple is the leader in simple, interactive online video solutions for marketers and content creators looking to deepen customer engagement and conversions. With Veeple's cloud-computing solution people have easy access to use interactivity, full content management for multiple clients, branded player video delivery and full clickable analytics. Veeple has the solution for successful online video campaigns. Veeple is a private company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For additional information go to www.veeple.com/solutions.php

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Ooyala Raises $10 Million to Fastrack Global Expansion

Ooyala has closed a $10 million series C funding round and will be investing heavily to grow the company fast globally. Current investors, including Sierra Ventures, participated in the round. New investor, Rembrandt Venture Partners, led the funding investment, and Sik Rhee, General Partner at Rembrandt, will be joining the Ooyala Board of Directors. Since Ooyala launched in April 2007, the company has raised $20 million.

I spoke with Bismarck this past summer and he told me that his company has seen tremendous growth internationally with 50% of their new monthly recurring revenue coming from international markets. Ooyala currently has over 500 customers in over 20 different countries sees great opportunity in international growth markets for new customers as Bismarck pointed out:
"We've gone through the top Quantcast one million sites and we've looked at kind of where the industry is headed and we look at our business and we think we can have up to 300,000 customers today. Like the current market for online video platforms is somewhere in the neighborhood of 300,000 customers. These aren't the self-serve free YouTube customers these are people who are willing to pay for platforms."
As part of their international marketing plans Jay Fulcher, Ooyala CEO and Sean Knapp, Co-founder & CTO are currently at Streaming Media Europe, in London, this week presenting on two sessions about Online Video Publishing Platforms and Will the Cloud Rain on the CDNs' Parade? They'll also be interviewing sales and marketing candidates for key roles in both the UK, mainland Europe and Asia.

In a saturated online video platform market that seems to change daily, Ooyala differentiates itself as "the intelligent video platform" in comprehensiveness, by providing a single, end-to-end platform with an integrated, intuitive interface with viewer insight and advanced monetization tools. Ooyala reaches over 50 million unique users a month via their player from their 500 media and non-media customers globally. With the new funding Ooyala will be focused on aggressively growing the company both in the US and internationally. In 2010, their focus will be product development on new ways for content owners to monetize their content.

As far a biggest competitors, Ooyala says that most often they compete against the over 10,000 homegrown implementations of video that are in the top 100,000 Quantcast sites. Outside of that, they believe that Brightcove is next closest competitor.

In light of the recent acquisition of The Feedroom by KIT Digital and other online video platforms rebranding and refocusing their business models, Ooyala had this to say about the outlook for 2010:
"For 2010, many of the small providers like Delve Networks, Episodic.com, Twistage will fall by the way-side. Companies that already have some level of success but not very much technology, like Fliqz and Multicast, will be consolidated into a company that primarily provides professional services. Depending on what Brightcove’s investors plan to do, they may also be taken out in the next 6-12 months."
Prior to their funding news release, Ooyala also announced today that it has released native support of closed captioning. See their blog post and customer example here.

Hear more from Ooyala at the Online Video Platform Summit.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Streaming Media West: Web Television Comes of Age, Panel Session and Speaker Announcement

I'm pleased to announce the web television panel session that I'm programming for Streaming Media West that will be on November 17 at 11:30 am in San Jose, California. While so much focus in blogosphere is on video platforms and the technology and business that powers the industry, it really comes down to telling a good story with compelling content that attracts an audience and creates a dialogue and conversation. There are many success stories in the independent film and video space and the explosive growth of online video producers and viewers has given rise to web television.

The first annual Streamy Awards was a watershed event that shined a spotlight on a new breed of independent producers who have found some success in producing low-budget web television series based on their own unique vision. But in our current economic downturn some web television studios have been forced to close, and the reality is that it's still difficult for web series to gain the reach and sponsorship, and many are still trying to find the right business model.

That was my vision for this session, which I think captures the essence of where we're at right now in the coming age of web television. A big thanks to Dan Rayburn, Streaming Media West Conference Chair, for finding a place on the schedule for this session and my thanks to Marc Hustvedt, Co-Founder, Tubefilter & Editor-in-Chief, Tubefilter News, for taking on the role of moderator and to our great panel of speakers.

Web Television Comes of Age
Track B: (B102) Tuesday, November 17, 2009 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Original episodic web television has grown up in a short time and is now recognized as a respected and legitimate entertainment platform. But in our current economic downturn some web television studios have been forced to close and the reality is that it's still really difficult to create a sustainable business model. Some creators say that until the web can provide the reach and a real source of revenue for independent producers, there's no way it will ever truly become the future of TV. In this session, hear from some of the producers in this growing space on what it takes to create, market and sell a web television series as we debate the future success of web television.

Moderator:

Marc Hustvedt, Co-Founder, Tubefilter & Editor-in-Chief, Tubefilter News
Marc is a co-founder of Tubefilter, Inc. Los Angeles-based web television company and the Editor-in-Chief of Tubefilter News, the leading authority in episodic web television and web series. He is a veteran entrepreneur, investor, writer, speaker and web TV producer. He is founder of the International Academy of Web Television and Executive Producer of The Streamy Awards. He's crazy about web series, web television and the revolution in digital entertainment and thinks it just getting started. Tubefilter's mission to grow the audience of web television. Tubefilter News helps you discover and keep track of the stories you care about.

Speakers:

Zadi Diaz, Creative Director, Co-Founder, Smashface Productions
Zadi Diaz is a new media producer and co-founder of Smashface Productions, a new media production company focused on developing original programming for the web, bridging new and traditional media, and building and cultivating online communities. She is currently the co-creator and host of EPIC FU, a popular Streamy and Webby award-winning web series about internet culture, as well as co-founder of Pixelodeon, a screening festival recognizing innovation in global online video.

Though filming, writing, and directing are Zadi’s main focus, she also speaks on panels and teaches people around the world about social movement media and media literacy. Her work has been highlighted in the New York Times, Forbes, CBS Evening News, MTV, The Associated Press, The Guardian, and many other national publications. She is a Film Independent Project:Involve Fellow, a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), on the advisory board for PBS Engage, as well as a member of the Transatlantic Network 2020, an international initiative founded by the British Council.


Brent Friedman, Co-Founder and President, Electric Farm Entertainment
Brent V. Friedman is a founding partner in Electric Farm Entertainment, a leading digital media company specializing in science fiction. Brent created, wrote and produced EFE’s first two groundbreaking webseries, Afterwold and Gemini Division, distributed by Sony and NBC respectively. Brent is presently serving as Executive Producer on EFE's next webseries, Woke Up Dead, done in conjunction with Sony. He is also the Co-Creator and Exec Producer of Valemont, EFE's collaboration with MTV. Upcoming is Prophet, another webseries Brent created and will produce for Disney.

At EFE, Brent works on the bleeding edge of online storytelling. Producing high-end webseries that are distributed globally on all three platforms: broadcast, broadband and mobile. These unique "entertainment experiences" offer audience full immersion and interactivity. Additionally, EFE partners with major brands such as Cisco, Microsoft, Intel, Kodak and Verizon to integrate their products and services into the content and into the narrative itself. The result is a dynamic new form of branded entertainment with an innovative, lucrative business model. He got his degree in Creative Writing from UCLA and currently resides in Washington.


Jenni Powell, New Media Consultant
Jenni has been deeply involved in innovative online communities for several years, dating back to the cult internet series Nobody’s Watching (over 40M views) and later becoming a central figure in the web video breakout lonelygirl15 fan community. This led to her creating the fan-favorite parody series LonelyJew15 which landed her a job at lonelygirl15’s production company EQAL. She has a strong background in production working for Upright Citizen’s Brigade (UCB), A&E’s Deadliest Catch, and Lifetime’s Lisa Williams Life Among The Dead.

Online, Jenni has worked on many popular web series such as the smash Microsoft-sponsored hit The Guild, Streamy Award-nominated With the Angels, Poor Paul, The Crew and Comedy Central’s Atom.com standout The Legend of Neil. She freelance writes for popular web entertainment site Tubefilter News and consults on and produces various transmedia entertainment projects around Web




Thom Woodley, Partner, Chief Creative Officer, Dinosaur Diorama
Thom Woodley is a writer, musician and web video pioneer based in Brooklyn, New York. He's creator and producer of web video series The Burg, The All-For-Nots and All's Faire. Ten of his scripts have been staged in New York, Boston, and Pennsylvania and two have been optioned. His short film Go for the Gold! was independently released to regional festivals in 2004.

He is also a member of the bands Infidels and [bert], which have toured the United States and released four CDs, and the comedy music duo Dawghaus, who have performed at numerous comedy festivals around New York City and released sketch videos. Temp of the Year, 2001. Thom is also a copywriter at Euro RSCG New York, specializing in digital advertising and branded content.




About Streaming Media West
Attended by more than 2,500 executives last year, Streaming Media West is the only show that covers both the business of online video and the technology of streaming, downloading, Webcasting, Internet TV, IPTV, and mobile video. Covering both corporate and consumer business, technology, and content issues in the enterprise, advertising, media and entertainment, broadcast, and education markets, Streaming Media West is about more than just streaming!

Streaming Media West 2009 combines cutting-edge exhibitors and intensive conference sessions with more than 100 speakers, giving you the chance to hear and see the best and the brightest minds in the online video industry—at the podium, in the Exhibit Hall, and among the attendees. We look forward to seeing you at the show!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Online Video Platform Summit Program and Speaker Announcement, November 18-19, 2009

With a little more than a month to go before Streaming Media West and the Online Video Platform Summit roll into Silicon Valley, I'm excited to announce that the full program of the Online Video Platform Summit is now online and all the speaking slots for each session have been filled. For the past several months I've been working with Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen as Co-Chair of the event, and we've got an impressive line up of industry leaders, digital media executives, entrepreneurs, experts and innovators in the field of online video who will bring their unique perspectives to the conversation. We'll be showcasing a number of the platform providers and learn about their features and capabilities. Keynotes from Streaming Media West will be featured along with an exclusive keynote by Jeremy Allaire, Chairman and CEO of Brightcove.

The Online Video Platform Summit is designed to help organizations of all types, whether small businesses looking to publish content for the first time, independent entertainment content creators, large media organizations, or anywhere in between, not just those for whom video is their core business. Stay tuned for more news on the event in the coming weeks and click here to register!

The Online Video Platform Summit Program

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
9:00 AM

Streaming Media West Keynote (open to all Online Video Platform Summit attendees)
Marc Whitten, GM, Xbox LIVE
10:30 AM

Defining Online Video Platforms
Moderator: Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen, Editor, StreamingMedia.com
Alex Castro, CEO, Delve Networks
Kristopher Drey, Founder, VidCompare
Bismarck C Lepe, Co-Founder & President of Product & Marketing, Ooyala
Ron Yekutiel, Chairman and CEO, Kaltura

There have never been more people publishing online video, and there have never been more online video platform solutions on the market. But with so many choices, it can be confusing to decide what services are right for your online video initiatives. This "lay of the land" session will set the stage for the rest of the summit, and panelists will highlight the specific value associated with the capabilities of online video platforms to provide attendees with a working knowledge to better publish, distribute, and monetize online video content.

11:30 AM

Online Video Platform Showcase - Day 1
Ron Yekutiel, Chairman and CEO, Kaltura
Daniel Graf, Co-Founder and CEO, Kyte
Dan Charleston, Senior Vice President Business Development, VMIX
Alex Castro, CEO, Delve Networks

Come see the platforms from Kaltura, Kyte, VMIX, and Delve Networks in action and learn about their features and capabilities, and get answers to your questions from the platform providers themselves.

12:30 PM
Sponsored By

Lunch Break
Haim Goldenberg, Mentalist, Kaltura

Sponsored Boxed Lunch (In the Exhibit Hall)

The Magic of Open Source Video! Enjoy your complimentary lunch while Supernatural Entertainer, Haim Goldenberg, blows your mind with his video magic. Sponsored by Kaltura, the world’s first open source online video platform.

1:45 PM

KEYNOTE - Setting the Stage for 2010 and the Future of Online Video
Jeremy Allaire, Chairman and CEO, Brightcove
3:00 PM

Measuring Success
Moderator: Jan Ozer, Principal, Doceo Publishing
Mike Newman, CEO, Accordent Technologies
Brian Shin, Founder & CEO, Visible Measures
Ben Weinberger, CEO, Digitalsmiths
Brett Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO, TubeMogul

Without solid, performance-based metrics, there's no way to measure the success and ROI of your video content. The ability to measure video traffic beyond “views”—including audience dropoff, what sites and search terms are referring viewers, and audience geography—offers content publishers deeper insight into both the viewing habits of their audience and the extent of their video's reach. Panelists in this session will demonstrate video metrics in action and talk about what to measure, how to measure it, and how to turn those measurements into actionable business intelligence.

4:15 PM

Best Practices Round Table: Online Video Publishing Strategies and Tools
Moderator: Paul Riismandel, Director of Curriculum Support, School of Communication, Northwestern University
Matt DeLoca, SVP Sales and Marketing, KIT digital
Wayne Kao, VP Product Engineering, VMIX
Ken Kaplan, Broadcast and New Media Manager, Intel Global Communications Group
Michael Parker, VP Digital Marketing, Symantec

The opportunities have never been greater for businesses to promote their brands, products, and services with compelling online video content. The barriers to creating and distributing professional-quality video have been eroded with the development of affordable content creation tools and the solutions available from online video platforms. Still, if video is not one of your core competencies, it can become a costly and time-consuming effort. This session brings together leading industry professionals to discuss and demonstrate cost-effective tools, techniques, and best practices for online video publishing.

Thursday, November 19, 2009
9:00 AM

Streaming Media West Keynote (open to all Online Video Platform Summit attendees)
Emil Rensing, Chief Digital Officer, Studio 3 Partners/EPIX
10:30 AM

Optimizing Video Search and Discoverability
Moderator: Tim Siglin, Chairman, Braintrust Digital, and Contributing Editor, Streaming Media magazine
Dr. Pete Kocks, President, Truveo
Mark Robertson, Founder, ReelSEO
Lou Schwartz, Chairman and CEO, Multicast Media Technologies, Inc.
Tom Wilde, CEO, EveryZing, Inc.

Video discovery via search has seen rapid growth over the past few years with the explosive increase in the online video market. But it's not enough to achieve a high Google ranking; making video more discoverable through video search engine optimization (SEO) is key for businesses to maximize visibility, drive traffic to their sites, and reach a targeted audience. Panelists in this session will discuss the importance of increasing user engagement with video SEO—using keywords, metadata, relevant content, media RSS, and video syndication—and social media marketing through demonstration of use-case scenarios.

11:30 AM

Online Video Platform Showcase - Day 2
Lou Schwartz, Chairman and CEO, Multicast Media Technologies, Inc.
Stephen Clee, Managing Director, Datpresenter
David Dudas, VP Product Management, Sorenson Media
Bismarck C Lepe, Co-Founder & President of Product & Marketing, Ooyala

Come see the platforms from Multicast, Datpresenter, Sorenson 360, and Ooyala in action and learn about their features and capabilities, and get answers to your questions from the platform providers themselves.

2:00 PM

Redefining Monetization
Moderator: Larry Kless, Founder, President, OnlineVideoPublishing.com
Peter Csathy, President & CEO, Sorenson Media
Teg Grenager, VP of Product and Marketing & Co-Founder, Adap.tv Inc.
Kevin Nalty, Consultant, Nalts Consulting
Benjamin Wayne, CEO, Fliqz

Different organizations have different goals and business models when it comes to monetization. Some monetize their video content directly with advertising through pre-rolls, post-rolls, overlays and product endorsements or by a pay-per-view or subscription model. But most organizations will benefit by using video as a way to build value by driving sales, highlighting products, expanding brand awareness, and increasing customer engagement. This panel discussion will look at monetization from all the angles, address the different needs of B2B and B2C initiatives, and show examples of successful monetization practices.

3:30 PM

Building Value With Real Interactivity
Moderator: Tim Siglin, Chairman, Braintrust Digital, and Contributing Editor, Streaming Media magazine
Alex Blum, CEO, KickApps
Scott Broomfield, Co-Founder and CEO, Veeple
Michael Dale, Open Media Developer, Wikimedia Foundation
Max Haot, Co-Founder and CEO, Livestream

Video is more than just a one-way communication medium. At its best, it actively engages viewers in a lean-forward experience by allowing them to interact with the content in a unique way, including the ability to comment, rate, and share it across social networks; explore clickable objects within the video player; and even remix their own video responses using webcams or mobile devices. Live video streaming can offer even more functionality and an even higher level of interaction through real-time chat, live comment streams, and status updates. Our speakers will show examples of what you can do to make your video more of a targeted and personalized experience and discuss why you should make the effort.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Web Video Pick of the Week: The Web.Files Episode #14 Tim Street

One of my favorite new online video shows is The Web.Files, a weekly entertainment talk show that exclusively covers the "web celebs” involved in creating the best, most-watched, highest-rated, and most talked about series on the web. Launched this past July 2009, The Web.Files is created and hosted by the lovely and talented entertainment reporter and media host Kristyn Burtt and produced and directed by Sandra J Payne. The Web.Files is uploaded on Wednesdays to Blip.TV, where it is featured as a hot series on the front page each week and has racked up tens of thousands of views.

The idea for the show began during Kristyn Burtt's red carpet coverage of the March 28, 2009, Streamy Awards. Burtt found that the people she was talking with that night had fascinating stories to tell and that she’d like to be the one to help tell those stories to the world through a weekly talk/interview show. Burtt then contacted award-winning filmmaker, Sandra J. Payne, whose SPwrite Productions, LLC, was about to launch its first web series, “Life with Kat & McKay” on its new portal, PurseDog. The two decided to join forces to produce the The Web.Files and have profiled more than a dozen "web celebs" including Marc Ostrick, co-founder of eGuiders, comedy duo Dave and Tom creators of Safety Geeks: SVI, YouTube star Tay Zonday and many others.

In this episode, Kristyn Burtt, speaks with veteran new media guru Tim Street, Chief Creative/CEO of Ape Digital, blogger at 1TimStreet.com and creator of French Maid TV, among many other ventures. Tim began his focus on web entertainment in 1999 and is one of the pioneers in the web series field. He has attained respect for his business model in the web video world as one of the few series producers to figure out how to monetize online video through sponsored entertainment. Tim recently produced a free eBook, 10 Things You Should Do Before You Upload Your Online Video, and regularly shares his insights on how to be effective online on his blog and at industry conferences and web television events. He'll be a featured speaker this next week at Blog World Expo in Las Vegas, October 15-17, 2009. This video offers a rare view of the man behind the sunglasses in a candid and insightful conversation.


On her blog Red Carpet Closet, Kristyn said,
"I really hope that web series producers and those interested in the new media industry listen carefully to what Tim has to say in the interview. He has a lot of valuable information to share and with his new e-Book on the way, you will get a Top 10 of things to do and not do before you upload your first web series. So many of us have jumped into the web world in the last 2-3 years. Can you imagine creating something for the Internet in 1999? Well, that is exactly what Tim did. He knows what he is doing and he was doing it way before any of us knew that you could tell stories via the web."

Friday, October 9, 2009

Ooyala Goes Live, Releases Live Streaming With Real-Time Analytics

In response to the growing demand of online video publishers to incorporate the power of live streaming into their offerings, Ooyala has released Live Streaming with Real-time Analytics as a native feature of their Backlot publishing platform. This new functionality is immediately available to customers with Studio accounts (an add on for Director accounts) and offers a quick and easy way to set up a live stream from the same console that they manage their on-demand content. Customers like Electronic Arts, the AVP, Arsenal and Planet Streams Ltd. are already using the service.

All the same features within Backlot used to manage video on-demand content, such as advanced syndication controls, player branding, video search, analytics, adaptive bit-rate and monetization are all supported by the new live streaming offering. Ooyala is using Adobe Flash Media Server (FMS) 3.5 to capture and encode the live streams and Akamai Technologies Inc. for content delivery. Ryan Lawler noted on Contentinople, that Ooyala went exclusive with Akamai months ago migrating the vast majority of its video delivery to the CDN for better overall performance.

While it's not available right now, Ooyala will be rolling out adaptive bit-rate streaming or dynamic streaming in the coming weeks, a key feature of Adobe FMS 3.5 for managing the live streaming user experience. Akamai announced support dynamic streaming and other key enhancements to its Flash streaming capabilities earlier this year. Dynamic streaming is a new feature in Adobe FMS 3.5 that seamlessly switches between different quality versions of a single video stream based on available bandwidth to deliver the optimal viewing experience.


According to Ooyala, you don't need a budget in the tens of millions of dollars to go live and this new offering gives publishers the same tools as that of big media companies. Pricing for the service will be at the same cost as the on-demand content packages.

This is the second launch for the company this week and follows the recent announcement that their platform is powering automobile video reviews (provided by WheelsTV) on the eBay Motors website and is great example of online video for eCommerce. Ooyala expects to make several more exciting company, customer and product announcements before year's end.

Next month at the Online Video Platform Summit, Ooyala will be showcasing their technology as part of the Online Video Platform Showcase and Bismarck Lepe, Co-founder and President of Product & Marketing, will be a featured speaker on the opening panel session, Defining Online Video Platforms. Additionally, Streaming Media West will feature a panel session on, Understanding Adaptive Bitrate Technology and HTTP Video Delivery, which will explore how this technology is impacting platform providers and content owners, their content offerings and plans and real impact to their users. Finally, you can also read Jan Ozer's article, Streaming Gets Smarter: Evaluating the Adaptive Streaming Technologies.

About Ooyala Inc.

Ooyala is a video technology company that provides a comprehensive software platform enabling the delivery, management, and monetization of high quality online video content. Its innovative analytics engine and monetization server allow video content owners to drive revenue by maximizing the value of their content. Ooyala has over 500 customers, including 150 global media and enterprise customers such as Warner Brothers, Wenner Media, Fremantle, Armani, Sybase and Electronic Arts.

For more information visit www.ooyala.com.