Not Online. Come Back Later

1. Where and when did usable online video start? (provide some refs. and an example if possible)


Usable online video clips on YouTube started on Saturday, 23 of April, 2005 when the first video clip was published; Me at the Zoo, by Jaw. See video clip;

This video clip was the first of millions, and after the launch of 2005 YouTube has boomed into something like never before, with millions of users adding new videos everyday. Although there were ways to post videos online before YouTube, it was in fact YouTube who made it possible for anyone in the world who had an Internet connection so log and, upload their video for millions of viewers to watch in just minutes.

Source; 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube

2. In the lecture we heard about technological innovations that were used by the studios to lure audiences. (mostly to combat the popularity of TV)
What recent innovations are being used to lure us in the movies?
What are they luring us from?

Recent innovations/ tactics that are being used to lure us in the movies are amongst other 3D movies, which perhaps are not as successful according to me. For instance, I love horror movies and after they added 3D, they have absolutely wrecked my favorite movie genre. Then again, Avatar had great success with 3D and I really think it made a difference, especially when giving the impression of a whole different world and reality. Other tactics would be online ticket purchasing, which makes it easier for us in our busy day-to-day lives. Anything that is easy and which requires minimal action, is good for us. Other quite popular strategies are movie marathons such as a night long run of all the Lord of the Ring movies. They are luring us from television and everyday reality. Movies are there to make a profit, a big profit, and the only way they will do that is if someone watches their movie. That's why there are big staged events, such as celebrities showing up at movie theatre and so on. 


Source; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-D_film


3. Are short films still being made? Why? Who pays for them to be made?

Short films are mot definitely still being made - just check out www.weheartshortfilms.com which provides you with short films that have been entered in competitions such as the Bejing short film festival. Then there is also www.funnyordie.com which has celebrities who play in the short films provided on the website. Short films are still being made because of the demand from people for them. It is still popular and especially as links being forwarded to people on email. On weheartshortfilms.com it is mostly the people who make the short films that pay for them, themselves as opposed to comic videos by celebrities on funnyordie.com who have the site that pays for the videos to be made. 


Source; http://weheartshortfilms.com/


4. The term viral is thrown about adhoc but what does it mean in film/movie arena? Give some examples.

In the film/ movie arena viral means that movies can now be online, sent through emails or downloaded illegally from various websites. Of course, when it comes to movies, this is not a good thing as they are losing profits and people can view a movie before it has even reached the cinema. This can also be seen (legally) in YouTube where clips from various scenes from movies are available to watch. 


Source; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_video


5. Online video distribution isn't limited to the short film format. We are now starting to see television styled shows made solely for internet release (webisodes). Find an example of this style of content and discuss how viewing television content in this way can positively and negatively affect the viewer's experience.


Webisodes of Married on MySpace, which has to be hands down the funniest and most idiotic concept of a reality show I have ever seen. The content and layout is done really well and it is actually filmed in a decent way too. Easy to watch, and similar to a normal reality show which we can watch on TV. I think webisodes are a positive way of viewing shows on the internet because there are no ad breaks, the viewer has more control over what to watch or what to skip and it is simple to find/ work out. 

Series Recap: Married on MySpace 2

Married on MySpace | MySpace Video

Source; http://www.myspace.com/marriedonmyspace