Week 4. Tute Exercise.

1.Where and when did usable online video start? (provide some refs. and an example if possible)
From doing some research on this topic, i found that online video did not come into play until 2004. This coincided with the US political campaign with the presidential election of Howard Dean. However, this also reflected the stronger advancements in broadband speeds throughout the US, Which allowed the video age to take the world by storm. The online video age did not begin until near the end of the election where the end of flash animation came to a halt. 


The first of an organized online video enthusiasts group was inaugurated in 2004 and further solidified at the beginning of 2005, where the Vloggercon(Video Blogger) Conference was held.   


http://dembot.com/post/310798115/a-decade-in-history-of-online-video




2.In the lecture we heard about technological innovations that were used by the studios to lure audiences. (mostly to combat the popularity of TV)
What recent innovations are being used to lure us in the movies?
What are they luring us from?


As a culture, we are lured to the movies by discreet yet subliminal advertising. Advertising movies on TV with such phrases at the end of the trailer such as "only at the movies" means that the audience feels as though they are obliged to go to the movies to watch that particular movie, as they will not be able to purchase or hire the movie to watch in the comfort of their home. Also, studios release movies a fair time after the movie has run in cinemas, this is also to encourage people to go to the movies to watch that particular film as the viewer would not be able to watch the film for some time, so they must go to the cinema to watch it. 


These techniques are used to prevent people from waiting for the movie to come out on TV and go and watch it at the cinema. 




3.Are short films still being made? Why? Who pays for them to be made?


Short films are still being made and are quite popular with the youth culture. Evidence of this is the numerous websites and festivals which are listed endlessly on the internet. 


The reason short films are being made is that they are a means of a beginning in the film culture. It is a way for young and upcoming directors and writers to put themselves in the map. Short films are most often than not created by University students or students in general, however most short films are self funded, however some short film festivals have prize money which is for the taking of the winner. 


4.The term viral is thrown about adhoc but what does it mean in film/movie arena? Give some examples.


Viral related to film and movies is where a video becomes popular and sort after through the process of social media websites, emailing and web postings. Videos can also be shared via MMS and Bluetooth. 
Viral films are often comical and eye-catching, giving the audience a reason to share to a friend. Some examples of this are: 


"I Got a Crush... on Obama" 





This was first posted on YouTube in 2007 about then senator Barrack Obama. It has to date 18, 870, 467 views. 


Another example was a amatuer wildflife documentary between a heard of Cape Buffalo, A proud of lions and two crocodiles. The video was shot in 2004 at a watering Hole in Kruger National Park in south Africa. 




This viral video has 55, 050, 630 views to date. 


5. Online video distribution isn't limited to the short film format. We are now starting to see television styled shows made solely for internet release (webisodes). Find an example of this style of content and discuss how viewing television content in this way can positively and negatively affect the viewer's experience.


Popular examples of webisodes include; 


Heroes
Battlestar Galactica
Recruit
The face of the Enemy
And More. 


Having minisodes allows viewers to fill the gaps between the winter break where a TV series comes to an end, allowing viewers to continue watching. This allows for the Television and the producer to continue getting ratings and inevitable money. However, some negatives of this new  television watching experience means that more people are steering away form watching TV which means advertising becomes less effective and therefore less funding will be provided to the television Stations. However, this also can mean that advertising can take place online and can be more interactive. All in all i consider this new means of watching TV a success.