5G and the way forward for content material
With locks that put an end to major filming and live events, producers and creatives working in areas such as advertising, film and television had to find new ways to create content. For the most part, it meant a wave of lo-fi ads filmed on cell phones or handheld cameras, or commercials composed of social media footage and video calls. Jimmy Fallon and the like had to do weekly chat shows via Zoom, and film dramas were replaced with documentaries and dramas shot by actors and their families (or, in some cases, their pets).
While these limitations have resulted in some surprisingly creative productions Skoda's homemade stop motion ads to ITVs isolation storiesIt is clear that there is still a demand for premium content with high-end production values - a demand that is growing and diversifying. How Sky's list of the most popular shows in Lockdown has shown that audiences have turned to epic fantasies, thrillers and comedies that can provide the much-needed escape from the stress and boredom of lockdown. Viewers can expect high-end entertainment – whether it's impressive movie screenings, elaborate TV dramas, or beautifully produced television commercials and music videos – and this demand is likely to only increase if there are no theater productions, festivals, and major events.
There is a world of tools that brands and creatives can use to create compelling experiences. So far, however, we have barely scratched the surface of the possible – partly because the technology we use to create these experiences has traditionally been expensive and difficult to use, but also because slow connectivity speeds render rendering, producing, or streaming more ambitious content within tight budgets and short periods of time have made it difficult (if not impossible).
DISCOVER NEW FORMS OF HISTORY
As a result, most brands and content creators still focus on video and traditional 2D forms of storytelling such as linear dramas or documentaries, and formats like AR, VR, and MR have not quite met their initial hype. However, the introduction of 5G and edge computing will make it faster and easier to produce the kind of mixed reality experiences that previously existed outside the mainstream and to make them accessible to a wider audience.
Geoff Goodwin, senior director at Verizon Media's in-house 5G studio, points out that this has the potential to create more complex and ambitious types of content and deliver experiences that traditional 2D video with 3D or interactive elements combine. As podcast playback and mobile video streaming continue to increase, there is still a strong appetite for audio and video content. There are also various ways that brands can use faster internet, more complex computer processes, and cheaper, more accessible technologies to connect with the public in new ways – something that has become increasingly important in the face of barriers and social distancing measures.
It's a good time for brands and creatives to explore what a 5G future could look like – and how the widespread adoption of 5G networks could offer both content creators and audiences. For Goodwin, the resulting creation and production options can be divided into three broad categories: immersive, interactive and intelligent.
IMMERSIVE EVENTS
Since large physical gatherings are excluded for the foreseeable future, brands and organizers are turning to digital platforms to host virtual events. The Defected record label has hosted a number of virtual festivals with Facebook Live, literary gatherings Hay has hosted performances, lectures and questions and answers with crowdcast, and Secret Cinema has hosted paid events for cinema fans on Zoom while it was a TV panel show broadcast from Blank Studios in the absence of an enthusiastic studio audience.
By using 5G and new "Smart Stage" systems, Goodwin brands offer the opportunity to create more exciting live experiences with higher production values. Verizon Media's studio recently experimented with a new intelligent stage that offers an alternative to conventional green screens. The technology enables brands and entertainment companies to film people on set and project 4K videos or motion graphics around them in real time. This gives actors and presenters more haunting backgrounds and visual elements for the interaction. For those on stage, this offers a more natural experience while filming and for the audience more interesting footage than a rolling feed of speaking heads combined with 2D infographics or split-screen videos.
We hope real events come back, but now it's (a case of thinking) how we create mixed virtual events next to them.
As Goodwin emphasizes, there is a clear demand for virtual events – whether it is an appearance or a conference – that are visually exciting to look at. And while online experiences may not fully reproduce the feeling of speaking or seeing someone appear, they could offer brands and individuals a whole new way to interact with audiences who cannot attend events in real life.
"We hope real events will return, but now is it (a case of thinking) how we create mixed virtual events next to them?" says Goodwin. "People want a better virtual experience, so (you think): How do we do it well – not just like a team or hangout situation, but something that feels first class?" While such events can exist faster without 5G Computer and download speeds could make them better and more accessible, and remove some of the many technical problems that frequently occur when broadcasting live streams.
For an industry like fashion, Covid-19 has messed up the proven event cycles. The exploration of digital shows that are first digitized offers a once closed industry the opportunity to democratize access and reach new target groups. Verizon Media recently partnered with the London College of Fashion's Fashion Innovation Agency to host a new fashion show. "The web of reality"Here three top designers will work with VR artists to enable a comprehensive exploration of their collections. The results were broadcast over live streams hosted on Yahoo and HuffPost, allowing designers to connect with more consumers and gain new fans and followers.
INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES
Interactive storytelling is another area Goodwin believes Goodwin should look at and that could become more popular with the widespread introduction of 5G. The success of Bandersnatch – a unique interactive episode of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror series – showed great interest in alternative forms of storytelling. So far, however, this has been based on a rather clunky mechanic in which viewers have to choose from a list of options to continue a story with their device or controller. In the future, however, Goodwin believes there is scope for more immersive formats that unfold in real time.
"In interactivity, 5G will be the game changer in my opinion: we have no latency and the ability to adjust properly – not the clunky way of having three options at the bottom of a screen where we should use them, but something like facial recognition to drive stories and ramifications, ”he says. "It doesn't work if you have a delay because once you have a delay between this activity, the moment you could expose unbelief is over, but no latency or anything removes it and it becomes a more natural, fluid thing . "
Could we create a completely different platform that allows different perspectives when looking at something?
Goodwin believes in film and television that this could lead to new types of interactive stories that go beyond the possibility for viewers to choose their fate (or that of their characters) and instead allow viewers to follow a story from different perspectives and switch between heroes and bad guys. or between main characters in ensemble shows.
"We saw shows like The Sopranos and The Wire appear in the 2000s, you had the rise of the antihero and now we are in this world where it is sometimes cool to be the antagonist … so we could be one create another platform that allows different perspectives when you see something? “He adds.
"You can start thinking about stories from different perspectives and how it works in branched narratives, but again you need big data and really low latency to push some of these stories forward."
While Goodwin doesn't think linear storytelling will end soon, he also believes that this could make a difference for entertainment companies struggling to compete with Netflix or Hulu.
Instead of guiding these commercials from a creative vision, you can branch an ad based on what you know about your consumer
“I think this is the kind of experience the audience will want (in the future). Of course, they'll still want to see a relaxing Killing Eve experience for six or twelve hours, but this idea from Netflix, BBC, Hulu, and HBO is all competing to create the same linear drama and comedy … I don't know. I don't think this is a permanent competitive advantage and here we have to find new creative opportunities. "
There's also a great opportunity for advertisers to connect with the audience more deeply with the same technology. “If you think of FMCG brands or automotive companies instead of guiding these commercials from a creative vision – usually the aspirations of beautiful people in beautiful cities – you can start showing an ad based on what you know about Your consumer know. For someone who is more data-driven or concerned with statistics, you could go under the hood for 45 seconds. If you could do all of this within the same budget and timeframe required to create a traditional commercial – as 5G promises – the potential return on investment is huge. "
SMART PRODUCTION
In the early 2000s, the rise of YouTube and cheap video editing tools brought an explosion of new content that covered topics like cooking, games, and beauty. So people could easily create content from home and share it with millions of users and record a video and share it minutes later. And with the introduction of edge computing, intelligent lighting and cameras, Goodwin could offer brands or filmmakers the opportunity to go outside and produce original dramas or documentaries in a similar way in the region.
With movies now being shot on mobile phones and video apps like TikTok that offer built-in music libraries and editing tools, the obstacles to creating original content are much less than a few years ago, and with the introduction of 5G, we were able to see developers, that are able to record, edit and distribute high-end content in a few hours, not months. "If you can have something that was shot that day and released that night, there is tremendous potential there, ”Goodwin adds.
Every time a new technology comes in and disrupts the industry, the people who are better prepared and understand how it works for them are the ones who win
While 5G has not yet become the standard across the UK, most of the country's major networks are already offering the service, and brands like Samsung have already launched 5G-enabled smartphones. As Goodwin explains, if they don't want to be left behind, companies will have to think about the potential applications of this new technology and the potential impact on our viewing habits.
“When you think of something like TikTok, advertisers are now trying (to find out) how to tell stories (on the platform) – every time a new technology comes in and disrupts (the industry), the people who are better prepared for it and understand how it works for them are the ones who win. "
For professional creatives working on large-budget TV spots or epic dramas, 5G could offer a tremendous advantage in improved post and on-site services previously limited by connectivity issues. Stronger networks supported by 5G make recording, editing, and editing inevitably more efficient and creative.
verizonmedia.com