The YouTube factor
In 21st-century indie media production, YouTube's presence looms large. Regardless of what kind of performing artist or media creator you may be YouTube can have a significant impact in reaching and affecting your potential audience as well as new audiences. Another section of this site will explore YouTube's application to different areas of performance and media creation artists. But a significant factor in its success has been enabling users to Publish Once, Share Everywhere (P.O.S.E.) for maximum exposure and YouTube Success.
Google made headway in the early search engine wars by pushing relevance and authority as key components of its algorithms. SEO became less about the keywords and more about the popularity of the content. The idea is simple: the more sites with clout that link to your site, the more relevant your content must be. Search 101.
Google's place in online video
Google's $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube in 2006 was a pivotal move for the technology giant. Aside from owning the largest repository of digital video content in existence, the benefits from a pure search standpoint are massive. YouTube is now the second-most-used search engine behind Google. And because YouTube's inner workings have evolved over time similar to Google's to best serve the user with relevant content, the implications for brands are clear: drive discoverability and distribution.
Discoverability is crucial, given YouTube's dominance. YouTube now serves more than 4 billion hours of video to over 1 billion users every month. According to a recent study by eMarketer, nearly half of those surveyed said they “rarely” or “never” go outside YouTube for online video viewing. Facebook -- the #2 video-serving site -- has less than 40% of the monthly viewers of YouTube, and among those viewers, average time spent with video is a fraction of YouTube's (16.4 vs. 388.3 minutes per viewer).
YouTube brand landscape
We are living in an age where the term “viral” is being increasingly muddled by social networks seeking to monetize content. Successful brands pay big dollars to seed video content, sponsor posts, and otherwise pay for engagement and exposure. Many of the biggest so-called “viral” campaigns have had millions of views paid for. YouTube is not a level playing field where the best content is guaranteed viral stardom.
A recent Pixability report took a look at Interbrand's Top 100 Global Brands and their trends on YouTube. It found that most of these brands are overspending on content creation without solid media strategies. How much overspending? Despite billions of dollars of investment to publish YouTube content, over 50% of the videos produced by the Top 100 Global Brands have less than 1,000 views.
The brands with the most success are using an always-on media strategy with targeted advertising within YouTube, and embedded placements outside the YouTube platform. They’re optimizing their video tagging and search terms, publishing a wide variety of content consistently, and utilizing embedded placements.
Engagement as "votes"
Like that basic SEO premise of popularity driving relevance, popular videos must be more relevant than unpopular videos. Each view, thumbs up, and subscription is a vote of confidence and increases the visibility of your content.
When brands promote original content solely over closed video platforms, they are missing out. The exponential effect of engagement-building via the YouTube platform is not realized, and the video's exposure is ultimately limited. Reach is achieved, but there is little momentum.
P.O.S.E. as a video strategy
P.O.S.E. is a simple premise: Publish Once, Share Everywhere. It’s a nod to the philosophy of Create Once, Publish Everywhere -- but with more discretion on the "publish" aspect.
It entails focusing your content within YouTube, and embedding and sharing video in as many places as possible. Traditionally, online video advertising may have had your video playing within a Flash rich media banner, which essentially acts as a closed environment. With P.O.S.E., the YouTube video itself is embedded within the media placement to drive up views and engagement.
Targeted YouTube placements are used to build reach, engagement, and subscribers. The video is embedded in social media, blogs, news articles, and more. Those eyeballs you paid for now help your video gain momentum.
Many brands want to maintain strict ownership of their content, have more control over ad monetization, or struggle with rights management complications. This is especially true of entertainment publishers, where content is a valuable commodity and an open channel like YouTube isn’t necessarily the most profitable means for distribution. In addition, online video advertising on other platforms using pre-roll, post-roll, interstitial, and other placements can be very effective.
Organic exposure is the cheapest exposure. In an increasingly frugal advertising landscape, P.O.S.E. can be a powerful strategy for brands vying to maximize their original content.
[RESEARCH THIS AREA FURTHER, EXCERPT TAKEN FROM WEB ARTICLE: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/214137/publish-once-share-everywhere-pose-for-yout.html?edition=67925
Making a film or digital video
By definition in discussing independent film, we usually refer to pictures designed for release in movie theaters that are not produced and distributed throughout the world by one of the eight major studios: Disney, Dreamworks SKG, Fox, MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. Typically, independent pictures are financed by “pre-sales”
contracts from distributors that are discounted and cash flowed by a bank, and often supplemented by private money, and, if they qualify, from subsidies and tax incentives from abroad. The budgets range from tens of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars.
Independent film producers are actually fairly new. Up until the 1960s, mostly all films were produced by major studios. Although presently independent film producers contribute acclaimed titles, the major studios continue to dominate development, financing and distribution. Today there are an estimated 1500 independent films produced each year in the United States.
The most important difference between an independent producer and a producer who works on a studio picture is that the independent producer is responsible for handling an entire additional set of legal, business and financial roles that are customarily handled by studios on pictures produced, financed and released by the majors.
The most wonderful movie concepts cannot work without proper business and legal implementation. In implementing the business and legal management of producing a movie, there are seven primary functions the independent film producer has:
- Business owner/manager
- Project developer
- Project packager
- Project financier
- Physical film producer
- Distributor/distribution arranger
- Distribution and asset manager
Mastering a music CD
A performing artists’ decision to record an album (CD) should be made with proper research and knowledge of what goes into studio production. Some very basic questions that should be answered before you begin include:
- Have you worked out a budget?
- Are you familiar with the technicalities of studio production?
- Have you chosen the right collaborative team?
- Do you know the difference between analog and digital recording?
- What are the roles of the producer and the executive producer?
The budget and the producer
Without a major label behind you your budget is key. It may become the facor that decides the success or failure of your project. Backers can include friends, family, supporters, or, a producer or executive producer. Bear in mind that statistically, far more recording projects fail than succeed. Seasoned investors savy about the industry know this. If you are new to album recording, seek the advice of an experienced attorney.
Studios and the engineer’s role
When first planning your budget, include the cost of rehearsal and recording studio time. This varies a great deal, ranging from as low as $25 to $350 an hour for state-of-the-art recording studios. Calculating the amount of time it takes to make a recording depends on certain factors. A singers album should average a minimum of ten hours in the studio, six to fifteen hours to mix, and eight hours to polish off the finished product before it goes to the plant for replication (for CDs, this is known as pressing).
A good producer will secure the right working team for your album. The recording engineer has the hardest technical job of getting the best recording on tape while helping to enhance the sound of the finished product. Engineers are hired on an hourly basis and should be experienced enough to work with the pace of the session and ensemble team. This will probably average $50 an hour.
Analog or Digital?
As you get close to recording you and your recording technicians must choose one of the two different recording methods -- analog or digital. Analog is the older one with today’s analog recordings using methods that came into being during the mid- to late 1960s. Analog recording uses audio tape as its sound transfer medium.
Digital, which is newer and cheaper, uses a recordable compact disc or computer sound chip as its medium. It should be noted that the recording industry like other competitive industries, adds new and improved recording devices and technology to their technical process to enhance and improve the quality of any recording.
Starting a community theater company
As you plan to launch your own theater company, it is vital to be able to articulate this vision and the Company’s direction before the business and funding community that will be a vital part of these institutions. The elements of certain things you need to keep in mind are outlined below.
Budget and initial expenses
A proper budget plan will maximize what you do have and perhaps allow you to generate more income. Low overhead is the best guarantee of success and survival. Think before you spend. If you can put off an expense in your early days, do so. Also be wary of overstaffing beyond the theater’s essential needs to function efficiently.
Insurance considerations
Most rental spaces, not to mention unions, will require you to arrange for insurance. It’s difficult to come up with a one size fits all arrangement or solution since every space will be different. Every production, depending on the number of personnel you’re using per show, may have different insurance requirements as well.
Do plan for adequate coverage in the event of a natural disaster, particulary during showtime. You will most certainly need to provide workmen’s compensation for the actors and technical people. Consult Actor’s Equity for specifics. Developing a rapport with Equity is a smart move, as they can penalize you financially, and/or shut you down totally.
Even if you are not working with Equity, it is a good idea to take a look at insurance for your actors’ welfare. How can you get the best deal on sufficient coverage? Browse the phone book and call around to price various insurance companies listed. Some of them should actually specialize in theatrical insurance, especially in large cities. Be honest about your situation so you can get adequate coverage for a good price. While shopping for insurance, also consider coverage packages for audience members as well.
Unless you are paying full-time staffers full-time salaries, it’s very probable you will not be held responsible for health insurance coverage. Equity requires health insurance for its members for some productions, and so this is something you should be aware of.
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