We are all experiencing the dawning of the age of video on the Internet. 2010 promises to be one of those bellwether years for Internet video with considerable interest directed to what breakthroughs will appear in the video and social video spaces.

Media buyers will be looking at how to determine Internet video ROI. As online video evolves there is the elephant in the room–Is viral video really a viable marketing strategy? There are questions– Is Hulu a TV killer or a killer application? Is the art of being discovered with an Internet video still a gamble? And, lastly, but not least –What about cross platform expansion and monetization?

Some data I have collected recently includes the following:
• YouTube hosts 1.2 billion video streams/day
• Hulu streams about 488 million video streams/ month
• 82% of Internet users in the US watch online video
• The 18-41 age group spends 49 hours/week consuming media, 25% of this time on the Internet, 22% watching TV and 15% using cell phones
• 27% of the watched online video is referred to on social networks
• The evolution of dance on YouTube has had over 130 million plus views to date
• U2’s live concert streamed to 10 million viewers in 16 countries
• Jon Stewart’s TV program averages about 1.5mil viewers in the US

We at Vpype, with our social video application, are affected by this changing landscape. User-Generated Content (UGC) and YouTube are currently perceived not to be monetizable. In my opinion, this is not true. Media brands are not paying attention to the way consumers consume videos. They are missing the boat. Ads can be run pre-roll, embedded in the video stream and run again post roll.

The disconnect may be here. Currently $15 billion is spent on Internet ads, and $67 billion on TV. I believe this will reverse as Internet video confirms its ROI.

89°

Semplicemente il miglior documentario mai girato: amatoriale, il che lo rende ancor più strabiliante. Manca solo l’attacco del branco di coccodrilli, in quel caso avremmo raggiunto la perfezine assoluta.

88°

Famosissimo, Evolution of Dance è stato per anni il video più visto di YouTube, a ragione. La storia del ballo in un unico filmato, strepitoso a dir poco.

87°

Un bambino tedesco alle prese con un torneo on-line di Unreal, il gioco non segue le sue attesa, per niente, poi si, ce ne accorgeremo…poi di nuovo non andrà benissimo, la tastiera ne pagherà le conseguenze.

86°

Terrificante, non abbiamo altre parole, ma 3 milioni di persone lo hanno visto, non riusciamo ad immaginare il perché

85°

Un altro sbrocco come si deve, account di World of Warcraf cancellato dalla mamma, crisi epilettica inevitabile..

I had a thought this week, after seeing the video that I posted below. Maybe I should regularly post a video clip from YouTube that I think is funny, just for laughs. You don’t have to agree with me that such videos are humourous, though I hope you agree with me. But I simply just want to laugh, and YouTube can be helpful with that. Being such a serious theological thinker, I really do need to just ‘lighten up’ at times. I don’t imagine I will post a video every week, but maybe every couple of weeks or so.

But, for starters, check out this video below entitled, The Evolution of Dance.

At the time of this posting, this YouTube video is the MOST VIEWED VIDEO EVER, and I can see why. I have never laughed so hard before in my life! This guy is my hero. Take a break from life and watch this.

It’s the best 6 minutes you would have spent in a long time!

From YouTube account: “This video was done in conjunction with The Arthritis Foundation and DRJ Group, makers of Stopain®. This is just a fun video to remind people to keep on dancing and moving! The video is being used to help promote The Arthritis Foundation’s campaign “Let’s Move Together to promote their popular walks. So remember! Stopain Start Dancing!”

I think it did just that…it reminded me to KEEP IT MOVIN’!

Check out the Judson Laipply’s YouTube Channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/judsonlaipply

Because I didn’t meet Katie and Ryan until their wedding, we did most of the photo planning over the phone. Ryan kept mentioning this old red barn with an American Flag where he really wanted to take some photos a few miles away from their church in Iowa. It turned out to be an amazing backdrop for photos with the wedding party.

The whole day was full of surprises: from the very emotional ceremony to the crazy “evolution of dance” inspired first-dance, Katie & Ryan made their wedding very personal, emotional, and joyous. I was especially honored that Ryan chose me to be his wedding photographer, not only because he is a pretty successful hobbiest photographer with a keen aesthetic sense, but because he is also an active member of the military. I am not usually so openly patriotic, but I just can’t imagine anyone I would rather have defending the country than Ryan, and I am so glad that he has Katie by his side. Congrats, you two, and thank you for choosing me to document your lovely wedding!

VIA YOUTUBE MOST VIEWED

Inilah Video YouTube yang paling banyak dilihat sepanjang abad lewat internet. Luar biasa…!!! Jumlahnya mencapai jutaan views.

(1) 356,300,000 views: Crank Dat music video by Soldier Boy

(2) 266,500,000 views: Twilight, the movie trailer

(3) 230,200,000 views: Touch My Body music video by Mariah Carey

(4) 196,500,000 views: Jeff Dunham – Achmed the Terrorist

(5) 186,000,000 views: Susan Boyle of Britain’s Got Talent

(6) 172,500,000 views: Dark Knight, the movie trailer

(7) 147,000,000 views: User generated video, Evolution of Dance

(8) 136,000,000 views: User generated video, Charlie Bit My Finger…Again

http://amerikinidit.wordpress.com/2009/09/16/the-most-famous-of-internet-memes/

I had no idea that was the most watched video on Youtube. I guess that “Evolution of Dance” is a pretty well known meme, but I have only ever seen it once.

You also mentioned Dramatic Chipmunk (actually a Prairie Dog), which is a classic. I have noticed that a good deal of memes seem to involve animals. Everything from those lovable LOL cats to Advice Dog get their comedy from the inhabitants of the animal world. Another more recent animal meme is the phenomenon of the Keyboard Cat. Some of you may be familiar with this Youtube based meme.

 It usually involves a video of someone hurting or otherwise embarrassing themselves which then cuts to footage of a cat playing a catchy tune on a keyboard. This is an example of an interactive meme. People often make their own Keyboard cat videos which almost always follow the same formula. They also always feature a title along the lines of: Play him/her off, keyboard cat.

So if you are unfamiliar, here is an example

One great outcome of this meme is that the television program Attack of the Show on G4 had a Keyboard Cat art competition. It certainly had some interesting results. I wouldn’t mind getting some of those paintings to put up on the wall…

Check out Vhong Navarro’s birthday performance on ASAP that had more than 200,000 views on youtube.

Credit: dyosapam

La evolución del baile, es el video más visto en Youtube desde que éste comenzó su andadura por Internet, 125 millones de visitas avalan este primer puesto. No os lo perdáis.

Yesterday, YouTube announced a significant change in policy that will reward anyone who posts popular user-generated content with cash.  Essentially, they will identify any video as it gains popularity, then contact the owner who posted it and ask if they will allow their content to carry advertising.  The two parties will then split the proceeds based on views with the content-provider earning the majority.  In the words of a spokesman, “Very popular videos can make thousands of dollars a month.”

All of which is a pretty amazing reset of the status quo.  Until now, YouTube has functioned as a predominantly-amateur crowdsourcing community with the only real reward for amateur posters being pride and public recognition…and possibly a Tonight Show appearance if they earn spectacular hits.  Now however, they are introducing cash into the equation and on at least some level, that positions YouTube as a viable commercial platform for producers of micro-video content.  Find a prairie dog making a funny expression, cut it to a ten second clip and you could conceivably make thousands for your hobby: that’s YouTube’s new premise.

Of course, larger providers already do this.  Record companies post videos with integrated pitches to sell albums or downloads, TV shows post their content to advertise their programs (Susan Boyle anyone?).  In these instances, adding further advertising would create a meta situation: attaching advertising to sell a product to advertising already selling something else.  But that really isn’t their play.  Instead, they are squarely targeting the amateurs posting clips of a muddled young Davids dealing with dental anesthesia, jolly, giggling babies and skateboarders taking spectacular faceplants.

Will bringing money to the equation upend the crowdsourcing community currently posting nearly a year’s worth of original content to YouTube every day?  Will it be seen as polluting the site’s democracy with professional commerce?  And will this platform ultimately pay off for advertisers?

Only time will tell, but once again, our media landscape continues to evolve with breathtaking speed, introducing ever more legitimate niche platforms.  It will be interesting to see if this leads to a new video gold rush, as stage-parents and pet lovers and kid-auteurs add to the already-dunning crush of original content YouTube posts every day.

In fact, I should call a few makers of  skateboarding safety equipment: I have an idea for a smart new place to invest their tiny marketing budgets…

By Dennis Ryan, CCO, Element 79

When you hear about viral sensations, you’re conditioned to think that a trip to the doctor is order. But fear not. I thought I’d continue the social network, social media, new media, day with a look at some of the funniest and most viewed videos on Youtube. Inspired by this piece from Mashable. (Big day for them on ACO. Maybe its because I read so much of their content over the weekend that my head hurts.) In no particular order.

Possibly the funniest baby video I have ever seen. And babies are funny.

I always had pain after the dentist. Never…this.

And the response video. A couple classic moments during it.

Dramatic.

An excuse to get “I Want It That Way” on here. Facial expressions=hilarious

What are the chances?

Two cats talking. Stellar editing.

This guy goes through a couple generations of dance moves and he’s not bad.

This video grew on me so much that I actually think it’s a good song now.

Saved the best for last. A friend’s wife is the singer. Three friends are the backup dancers. I love this video so much.

As a DJ, I get sent a lot of YouTube and Facebook video clips of “crazy” wedding entrances or first dances.  Most brides and grooms have seen at least one clip of the Evolution of Dance or a ballad with a scratching sound followed by “Thriller.”  This clip I received of a ceremony entrance did highlight some of the pros and cons of the practice: 

http://www.break.com/index/jill-and-kevins-unexpected-wedding-entrance.html

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

After my initial reaction of a few laughs, my second thought about this entrance was how much time and effort the bride and groom and their friends and family put into this choreographed number.  I can only imagine the work and the fun that went into practicing this routine.

While a staged entrance or dance like this might not fit your wedding or your style as a couple, it does ask the question:  what could you do to set your tone at your wedding, and in particular, how could you involve all of the wonderful friends and family who are in your wedding party?  Could you use more than one song in your entrance to set different moods for different groups of family or friends?  What about having two first dances, one for you as a couple, and a second one where your guests join in, creating two different moods at the very beginning?  Who have you asked to give speeches such as blessings or toasts, and have you considered spreading these speeches out at different points throughout the wedding, depending on the speaker and their personality?  Could you dedicate a song to special family members or friends who were there for you, particularly throughout all the excitement and stress of planning your once-in-a-lifetime event?  Have you considered adding a photo slideshow or Memory Montage during dinner at your wedding, highlighting all of your memories with these special people though the years?

As the owner of Spinning with Style, I, DJ Bri Swatek, always like to ask my brides and grooms, “who’s coming to your wedding?”  It’s a simple question with a complicated answer:  all the people who are closest to you and your fiancee.  How can you make certain to express your friendship, gratitude, and love for these people on your wedding day?  It doesn’t have to be an over-the-top dance routine–it’s the thought that counts. 

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your Professional Disc Jockey and MC Service
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email:   briswatek@aol.com
Phone:   845.235.0080
Online:   www.djbriswatek.com