A friend of mine, Mark Simon, was in town yesterday to talk about animated news, and how it is becoming increasingly popular with news organization as a way to tell stories in a different way.
For anyone not familiar with animated news, it involves the creation of video clips that depict events such as car accidents, crimes or natural disasters. Perhaps the most famous is the video of Tiger Woods’ now-infamous car accident last November.
Mark works for Next Media, which is owned by billionaire Jimmy Lai. Next Media operates a 197-person animated news production facility in Taipei, which produces eight videos a day. Its clients include the BBC and Reuters.
Animated news is already popular in Asia so it will be interesting to see if it catches on in North America.
Below is a video from Digital Journal of Mark talking about how Next Media got into the animated news business.
Useful video, thanks a lot!
NEXT MEDIA is not the only boy on the block, although this is a David and Goliath story:
At the same time Jummy Lai at NEXT MEDIA was developing his take on Animated News , Chelm-on-the-Med©- Online – an open source website of zany news from Israel was ALSO busy developing an animated news division for television. Without a $30 M R&D budget and 200 employees. Four Israelis – myself included – developed a far SUPERIOR PRODUCT in our spare time (in six months off-and-on, not two-and-a-half years) on PCs and on spec! Lai’s ‘creation’ has (rightly) been derided in the West by professional news-gatherers. Yet it is questionable whether one can stop technology-driven distribution of information, including news. Lock the door, it will climb in the window. The only question is – what standards will the industry set – where and what kind of ‘animated news’ is suitable, and what is detrimental or irrelevant. Anyone who wants to see a SERIOUS use of animated news segments that can TRULY challenge traditional means of presenting news on television, check out the “demo” for this Israeli initiative at The ‘model’ is applicable to any light new or odd news beat – not just Israel.
Short three to three-and-a-half minute segments like this will be a weekly feature, designed to follow or ‘close’ regular conflict-driven HARD news from and about Israel, with one nutty SOFT news story from Israel for balance. Two leading Jewish stations – JLTYV and JTN – that reach tens of millions of households in the USA are interested in airing the segments, and others (not all Jewish) are weighing becoming affiliate stations, as well. The production team is now looking for a backer to cover production costs and get this baby on the road. (Spielberg? Katzenberg? Are you listening?)
In the meantime, Jews (and odd news junkies everywhere) can feed on similar wild and wacky news stories from Israel that are available in columns published on Chelm-on-the-Med© Online at – – a contribution to the popular ‘odd news beat’ (where Israel has been missing) – such as the Technion alumnus who creating an “Honorable Menschen” award for lectures who not only know their stuff, but also know how to ‘be a mensch’. (see August 2010 Column 2 on the website)
(For more information about this initiativecontact me via chelmonthemed@gmail.com or via the website feedback mechanism at http://www.chelm-on-the-med.com)