New interactive video features and deeper integrations with PowerPoint

It’s easier than ever to create more visual and immersive experiences for training, learning and communicating. Beginning this quarter, expanded features in Microsoft Stream give teams a new way to seamlessly add quizzes, forms or polling into training videos. The Forms integration into Microsoft Stream helps to make videos more engaging and interactive for learners, while giving trainers a way to understand how well the information is being comprehended.

Spotlight

Media Services

Media Services is an entertainment payroll, production accounting and software enterprise with over 40 years’ experience in the United States and abroad. With a dedicated focus on providing resources and information for clients and future clients alike, Media Services was the first entertainment payroll firm to establish its own line of proprietary software, which includes Showbiz Budgeting, Showbiz Timecards and the digital Showbiz Labor Guide, among others.

OTHER ARTICLES
Virtualization

Instagram continues to perform strongly despite inconsistent brand identity

Article | June 21, 2021

Over the last few months Instagram has done its best to capitalise on the latest social media success tactics, often at the cost of its own original user proposition. The photo-sharing app for friends now offers Reels, imitating TikTok’s success. It has rolled out an option to hide Likes, the iconic feature which has characterised social media as a whole since inception. And it now is introducing ‘suggested posts’ to users’ feeds, sorted by topics a profile states they are interested in – potentially putting these ahead of photos and videos shared by profiles they actually follow. Directly mimicking TikTok, this seems to diverge very little in practice from hashtags, which are its original discovery feature. Instead, it seems to want to emulate the usability which younger users are familiar with from TikTok, in order to entice them to increase their Instagram engagement.

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Technologies, Business

FILM PRODUCERS FLIP BARGAINING TABLE WITH UNIONIZING EFFORT

Article | July 20, 2022

Movie producers often find themselves negotiating with talent and crew members, and/or their production union representatives, over pay and benefits. But a group of 108 producers flipped the script Thursday in announcing they were looking to form a union of their own.Higher minimum pay and health benefits were cited as the two major reasons. While the group, called the Producers Union, boasts some heavy hitters such as Chris Moore (Manchester by the Sea) and Rebecca Green (It Follows), they made it clear that the traditional image of a Hollywood producer is misleading. Many are just getting by, project to project, looking for a breakout hit to up their quote. According to a survey released this year, 41% of producers made less than $25,000 in the pre-pandemic boom times of 2019. The Producers Union has developed a constitution with provisions for dues and diversity initiatives, with the aim of eventually negotiating a collective bargaining agreement with distributors and other film financiers. Previous efforts by producers to unionize have been thwarted by the courts and the National Labor Relations Board, according to Variety, as the NLRB saw them as supervisors and employers – which creates a high barrier to organizing.

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Technologies, Virtualization

Driving ROI of Your B2B Marketing with Entertainment

Article | July 27, 2022

B2B companies are harnessing entertainment to drive their marketing ROI. They are using strategies that meet the changing needs of B2B customers and take advantage of how technology is improving. Let us examine the top five entertainment marketing strategies that can get engagement for your B2B content: On-Demand Content Rules B2B corporate Salesforce recently announced a new streaming service—Salesforce+—that exclusively caters to businesses. If you want to try something like this, you don’t need to create a new streaming platform. Instead, you can use your social media accounts to share unique content that your target audience will find interesting. Presentation Shouldn’t Be a Priority Your B2B audience isn’t any different from the audience that consumes basic TikTok videos, reality TV shows, or YouTube clips that don’t have the best scripts. Any grippingly human content presented on popular channels of entertainment appeals to the viewer and can influence their buying decisions. Harness User-generated Content Harness user-generated content like videos, reviews, and testimonials. When your customer tells your brand’s story or how your brand helped them solve their problems, the content is engaging and authentic for your prospects and influences their purchase decisions. Additionally, such content receives high engagement and improves your brand’s reputation. Relevance Wins Hearts If the content you are producing is entertaining and engaging, addresses the pain points and demands of your target audience, and is timed perfectly to match the dynamic market needs, your prospects might relate to your brand better and avail your product or services. Create Immersive Experiences Through Events With the help of experience experts Boost Experiential, Google created an Event Series to target small businesses in the U.S. They led a nationwide initiative to offer educational seminars and coaching to small businesses. They held events in 50 states and introduced Google’s tools to thousands of business owners. As a result, they have got more than 50, 000 small businesses online. Entertainment Could Be a B2B Trend for 2022 Create valuable, memorable, entertaining, and engaging content addressing customer pain points. Make it available to your target audience through popular channels like streaming sites, social media, webinars, live events and more to get your marketing ROI.

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Media and Broadcasting

What are the most popular types of YouTube videos in 2021?

Article | May 19, 2021

Withover two billion userslogging onto YouTube every month, brands would be remiss to ignore the platform in their marketing strategy. However, like any marketing initiative, simply uploading a video to YouTube isn’t going to guarantee views, shares, likes, or success. Success comes down to creating therightcontent. A big part of this is understanding the type of content that historically does really well on the platform; in this case, the different kinds of YouTube videos get viewed most, especially by your audience. Mediakix, an influencer marketing agency, broke down the top 16 most popular types of videos on YouTube in a handy infographic below, but is this the right content for marketing your business?

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Spotlight

Media Services

Media Services is an entertainment payroll, production accounting and software enterprise with over 40 years’ experience in the United States and abroad. With a dedicated focus on providing resources and information for clients and future clients alike, Media Services was the first entertainment payroll firm to establish its own line of proprietary software, which includes Showbiz Budgeting, Showbiz Timecards and the digital Showbiz Labor Guide, among others.

Related News

Applications

ComingSoon Expands Entertainment News Coverage

PR Newswire | October 05, 2023

Evolve Media LLC, a passion-based publisher of some of the most influential internet brands since 1996, announced that its marquee entertainment site ComingSoon is continuing to grow and expand its coverage areas. ComingSoon will expand to new coverage areas, including Bollywood With traffic up 79 percent since April 2023, ComingSoon is expanding in order to continue its rapid growth since a redesign was launched in December 2022. The site is now broadening its entertainment coverage into new areas, including Indian films and television, Korean dramas, reality television, documentaries, and true crime. All of these new verticals will be easily accessible in the site's revamped navigation bar as coverage is rolled out. ComingSoon will also further commit resources to delivering top-notch anime, documentary and horror coverage, which have become key elements of the entertainment site. It will also continue to produce top-quality features and reviews that are just as engaging as they are informative, while also conducting interviews with some of Hollywood's biggest directors and stars. "Our goal is to make ComingSoon a one-stop destination for media consumers all over the world," said Todd Jacobs, Director of Content & Operations at Evolve Media. "With these strategic investments, ComingSoon will exponentially expand their global audience." "Thanks to streaming, we've seen entertainment around the globe become pop culture phenomenons," said Tyler Treese, Frontpage Editorial Manager of Evolve Media's Entertainment and Gaming Division. "International hits like Squid Game and Jawan have shown that Korea and India are producing incredible content, while anime continues to grow in popularity. We'll finally be able to cover these areas with the news coverage they deserve, and help fans figure out the next show to binge or what film to invite their friends over to watch." About Evolve Media, LLC Evolve Media is a premium publisher of leading enthusiast destinations for influential men and women. Leveraging proprietary advertising and publishing technologies, as well as hundreds of talented content professionals, Evolve Media offers premium and engaging content to its readers, while offering marketers the tools needed to execute custom, content-led marketing solutions that reach its audience of over 78 million people globally each month.

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Technologies,Media and Broadcasting

Vecima Supports Record Demand for FIFA World Cup Video Streaming

Vecima Networks Inc. | December 12, 2022

Vecima Networks Inc. (TSX: VCM) announced that its MediaScale™ unified video streaming platform is experiencing record levels of international traffic from live broadcasts and video streams for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.Vecima’s MediaScale Cache is a comprehensive multi-tiered caching solution that reduces latency and network utilization for video service providers to maximize the delivery of over-the-top and ‘TV Everywhere’ video services to their customers. Currently, the MediaScale platform is serving subscribers across more than 50 operators in six of the countries participating in the World Cup. With World Cup 2022 breaking viewership records globally, operators need the scalability and reliability of Vecima’s MediaScale platform, said Kyle Goodwin, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Content Delivery & Storage for Vecima. “The World Cup is arguably the biggest international draw in sports, so it’s critical that operators manage explosive demand while maintaining pristine video streaming. MediaScale, Vecima’s unified streaming video solution, optimizes quality of experience and efficient delivery of Live Linear, nDVR, and Time-shifted TV, and VoD services by providing market-leading solutions to ingest, produce, store, protect, and stream your valuable video content. MediaScale can expand capacity while servicing a diverse client device ecosystem, including IP-enabled set-top boxes, smartphones, tablets, and other streaming devices. “Vecima is proud to support our customers in bringing the excitement of the FIFA World Cup to their subscribers in their homes and on their mobile devices,Quality, reliability, and low latency take a front-row seat on this global sports stage. From Super Bowl LVI to the World Cup in Qatar, Vecima continues to deliver high-performance video streaming.” -Clay McCreery, Chief Operating Officer at Vecima. About Vecima Networks Vecima Networks Inc. (TSX: VCM) is leading the global evolution to the multi-gigabit, content-rich networks of the future. Our talented people deliver future-ready software, services, and integrated platforms that power broadband and video streaming networks, monitor and manage transportation, and transform experiences in homes, businesses, and everywhere people connect. We help our customers evolve their networks with cloud-based solutions that deliver ground-breaking speed, superior video quality, and exciting new services to their subscribers. There is power in connectivity – it enables people, businesses, and communities to grow and thrive. For more information, please visit www.vecima.com.

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Technologies

Pier 4 of CommonWealth Partners becomes the first in Boston to deploy fire drills for virtual reality

businesswire | January 19, 2021

Pier 4 is the first multi-occupant place of business in the city to utilize computer generated reality to direct fire drills. With numerous individuals telecommuting because of the COVID-19 pandemic, CommonWeath Partners selected to send augmented reality innovation to help guarantee all inhabitants realize how to react in a crisis at whatever point they are in the workplace. Created by AK Preparedness, a Seattle-based crisis readiness and life security organization, the new SafetyNetVR arrangement includes making a photograph sensible 3D model of a structure's inside and afterward inserting data about flights of stairs and life wellbeing hardware. Web VR fire drills permit building tenants to utilize their cell phones, tablets or PCs to investigate their environmental factors, find flights of stairs and fire dousers, and leave the structure. As clients explore their structure all through the VR experience, they can figure out how to utilize a fire douser or crisis telephones, discover what happens when the structure goes into alert, and get video-based guidance from a fireman. They can likewise find out about reacting to a wide scope of different crises. The estimation of the VR fire drills will stretch out a long ways past the COVID-19 circumstance; it will empower building inhabitants to prepare their workers on crisis rehearses whenever, instead of sitting tight for intermittent in-person trainings which may just happen once every year. AK Preparedness is a main public supplier of crisis readiness arranging, preparing, and innovation arrangements, helping a huge number of business office properties, partnerships, government associations, and private structures diminish chances through more viable life wellbeing programs. Established in 1981, AK gives crisis reaction plan improvement, on the web and portable crisis reaction apparatuses, live preparing and penetrates, tabletop works out, life security preparing recordings, and different administrations. Ward Partners LLC is a vertically incorporated, exclusive land venture, improvement and the board association. Settled in Los Angeles, CWP has resources situated all through the United States, including Boston, New York, Washington DC, Seattle, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Read More

Applications

ComingSoon Expands Entertainment News Coverage

PR Newswire | October 05, 2023

Evolve Media LLC, a passion-based publisher of some of the most influential internet brands since 1996, announced that its marquee entertainment site ComingSoon is continuing to grow and expand its coverage areas. ComingSoon will expand to new coverage areas, including Bollywood With traffic up 79 percent since April 2023, ComingSoon is expanding in order to continue its rapid growth since a redesign was launched in December 2022. The site is now broadening its entertainment coverage into new areas, including Indian films and television, Korean dramas, reality television, documentaries, and true crime. All of these new verticals will be easily accessible in the site's revamped navigation bar as coverage is rolled out. ComingSoon will also further commit resources to delivering top-notch anime, documentary and horror coverage, which have become key elements of the entertainment site. It will also continue to produce top-quality features and reviews that are just as engaging as they are informative, while also conducting interviews with some of Hollywood's biggest directors and stars. "Our goal is to make ComingSoon a one-stop destination for media consumers all over the world," said Todd Jacobs, Director of Content & Operations at Evolve Media. "With these strategic investments, ComingSoon will exponentially expand their global audience." "Thanks to streaming, we've seen entertainment around the globe become pop culture phenomenons," said Tyler Treese, Frontpage Editorial Manager of Evolve Media's Entertainment and Gaming Division. "International hits like Squid Game and Jawan have shown that Korea and India are producing incredible content, while anime continues to grow in popularity. We'll finally be able to cover these areas with the news coverage they deserve, and help fans figure out the next show to binge or what film to invite their friends over to watch." About Evolve Media, LLC Evolve Media is a premium publisher of leading enthusiast destinations for influential men and women. Leveraging proprietary advertising and publishing technologies, as well as hundreds of talented content professionals, Evolve Media offers premium and engaging content to its readers, while offering marketers the tools needed to execute custom, content-led marketing solutions that reach its audience of over 78 million people globally each month.

Read More

Technologies,Media and Broadcasting

Vecima Supports Record Demand for FIFA World Cup Video Streaming

Vecima Networks Inc. | December 12, 2022

Vecima Networks Inc. (TSX: VCM) announced that its MediaScale™ unified video streaming platform is experiencing record levels of international traffic from live broadcasts and video streams for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.Vecima’s MediaScale Cache is a comprehensive multi-tiered caching solution that reduces latency and network utilization for video service providers to maximize the delivery of over-the-top and ‘TV Everywhere’ video services to their customers. Currently, the MediaScale platform is serving subscribers across more than 50 operators in six of the countries participating in the World Cup. With World Cup 2022 breaking viewership records globally, operators need the scalability and reliability of Vecima’s MediaScale platform, said Kyle Goodwin, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Content Delivery & Storage for Vecima. “The World Cup is arguably the biggest international draw in sports, so it’s critical that operators manage explosive demand while maintaining pristine video streaming. MediaScale, Vecima’s unified streaming video solution, optimizes quality of experience and efficient delivery of Live Linear, nDVR, and Time-shifted TV, and VoD services by providing market-leading solutions to ingest, produce, store, protect, and stream your valuable video content. MediaScale can expand capacity while servicing a diverse client device ecosystem, including IP-enabled set-top boxes, smartphones, tablets, and other streaming devices. “Vecima is proud to support our customers in bringing the excitement of the FIFA World Cup to their subscribers in their homes and on their mobile devices,Quality, reliability, and low latency take a front-row seat on this global sports stage. From Super Bowl LVI to the World Cup in Qatar, Vecima continues to deliver high-performance video streaming.” -Clay McCreery, Chief Operating Officer at Vecima. About Vecima Networks Vecima Networks Inc. (TSX: VCM) is leading the global evolution to the multi-gigabit, content-rich networks of the future. Our talented people deliver future-ready software, services, and integrated platforms that power broadband and video streaming networks, monitor and manage transportation, and transform experiences in homes, businesses, and everywhere people connect. We help our customers evolve their networks with cloud-based solutions that deliver ground-breaking speed, superior video quality, and exciting new services to their subscribers. There is power in connectivity – it enables people, businesses, and communities to grow and thrive. For more information, please visit www.vecima.com.

Read More

Technologies

Pier 4 of CommonWealth Partners becomes the first in Boston to deploy fire drills for virtual reality

businesswire | January 19, 2021

Pier 4 is the first multi-occupant place of business in the city to utilize computer generated reality to direct fire drills. With numerous individuals telecommuting because of the COVID-19 pandemic, CommonWeath Partners selected to send augmented reality innovation to help guarantee all inhabitants realize how to react in a crisis at whatever point they are in the workplace. Created by AK Preparedness, a Seattle-based crisis readiness and life security organization, the new SafetyNetVR arrangement includes making a photograph sensible 3D model of a structure's inside and afterward inserting data about flights of stairs and life wellbeing hardware. Web VR fire drills permit building tenants to utilize their cell phones, tablets or PCs to investigate their environmental factors, find flights of stairs and fire dousers, and leave the structure. As clients explore their structure all through the VR experience, they can figure out how to utilize a fire douser or crisis telephones, discover what happens when the structure goes into alert, and get video-based guidance from a fireman. They can likewise find out about reacting to a wide scope of different crises. The estimation of the VR fire drills will stretch out a long ways past the COVID-19 circumstance; it will empower building inhabitants to prepare their workers on crisis rehearses whenever, instead of sitting tight for intermittent in-person trainings which may just happen once every year. AK Preparedness is a main public supplier of crisis readiness arranging, preparing, and innovation arrangements, helping a huge number of business office properties, partnerships, government associations, and private structures diminish chances through more viable life wellbeing programs. Established in 1981, AK gives crisis reaction plan improvement, on the web and portable crisis reaction apparatuses, live preparing and penetrates, tabletop works out, life security preparing recordings, and different administrations. Ward Partners LLC is a vertically incorporated, exclusive land venture, improvement and the board association. Settled in Los Angeles, CWP has resources situated all through the United States, including Boston, New York, Washington DC, Seattle, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Read More

Events