New Genre: Webisode

In the online article entitled “Webisodes for kids” it shows the interview with Chris Corbett who is a webisode producer of Tiny Town. In the article, Corbett (2007) had shared his experience and challenge in producing webisode and rise an issue that children today tend prefer to watch movie in internet. ( Picture from Super Stock, 2009)

Nowadays, television no longer play the central role as internet had become the most powerful and multifunctional media (Kaye & Medoff, 2005). According to Guthrie (2007), there is more than 30% of the web users watched live streaming video such as webisodes.

The term ‘webisode’ is a combination words of web and episode, refers to short video or movie that broadcast on internet (Kayne, 2009). Webisodes do not have standard fixed length, the length of webisode is short as it only span from 4 till 15 minutes (Vinklund, 2009). As stated by Clay (2009), a successful webisode will keep it short so that the people would not lose interest.

According to Kayne (2009), webisodes are always used as a marketing tool. For instance, movie trailers or online game advertisement on web, webisodes are able to arouse the audiences’ interest and appetite. Besides the purpose of commercial and promotion, webisodes can be also used as a preview and collection of short part (Viklund, 2009).

Unlike television programs, some webisodes provides interaction which beneficial to the webisodes producers to grasp the viewer’s interest and improve their skills. For instance, Youtube has provided comments box and rating. (YouTube.com).

Moreover, webisodes is flexible as it allows the viewers to enjoy no matter when or where as long as the internet connection is available. Unlike the TV episodes, webisodes are mobilized as the viewers can enjoy webisode by using mobile phone or laptop.

In conclusion, webisodes are a new genre which is still unfamiliar to people who are not sensitive to the advance of technology. As the media continuing develop, there will be more new media and genre in the future.

References:

Clay (2009), 10 keys to creating a successful webisode, Advent Creative, viewed 13 June 2009, http://www.adventcreative.com/10-keys-to-creating-a-successful-webisode

Guthrie, M (2007),What’s a Webisodes Worth?, Broadcasting & Cable, viewed 13 June 2009, http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/111311-What_s_a_Webisode_Worth_.php

Kaye, BK & Medoff, NJ 2005, Electronic Media: Then, Now and Later, Pearson Education, United State of America.

Kayne, R 2009, What are Webisodes?, WISEGEEK, viewed 13 June 2009, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-webisodes.htm

Viklund, A 2009, Ask What Webisodes Can Do For You, Ivan Cevallos’s Blog, viewed 13 June 2009, http://ivancevallos.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/ask-what-webisodes-can-do-for-you/