Online Distribution for Digital Video Production

This is my report for Soundworks on the range of online distribution methods.

There are three main types of online distribution;
- Downloading
- Progressive Streaming
- Streaming (also known as True Streaming)

I have thoroughly researched into each of the above online distribution methods, and my findings are as follows;

Downloads

To download means to receive data to a local system from a remote system, usually from a web server.
There are many websites which offer downloadable content; such as Amazon and iTunes.
You can download videos onto your phone/tablet/computer/etc.
Once you have downloaded something, it is saved to your hard drive, and can be used offline at any time, and transferred onto different computers, etc.
However this option is not always the most popular one; particularly with short videos; as it obviously involves waiting for the download to be completed, and takes up space on your harddrive/phone/etc.
I believe this would not be the best option for Soundworks to distribute their content online; as it would be better for viewers to be able to access it immediately, without having to download it to watch it; as then people are more likely to watch it as it is quick and easy to access.

True Streaming

True Streaming can also be called Live Streaming; and is simply when a video/audio clip, is broadcast live; and these are mostly sports. Examples of this are live football matches, live coverage of the olympics, wrestling matches, or radio shows, etc.
The technicalities of True Streaming are essentially the same as Progressive Streaming. But obviously videos distributed via True Streaming cannot be edited beforehand; as the footage is fed straight from the camera onto the internet. One option when creating a production to be distributed via True Streaming is to include VT's; you can pre-set a VT (A pre-recorded piece of video) to be shown at set times during the live transmission.
I do not believe that this would be the best option for Soundworks; as I am assuming the footage from Soundworks would be recorded and then edited; and this is obviously not an option when using Live Streaming as your online distribution platform.


Progressive Streaming

The user selects the file that they would like to watch.Usually a plug-in such as Adobe Flash is used to successfully stream the video. A copy of the video never actually exists on the user's computer/phone/tablet/etc. Only fragments of data are shown as they arrive, and are immediately deleted as streaming files.
A streaming server and real-time protocols are used for streaming. The web server sends the file to watch to the streaming server, which then sends the file directly to you, usually by using a real-time protocol (an RTP), Which is an internet protocol standard which manages the real-time transmission of multimedia data over multicast network services. ("Multicast is communication between a single sender and multiple receivers on a network"); This would be used for websites such as Netflix, LoveFilm and YouTube, etc.
Your video player, such as Windows Media Player, decodes and displays the data as it arrives, and gets rid of all unnecessary data.
Streaming online is quickly becoming the most popular method of watching films and videos, and I believe this would be the best method for Soundworks to dsitribute their content online; as Soundworks content is not something that people would download and want to keep saved and rewatch; and the content is not being filmed live; and so I believe streaming is the best option; as people can quickly and easily access the video; they can just click on the video and watch it quickly, without having to wait for it to download, and many platforms can be used to stream videos; and I believe the best option for Soundworks to stream their content would be via a YouTube channel, or their own website, and this could then be shared as a link via Social Networking, in order to reach as wide an audience as possible.



References Used

http://www.globaldots.com/how-live-video-streaming-works/
http://www.searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/Real-Time-Transport-Protocol/
http://www.searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/multicast/

Understanding the requirements of working to a brief

There are various types of briefs that are found in the creative sectors; such as contractual briefs; where a deadline, budgets, pay, etc, are all agreed and signed for at the beginning of the production; and so if you are late with the brief, legal action can be taken, and if you exceed the budget, you would not be paid.A negotiated brief is a brief where before production is begun, you negotiate with the client the budget; pay, and deadlines.
A formal brief is a brief which is similar to a contractual brief; however there is usually a get out clause; as a contractual brief is legally binding, whereas with a formal contract there will usually be no legal repercussions for a late entry.
An Informal brief is a brief for which the requirements such as deadlines/pay/budget/etc are not written down, and there is no legal repercussions whatsoever for a failure to complete the brief.
A Commission brief is a brief of which the client seeks out freelancers to complete work for them; this is usually paid lower than other types of briefs.
A Co-operative brief is a brief which you work with other people on, sometimes simply in a group of two, and sometimes large groups, and the task of meeting the requirements for the brief are shared by all members of the group.
A Tender brief is a brief of which the client will approach multiple people with the project, and see who can provide the lowest price, and whoever provides the lowest price would get the contract.
The final type of brief is a Competition; of which a client will ask multiple people to participate and create something for them in order to win a prize; sometimes cash, sometimes other prizes or incentives.

Negotiating the brief is a very important part of the process; Negotiating the brief first involves having a meeting with the client, to discuss the brief; The main things to be negotiated for this brief would be pay; what I would get paid for the project; and then the deadline; how long it would take for the project to be completed by, so as to avoid missing ir being late for the deadline.  And the final thing to negotiate with the client is the budget for the project; to ensure that the client gives you enough money to make the project with; as there could be potential fines of your pay, if you exceed the budget.

The first thing that you have to do when you get your brief is to identify the requirements of the client, as specified in the brief; as well as identifying the nature of the brief; e.g. - a cheerful video advertisement;, or a seriously natured picture advertisement, etc, so that you can make a plan of how to meet the requirements of said brief; for example; a client brief will usually include:

-     - What needs to be produced

      - The budget for the brief

      - Timescale

      - Fees

      When discussing the brief with the client;  it is important to consider legal issues; that what the client is asking for does not break any copyright laws,and that the way in which you create the client's product is not portrayed as unethical. (E.g. - if you are asked to create an advertisement to raise awareness for dementia, then this must be done tactfully so that there are no ethical implications, etc.)

      Usually the first thing to be discussed is the fees and budget. because if you exceed the budget,you can end up either not getting paid; or having the excess taken out of your pay. 
      A good way of ensuring that you meet the budget requirements is to work out a budget before making the product; and adding a little bit extra on just in case; so that you have a small amount spare in the budget just in case. 
      Doing the same with the timescale can also help to ensure that you meet the client requirements for the brief; adding a little extra time than is totally necessary just in case, so that it is more likely that you will meet the timescale requirements of the client's brief.
      Discussing with the client what they want their product to look like is a good way of ensuring that you fully understand the requirements of the client's brief, so that you can more easily meet those requirements.

     
      If, however, there needs to be amendments to the budget, or fees, then these would be best being discussed with the client in a mature, and professional manner. The same applies to if the client requests some amendments to the conditions of the brief, or amendments to the proposed final product, then these should be discussed maturely with the client; and you should make sure that you have a full understanding of what the client wants to change, and timescales for these; to avoid any other future amendments.

      It is extremely important to ensure that you deliver the product to the client on time, and within budget. This is extremely important; as if you do not deliver the product on time and within the agreed timescale; you could possibly not be paid, and as well as this, it will give you a bad reputation, and possibly ruin any future opportunities for work. Reversely; if you do deliver your product on time, and within budget, word will spread and it will increase your opportunities for work, as well as giving you a good portfolio of work to send to possible future clients..
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      It can also be beneficial when working for a client to create a product to look for self-development opportunities; to improve the skills you currently have; e.g. - by gaining more experience by working with certain editing programs, and exploring various features of these programs whilst working on a product, or if a weakness that you have is working within a group; then ensuring that if you are working on a client brief as a group, then you are contributing fully to the group, and make efforts to improve your team-working skills, by trying to compromise on ideas, and if you are the leader of the group; delegating the tasks amongst the group according to their strengths; e.g. - editor, camera-operator, etc, and work alongside them to create a good morale amongst the group, and to get to know the group.

Research into webseries

Myself and Becca researched into popular movie reviewers on Youtube, and found the most highly rated and popular reviewers; and people's feedback into why they are popular.
The first we found was The Epic Movie Review; Who are three men who discuss their films as they leave the cinema after seeing the film, and have a group discussion about it.
From feedback from the viewers; people enjoy these reviews because they are honest, unbiased. with a clear interest in the films that they are watching.
The second we found was the Blind Film Critic, a man who is blind but reviews films from what he hears from them, and the audio descriptive versions.
From feedback from the viewers on this reviewer; people liked the reviews as they add a unique perspective that not many people will experience.
Breakin' it down  was another popular reviewer; a woman whose parents are directors/producers, and people enjoy these reviews because she provides a funny perspective, and is more than qualified to deliver film reviews.
Kermode and Mayo are two very popular movie reviewers who have a radio show, and put the videos of these on the internet, and people enjoy his reviews as they provide an intellectual perspective on movies, and oftentimes can be quite amusing.
What the Flick was the final one that we researched, and it draws together reviewers from across the web and gets them talking about movies that they've recently seen; and viewers seem to enjoy it because it is a panel of professionals, who know what they are talking about; providing their input on movies.

We researched these popular web reviewers in order to get ideas for our review show on how to make it popular and enjoyable, and factors that we can extract from these review shows in order to make ours better; and the main factor that I can take from this was that the most enjyable review shows are the more casual, discussion-based ones.

Production Log

Production Log

-          Was told about the project, and what it entails; watching the presentation on road safety; and assessing how it can be improved to better reach it’s target audience.

-          We watched the presentation; and were given a chance to hear feedback from the other group. The other group said that it could be seen as biased as a lot of the facts included that most of the crashes were by male teenage drivers; and it could be better to stay away from that, as there is a risk of insulting the audience. Some other criticisms were that the video clips shown were much too graphic, and put off a lot of the audience; and that the content that focussed on the emotional repercussions reached people a lot more.
My own personal critique somewhat matched the other group’s feedback; I found the clips much too graphic; It bordered on horror, and seemed to be constant, and there would be members of the group who would be sickened, rather than shocked into not driving dangerously, and there would be members of the group who wouldn’t care as they were too used to violence.

-          My idea from there was to create a clip without any violence, preferably something humorous, which still got the message across to the audience, rather than relying on shock tactics, which would most likely be ineffective on a teenage audience.

-          I began to put together a proposal for my idea to improve the presentation, and to explain why it would improve the presentation, and the message that it would put across.

-          My idea was to put across in my video the message that teenagers, particularly girls, should be careful of using their phones while walking round in public, near roads, as it is very easy to become distracted and stop paying attention to cars driving past. I wrote in my pitch that this idea would help improve the presentation, as it addresses something that no other video in the presentation did; as well as being relevant to the target audience.

-          Two other ideas were selected by the creators of the presentation to be made, and so the class was split into two groups to create each video. The video my group was meant to create was a funny video about two couples having a race to put their seatbelts on, rather than to race their cars.

-          Everyone created an individual script for the piece, and one script was chosen to be used for the video.

-          This script was changed, as it once had speech in it, and the speech was removed, as it seemed to flow a lot better with no speech, and just music playing over the video, as really, no speech was needed, as it added to the humour, of the audience thinking that they were actually going to have a real race.

-          Storyboards were created, to depict where each shot was, and it what order they would be played, so as to make it easier when filming and editing.

-          The location was selected; Teesside Park, at the car park next to Hollywood Bowl.

-          The Risk Assessments were written and distributed to all involved members of the cast and crew.

-          We scheduled which day everyone was available, and scheduled the shoot.

-          Contact sheets with everyone’s details, and the details of the shoot and times were written and distributed amongst all involved members of the cast and crew.

-          A Script Breakdown was carried out to decide what equipment was needed. We only really needed two cars; one car was Karl’s, the other Hamada’s.

-          Started filming, the equipment was not booked in advance, but the GoPro Camera was available, and so this was used. No sound or lighting equipment was necessary. The whole shoot took around 2 hours to film, and transportation was provided in Karl and Hamada’s cars. Everything ran smoothly, and all the exterior shots were filmed first, then all of the shots inside one car, and then all the shots in the other car next, to be edited together later on. We returned to the college and returned the equipment immediately after taking off the footage and saving it to a safe location.

-          Myself, Karl and Rebecca each did a separate edit of the video. The editing process took around 5 and a half hours each, and we decided on Karl’s edit to be our finished piece.

-          We handed in all Pre-Production work and the finished videos into Andy.

Road Safety Video - Editing Review

I spent some time looking at various road safety videos to find examples of editing within these videos; the following two were videos which I believed were edited well, and suited the tone of the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-8PBx7isoM
I believe this video was edited well because of the well-shot close ups; which fitted in smoothly with the rest of the video, as well as the slow-motion, and the "explosion" at the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFoxGg49WwM 
This video had superb quick cuts, and smooth dissolves and shot transitions when required; as rather than being one road safety video, this is a compilation of many safety videos. The videos flowed well in a way in which you did not notice the editing, and you were instead focused completely on what was happening in the video. As well, the videos seemed to flow in an almost linear fashion; in one shot, a car would crash, or roll over; in the next shot, it would be the fallout from the crash; injured people, gravestones, etc, all pulled from various different videos, and compiled together in a very fluent way.

The following videos however, I believe had poor editing, or editing in some places where they were not necessary:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDpOAXfangI 
This video has little editing, but every transition from one shot to another is a fade to black; which does not really fit the tone of the video; as well as drawing attention to the editing; which is always a bad thing.
The slow motion in the video also doesn't seem to fit, as when the child is being hit by the car, too birds fly past and almost completely obscure the child; and even if this was shot this way on purpose; it doesn't look it, and looks like a mistake during them filiming as well, which could easily have been resolved by reducing how slow the filming was or reshooting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNlS851CWWQ
This video's editing overall is generally terrible; there are unnecessary fade to blacks, as well as cuts where it is meant to look like it is the boy opening and closing his eyes, but it is much too fast and smooth, and simply stands out as an edit where little attention has been paid into making it look real; as well as the shaky camerawork, which was made to look blurred by the editing, I believe, which didn't make sense, as it was shot during the day, even though he was speaking about going on a night out; and so the editing didn't make sense, if it was meant to signify that he was drunk.

Forms of Online Digital Media Distribution

Forms of Digital Media Distribution

 

 

 

There are three main forms of online distribution, Namely Progressive Streaming, True Streaming, and Downloads, and both illegal and legal methods of accessing them. Because of Progressive Streaming, it is becoming quicker, easier, and cheaper to access archives of films and other media without having to physically go out and purchase it, as well as being able to watch live events with ease, and online downloads make it easier to purchase media online and usually at a cheaper price.

 

Progressive Streaming exists in forms such as Netflix, Lovefilm, Vuavi, etc.

Progressive Streaming is when a film is encoded and then uploaded to a server, which is then accessed by the viewer. For example, A film is encoded and uploaded to Netflix's server, and then when viewers log in to Netflix, this enables them to access Netflix's server and view the films that have been uploaded onto this.

 

True Streaming is always live streaming, and is used for live events such as wrestling, football and various other sports, or any show or event which is broadcasted live. One way that people watch these is via the internet, or on Television services such as TiVo boxes, etc; where people can pay to watch these broadcasts (Wrestling PPVs, etc). There are also many illegal methods through which people can watch streams live online without having to pay/from someone other than the broadcaster/etc.

 

Downloading media online is quite easy from the many sites which provide downloadable content; e.g - iTunes, Amazon, etc. This is simply where you download the media straight on to your hardrive without streaming, however, Progressive Downloading also exists, where as you are streaming a form of media, it is downloading to your hardrive at the same time. For example, Through the Xbox Marketplace or Playstation Network; where as you are watching/listening to something, it is downloading itself to your hard drive.

There is quite a high rate of illegal downloading, mainly using Torrenting sites, also known as File-Sharing, where someone will upload a media file, and other people will download it from then, and then using a torrenting program share the file, so the more people who have downloaded the file, the quicker and easier it is to download it.