Konstantinos Antonopolous – Press play: What works in online video?

We at Al Jazeera built

PRODUCING A TASK LIKE THIS | BRINGING A TEAM TOGETHERTECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS | LAUNCHING THE PROJECT

RECEPTION | SUSTAINING THE PROJECT | INNOVATIVE USESREDESIGN | LESSONS LEARNED

and I will show youhow we did this

PALESTINEREMIX

NEWS: REWIRED “PRESS PLAY”PALESTINE REMIX

Intro

KONSTANTINOS ANTONOPOULOSSenior interactive producer, AJE

@konstantinosant

1/25

http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/


Who is this guy


@konstantinosant

2/25

I am KonstantinosSenior interactive producer,

Al Jazeera English Online(BASED IN ATHENS, LONDON, DOHA)

1/5 of @ajlabs

Normal workflow:STATIC & INTERACTIVE INFOGRAPHICS DESIGN

STORYBOARDING | LONGFORM DESIGNPILOTING SPECIAL EDITORIAL PROJECTS

On Palestine Remix:LEAD DESIGNER


What is PR


@konstantinosant

3/25

Multi-lingual:It is the first network-wideinteractive projectthat was initially availablein four languages.

Palestine Remix:A video-driven

storytelling websitewhich allows readers

to mix and match contentfrom Al Jazeera’s 30 films

& produce their interpretationof the story of Palestine.

123


How does it work


@konstantinosant

4/25

Three-step action:

WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY

& highlight a scene

Drag & dropANY SCENE FROM ANY DOCUMENTARY

Share your remixOR KEEP THE LINK TO WORK MORE

An explainer:Tutorial videoon palestineremix.com

http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/how-to-remix.html


How it was built


@konstantinosant

5/25

WE USED AN EARLY VERSION OF THIS TOOLOVER 4 YEARS AGO FOR THE

Obama-Romney debate

THE PR WEBSITE DESIGN WAS DONE WITH

Adobe Muse CC

FOR THE REMIX PART, WE USEDTHE OPEN SOURCE SOLUTION

hyperaud.ioWHICH WE HEAVILY CUSTOMIZED

TO WORK WITH MULTIPLE LANGUAGES

The first remix attempt:The 2012 debate interactiveon aljazeera.com

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2012/10/2012101792225913980.html


Why do it


@konstantinosant

6/25

Searchable content:Keywords are an easy entranceinto the world of the PRsearchable content

TO LIBERATE OUR DOCUMENTARY CONTENT

& make it searchable,discoverable.

GIVE THE OPPORTUNITYTO OUR MILLIONS OF VIEWERS

to provide their owninterpretationOF THIS COMPLEX STORY.

So, why create a sitelike that?


Why do it


@konstantinosant

7/25

ADDITIONALLY, WE WANTED TO REFERENCE ONLINE THE CONTENTS OF

the Atlas of PalestineWHICH PROVIDES HISTORICAL DATA

OF THE COUNTRY THAT EXISTED BEFORE

Al-Nakba,THE CATASTROPHE OF 1948.

So, why create a sitelike that?

http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/maps-and-data-visualisations.html


Key features


@konstantinosant

8/25

1Key features:

VERY VISUAL

& interactive

3TEXT & VIDEO

synchronization

230 DOCUMENTARIES ON PALESTINE,

scripted & searchable

4VERY DETAILED

search feature


Key features


@konstantinosant

9/25

24

5Key features:

ABILITY TO CREATE

your own remixes

7UNIQUE

interactive sections

6SHARE REMIXES WITH

social networks

8AVAILABLE IN

four languages


Content is strength


@konstantinosant

10/25

68

PR IS A DIGITAL PROJECT BUILT WITH REPURPOSING TRADITIONAL

TV CONTENT. THIS PROVED THAT

tailored TV contentcan work on digital.

AND THAT DIGITAL DOES NOT ALWAYSNEED ORIGINAL CONTENT TO SUCCEED.

IT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOWTHE STORY AND ITS PACKAGING

WERE WEAVED TOGETHER TO TELL A STORY THAT

no other techniqueWOULD HAVE ALLOWED US TO USE.

Rich content:Available from launch,a rich depositoryof characters& their stories


Producing PR


@konstantinosant

11/25

The core team:We worked for three monthsin Doha to launch PR,while also dozens more peopleworked in the backgroundto make it possible

RAWAN DAMEN, THE HEAD OF PR,PUT TOGETHER A TEAM OF

multi-skilled creatives,WHO WORKED ACROSS THE GLOBE

ON THE PRODUCTION, DESIGN, TRANSLATION,ADAPTATION, PROOF READING & DEVELOPMENT.

PART OF THIS TEAM WERE

the film makers & their crew,AS THEY GAVE PERMISSION TO PUT THEIR FILMS

UP FOR REMIXING AND ALLOWED FOR OUR TEAMTO TRANSLATE THEM INTO MORE LANGUAGES.

Building a team

http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/about.html

code!NEWS: REWIRED “PRESS PLAY”PALESTINE REMIX

Technical challenges


@konstantinosant

12/25The biggest challenge:

languages!

OUR CONTENT WAS A MIX OF SPOKEN

Arabic, Hebrew & English;WITH

English & Bosnian captionsWHILE THE

Turkish version was dubbed!

Tool development:We had to build several toolsto allow people inside AJEto verify & correctthe alignments.


The timeline


@konstantinosant

13/25

1Launch editionFOCUS ON THE RICH, DIVERSE,

MULTI-LANGUAGE CONTENT

2Redesigned editionFOCUS ON THE REMIXES, CURATING CONTENT

& CREATING A COMMUNITY AROUND PR

3New featuresUNDER WRAPS FOR NOW

And so, we launched!

NOVEMBER 2014

MAY 2015

DATE TBA


Reception


@konstantinosant

14/25

Viewer of remixes:It is not yet possible to remixfrom mobile.Visitors can viewremixes and explore& interact withthe rest of the content.

PEOPLE HAVE CREATED AROUND

5,000 remixes.THE HOME OF PR HAD

3,000,000 views.AROUND

40% of them, from mobile

The metricsso far:

http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/remix_showcase.html


Feedback


@konstantinosant

15/25

MOST OF THE FEEDBACK WE GOT BACKPRAISED THE TEAM FOR INCLUDING THE

complete search of all content.

THEY WERE ABLE TO INTERACT DIFFERENTLYTHAN IN OTHER STORYTELLING SITES,

BECAUSE WITH USING ALL THE FEATURES OF PR

they became part of the storyBY RECREATING THEIR VERSIONS OF IT.

Their opinion counts& we heard them.


Sample remixes


@konstantinosant

16/25

“”

I want to embark conveying the robust messageto all over the world about the situation Palestinians

are living in the reality.

“”

Because after watching the newsI was inspired to spread the word

“”

Because I wanna show to people around the worldthat Gaza is full of hope, challenge and love

despite of harsh suffering which people are living with.

watch this

watch this

watch this

Why did you usethe remix feature?

HOW THE WALL NEARLY DESTROYED THE GREEN OF PHALISTIEN

A VOICE, NOT AN ECHO

IN SPITE OF SUFFERING IN GAZA, LIFE IS CONTINUING

http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/remix_main.html#!/1

http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/view_remix.php#!/t:Despite%20the%20suffering%20in%20Gaza%20,%20life%20is%20continuing%20,1,1/f:1/5:692973,106948/f:0.5/6:882218,91404/f:0.5/6:1758232,116944/f:1

http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/view_remix.php#!/1:133878,49206/1:344280,58067

IS NOW USED IN SEVERAL CLASSROOMS,CAMPUSES & ACTIVIST CIRCLES,

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT

a narrative rarely told.IT HAS PROVEN USEFUL TO

researchers, studentsAND THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED

IN LEARNING OR TEACHING MOREABOUT PALESTINE, AWAY FROM TRADITIONAL MEDIA.

Palestine RemixNEWS: REWIRED “PRESS PLAY”PALESTINE REMIX

Uses of PR


@konstantinosant

17/25

Used worldwide:In Palestine, Egypt, Morocco, UAE,Qatar, the US, the UK, Holland& Norway, PR is used by teachersat both undergraduate& graduate level.


Uses of PR


@konstantinosant

18/25

WE NEVER EXPECTED THATPR WOULD BE USED IN LANGUAGE CENTERS

to learn English & Turkish.

YOUNG PEOPLE STARTED MAKING REMIXESIN YOUTH CAMPS IN PALESTINE, SO IT BECAME

a community activityAND NOT AN INDIVIDUAL THING.

Innovative uses


Lessons learned


@konstantinosant

19/25

PALESTINIAN FILM MAKERSWHO PRODUCED & DIRECTED FILMS

FOR THE ARAB WORLD

adapted their documentariesAND ALLOWED THE WORLD

TO VIEW MULTIPLE SIDES OF THE STORY

from local film makersAND NOT INTERNATIONAL ONES.

Reaching outto global audience

1learnfrom thelocals


Lessons learned


@konstantinosant

20/25

KEY TO THE SUCCESS WAS THE

wealth of related content,WHICH MADE THE USERS FEEL LIKE

learning visuallyRATHER THAN BROWSING A WEBSITE.

Designed likeencyclopedia

2learnfrom thelocals

offermore todiscover


Lessons learned


@konstantinosant

21/25

GOING THROUGH THE TEXT

in four languagesWAS A UNIQUE FEATURE.

THE ABILITY TO FREELY SEARCHAND ACCESS THE CONTENT THROUGH

PRACTICALLY EVERY TERM IMAGINABLE BECAME

a user interfaceBY ITSELF.

Full, unrestrictedsearch of content

3offermore todiscover

new UIin placefor video


Lessons learned


@konstantinosant

22/25

”

PEOPLE LOVED THE FEATURE THAT

the script was availableAS READABLE AND SELECTABLE TEXT AT ALL TIMES,

PROPERLY SYNCHRONIZED.

Unique combinationof movie with text

4new UIin placefor video

richerthansubtitles


Lessons learned


@konstantinosant

23/25

ALLOWING THE USERS TO

mix & match footageBECAME A VERY POPULAR FEATURE FOR THEM.

THEY WOULD NOT JUST PASSIVELY BROWSEBUT SHARED THEIR CREATIONS SOCIALLY.

IT WAS THIS

freedomTHAT MADE PR VERY POPULAR.

Tellyour own story

5richerthansubtitles

personal,uniqueversions

ONLINE MEDIA AWARDS

Technical innovationWinner

ADOBE MUSE

Site of the DayWinner


Awards


@konstantinosant

24/25Oh! We got some silverware, too!ONLINE MEDIA AWARDS

OutstandingDigital Team of the year

Winner

THE WEBBY AWARDS

Video Remixes /Mashups

Official Honoree

personal,uniqueversions

Visit! Remix! Share!

Thank youfor your interest in


Outro


@konstantinosant

25/25

PALESTINEREMIX handoutAbout this presentation:

These slides can be foundat @ajlabs HQ on the web.I will tweet the link soon afterthe presentation from@konstantinosant

WWW.PALESTINEREMIX.COM

http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/

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Konstantinos Antonopolous – Press play: What works in online video?