Microsoft Buys YouTube

Okay, the headline isn't true. But it's certainly possible if you believe this BusinessWeek article titled "Microsoft: Let's Make More Deals." The article demonstrates how Microsoft is moving into the content creation area, which seems to bring them dangerously out of its core competency. I'd propose a better strategy would be to enable consumer-created content and wrap ads around them. The risk they run is buying a big content aggregator and probably starving them to death because Microsoft is about proprietary technology not content. That said, we'll all be using Microsoft Live soon, and even Google is becoming a newspaper.

I've highlighted some areas of interest in the below "more" section. My favorite quote:

People are rapidly evolving beyond the couch potatoes of old, who passively absorbed corporate sales pitches in between segments of TV shows. Instead, they're taking more control over what they watch, though technologies like TiVo (TIVO ) and YouTube, and skipping commercials they don't want to see. "Consumers are less willing to view ads that have a negative impact on the viewing experience," says Bainbridge's Marchese. Continue reading Microsoft Buys YouTube

Google’s Big News… It’s May 10

Google

So today is the annual day of Google news… the day they announce a big offering. We have learned about a "Coop" that Google is offering that "combining Google's algorithms with topics created by unique context, knowledge, and expertise of individuals." I'm not sure I understand this, and I can't find any information about it. Maybe I'm breaking the story here? A first-time exclusive for WillVideoForFood?   

But I think this is the real story. Burried in this article is the theory that part of Google's recent problems with indexing is because… Google's full. Sorry folks. Come back next year with your giant video files; we don't have any more room for your site. Sorry folks. Park's closed. Moose out front should have told you. (No wonder this blog hasn't been indexed yet).

We’re Happy to Use Peer-to-Peer to Distribute Films. But We’re Still Charging, Thank You.

I can't link to the WSJ because it's subscription only. But today saw a fascinating article (details below in the "more" section) in which Warner Brothers announced that it would use Peer-to-Peer technology to distribute its movies at the same time as DVDs. This gives them a cheaper distribution channel, but they're still going to charge a to-be-determined amount (it will be very interesting to see what price point they hit to ensure they don't cannibalize DVD sales but see if they can win over some people that are otherwise prone to privacy). My guess- 30% less than DVDs as long as the portability restrictions aren't much higher than DVDs. Otherwise the masses will go to NetFlix, Blockbusters or peer-to-peer black markets.

Movie Mongle

To read a highlight of the article, click "more" below.

Continue reading We’re Happy to Use Peer-to-Peer to Distribute Films. But We’re Still Charging, Thank You.

The Bloody Battle: Networks vs. Online Video Sites

It’s not the first, and it won’t be the last. This time C-Span has demanded that YouTube and iFilm remove the video of Stephen Colbert’s April 29 performance at the White House Correspondents Association. So the battle continues, and the online video properties are going to be pressured to filter content or become “Napsterized.” To see the “approved” version of this video, you’ll need to visit Google Video. Now I wonder what Colbert thinks of all of this. And I wonder if his agent minds if we use his image in this post.

Colbert

Citizen Created Commercials

Two interesting trends have accelerated the growth of "Citizen Created Commercials" (ads like those of FireFoxFlicks that are created not by Madisson Avenue but by folks like us). First, as brands migrate big television dollars to the web, there's simply not enough traditional paid placement opportunities (like banners nobody clicks). So marketers want something that provides and efficient impact. Second, in some industries we're starting to trust each other more than the ads and experts. In a recent study, some patient types are more prone to trusting the information they get on the Internet than their own doctors!

iMedia logo

With this in mind, it's worth scanning this iMarketing piece by nFusion's Mark Drosos. For highlights, click "more" on this post…

Continue reading Citizen Created Commercials

How to Make Money on Short, Viral Videos

For starters, let me get two things out in the open. I'm a Revver addict, and this blog is a spinoff of Revverberation, the unofficial blog of Revver. I'm also not a film pro, so we won't be exploring how to get your feature length film into Sundance.

 This blog focuses on how the average Joe can make money on their videos. There are currently four ways:

1) Upload your video to Revver.com and some other video services I'll be discussing in future posts. You'll make 50% of the ad revenue generated from your video. Here's my spoof of myself on Revver.

2) Enter your video into viral video contests (FireFox, Howard Stern, etc.), and those sites that give amateurs the ability to make "citizen created commercials." We'll be identifying lots of these.

3) Submit your video to a site that pays for great viral videos. Break.com is an example.

4) Create your own site using Revver videos. This is what I've done with CubeBreak, and I make a 20% affiliate fee on all videos that get ad clicks (and 50% of the ad clicks of my own work).

FireFox “Add On” for Video Downloading


Thanks to one of Revver's most popular video posters, MarquisdeJolie, for discovering this FireFox Add On. It allows for simple downloading from the following sites: Youtube, Google Video, iFilm, Metacafe, Dailymotion, Myspace, Angry Alien, AnimeEpisodes.Net, Badjojo, Blastro, Blennus, Blip.tv, Bofunk, Bolt, Break.com, Castpost, CollegeHumor, Current TV, Dachix, Danerd, DailySixer.com, DevilDucky, Double Agent, eVideoShare, EVTV1, FindVideos, Free Video Blog, Grinvi, Grouper, Hiphopdeal, Kontraband, Lulu TV, Midis.biz, Music.com, MusicVideoCodes.info, MySpace Video Code, Newgrounds, NothingToxic, PcPlanets, Pixparty, PlsThx, Putfile, Revver, Sharkle, SmitHappens, StreetFire, That Video Site, TotallyCrap, VideoCodes4U, VideoCodesWorld, VideoCodeZone, vidiLife, Vimeo, vSocial, Yikers, ZippyVideos… and any other webpage with embedded objects.

But does it support CubeBreak? That's what really matters.

P.S. Half of my motive for this post was to get this new blog on the search-engine grid by using the names of all the cool video sites.

Online Video Sites: Market Share for April

Here is some April data that estimates the video online market share (how many people visit each site). I didn't include every video site, but the ones that are top of mind for me.

1. YouTube 54.87%
2. eBaums World 15.22%
3. Google Video Search 12.53%
4. Break.com 8.57%
5. Bolt 5.47%
6. StupidVideos.com 1.67%
7. ZippyVideos.com 0.87%
8. Dailymotion.com 0.33%
9. Vimeo 0.18%
10. vSocial.com 0.17%
11. Revver 0.09%
12. Video.google.com 0.02%
13. blinkx.tv 0.01%
14. Cubebreak.com 0.01%

Comparing Budget Video Editing Software (Pinnacle, Adobe, Ulead, Microsoft)

Trying to figure out the best software with which to edit your videos? Here's a handy list of some of the best products out there, in my rank order. All hyperlinks take you to PCMag's thorough review of the tools. PCMag.com sums up video editing software here. And here's a PCMag buyer's guide if want to read more about the paths you can take.

Ever since I got my Mac, I've been using iLife to edit my videos. But before I "switched," I was using a few different PC Based Video applications (mostly Pinnacle and Microsoft Movie Maker). iLife's iMovie works pretty well for me, and is well integrated with the other applications like GarageBand, iTunes, iPhoto and the CD Burning tools. But iMovie's transitions and titles are extremely limited. I have a pet peeve for cheesy transitions (nothing screams amateur like a canned transition- the movie equivalent of clip art). And the title options are so limited, I usually create my own in Adobe Photoshop and import them to iLife as JPEGs.

I'm curious what Revver users are finding the best. Please comment.

So here are my picks for good video editing:

Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0
This is the one I'd pick if I hadn't moved to iLife (partially because it got PCMag's "editor's choice" award. What I love about Adobe is that they're generous to basic users in their low-priced versions. For example, Adobe's basic photo editing software gives many of the features of advanced versions at an accessible price.

Pinnacle Studio Plus 10
This would be the second-best pick after Adobe Premiere. Pinnacle is focused on digital editing, so you can't ignore it as an option. I've used Pinnacle before because it was bundled with some hardware I needed (analog-to-video converter) to get my arcane non-digital video camera footage into my computer.

Microsoft Windows Movie Maker 2.0
If you're brand spanking new to video editing, start with this one. It's free, and it's extremely simple. You might outgrow it quickly, but it will serve basic editing needs.

Ulead VideoStudio 9
Ulead comes bundled with other analog-to-video converters. Pretty decent tool I hear from others, but I haven't used it.

Now here are the fancier ones…

Adobe Production Studio
If your Paypal account is overflowing with Revver payments (or your day job is lucrative) you can afford this one. But it's out of the reach of most of us amateurs.

Adobe Creative Suite 2 Premium Edition
I'm not sure why this one would be worth the price. Fancy features, but Premier is good enough for most of us.

Again- please post your thoughts (what you use and what you like/don't).

Online-Video Marketing