Streaming Media West 2009 Red Carpet Interview - Ben Weinberger, Digitalsmiths on the Importance of Metadata

In this Streaming Media West 2009 Red Carpet interview Peter Cervieri talks with Ben Weinberger, CEO and Co-founder of Digitalsmiths, the leading indexing and analysis company that creates advanced time-based metadata and publishing solutions for clients like Warner Bros., Telepictures and TMZ.com. Ben also spoke at the Online Video Platform Summit on the Analytics Panel - Measuring Success about how do you collect all of your audience data and metrics, what do you with it and how do you effectively monetize your video.

Digitalsmiths just announced yesterday, the newest version of its flagship product, VideoSense® 2.5. The new version adds enhanced video intelligence and monetization tools including: direct asset upload, advanced clip creation, YouTube integration and a new reporting dashboard for analytics. Digitalsmiths focuses exclusively on Tier 1 content (TV Shows, movies and sports for Hollywood studios, broadcasters, distributors and publishers) using a variety of computer vision, speech algorithm, facial recognition, scene classification and object identification to build a unique and deep metadata framework.

Digitalsmiths was founded while Ben was still in college at Southern Illinois University and was originally a Web design company. In 2002, they began indexing TV show content for TV studio clients, for example, reporting on how things like how many times Kramer mentioned Cuban cigars on "Seinfeld" or where certain scenes took place, at Jerry's apartment or the diner. In 2005, the company began developing a system for automated analysis of time-based metadata which became VideoSense. Their technology was developed by a team that Co-founder and CTO Matt Berry assembled comprising of computer vision scientists out of places like NASA, the FBI, academia and Fortune 500 companies.

Ben offers this advise to media companies and publishers to better measure success:

"You need to come at the publishing process from a holistic approach of, it's not just broadband and it's broadband as a separate business, it's an integrated digital media workflow that you absolutely have to have data. If you don't have data, you're publishing a dumb asset. Your asset is at a a disadvantage compared to every other asset that we're involved with. So put all the data around it, look at ways to generate revenue today and tomorrow that you're going to usethat asset. And once you make a blue print of that asset you can use it over and over again. You don't have to reinvent the wheel."

How VideoSense® 2.5 works

Digitalsmiths’ suite of visual interpretation tools processes each frame of video using proprietary algorithms such as facial recognition, scene classification and object identification to build a unique metadata framework – or MetaFrame – of informed video tags. Specific time-based metatags are assigned across a rich set of variables that go beyond common descriptors like name and date with criteria related to each frame (people, places, objects, dialogue, subject matter) or critical commercial matters such as rights management (geography, music issues, content sharing permissions, licensing concerns). This provides content owners powerful analytics, reporting and search capabilities bundled with publishing tools for direct revenue through syndication and ad targeting and audience building.

Related:

• Read Ben's ReelSEO interview on Image and Speech Recognition in Video SEO: The Digitalsmith interview
• See Ben's Beet.TV interview Beet.TV: A New Frontier in Video Search: Facial and Scene Recognition Converted to Metadata
• Read FierceOnlineVideo Leaders - Ben Weinberger, CEO Digitalsmiths - FierceOnlineVideo
• Read Ben's post-Online Video Platform Summit thoughts on the OVP market, Mapping the Wild West | www.digitalsmiths.com

Streaming Media West 2009 Red Carpet Interview - Paul Riismandel, Northwestern University

In this Streaming Media West 2009 Red Carpet interview, Peter Cervieri chats with Paul Riismandel, Director of Curriculum Support at the School of Communication at Northwestern University, about some of the challenges that educators face in adapting the classroom and lab experience into video along with the value that video brings for students. Paul specializes in educational technology for higher education, with a focus on digital media and conferencing. He writes for Streamingmedia.com and has moderated many panel discussions at Streaming Media East and West. He blogs and podcasts about other media stuff at mediageek.net and is better known as the @mediageek on Twitter. 

In addition to all his new media work he also dabbles in old media. Paul is the adviser to Northwestern University's WNUR-FM 89.3 FM, where he now produces his radio show, mediageek, every Thursday at 9 PM Central Time. 

At Northwestern University, the demand for video is driven more by tech savvy students who rely on the video recordings rather than taking notes. This helps them stay more engaged since they don't have to worry about missing part of the lecture when they can just watch it later for review. Paul says that video in the classroom rewards the most motivated students who are challenged to do well, and it gives them the extra opportunity to do better. He says that for instructors, the learning experience has to lend itself to a form that translates well into video.

 

Supporting the technology are film students who staff two wired classrooms that have built-in remote controlled cameras, microphones with active mixing, SMART Podium interactive pen displays to capture notations and Mediasite recorders for Powerpoint and screen capture. Students log in through the Mediasite portal to access the content but Northwestern University is evaluating a broader, platform agnostic portal that would serve as a DAM (Digital Assessment Management) system. Paul pointed out that, with the thousands of universities out there, the market is ripe for SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions in higher education. 

Paul also moderated two panel sessions at this years Streaming Media West and the Online Video Platform Summit. The first session, How to Produce Effective Educational Content, featured Scott Nadzan, Director, Technology Services, Syracuse University, Richard Bloom, Course-cast Coordinator, UC Berkeley, Dan Balzer, Training Technology Manager, Retail Learning and Development, BP America and John Morris, CTO, Director of Operations, Drexel University who discussed how they work with subject matter experts, practical production techniques, and the tools used to get optimal results in service of learning goals.

At the Online Video Platform Summit, Paul moderated, Best Practices Round Table - Online Video Publishing Strategies and Tools, which featured Matt DeLoca, SVP, Sales & Marketing, KIT Digital, Wayne Kao, VP, Product Engineering, VMIX, Ken Kaplan, Broadcast and New Media Manager, Intel Global Communications Group and Linda Crowe,Group Manager, Media Strategy & Production, Sun Microsystems who discussed cost-effective tools, techniques, and best practices for online video publishing.

Linda Crowe also did a Red Carpet interview which focused on enterprise video which I'll feature in an upcoming post. Videos from both of those sessions will be available on Streamingmedia.com/videos

Here's a sample of Paul's Streaming Media articles from this past year, read more here:

• Class Act: Form to Enhance Function
  
• Class Act: On Production Values and Flipping Burgers
  
• Class Act: Making Educational Video More Accessible
  
• Class Act: Preserving Your Video Legacy
  
• Advanced Learning: Education Year in Review
  
• Futurewatch: Education—Critical Decisions

Update 11/26/09: Text edits and additions.

Streaming Media West 2009 Red Carpet Interview - Zadi Diaz, Epic Fu

In this Streaming Media West 2009 Red Carpet interview, host Peter Cervieri of ScribeMedia.org sits down with Zadi Diaz, new media producer and co-founder of Smashface Productions, her production company with husband Steve Woolf. She is co-creator and host of EPIC FU, the award-winning web series about internet culture, as well as co-founder of Pixelodeon, a screening festival recognizing innovation in global online video.

Zadi talks about the growing pains felt by the web television industry and how her show built a community and grew from into a full-time job. In 2006, her small production company began making web shows, called JET SET then, which they distributed through multiple video sharing sites. They wanted to make what they were passionate about a career find partners to help with the business and marketing. Distribution was a time-consuming task several years ago, but when TubeMogul came along they were able to better reach their audience who were on a number of different sites.

In 2007, they entered into a distribution and sponsorship agreement with Next New Networks who gave them a licensing fee for each episode. They moved to Revision3 the following year in June 2008 with other web shows like Wine Library TV, but parted ways in December 2008 after the Revision3 restructured programming. Currently, Epic Fu is independently run and distributed through Blip.tv, and Smashmouth productions is busy working on a number of interactive web projects including J!NX Television Spots, PBS and Hacking Hollywood.

Zadi appeared as a panelist on Streaming Media West 2009 panel session, Web Television Comes of Age, in which she and moderator by Marc Hustvedt, Co-Founder, Tubefilter & Editor-in-Chief, Tubefilter News, Tubefilter and other panelists Thom Woodley, Partner, Chief Creative Officer, Dinosaur Diorama, Jenni Powell, New Media Consultant (LonelyGirl15, The Guild, Legend of Neil) and Brent Friedman, Co-Founder, Electric Farm Entertainment (The Gemini Division, Afterworld) discussed what it takes to create, market and sell a web television series. The TV Worldwide has a video of the session here and an embeddable version will be available on Streaming Media.com/videos in the coming weeks.

Look for more Red Carpet interviews coming soon!

Streaming Media West - Mobile Video Research Findings: Analyzing the Opportunity

As I mentioned in my last post, a number of the videos from Streaming Media West are now available at: http://www.streamingmedia.com/videos/ and one of the videos is from the panel session on, "Mobile Video Research Findings: Analyzing the Opportunity" which was led by Peter Cervieri, Co-founder of and Director of Business Development for ScribeMedia.org. I spoke with Peter prior to the session and he described the panel session in one minute or less.


Peter posted the video from the session on Scribe Media and included this note, "On September 24th I moderated a panel discussion at Streaming Media West. Thanks to Dave Sloan of Avot Media for both attending our session and being inspired enough to write a summary of our discussion."

Read Dave's summary here:
ScribeMedia.Org | The Future of Mobile Video: Youtube, NBC Olympics, MobiTV, Nielsen by Peter Cervieri in Media on October 1, 2008



Mobile Video Research Findings: Analyzing the Opportunity

Track A: (A201) September 24, 2008 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

This session will give attendees an insight into what is needed to drive consumer mobile video consumption habits in the U.S. What is driving adoption of mobile internet usage, and what are consumers watching? What devices are most important to the business and why? What are consumers willing to pay for, and what are the advertising opportunities for mobile video? Come hear what opportunities exist today for content owners and operators, as well as how the business of mobile video will change in the future.

Moderator:	Peter Cervieri, Director, Scribe Media
Presenters:	Dorian Benkoil, Editorial Director, Teeming Media Kanishka Agarwal, VP, Mobile Media, Nielsen Mobile Kelly Liang, Head of Mobile Partnership, YouTube Hayle Chun, Director, Digital Media, NBC Sports & Olympics Jay Hinman, Director, Partner & Product Marketing, MobiTV

Dave Sloan summed up the session saying, "In general, the mood of the panel was optimistic. Content owners, research analysts, and mobile video channels alike are pleased with the progress made in mobile video in the last year. And, these thought leaders are certain that mobile video will grow in popularity across markets. And, as viewership grows, lucrative opportunities will arise for many innovative players along the wireless value chain."

The Kids Are Alright: Streaming Media East Panel on Young People's Attitude Toward Online Video

The hits just keep on coming, and in regards to Streaming Media East, that means more news coverage from the conference. Here's another new video from the conference courtesy of Scribe Media. If you're a parent of teenagers, like me, you should find this an interesting panel discussion.

"Peter Cervieri of Scribe Media conducts a focus group on young people's attitudes toward online video." - Scribe Media video description



Here's the panel session description from the Streaming Media East Program:
Focus Group: Young People's Attitudes Toward Online Video
In this special session, a panel of high school and college students will discuss their online video consumption habits. Learn what types of online video content they like, what sites they get their content from, the devices they are playing it back on, and how they interact with video advertising. Find out what their perspective is on pay media and portable content, as well as what they think the future holds for the next generation of viewers on the web. Bring your own questions for a lively Q&A session with the students at the end of the session.

Moderator: Peter Cervieri, Director, Scribe Media
Presenter: Dylan, Creator, Co-Producer, DylansCouch.com

It's a frank and honest discussion with the panel members who ranged from high schoolers to a recent college graduate. Embed tags for the video are not available yet but Micheal Cervieri of Scribe Media assured me that they will be available soon.

UPDATE: You can click on any of the photos to link directly to the video.
UPDATE 2 (6/01/08): The photos have been removed and the video is now embedded.
UPDATE 3: (6/08/08): I updated the link of the video to Scribe Media, Kids Have The Darndest Video Consumption Habits, where Peter Cervieri has some interesting background information on this panel and research project on young people and their viewing habits.