Viral Marketing
Video Art and Viral Marketing - YouTube Your Ad
For this article I will be discussing the wonders of experimental and avant guarde film and viral marketing on YouTube. So this week it is back to my the roots...(I studied film in Canterbury and thought that one day I would be an Editor (Films that is not written words)).
From the very first time when the film pioneers showed their first films in the very first movie theatres artists experimented with the medium to create alternative, experimental and avant guarde films. With the birth of more run of the mill movies this movement went mostly underground. Not many are therefore aware of the treasures that were produced throughout the years. My personal favourites and idols were Maja Derren ("Meshes of the afternoon"1944), Stan Brakhage ("Mothlight" 1963), William Boroughs ("The Cut Ups" 1966) and John Smith ("The Black Tower" 1987 and "Girl Chewing Gum" 1976).
Video Art was born in the 60s when artists could suddenly make films out of virtually nothing, using a video recorder. Artists like Nam June Paik started the movement. The most famous video artists to date are probably Andy Warhol (forgive me for mentioning the one who must not be named) and Sam Taylor Wood.
With digital cameras, the Internet and mobile phones came a completely new way of creating and distributing videos. Many video artists, from film students and aspiring film makers to acclaimed directors, started to publish their films online. Videos are now also especially produced with the idea of putting them on the Internet in mind. As with all things Internet there is a vast spectrum of sites dedicated to experimental film out there. If you are looking for the pure experimental film experience www.noisefilm.co.uk might be the site for you. A resource for video art can be found on www.videoart.net. David Lynch has his own site, which is dedicated to his short films which can only be seen there www.davidlynch.com. Then there is YouTube, where you can find just about anything.
YouTube was born in 2005 (Google bought YouTubein late 2006) with the premise of sharing videos of any kind on the Internet and therefore worldwide. It very quickly became a world wide phenomenon with a staggering ten hours of video being uploaded every minute. YouTube grew into a very powerful broadcasting tool and dominates the online video market. There are even television programmes about it.
Obviously marketeers could not resist the lure of this marketing wonder. Thousands of videos are produced for YouTube as viral marketing campaigns. These campaigns vary from straight forward video ads and "product placement" ads to more obscure videos, that promote a company or product. Companies can even start contests and ask users to produce their own videos, ultimately promoting the companies agenda.
YouTube has a section of their site solely dedicated to marketeers www.youtube.com/advertise. And with it all comes tracking. Companies can view detailed stats of how successful their videos really are.
The question is whether I think that YouTube has brought experimental and avant guarde film back into the minds of millions? The answer is NO. Sadly most videos are viral ad campaigns or content generated rubbish, which have no artistic ambitions. However, I do think that in all the tinsel you can find a few great stars. Following on I am in great favour of Base Creative engaging in the media of film/video and producing their own little videos, that clench the marketing thirst of Iain and Ed whilst at the same time stand as honest and true attempts to express the creative urges of David and Anna. So watch this space.....