by Jessica Klein
The way we talk (and write) about “online video” often feels like we’re stuck in the past decade, when the concept of watching “good TV” on your computer was pretty alien. We love throwing around these words like “traditional” to make distinctions between Hollywood and Vimeo, when Vimeo content is often as high quality and more thought provoking than the stuff Hollywood doles out these days.
Was feature film “The DUFF” not a lot like the polished, teen-targeted content you see on digital platforms? Can you consider “The West Wing” episodes “online video” because you can now watch them on Netflix
These questions are either totally irrelevant or very deep. The only way to find out which is to determine the online video (whoops) terms that are plaguing our vocabulary and get at why they’re so annoying.
1. Online Video
A video is video, and often you can watch it on TV, Netflix, some sketchy free download site, and five other places. When you hear “YouTube video,” you know that’s an “online video.” When you hear “Netflix original series,” you know that means a series made specifically for the streaming service. “Online video” itself just means something you can watch online, which isn’t particularly descriptive.
2. Traditional TV
Is this a helpful umbrella term to cover all broadcast television and cable packages, or does it just make us sound like old fogies Does using the term “old fogies” make us sound like old fogies even more? Most importantly, this term is misleading in that it makes TV sound like a traditional form of entertainment, compared to, say, plays, or verbal storytelling, or the pet rock.
3. Traditional Celebrities
Again, the word “traditional” here feels a bit out of place. The definition of celebrity is always evolving, perhaps more so these days because of the internet. Still, “Hollywood celebrity” would suffice in this case, or even “film or TV actor.” Yet the question remains: Where does Kim Kardashian fit into all of this”
This article was originally posted on VideoInk and is reposted on [a]listdaily via a partnership with the news publication, which is the online video industry’s go-to source for breaking news, features, and industry analysis. Follow VideoInk on Twitter @VideoInkNews, or subscribe via thevideoink.com for the latest news and stories, delivered right to your inbox.
