Blogscapes

We all run into this a lot--a client wants to take, say, their 30-second television spot, and run it on a website. Perhaps as pre-roll for a news story, or just as a stand-alone piece of video.

As logical as it sounds to do that, we have to be aware of the different ways viewers and listeners consume content in different media. How many times have you sat through a 30-second pre-roll before a news story on a website, and wanted to kill someone around :15? It doesn't reflect well on the brand when people feel that way.

Here's a link to a Slate.com article that addresses this issue far better than I can.

What's the option? Find out up-front if a client wants to run something on the web, then re-edit your existing material for that medium. Remember that the screen will be tiny, and the sound will probably come through a 3-inch speaker. Also keep in mind that the 30 or 60 second box we're used to dealing with is now meaningless.

The web can no longer be an after-thought. We in the creative community must begin to address this with our clients. From talent payments, to music licensing issues, to screen size—web video and audio should be treated as the separate and unique media platform that it is.