The statistics for online video production and consumption in the 21st century are staggering. It has become a way of life for what will soon be the majority of humans on the planet.
Since the first YouTube video was posted in 2005, aptly titled “Me at the Zoo” that featured 18 seconds of a guy at the zoo remarking about the long trunks of elephants, the site now leads the world in the number of posted videos claiming 500 hours of video posted every minute and the number of users is estimated at 1.3 billion.
At last check, the “Me at the Zoo” video had 39,242,915 views.
Coming in second for social media video is Facebook that estimates 8 billion video views per day, which is not hard to believe considering it has 1.94 billion active users as of the first quarter of 2017, up from breaking the 1 billion mark in 2012.
A social media platform on the rise that has for good, bad or otherwise transformed the way users view video content is Instagram. Instagram initially limited video length to 15 seconds and restricted users to a 640 x 640 aspect ratio commonly associated with smartphone technology. Since its launch in 2010, Instagram claims users share an average of 95 million videos per day.
Other sites considered social media with video include Vimeo, Twitch, and YouNow which offer videos by amateurs and professionals that have allowed their content to be monetized with pay-per-view or “tip jar” donations. On average, top content producers earn upwards of $50,000 per year using these features.
Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, Showtime, HBO Now, Starz and CBS All Access offer professional subscription video services that attract millions of viewers with syndicated television series, classic movies, and new original content that is consumed through a variety of technology, with computers and smartphones in the lead. Netflix still offers snail mail DVD rental options, for the time being.
What does this mean for our students?
Before getting into teaching, I worked professionally in television and film in a variety of capacities including as an independent producer of an action sports variety television series for a broadcast affiliate. The series aired once a week for two years and was measured by Nielson ratings, which helped the station monitor the effectiveness of commercial advertising placement.
That was more than ten years ago and in 2015 as part of my university tenure-track activity that helps me to “teach what I do,” I elected to launch it again as a web series with recycled “blast from the past” content from the original show as well as newly-produced segments for a monthly “webisode.” Webster’s defines webisode as, “webiˌsōd noun, an original episode derived from a television series, made for online viewing. An online video that presents an original short film or promotes a product, movie, or television series.”
The major difference I found between 2015 and 2005 was distribution. Reaching an audience and branding now requires social media with cross-promotional content. Unlike the traditional over the air television broadcast delivery, with online exclusive content, I discovered the challenge of reaching and engaging a niche audience is paramount and requires regular social media posts that are designed to attract the attention of new viewers and lead them to a website to watch the actual show.
Shortly after launching my web series, I taught a special topics “Web Series” course that was a culmination of interdisciplinary collaborative short film projects with three separate classes of scriptwriting, acting, and film production students serving in respective roles for one common project.
The special topics course brought together students from the three separate areas in one class as well as other students from marketing and promotional backgrounds, resulting in a series of short films or “webisodes” that were screened for a campus audience and online.
The audience outside of the class was built and attracted through social media engagement with behind the scenes photos and videos, cast and crew biographies and trailers for the series.
The result was an overwhelming success, with many students commenting that “this was one of the highlights of their academic experience” and was evidenced with doubling in class size the second time it was offered a year later.
Another unique aspect of this course is the opportunity for all students to experience activities outside of their respective disciplines though mentoring and hands-on experiential learning, with marketing and promotions led by upper level experienced students but practiced by all.
This class has since become a regular offering, and by the first week of registration, it was full with a waiting list for next fall.
The 21st century digital age of online content video production and distribution is here to stay and is forecasted to continue to grow, which for our students now and into the future presents untold challenges, opportunities, and rewards that are definitely selling points for our industry and academia.
Erik L. Johnson
Assistant Professor of Stage & Screen Arts
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
