Screenshot Revisions

Copyright laws. They draw a pretty fine line. But what happens when we forget about the line? What happens if we cross the line, for instance, on the internet? What are the outcomes? Is it illegal?

Digital technology is so broad it’s almost impossible to put a cap on it. Especially the internet. So one question I guess you could ask is.. How do we control digital rights? How do we control hardly anything on the internet? How does free software affect people?

LugRadio uses podcasts to help answer questions like these.  I was assigned to analyze a “call for papers” advertisement on youtube. I watched a few that were in different languages and a few that were not really appealing. But I found one that I did happen to like.  I watched LugRadio’s Live 2008 advertisement,

and found that this ad was actually effective. I watched it repeatedly and found that looking with a creative and effective lens, this was overall a more successful “call for papers” ad than others.Before I breakdown what I find to be effective about this ad, we can start with what LugRadio actually is. When viewing the ad on youtube, there is an info section to the right of it where you can find more information about the video. When I clicked on the more info tab, I got a better understand what exactly LugRadio was about, and why the video is relevant.

By reading this, the viewer can get a feel for what this conference is about. I think if they didn’t have an option to place this information, the ad by itself wouldn’t be as effective and not drive it’s point home.

So what else makes this advertisement effective? Or even creative? And what doesn’t necessarily make it effective or creative? Well, I have a couple of ideas on how this ad is effective and creative, and I have some ideas on what could be done to take it a step further.

How is this advertisement effective or ineffective? Well, let’s break it down.

The introduction starts with a black screen and fades into footage of last year’s conference is effective.  Why? As a viewer, I sense that this is something important, that there is a point to be made. It grabs my attention, and I patiently watch to see the turnout.

Throughout the advertisement, the ad has rolling text which allows viewers to read inbetween effective images of 2007’s conference. This allows viewers to understand LugRadio is and what they represent.

I believe this is a very effective tool by transitioning between words and text because if it were just the images of people and no text, viewers may get lost, not grasp the point, or simply lose interest.  Viewers may then believe that it is another conference, which would defeat the purpose of the advertisement.  But with the text (as well as the more info option), LugRadio is defined, and what they are hosting which further explains the images.

So viewers can see that the black background and the light typeface are effective, but it may not be that creative. What I don’t really understand is why they use a off-white yellow color for the text, and then finally, just white. I think if it were more consistant with all white typeface, it may draw in more consistancey. Especially after all the white and black pictures color images come into play. That’s where the advertisement takes on creative twist.

For example:

Throughout the beginning the add fades in and out of black images to black and white text. Effective? Perhaps. Viewers may get a sense that this old footage from previous conferences.

Right after U…S….A pops up on the screen..
We flash right into..

Color images, displaying their logo.
As a viewer, I find this completely effective and creative because before the ad gets to presenting the 2008 conference, they reflect back (or flashback) through last years conference with black and white images. Black and white images give us a sense of old, since black and white photographs and video were the first ever used.

So the color comes in when it starts talking about the NEXT conference. Color was the next big thing in video and photography, and now color is going to use the same effect for the next conference.
Maybe this year’s conference is going to have a bigger and better impact. Thats what the color images shout out to me. In this image, it’s showing what seems to be speakers at the conference praising the conference and what it stands for. Good idea to put this image in color because we get a better sense of what the conference stands for or what it’s about.

Digital technology, Open Software.. It’s all new. It’s always changing. Something is always needed to be done or said about it. I think by using flashbacks from the previous conference in black and white, and then in color, its creative and effective because it’s showing footage of old technology.. to footage of new technology.

Overall, I find this to be one of the better “calls for papers” ads I’ve watched. Watching it over and over I still get the same sense that what’s been done, has been done. But what’s to come, well, it’s going to be bigger and greater.