A new technology… allows audience members to view specific content from their homes… thereby threatening to destroy the entertainment industry as the world knows it.
I’m not referring to the internet (though the early knee-jerk reactions by the industry were similar) but television in the 1950’s and 60’s. In response to rapidly dwindling audiences the movie industry developed wide-screen formats (yay!), smell-o-vision, vibrating seats, 3D movies, and put more effort into the developing of more vivid color film stocks. Film as a spectacle become a solid if not infallible box office draw.
Though pumping in the smells of swamps for horror films did little but hasten the death of smell-o-vision, the other improvements to one degree or another have stayed with us.
I enjoy spectacles (historical epics foremost among them) as much as the next person but have found no amount of explosions, motorcycles ramming helicopters :groan:, or effects can polish a lackluster story. So it was with certain resignation I went to view Avatar. And though I was not disappointed in my expected disappointment with the writing (think Aliens meets Dances with Wolves) I did rather enjoy the use of 3D. It seems to have graduated from the gratuitous “oh let’s poke you in the eye with this object” to being used for additional depth in scenes.
For certain genres and if applied with sense this could lend to untick in box office. I’d be very keen to see Hubble 3D. That being said, I’m not sure that the buzz about 3D TV’s at this year’s CES is justified. The big budget shows may be able to pull it off, but the shooting (and even viewing) styles of the television (and internet) mediums do not lend themselves to the spectacle. Quick turn around demands alone may dilute the experience enough to wear novelty thin. That being said certain shorter mediums such as the music video would be an interesting experience.
I do however have diobolical plans for smell-o-vision.
J. Ewan Van Dijkhorst
I’ve not posted in sometime, I’ll revisit the purpose and design of this when time allows. In the meanwhile I’m still slinging cameras for a living, freelancing on the side, and trying to start a business.
In partial penance I’m going to post some of the more interesting links gathered during my hiatus and maybe revisit them later for an more in depth analysis.
Adage has a piece on the highest online ad rates. The CPM model seems to be rapidly reaching its limits. With broadcast and the ensuing large campaigns, paying a set amount per thousand audience members still pay dividends and makes sense. For internet advertising this may not be the most cost efficient way of reaching audiences. The article does mention that niche sites can still command larger CPM rates but it seems to be the case that smaller sites are having to rely on Pay Per Click advertising and referral marketing.
I visit sites such as notcot, slashfilm, and dvxuser on a regular basis. Though I may be aware that certain brands (such as VW) support the communities I visit, it’s not often that I bother to click on advertisements. How do the sites I frequent pay their staff and continue providing me with content I value? I’d like to in the coming months get a bit more in depth into profit models for websites..
I’ve been maintaining that for mobile applications to truly take off some standardization needs to occur. The divisions between Flash, Silverlight, and Objective C 2 finally seem to be cracking.
Flash applications can now be modified for use on the I-phone. Indirect it may be but it’s still a step in the right direction.
the BBC world news has a spotlight on sms (texts) being used for medical monitoring in Kenya.
With all the talk of streamlining the health-care industry here in the states, the ability to keep in touch with and serve remote areas is yet another upside of our hyper-connectivity.
With a handy bit of php (script furnished by Ryan) I know have my website’s index redirecting here.
I’ll post some of the redesign concepts down the line, but until time allows to convert it to flash I’ll be posting more of my work here.
Online advertising is set to “overtake tv” in spending amounts. Part of this may be due to a general fall in advertising expenditure. The BBC article has an very on point quote from a UK marketing director “To set them up in competition is a mistake and misses their complementary relationship.”
DDB UK discusses TV and Internet advertising. The accompanying video is more of a plug for the VW GTI than an in depth discussion but certainly worth a watch for Mr. Fox’s insight (and recommended like videos).
The BBC also has an breakdown of great online ads an analysis of overall campaign effectiveness would be great interest.
A recent piece (the specific source to be updated later, I believe NPR? eludes me) pointed out that buying advertising for an episode of the Simpsons on Hulu was significantly more expensive than doing so during it’s network premiere. This wouldn’t necessarily be an indicator of effectiveness but rather taking into account the limited advertising space and likelihood that audiences will stay tuned (it’s not as easy to DVR past Hulu’s ads).
This may also be in large part due to budget cuts and the perceived notion of the internet being more economical to conduct a campaign. Things will get far more interesting when the two mediums are properly integrated. Using TV to spur interest in an ARG and translating that into a dedicated brand following would be ace.
J. Ewan Van Dijkhorst
I’ve been caught up with redesigning my site (only to find that Photoshop CS4 no longer has the ever handy Indesign, time to consider flash). Other than working fulltime I’ve also been doing a great deal of encoding for the web and mobile devices.
There are also a fair amount of links and articles I’d like to share and break down.
Once again time passes,
Trent Reznor has put up a guide for new artists in the face of new technology.
How to create depth of field in Photoshop. I may try a 3 way shootout between a lens adapter, After Effects, and Photoshop for Depth of field manipulation. Depending on the results I may put some effort into improving my Letus or just sell the thing.
50 ways to improve your writing skills.
I may have posted this before but MIT has some of its courses in free online format.
I’m slinging still cameras and accessories at the moment and trying to find a D mount to C mount converter for 16mm lenses. If anyone has a spare (or several) lying around let me know.
I spent a fair amount of time with the Shiny Propaganda Machine yesterday tooling around in Adobe encore and trying to optimize a project for flash streaming. Will be doing that and some writing for the next few weeks, otherwise no new news.
These are some of the topics I want to expand upon, once I can dig up the now lost supplemental material.
If memory serves (and it has been occasion known not to..) 500 or so Wal-Mart stores will be testing a new rental kiosk. Several in my area are already sporting Red-Box stations, as I understand it those will remain in place. What is news though is that they’ve taken the inevitable step of renting out BluRay and video game titles at absurdly low prices as well. This should a red flag for traditional rental outlets, if not a Broadside.
As should their announcement that they (along with their primary electronics competitor Best Buy) will begin accepting used games for trade in. I don’t know the specifics of this yet but surmise that it entails credit applied to a credit or debit card, the discs being processed/inspected/repaired at a fulfillment center and then shipped out to the necessary markets. [Additional documentations, links, and quotes to come]
I believe in a recent issue of Wired magazine, Benecia Del Toro predicted the future of entertainment. To paraphrase Immersive storytelling engine. He spoke, correctly mind you, of the eventuality of entertainment mediums merging together for a more compelling experience. That pronouncement and a personal enjoyment of the medium will have me expanding this site’s charter to cover gaming.
One of the areas with the most interactivity in this field is modding, allowing users to modify their titles propelled Never Winter Nights, and the Elder Scroll series into adoration. The ability to adapt an engine; to a more responsive and tailored purpose has allowed games to radiate into new territory and built a solid community. One of the more popular modding sites www.moddb.com has a feature on a Left for Dead mod, Deadlock. I’ll expand more on it in future as one its primary creators is a close friend of mine but their development website should be of great interest to those who are interested in gaming.
J. Ewan Van Dijkhorst
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