Youtube ad revenue

[PaulClements]

With the ability to earn revenue from videos posted on Youtube (Just the same as MetaCafe), will there be a 320 by 240 pixel 30fps redcine conversion to retain the best from RedOne cameras? Before, I disregarded Youtube as a potential beneficiary of RedOne, but I can see that in the future there will be a number of professionals and indies producing specifically for Youtube in an attempt to earn revenue. Or does resampling to such low res make it pointless worrying about using Redcine?

I can envisage a workflow aimed specifically at the Youtube market existing and can imagine users filming with Red and exporting to Youtube, gaining profit from it and then retaining high res versions of the production for DVD sales or for TV, possibly even theatrical releases. I can also see Hollywood producing minifilms from their mainstream movies around release dates as a common viral marketting tool and further profit stream. Having a camera and workflow aimed at rapid production for all markets would make Red even more special.

[Nick Shaw]

I don't think 320x240 would be a very good resolution to edit at even if the end result were just for YouTube distribution. I think you would be better converting to eg SD DV in REDCINE and then encoding the final movie at 320x240 for YouTube.

I've done projects for the web before that we shot on HDCam, and onlined at HD, before producing web movies. I certainly preferred working that way.

Nick

[Steve Gibby]

I will shoot, edit, and master in the highest resolution possible (4k or 2k), then down-res copies for ancillary revenue stream usage. Internet download revenue is now a viable revenue stream that is projected for explosive growth in the near future.

Here's two links to articles reflecting that which I found today:

A 10-fold increase in Internet downloads of films and TV programs is forecast to take place between now and 2012 - up to a gross revenue of $6.3 billion USD in 2012. Link: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/898100ae-af00-11db-a446-0000779e2340.html

Industry leaders believe the Internet will revolutionize the TV industry as broadband continues to proliferate exponentially, resulting in interactive availability of programs. Young demographics have already begun a heavy switch over to Internet downloads, rather than accessing traditional broadcast and cable television programs. Link: http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2007/01/27/internet_to_revolutionize_tv_in_5_years_gates/

Perhaps a YouTube-only marketing plan will be viable looking forward, but you certainly don't need a RED One camera if YouTube is your only delivery vehicle. But if you produce at the very highest resolution possible (4k or at least 2k), you can down-res for You Tube delivery, but also open up multiple other potential revenue streams for your programs and movies, not to mention the long legs of your stock footage library - the potentially most valuable long-term asset of any production company.

[Hrvoje Simic]

I bet if I use RED and shoot an uncompressed footage of.....emmm...let's see...."how to wash a cat"....
then export it to H.264 at 320x240 and upload it for everyone to see, smile, and pay my bills...

-the RED guys will be really proud...


At this point -Youtube....nono


Future interactive availability of quality storytelling....ineviteable

[Steve Gibby]

LOL...Yeah...your cat video wouldn't be compelling content, but the links I supplied are talking about mainstream feature film and television programs being forecast to be increasingly download on the Internet. The amateur videos of YouTube will always be there, but professional productions will be download more and more, and ad revenue is part of that business model.

The RED guys are all good business people. They obviously want to see us shoot our productions in 4k or at least 2k. If those 4k-originated productions are leveraged through a myriad of revenue streams (features, HDTV, etc.) and then make their way all the way down to 320x240 for Internet distribution, I think the people at RED will think we're just being good business people and maximizing potential revenue streams for our work.

[Hrvoje Simic]

I totally agree, Gibby.
Once the global bandwiths reach the level of instant HQ video availability and the videos get adequatly categorised...the good stuff will prevail, eventually.
For now...it is hard to stand out in tons of "fast food" junk.

People will need live HD over IP on their tv sets so they can relax and choose the good stuff.....until then, killing time by the computer monitor won't associate people with feature films and indie work.
My train of thoughts.

[PaulClements]

One of the videos they showed on the news yesterday was from Metacafe, which already has an ad revenue share setup with their users. The video was basically of some guy doing mad somusalts all over the place but it was reckoned that so many people had watched it he'd netted £13,000 from his ad revenue share. Youtube has a far larger market than Metacafe and a similar ad revenue share would be potentially huge. My point of view up until I heard this was similar to yours Omen, hell no to youtube.