Stock footage for digital signage
October 17, 2007 by Dave Haynes
There are a few companies around doing stock video footage — usually animated backgrounds with various themes. Companies like Feedback Video do this sort of thing, and also do the odd bit of custom ad work for some Canuck digital signage networks.
But I picked up on a regurgitated press release on Digital Signage Today about a company called Motionstream, which says it is expressly in the business of doing stock footage to be used by content producers in the digital signage industry.
Motionstream, a developer of custom and royalty-free content announced the release of Holiday-Maker HD Powertools, a royalty-free library of holiday animation created for retail marketers to help lower the cost of holiday promotion on digital signage systems.
The company is based in New York and, scrounging around a little online, seems to be a collective of freelance animators. The idea is pretty straight-forward. Buy a disc or discs of royalty-free animations and bring them into something like After Effects as the foundation for producing video spots that have some cool things happening in them.
The alternative is getting in-house people or contractors to do the same thing, and taking days and days.
just in time for the holidays…the price is right….we need more of this from the content community…
If you looking to enhance your video production, you might want to use some Video Backgrounds. Check out Studio 1 Productions at http://www.studio1productions.com They have a very large selection of video backgrounds.
Rob
Hey all,
I am a motion graphics designer in Los Angeles…I was reading about what Motionstream is doing and came across this page – Thomas, what kind of things would you be looking for? Who would buy this stuff? Store owners? Any info or links would be appreciated.
Thank you for including Motionstream on sixteen:nine. I thought I would reply here to answer a couple of things mentioned. Regarding the question from Scott Gordon on “what are companies looking for? and who buys this stuff?” First, anyone who creates content needs to realize the huge opportunity that is coming for content creators because of the proliferation of digital signage systems. As we move forward the cost of installing and running a network of screens will continue to fall. The equipment will become like any other electronic devices – just another commodity. This means that almost any one with a few thousand dollars can install and run a digital signage system. There are a number of all-in-one systems that are now available that don’t even require a complicated network. Not to mention the huge choice of content management software that is flooding the market.
What has not been addressed is the cost of creating content. Custom content will always be expensive. There is just no way around the fact that creating content is time consuming— and time is money as they say. The problem (and the opportunity) is that not every one has the deep pockets to constantly create good content, especially motion graphics. Sure, big advertisers can afford to hire an agency or one of the specialty content creation houses to generate content. But, what does the small to medium sized retailer who can afford to buy the equipment do to put content on their screens? Let’s face it– a system is nothing without good content. Motionstream is geared toward these customers to help them put dynamic content on their systems to lower the cost of messaging and promotion. Any artist with some experience with motion graphic software (After Effects, Final Cut, Premiere, etc) can take our products and modify them by adding branding messages, images and video to customize it for these systems.
I was recently at the LG Transolve event in New York where they presented some very interesting facts regarding the market penetration of Digital Signage screens in the United States. Some of the Market Facts that were presented were very exciting. I might not have my facts completely right–but here are some keep points that I remember. When you consider the available outlets that a digital signage system can be installed into there is huge growth ahead for these systems to expand into — for example:
1) There are over 47,000 locations for “big box” retailers in the US –with only 4,100 installed screens. That’s less than 10% currently installed.
2) There are over 2,400 shopping malls with only about 150 installed locations, That’s less than 4% currently installed.
3) Gas stations have more than 120,000 locations with approx. 100 locations currently installed, that’s less than < 1%.
I could go on but you get the idea.
The point that I am trying to make is that if you have the ability to create good affordable content, there are big opportunities ahead. I would encourage you to think about how to make it affordable.
And the last thing I would like to say is that Motionstream is note “collective of freelance animators” I started out as a freelancer several years ago and that info is still out on the Web. Motionstream is a very small company at the moment. Who knows about the future, we just work hard to produce good affordable products.
–Lionel Tepper, Creative Director, Motionstream