August 2008 Archives
A few years ago I went to a one day conference held at Murdoch University, there were 7 or 8 speakers throughout the day. So today I'm tidying my office and came across the notes from the sessions. I didn't blog them at the time, but it's interesting to reflect back on the discussions of the day.
THE NOTES
Professor Duane Varan from Murdoch gave a great presentation where he started talking about our changing viewer habits. He showcased a selection of antique remote controls that sparked the audiences attention. You might think that remote controls are not antiques but they have been around longer than most of us think. Varan displayed a remote control that was the size of a house brick and had gigantic dials and switches. I remember our family video in the 1980's had a remote, it was a switch that could do two things, 'record' and 'stop'. It was joined to the machine by a cord that you plugged in.
Today, it's hard imagine television without the remotes.
When TV arrived in the 1950's people though it would kill the radio industry, it didn't radio just changed and so will television as it tackles the challenge of PVR's that time shift viewing, multi-challenging, the internet and computer games.
The biggest effect of time shifted viewing is that the audience for advertisements, which is the income stream for commercial broadcasters is reduced. Some types of programming are still likely to bring in a 'live' TV audience, content that is event TV such as sport can still be a draw card, the prediction is that there will be a growing interest in live TV in coming years.
Clever television programmers may be able to undermine international big budget series played by their competitors by scheduling live content opposite.
The biggest challenge the fragmentation and time shifting of audiences present to a commercial broadcaster is the loss of audience flow, with up to 50% of a programs audience being made up of the people who didn't switch channels or turn off at the end of the last program - moves towards a viewer driven model of program delivery have a serious financial impact for commercial broadcasters.
One way to counteract the loss of audience flow is to program along themes, an evening of similar programs that will retain an audience.
New business models are also appearing, the watching of series on DVD is growing and this provides a different way for the creators of content to gain an income for their product.
The big changes in business are the movement from economies of scale to economies of scope, an example being the decline in viewer ship of the Nightly News, while audiences engage with 24 hour news networks such as CNN and FOX.
In the advertising world the paradigm is also changing, advertisements no longer work because of their exposure, now they work because of their engagement. Duane Varan highlights that interactivity is the key which will increase the engagement factor of advertisements.
In the UK interactive television has been a big success, but it's still not a slam dunk long term success, Varan cautiously highlights that teletext was also really big in the UK, but has declined in recent years and never really took of in Australia.
NOTES END
REFLECTIONS
In Australia we have seen some decisive action by commercial broadcasters to counter effect the use of PVR's and audience flow, Channel 10 this year began putting the credits for productions online, so as to reduce the amount of time between programs. Local production companies have begun talking increasingly about live television program options, but this is more a reaction to opportunities presented by multi-channelling.
The introduction of PVR's to Australia though has been slow with the TIVO only arriving in the last few months. Maybe like the world of tele-text, VCD, Laser Disc and Interactive television, it'll be a boat that Australia just doesn't get on.
We have however really embraced the idea of watching TV series on DVD, if you doubt this just look at the size of this area in a JB Hi Fi store. This business model works mainly for the content creators which sees broadcasters getting more involved in production again. Here in Australia there has been a sudden increase in the number of local drama series from Sea Patrol, to City Homicide and Underbelly, and the upcomming Rush and The Strip.
The trend in news has increased, SKY NEWS in Australia has had considerable growth but the Nightly News has adjusted finding it's strength in providing the local news that people care about.
Interactive TV has not arrived though, a few months before Duane Varan's presentation Gary Hayes from the Laboratory of Advanced Media Production (LAMP) at AFTRS gave a breakfast presentation at the Small Screen Big Picture Conference, Hayes showed a bunch of clips from the UK where presenters urged viewers to 'press the red button'. Today the phrase 'red button, red herring' is often heard.
Have advertisements become more engaging through interactivity? Certainly there are more cross platform advertisements, more viral advertisements, more user generated content in advertising. Some of the best advertisements we come across are certainly interactive, and increasingly in niche areas - but has the practice gone mainstream yet?
The one thing that does come true though is massive change, I think everyone can agree that they'll be more of that to come.
THE NOTES
Professor Duane Varan from Murdoch gave a great presentation where he started talking about our changing viewer habits. He showcased a selection of antique remote controls that sparked the audiences attention. You might think that remote controls are not antiques but they have been around longer than most of us think. Varan displayed a remote control that was the size of a house brick and had gigantic dials and switches. I remember our family video in the 1980's had a remote, it was a switch that could do two things, 'record' and 'stop'. It was joined to the machine by a cord that you plugged in.
Today, it's hard imagine television without the remotes.
When TV arrived in the 1950's people though it would kill the radio industry, it didn't radio just changed and so will television as it tackles the challenge of PVR's that time shift viewing, multi-challenging, the internet and computer games.
The biggest effect of time shifted viewing is that the audience for advertisements, which is the income stream for commercial broadcasters is reduced. Some types of programming are still likely to bring in a 'live' TV audience, content that is event TV such as sport can still be a draw card, the prediction is that there will be a growing interest in live TV in coming years.
Clever television programmers may be able to undermine international big budget series played by their competitors by scheduling live content opposite.
The biggest challenge the fragmentation and time shifting of audiences present to a commercial broadcaster is the loss of audience flow, with up to 50% of a programs audience being made up of the people who didn't switch channels or turn off at the end of the last program - moves towards a viewer driven model of program delivery have a serious financial impact for commercial broadcasters.
One way to counteract the loss of audience flow is to program along themes, an evening of similar programs that will retain an audience.
New business models are also appearing, the watching of series on DVD is growing and this provides a different way for the creators of content to gain an income for their product.
The big changes in business are the movement from economies of scale to economies of scope, an example being the decline in viewer ship of the Nightly News, while audiences engage with 24 hour news networks such as CNN and FOX.
In the advertising world the paradigm is also changing, advertisements no longer work because of their exposure, now they work because of their engagement. Duane Varan highlights that interactivity is the key which will increase the engagement factor of advertisements.
In the UK interactive television has been a big success, but it's still not a slam dunk long term success, Varan cautiously highlights that teletext was also really big in the UK, but has declined in recent years and never really took of in Australia.
NOTES END
REFLECTIONS
In Australia we have seen some decisive action by commercial broadcasters to counter effect the use of PVR's and audience flow, Channel 10 this year began putting the credits for productions online, so as to reduce the amount of time between programs. Local production companies have begun talking increasingly about live television program options, but this is more a reaction to opportunities presented by multi-channelling.
The introduction of PVR's to Australia though has been slow with the TIVO only arriving in the last few months. Maybe like the world of tele-text, VCD, Laser Disc and Interactive television, it'll be a boat that Australia just doesn't get on.
We have however really embraced the idea of watching TV series on DVD, if you doubt this just look at the size of this area in a JB Hi Fi store. This business model works mainly for the content creators which sees broadcasters getting more involved in production again. Here in Australia there has been a sudden increase in the number of local drama series from Sea Patrol, to City Homicide and Underbelly, and the upcomming Rush and The Strip.
The trend in news has increased, SKY NEWS in Australia has had considerable growth but the Nightly News has adjusted finding it's strength in providing the local news that people care about.
Interactive TV has not arrived though, a few months before Duane Varan's presentation Gary Hayes from the Laboratory of Advanced Media Production (LAMP) at AFTRS gave a breakfast presentation at the Small Screen Big Picture Conference, Hayes showed a bunch of clips from the UK where presenters urged viewers to 'press the red button'. Today the phrase 'red button, red herring' is often heard.
Have advertisements become more engaging through interactivity? Certainly there are more cross platform advertisements, more viral advertisements, more user generated content in advertising. Some of the best advertisements we come across are certainly interactive, and increasingly in niche areas - but has the practice gone mainstream yet?
The one thing that does come true though is massive change, I think everyone can agree that they'll be more of that to come.
The brilliant 60's kids show 'The Banana Splits' is to be revisioned for the new century.
This was one of my favorite shows growing up, next bring back 'Secret Squirrel', 'Squiddly Diddly' and 'Danger Mouse'.
This was one of my favorite shows growing up, next bring back 'Secret Squirrel', 'Squiddly Diddly' and 'Danger Mouse'.
From Creative Economy Online
Crunch day is arriving for the ABC and SBS. During the next three months the public broadcasters will be compiling and lodging their triennial funding submissions with Minister for Communications Stephen Conroy writes Margaret Simons.
What should a charter for a publicly funded new media "space" require? Both ABC managing director Mark Scott and the 2020 summiteers talked about the organisation being the nation's "town square" in which Australians can meet to discuss their concerns.
Asked about embracing amateur content available on the web, and making the archive available for "mash ups." ABC head of television Kim Dalton responded that while all that had its place, he never wanted to see a situation in which the Chris Lilleys of the world were replaced by patchy amateur content. Are divisions like professional and amateur now relevant to patchy versus slick?
Spicks and Specks might be fun, but is a music game show "charter"? East of Everything might be Australian drama, but isn't it just Seachange revisited? Doesn't the charter say the ABC has to be innovative?
What do you think?
Read the full article
Margaret Simons's latest book, The Content Makers: Understanding the Media in Australia, is published by Penguin.
Crunch day is arriving for the ABC and SBS. During the next three months the public broadcasters will be compiling and lodging their triennial funding submissions with Minister for Communications Stephen Conroy writes Margaret Simons.
What should a charter for a publicly funded new media "space" require? Both ABC managing director Mark Scott and the 2020 summiteers talked about the organisation being the nation's "town square" in which Australians can meet to discuss their concerns.
Asked about embracing amateur content available on the web, and making the archive available for "mash ups." ABC head of television Kim Dalton responded that while all that had its place, he never wanted to see a situation in which the Chris Lilleys of the world were replaced by patchy amateur content. Are divisions like professional and amateur now relevant to patchy versus slick?
Spicks and Specks might be fun, but is a music game show "charter"? East of Everything might be Australian drama, but isn't it just Seachange revisited? Doesn't the charter say the ABC has to be innovative?
What do you think?
Read the full article
Margaret Simons's latest book, The Content Makers: Understanding the Media in Australia, is published by Penguin.
Most hi-tech Australian's have been checking out the new Street View function in Google Earth. The google team spent a few months earlier this year driving around busy parts of Australia talking pictures of streets, which have now been integrated into the satellite imagery of Google Earth.
Amazingly when the Google Mobile passed FTI CEO Graeme Sward was not in his usual spot standing outside the building.
Amazingly when the Google Mobile passed FTI CEO Graeme Sward was not in his usual spot standing outside the building.
You may not of heard of the filmmaking Polish brothers, but you might have caught some of their memorable films including 'Twins Falls Idaho', or 'Jackpot', 'The Astonaut Farmer' or 'Norfolk'.
The NEW YORK TIMES reports on their newest productions are taking a different approach, the twin brothers are currently making a feature called 'Manure' but as soon as it fininshes they will use the same crew to immediately shoot their next film 'Stay Cool'.
It's not an unheard of move, 'Back to the Future' II and III were shot together, and so was the epic 'Lord of the Rings'. When making 'Castaway' the same crew was used to film 'What Lies Beneath' while Tom Hanks lost weight for the second act of the film. Barry Levinson shot 'Wag thew Dog' while also shooting 'Sphere' with a cross over over actors between the two.
It's interesting however to see this is as a production model for films that do not have such extravengant budgets as the Hollywood fare it has usually applied too. The obvious questions is, how long before an aerlier career Directing and Producting team put this model to work?
The NEW YORK TIMES reports on their newest productions are taking a different approach, the twin brothers are currently making a feature called 'Manure' but as soon as it fininshes they will use the same crew to immediately shoot their next film 'Stay Cool'.
It's not an unheard of move, 'Back to the Future' II and III were shot together, and so was the epic 'Lord of the Rings'. When making 'Castaway' the same crew was used to film 'What Lies Beneath' while Tom Hanks lost weight for the second act of the film. Barry Levinson shot 'Wag thew Dog' while also shooting 'Sphere' with a cross over over actors between the two.
It's interesting however to see this is as a production model for films that do not have such extravengant budgets as the Hollywood fare it has usually applied too. The obvious questions is, how long before an aerlier career Directing and Producting team put this model to work?
