In the screen capture image we see a final cut pro tutorial, showing the viewer how to edit in final cut pro, while it plays in an environment that is increasingly like final cut pro. There is a symmetry emerging between the production of media, and the users consumption of media.
Yesterday I led an HTML5 Video workshop at RoadTrip Productions. RoadTrip is known for their PBS documentary series, (before going to graduate school I was an editor for the series) but like many production companies RoadTrip is confronting the shifting landscape of online video. As producers of content that will mostly be experienced online, they can no longer afford a work flow that conceives of the web as simply a repository for where previously aired content is archived and made available. This is where our workshop stepped in, by illuminating the tools and frameworks that they could possibly leverage to help address their current issues and improve the user experience on their website.
The workshop was divided into two sections, the first was a lecture that briefly covered the major historical and theoretical points surrounding the formats and standards that have shaped the media ecology of the last 30 years, including a software studies account of the history of computers. The first section concluded with an overview of current HTML5 video standards, frameworks, and tools. This was followed by a brainstorming session with everyone in the group. The group represented a mix of video editors, designers, and programmers.
It was without question a great time, and the brainstorming session was very productive. For future workshops I would like to extend the time frame to include a day or two of rapid prototyping. The notes for the workshop can be here: Sputnik flew over the cuckoo’s nest
up the hill & through the woods 