Definition For new media producers, defining an online show to non tech-savvy consumers has always been a challenge. Example: While defining one of the shows that Visual Avenue produces, we describe the show as ‘a TV show on the web.’ However, from a industry professional’s stand point, that is incorrect. If it’s a TV show, why is it on the web? If it’s a TV show, why is it only 5 minutes? These are only a few of the questions. However, the bigger, and perhaps the most daunting question is — how do you describe this new medium to the mass audience and non-tech savvy consumers? Do you define it as ‘video on the web’? OR do you call it something else? Regardless of what you define the show, the naming process should a) not confuse the viewer and b) not under estimate your production or media property.
Reach: Given that there are millions of websites, and only a small percentage of these include video, how do you get professionally produced content in front of an audience? Is there currently a database for pro-only content? One example is Blip.tv. It features episodic content, which is beneficial in discovering new shows. But, the Blip.tv player is embedded across numerous sites, and hence the discoverability aspect is minimal.
Category: Last, but not least: why is a majority of online content informational, rather than entertainining. Is it because informational content is easier to produce or is it because creative people are not moving rapidly to the web? All the questions posed in the post are crucial to the entire online digital media industry. However, the above also indicates that this is a new industry and will take a while to establish, just like blogs did.
