Tag Archive for 'new-media'

05
May

We need to stop calling the internet - the internet

By Joshua Nard 0 Comments
Categories: Internet, New Media and advertising

We internet as we knew it, is dead.  The idea of sending bytes of data back and forth for what it was originally intended for, has passed.  Today it has evolved into many different forms.  The definition of what it was, metaphysically, no longer applies.  We certainly don’t say “answer the television” when we get a phone call.  Although some congressmen insist on juvenilely describing it as “pipes,” today it could be described as dynamic channels with networking crossover.  While it’s potential form is still shaking out, it continues to evolve before anything is truly established.

Although it appears unformulated, there really is no confusion as to what it is.  What is familiar within the web as we view it, is various forms of television, radio, telephone and print.  As much as we want to spin the once-formerly-known-as-internet as a new model, it is still very much the same in micro blocks of content through associations that we are easily familiar with.  While youtube and video podcasts appear on the surface to be a craze considered a by some as a revolution, it is still very much television with more channels than your cable tv.  It is a viable medium.  Both advertisers and futurists have struggled for a long while to figure out what the net is to consumers and how it can be formulated into a diplomatic sentence.  In reality, it is nothing more than another channel for us to view or communicate.  A communication tool that is very much apart of the average consumers lives.  It’s television. It’s radio. It’s a telephone.  It’s a newspaper.  Therein lies the identity to advertisers today.  Whether it is Nielsen ratings or CPM’s, advertising is very much a viable driving force for monetary support for content providers.  It’s important that advertisers understand.  Advertising is just as powerful online as it is in traditional media.  Some studies suggest it’s even more captive online - but that’s for another blog entry.

As much as we have improved and attempted to re-invent a “car of the future,” it still has four wheels, an engine and a steering wheel very much akin to the Model-T.  We still call it a car.  Just like a car, whether on a back road or super highway, we, as consumers still drive it.

11
Apr

Has Broadcast growth lost to the Internet?

By Joshua Nard 1 Comment
Categories: Broadcast, Internet and New Media

For ten years, I have devoted my career to the profession of content creation in television and new media.  New media, to clarify how I am defining it, is spot media on a non-traditional network of remote public displays: digital signage, DCNs (Digital Content Networks) or kiosk displays are terms thrown around today.  Today, I am looking for the next big opportunity in my career after a recent merger regrettably did not come together as promised.  This recent opportunity has allowed me to create Flash interactive media for clients.  Seven years ago when I was freelancing and 56K modems were king, I worked on a few HTML projects with limited flash components.  Although there was endless opportunity for dynamic content, the lack of default browser adoption and limited internet transmission held the industry back.  Recent broadband adoption has enabled the viability of the medium.  Not surpisingly, the job boards are full of senior creative jobs that require internet knowledge.  It is an exciting time for dynamic media and the industry in general.  It’s been seven years, and it’s quite possible my job hunting search term skills may be lacking.  What is surprising is the minute or absolutely vacant postings for art or creative directors with broadcast/spot production skills.  I am beginning to wonder after three months if the internet is not just the growing trend, but the only developing norm.  Has broadcast as we know it has reached an industry growth plateau or is it just a temporary flux?  It’s far to early to tell, after all my search has only covered the last three months of the Chicago market.  I have done my best to kept my career experience open to a more holistic approach to media, from broadcast production, new media and interactive.  I believe spot production, telling a good compelling story, is very relevant even in today’s dynamic and streaming media.   I am enthusiastic as I re-engage myself back into dynamic, interactive content or broadcast.  I am just a bit surprised, perhaps befuddled, and even a bit concerned, at the early thought that there is potentially a growth omission in a medium that has ruled the industry for decades.  My hope is that both mediums, that are not too far akin in my belief, will continue to be healthy and show growth in parallel.  I guess we can only wait and see.