"Embracing Web 2.0 and New Media Communications"

Embracing Web 2.0 and New Media

Communications

Renee Basick, Interim DirectorChicago Media Iniatives Group

Aaron Rester, Manager of Electronic Communications

University of Chicago Law School

Intro: Chiasmos screen shot

“Really Simple Syndication” = XMLPodcast = RSS

In this context, we’ll be using the term to describe audio and video

content that is transmitted digitally.

What is New Media?

New Media @ CIS

Legal Issues

Podcasting Goes Mainstream

What is a podcast?

I. Why are we doing this?An organization must carefully consider its goals, and whether a podcast or other new media venture is a good means to reach those goals.

Questions to consider when establishing a New Media program

I. Why are we doing this?II. What will our content be?

Know who your audience is, and what kind of content will be effectively “sticky” for them.


I. Why are we doing this?II. What will our content be?III. Who will produce,

maintain, and distribute our content and what tools will they use?Teamwork, effective delegation, and good organization are key.


Creating the podcast feed

I. Why are we doing this?II. What will our content be?III. Who will produce,

maintain, and distribute our content and what tools will they use?

IV. How will you track your progress?You need to know whether your efforts are effective.


FeedBurner

What is Web 2.0?

Technologies emphasizing collaboration, sharing, and user-generated content.

Distributing and promoting your content with Web 2.0 technologies

“The idea of ‘web presence’ these days extends beyond just hosting a domain on a box and filling it with tools.”

- Michael Fienen, Pittsburg State

“The university has a virtual existence, a virtual reality. In some areas it makes sense to lure visitors into our space, but increasingly it means that the university must exist in other spaces.”

- Skip Knox, Boise State

Why distribute your content with these technologies?

Content Sharing Sites

Social Networks

Renee L. BasickInterim Director

http://cmig.uchicago.edu

Podcasting and RSS

Automation!

Repository, feed-generator, NO CODE

Format OptionsHow much time/$ do you want to spend producing?

1. Lecture series, individual commentary, research results, interviews, talk show, tips, news?

2. Will there be multiple, distinct segments?

3. How many “hosts” (if any)? 4. Frequency of release, consistency?1. Length 2. Audio or video?

The Quality Myth

While the internet itself provides no quality control, listener-ship ultimately will. One way to make a podcast distinct among its peers (and authoritative, which is important for an academic podcast), is to produce decent quality media. It doesn’t have to be broadcast quality, but should adhere to some basic standards of professionalism.

BAD MEDIA = NO AUDIENCE

Production

AUDIO or VIDEO?

$45-60 for CMIG to produce one hourlecture, no editing.

$340+ for CMIG to produce one hourlecture, no editing.

VIDEO Equipment(On a very, very tight budget)

• Wireless mic: AT Pro-88$150 mic, transmitter + receiverGood for roughly 25-30 ft.

• Camera: Panasonic PV-GS320 3 CCD mini DV Camcorder $399 ($629 w/accessories, incl. tripod)

• Lights: Smith-Victor K64 3 Light Controlled Quartz Portraiture Kit $445

• iMovie (free with your mac)

TOTAL: $994

What CMIG uses:

In the beginningPanasonic DVX100 $3999.00Cartoni Action-Pro Tripod $699.95Audio-Technica wireless mic

$560.75Sony studio headphones $46.50Smith-Victor Light kit (3) $211.95Vortex Media WarmCards $91.00Apple Mac Pro $2,948.00 Final Cut Express HD 3.5 $149.00

TOTAL = $8,706.15

CurentlyPanasonic HVX200 $5199.00Bogen/Manfrotto Tripod & dolly

$875.Bogen/Manfrotto leveling head

$61.10Audio-Technica wireless mic $560.75Sony studio headphones $78.50Arri light kit (3) $1,789.95 Vortex Media WarmCards $91.00Apple Mac Pro $3,783.00 Final Cut Studio $699.00 Sorenson Squeeze $239.00

TOTAL = $13,376.30

AUDIO Equipment(On a fairly tight budget)

• Wireless mic: AT Pro-88 transmitter +

receiver. Good for roughly 25-30 ft., $150• Wired, lavaliere mic: XtremeMac

MemoMic $30• Digital Recorder/storage: iPod nano,

4gb $149 • Recording adapter: XtremeMac

MicroMemo Digital Voice Recorder for 2nd

Generation iPod nano $60

• Audacity (free download)

TOTAL: $239-359

WBEZ’s Recommendations(For a range of budgets)

Sony ICD-B500 ($45)• This recorder, and others like it, offers an inexpensive and

completely self-contained recording solution. While these units record sound at a lower resolution than 16-bit 44.1 kHz broadcast standard, they are high enough quality to make recordings that can be played over the air.

Sony ICD-BSX57USB ($100)• A step up from the basic all-analog model, these recorders are as

just as easy to use, but also have a USB connection to transfer audio to your computer (some recorders of this variety also include their own editing software).

Zoom H2 handy Recorder ($200)• This recorder has a built in mic like the recorders above but

records a considerably higher fidelity signal, making it a good choice for speech or music. It operates at broadcast-standard quality (and beyond) recording resolution, and comes with a fairly extensive accessory package.

M-Audio Microtrack 24/96 ($350)• This model has a similar feature set and form factor to the Zoom

H2. The primary differences include the M-Audio’s built-in rechargeable battery, independent left and right channel ¼” input jacks, and the use of Compact Flash media cards to store recordings.

Marantz PMD-660 ($500)• This is considered the professional standard among audio

journalists, and offers a number of pro-style features such as XLR input jacks, phantom power for condenser microphones, a built in stereo microphone and a built in speaker for playback. what CMIG uses

what CMIG uses

WBEZ’s Mic Recommendations(Also for a range of budgets)

Sound Professionals SP-SPSM-1 Stereo ‘T’ ($50)• This is an affordable portable stereo microphone with an 1/8” output jack,

making it an ideal accessory for the M-Audio microtrack. The distributor, Sound Professionals, offers a number of similarly-featured and similarly-priced microphones to fit nearly any need or budget. Most are considered ‘full spectrum,’ meaning they have a frequency response of 20Hz-20,000Hz.

Shure VP64 ($75) • This mic is widely used by broadcast professionals in the field as it’s hearty,

affordable and comes in a special long-barreled model that is ideal for interview applications. While the top end of the frequency response maxes out at 12,000Hz, this does not prevent it from gathering great recordings. Other features include a water-resistant grill for use in inclement weather.

Shure SM63 ($110)• This mic is nearly identical to the VP64, but has a full spectrum frequency

response of 80Hz-20,000Hz (note, the low end “roll off” minimizes wind noise or other handling noise from ending up on your recording). The added top end response makes this mic slightly more accurate when recording music or ambient sounds. The main trade off for higher fidelity, in this case, is a windscreen that offers less protection from the elements than the VP64.

AKG D230 ($165)• This mic is essentially a competing version of the VP64, and features the same

tough construction, low handling noise and extra-long barrel option, but captures a broader frequency spectrum of 40Hz-20,000Hz.

Audio TipsAlways use external mics.

NOT the onboard mic of a camcorder or digital audio recorder.

It will sound like you are in a cavernous, bustling sewer pipe.

Recording• Get room tone• Record 3x closer to

subject than any “reflective” surface

• Use good headphones• Do not peak—keep

monitor at -12dB

Editing• Edit out coughs, hic-ups

and noise (even when there’s video!)

• Use waveforms• Crossfade• Extend abrupt edits with

room tone• 911 filters

Video Tips

• Start high and down-convert to lower qualities• Don’t skimp on equipment if you can afford it

(caution: you can shoot bad video with a good camera!)

• Top 10 tips for achieving professional-quality video:1. Use a tripod2. Expose correctly3. Never put a speaker against a window. EVER. 4. Use a microphone and monitor levels5. Avoid unmotivated camera movement6. Do not edit in jump cuts 7. Edit sequences using b-roll8. Add auditory “white space”9. Create simple graphics with large fonts sizes10. Tell a story visually and using narrative

Other innovative uses for “Feeds”

The Hospital iPod projectSilver Plaque in the category of Special Achievement - Innovation

43rd Annual Intercom Awards, 2007 Chicago International Film Festival

DistributionTwo questions will guide your strategy:

1. Do you have a “series” (podcast) or individual, unrelated segments?

2. Should your target audience beacademic or broader?

DistributionOptions

Podcasts:iTunesPodcasts.yahoo.comDigg PodcastsPodcastDirectory.comOdea.comPodcastalley.comPodcast.netMefeedia.comPodfeed.netDigital Podcast

Individual segments:FacebookMyspaceGoogle VideoYouTube

Others…but is it worth it?

Intellectual PropertyShould you involve your

institution’s legal counsel?

Most web-based services DON’T want to own your media. However…

“By posting User Content to any part of the Site, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to the Company an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part) and distribute such User Content for any purpose on or in connection with the Site or the promotion thereof, to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, such User Content, and to grant and authorize sublicenses of the foregoing. You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content.”

“By posting User Content to any part of the Site, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to the Company an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part) and distribute such User Content for any purpose on or in connection with the Site or the promotion thereof, to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, such User Content, and to grant and authorize sublicenses of the foregoing. You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content.”

Intellectual PropertyHosted vs. Non-hosted Solutions

One way around granting away ownership is to decline hosting.

If it lives on your server, you own it.

VS.

Making your media findableBrowse, search and “featured” placement

METADATA = Visibilityhttp://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcaststechspecs.html#metadata

1. Title, author, description, and keywords tags at the <channel> level of your podcast feed

2. TITLE must be specific! Include your top keywords3. <itunes:summary> or <description> tag: Use this to

describe topic, format, frequency. TIP: define your keywords and build them into your description.

4. Choose 12 or less keywords--the most relevant terms will be in your title and description. Include common misspellings.

5. Include a valid itunes:category to ensure it appears in as many areas as possible.

6. Create “album art” for your podcast7. Choose a reliable host for your podcast

Featured PlacementTop 100, New & Notable, other “featured” podcasts

How to “place” your podcast

Noteworthy

Top Downloads

Highlights(below the fold)

Main Highlights

Search Engine80% of search engine traffic is through

Google, Yahoo and MSN*

* Jason Van Orden, PodcastingUnderground.com

And yet, none of them search the content of podcasts.

1. Metadata• Freekeywords.wordtracker.com

2. Transcripts!• podzinger.com• podscope.com• castingwords.com

(automated podcast transcription)• transcription services ($)

Email listsBuild a captive audience!

1. Your list is a group that has already indicated they want your content

2. Sending out an email every time a new episode is published drives traffic and increases listenership

3. Alternate means of communicating

4. TIP: Feedblitz.com (Free tool will send list email automatically when you add a new episode.) Wordpress also has plugins to do this.

Email Updates

More information

http://cmig.uchicago.edu

Renee BasickInterim Director

[email protected]

David PickettProducer

[email protected]

"Embracing Web 2.0 and New Media Communications"

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