Shiny Media

BBC screws British bloggers (again)

2008-06-25T14:09:29Z

Over the past few years I have grown ever more incredulous about the way that the BBC has consistently stolen from, patronised and generally belittled blogs, especially British ones. There seems to be a pervading belief within Shepherd's Bush that the corporation is the British media and that the rest of the people who strive away working in commercial sectors are just basically there to do their research. Bloggers, as this post highlights, are beneath contempt and clearly don't have worthwhile opinions.

The latest example of this arrogance is this week's Panorama expose of the way in which some of Primark's suppliers were employing child labour to finish their very competitively priced garments. It was gritty Panorama stuff, highlighting an injustice and sparking a debate about the ethics of the fashion industry.

Yet while the programme highlighted low pay and child labour the programme makers seemed to have no ethical qualms about screwing British journalists.

]]> Researchers from Panorama contacted the Catwalk Queen team (btw Catwalk Queen is the UK's most-read pure fashion website - compare it with Vogue, Cosmo and the others etc on Google Trends) and asked if they could film the team talking about why and how Primark had become so popular in the UK. The Panorama team then spent three hours filming at shiny offices, which basically cost Shiny nine hours worth of blogging.

The team's opinions were widely used throughout the show and in many ways their views held the piece together. However while every other single person on the show received a credit along with their work title (Mary Portas got a plug for her business, Yellowdoor, twice), the Catwalk team were not credited in any way. Instead only their names were used and they were billed as fashionistas or Primark fans.

The BBC also used some, admittedly fair low quality footage of the opening of Primark's store on Oxford Street, as well as some other CQ fashion reviews. However instead of crediting Shiny Media or Catwalk Queen it was billed as being courtesy of YouTube.
Basically the Catwalk team was featured on the programme because they are intelligent and articulate professionals who spend their life tracking high street fashion trends. They are also among the most popular fashion bloggers outside the US. To not credit them is not just incredibly condescending but also denies millions of viewers a chance to read their other opinions on fashion.

As for crediting the footage to YouTube, I'd like to see the Beeb use ITV's footage, some of which is on YouTube, on one of its programmes and then credit it to YouTube. In case the Panorama team is still confused - YouTube is a popular video hosting site - companies don't cede copyright of their footage the minute they put their video on the site.

Panorama could have made amends by placing a link to Catwalk Queen alongside quotes from the team on one of its web pages. Yet all it has done, after some serious nagging by the team, is to put a link to Catwalk Queen on the Primark debate page. There's no mention of the fact that it is the blog of the team that were featured so prominently in the programme.

The BBC, which in case you have forgotten is funded by all of us, should have a responsibility to work alongside and nurture young British media talent. Instead it seems to constantly patronise them.

As for Shiny I think the company should send the Panorama team an invoice for nine hours lost work.

Overall the whole episode has left a very bitter taste in the mouth at Shiny. While Panorama, and the rest of the BBC, should be praised for exposing dubious ethics in the fashion industry, it might want to take a look at its own ethical code once in a while too.

Ashley

Glam throw party, announce official UK launch

2008-06-19T13:57:50Z

Fantastic Glam party last night at 24 London. The great and good of the internet world were there including our good friends at Hecklerspray and Nancy Cruickshank, CEO of Videojug, who has just been appointed to Glam's advisory board.

Essentially the party was to announce Glam's official arrival in the UK (well we have been working with them in the UK for nearly 3 months now) and recent aquisition of London-based sales house Monetise, who curently represent Pocket Lint and Digital Spy.

]]> All the Glam folk were there in their matching pink tie uniform with boss Samir Arora talking about the company's growth and expansion plans into Europe. When we weren't downing very nice pink cocktails we found time to shoot a little video. You can see it below.

Shiny staff cycle for charidee

2008-06-10T16:35:08Z

It's sweltering hot in the office right now, so getting on a bike to cycle half way across the world (well Brighton) wouldn't be top of my list. But no doubt by the weekend when the London to Brighton bike ride takes place it will be minus 20 and chucking it down. Two people who wil be hoping that the weather is kind to them at the weekend (June 15th) are Kathryn Stewart, Shiny's operations manger and Daniel Sung, Tech Digest writer. They will be doing their bit for charidee by peddling to the south coast in aid of the British Heart Foundation. I'm not sure whether Dan (pictured above) will be dressed as Jimmy Saville the whole way. I seriously hope not. Anyway I wish them luck. I've coughed up my cash - God, that hurt - so it's your turn now. Kathryn's page: http://www.justgiving.com/kathrynstewart
Dan's page: http://www.justgiving.com/danielsung

Continue reading to see Kathryn and, er, some bloke dressed up in a snorkel mask.I don't know whether he's wearing flippers too. Now that would be impressive on a bike ride.

]]>

Catwalk Queen girls take over Top Shop

2008-05-15T11:20:36Z

Yes the Catwalk Queen girls have stormed the Top Shop website this week. As well as writing the blog, look out for regular features from Gemma, Kelly, Isabelle and the gang.

There's a swimwear feature , favourite white clothes and the girls are also giving their preview of Kate Moss' new summer collection. Catwalk Queen is also editing Top Shop's newsletter.

Pies sponsored team reaches Semi-Finals

2008-05-08T15:09:22Z

OK it's only the London Churches 7 a side tournament, not the Premiership, but world domination has to start somewhere.

This year the Pies side really excelled themselves for a bunch of mainly thirty and forty something Ginster guzzlers, playing five, winning two, drawing two and losing just one. No mean feat when the opposition is all twenty years younger and much faster.

]]> After coming third in their league, St Lukes got into a knockout shield competition which they won in extra time with a superbly headed goal from Rotimi. They then won again with an amazing long range punt from Paul, a game which also saw Tom squaring up to their keeper after he was hacked down just as he was about to score (aren't Christians supposed to be peaceful folk?)

Unfortunately their luck changed in the semi-final which they lost 1-0 with a soft early goal, but even so the boys - or should that be old fellas - did Pies proud. Nice one.

Thanks to Mike Poole for the photo.

Tell us about 'My Video Life' and win £500 or some dabs.com vouchers

2008-04-30T13:57:09Z

You use your camera to shoot video. You use your phone to shoot video. You may even be capturing the world in high definition. Now's the time to get your footage working for you by entering our competition and scoring a great prize.

We have teamed up with Visual Networking experts, Cisco, to offer shedloads of cool prizes and all you have to do is show us a video that illustrates 'My Video Life'.

]]> The overall winner will get £500 worth of vouchers for a shopping spree and the chance to spend a day in the studio with Cisco's experts to make another video - plus have Your Video Life featured on the Cisco consumer web site.

There are also eight £50 vouchers from top fashion retailer Top Shop up for grabs, so you have a really good chance of nabbing one of the prizes.

Here's how you enter:

We want to know about 'My Video Life' in less than three minutes. Show us what you do and how you do it. What's your favourite way to use video and what for?

To enter the competition we need some footage from you which illustrates Your Video World.

• You can shoot a piece straight to camera telling us what you use video for
• You can shoot an interesting and creative video
• You can even send us a link to footage you have shot previously.

All we need from you is a link to the footage which has to be hosted on YouTube. You simply email the link to ciscovideo2@gmail.com.

Judges from Shiny and Cisco will be looking for videos that are original, interesting, thought provoking, creative and fun too.

So what are you waiting for? Email the links to ciscovideo2@gmail.com and you could win our fantastic prize, or one of those £50 Top Shop vouchers.

Competition Notice

This competition is organized by Shiny Media. (The Promoter).

Entry to the competition is free. Entries must be made via the email address ciscovideo2@gmail.com.
The Judging Panel will be made up of representatives of Shiny Media and Cisco.
The competition is only open to people over 16 and residing in the UK.
Winner responsible for travel costs for travel to Cisco filming location.
No purchase is necessary but entrants should be aware that they may be subject to local call charges depending on their own individual arrangements for Internet access.
All entries are eligible for the grand prize of £500 of shopping vouchers and the chance to create your own video with the Cisco team. Entrants from each category (Tech, Fashion, Sport) will also be eligible for one of 8 runners up prizes per sector. Fashion entrants can win one of 8 £50 Top Shop Vouchers, Tech entrants can win one of 8 £50 dabs.com Vouchers; Sport entrants can win one of 8 £50 NikeTown Vouchers
The competition is open from 17th April 2008 and entries must be received on or before 9th May 2008. The Promoter reserves the right to revise this date and extend the period for accepting entries to the competition.
The finalists will be announced on www.shinymedia.com and notified via email or their You Tube account within five [5] days of the Closing Date.
The winner consents and agrees to participate in publicity accompanying or resulting from the promotion. No additional compensation will be awarded for such promotional activities. Shiny Media and Cisco reserve the right to use the names and video entries of winners, their photographs and audio and/or visual recordings of them.
Shiny Media will moderate every entry it receives and reserves the right to disqualify any entrant.
By entering the competition, entrants will be deemed to be bound by and have accepted the terms and conditions [www.shinymedia.com/tandc] including the terms of use [http://www.youtube.com/t/terms] and Community Guidelines [http://www.youtube.com/t/community_guidelines] for uploading videos to You Tube.
The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any entrant deemed to have breached the Terms and Conditions.
All data collected will be shared between Shiny Media and Cisco. Personal data will be processed in accordance with Cisco's Privacy Statement which can be located by clicking here and Shiny Media's Privacy Statement which can be located by clicking here.

Shiny at Web Mission 2008

2008-04-19T22:24:52Z

If you are a UK tech start up there's really only one place to be this week and that's on the Web Mission trip to Silicon Valley and San Francisco. Over the next few days reps from twenty or so UK companies will be networking like crazy, bashing the ears of top US VCs and meeting the odd web 2.0 superstar. I have managed to sneak along for the ride and will be blogging the event both here and on TechDigest.

It's an impressive list of companies too with some you will be familiar with, like video experts Coull and innovative music site Slicethepie , alongside some that are new including edocr which bills itself as the YouTube for web documents.

It'll be fascinating to watch all these companies swapping investor stories and comparing notes on business plans and even more interesting to see what the Americans make of it all. The trip formally kicks off on Saturday night with a cocktail or two in the Clift Hotel on Geary Street.

Btw if anyone fancies meeting up for a quick beer or breakfast to talk Shiny things (I am here until the 25th) email me on ashley@shinymedia.com

Shiny Media goes Visual Networking

2008-04-01T09:54:14Z

Here at Shiny Media we have always held the strong belief that the future of the web will be video-based. So even as far back as 2004 we were choosing .tv domains for what in those days we text only blog sites.

Shiny has also been a major player in the development of online video in the UK. In the last two years we have shot and uploaded to our sites over 1000 videos- much more than any other UK publisher.

We have now reached a pivotal point in the evolution of online video with viewing figures rocketing, imaginative new shows appearing on an almost daily basis and the migration of video advertising from TV to the web. We have also seen an explosion in the number of consumers creating their own videos with YouTube alone hosting almost 80 million clips.

In the US eMarketer Inc. predicts that the number of online video viewers will rise to 190 million by 2012 and will only start to tail off as Internet use reaches saturation level at nearly 90 percent of the population.

We are also convinced that video is going to permeate almost every aspect of the web which is why we have decided to partner with Cisco to undertake some research into how consumers engage with online video.

Cisco has coined the term Visual Networking to explain how consumers will be using web-based video not only as an entertainment tool, but also as the most important way of communicating.

At Shiny we completely buy into this view of the future. For example we are very excited by the concept of Telepresence, which has the potential to transform the way in which we communicate with each other.

Cisco also sees Visual Networking as the next chapter in the story of Social Networking. It believes that online communities will provide the engine by which consumers will discover video online. So instead of using traditional search engines, people will find new content through recommendations from their friends.

Over the next month or so look out for the questionnaire and competitions we are going to be running on our sites. The results will not only illustrate what our readers currently think about visual networking, but how they see it developing too. It should be fascinating.

Shiny Media - the top UK director on YouTube, * err, apart from the BBC and ITV

2008-01-31T13:46:29Z

Ok, so we are actually number three. But ahead of us are two huge TV corporations - one of which we actually help fund - who spend millions of pounds on video content every year. We spend less than the cost of five minutes of EastEnders each year on YouTube vids yet are still not too far behind them.

Over the last few months we have averaged over a million views of our gadgets, fashion, games, green and footy vids and the number of subscribers is rocketing too. In fact we have twice as many subscribers as Gordon Brown's YouTube channel and an awful lot more than the massively hyped WebCameron, both of which you can find here.

As well as taking advantage of YouTube's recently announced monetisation program we are working with a variety of brands on our videos. For example LG has just finished a four month sponsorship of our Shiny Fashion TV videos as well as working with us on a media talent competition. We have other sponsors lined up who we will be announcing shortly.

I have always felt that there was a massive opportunity for Shiny to pair our quality written content with videos presented by the same writers. It is great to be able to read someone's words and then see them in action talking about their passion. It looks as if our readers/viewers feel the same way too.

Anyhow here's our latest YouTube star, Gary Cutlack, in action, and Zara and here Wi-Fi T-shirt. If only David Cameron was into batteries...

LG Media Talent Liveblog

2008-01-18T10:31:40Z

5:45pm: Home time!

5:31pm: The lovely Georgia has won our presenting job - she's got true Shiny style, complete with making fun of the way she fluffs her words! True Shiny presenting... And the editing job was won by Richard. Again, his editing was tres Shiny, and he's all about delivering great work fast. And they're off to Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, so look out for their work.

5.30pm: The results are in. Who's it going to be?

5pm: Time for the results of the second challenge! All the videos are dead polished, which makes me wonder if Shiny Media willl dump their older long time video wife for this younger funkier model... Luckily I signed a pre-nup.

4.15pm: Chris has decided that we have to channel Simon Cowell and Sharon Osborne in our judging (which is perfect because I have stupid hair and he has high waisted trousers).

3pm: I've just had a little chat with everyone and checked on pastry consumption. Everyone seems to be getting on like a house on fire, and they're fine for pastries. Good news.

2pm: Having completed the first bit of our quest, everyone's now going off to record their second video. It's all about proper reviewing this time around, so we've given them a full two hours to make the video and edit it together to a final fabulous product.

1.45pm: Everyone has put together lovely packages, and there's lot of smart editing to disguise the fact that they've only just picked up the phone. That's how we roll here at Shiny Media...

1.30pm: OK. Everyone's put together their first video package and we're about to settle down with the popcorn.

12pm: The directors are now busily editing together their packages, and the presenters are trying out the phone. There's loads of specs, so luckily there's lots of lovely features to talk about.

]]> 11.30am: Just like 3GSM, we're having a few technical hitches with the laptops, so Chris is doing a fab job of baptising people via fire into the Cult of Mac, and his editing software. It's actually a great way of seeing how people cope with such issues, because without a doubt *something* will go wrong with equipment whilst we're out there.

11am: As if there weren't enough ways to find out about what's going on, you can also check out our moblog here.

10.45: It's a roar of activity here, as people are busily filming, editing and eating pastries. Incidentally, 'that phone' I referred to is... nope. I can't tell you. We're so cutting edge here the phone hasn't even been released in the UK, so it's under wraps as to what exactly we're looking at. The clue is: it's going to be released at Mobile World Congress (which the winners today actually get to attend). And it's an LG. Obviously.

10am: So, you're joining us here today at the culmination of a our wonderful LG Media Talent Awards, and at the end of the day we'll have the finest of all the director entries and the best presenter out there. Fingers crossed. Can't wait for the champagne.

Everyone's arrived, fresh faced and slightly damp (from the rain, you understand) and Katie is saying things like "I advise you to have fun". Marvelous advice.

God, it's my turn to talk specs regarding the phone.

People have been paired up, and are going to produce a piece of video based on what I've just told them about the phone. The idea is it's under pressure, and a bit like being at the live press conference.

We shall see how everyone gets on...

CES 2008: Shiny breaks all its video records

2008-01-14T17:13:49Z

Well Shiny has left the building and the gadget-fest that was CES 2008 is now history. Yep our crack team, myself included, had an amazing time in Vegas and are already arguing about which hotel we are going to stay in next year.

Our coverage was amazing with Techdigest and Shiny Shiny between them racking up almost 500 posts in a week. If you are in a rush there's a great list of the 50 hottest products here. We also shot around 80 videos which, in the space of a week, pulled in a fantastic 585,000 views. That makes us more popular than a few TV channels we could mention.

If you want to read the coverage go here and here. For more videos (this was my favourite product at the show) go to our YouTube channel.

Shiny does CES in Vegas

2007-12-18T17:53:16Z

There really is only one place to be in the first week of January and that is not hanging around a semi-deserted, freezing cold London listening to people moan about how long it is to their next pay day. Nope the place to be is of course in sunny Las Vegas for the world's biggest and most exciting consumer electronics show CES 2008.

This year you won't be able to move for Shiny staff - we have seven bloggers out in the city - who'll be posting all the latest news, getting hands on with the coolest new gadgets, doing strange things with video and generally having an amazing time.

So if you'd like to say hello, please get in touch via here.

Ashley

Le Web 3: Internet start-ups get a grilling

2007-12-12T11:47:22Z

Day two of Le Web 3 and it's time to give the latest raft of internet start-ups a hard time. Over 30 companies were invited to do an 'elevator pitch' - a kind of Dragon's Den but without the pantomime - and most of them, it seemed, failed to impress the judges including renowned blogger Robert Scoble and venture capitalist Saul Klein of Index Ventures.

In many instances, there was a suspicion that they weren't even solving a real problem, but simply showing off some neat looking technology that had little value in the real world. Presentations were generally unprepared, they weren't very slick and they also seemed talk an awful lot about how great they were without actually showing the product at any point (I did wonder how Shiny Media would fare if we were asked to do our pitch to venture capitalists again!)

Basic questions were left unanswered (such as how is this even going to make money) and while a lot of them seemed keen to let everyone know about how cool their technology was, they didn't actually spend much time showing the technology. As Robert Scoble pointed out:

"Don't talk about the team. Show us some sex appeal. Wow us. It's like dating a girl. Make sure you have a story to tell to nail your pitch," said Scoble.

]]> After a good 10-15 minutes spent roundly criticising the contestants, the panel then started going on about how you shouldn't give up, and that the entrants had all done very well, and even professional investors don't always know the right answers or know if a product will be a success.

The main theme of the business ideas seemed to be social networks, and a lot of them were relying on people spending their marketing and advertising budgets with them without any talk of spending any money on their own marketing.

Anyway without further ado here are the winners.

First Place
GooJet - Mobile live

Second Place
PLYmedia - Monetise your video.

Third Place
G.ho.st - Complete virtual computer in your web browser

Runners up
Erepublik - Massive online strategy game.
Split Games - Network of gamers. Share reviews and games. "We give the gamers everything they need."

TF1 award
Holistis

Le Web 3: Emily Bell vs. Andrew Keen

2007-12-11T14:51:21Z

Highlight of the afternoon so far was the bunfight between Emily Bell of The Guardian Unlimited and controversial 'Cult of the Amateur' author Andrew Keen - the Floyd Mayweather and Ricky 'Hitman' Hatton of the Web 2.0 world.

Whereas Emily believes that the internet is generally a good thing for established media organisations, Andrew believes user generated content and social networking generally is undermining traditional media.

Round one = Emily Bell gets off to a great start with lightening quick comments. "We would be more and more irrelevant if we didn't let people interact."

Round two = Andrew Keen fights back. "Guardian is a very valuable resource. Unlike other sites it doesn't allow kids to spew their crap and their journalists are paid."

Round three = "Internet is a fantastically vibrant right of reply. Your history follows you around. It needs to be an iterative process" (Emily Bell)

]]> Round four = Andrew Keen lands a low punch. "Journalists are being laid off while social networking sites with Z names like Zing, Zang or Zong are being developed which have absolutely no business model."

Round five = Emily Bell knocks Andrew Keen out. After Keen's rant about "how the internet can't replace the real world, it can only be a supplement to it" Bell concludes, "It's a fantastic tool to make the isolated part of the community...You can't control the conversation, you merely facilitate it. The best we can do is work with the internet." Keen limps off stage, snarling that his next book will be nothing to do with the internet. Despite the posturing though, I bet secretly he's a really nice guy.

Le Web 3: Shiny Media goes mad in Paris

2007-12-11T11:49:34Z

Here we are in Paris at Le Web 3 - a big Web 2.0 party, sorry, conference, where the great and good of the internet world - and bonkers designer Phillipe Starck - come together to chat, eat pastries and watch the ebullient host Loic Le Meur bounce around the stage like a mad thing.

Typically, it's gone midday and I've only just got the flakey wi-fi working, but here are the highlights so far. Designer Philippe Starck talked at length about sexual ergononomics - how to make sexy furniture that you're not ashamed to show your granny. He was also doorstepped on stage by uber-blogger Robert Scoble who asked him to evaulate the design of Amazon e-book reader, the Kindle. Surprisingly, unlike Scoble, he didn't think it was rubbish but questioned whether the designer had really gone far enough in losing 'his identity'.

]]> Earlier we heard from Kevin Rose, founder of social bookmarking site Digg.com, about being an entrepreneur. Despite being a relatively small company with just 40 employees, Rose explained that it still doesn't feel like a big company: "The passion and creativity is still there. However, for Rose it hasn't been all plain sailing for Digg to get where it is today with a valuation of $100 million. "Scaling was a major issue. I wish had of planned for it."

Another problem was scrambling to find decent engineers. People were scared to move because they thought they were going to lose their jobs in the early days of Web 2.0. It's much easier to find good people now. They are much more willing to take risks now."