Last semester, the term “Flip cam” seemed to be buzzing everywhere in the Grady PR department. A NY Times article states that the device’s claim to fame is its minimalism.
Flip cameras are close to the size of a digital camera and have a built-in USB port to both charge the device and upload videos. The recorders only have a few buttons, weigh a few ounces and have 1.5-inch screens. According to Pure Video Technologies’ Web site, “the Flip video camcorders are the world’s first with on-board software to enable editing, organizing, and seamless video uploading to YouTube, MySpace, AOL Video and other video sharing sites.” Since 2007, more than two million cameras have been sold!
At Grady, Flip cams were used to create quick promo videos by fellow classmates. They were taken to the PRSSA national conference in Detroit to document the experience for peers back in Athens. And, I even had my first dabble with a Flip cam when I created this short infomercial for a class project (please excuse the terrible acting—I write for a reason! 🙂 ).
Now, Flip cams have moved up in the world and are producing content for national entertainment!
CNN.com announced last month that a new reality show based on the lives of two freshman congressmen would be filmed with Flip cams. The two men will carry high-definition Flip cameras throughout their experiences and the segments will be uploaded to the Web throughout the year. Below is a sample of the show:
Embedded video from CNN Video
While, I’m not sure how exciting this drama on Capitol Hill really is, it’s an innovative idea that may spark some other, more appealing ideas. In addition, Pure Digital Technology, the maker of Flip cameras, was recently bought by Cisco. With the new ownership, the Flip cam is expected to become even more mobile than it already is… potentially through the use of wireless Internet connections. With this concept leading the way, I think there are great things in store for the future of the Flip.
New Media = New Ideas 