As we continue exploring the idea that  “The Audience is Creator”  begun in our last chapter the medium is video whether it is created from the “top down”  by a brand or by the audience.

Let’s just begin at the beginning: If you are a brand and you do not have a video budget you are literally asleep at the wheel.  The idea of appointment TV is still with us but online video is truly 24 hours a day. The  U-Tube platform is driving most of this material  created by both independent creators and brands.The power of social media is a powerful driver for the video.   But social media platforms can play portions of your long form video and the art of making a short-version of your brand message has entered the annals of advertising history. The video today is part of an overall brand strategy that can be “delivered” to your target audiences and they take if from there.  Everyone loves to pass along funny cat videos, so if your product gets that much traction you are in the top 10 most shared videos on the web.  Advertisers dream of the numbers a good “Kitty Kat” video can generate.  Humans share things; its part of our DNA so while “top down” creators are dreaming of the perfect expression of their story, independent creators are hoping for extensive views and to build their audiences.

The best videos are those with a “beginning” a “middle” and an “END” to engage the audience. One of my favorite channels for artistic videos part of a luxury brand strategy is the NOWNESS platform (nowness.com). If you are addicted to stylish luxury (and video) this is the place to see the latest in unique content that pioneers our understanding of story, form with a product or idea. NOWNESS created the mold that brand storytellers  engage in; they were the first to show a luxury product in a context that had no resemblance to anything commercial; it was pure art. Pure story and exposition of a sort that introduced a luxury product to a world of artistic expression.

They continue to promote the idea of video content as art, exploration, brand storytelling and more.  In their own words…

“A NOWNESS film is”…

“Something that can’t be seen anywhere else online.

“Made in a way we haven’t seen before.”

“A story that moves the audience”.

This is a good set of goals to aspire to when creating your brand video content along with your marketing strategy (and data) that tells you who you are reaching and the ideals, goals and aspirations of your brand.  Take a moment to go to NOWNESS and be inspired because in the world of luxury videos this platform is the originator of what we would consider the innovators in the field.

When you experience what NOWNESS has to offer your state of mind you can see what the medium has to offer; what you can do to expand on it; what audiences respond to; what a brand does to engage with it as a storytelling tool. There are going to be more and more ways to engage with a piece of video content in the future; the future is already here.

How our world will be taken over by the “Artificial Intelligence” technologies was presented at the AI showbiz event in Los Angeles.  An extensive group of technologists, futurists, engineers, programmers, artists, creators, moviemakers and content creators gathered together to share ideas and predict this unique future that in some ways is already here.

Ever wonder about the computer in the film “2001: A Space Odyssy ” named “Hal” who took control over the space station and the poor humans that were inhabiting it. This vision of the future ignites one of the most powerful “fears” we humans have about a giant computer or any other technology that tries to rule the world.  Celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, the film is considered by many to be the ultimate movie about space ever made. George Lucas himself considers it to be a true masterpiece. So many engineers in the AI field are science fiction readers and aficionados; all freely admit they are hugely influenced by science fiction culture created by writers and movie visionaries.

“Artificial Intelligence” is a language of the future that is here today. We are all interacting with it in some form by our everyday use of digital devices.  AI used to be the world of a few lonely geniuses. Now it is a field of unique technical practitioners who are from a variety of areas including entertainment, engineering, programming, marketing, and enterprise platforms. If you are new to the idea of AI or the concept of this kind of future, be get ready to be fascinated. An essential component of the AI technology is that it learns from us humans as it progresses.  One example, that is currently in research phase is what I call the “special effects baby”  created from digital visual technology to resemble a “real” baby that was able to learn, respond and react to the human exchanges.  This is at the heart of AI: learning from human interactions,  AI creations are basically mirroring our own behaviors both good and bad. A number of technologists I spoke to quietly mentioned there are many who are on “watch” to make sure that the human elements and social engineering required will not “end badly” or in movie terms reveal an ugly plot twist.

AI is about data, and lots of it. What most of the AI experts are sharing is their desire to improve human interactions that are dull and repetitive for say, a retail or enterprise platform.  Basic tasks we do every day can be aided by an AI interface that makes our lives easier.  While still a work in progress, the technology has sped up to the point where companies are already inveseting in the R&D to anticipate this future. AI touches the field of social media, marketing and other audience or socially reactive platforms that gather data based on human reactions. In the end, its all about human interface that builds this learning curve into the technology; not the other way around.

What this also signals to the entertainment industry is that the audience (and society in general ) are going to be more participatory in this evolution.  In entertainment the participatory nature of multi-experiential stories will be something that brings the audience into the process of creation itself.  Multi-plot entertainment and crowd sourced experiences are going to become the norm as the audience becomes the “co-creator” with the originator of the platform. Entertainment in the future will be less about “top down” guesswork and more about big data. A  “solo”  human creator while not obsolete, must adapt to these new media platforms that will change they way they are delivering entertainment product. This area of AI and EMERSIVE environments will change the entire field of practitioners who are used to working in the analog world.   Special effects and “humanoid’ figures that are ‘real’ performers were are shown  in a video by electronic artist IAMEVE whose performances are entirely cyber though her voice and materials are created by her (iameve.com).

Welcome, to the brave new world of AI and Entertainment. 

Imagine my surprise, when the a documentary entitled:  “The Minimalists” popped up on my Netflix list of options.  Who me? A luxury girl who hasn’t met a fur coat or diamond bracelet I don’t adore? Or, a cake covered with layers of frosting and coconut topping? A veteran shopper who trolls the REAL REAL boutique daily? Minimalist? Nah…this was a mistake for sure. As a member of the last gasp of the baby-boomer generation (you know, those people who literally invented the idea of consumerism) but a more finally tuned boho-artistic type —I was intrigued by this notion.

What did the title mean: Wardrobe and fashion? Home Decor? Food or Recipes?  Lifestyle?  Yes, to all of those and more.

Let’s begin:  Minimalists are a new breed of people who have literally given up on “accumulating” in the typical USA fashion.  So, don’t even think about reading further if you are on a pathway to massive success as a doctor, attorney, business  genius, or anything else that will assist you in gaining riches, fame, and stuff; lots of stuff.   If your idea of success is a beachouse in Hamptons, a fuel-efficient luxury car, or designer bags stacked in your closet, this film is not for you; or maybe it is.
Minimalists, as portayed in this film, have rejected the mass market idea of wealth, fame, fortune and any idea of accumulation of “things” as a badge of success. What the film shares is these unique young men, all in their early 30s who have rejected their parents notions of success.  They see the “treadmill” and want to re-evaluate what is real in terms of their own success.  This is admirable, as what generation has not rejected the norms and ideals of its former generation?

The truth as portrayed in this film, is something that many artists and creatives have always done: they have lived a full life, with less.  What an artist does, is review and choose what is necessary, to keep their ideals in perspective and live each day, with meaning. The work, is always at the forefront. Artists ask the question, will what I am doing serve  my work?

 

That is what a ‘Minamalist’ will do.  They ask themselves on a daily basis: do I need this?  Does this choice I am making serve me? Can I live and be happy with less? Does this USA notion of success really have meaning for me? How can I come to terms with what is really meaningful without the overwhelming overload of things? 

I admired the notion of this film, the idea that the next generation of  young men, families and future families might be considering the option of simply, “going minimal” and getting to the core of what life really means.  Its personal and its something that everyone will interpret for themselves.

Its a movement. It will sweep the nation. It will make everyone re-evaluate where they are today. Its an idea whose time has come.

But there are leaders to follow, in case you need someone to connect with: They wrote a book about it. Check it out and feel free to comment.

For further information: http://www.theminimalists.com/ready/

 

What happens when young talented Italian tenors reach back in time to revive the classics of great Italian music for a whole new audience? You have Il Volo, a three man powerhouse crew of talented tenors who are honoring the “Three Tenors” repertoire.  They are quickly achieving rock star status (I have just met them in person with a group of lucky fans). The group is very commtited to their classical repertoire (with the help of some heavy hitters in the world of classical music) and the brand of fun they bring to this arena is truly refreshing. They are the ‘boy band’ of classical music and don’t show any signs of stopping now! This is not to say they are not all acomplished musicians, but their technique is not evident in their soulful and hearfelt renditions of many operatic and popular music classics. 

We talk about brands and reinvention at Artifice Atelier on a daily basis so here is a perfect example of how a musical genre can be refreshed, renewed and celebrated. We are new fans and couldn’t be happier to spread the w0rd. 

Be sure to see the dates for the USA 2017 tour at Facebook and Twitter for more information.