MikeN Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Again, a repeated misrepresentation. The Fan Network is an integrated media platform designed to be prominently displayed on both DCI.org and the websites of 40-plus corps that participate in DCI. It is not an "island". But it's not prominently displayed. Go look at the defending world champion's website. http://www.bluedevils.org/ No mention of FN on the home page. Cadets? http://www.yea.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Cadets2 No mention/link to FN on their home page. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally down with FN as designed. But many corps (especially those who decided to do competing services) aren't as on board as others. My solution would be a social media channel with individual songs, not shows, and more "profesionally" produced music-video type pieces. Heck, we're an activity of musicians - if the copyrights are an issue, write original music. Have a drumline play some over-the-top cadence or some such. Video a guard on-stage performing a solo piece. Give a three-minute documentary on a rehearsal day. Point being, create shorter, quality content that promotes traffic to the more in-depth content. Mike 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 But it's not prominently displayed. Go look at the defending world champion's website. http://www.bluedevils.org/ No mention of FN on the home page. Cadets? http://www.yea.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Cadets2 No mention/link to FN on their home page. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally down with FN as designed. But many corps (especially those who decided to do competing services) aren't as on board as others. The part I bolded above explains why. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobrien Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Heck, we're an activity of musicians - if the copyrights are an issue, write original music. So everyone else in the activity can complain that you're only writing music to fit the visuals. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeN Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Fair enough - your solution, then, would be for full buy-in from all corps? The more I think about this, I can see both points. As a fan tool, FN is a wonderful resource, and it's nice to have everything under one roof. The prices are within reason, and it's hardly news that from the first year FN released it absolutely gutted the bootleg market; took it down to practically nothing. But as an outreach tool, it's not the most friendly, organized and welcoming place. The "viral" video section hardly contains any performance material (again, a decision I understand, but hardly a draw for non-subscribers), the site is not easy to find, and you really have to know what you're looking for to get real value from it. I understand the idea of throwing out free content as a draw to grow the whole - I just wonder if there might be a less "all or nothing" way of doing it? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 How is the prospective/new fan ever going to find this? Same way they'd find a DCI video among the 100,000,000 videos on YouTube. Note the traffic level of the Fan Network on there? That is ALL Fan Network traffic combined (DCI, WGI, BofA, WBA, etc.)All that traffic combined is even more obscure than the web site of the Lithuanian Parliament. I would hope so. A nation's government is of greater importance. The educational impact of posting full-shows online is significant.That deserves an entire post in itself, but the wider variety of full programs that are easily available inspires a whole new generation of creators and performers AROUND THE WORLD. Really? No one will be inspired by a video of anything less than the full 11 to 15 minutes (with pre-shows)? You're grasping at straws here. Tell you what. Why don't you pitch your idea to the Blue Devils? Shouldn't they shut down their Mediabox operation, and post full-show media on YouTube for free instead? A whole WORLD of creators and performers would then be uniquely inspired by BD! More people will stumble across it, will link to it, will blog about it, will share with friends, will get featured in media, etc. If effectively coupled with an effective conversion strategy, this should result in increased participation, attendance and revenues. Great! Let's get to work on that. But let's use appropriate material....short clips, partial shows, "viral" video. Videos 15:00 long don't go viral. Is it really all that successful in terms of revenue and reach? The Fan Network provides revenue streams and a web-based media platform to the individual corps as well as DCI. Yes, it is successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrangerx Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Okay -- I'm interested. Lots of talk about the delivery method. No talk about the licensing issues. Without content, the delivery doesn't much matter. Any takers with experience in actually doing this before -- using music and video that is, for all practical purposes, on loan from the original copyright holders -- and distributing that intellectual property for free? Just askin's'all. . . Chuck Naffier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Notice that no companies use their websites anymore? They advertise their Facebook and Twitter accounts. Your statement is...out of line with reality. I obviously know that many companies advertise their Facebook and Twitter accounts, but they're missing a large portion of the market. Those who are over 45 do not use social media the same way as those under. To say that "no companies use their websites anymore" is patently false and out of line. Frankly, The companies that are using Facebook and Twitter are forward thinking, but as I said, not EVERYONE is using social media YET. YOUR REALITY is NOT reality. Give it a few more years for every company to stop using their websites and close them down. Reality check... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 (edited) 500 million people on facebook is not enough people? Social media is HUGE. I suggest you get a facebook and search videos on youtube ASAP!! Dude, I'm on Facebook. Frankly, that's a bit insulting. You're funny. Obviously that 500 million number is HUGE, but it's NOT all in America. That's worldwide. 500 million out of 6.7 billion. The US population is ~307 million, so obviously not everyone is on FB yet. How many people in America are on Facebook over 40? What percentage? All I said was that it's going to take a few more years for that approach. You need to have a more holistic approach. ...and try not being snarky... Just keeping it real.... Edited April 19, 2011 by jjeffeory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Okay -- I'm interested. Lots of talk about the delivery method. No talk about the licensing issues. Without content, the delivery doesn't much matter. Any takers with experience in actually doing this before -- using music and video that is, for all practical purposes, on loan from the original copyright holders -- and distributing that intellectual property for free? Just askin's'all. . . Chuck Naffier This is exactly what I was getting at earlier in this thread. DCI's Fan Network functions to the specs of copyright agreements; I imagine that other methods of product distribution will mean renegotiation of copyright use (which would likely equal higher licensing fees for corps/DCI). IMO, we have to be honest with what the best use of DCI's (VERY limited) resources are: do we market the activity to the most likely fans and potential fans, or do we cast a very broad net and try to market the activity to all in the general public in hopes we snare a few new 'fish?' I think what DCI is doing with Fan Network (and what other corps are doing with their own services) is working good: they deliver product to fans who know where to look at a price that is reasonable and equitable for all parties involved. Fan Network continues to improve, and I look forward to another season of being a customer who plans his summers around the Live Show Stream schedule. I think stretching DCI's resources thinner, especially at the expense of copyright use renegotiation (that could make copyright holders either charge more money or flat out refuse to allow DCI to use their property), is a poor business decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 (edited) I think stretching DCI's resources thinner, especially at the expense of copyright use renegotiation (that could make copyright holders either charge more money or flat out refuse to allow DCI to use their property), is a poor business decision. The Fan Network functions just fine...for knowledgeable fans. I still run into lots of people who just don't know about the FN. The part you're missing -- completely -- is WHO the viral marketing would reach. Want to reach potential marchers? Want to reach new fans? Perhaps you should be marketing to high school marchers and their parents (people already involved in the marching activity) . Hmm..... BTW I don't think copyright fees are an issue if the material is put together carefully. Warmups? Practices? Interviews? Short show snippets? Everyone goes around yelling OMG OMG COPYRIGHT COPYRIGHT. With *smart* limits to length of cuts, you can put together a video of EVERY DCI SHOW on the schedule without incurring mammoth copyright fees. Think news format instead of full shows. As long as DCI is focused on REVENUE and not MARKETING their audience will stagnate. There have been many many ideas posted here on DCP about how to reach HS kids and their parents. I'd expect the theaters to be packed with HS kids for every theater event. But *most* kids / parents don't know about it. And theaters are lucky to get 1/4 full. DCI has to become part of the fabric of marching arts. Instead it seems to be doing everything it can to isolate itself. I don't get it. Edited April 19, 2011 by corpsband Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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