Deep linking is critical - new idea from YouTube

With increasing amounts of long form video content available on the web, it's going to be increasingly important for publishers to provide mechanisms for segmenting or deep linking into videos.

People have always chunked programmes into segments, perhaps favourite bits or funny scenes or lines. These have been manually segmented and uploaded since the day YouTube launched. Here's an example and excuse to watch the famous McGyver coffin jet ski escape scene:



With more long form content, the ability to segment online or on the fly is key. Clips are easier to consume because of their brevity, they're usually the most memorable bits and they're more likely to have some kind of viral impact.

Hulu (of course) have a great system where if I email or embed a video then I can select an in and out point, allowing me to choose a specific segment. It's simple and easy and it passes the Mrs Robertson test, could my mum do it?

Youtube have announced two measures to allow similar sub-clipping. The first is not very user friendly, it involves adding a timecode to the end of the URL to create a deep link. It does work, although my mum wouldn't like it, and it's a little clunky when the page loads. Here's the moment the coffin turns into a jet ski (1 minute and 1 second into the clip): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTWEh2mcdsg#t=1m01s

The second method is far more interesting. In the comments field of YouTube (where you'll find the the swearing and hatred,) if you enter a timecode in the right format, a link is automatically created to that moment in the video.


See it in action on the Mcyver clip and try it yourself.

This allows users to discuss the content in context - this is not a feature I've seen elsewhere. With the amount of commenting on YouTube this could be quite a strong feature and one I think we'll see becoming available on other sites.

Meanwhile in other news, speculation on Hulu making an appearance in the UK and a funny and clever revisiting of the original Wassup TV advert.

#7

#7 from Nairn Robertson on Vimeo.

Shot at Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire, which comprises some 18,000 trees and shrubs and was established in 1829.

London Commuting Visualisations

I've been aware of the mySociety work for while, mainly through theyworkforyou.com which was used for some aspects of Protect The Human. I recently discovered their mapping project which visualises commuting times for different forms of transport. These visualisations are fascinating and could prove incredibly useful in managing the transport networks that we all use in our daily lives.

click image for full version
This map shows travel times to the Department of Transport in Pimlico using public transport. It's the detail which I love, showing islands appearing around transport nodes and hubs such as train stations or main bus routes.


Wimbledon while reasonably far out is very well connected through Victoria Station, whereas for getting to Pimlico, SE London is hopeless. Of course were the map to be centred on London Bridge where most SE London transport deposits the daily hoardes, then the map would look very different.

There is a dynamic version with sliders half way down this page, centred again on Pimlico.

A similar map shows Edinburgh, comparing public transport versus car commuting times. The light coloured areas represent where public transport is quicker than driving. While city public transport bodies must have this kind of information (I hope to God they do) it's amazing to see this data visualised so clearly.


This last map came as a bit of a shock. As a cyclist who braves the capital regularly, I'm well aware of how quick two wheels can be, but I was surprised at the extent to which this as true. The clear areas on this map represent where cycling is faster than public transport if you work at the Department of Transport. For most of London cycling is clearly faster! The black area in Pimlico is confusing, any ideas?


Of course what we all want is to enter our own postcode and visualise how how our lives are affected by travel times and networks. Hopefully one day that system wil be developed. If you're interested you can commission mysociety to create a custom map for you.

For anyone interested in sustainable transport and car free areas, www.carfree.org.uk and www.carfree.com are good places to start.

Cool new routemaster design - video

One of the entries in the Routemaster bus competition for London.

I've only seen still images for the other designs but this video really brings this particular design to life. I really like the look of this video (although it could do with more/any sound), not to mention the actual design of the bus - I love the idea of people facing each other on London buses. Although it does seem to have the longest wheel-base of any bus I've ever seen - corners and cyclists beware. I really love the big destination sign next to the front door.

Interesting pics - Me on Tumblr

I've recently started posting stuff to Tumblr. I find a lot interesting things which catch my eye but don't make it onto this blog. Either they aren't relevant, I don't have the time or as is most likely, I have no real opinion on.

So I've been posting these things - usually they're visual rather than wordy. So far they seem to be about design, architecture, music, photographs or history. You can find these at: http://nairnski.tumblr.com/

If like me you prefer the RSS way of life then you can find the feed here: http://nairnski.tumblr.com/rss

Here are a few recent submissions:

J is for Jawa (via tweedlebop)

1912. "German port call. U.S. battleship in Hampton Roads to greet German squadron." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. (via The Kaiser Comes Calling: 1912 | Shorpy :: History in HD)

Kung Fu Panda - The Art of the Title Sequence

Timelapse - Durdle Door from pigeon on Vimeo.

Motley Fool video launches

Earlier this year I found myself working, through the good folks at Made by Many, at the headquarters of fool.co.uk, the financial advice and comparison website.

Motley Fool had been running audio podcasts successfuly for many months and wanted to progress into moving pictures. They key problem we faced was that their sector does not particularly lend itself to interesting moving pictures. You'll see this point exactly when the news (especially Newsnight) starts chucking graphics at this very problem during financial stories. Furthermore, the team available was small and did not have the resource to spend all week filming interesting cutaways to help the video along.


I assisted by running a couple of workshops with their team, looking at what the competition was producing, simple video formats that could be used and some storyboarding and scriptwriting sessions. I also provided general production and integration advice and some hands on editing advice to the team. We then produced a couple of pilots to see how the ideas panned out. The pilot process was fun as we wrestled with trying to make pensions and bonds visually interesting. Eventually we arrived at a few key rules:

- Motley Fool has many writers who are experts in their field - they're valuable so make use of them.

- finance affects us all and people on the street have opinions and stories to tell - make use of them.

- don't try and replicate a news service.

And so the content as it now stands focuses more on people and opinion than we originally envisaged. Also we decided that content should be created when stories would lend itself to moving pictures, rather than trying to force non-visual stories into moving pictures just to suit a schedule.

So now using the magic of blip.tv, Motley Fool's video is up and running and looking pretty good, even if I say so myself. It's well shot and edited, interesting and relevant, which is impressive considering it's about finance. Well done to Andy, Emma, Szu Ping, Donna, Ed, Laura and everyone else involved.

Watch On The Money on fool.co.uk or subscribe.

Guardian video experience - that's a fail

I once visited the BBC's Kingswood Warren complex to speak to someone about grey screen technology. It was like green screen (or blue screen) but cooler, I can't remember how or why it was cooler, but it must have been if Kingswood were involved.

Kingswood is supposedly closing, so I was interested to watch a filmed interview from August on the Guardian site with Andy Bower, the BBC head of broadcast research and innovation. The interview content was interesting enough (mainly because of the cutaways) but sadly the overall experience was a real let down.


Firstly, what's with this framing that was used throughout the entire interview footage? I suspect the interviewer may have been sent out on her own, set the camera up and then jumped into shot to carry out the interview.


We've all been in situations where we've had to set up kit quickly, used unfamiliar kit or simply had to do things on the cheap - so I'm sympathetic. But really the Guardian should not be sending people out filming until they know some of the basics of framing a shot. If you spend any money on creating video content, please spend it on getting a camera operator - as experienced as you can afford.

Having watched the video, I looked at the 'Latest videos' content on the right hand side of the player. Having watched something about TV innovation, they're suggesting I then watch an advert with Timmy Mallet or an advert for Channel Five? Of the five videos suggested, three were for TV adverts and two were for Five idents or ads. There were quite a few videos in the Guardian Video section that I would like to have watched, had they been suggested to me.

I'm not usually so harsh, but following recent glorious experiences with Hulu, then I think we should all be striving for better experiences.

1. Know how to frame a shot and hold the camera steady on a tripod.

2. Be very careful with suggested or latest video links. If you don't have enough content to make the experience worthwhile, don't try and fake it. If the system can't suggest very relevant content, then at least make sure it suggests a good variety or cross-section of content.

#6

This is really too long for a voodle, but I really like it so why not. 24 hours later, just a bit higher up the ski run I was proposing!