Week 4 - Tute Task

Video or 'film' has not always worked online.
1. Where and when did usable online video start?
Online video began as early as the development of the broadband network. By 2006 there were 10's of million's of videos available online.


2. What recent innovations are being used to lure us in the movies? What are they luring us from?
One of the most recent innovations that has been used to lure us into the movies is 3D films. The novelty of going to the cinema to see Avatar, wearing 3D glasses to have giant jellyfish float over my head was something that couldn't be repeated on the same scale at home. With large flat screen televisions becoming so common, cinemas must be losing ticket sales, so they had to come up with a gimmick to make going to the cinema exciting again.


3. Are short films still being made? Why? Who pays for them to be made?
Short films are still being made, I think that short films are today used more for informative or commical purposes. There are short documentaries and short animations everywhere online. They are a good way to get a message across clearly, to make a point or provide information. Short films can be made very cheaply today with the availability of cheap technology, so nearly anyone can pay for one to be made, or to make one themselves.

4. The term viral is thrown about adhoc but what does it mean in film/movie arena? Give some examples.
The term viral in regards to film and video is when a video becomes popular via internet 'sharing', such as through video sharing websites like YouTube or through email. Some examples of videos that have gone viral include:
1. Lonely Island's 'I'm on a Boat'

viewed 47,131,733 - 25/08/10

2. Hungrybear 9562 'Double Rainbow'

viewed 11,901,669 - 25/08/10

3. David After Dentist 

viewed 65,812,306 - 25/08/10


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.
An example of this short film format is 'We Lost Our Gold'. Two artists have been working together to create this series of webisodes detailing where they have buried a wooden chest within the five boroughs of New York City, and it is filled with $10,000 in U.S. currency. Clues of where the hidden treasure lies come in the form of messages from the puppets (one a piarte and the other a ninja).
Webisodes can be positive beacause the viewer is able to watch them whenever is more convienient and they are able to watch them without the interuption of ad breaks. But they can also negatively affect the viewers experience as the quality is not usually as high as that of television episodes. They also tend to be shorter in time, and can take a long time to upload.