Disney’s Second Screen technology a treat for movie lovers

Image via http://www.siliconrepublic.com

“…as movie technology itself has advanced so too have the additional features, becoming slicker, more refined, and in the case of Disney’s Second Screen feature, extremely interactive.

Launched last year with the Blu-ray release of Bambi, the folks at Disney devised a way for you to watch a movie while simultaneously getting a peek behind the curtain on your laptop, PC or iPad via an app that’s available a day before the film’s Blu-ray release date.”

“…From storyboards to something called “seamless branching” - a visual tangent that essentially pauses the movie while the director expands on a certain scene and then reverts back to where the movie was - Second Screen represents several hours worth of potential playing, clicking, flicking and watching.”

[via Cineplex By Andrea Miller] 

Mini Matmian►

We have only skimmed the surface of Second Screen possibilities. There are many exciting prospects in the future for this technology and we at Matmi are exploring them all.

Research has shown that over 60 percent of viewers have an internet capable device within reach. This means there are already huge portions of viewers who could be given the chance to have a much richer experience than passively watching the ‘talking pictures’ (not that, from time to time, I don’t like sitting back and just relaxing while watching my favourite show/film).

From TV to film to product placement to advertising to education, second screen technology has almost endless possibilities. It can change the way we consume media. It could revolutionise the manner we interact with the box we have been staring at for decades (strong words I know, but I’m as excited as kid on Christmas day just thinking about it).

We can even become part of the narrative we are watching; interacting and engaging in a way never before thought possible. Combine this with IPTV and, well…it’s the future :)

Our MD Jeff Coghlan put forward just one possible use for Second Screen technologies at a recent MoMoMcr event.

“Imagine this. You could be watching a clothing show, a signal is sent to your mobile device via sound waves (audio watermarking) which triggers an event. The peice of clothing being discussed on the TV all of a sudden appears on your mobile. You can then apply it to a virtual manikin of yourself to see how it might look and then share this with friends, asking their opinions or to vote on it. You could have the option to click a link which would use GPS to locate your position and show you where you might be able to buy the item.”

That is a mere snippet of what could be done.

I could go on, I could delve into the subject in greater detail. Laying out Matmi’s thoughts for the future of digital media. But then we don’t want to give away all of secrets. However, I promise you, this will not the last we speak on the subject of Second Screen technologies.

What are your thoughts? Does the encroaching tide of second screen technologies entering your viewing experience trouble you? Maybe you already take advantage of it (GetGlu for example - a VERY simple form but an example none the less)?

[Read the full article here: http://bit.ly/AfXOGG]

Realted post: 

• Half of consumers user a second screen while watching TV
• The shift from watching TV to experiencing TV

If your company is looking for a digital agency to provide you with a unique, inspiring and engaging form of branded entertainment, then look no further than Matmi…. 

 

http://www.matmi.com/contact.php

info@matmi.com

Phone: (+44)01625 560771

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Here’s What People Look at on Facebook Brand Pages

In an effort to catch your eye on their Facebook pages, brands have experimented with apps and splashy profile photos. But in almost all cases, it turns out, the humble Facebook wall itself steals the show.

In an webcam eye-tracking study for Mashable byEyeTrackShop, the 30 participants who viewed top Facebook brand pages almost always looked at pages’ walls first — usually for at least four times longer than any other element on the page.

SEE ALSO: Here’s How People Look at Your Facebook Profile — Literally

On average, the smaller pictures above the wall were noticed 85% of the time, and the “likes” column was noticed just 58% of the time.

View the rest of the results on Mashable HERE.

How to Create a Google+ Profile Banner in 5 Minutes

In addition to setting up a Google+ page for your business and taking advantage of our handy Google+ tips and tricks, check out how to quickly and easily create a profile banner.

We’ve found a neat photo cropping tool that will help you create an eye-catching Google+ profile photo banner in five minutes.

So take a look through this simple gallery walkthrough. Link us in the comments to any creative uses of the Google+ photo banner you’ve seen — or better still, created on your own!

via http://mashable.com

►Mini Matmian:

A nice, quick little tutorial to spice up your Google+ profile. I’d would love to see your attempts. Post screen-shots of your profile or a link.

You can reply directly on Blogger or our tumblr page.

USA Network scores with gamification on Psych TV show

Gamification — using game-like features in non-game applications — is paying off for brands.

NBC Universal’s USA Network found that it could double the engagement on its Psych TV show web site with a game-like competition. Jesse Redniss, vice president for digital at USA Network, said in a talk at the Gamification Summit today that game-like reward programs generated a 130 percent increase in page views for the network’s Psych show and a 40 percent increase in return visits. That adds up to a decent financial pay off.

The Psych section of the site, dubbed Club Psych, encourages visitors to become loyal fans with achievements and rewards. The show has 1.5 million Facebook fans and users spend an average of 22.5 minutes on the Psych site. Fans can play games, watch videos and answer trivia questions. If fans share something on the site, they get 200 reward points. If they take a poll, they get 50 points. The challenges are posted on the home page every week; that drives return visits, with 50,000 coming back every day. For every shared piece of content, the fan gets 10 points for every additional fan who shares the content with someone else.

“The more you share, the more you win,” Redniss said.

The Nitro-based reward system for the Psych site shows the leaderboards for who has the most reward points, spurring a natural competition among users. The network offered virtual goods for users with lots of reward points. But the engagement really took off on Sept. 3 when USA Network offered a limited number of real goods — merchandise related to the show — to users in exchange for their reward points. Within a few days, the DVDs, signed posters and other goods ran out.

Redniss said the show’s audience grew significantly during the past season. The network is planning to expand the use of gamification across a number of its other properties as well, Redniss said.

►Mini Matmian:

A great example of how to implement a simple gamification system to increase engagement and customer loyalty. Check out ‘The Office’ page for another great use of gamification for TV shows

Topsy Review - Social Web Search Engine

What can you use the application for?

Topsy.com is a new search engine that returns results from sites such as Twitter, Blogs, Flickr, Digg, Yelp, Identica and others. The site returns search results that are up to the minute, so users get the latest news from the social networking world. Results are shown in page form, in order of the number of “Tweets” each result has received on Twitter. The results page displays the option of viewing All Results, or results that were written in the last Hour, Day, Week or Month. Results can also be viewed by the top authors. Authors with the most results on the topic searched are shown first. The Topsy home page is dominated by a large search bar. Users may also enter a Twitter username in the search bar, and the search engine will return all the results posted by that user. The home page also has links to an About Us page, to the Topsy blog, a link to follow Topsy on Twitter, a link to Send Feedback, a link to Terms (terms of usage for the site) and a link to Privacy (the site’s privacy policy).

Who would you recommend the application to?The Topsy site is recommended to anyone wishing up to date search results from the social networking and blogging world. The site does a very thorough job of searching and is very easy to use. Search results are returned very quickly and are displayed in a pleasing format.Topsy Features

• Search engine searches the major social networking and blogging sites, especially Twitter
• Search results are ordered according to the number of Tweets they have
• Users can filter the results to show results written in the last hour, day, week or month
• Users can filter the search results by top authors
• Search results are very up-to-date

Rated 4 out of 5 stars by AppAppeal Editor

►Mini Matmian:

A pretty neat little website for searching social media platforms and displaying real-time info from Twitter and Google+.

Check out the video below to see an interview with one of the creators of Topsy.

Topsy: real-time social platform (er, search)

Uploaded by Scobleizer

 Source: appappeal.com