Video Didn’t Kill the Radio Star, It Just Gave It a New Platform
| Every startup has a plethora of obstacles standing between itself and funding. Competition is high, and getting noticed is a big hurdle to jump. Recently, we got together to discuss video and how it relates to startups. We brought together a panel of video production professionals to discuss how startups can utilize video, from where they can bring them the most value to finding the resources to produce it. |
We were fortunate enough to gather at Impact Hub North Lamar, who made it very clear Austin’s great co-working spaces aren’t only downtown. Impact Hub North Lamar is a tremendous and beautiful space, with a mission as inviting as its interior. 
Gavin Gillas, joined us for the evening and chatted with us about Impact Hub’s commitment to community, specifically social innovation and social impact.
In addition to providing space for startups and entrepreneur, they also provide space to nonprofits and for nonprofit events and are among Austin’s innovators of space; we’ve been taking a close look at the role of spaces in driving the media economies and have SkylesBayne in particular to thank for such work and their support of what we’re doing.
Like all industries experiencing the evolution of technology, we’ve seen video transform over the years.
What started out as film has now expanded to 360 video, livestreaming, VR, and the ability for anyone with a smartphone to record, create, and share. Though there are benefits of that. As Golden Arm Media‘s Alex Murphy mentioned during our evening, a smartphone is a tremendous storytelling device and may be all you need if you’re strapped for cash. If you want to take it just one step further, up the quality and consistency by pairing your iPhone with a tripod, as suggested by Lyn Graft.
| It was Lyn who joined by Randall Dark, Cinematographer and HD video pioneer, Pat ‘Shaggy’ Welsh, 360 Studios founder, and Carlana Stone, Television writer and producer, in our recent panel session at Impact Hub. With that shift to smartphones and VR, audiences have become increasingly harder to attract and keep interested in your company and your product. When creating video, Randall Dark notes… |
“Our attention span has shrunk dramatically. I need to be compelling in the first 15 seconds.”
360 has also brought about a dramatic shift in capturing video. “In 360, everything is a potential moving signed real estate to get in front of that camera,” noted Graft. Despite so much change, the mission remains the same and as Carlana Stone added, “We humanize the brand and we strip back a few of the layers.” That same approach can be applied to startups.
“Don’t focus too much on technical details,” remarked Alex Murphy. “Customers want to know: What’s in it for me?”
Media Converging in Video
| Our panel discussions are followed by intentional networking and it’s here where we were joined by Alex Murphy, Rachel Graham (who produced with us one of our favorite MediaTech promotional videos), Clarity Marketing Support and Austin Blues Revue‘s Pete Monfre, and late night talk show writer and founder of the Rhetoric Factory and Super Brand Studios’ Dr. Dan French. |
Between these groups, the audience flowed between people, created some boomerang GIFs of themselves at Jonathan Jow’s Bootheasy setup, and enjoyed the evening’s on scene podcasts; we were joined by Bak Zoumanigui from The FeedBak, Moby of Austin Fire Show, and Go Hunt Life‘s Todd Nevins.
| The theme of the night was video, but perhaps its second most common thread was the thought of a community working together to better a city and the individuals within it. Austin has had a distinct experience with film, video, and media over the years, and is poised for great things. There’s something to be said about the community we’re in, people willing to lend a hand and make a connection in order to help each other accomplish their goals. |
A big thank you to Randall Dark, Lyn Graft, Carlana Stone and Shaggy Welsh for joining us for the panel, eternal gratitude to our networking hosts and our gracious supporters at Impact Hub, for letting us explore and educate in their space, and particularly to the generosity of SkylesBayne for making the night possible.
Video has been evolving since well before eStudio and Shockwave spoofed The Buggles in their animation about the impact of the internet on radio. Austin is clearly taking it where we’re evolving next.
This event was just one in the series of MediaTech events we’re producing! Be sure to RSVP to our future plans in MediaTech or join us on Social Media to connect, experience, and learn about innovation in media.
