Socially Networked Video
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Contents |
Socially Networked Video
Team Members
- Jonathan Burow: Video Server Programmer, Video: Social Protocol: Volume One, Table Etiquette
- Parker English: Public Liason, Video: Bad Week, Video: Re-birth of a Nation, Video: 2005 DMS Poker Championship
- Tom Peters: Web Site Programmer, Video: Re-birth of a Nation, Video: 2005 DMS Poker Championship
What is Socially Networked Video?
Socially Networked Video is a project that started in the Fall of 2005 in the first part of this course (http://snvideo.org). In the spring semester the technology behind SNV is rebuilt from the ground up in order to allow future user-submitted work as well as the customization of the software.
Concept
Video is and always has been a purely linear medium. While our project wasn't created specifically attempt to tackle this issue, it does address the narrative nature indigigenous to video. Granted, adding another dimension to video work is really a daunting proposal in itself (but has been conceived of before), however SNV only uses this idea as a stepping stone to reach, what we feel, is a greater purpose; that is networking. SNV's ultimate goal is to unite audience members not merely in congregation but as an influential force on the outcome of the very video they are watching. What's so significant about this goal is that it takes the gap the lies between the audience and directors and brings them to a closer proximity of each other. While the audience can never truly attain the true freedom (and responsibility) of the director (if they did they'd be out shooting the movies themselves), it does enable them to have some choice over the direction of the video outcome. Since we have this extra layer of "networking" involved, not one individual gets to make the calls either, it's based upon popular decision (group consensus if that sounds better to you!).
Building upon this idea of a "networking layer", we feel that Socially Networked Video offers a completely different experience from the viewer's perspective as well compared to that of traditional video. Even if a person were to attend a movie theater and watch a movie amongst 200 other people, the experience is completely unique to ach individual because there's no interaction taking place and the video has a predetermined beginning, middle and end. When you throw popular decision into the mix, every person is required to participate in this video event. Notice that word, event. It's no longer a personal moment in time but an event that takes place because how you, the viewer walk away from the experience feeling is not based solely on your perspective but the decisions made by the group as a whole.
Lastly, but not any less significant, we also feel that the creation of content should be free and open to whomever would like to submit it. Our system will integrate an administrative interface which users can register with to be approved to submit content. They won't be required to have any advanced technical ability beyond that of their video editing skills. This also gives anyuser the ability to assume the role of director in the new modern sense that Socially Networked Video brings about.
Just as a side-bar, we've also recognized and feel we should note that this project's possibilities actually extend even beyond our original vision. Something we had never even thought of which was brought to our attention was the desire to use this software possibly for educational purposes which is perfectly feasible. So the scope of this project is not even limited to our initial intentions but it could potentially lead to much greater things.
Instructor's comment:
check this comparison of video sharing services
Data Flow Diagram & Experience
Content Providers
Content providers can literally be just about anyone. To become a content provider, it is required to apply for a "priveleged" account. To become approved, there will be a simple review process to validate that the creator is somewhat qualified, maybe get a sampling of previous work and we'd also request a rough sketch for the material they wish to create. Most people will get their approval, this is just a process to filter out all of the people who aren't serious about making quality content. Once approved, the creator is on "probation". This means that there first work must be reviewed before it can be published. Once their first work is published, they will be be granted a "trust" account where they will have freedom to create and publish content without any review processes.
The creator's experience will begin just the same as anyone elses, by pointing their browser to snvideo.org. Once there, they can login from the "Back Lot" (not final name) link on the main page. The login form can discern from a creator and an administrator. Should the subject be both, they will have access to both areas. While nothing is really finalized until it's officially published, the following is a brief glimpse of what's to be expected from the content provider's experience.
The content provider's tool has casually dubbed "nVideo Composer". The name "nVideo" has been generated from two references: the letter 'n' is short for 'networked', therefore the full name would be 'networked video'; also, 'n' is a standard letter used for a variable in mathematics and sciences which could really represent anything. The significance of an "nVideo" is that it could really represent any sequencxe of video clips which really could give it any title, therefore, the video itself is really just a variable; we don't know what it will be until we use it. nVideo Composer will be a simple tool for uploading and organizing video clips so they can be properly sequenced. The clips can all be connected the way the author whiches to piece them together and each clip can be given up to five choices for directing videos clips to the next one. Our goal is to make this tool as user-friendly as possible so anyone can create content for SNV without too much technical knowledge. It is, however, the responsibility of the author to edit the clips and contruct some sort of diagram of their clips so they know which order they go in. There's nothing we can do about that.
Once the clips are assembled, they can preview their work to verify that they like what they see and publish it. If they haven't already been through the review process their video will become flagged for us (the SNV Team) to review and then it becomes available for public consumption. If they've already published a video before, their video will automatically go live.
Administrator
The administrator really isn't anything too special. The administrator will have the power to manage videos only in the sense of adjusting settings for videos. They will not be able to rename or reorganize videos sequences and they will not have any power over users, they are strictly around for maintenance purposes. Administrators will also have to go through a review process and earn trust before they can use their account. Most likely the only people who will have administrative accounts for a while will be friends of the SNV Team.
Administrators will have the ability to enable or disable chat for specific videos, manage IP blacklists, and do a few other things. The most important reason for having administrators is for scalability. Should SNVideo gather a following, it will be necessary to have this group around to manage users actively because user accounts will expand to not just nicknames but full profiles where people can catalogue their favorite movies and leave comments with eachother and so forth. Who knows if it will ever make it that far.
Another possibility for keeping administration accounts would be for large groups that would like to take advantage of social network videos. An example would be a school, if they wanted to create a seperate set of videos for some classes they have, thy could keep an administrator in charge of keeping the material constant and up to date.
Users
The user experience will be the most common of experiences. When a person visits the site they will have be one click away from all of the content (unlike the previous one which uses an "intro" page). Our menus will have a link somewhere int hem to every possiblly accessibly page on the site (except admin/creator). For the administrators or content providers, there will be a small and discrete login panel which they can use the log in their respective secure area. The "Lobby" will be the focal point on the main page. There will also be links to various locations such as author's profiles, movie statistics, and many, many more things. The lobby is going to be where all of the action takes pace as far as movies are concerned. The movies will be playing in what we have dubbed "Screening Rooms". These screening rooms will be created on the fly as users who want to watcha movie and create one. They can select the movie they're going to play, a time limit for when to automatically run the movie by, and set a max viewer limit (which, when reached will also automatically start the movie). Users, should the option not have been removed, will be able to see eachother (by nickname) and chat with one another, all while the movie is progressing. When a decision is required by the user in the movie, they will be given 30 seconds to vote, if not, their vote is thrown out and the movie will progress automatically. Popular vote wins and in the case of a tie, the movie will chose it's own path.
We're also planning on adding "advertising" in the Screening Rooms while the rooms are waiting to be populated. They wouldn't be heavy on bandwidth and they would be required to follow a vintage style. This would occupy the user while they wait for the movie to begin, compliment the movie theater aura, and even generate a little revnue. The will not be clickable and no pop-ups will come from them, they are for viewing only. This may or may not actually happen but it's an idea.
MySQL Data Model
SNV Project Proposal
Socially Networked Video
Our project this semester will be an expansion of the previous version of Socially Networked Video. Having created a proof of concept last semester we will now be able to focus on creating the tool that we had originally conceived. With the completion of this project by the end of this semester, we will be opening the doors of Socially Networked Video to the public domain, allowing outside sources to create custom content.
Last semester, after seeing reactions to our project from other people who had the chance to experience it (other than ourselves), we noticed that the content, which was originally not the forefront of our project, seemed to take center stage. While on one hand this seemed to signify success, that the software-end of things worked seemlessly enough to deliver the intended experience, we also felt that it detracted from what we really really wanted people to see, the software itself. We not only want this software to engage the public as an interactive piece on the front-end, but we'd also like them to have personal realizations and possibly aspirations as to what they could do with the software themselves. So hopefully this time around, with the core group focusing on the application itself, we can produce a better user experience (and with feedback, tailored to what authors and viewers would like to see) as well as a nifty set of tools like live counters, stats trackers, chat, etc. (you can read more about it in the Tech Specs).
Conceptual Motivation
Video is and always has been a purely linear medium. While our project wasn't created specifically attempt to tackle this issue, it does address the narrative nature indigigenous to video. Granted, adding another dimension to video work is really a daunting proposal in itself (but has been conceived of before), however SNV only uses this idea as a stepping stone to reach, what we feel, is a greater purpose; that is networking. SNV's ultimate goal is to unite audience members not merely in congregation but as an influential force on the outcome of the very video they are watching. What's so significant about this goal is that it takes the gap the lies between the audience and directors and brings them to a closer proximity of each other. While the audience can never truly attain the true freedom (and responsibility) of the director (if they did they'd be out shooting the movies themselves), it does enable them to have some choice over the direction of the video outcome. Since we have this extra layer of "networking" involved, not one individual gets to make the calls either, it's based upon popular decision (group consensus if that sounds better to you!).
Building upon this idea of a "networking layer", we feel that Socially Networked Video offers a completely different experience from the viewer's perspective as well compared to that of traditional video. Even if a person were to attend a movie theater and watch a movie amongst 200 other people, the experience is completely unique to ach individual because there's no interaction taking place and the video has a predetermined beginning, middle and end. When you throw popular decision into the mix, every person is required to participate in this video event. Notice that word, event. It's no longer a personal moment in time but an event that takes place because how you, the viewer walk away from the experience feeling is not based solely on your perspective but the decisions made by the group as a whole.
Lastly, but not any less significant, we also feel that the creation of content should be free and open to whomever would like to submit it. Our system will integrate an administrative interface which users can register with to be approved to submit content. They won't be required to have any advanced technical ability beyond that of their video editing skills. This also gives anyuser the ability to assume the role of director in the new modern sense that Socially Networked Video brings about.
Just as a side-bar, we've also recognized and feel we should note that this project's possibilities actually extend even beyond our original vision. Something we had never even thought of which was brought to our attention was the desire to use this software possibly for educational purposes which is perfectly feasible. So the scope of this project is not even limited to our initial intentions but it could potentially lead to much greater things.
Research
Our research currently is within the field of both Collaboration and Social Networking. It will help to lead us in finding out what the implications of our project are and how the outcome of it may or may not affect the public community. We recognize that we will really need to explore how networking video will affect the individual and their experience as well as the experience a group receives from it. Collaboration is also important to our project since it shape the outcome of this project based on internal structure and communication between the three of us we well as how seamlessly we can bring together a group of people through the internet separated by vast geographic boundaries and still have a "successful" experience with Socially Networked Video. Not only will those viewers be affected by collaboration but so will the contributors as we will require that they work along-side us to deliver content we deem suitable and quality enough for public exposure and association with Socially Networked Video.
We are also performing a heavy amount of technical research (means of access, user management, database design, etc) which are going to ultimately determine the shape of the final product.
Proposed Media
The presentation of content will be through the use of video. However, the medium through which the content is delivered will be through the internet, most importantly because it's the support structure we need to literally network the video together.
Technology & Concept
We will not be discussing "in-depth" what technology is making this project possible because we will assume anyone reading this is technically literate enough to understand at least what the technology is. Also, as mentioned in other parts of this proposal, there is a separation of data, structure, and function. Our data layer will be composed of MySQL which is going to be the database that holds any and all information (such as movies, clips, sequences, statistics, etc). Connecting to this database will be our first client (an "application" built in flash player 8 using ActionScript 2.0). Actually, the client itself won't connect to the database; rather, our XML Socket Server (which is what's used to connect all of the clients together) will serve information from the database to each client upon request. The server will either be Oregano Server which is built on Sun Microsystems’s Java technology, which is what we used last semester for this project, or we may switch to a new server called Palabre which is built on Python. Both have there pros and cons so we're still sorting that decision out (and we may not come to a conclusion until the building stage).
The administration side of our project will be built on PHP which goes hand-in-hand with MySQL. Obviously, as any website would require, we will be constructing the layout of our pages through strict implementation of XHTML and CSS. Some people may feel that this all might just be a little "overboard", however we do not. We're assuming that our initial audience would be mostly people who are already familiarized with this type of technology and we need to make a solid first impression on them that what they're about to experience isn't just a rinky-dink throw together job. We want them to feel like they're in the presence of a real, live, and structured site. The project would not be as fluid and dynamic as it will be without the tight integration of all of these technologies. Lucky for us, between the three of us, we already have a solid background in all of these technologies in order to accomplish this daunting task. Even when dealing with the technically illiterate, we feel that first-impressions make the best impressions. People need to come to a place where they're not going to feel overwhelmed with TECHNOLOGY, rather, then need a nice gentle re-assurance that yes, there is technology working in the background, but it's only here to support your experience. This, we believe, will become a crucial point which will ultimately determine if this work can be widely accepted or if people will discover the site and never make mention of it again because they didn't feel like it was worth their time.
Lastly, the reason we mention earlier that the web client will be our "first" is because we have separated form and functionality, we will someday be able to create a downloadable application which can connect to the same people already connected through the web. While this idea is not going to be included within the boundaries of this project for the semester, it will be worth looking into later on, should this project acquire popularity.
One of our inspirations for the backend administration of this project will be phpMyAdmin. phpMyAdmin is a MySQL database administration program that is run online. This is a very similar concept to what we attempt to employ. One of the things that makes phpMyAdmin so effective is it's ease of use for even the most novice programmers and web designers. The design is simplistic and very easy to navigate, and we will attempt to follow this model in order to assure familiarity with the users as well as present an easy interface to manage a highly complex project.
Final Product
Please note, we are aiming as high as we can with this project in hopes of achieving our perfect vision, however, as we came to realize last semester, there may or may not be enough time to really hit everything. With that in mind, the following is a fairly accurate description of what we are actually aiming for.
The main point of access will still be through snvideo.org but the site is going to have a new non-dark look. The new look is necessary for a couple reasons, one being that it signifies progression (which is what we're striving for) and two being that the original version wasn't large enough so we're going to attempt to capitalize a little more on screen space this time around and doing so will require a new layout which will inevitably include a new design. We're going to try and stay uniform throughout.
Now, concerning the initial experience; a viewer can come to the site will be presented with images about SNV and possibly bits and pieces of information about it. The "home page" will include information regarding top-5 user rated movies, currently "in-session" "screenings", maybe a list of the 5 newest movies available for screening, and possibly other tidbits of information. Instead of having a separate page for the "lobby", there will be a button right from the main page to launch a new streamlined window which will have more room available for displaying video content.
The lobby will be significantly different this time around because it will have more of a feel of a chat room or a game room one would commonly come across on, let's say, pogo.com. In fact, users will actually be able to chat with one another while in these "rooms". Also, just like a chat room, they will get to see a list of users in their "room" so there's even a sense of presence while watching these movies. There will be three layers in the lobby to pass through before one can begin to watch a movie. First, they must login with a nickname. They can pick any name they want and a password is not required, it's merely to identify each person as a unique individual. Should the name they pick be in use, they must pick another name to go by. Once logged in, they will be presented with a list of all the movies available for viewing. The list will most likely include basic information (and then some) such as movie title, number of current viewers, running time, rating, etc. Once a movie is selected, they will then be presented with a list of what we like to call "screening rooms". The screening rooms are where the actual movie viewing takes place. Each screening room will have a capacity in the neighborhood of 50 viewers. Screening rooms can be created on-the-fly by any user and the first person in a screening room has the ability to start the movie when he or she desires. Once the viewing experience completes, they will be asked their rating on a 5-star scale and then get ushered back into the main lobby where they can join another movie or simply exit.
The viewing experience will be very similar to that of its predecessor, where clips will play and at critical moments questions will appear and they can select any one of the answers provided. The movie will progress onward following the outcome of each popular vote. In the case of a tie, the server will randomly select a path to follow. Error-handling will be of top-notch so when things go wrong, the experience isn't broken for everyone. The site will also keep track of voting statistics per movie and other tidbits of information which may or may not be used in the future. If anything, users can visit the site and read the statistics to draw their own conclusions about the Social Networking Video project.
This time around, SNV will be outfitted with a full-featured administrative interface for content contributors to easily submit and arrange their works for public viewing. The interface will provide a dynamic way for contributors to login, upload video content, assemble the sequence of their movie and supply the questions all without the least bit of technical-know-how. This convenience will open up the doors to virtually anyone who knows how to use a video camera. Most likely we will also include a review process before a project becomes live to filter out any "bad" content.
Also, should this endeavor become a revenue-generating project, advertisements may come into play while people are in the screening rooms waiting for their selected picture to begin. Should this project catch on well, advertising could be a very lucrative option.
We should also note that, technically, we will be separating data from structure so potentially in the future, we could develop a program that one could conceivably download to their computer to connect to the "Social Video Network" to participate. Not only that but even set-top boxes could somehow come into play where people could take part in these movies right from their traditional television screen.
Current Videos
Re-birth of a Nation
Genre: Repurpose
Description: In 1915 D. W. Griffith released a film called "The Birth of a Nation." Many would agree that it was the most influential movie of all time along with "Citizen Kane."[1] However, as influential as it was, it was just as controversial. The composition of the film is best known for the revolutionary editing techniques employed while the content is best known for its overtly racist theme. The film takes place in the South during the time when they were trying to secede from the Union and tensions are high amongst the citizens. While African Americans are vilified in the film, the Ku Klux Klan is glorified for their "contributions" to society. For obvious reasons this caused an uproar in America and although parts of the film were censored, the main theme still remained.
Through this project we hoped to be able to capture and embody what made this film so great in composition. We are in essence, putting the editing of this film into the viewing audiences' hands, giving you the opportunity to submit your opinion on how it should be recreated. At the same time you are offered the chance to change the outcome and message of the film to something that you would like to see. So we invite you to sit down, join in the recreation of a landmark film and help to bring a "Re-Birth of a Nation."
Bad Week
Genre: Drama
Description: An animation using a combination of 3D and Aftereffects.
2005 DMS Poker Championship
Genre: Situational
Description: You're put in the position of a poker player where every decision you make effects who wins the hand. This was our original test video for the SNVideo format.
Social Protocol: Volume 1, Table Etiquette
Genre: Educational / Comedy
Description: Coming Soon!
Future Plans
- Redesigned website - DONE!
- Multiple "screening" rooms - DONE!
- User chat - DONE!
- Displaying of users in current room - DONE!
- Allow user submitted work and customization - DONE!
- Add an administrative backend for easier control - DONE!
External Links
- http://www.snvideo.org - Original Site of Socially Networked Video (now mirrors snivy)
- http://www.snivy.com - Official Site of Snivy