‘create’
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If you want to share tips on writing, creating or preparing video for the mobile market, please feel free to use our forums. We'll try to cover the basics here, and continually look to bring you feature articles and tips from experienced content creators and film makers as we grow.

Quick Q&A

 

 ‘faq’

• What is a mobile device?

The term 'mobile device' covers any portable device that allows the user to carry or access media on the go, such as videos, music, films etc and watch it where-ever and when-ever is convenient for them, whether it's waiting at a bus stop, sitting on a train, or even just away from home, sitting in a park or during a lunch break. Examples of mobile devices include the video iPod, 3G mobiles phones, PSP Portable Playstation, etc.

• What are the opportunities for content creators?

Mobile devices are a new viewing platform and another viable distribution channel, as yet unregulated and uncontrolled by large corporate broadcasters, and a new type of on-demand audience with an appetite for suitable and appropriate content.

• How does content for mobile devices differ from content for TV, DVD etc?

General media content can be watched or re-purposed for mobile devices, such as a feature film or last nights episode off the TV, but unless the user's environment allows for uninterrupted viewing, most experience of mobile media will be snatched, bite-size moments on a screen not much bigger than a palm, in a busy environment. The audience experience is therefore different from the original content creators intention.

• How can I convert my existing content for a mobile audience?

Yes, quite easily, its just a matter of exporting/rendering from your editing package in the right format, or transcoding (coverting from one format to another) for the specific mobile requirements. For more details, check out the formats section. There are many 3rd party tools available for this too.

• How should I make content especially for the mobile market?

Research has shown that most attention spans on portable platforms has been from 1 to 12 minutes, regardless of the original length of the content. Content creators targetting this audience should therefore consider making their content shorter, and specifically designed for a 320x240 (or 176x144) viewing experience. Detail intended for a cinema-size wideshot would be lost on a small portable screen, especially if the screen is competing for attention with the viewers environment. Subtlety of movement, background characters, scene details are also usually lost. Direction that would normally be considered intense or claustrophobic has a totally different result when viewed on a palm-sized screen.

• What do I need to be aware of when creating content from scratch?

 - Direct/compose shots for a small screen
 - Pace for short attention spans
 - Write for closure or hook within a typical 8-12 minute window
 - Light scenes for screens with low contrast. or re-grade in post
 - Dont skimp on sound quality. Audio bandwidth makes up a small proportion of the overall bitrate of a video, but is more noticeable to the user experience.

If you'd like to share experience / tips on creating content for mobile audiences, discuss on the forums.

• How do I prepare my content for distribution?

Most mobile devices are still underpowered in comparison to home pcs and to able to process digital video, the content should be prepared (encoded) accordingly. 3G Mobile phones for example, still prefer to use the industry standard Mobile Profile 0, which is low bitrate, small screensize (176x144 known as QCIF), low framerate (8-15fps) format, even though newer models can handle other formats (25fps, h264 etc). Handsets also have limited memory for downloaded content. Devices such as the Portable PlayStation, designed specifically for the portable market can process video at higher bitrates, higher frame rate and larger screensize. The video iPod is capable of supporting a range of formats, including the latest mpeg4 standard, known as h.264, which allows for a higher quality picture, sound and framerate at much lower bitrates. However, encoding using this format will make it unplayable on the devices that dont support it. Choosing the right format will reach the widest intended target audience without limiting yourself.
For more details, check out the formats section.

• Cant I just encode at the highest quality?

Unfortunately, that would limit your audience. Most mobile platforms are restricted to the mpeg-4 Simple Profile (Mobile or level 0) or Advanced Simple Profile. A good result can still be obtained using these profiles or lower bitrates on other formats, without limiting your audience. Obviously you are the best judge of your content, and you should try to distribute at the lowest common factor before noticing a drop in quality, whilst taking into account factors such as final filesize.