Streaming Media - December 2008/January 2009 - (Page 59)

Some stuff we’ve done and [we] think, ‘Oh we’re brilliant.’ Other stuff, we think that, but we put it out there and say, ‘Oh, we’re so stupid.’ The important thing is to not sit around and tweak and hone and make it the best it can be. If you’ve got a good idea, put together a pilot and get it out there. In the end, it doesn’t matter how smart you think it is—the audience is going to tell you what they like.” To one of YouTube’s most-loved self-promoters: “The million-dollar question is the sustainability of the amateur. Some days, I’m almost taunting bigger media that amateurs have cracked the code, and big media’s still stumbling,” says Nalty. “But the reality is that their efforts are maturing, and [the] whole pie will continue growing. I do still think independent producers have an early-mover advantage though, and we also have the luxury of economics. You really can’t, if you’re a big network, depend on this, as you have to wait for the model to form. So I think we’re at least good for a couple of years, and I’ll ride that as long as I can. Whatever happens with amateurs, there’ll always be marketers who need help to figure out this space. I’m not the greatest creator in the world or the best marketer, but not many people can bring the two together, so that’s where I think I have an advantage.” To one of the top independent earners in online video: “There are those times when I knew something was going to be a blockbuster, like the laser flashlight. I didn’t know it was going to become as popular as it has become, but it was such a cool idea. It burns things, and people are going to like it if it burns something. It has that danger factor, so people are going to call me irresponsible. You think it’s a good idea, you put it out there, and just hope it does well,” says Kedersha. And since he’s taken up a regular gig with Make magazine and his online earnings are no longer tied directly to viewer numbers, “I find myself wanting to please the audience more than caring about views. Not just because the views don’t count from a financial point of view but because my future doing the videos could be determined by if the audience enjoys the videos,” he says. One thing’s for certain: This is an exciting, uncertain time for online video producers. They are faced with infinite possibilities and an audience that’s rapidly growing and hungry for content. So take note of the lessons being learned by your peers and go out there to create some great new content that showcases our favorite new medium. Geoff Daily (geoffdaily@gmail.com) is a freelance writer and contributing editor to Streaming Media. Comments? Email us at letters@streamingmedia.com, or check the masthead for other ways to contact us. WWW.STREAMINGMEDIA.COM 59 http://www.movenetworks.com http://www.movenetworks.com http://WWW.STREAMINGMEDIA.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Streaming Media - December 2008/January 2009

Streaming Media - December 2008/January 2009 Table of Contents User-Generated Politics Netflix Needs a Business Model Technology and Business Trends by the Numbers Improving Video Color Quality What Makes for Compelling Video? Game On: Bringing the NHL to IPTV Give! The New Era of Corporate Communications New Video Frontiers: Taking It Beyond the PC The HD Showdown: Codec Vendors Battle It Out for Supreme Quality The Ultimate Guide to Creating Online Video Content That Works, Part 2 Planning for Webcasting Success: Considerations for Deploying an Enterprise Video Communications Platform All Mobile Devices Are Not the Same Datmedia Datpresenter LSI Tarari Encoder Accelerator LCPX-6140 Gomez Active Streaming XF Transcoding for Global Reach Executive Visions 2009 The Revolution Is Being Televised

Streaming Media - December 2008/January 2009

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