There are currently 2 main formats: the online video sharing format (ex: Youtube) where the content is viewed online, usually streamed through a flash player, and the video podcast format where files are downloaded to the user computer trough iTunes or Miro. Some video content is better suited to one format over another, and you should ask yourself a few questions before deciding.
1) Is your video likely to go viral? If yes you should probably go for the Youtube online video option as these are much easier to share through e-mail.
2) Is your video an online series? If yes you should go in priority for a podcast type diffusion in Miro or iTunes as RSS syndication will make it easy for your fans to get all episodes as they are released.
3) Is your video a long-form online film? If yes it gets a bit more complicated. If your movie can easily be broken down into small parts I would suggest turning it into a mini series diffused as a podcast and use that to promote the full film that you would release in another way (either online or through the sale of DVDs). An example of this approach is "low budget movie". If your film must really be seen in one piece to be enjoyed then you should probably diffuse it on more specialized video sharing sites such as Openfilm.com An advantage is that these specialized sites often have some revenue sharing model that can help cover some of your production costs.
Personally I consider that the web series / podcast approach is the best because this really allows you to build a long term relationship with your audience. This relationship will allow you to turn some of your audience into long term fans that may be willing to support your online video productions through the purchase of T-shirts and DVDs or through donations.
These fans are also more likely to follow your next online video project or podcast. Thanks to RSS it is easy to add a trailer for your new project to the stream of your finished online series, and these will appear in your fan's iTunes and Miro. Look instant promotion. Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht for example have become podcasting household names and now have a large following thanks to Diggnation even on podcasts that have nothing to do with Digg.
1 comments:
Some good suggestions Erlick...
When we do commercials for clients, we suggest making several teaser videos to put on youtube and then hosting the full version on the client site.
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