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Creating Media Conscious Content
The way society pays attention to media has changed. Are you shooting content relevant to the change? Going, going and soon to be gone are the days of static non-interactive content. Even in today’s traditional television programming, messaging consists of commercials plugged with web inducement to activate engagement in audiences. This shift creates audience community-building allowing communicators to reach audiences where they are while also gaining deeper access to their behaviors for future content development. Is your content incorporating what you’re learning about your audience? Content developers can not reasonably expect that non-interactive visual imagery will build highly invested audiences in the new world of socialization and mixed media. Broadcast television is migrating to internet-based syndication merging with the extended campaigns of today’s corporate marketing and non-broadcast corporate messaging. Let’s take a look at static video content verses the application of transmedia to video in corporate messaging:
Static Video Content:
This video messaging might do better at enticing viewers to grab a snack while its running than motivate them to engage with the content. This footage could, however, be repurposed and activated to engage its audience as seen in the clip below:
New Media Use of Video:
When you shoot think about how your content can inspire viewers to get involved and what other media formats there are to help you deliver your message. Move content forward by repurposing it for online use following your audience’s behaviors creates nearly unlimited reach with social syndication capabilities but there’s more to factor in. Before you book your shoot, every producer should ask “Are we shooting content that appeals to the media conscious audience of today?” Here are some tips to help you say “Yes”: Camera Format Choose to shoot in the highest format your budget can afford. 720 is great for playback on an ipad, pc, or mobile device but not on a 40 foot presentation screen or a 3-story 3-D mapping canvas. Don’t limit the outreach potential by shooting video for the web alone. Your repurposing freedom is directly related to the original camera format your footage is shot in. Playback Outlets Choose you web player mindfully. It makes sense to publish content on YouTube because it is the world’s 2nd largest search engine and offers a number of features and benefits for housing video.
The other aspect to consider is that doing so means your content will run concurrent with commercial ads, featured videos, and other channels. Be sure to select playback formats that won’t distract viewers from your message or worse, inadvertently promote adversary messaging along with yours. Mix Mediums Transmedia is the telling of stories using multiple platforms and formats. Like choosing a high camera format will save you time and money on reformatting, shoot footage for unlimited platform mixing as well. While the definition of transmedia is an ever changing catch-all for use of various multiple media platforms together, the cost savings of having shot content with a multiplatform approach is a benefit that will never go out of style. A smart approach to shooting media conscious video is incorporating animated scenes, illustrations, audio overlays, and other cultural activators to engage your audience.
Planning to shoot adequate coverage ahead can drive your content’s reach even deeper now and as new transmedia methods evolve. By keeping these factors in mind when conceptualizing your video’s content you leave room to expand your reach from a foundation of potential use to tap constantly tap into. What media formats are you using with video to invest your viewers?
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