The Platform, Uses & Technology of Video Production for Interactive Media

Interactive media started off in the 1920’s as this was where “short films” where made and played in cinema’s they would have only been 5-10 minutes long, and all it was a camera set up on a street or next to a train track and just left for a short time. Back then these short films where deemed as entertaining. Film didn’t really become films as we no today until the 50’s as this was when cinema was becoming popular as TV’s didn’t show movies or such entertaining programmes. 70’s cinema films began to die out as TV’s exploded with new technology such as more channels and TV’s became colour standard. The early 1940’s as this was when TV’s were first really commercialised and after the war they were a “must have” as it allows to watch a people in a different location giving information and entertaining. Back then there would have only been 1 or 2 channels in black and white depended where you were located and how good your antenna was. Antenna’s in the 40’s where really big and they had to be set up next to the house. In the 60’s this is where TV’s became even more popular as they became bigger and better picture quality and there were more shows on. 1970 TV became colour standard and it was the beginning of a new era as extra channels like Sky. Since then TV has just been getting better and better, picture quality, size and channels.

Platforms for Video In Interactive Media
People can access media in many ways.
World Wide Web- There is many available sites on the World Wide Web you can use to watch videos such as BBC Player; this site is set up by the BBC so the public can catch up on shows they have missed. They can also watch live shows on BBC 1, 2, 3, and 4. You can also download shows so you can them on your computer or on a portable device. This web site is constantly being updated, also has radio shows you can listen to. Another site which you can watch clips from films, home made films etc is YouTube which is basically a web site where you can upload a clip that you have made so everyone in he world can see. This website is good to promote films or advertise.
Email Attachments- There is many video links from emails such as links to a video on YouTube which gets sent around. A good example is the funny video “Charlie Bit Me” (link is on blog). Also you get links to a video for an advert to promote websites for Gambling site or animated site. This is a good way of getting peoples attention, for example an unsigned group/band trying to get out there, many new artists have been scouted from Email Attachments via YouTube. Such as Sandi Thom “I wish I was a punk rocker”. (Link on blog).
DVD- (Digital video disk) Allows you to watch a recorded visual anywhere as it’s a portable device. It has special feature on that allows you to go behind the scenes and watch reviews actors feeling and out takes.
CD Rom – (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) this allows to visual and audio on to a disk becomes portable. You can put video on to a CD Rom but it reads from memory. This is a good and easy way of putting visuals and audio ad
Kiosks – This allows you to access the internet. You find them out on the street also inside buildings. It usually shows you local tourist attractions, places to visit, the best places to go and eat at etc. Showing video of the area. Kiosks lactated inside buildings are found in old historic buildings showing you a quick tour giving a little preview. There is a kiosk in Ipswich located at the tower ramparts bus depot this allows you to check bus times and to play games while you wait it use to have internet access which would allow you to videos.
Presentations – Videos are used in presentation such as in a power point to promote or to show a related clip. This would be used in a job interview scenario. There is also a new learning programme called VLE (virtual learning environment) which allows you to go onto the internet to watch your lesson as it been posted on there by your tutor for people who have missed a lesson or to do the lesson again.
TV Red Button – This allows you to vote for a competition or on adverts it will lead you to an internet page about the item and persuade you to buy it. It’s a simple way of getting more info with out moving. A TV Click through button is often seen on Sky where people can access extra special features related to the programme as well as watch other programmes such as sport. One of its more used features is its voting system used for reality shows such as X-Factor where people can access a way of voting for there favourite act. It is a very simple and easy to use way of receiving extra TV and more info
Mobile Devices – They allow you to access the internet to view videos on such websites as You Tube, Velvo, MySpace and Box fresh. You can watch films on many devices such as IPod’s, PS2, and PS3, Xbox, Xbox360 and mobile phones. Also you can now get email attachments which sometimes contain videos on phones.

Uses of Video In Interactive Media
Short Films - Videos on the internet and on TV allow you to preview clips of the film before it’s out on DVD or in cinema. You can also download films from the internet. Sits such as You Tube .short films they have clearly improved and they are now used as a quick preview when advertising or promoting something. People put there own created short films the internet for people to see They are a good way of showing a film but not spending too much money or time to achieve. I believe this is a very good idea as its short and you can get straight to the point many of these come through via Email attachments.
Promotional Material – Video is used to help promote an item. It could be used it a presentation or on a website as a short film to give you a quick clip of a new product. Promotion material is usually used in a video as it’s a simple way of promoting films or for example a blender “Blend Tech” which has been going round on email attachments. MySpace is a good social web site to use as a promotion site as this allows you to post a video and many people will be looking around and come across it.
Film Trailers – Web sites have been set up purely for film trailers to be watch www.Filmtrailers.com which has all the latest and previous trailers on. This is a really good website as it allows you to see trailers that you wouldn’t normally see. Also this site promotes films so it would be classed as a good promotional material.
User Generated content - home made videos are getting very common and popular in today’s market they are seen all over the internet on websites such as YouTube and MySpace. These sites are known for there comedy material where people are having a laugh with there mates. People can also use it as a way of getting them known and getting there name out there, which these websites are really good for making people famous such as the “dance man” (video on blog).
Viral Marketing – A good way of this is through email sending funny clips, film trailers and adverts. They are made to be eye catching but are known for not being reliable.
Advertising - is used in videos on TV and internet also on kiosks. They use this to advertise a new product a new video or for a local tourist attraction. On TV in-between programmes on new products and on the internet on YouTube face book etc As long as you get the word out there people will always discover you.
Virtual tours – you find these on the internet and on kiosks in famous locations like London. The internet usually has virtual tours for hotels or holidays give you a virtual tour of the hotel room and the public areas so it will be familiar to you if you go and also to check facilities etc. you can see this on www.showhotel.com . on kiosks they show virtual tour of venues in London. This is a very good way to attract tourists.
Games – You can see from today’s games that graphics and the logic of games have become more in-depth and more life like. Games to day are made to be as real as possible and stories on true events such as. Medal of honour games on Xbox play station. Games are every where in today’s markets on phones, TV and special made consoles just for games.
E-Learning – this allows you to learn something by watching a tutorial. This is an easy way of learning and allows you watch someone show you and then try it yourself. This is linked to the VLE (virtual learning environment). I have used E-Learning my self on the programme Final Cut Pro, I went on to YouTube and got a tutorial on how to use it I found it easy to use.

Video In Interactive Media Technologies
Video Compression- compresses the size of the file. It reduces it by taking away some of the quality which will shorten the size of the file. This allows the video to be put on most mobile and portable devices. This help on a lot of situations as it allows you to have most data on you at all times.
CODEC – (Compression Decompression) this converts signals from analogue to digital. They allow you to play video and audio files on your computer. They change the signal and the direction of it so you can list and see because some files need to be changed. For example you need to have a MP3 codec to hear a MP3.
Streaming and Downloading – Streaming is listening and viewing data without downloading the programme, BBC Iplayer uses this on live show being put of. They come down fibre optic cables to the internet, instead of going up in the sky to a satellite. If you don’t have broadband it would be near impossible to watch a streamed show. Downloading is putting data on one source to another source. For example downloading a Video from the internet and putting it on a device which it will stay.
Video Formats – MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) is a converted file which will allow you to watch video on other sources such as on QuickTime. For example if we made a video on final cut pro we couldn’t watch it a part from on final cut so we would covert it to an MPEG file. AVI (Audio Video Interleave) contains visual and audio files, usually found on windows multimedia allow you to watch video and audio in sync. MOV stands for movie which allows you to watch visuals on QuickTime. WMV stands for windows media player visual/ audio file which allows you to watch visuals on a media player on windows. Say you converted a file to WMV from final cut pro it would play on windows media player.
Data Transfer Rates – (DTR) this is the amount of data that is moved form one place to another. Is the speed at which data can be transmitted between devices. The data transfer rate of a device is often measured in kilobytes or megabytes, per second. Bits
Frame Rates –The number of frames, images that are projected or displayed per second. The more frames the higher quality of image.
Screen Resolutions – The Number of pixels in each dimension, the higher the pixels the higher the quality.
File Size – File size measures the size of a file on a computer or on a device which determine how much room is taken or free. File sizes are usually measured in Bytes or Pre fix.
Picture Ratios- This is the size of the picture which appears on the monitor, there setting on each monitor to help the picture fill the whole monitor. For example you if you had a 4.3 picture in a 16.9 screen its known as a Pillar box as there would be to Black bar on either side of the screen and say you had a 16.9 on a 4.3 screen it would be known as a letterbox effect as the would be black bars at top and bottom which gives the effect of looking through a letterbox.
Digital Rights Management – this is the systemic approach to copy right protection for digital media. It is illegal to copy right. This is an important job as you get find for copy righting as if using somebody else’s idea.
Media Players – DVD let you play CD Rom and DVD’s you can use a MPEG file. Iplayer lets you watch live stream or download show’s missed. Also hear radio shows example BBC Iplayer. Quick time lets you watch and listen to videos on a quick time player also on MP3. Windows media Player lets you watch videos on windows from another source using the WMV file.
Embedded Video- To put videos onto websites such as blogger you have to embed them in an organised way into a text box for example. This is an simple way of giving examples by showing videos.