Video Production News

Its Cosmic Man!

2011-07-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

The new Youtube redesign, is slick, modern and functional. Dubbed 'Cosmic Panda', it brings a darker background mimicking something close to theatre mode, more options in display sizes, cool playlists function packaged in an overall elegant design.

But that's not all, although we'll have to wait a little longer for the planned integration with Google plus, users of Google's Chrome browser will have some immediate cool functions most notably, the ability to watch videos and browse the rest of the site at the same time

How to enable YouTube Cosmic Panda?

It’s very easy. You can easily opt in to test the new experiment by visiting http://www.youtube.com/cosmicpanda and clicking on the “Try it out!” button.

You have to love the base (bass)!

2011-07-08T10:26:00.002-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfeyUGZt8nk

You have to love the base (bass)!

2011-07-08T10:26:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfeyUGZt8nk

Buy Cheap - Pay Twice - The Recession Reality

2011-07-01T02:56:00.001-07:00

At Ossian Video Production & Ossian Digital we are noticing a growing number of enquirers and (and subsequently new customers), who need us to rescue a bad edit, rescue poorly lit footage or terrible audio or to rebuild a positively awful and ineffective website. This is a worrying growing trend.

In keeping businesses afloat during a recession we understand that it may be necessary to implement a good austerity strategy to obtain the same things but at a much lower cost - the "more for less" approach.

But what seems to be forgotten is value for money, and false economies. Buy cheap, often will mean pay twice which may leave you ultimately out of pocket.

So our advice here at the Ossian Media Group, is when you need something done properly get the professionals in. Talk to us from the outset. You're in safe hands.

VIDEO: Bo-taoshi - The Best Game Ever

2011-05-27T01:55:00.000-07:00

THE BEST GAME EVER!

Bo-Taoshi (防衛大学校の棒倒し, or pole pull-down) is a capture-the-flag-like game, played predominantly by cadets at National Defense Academy of Japan, wherein two teams of 75 individuals each vie for control of a single large pole^[1]. One team begins in a defensive orientation respective to the pole, while the other attacks from a position some measure away from the pole once the match has commenced; the attacking team is victorious if it is able to lower the pole (which begins perpendicular to the ground) to a thirty-degree angle (respective to the ground). Until a rule-change in 1973, the angle of victory was only forty-five degrees^[2].

Rapture! The End of the World Music Video

2011-05-24T06:03:00.001-07:00

The End of the World Music Video

Video Testimonials

2011-05-20T04:01:00.000-07:00

Video testimonials are a great inexpensive way to complete that sale.

People often focus on using video to drive traffic to their business, but what about keeping the visitor and turning it into a sale? That's where video testimonials come in.

A short genuine video clip from a happy and sincere client can turn the indecisive into a real conversion.

ReelSEO give this example

Get a Free Video - Run a Competition!

2011-05-20T03:58:00.000-07:00

An interesting way to get your fans, clients, customers buzzing about your business is to run a video competition.

This is not only very inexpensive, but it's a great way to get free publicity for your brand or business and of course you get a video that you didnt have to pay for!

ReelSEO provide this example " A year ago, OgilvyOne Worldwide hosted a video contest seeking the “World’s Greatest Salesperson.” Here’s one of the entries:"

Source: 12 Ways Brands & Businesses Can Utilize Online Video http://www.reelseo.com/11-ways-brands-online-video-grow-business/#ixzz1MtCIcS8O

12 WAYS to use video to SELL

2011-05-20T03:52:00.000-07:00

1. Repurposed Television Commercial

A lot of companies start out slowly with online video, simply taking a previously-filmed television commercial and placing it online. Read more

2. Viral Video

A logical follow-up to our first example is the web-intended viral video–an ad or other video created solely for the purpose of getting views online, often through word-of-mouth.Read more

3. Branded Web Series

A trend I happen to like a lot is the branded web series. This is when a company eschews traditional advertising techniques (and even traditional viral video techniques) to create original webisodes. Read more

4. Product Placement

A form of video marketing that’s gaining lots of traction lately, and which Grant wrote about recently, is product placement.Read more

5. Demonstration/Product Videos

A lot of online retailers are finding success with product demonstration videos, which have been shown to increase conversions.Read more

6. Testimonials

No one is a better cheerleader for your business than customers who are happy. The happiest among them will often be willing to help you spread the word by recording video testimonials.Read more

7. Fan Videos & Mentions

For the rabid fans of particular brands, testimonials aren’t enough. These super fans go one step further, creating videos about or mentioning the brand they love.Read more

8. Video Display Ads

Many companies prefer to create short video ads that run as display ads on popular websites. It’s a more reliable way to ensure viewers–since a viral video attempt has no assurance of getting views, but top publishing sites can usually promise certain pageview numbers.Read more

9. Non-Video Ads Placed On Video Pages

Sometimes you can leverage video to your advantage by non-video means. Specifically, you can place an ad on a video network, like Adsense on YouTube videos. Brands can also place a static display ad on a page that carries video,Read more

10. Special Messages

Sometimes a piece of news or a current event warrants special messages from brands. A good example is the apology video from BLANK airlines.Read more

11. Contests

A popular and very inexpensive technique for using video is to sponsor a contest. Ask your customers to create videos for you, with the best one winning a prize.Read more

12. Internal Communications/Business Processes

As IBM and Microsoft have shown us recently, many companies have begun replacing traditional office tasks with video. It’s fast, easily distributed, and provides better context than text alone can. Read more

Social Video Marketing

2011-05-20T03:42:00.000-07:00

Social video marketing is designed to get hold of the mass traffic passing around the internet each day and send that traffic to your site, with the sole purpose to increase sales. It is a clever marketing technique and an astute investment.

But what people don't often realise is that no matter how good the video is, you cannot simply load a video online and expect it to work for you.

Time and time again we see companies offering viral videos, with no syndication strategy or a clue about how to go about this. Then there's the client, who doesnt understand that the production of the video is the least effort of the campaign - the social strategy is actually where the hard work comes in.

24 hours worth of video is uploaded to youtube every single minute of the day. If your video is loaded with all those other videos, the chances are it WILL NOT be found and it wont do anything for you. This is where a real social video marketing strategy comes into play, to ensure that your video reaches your target market, gets the most exposure and drives those people to your site.

Your strategy should include your target demographic, access points to reach that demographic, strategies to get the video seen in press (local, regional, national, global), strategies to get the video picked up on other popular sites and push it forward etc etc.

Without these strategies in place, social video marketing will fail. With these strategies in place, you can literally be an overnight success.

The Friday Feeling: funny video of the week

2011-05-20T02:40:00.000-07:00

www.ossian.tv - funny video of the week

This week, we're loving "The human bicycle"

Social Video Marketing - Social Media Marketing PLUS Online Video

2011-05-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

With the heavy convergence of social and video, and video with online marketing, have we now reached a point for a new definition that combines all three? Is social video marketing just about creating videos for social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and YouTube, or is it much more than just that?

Read Source: Social Video Marketing - Social Media Marketing PLUS Online Video http://www.reelseo.com/social-video-marketing/#ixzz1MWzwgwZ8

Cause Marketing - Charities go viral

2011-05-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

What Exactly is “Cause Marketing?”

According to Wikipedia, cause marketing, aka, “cause-related marketing,” generally refers to any type of marketing effort, or marketing relationship, for social and other charitable causes. (i.e., it can be considered to fall under a social media campaign.) Unlike general philanthropy, cause marketing is not necessarily based on a donation. The possible benefits of cause marketing for businesses include improved PR and customer relationships, and additional marketing opportunities; and the more noble benefits for recipients include investments in communities, and simply giving something back.

Social Video and Cause Marketing Examples

One recent example of for-profit businesses involved in cause marketing with video can be found in a recently article I wrote about over at the Video Commerce Consortium blog site: The Stonyfield Farm/Honest Tea “cooperative video contest,” which tied in with global awareness for Earth Month. The goal of that cooperative video campaign was to generate more awareness of the benefits of organic food and beverages; and being that they are both organic food and beverage companies, they would stand to directly benefit.

Resposted from ReelSEO

Royal Wedding Wills & Kate Dental Tattoo!!

2011-04-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

Royal Wedding Wills & Kate Dental Tattoo!!

iPhone is dead in the water

2011-04-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

Googles Android OS has gained an astonishing 7 points of market share in the US smartphone market in the past three months, Comscore says. RIM's market share over the same period collapsed, dropping almost 5 points.
Apple's iPhone share increased slightly, but is dead in the water and has now fallen way behind Android (in smartphones).

Read more here

reposed by web video london

Is Microsoft a sleeping TV giant about to wake up?

2011-04-16T05:25:00.000-07:00

Is Microsoft about to start delivering linear TV services to the Xbox 360?

Source:

Google Plus 1 - SEO cheats, Organic Search death? Or the greatest thing since....?

2011-04-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

Google's new plus one (+1) is an interesting concept which will change the organic results considerably. But is it really necessary?

I presume that they got their idea from their not so recently acquired Youtube, you watch a video and give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down. But this does leave websites and rankings, open to much manipulation surely? And what about relevancy? A site that is seemly less optimised and less relevant for a search query may actually appear higher because of the number of +1's given - whether these are true or not.

And what about newcomers vs long established companies. If you have a company thats been around for donkeys years, with thousands of thumbs up and an awesome new innovative site/company appears - will they ever get a look in?

Not sure Im into this idea Google - read more here http://www.google.com/ads/innovations/+1button.html

or watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RyY2-ofP4g&feature=player_embedded

26% of small businesses are using web video

2011-03-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Did you know that small businesses are having better success with online marketing than ever before?

26% of small business used web video on their home page to advertise their product or service, 10% of those videos actually brought the visitor there in the first place.

Can you afford to lose out on an extra 10% of traffic to your website?

At Ossian productions we produce high quality web videos to SME’s, which are not only competitively priced but are a savvy marketing investment.

Tailored to your uniqueness, we produce videos which are of TV quality designed to generate sales. We can also optimize the video, and syndicate it across the web, massively increasing the amount of people watching, which is great lead generator.

Contact us for more information www.ossian.tv

Google changes the currency of advertising

2011-03-12T01:01:00.000-08:00

The cost of online advertising will shift from the current CPM model of cost per impression, to a "cost-per-view" model so you only pay for the ads which are watched, says Google's Barry Salzman.

It sounds fairer, and appears that Google will clearly lose a lot of revenue this way ...or will they?

What are google up to? It could be that you only pay for what you actually use, but that payment is much more expensive than the blanket cost per million, as its more targeted. So it's actually an increase for Google - but the advertiser pays less or is less frustrated by the lack of targeting via MPUs.

And how does that impact on pre-roll/post-rolls? hmmmm

There's a video on the link here

Web video advertising

Website Owners new advertising code kicks in from 31 March

2011-02-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the new advertising code kicks in from 31 March?

It now covers digital advertising in non-broadcast areas, such as pre-rolls, post-rolls, mobile phone ads, in game ads, etc etc – (you can imagine how wide this list gets). And it now means that all these ads have to be “legal”, “honest”, “decent” and of course “truthful”.

Well it’s about time, don’t you think?

CAP (Committee of Advertising Practice) now has the remit and resources to go after companies and individuals if they are not compliant with the new regulations. However, it does seem that there will not be any close monitoring but rather a culture of self-regulation and complaints handling – how else could something so large be handled!? This is considered to be faster and cheaper than any form of statutory regulation.

What does the extended function cover?

“advertisements other than marketing communications, by or from companies, organisations, or sole traders on their own websites, or in other non-paid for space, online under their control, that are directly connected with the supply or transfer of goods, services, opportunities and gifts, or which consist of direct solicitations, of donations as part of their own fundraising activities.”

This means that if you are selling an item, at an advertised cost – you should sell it at that cost. And if you are guaranteeing delivery you honour that guarantee. So no more emails after you have paid telling you the item is out of stock and you have to wait a month!

Now this is interesting – although customer reviews about a product or service continue to be free of regulation, so you can continue to pretty much add your own personal opinion about anything you want (website owner permitting of course) – Website owners can no-longer make up false customer reviews, testimonies, etc in their marketing unless it is made clear of it’s commercial intent.

But that’s not all. There are some exclusions to the new regs. And guess who can make any claims they like – yup, Politicians. The waters also get muddy where it says that “Public Relations Material” is not covered (sounds like a get out of jail loophole?) and a few other areas like “heritage advertising”

Still all of this is good news for the consumer and hopefully it will help to clean up the UK digital arena a bit more!

Fight, fight, fight: Google vs Microsoft

2011-02-02T10:53:00.001-08:00

The war between Google and Microsoft is clearly heating up.

After being accused of copying Google’s search results on Tuesday, Microsoft is now going after Google, accusing it of injecting inconsistency and legal uncertainty into the Web video arena bynatively supporting only the newly open-sourced WebM video format in its Chrome browser, rather than the H.264 format preferred by Microsoft and Apple.

In response, Microsoft said it will build a Chrome plug-in that will restore support for H.264, an older and more commonly used video format. Microsoft said it plans to support H.264 in the next version of Internet Explorer, although it will also allow plug-ins that enable WebM support.

“Our point of view is totally clear,” Internet Explorer head Dean Hachamovitch writes in a blog post being posted on Wednesday. “Our support for H.264 results from our views about a robust web and video ecosystem that provides a rich level of functionality, is the product of an open standards process like the W3C’s HTML5 specification, and has been free from legal attacks. Microsoft is agnostic and impartial about the actual underlying video format for HTML5 video as long as this freedom continues.” Read more

reposted by Web video london

Fight, fight, fight: Google vs Microsoft

2011-02-02T10:51:00.001-08:00

The war between Google and Microsoft is clearly heating up.

reposted by Web video london

Amazon goes web video!

2011-02-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

Amazon.com is said to be in talks with movie studios about getting the rights to libraries of movies so it can offer a streaming video subscription service to combat Netflix.

The Seattle company already offers the Amazon Video on Demand service, which allows users to pay a few dollars to watch a movie or TV show once on a computer or on a TV equipped with an app for the service.

But so far, Netflix is the clear leader in terms of services that charge a monthly fee to watch unlimited movies and TV shows on smart phones, tablets, computers and TVs. Netflix charges $7.99 a month for its service.

Video can be streamed through Netflix on Apple's iPod Touch, the iPhone, the iPad, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 handsets, the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 gaming consoles, and many TVs and Blu-ray players on the market in the U.S. and Canada.

Our sister blog, Company Town, has more details on what Amazon has in the works, as reported by the Los Angeles Times' Ben Fritz.

posted by Web Video

Apple is going 3D with no Glasses!

2010-12-29T10:33:00.000-08:00

visit us

On browsing the net to find out why Apple seems to have deserted blu ray completely, it became apparent that Apples eye was actually elsewhere. Blu ray sales figures havent been as fantastic as first thought and although there is a trade there, the biggest pushes are occuring in the web video/download market and of course in the emerging 3D market.

Apple are already serving the world with video downloads via iTunes (albeit a limited selection which is regularly updated), so the next obvious step for Apple was 3D. Apple being Apple got to work to try to make 3D available to the general consumer without the need for special glasses which also means glasses wearers, are not inconvenienced by wearing two pairs!

And the result of this work - Apple today has been awarded a patent covering a 3D stereoscopic system! “An exceptional aspect of the invention is that it can produce viewing experiences that are virtually indistinguishable from viewing a true hologram. Such a ‘pseudo-holographic’ image is a direct result of the ability to track and respond to observer movements,” Says the Patent.

Really exciting stuff, especially when Apple seems to be providing something that is able to track movements of the eye so that the left and right 3D sub-images are adjusted in response to the tracked eye movements to produce images that mimic a real hologram!

It's likely to be launced on computer displays, and the iPad. But of course this will require new filmmaking techniques and Ossian Productions is hot on this new direction and will be preparing accordingly!

Watch this space

Youtube going production!

2010-12-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

Youtube Going To Buy Next New Networks a Web video production company

YouTube, the video site owned by Google, is in talks to buy Next New Networks, a Web video production company, according to two people briefed on the discussions. The acquisition would be YouTube’s first major foray into producing original content, and demonstrates how intently it is focused on offering professional videos rather than just short clips by amateurs.
YouTube and Next New Networks have not yet signed an agreement. The people who were briefed, but who were not authorized to speak publicly, would not disclose the proposed price. Both companies declined to comment.
As companies like Hulu and Netflix offer more shows and videos online, and as Google tries to lure people to watch YouTube on their televisions through its Google TV software, YouTube is increasingly focused on providing professional content and figuring out how to attract audiences and advertisers to the programming.

Read more

web video production

H264 in firefox - no way??

2010-12-17T13:03:00.000-08:00

Want to watch H.264 video on HTML 5 pages in Firefox? Microsoft has made it possible.....

you read on, you need to be on Windows 7 for this plug-in to work. If you are on an older version of Windows (and really, why?), we apologize. Mac users, there is a reference to Microsoft in the post title, so you must have expected to be out of luck.

web video production

Web is transforming films

2010-12-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

As more and more films--particularly short, independent, low budget films--become available online, has the function or value of the indie film festival changed?
LB: Movies becoming available "on demand” revolutionized the film world. Before that, if a movie played in your city, that generally meant it was being projected on a 35mm or 16mm print. You ran out to see it during its run or else, like a rare bird, you might never have the chance to see it again!

Is a festival ever less likely to screen a film that’s been widely viewed/promoted online?
LB: If a filmmaker grows a devoted following, that increases the chance of their films being widely distributed. Keep in mind, however, that content shifts a bit along with a shift in viewing space. A short that's popular YouTube might not translate well to television, your local movie theater, or an IMAX screen. The most competitive film festivals tend to require a global, continental, or national premiere. If a film is available in it's full version and full resolution on DVD or online, it's less likely to be selected for a prestigious film festival.

Web video production

Another Reason why Google TV is doomed

2010-12-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

Gaming consoles are the new media hubs, according to data from Nielsen. About one quarter of the people that own a Xbox, Wii, or PlayStation are using them to watch web video.
This is a pretty impressive number, and it's interesting to think about in light of Google TV and Apple TV. If many console users are already streaming video, then there's less need for either Apple or Google's boxes.
Further, a Logitech Revue running Google TV software goes for $300. An Xbox 360 with Kinect goes for about the same amount. Would you rather have an advanced gaming machine with some web streaming, or device for just web video that only works okay?

http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-26-of-xbox-owners-are-streaming-web-video-through-the-xbox-2010-12

Web video producer

Pimp your player - web videos

2010-12-03T15:18:00.000-08:00

Youtube is great isnt it. For so many reasons, the loss leader is the most popular video site in the world.

But wouldnt it be even more great if you could customise and personalise your videos on youtube? The ability to display real time tweets on your video for example, or cooler controls. Well now you can AND THE BEST BIT - IT'S FREE!!!

EmbedPlus.com is the place where all of this is happening.

Here is a typical youtube video....

NOW HERE IS THE PIMPED UP VIDEO

data="http://www.youtube.com/v/RCJFXRA5BFQ">

TRY IT - ITS FREE!!!

The top 5 myths about viral marketing

2010-11-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

The top 5 myths about viral marketing

Call it self-fulfilling prophecy but it’s safe to say the word ‘viral’ has gone, well, viral.

These days it seems, everyone wants one, but not everyone seems to know what exactly one is. So with that in mind, here’s the top 5 misconceptions about virals that should help you get to grips with them and decide whether they’re the right marketing stategy for you.

Myth no.1 I’ve made a video, it’s on YouTube, it’s a viral!

The most common myth about virals is that they are simply a video clip on the internet. Whereas it’s true that many virals are indeed in video form, and that more often than not you find them on the internet, simply making a video and putting on the web doesn’t make it a viral. It’s a web video. It sounds obvious, but it’s a common mistake. To pass the viral test, a video must contain something that will make someone want to pass it on to their friends, who in turn pass it onto their friends and so on, until it spreads across the internet, like, well, a virus. And to stand out from the crowd, whatever ingredient it is that makes a video go viral has got to be something pretty special.

Myth no.2 Virals propagate themselves

Well, yes and no. To go truly viral, yes they need to have that special quality that makes millions of people go, wow! but most of the time, even the best virals have need a little help getting seen. The sheer volume of content out there on the internet means that your viral will need a seeding campaign – and you must factor that in to your budget. In fact, it’s quite possible to spend more on seeding your viral than on producing it. There are companies out there who specialise in seeding. Essentially, this refers to a strategy of increasing visibility by leaving comments, links, or other entries in blogs, forums and other online venues thus making sure your video appears in all the right places. Depending on your seeding budget, Ossian Productions can guarantee a minimum number of views of your viral, (typically 100,000+).

Myth no.3 Virals are cheap to produce

Some of the most memorable videos to have gone viral were shot by someone on their cameraphone. And yes, it costs nothing to point your camera at your baby or cat at the moment they happen to be doing something amusing. But there’s a big difference between capturing a random moment on camera and setting out to produce a viral video. Even if the video is shot to have the look and feel of a home video, a great deal of work has to be put in behind the scenes to create it. From conception through to delivery, a viral requires the input, time and labour of many skilled and talented people.

Myth no.4 This is going to be big. I better cram as many messages into my viral as possible

Virals work best when they are short and communicate a single, simple idea effectively. On a number of occasions we have been given briefs with entire pages devoted to the various primary and secondary messages the client wanted the viral to contain. But really, that method is more suited to something like a television advertising campaign where you are attempting to ‘push’ your product onto your audience by outlining its virtues and features. Virals are all about ‘pull’ marketing. Create a moment, inspire a response and ‘pull’ your audience towards your brand.

Myth no.5: Virals must be funny

We all like a good laugh and it’s no surprise that many of the most successful virals deliver them in spades. But what if your message doesn’t really lend itself to humour – does that mean you can’t go down the viral route? Not at all. The important thing is that your viral provokes an emotional response in your audience. They can be shocking, controversial, outrageous, or they can be inspiring, endearing or just plain cute. However they are delivered, the important thing is they’ve got to pack a punch.

Viral Video Production
Viral video producers

A flash in the iPad - Skyfire

2010-10-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

Skyfire is the first mobile browser built for the social media generation. It enables people on ipads and iphones to watch flash video so you dont have to wait for every website to make their cyberspace more accessible.

New Skyfire Features:
Supports Flash web video with patent-pending adaptive streaming technology for smooth playback
Pinch to zoom (on Android 2.0 and above)
Multi-tab browsing – open up to eight windows and browse simultaneously using visual tabs
Choose to load full desktop webpages or mobile optimized versions
Clear session history easily upon exit to maintain anonymous browsing

Read more

Web Video Wars

2010-10-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

Web Video formats - WEBM

Google unveiled an open-source, royalty-free video format called WebM

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20005378-264.html?tag=mncol;txt#ixzz137ICHVHk

there's plenty of confusion, and some questions concerning the technology can't be answered.
WebM combines the Ogg Vorbis audio codec with the VP8 video codec Google obtained through its February 2010 acquisition of On2 Technologies for $133.9 million.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20005466-264.html#ixzz137HzVTK3

"The WebM project is dedicated to developing a high-quality, open video format for the Web that is freely available to everyone," the WebM Web page states. As expected, Google made the move in conjunction with its Google I/O conference Wednesday.
It's not yet clear how much success Google will have spreading WebM, but the company has big Web ambitions, a powerful brand, heavy influence through the popularity of YouTube, and deep pockets to help handle any legal threats to the WebM project.

Google lined up some outside support. "The VP8 and WebM specifications as released on May 19th, 2010, are final, and we encourage everyone to use them for developing applications. Google, Mozilla and Opera are all adding WebM support to their browsers and all videos that are 720p or larger uploaded to YouTube after May 19th will be be encoded in WebM as part of its HTML5 experiment."

Google TV out this MONTH!!

2010-09-13T06:22:00.000-07:00

Google TV is a new experience made for television that combines the TV you know and love with the freedom and power of the Internet. Watch an overview video below, sign up for updates, and learn more about how to develop for Google TV

Find out more here

How to make a video Go viral

2010-09-10T00:23:00.000-07:00

WHAT IS A VIRAL VIDEO?
Viral videos are video clips that gain widespread popularity through the process of Internet sharing, typically through email or Instant messaging, blogs and other media sharing websites.

A viral video is something a bit special. It could be controversial, laugh out loud funny or so unique that you feel compelled to forward it on to your friends, colleagues and family. It is this compulsion that makes a video a viral. Any other video is not a viral.

WHAT ELEMENTS SHOULD A VIDEO HAVE?
A viral video should be short. It should get the message across in about 30 seconds (unless there is a specific reason for this not to happen), and it should not look over produced. Virals are popular when they look raw and leave the viewer questioning whether it is real. The story within the video must contain the all important and killer 'seeding hook' - an angle in the video that is unexpected. This is the extremely funny punchline or the incredibly shocking ending, or the amazing unexpected twist. It is this that compells people to watch and forward it on in masses.

You may be surprised to know that many viral video producers fall down by trying to please their clients too much - which in turn over complicates the message - trying to cram in everything. Viral videos should be made with the audience in mind and ONLY the audience.

HOW TO MAKE A VIDEO GO VIRAL
You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make it drink. Merely posting a video on youtube and other video fileshare sites wont make a video go viral. Hundreds of thousands of videos are uploaded to Youtube IN A DAY! So thats potentially millions of video clips across all fileshare platforms on a daily basis. Your video will literally be a needle in a haystack.

What can be done? A viral video seeding strategy is needed to help it along. There are many companies that specialise in seeding alone, but you need quite a big budget for this. The benefits are that you could have a global campaign, with analytics - tracking all sorts of information, from the age of the viewer, how long they watched, where they are based etc.

If you dont have a budget for a seeding company, then there are a number of things that you can do to get your video noticed amongst the billions of clips out there today:
1) produce a raw natural looking 30 second video with a killer seeding hook! This is pretty hard to do. The concept is the key, the viewer is the King!
2) upload it to all the best fileshare sites. There are in reality only about 20 core video fileshare sites. The rest pull videos from these sites to their own sites (clone sites)
3) write an article about it and syndicate that article to article sites and social bookmarking sites like Digg (make sure the article contains a link to the video)
4) Get it noticed by national newspapers, local press and online news resources that are popular. If it gets picked up by these you are well on your way - the traffic this will drive to your video will be unbelievable.
5) Post on Facebook, Myspace, and all other cool social networking sites
6) Email it to all your friends, colleagues and family and ask them to forward it on

HOW LONG CAN IT TAKE?
How long is a piece of string. Where some videos immediately go viral, other take quite a while to be noticed. However popularity breeds popularity - so if your video appears as a "most viewed" or "most popular" video, its destined to get an additional huge push in traffic again just from being highlighted in this way. In similar vain, if your video is picked up by the press, you can expect high traffic push in viewing.

I WANT A VIRAL - WHAT DO I DO NOW?
Get in touch with us. Let us know what you want to achieve and we'll provide you with a creative concept with the viewer at the heart.
We dont charge the earth for our services. We love what we do, and you'll love working with us!
Ossian Viral Video Production
www.ossian.tv

bet against YouTube's viral video stars

2010-09-09T03:55:00.000-07:00

UK TV Advertising Spots » Adverts » Commercials »

2010-08-23T14:47:00.001-07:00

Why TV Advertising?

According to the recent report “How People Watch – a Global Nielsen Report” - consumers in many markets are still spending an enormous 4+ hours per day watching television. Due to the increase in the availability of TV channels, the costs of TV advertising spots have become more competitive and have subsequently fallen dramatically over the last decade. This has led to many smaller businesses buying TV Advertising Spots.

How much will it cost to make a TV Advertisement?

As a general estimation, the production of the advertisement will cost around a quarter of the total advertising campaign budget. For example, if your budget is £20,000 then you should expect to spend around £5,000 on your advertisement production.

How much does the Airtime cost?

The costs of the advertising spots vary immensely depending on:

- the length of the advertisement where a 10 second advertisement around half the cost of a 30 second advertisement

- the TV channel itself and whether your advertisement is run regionally or nationally

- the time of day (early morning is the cheapest, the evening the most expensive)

- time time of year (the run up to Christmas is the most expensive, where August and January are cheapest).

At the cheapest end, ITV for example have recently advertised that campaigns can be launched for as little as £1,500 and Channel 5 are advising that a broad group such as 'All Adults' could be bought at an average cost of around £6 per thousand viewers / or a little under a penny each.

What do I need to do now?

If you are ready to embark on a TV campaign - then talk to us. From branding to immediate response, we are able to create an engaging advertisement with your target demographic the heart of the production. Our marketing specialists can also assist with original concepts that will make you stand out from your competitors. www.ossian.tv

Ossian Productions - On Message, On Budget, On Time.

Making the Digital World Even More Accessible

2010-08-20T03:55:00.000-07:00

As many already know, Ossian Productions believes in accessibility of video. Just see our sister site here: Subtitles & Closed Captioning

So we were very pleased to read today, on Reel SEO's blog, that the US Congress had passed an accessibility bill [ Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (S. 3304) and the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (H.R. 3101) ].

The two bills that have been passed will expand the requirement for web video captioning and accessibility services.
Specifically, they will require that any captioned television program be captioned when delivered over the Internet, and;
they also require all devices large enough for video to be equipped to support captioning functionality.

For more information on our Closed Captioning Service - click here

online video trends and forecast 2009-2010

2010-07-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Bubble bursting in 2014?

2009 saw massive increases in uk sites which included videos - a 40% increase on 2008. TV brodcasters joined up with major online companies and organisations to collaborate in online programming. 2009 also saw the overall global online video market had soared and the worlds largest network Scanscout reach over 80 million viewers. There were also technological advancements, where video adverts appeared in printed magazines through the use of slimline hardware (screens) and rechargeable batteries. Pretty cool eh. In addition, UK online advertising overtook TV sales for the first time ever.

For 2010, eMarketer has reported this week, through their extensive report "Video Content and Syndication:
Long-Form Content on the Rise" that online video viewing has increased steadily in the US and they forecast continued growth until at least 2014. There is now the greater availability of long-form content, the popularity of venues such as Hulu and broadcast TV sites, technology developments and internet users’ growing comfort with online video. Sports programming is also moving swiftly into this realm, with mega-events such as the Olympics, March Madness and the World Cup reaching tens of millions of viewers through live streaming.

Emarketer also goes on to say it its report that as online video strengthens its hold, content owners are getting more sophisticated about how they syndicate their content online, whether by building social network interaction into their players, populating clips across sites such as YouTube and Hulu, or employing the services of ad networks and content specialists to maximize exposure to media.

Technology companies are also seizing an opportunity to market devices that take advantage of the consumer’s desire to merge the online and TV viewing experiences. These trends are creating an environment in which online video will continue to thrive well into the future.

So will broadcast programming survive. Yes! Yes it will. People still want to watch programmes, they just want it on demand. Agencies are hosting meetings with online video ad networks like Break, Tremor and Brightroll to discuss the opportunities in video production, promotion and distribution. New TVs being manufactured contain the ability to connect to the internet and watch programmes online. Apple Boxes, nintendo wii etc are now containing apps to watch broadcasters online players - of which they can still make their money through pre-rolls, post- rolls and commercial breaks. In fact, broadcast is still big business and will continue to be big business.

In addition, we recently posted about HTML5 video capabilities. Another fantastic advancement in online video and its great for us as a video production company, as it allows our videos to be http streamed in high definition, cheaply, easily without buffering. And lets face it, high definition is the way video should be seen. This has also opened up the ability for us to provide high definition video email marketing solutions!

The future is high definition on demand programming in an opensource format. Hold on tight viewers.....

We Love HTML 5 video

2010-07-26T05:56:00.000-07:00

Currently, most websites provide video by progressive download or psuedo streaming. A method of delivering audio/video data over the Internet that involves playing the downloaded portion of a file while the download is still in progress. This means that larger files can often "buffer" - temporarily pausing the video while it downloads more for you to watch. Videos which are distributed via progressive download need to be properly compressed for the internet which can degrade the quality of the video and/or audio. This of course impacts on the overall viewing pleasure of the site visitor.

Alongside this, there are also compatibility issues. There are numerous browsers ( a program used to access the internet such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Netscape Explorer, safari etc). There are numerous versions of these browsers, and diferent types of hardware/machines that are using these browsers, from phones, to laptops, to macs to iPads. Consider all of these variables, and how they can be mixed and matched. This makes a compatibility nightmare, as distributing your video in one format, could mean that it can only be accessed one way, leaving some people unable to view it. For example flash video cant be viewed on iPads or mobile devices and Quicktime and WMVs need browser plug ins or entire downloads before viewing. Youtube have provided some advice on compatibility here http://www.youtube.com/html5

So what is HTML 5 video and why is it so great?
HTML 5 is the 5th version of the code used to write website pages on the internet. This new version includes the ability to distribute opensource video, which can be accessed by everyone simply using the new < video > tags. The latest versions of all browsers support HTML5.

HTML 5 video provides HTTP video streaming without buffering - there is no download needed - progressive or otherwise. This also means that you can jump around/click on any part of the video and it will immediately play from that point. In addition, as there is no download - you can distribute High Definition video files, which are quite large (watch your bandwidth quotas though!)

As HTML5 is still quite new (or at the time of writing this article it was), you would still need to provide a fallback to flash or other methods for people using older versions of browsers. An appropriate message should also accompany the video such as "The video above is in High Definition where available - click here for more information" and then provide a bit more information this.

Right, so you've read this much, Im guessing you now want to know how to do it?

So here's the code:
< video width="512" height="288" controls autoplay>
< source src="http://yourvideosource.mp4" type="video/mp4" />
< source src="http://yourvideosource.webm" type="video/webm" />
< source src="http://yourvideosource.ogv" type="video/ogg" />
< !-- fallback to Flash: -->
< object width="512" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="player.swf">
< param name="movie" value="player.swf" />
< param name="flashvars" value="autostart=true&image=poster.jpg&file=http:yourvideosource.mp4" />
< !-- NO PLAY BACK IMAGE -->
< img src="poster.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="no video playback found" title="No video playback capabilities" />
< /object>
< /video >

[you need to delete the space after the initial '<'. Ive had to break the code so it will display rather than try to play]

Working example below:

title="No video playback capabilities" />

Now you might have noticed some formats listed above that you've never seen before - such as OGG and WEBM. Well these are opensource video codecs. MP4 is opensource at the moment, but some developers dont like this as it uses the H264 codec which although is fantastic - it might not be opensource from 2012 and so its being avoided by Firefox. OGG is preferred by Firefox. Whereas Google Chrome likes WEBM. iPad will play the MP4.

Also, I mentioned above that bandwidth might be an issue for you. Especially if you are on a cheap hosting package. If this is the case, great news. Youtube have just released (at the time of writing) a HTML 5 video embed. This works on the principle of an iframe.

E.g. < iframe class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="512" height="288" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID" frameborder="0">< /iframe>

Other video share sites such as Vimeo are likely to follow with their embed solutions shortly. Vimeo currently offers videos using HTML5 methods but no option to embed as yet.

Is HTML 5 going places?
Absolutely. We at Ossian Productions UK think this is set to revolutionise the way we watch video on the internet. High Def TV programmes and films HTTP streamed on demand. What can beat that? In addition, developers are already gearing up to provide some pretty slick looking HTML players - so theres no worries there that you wont be able to make it look as nice as your current flash based player. Take a look at this one here soon to be released: http://jilion.com/sublime/video

What is also great about HTML5 is that it allows for high definition video emails - played directly in the email programme which doesnt get blocked as it contains no scripts and nasties that the programmes dont like. Again this would require the latest versions of the email software to be installed by the recipient with a click to play in browser option of those on the lower versions, but imagine the possibilities of you promotional video in high definition mailed out effortlessly to current and prospective clients. Thats another reason why at Ossian Productions we're ready to roll with all HTML5 marketing solutions.

Love your video in high definition - the way it should be seen.

Best If Viewed By December 2013

2010-07-09T15:58:00.001-07:00

With the avalanche of video and technology that's plowing through the consumer marketplace, is there a chance that the broadcast market will survive? As the upfront market wraps up, advertisers will spend billions on broadcast, cable and syndication programming. But as we all know, agencies and clients are preparing to invest in "video" as well -- not VOD, and not podcasting per se -- but specifically online video.

Read more

Case Study: How Colgate Used Online Video, Social Media and Mobile to Drive Engagement and Purchase Intent

2010-07-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

Colgate-Palmolive had a unique marketing challenge in launching Colgate Wisp, its new mini disposable toothbrush. Colgate began introducing the mini brush in April 2009 with help from Big Fuel, a social media marketing agency. The mini brush created a new product category for Colgate and meant marketing to a young, urban target—18- to 25-year-old men and women—a demographic the personal care giant doesn’t typically focus dedicated attention on. It was clear that the company needed to figure out how to introduce the product into relevant conversations and contexts where its college student and young professional target hangs out.

read more

Online Video and Email Marketing: Meant to be Together?

2010-07-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

Online Video and Email Marketing: Meant to be Together? - Presentation Transcript

Online Video and Email Marketing: Meant to be Together? July 6, 2010

“ US online video views more than doubled from 14.8 billion/mo in Jan 2009 to 33.2 billion/mo in Dec 2009.” -Comscore Research, February 2010
Video Trends
“ 33% of retailers plan to add video or streaming media to their sites in 2010.” -Internet Retailer/Vovici Group Survey January 29, 2010
“ 68% of the Top 50 Internet retailers use video on their web sites, compared with 18% in 2008.” -Patti Freeman-Evans, VP, Research Director, Forrester Research May 4, 2009 Source: Online Retailers’ Adoption Of Online Video Content Is Ahead Of Consumers’ Preferences, November 24, 2009
“ Video in email can increase click-through rates by as much as 2X – 3X.” -David Daniels, Former VP, Principal Analyst, Forrester Research May 4, 2009
Video Trends Excite and Entertain
Build Trust
Stir the Imagination

read more

comScore Releases May 2010 U.S. Online Video Rankings

2010-07-09T15:42:00.000-07:00

YouTube Streams All-Time High of 14.6 Billion Videos Viewed

RESTON, Va., June 24, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- comScore, Inc. (SCOR 17.70, +0.35, +2.02%) , a leader in measuring the digital world, today released May 2010 data from the comScore Video Metrix service showing that 183 million U.S. Internet users watched online video during the month. YouTube.com achieved record levels of viewing activity in May with an all-time high of 14.6 billion videos viewed and surpassing the threshold of 100 videos per viewer for the first time.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080115/COMSCORELOGO)

Top 10 Video Content Properties by Videos Viewed

U.S. Internet users watched nearly 34 billion videos in May, with Google Sites ranking as the top video property with 14.6 billion videos, representing 43.1 percent of all videos viewed online. YouTube accounted for the vast majority of videos viewed at the property. Hulu ranked second with 1.2 billion videos, or 3.5 percent of all online videos viewed. Microsoft Sites ranked third with 642 million (1.9 percent), followed by Vevo with 430 million (1.3 percent) and Viacom Digital with 347 million (1.0 percent).

Read more

Youtube wants to dominate every screen

2010-07-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

The world's biggest video site wants to dominate every screen where content can be viewed and created.
YouTube is already a leader online and in mobile and has firmly set its sights on the living room.
The company charted its course during the launch of a new product called Leanback, described by some as web video for couch potatoes.
It also unveiled upgrades for its mobile site which has over 100 million playbacks a day.
Read the full article by the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8799114.stm

2009 was an interesting year for the video production field

2010-05-30T06:22:00.002-07:00

ROUNDUP

2009 was an interesting year for the video production field.

By March there had been massive increases in the UK for sites which included videos – a 40% increase on the previous year.

In July Microsoft launched a UK centric MSN video player via the corporate arm of the BBC allowing Microsoft to start streaming some of its popular TV shows. The BBCs version – the iPlayer – is advert/commercial free but the new MSN version will contain pre-roll advertising.

By August 2009, the global online video market had soared and the worlds largest network – scanscout – reached over 80 million viewers, the next largest Tremor reach over 71 million viewers and YuMe reached over 68 million viewers.

August continued to be an interesting month, where video advertising….yes that’s right video advertising appeared for the first time in paper magazines. These video-in-print adverts appeared in the US, using slim-line screens (around the size of a mobile phone display) and contained rechargeable batteries.

By September 2009 UK online advertising continued to boom and overtook TV sales for the first time ever! Video advertising had increased 195 percent year on year. Spending on internet advertising in the UK hit £3.3bn in 2008, up 17 per cent year on year, while total advertising spending fell 3.5 per cent to £17.5bn.

During October 2009, despite the continuation of the recession, online video continued to open up “fantastic opportunities” in direct marketing according to the Chair of the DMA.

By November 2009, Gordon Brown UK Prime Minister announced that by 2012 Britain will lead the world in broadband services through the governments intention to expand the digital infrastructure throughout the UK, working with Sir Tim Berners-Lee [MIT professor credited with inventing the World Wide Web] and Martha Lane Fox [the government champion for digital inclusion].

2010 seems equally as promising and exciting.

MPEG7 - DNA: the new MP3 - february 2010

2010-02-01T05:19:00.000-08:00

MPEG7 - DNA: the new MP3 - february 2010

It's finally arrived - Rich Media Audio files - DNA
BACH Technology have done it, they've managed to save the flagging music industry with their extremely clever rich media audio.

So what is it?
Known as Music DNA (TM), it's an open source file format (MPEG7), which allows tagging with metadata (XML).
This means that you can tag on loads of great stuff such as a music video, a blog, audio analysis, mood, tempo, lyrics to the song etc. It's basically all the tangible stuff that we lost when we stopped buying albums, with a heck of a lot more.

It has its own player, similar to iTunes, but its open source, which means that you wont need to change your portable MP3 player!

Its clearly the future of audio - just as soon as they sort out those pesky DRM rights. Apparently these files will still play when copied, its just the dynamic updates that fail.

corporate video production

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Factsheets and FAQ's - surviving the recession in 2010 with video

2010-01-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Factsheets and FAQ's - surviving the recession in 2010 with video

Video Production London UK Services - Promotional, Business, Corporate, Catwalk and Fashion, DVD, Web, Video, training, schools, colleges

2009-12-19T07:46:00.000-08:00

Video Production London UK Services - Promotional, Business, Corporate, Catwalk and Fashion, DVD, Web, Video, training, schools, colleges

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: June 2008 - UK surfers prefer online video

2009-12-18T16:15:00.002-08:00

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: June 2008 - UK surfers prefer online video

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: August 2008 - people prefer professionally produced content!

2009-12-18T16:15:00.001-08:00

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: August 2008 - people prefer professionally produced content!

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: Video Advertising now in paper magazines

2009-12-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: Video Advertising now in paper magazines

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: September 2009 - UK Online advertising overtakes TV sales for first time ever

2009-12-18T16:14:00.003-08:00

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: September 2009 - UK Online advertising overtakes TV sales for first time ever

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: March 2009 - Massive increases in UK sites that include video

2009-12-18T16:14:00.002-08:00

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: March 2009 - Massive increases in UK sites that include video

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: Flash video finally arrives for mobile phones

2009-12-18T16:14:00.001-08:00

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: Flash video finally arrives for mobile phones

2009-12-18T16:14:00.000-08:00

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: Flash video finally arrives for mobile phones

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: Internet Video is arriving on UK TV's in 2010

2009-12-18T16:13:00.002-08:00

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: Internet Video is arriving on UK TV's in 2010

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: November 2009 - Britain by 2012 will lead the world in broadband services

2009-12-18T16:13:00.001-08:00

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: November 2009 - Britain by 2012 will lead the world in broadband services

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: December 2009 - Ofcom has revised the Broadcasting Code which governs what can be aired on TV

2009-12-18T16:13:00.000-08:00

Video Production Company London, UK- OSSIAN - Newsfeed: December 2009 - Ofcom has revised the Broadcasting Code which governs what can be aired on TV and radio.

How to make your online video work for you: SEO

2009-10-21T05:40:00.000-07:00

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Making your website and online video production work for you

Need some help?

If you are unable to undertake these recommendations yourself, and dont want to pay for what may be a very expensive search engine optimisation company to do this for you, then please contact us. We are happy to evaluate your site and provide you with a realistic quote in terms of what we can do for you to get your site ranking well and your ossian video production seen across the search engines, increasing your brand awareness and driving up revenue.

Basic Search Engine Optimisation

Online video integrated within your website is a proven method to increase sales and reduce your bounce rate.

However, people need to find your website first!
Here are some top tips in ensuring your website is visible and discoverable.

The three main search engines are Google (75% of market share), Yahoo and new for 2009 Bing (previously MSN).

Although in september 2009, Bing announed a 10 year deal with Yahoo, it is still worth optimising your site for all 3 search engines. In terms of how this is done, both Google and Bing have released their own guidance in ensuring your website is stored within their index and ranks well in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Following the criteria contained within these documents will ensure you have a search friendly website, which people enjoying browsing and link to.

Integrating video in your website

The use of /video should complement a website not dominate it (unless of course your website is a video share platform such as Youtube.) Here are some top tips for video integration:

Use a streaming video player as opposed to a download video clip (such as mov, mpeg, wmv).

People are impatient. They are less likely to view your video if they are forced to download it first. Flash Video is the most common choice as its already installed on 99% of computers (source). Its also a much smaller filesize than other formats, meaning your bandwidth or quotas should be able to support the traffic.

Always have a click to play option. Never have your video playing automatically on page load if it has audio. This can be incredibly annoying for returning customers, or for those that simply didnt want to watch the video.

Make sure the video player complements your site not dominates it. Provide a full-screen option instead. We have developed a free online video player which is fully scalable, with subtitle function and full-screen option (unbranded) to complement any site. Please fee free to use it.

Upload a video sitemap (see Google SEO guidance above for more information). Search engines read text not video, and so a video sitemap tells search engines the video is there and display this in the search results. Statistics prove that surfers are more likely to select a link which has a video player listed!

Alternatively, if webspace really is an issue for you, you can integrate an externally hosted video player into your website.

(a) Free hosting:
If you choose a free option, such as youtube, then you will need to consider that this will display branding and you will have no control over any 'related' videos displayed at the end.

(b) Paid for hosting:
There are also various other other paid for providers. Some of these stream in high definition, but can also be expensive. Shop around!

Share your video

Increase your online presence and brand popularity by sharing your video content wider than your website. Here are some of the most commonly known share websites, but there are various others out there.

Ossian Productions Free Video Player

2009-07-23T01:14:00.000-07:00

Our full scalable, FLV/F4V video player with subtitle/closed captions is now available for download here
web video player

Its unbranded so should be able to compliment any website.

If you need a great broadcast quality web video to go into it - visit www.ossian.tv

How much does a professional video cost?

2009-03-10T08:06:00.001-07:00

Finding the right video production company can be daunting. There are a lot of companies out there, all promising to make you a fantastic video with 'high production values'. You'll probably find yourself on the end of the phone, without really knowing what youre asking for or what theyre talking about. To further add to your frustration, you'll be told that there is no set cost - every production is different.

Dont be put off, here are 3 great tips to help you on your way:
(1) Set yourself budget. This will enable you to phone around and ask each company what you will get for your money. You'll be suprised about how variable the service will be.

(2) Once you have a short-list of companies which will provide you with a professional service for your budget, go to their websites and have a look at the videos they have made. Make sure the quality is good and theyre watchable.

(3) What will you get at the end? Make sure the company will provide the video in the format you require (such as web packaging, DVD etc) .

Why Professional Video Productions are Better for you!

2009-03-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

"Contrary to popular belief, most of the video watching internet audience is not interested in consuming user generated content. Rather, they are looking to the convenience and personalization that the web offers to provide a more engaging video watching experience for high quality, professionally produced content. As the business model comes into focus, big media is responding by publishing more content to their web sites. Statistics from eMarketer reveal that premium content accounts for more than 90% of monthly streams:
1. Entertainment, including movies, television shows, cartoons and trailers, makes up approximately 50% of all streamed content.
2. Infotainment, including current events, weather, sports and entertainment news, business media, and infomercials, represents approximately 40% of streamed content.
3. User generated, including amateur content, home movies, and other low-budget web-only content, make-up the remaining 10% of streamed content (not surprisingly, while YouTube has 37%+ share of streams viewed, the vast majority of these are apparently not streams of user generated content). "

So why not try the Broadcast Quality Video Production Company to get your content out there.

So you want a video?

2009-01-22T04:31:00.000-08:00

So you want a video, but youre overfaced with the number of companies out there and not really sure what you want or how much it should cost?

Theres loads of blogs out there, telling you that video production companies are really expensive and you can easily do this yourself. Neither are true. Of course there are expensive companies, but there are also a lot out there that are reasonably priced and will provide you with a product that you love.

DIY video production of course can be done, but remember, a cheap looking video cheapens you and your company. So if you can do it yourself with high production values then great, but if not, get the professionals in.

Heres a few tips to get a low cost high quality video production:

(1) select companies that have a viewable versions of their videos online that look good
(2) ring around and check prices first or find out what you'll get for the budget you have
(3) ask about how they'll work with you. You dont want a company that goes off and does its own thing without consulting you throughout.
(4) once youve decided on your company make sure you have a contract in place specifying what you'll get for your money and what you'll get at the end (formats, web packaging etc)
(5) if you cant host your video yourself, make sure their hosting packages are reasonably priced. If not, upload it for free on google videos and youtube and link that video to your site. The quality might not be as good and you'll lose some tool options but you'll save a bit of dosh.
(6) make sure you get a filming schedule drawn up and of course a story board
(7) make sure the script comes to you for sign off. Once everything is put together its difficult to change later down the line.
(8) Dont pay for it all up front - half now half on completion or full amount on receipt
(9) Or just try Ossian Video Productions, sit back relax and let us do the work....