Happy Friday! Welcome to Issue 71 of Rerun by Axonista!
This week's Top Pick is a thoughtful article by Upload VR reminding us that VR is still very nascent and that we're very much in the exciting period of discovery and experimentation.
Also this week, Snapchat are busy as ever, courting Hollywood and applying for advertising patents. We take a look at Viacom Labs, the team within Viacom experimenting with new forms of storytelling. We share an informative and entertaining guide to live streaming. Twitter lands yet more live streaming contracts, VR gets more attention from Hollywood, and Star Trek gets released on Netflix in 188 countries!
Let's get straight to it! đź––
Top Pick
On the Yellow Brick Road of VR storytelling, VR still needs to find its heart
A detailed and thoughtful reminder from UploadVR that, despite all the recent hype, we are still at the very beginning of VR as a medium for storytelling.
We need to adapt what we know from the world of movies, video games and animation, as well as learn from some less obvious fields such as architecture and stage theater. On top of this, we must invent new techniques and develop new types of writing to take advantage of the unfolding possibilities of VR as well as to hide its limitations.
We’re only just beginning to figure out the potential of VR as a storytelling medium, so many of the rules, techniques and conventions that we take for granted in filmmaking and theatre, for example, haven’t yet been tried, tested, or codified. In sum, we need to get busy writing the VR rulebook.
We're years out from a mainstream VR entertainment "hit" and it's an exciting period of discovery for the pioneers who are diving down this rabbit hole of invention and discovery.
Future of TV
Snapchat talks with Hollywood about bringing shows to the platform
Snapchat also is working with the NFL on a Discover channel, and talking to other leagues, sources familiar with those talks confirmed.
Snapchat wants to see Discover evolve from its roots as a publishing destination, where players like BuzzFeed and Cosmopolitan post articles and web videos, into more of a premium video destination.
It's no secret that a lot of video is watched in Snapchat—Buzzfeed has said it accounts for 20% of its video views. But the current crop of content is very Snapchat, it has the quickfire playfulness that Facebook and Twitter lost a long time ago. Can it become a place where people go for longer, premium video content, without alienating its users?
How Viacom is experimenting with new tech to engage viewers
On July 14, Viacom employees in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia came together for an experiment: They wanted to broadcast an hourlong music video block on MTV in Australia embedded with rotating live streams of people dancing to the music — all on TV.
Nestled inside Viacom HQ in Manhattan is a team of five employees called Viacom Labs. Their mission? Bring live video on the web to TV and experiment with new forms of storytelling. It requires co-ordination from teams in Viacom's three global offices, and it's opening new lanes of storytelling for them.
The marketer's guide to Periscope, Facebook Live & YouTube mobile live streaming
Whether you're a marketer who was using live streaming before it became cool, or if you're someone who is debating if it can be used to increase your audience and better your brand, this article can help you.
It's an in depth guide on the best and most efficient ways to use Periscope, Facebook Live, and YouTube Mobile to engage an audience, and market any sort of content or products. It also includes examples of ways companies like Target and Red Bull leveraged live streaming services to ends that went far beyond their expectations.
Twitter lands contract with NBA for original live programming
The NFL, Wimbledon, CBS, Bloomberg, and now the NBA—the growing list of partnerships that Twitter has for streaming exclusive content. It's important to mention those last four were made in just the past few weeks.
The deal with the NBA will give it two new live shows to stream that will play exclusively on Twitter. The first of the two shows will be pregame content, the second has yet to be announced.
This is yet another testament to the reality that live streaming will make more than just a ripple in the way we consume content (both entertainment and information).
Interactive Media
Snapchat applies for patent to serve ads by recognizing objects in your snaps
The technology outlined by the company would identify items in users' pictures, and then offer them image overlays from brands related to these objects.
Imagine taking a photo of some sweet latté art, swiping through the filters and seeing one for the very coffee shop you're sitting in. Or seeing a special one that's a reward for being a loyal customer (the return of Foursquare badges?) It's the best kind of marketing; it's fun, in the moment, engaging, shareable and it doesn't even feel like you're being advertised to.
While this is a patent application, and not necessarily a reflection of a feature that Snapchat plans to add, it's easy to see where it fits into the platform.
Virtual Reality
Big Hollywood begins to place its chips on virtual reality — but is it a smart bet?
In this article, Los Angeles Times discusses the potential of VR in film entertainment with both Hollywood filmmakers and technology insiders.
What they learn is that VR is something that many in the entertainment industry are taking very seriously—in just the past six weeks, companies in the likes of Comcast and Fox have invested at least $43 million in start up ventures.
“We’re always searching for the next great computing platform, and VR is a very good suspect.”
Briefs
- BitTorrent is venturing into live video news
- Facebook Messenger hits 1 billion users
- MTV & Jolly Rancher take over Snapchat for Fandom Awards
- Periscope introduces replay highlights, tweet embeds and live autoplay
Netflix to beam new CBS “Star Trek” television series in 188 countries around the world
"Resistance is futile"... to Netflix's monopoly on "Star Trek" streaming around the world. The two parties recently made an agreement that gives Netflix the exclusive rights to premier the franchises newest series and all subsequent episodes in 188 countries (excluding the US and Canada).
All 727 existing episodes in the "Star Trek" library will be available on Netflix by the end of the current year—now that's a lot of binging.