Sock Puppets, DIY Producers & Video Entrepreneurs
Some of VMX 2009 Headliners -- Brigitte Dale, The Bui Brothers, On the Road with iV & DadLabs
FROM SOCK PUPPETS TO FLIP CAMERAS
My first video project of any consequence was based on a plot to kidnap the Pets.com sock puppet back in the dot com days to help generate some PR buzz for my 1st tech startup. We contacted the Conan O’Brien show because of his Triumph Puppet comments on the Pets.com puppet and they were going to run it on their show because it was pretty funny and fairly creative. At the time there were few avenues for getting a video in front of a mass viewing audience so reaching out to a show like Conan’s was one of only of our only options. We got shut down before we ever released it because Pets.com found out about it and threatened to sue if we did (note to self – ask forgiveness – not permission).
Then ‘BAM’ here comes 2005 and the launch of YouTube – a platform that forever changed online video for the masses in that it helped birth a new generation of video producers (you & me included). Other reasons that sparked this change were that broadband increased exponentially (DSL & cable), recording devices became very cheap & accessible
LG asking Fitty G to hold 30 seconds for room tone. Staaayyyy
(Sony handhelds, FLIP video cameras, Nokia smart phones, Canon still cameras w/ video, etc.), video editing software became cheap or even free (FCP Express, iMovie, Sony Vegas, Windows Movie Maker, etc.) and production training could be had anywhere/anytime via formal film and digital media programs or even teach themselves, learn from their friends and watch tutorials online. I used Quicktime via copy and paste to learn and still do using FLIP cameras (crazy I know, but it’s my way of doing storyboards).
I WANT MY MTVideo
Now the online video market is growing at an astounding rate. Check out these stats for January 2009 via (comScore Video Metrix) 1) 14.8 Billion videos viewed (yes BILLION); 2) Youtube passes 100 million viewers; 3) 77% of US internet audience are watching videos online and 4) the Average viewer is watching 6 hours of video per month (I easily watch that per week).
And consumption is fueling production - a late 2008 study by eMarketer projects the video production market to grow from $250 million to $5 billion over the next five years. Hulu alone added 600,000 unique viewers in March growing at 10% per month according to an April Nielsen report (all reasons why the networks are regrouping, re-strategizing & rebooting their industry). Venture capitalists also still see opportunity pumping $80M into the online video sector in the 1st quarter of 2009 (Videonuze).
Rae Cosmetics-Microsoft Small Business Shoot
Corporations have or are realizing this rapid change. I did a project for Microsoft Small Business team a few years ago creating a series of 25 short format videos sharing stories on entrepreneurs that were using Microsoft software to either solve problems or grow there business. A great project for me as I learned how to do produce a large number of hi-quality videos at a low cost and I got to meet some amazing entrepreneurs at the time (more on this project in another blog). The reason Microsoft did this is because they had observed that having video on their site increased the click through rate (20-40%), improved stickiness and led to more sales.
PRODUCERS TURNED ENTREPRENEURS
All that said, the real sea change that is occurring is in sites like BLIP.tv, Viddler, Ustream.tv, & Dailymotion creating instant HD quality video distribution channels (live & recorded) for producer entrepreneurs. Producers are creating shows such as Rocketboom, HotForWords and Wainy Days and personalities/hosts/talent such as iJustine, Chris Pirillo and Julia Roy are building brands as well as their own channels. 1938 Media & Loren Feldman even created a puppet character show that imitates other Social Media stud online video personalities such as Robert Scoble and Loic Le Meur (LOL funny to watch too). Names only a few years ago no one had ever heard of and are now exploding on the scene and helping to attract viewers online for entertainment and education as well as for just letting the mind veg for a while.
We are just at the tip of the iceberg in this content evolution and there are all kinds of opportunities for other people to find their talent in this food change. My friend and expert event producer, Chris Justice of Sparksight, is putting on an conference called Video Marketing Expo to help bring together current and aspiring producers of content with distributors and seasoned experts in the space (Full Disclosure my startup CLUB E is one of the sponsors of VMX09 and I am also the co-creator and producer for On the Road with iV). There are many such events that are starting to come onto the scene, but this show is hi-lighting some of the folks that are part of this wave.
The Bui Brothers (Photographers, Storytellers, Producers). These extremely talented artists are sharing their craft with people via their web teaching you how to do what they do (how many people on TV are teaching you how to make TV shows?). Watch this Video they created for the photographer behind Kabloom Studios (it’s fracken gorgeous, creative, instructive, and effective) as way for her clients to tell her story for her. [Awards shows, Web Series, VBlogs, etc. etc.]
Brigitte Dale (Stunning Beautiful. Enormously Talented. Crafty & Quirky). This disarmingly cute & charming midwest girl form Nebraska does all the shooting, editing, and storytelling herself in her own studio dwelling in Los Angeles. She takes a very simple concept and puts a wonderful phat stamp of Brigitte Dale personality all over it that captivates you whether it be her story, props, tangents or thoughts for the day. [400 shows & counting]
iV of On the Road with iV (Passionate Entrepreneur. Extreme Sports Fanatic. Deal Rainmaker). iV lives on airplanes traveling to meet clients, family or going on adventures all the time. We needed a create a show where iV could travel while continuing her passion of hosting TV shows interviewing inspiring entrepreneurs all over the world sharing their stories future business mavericks. We found a platform that enables iV to interview a guest that is in Los Angeles while she is hanging out at the skydive dropzone in Miami while I produce it from Austin and my co-producer Chance records it in Phoenix. [So far 40 entrepreneurs & 150 episodes shot in 6 months]
And the VMX show (I think we should have motorcross entertainment with a name like that don’t you think?) brings on the multi-talented Social Media Ninja Giovanni Gallucci who I highly recommend you watch his material because of the enthusiam and desire to help make Internet rock stars out of all of us. Also presenting are Infomercial pioneer & founder of Infomercial.com, Jim Warren, Super DadLabs founders Troy Lanier & Clay Nichols, & industry experts such as Andrew King (Cinematographer), Hank Jones (licensing, legal) Kelly Shores (Production Manager) as well as the master mind behind it all Christopher Justice that has produced events for Microsoft, Rackspace, HP and HubSpot.
On the Road with iV's Virtual Crew
What I love (as an entrepreneur) is that every one of these individuals is building a brand based on content production and a business around online video. You get to watch these producers as they become the next great TV entrepreneurs.
IS IT ON? THIS THING RECORDING? Oh. Hi Everyone…
Online video is extremely powerful. It gives personality to a blog and enables people to convey the little things –The zeal for your idea. The energy behind your movement. The use or lack thereof makeup. The twinkle in your eye. It gives meaning to your message and passion to your words. I’ll leave you with a video clip from a new friend I heard about and met on twitter and then in-person at SXSW this year. His name is Derek Johnson, founder of Tatango out of Seattle, WA. Derek has created a hot startup to watch in the coming years based on what they do with allowing people/companies to use text messaging to effortlessly group communicate with each other.
I saw Derek on an interview inititally, but what caught my eye a few weeks later is that he decided to create Tatango.tv and has now started video blogging. Derek is not on-air talent (no offense DJ - at least not yet I should say) nor is he a video producer or have any production experience whatsoever. He was simply a sharp founder that wanted to share what was going on at his company with the masses (think transparency) and went down to the computer store and bought a bunch of web camera’s to create his own company channel (getting tons of press from it as well) and then starting using his own web camera to share his thoughts online. I’ll let him explain a bit more about the reasons in this clip he did for me (thanks DJ), but if all the entrepreneurs in the country started doing this in an honest and an interesting way as Derek is, imagine what will happen when every electronic device we own has a built-in wifi ready camera. It’s already happening if you haven’t noticed.
I hope to see you at VMX09 or at another video producer conference or even online somewhere on your own channel. If you do have one, send me the link. I love to see what other creative entrepreneurs are doing….Keep it Going (P.S. If you’d still like to go to VMX09, email me ASAP and I’ll get you a discounted rate).
The LG
