The Good Enough Revolution: When Cheap and Simple Is Just Fine http://bit.ly/bQmHAc
This is a really good read. Yes, it parallels what I have been saying for years: that once quality becomes “good enough” the vast majority of people don’t care about it. That leads to many “interesting” discussions with industry friends who care a very great deal about quality (and good for them).
“Good enough” was why DV took off so quickly: it’s price/performance was great and the image quality was good enough for most purposes. Likewise HDV. For all its flaws HDV was good enough that it outsold high quality professional cameras around 10:1!
After Effects isn’t Flame, but it’s good enough for a whole lot more people. Motion isn’t as powerful as After Effects but it’s good enough for a video editor tasked with doing some motion graphic design. Soundtrack Pro isn’t Logic, and Soundbooth isn’t Audition, but both are good enough for video editors tasked with a little audio work.
The article discusses the rise of MP3 over higher quality CD audio (convenience wins out).
Read the whole thing, it’s worth it, and think carefully about how this might play out in a plausible future where the disruption (of film and television) happens before new business models are in place. Good enough will indeed rule! Consider Demand Media – a business that’s based on barely “good enough” but is growing.
3 replies on “The Good Enough Revolution:”
Also consider this article on Demand Media. It’s a bit latter than the linked article, and from the same source.
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/09/whats-hiding-in-demand-medias-finances/
Why Demand Media will succeed http://www.businessinsider.com/why-demand-media-and-similar-models-will-succeed-2010-8
The Lesson of Demand Media (And AOL): The Online Content Business Is a Looooong March to the Big Time http://kara.allthingsd.com/20100809/the-lesson-of-demand-media-and-aol-the-online-content-business-is-a-looooong-march-to-the-big-time/ and
Demand Media’s IPO: Everything You Need To Know http://www.businessinsider.com/demand-medias-ipo-everything-you-need-to-know-2010-8
I will write more on Demand Media in time.
This is probably part of the enormous success of HDSLR cameras.
There’s a little more to it though, I already have a high end HDV video camera, the workflow and ergonomic design of which is far better suited to video production than any HDSLR. What my HDSLR offers is the large format chip / lens selection depth of field features that as an experienced cinematographer I desire, and I’m prepared to put up with all the other compromises in the production workflow for this one feature, so are most of my clients.