Monday, July 23, 2012

Interview: Adam Sewall & Greg Franzese from Ooyala's VideoMind ...

Ooyala offers a multi-platform video solution and for some of world?s biggest media companies and brands. From the collective brainpower of engineers, product developers, data scientists, and marketers, Ooyala?s VideoMind blog provides unique and useful insights into the world of online video and personalized digital media.?

VideoMind stands out in the world of corporate blogs with its?distinctive blend of humor and entertainment with?in-depth?analysis of data and trends. A few weeks ago, the VideoMind masterminds, Adam Sewall and Greg Franzese?told Magnet Media about the future of online videos, Social TV, hockey, and their original series, ?The Adam and Greg Show.? ?

Can you tell us in a nutshell exactly what VideoMind is?

Adam Sewall: At a basic level, VideoMind is Ooyala?s blog. If you?re interested in what?s going on in the world of connected TV, streaming media and online video, we want VideoMind to be the place for you to get your news, insights, commentary, and data. We help professionals working in tech and traditional media keep up with the rapidly evolving media landscape.

Greg Franzese: VideoMind sits at the intersection of technology and entertainment, so it really is a great space to work in and write about. VideoMind touches everything from second screens and social TV to SmartTVs and OTT video. We also feature guest posts and video interviews with some of the smartest people working on the front lines of Internet television. We?ve had Roku?sVPofBusinessDevelopment?on the blog, as well as Boxee?sVPofMarketing.

How did VideoMind get started and how have you found it has impacted Ooyala?s positioning in the industry and engaged its audience?

Greg: Adam gets all the credit for launching VideoMind and building an amazing blogging team.

Adam: That?s true. All glory to Adam. But seriously, we wanted to build a thought leadership blog that would educate and entertain people at the same time.

We see that philosophy especially on, ?The Adam & Greg Show,? which mixes valuable content with irreverent fun. It?s great to see a ?corporate blog? strategy that doesn?t take things to seriously and isn?t fraid to shake things up. How did the show start and how?s the response been to it?

Adam: We wanted to make tech videos that were informative but also approachable and entertaining. So the show kind of grew out of that mindset.

Greg: We?re like the original odd couple, if you discount the actual, original OddCouple.

Adam: Lots of companies would be too uptight to let us do some of the crazy things we do. But the culture at Ooyala is really a ?no BS? culture. Work hard, have fun, execute. And that?s what we try to do with VideoMind and the Adam & Greg show.

So what are some of the most exciting trends that you guys see in the online video space? Where do you see it all heading?

Greg: More than half of the total time spent watching video online was spent watching long form videos last quarter, according to Ooyala?s GlobalVideoIndexReport. One of the more interesting trends we?re seeing is that video game systems aren?t just for playing games anymore. Instead, people are streaming Netflix and Hulu to their big screen TVs, and watching premium content streamed over the Internet. Not just geeks and early adopters ? regular people are regularly watching TV online now.

Adam: I think the proliferation of content and connected screens has really altered the way that people watch TV now. People expect instant access to their favorite movies, sports and TV shows, anytime, anywhere. As more people get smartphones and tablets, and more premium content moves online, the traditional broadcast paradigm will continue to shift online.

Greg: The really exciting thing ? and this is what Ooyala is working on right now ? is the notion of personalized media. Delivering the right content to the right screen at the right time. Instead of having 700 channels, there will be 1 billion channels: one for every connected viewer on the planet. And your personalized channel will know who you are, what you like to watch, and what you should watch next.

What about Social TV?

Adam: Social TV is a big trend, and will continue to impact the way people watch and discuss shows in the coming years. Twitter has been called the ?digital water cooler? because that is where like-minded people discuss the latest episode of their favorite show.

Greg:? The ability to leverage a viewer?s likes, Tweets and interest graph means that video publishers can better target their content to the most relevant viewers. It also means that viewers get served more videos that match their taste.

If I like watching hockey highlights (Adam and I are both big hockey fans) then new data-driven content recommendation engines will learn about what I like and send me videos that I will enjoy watching.

Adam: Social metrics also help video publishers like Magnet Media measure the effectiveness of their work. Gaining insights into the virality of a video, or noticing how many tablet owners watch your work all the way to the end are valuable metrics that are not possible with traditional TV ratings.

I?m also a big hockey fan. I like the San Jose Sharks, but I know our office has some heavy Rangers fans. Anyway, speaking of metrics?what are some of the benefits of online video analytics?

Greg: TV ratings are like a buzzsaw and online video analytics are a scalpel. They both cut, but one is much more precise.

Adam: When you understand who is watching your content ? what devices they are using, what locations they are in ? you can make more informed decisions that ultimately impact your business.

Greg: For example, most tablet video occurs in the morning, before work, and in the evening, before bed. If a brand wanted to launch a tablet video app, for instance, that kind of insight is amazingly useful.

Adam: Detailed viewer engagement metrics also let video publishers better monetize their online media. With so many devices delivering so much information, maximizing digital video ROI isn?t a guessing game anymore. Analytics help video publishers earn the most money from online video.

What?s next for Ooyala and VideoMind? Any projects you?re excited about and can share with us?

Adam: Ooyala is busy ramping up for the PAC-12 Networks launch this fall ? a new network that will leverage both broadcast and broadband technology from day one. So we are all pretty excited about that.

Greg: We are also working on the next Online Video Index Report, so expect to see some new numbers and industry trends soon.

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????.

What do you think about the Adam and Greg show? What do you think about the future of video? Let us know in the comments and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn.

Register for our FREE Resource Center and Newsletter to access our growing library of valuable Guide Books, Tip Sheets, and more!

To learn how MAGNET MEDIA can help with your social media/interactive marketing or video solutions, contact info@magnetmediafilms.com, 646-486-7109, or visit magnetmediafilms.com/what-we-do

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????.

Ryan W. NealRyan W. Neal is a journalist from Sacramento, California. After earning a B.A. in English and philosophy at UC Santa Barbara, he interned with the Santa Barbara Independent and wrote freelance stories for the Sacramento News & Review, The Summit Daily News, and Virgin.com/music. He earned his M.S. in journalism from Columbia University, and now works as Editorial Assistant at Magnet Media.

Source: http://www.magnetmediafilms.com/blog/interview-adam-sewall-greg-franzese-from-ooyalas-videomind-blog/

bob beckel anna paquin warren buffett 2012 nfl schedule dishonored april 18 nfl schedule

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.