As storytellers with a full-service creative and motion media department, it was only fitting for us to experience the world’s largest annual convention for the convergence of media, technology and entertainment. We traveled to Las Vegas to the National Broadcasters Association (NAB) show and joined the 100,000 other professionals just waiting to be entertained…and ready to learn how to better entertain others.
The tagline for this year’s show was “where content comes to life.” It’s not surprising, considering that 89 percent of B2B marketers currently use content marketing as part of their overall strategy and 96 percent of those use video marketing.
While NAB showcased a vast variety of new equipment and impressive technological advances in our field, there were certain trends that stood out.
Drone and immersive technology aren’t just a fad.
Companies are finding innovative ways to use immersive technology, like virtual reality and 360º video, to redefine the viewing experience and engage consumers. For example, camera-mounted drones have allowed videographers to capture dynamic footage in a way not possible a few years ago.
NAB featured dedicated pavilions for both drones and virtual reality. We even experienced the fusion of the two technologies with products like the Flying EYE 4K live streaming VR drone. It is a drone that can capture 4k quality VR experiences with its attached 360º camera rig.
Users are expected to spend as much as $7.9 billion on VR headsets and $3.3 billion on VR entertainment by 2020, according to IHS Markit. If you’re looking to leverage this growing community, here are the top three things marketers should know.
Move beyond just video. Think user interaction.
Video is no longer confined to a rectangular box that can only be viewed. Companies are now redefining the user’s relationship with video and are developing new ways to make video content connect with the audience.
We visited the Planar booth to discuss new video display solutions, similar to the OLED screens we used for Catepillar this year at ConExpo. Their 196-inch seamless touchscreens allow multiple users to interact with video content in real time.
Professional-level technology made for the consumer.
We noticed professional-level products becoming more affordable and accessible. With the rise of Facebook Live and other real-time videos on social, content creators are looking to improve quality, while still being able to film on the fly with limited equipment.
Companies are responding to this growing need by developing tools that are portable, cost-effective and easy to use. We saw products designed for cell phone videos, like these FeiyuTech iPhone Gimbals that stabilize shaky motion.
One company, Dracast, offered demos of a mobile iPad teleprompter that can self-scroll by using voice recognition.
Other companies also featured voice-activated solutions, like the GoPro voice-activated selfie stick.
The Video Geek’s Dream
Overall, NAB was the epiphany of a video geek’s dream show. Many of the big names such as Canon, Blackmagic, Adobe, and Maxon were giving live training and tutorials throughout the entire show, which gave us new tricks of the trade to explore.
Industry events like NAB provide the opportunity to rub elbows with some of the best and brightest. If you didn’t attend, you can still stay-up-date.
Here are industry influencers to follow on social.
- Nick Campbell – Greyscale Gorilla
- Andrew Kramer – Video Co-Pilot
- Devin Graham – Vlogger
- Philip Bloom – Vlogger
Overall, we left NAB inspired. We are excited to bring what we saw home and integrate new approaches into Simantel’s in-house video production workflow. We earned invaluable insight on the state of our industry, played with the new tools on the horizon and gained a couple pairs of sore feet.
