Webtv.in: The online video experts

Web TV thrives on sharing video stories. It creates, manages, markets and with its live streaming services, delivers rich media. Web TV is passionate about telling stories whether they are individual, corporate or institutional. Being the medium through which stories are told, and messaging is conveyed, Web TV continues to tell stories every day.YourStory.in catches up with Anju Maudgal Kadam, Founder and Director of Web TV to know more.

Why start a service like Web TV?

It is at once humbling and inspiring to be trusted with communication for a company because the trust in telling a video story is complete surrender to the language of visuals, music, speech, text and characters. The sum of it all is almost always far larger than what we set out to achieve. And the challenge of keeping that true in every project is what motivates our team. We make videos - identity, celebratory, event, history, introductory, training, fund raising - videos in all genres. What we found along the way as we made videos over the last few years was the complete lack of platforms to showcase a voice of an entrepreneur or company or individual to sell his service or product. Traditional media is cluttered with far too much noise to be noticed, unless you a giant yourself. Also, the commerce transacted on traditional media platforms - newspapers, television, and advertising - is far too prohibitive. We realised that technology had not only changed the way videos were made, but could also dramatically change the way they are distributed, and watched. We launched our live streaming platform – Web TV. It is a powerful way to reach out to one’s preferred audience in a focused, controlled manner. To add to that, reaching out to a geographically scattered audience, becomes easy. We manage archives for our clients, advice and help them market their videos too. Often, we get called in to direct the ground event for a live stream for better presentation to the digital audience.

What did you do before you turned entrepreneur?

This is my second innings at work. My previous work life was in Mumbai, in television where I started as a rookie reporter, then bureau chief, then director programming for business and nonfiction. Previous to this, I had done my Communications diploma at Social Communications Media Program, Sophia Polytechnic. I am also an economist, having done my post graduation in International trade and Econometrics. Short of running tape on my fingers, I did everything possible in television, documentaries, business programming, interviewing a prime minister one day, a street performer in another, have guns pointed at me while being the only television journalist to interview Harshad Mehta before he went to jail to directing the Filmfare Awards. After moving toBangalore, I took a break after having two kids. Then, a few years later, I began to make films again. Corporate films this time. I began to expand in my mind as a story teller with a skill set that needed to be used. I enrolled in a short management program at the IIM-B. I then toyed with the idea of launching another company altogether. But after doing some research on the future trends of where video making, marketing and distribution were going to go, I realised I needed sound technical backing to emerge from the role of just being a rich content provider to a game changer for my client’s communication needs.

And then, you associated with Unitus?

Unitus is primarily a software company founded by my husband. For the first time since we met, we found that we could actually work together, to expand the services of Unitus and added video and life streaming to them. Our appetite for technology from Unitus and our range of audio visual, communication and marketing skill sets between the two, made the move very palatable, focused and sharp.

What makes WebTV different than other similar such services?

I find this one hard to answer. When I looked around for opportunities in Bangalore, early in my move to the city, I was constantly told that there was no work to match my skill set; another reason why I went the entrepreneurial way. I am determined to make the market recognise the need for quality in thought, idea, process and delivery, so lacking in the local market. What makes us different? The fact that we first understand the big picture of communication and the fit the piece of the puzzle we are working on - creation, marketing, and delivery - to the larger puzzle.

Tell us something about your team

I head the division. I have over twenty years experience in the audio-visual medium. Ketav Kadam is our technical wizard and founder of Unitus. He has a huge body of work behind him. He has been a serial entrepreneur and has been a software consultant. We have a young team of individuals trained personally by us, who are showing very promising signs of maturing into fine technicians and video story tellers. Our current team comprises of six people. We hire, on contract, expertise that we may require on any project. Collaboration enhances a project, we firmly believe that.

What kind of clients do you cater to?

Microsoft, ICICI, Intel, Moneylife Foundation, IIM-B, Xseed, TedX, Novozymes, Laqsh and Marico Foundation among others are our clients. We work for corporate enterprises, NGOs, IT companies, governments and educational institutions etc. Education in particular is close to my heart. I know I get driven to put that extra bit in a project under this domain, because I believe so strongly in it. We made a film for a fundraiser for Foundation for Excellence that was shown inSan Franciscofor a black tie event. In a silent auction, an enormous sum was collected over one evening. We were thrilled that our sensibilities resonated with people we had never seen or met before and made give so generously.

What is the technology that powers WebTV?

For Web TV, a whole grid of technology is powered by our mother company UNITUS. We use the latest software to edit. Films are shot according to a client’s budgets. But, we always edit on premise in our offices to give the video a polished and finished look, which is our signature. Conversions, compressions for the internet and compatibility are all looked into for maximising viewing. The live streaming is a complicated coming together of our audio visual skills, internet technology, hosting sites, and very expensive cutting edge technology machines and servers that we use. The rapid advances in web video technology are challenging to keep a tab on. Target audiences are also consuming content on newer devices like video players, tablets, mobile phones etc.

It must be challenging to keep up with advancements in technology and compete with similar players?

We put in a lot of resources to keep ourselves updated and abreast with latest technologies. Our solutions take the complexity out of video for our customers. We provide end to end solutions for our customers that start with video creation, video management, video marketing, video delivery and video tracking. We work with all the major CDNs, technologies, analytics providers to give a wholesome experience to our clients and viewers. Though everybody thinks they can make a film and stream with U stream; because the medium has become more accessible from the past and because devices and tools are readily available in all budgets, it might seem that we have a challenging road ahead. But we are different. Being entrepreneurs, we ensure we meet quality standards and deadlines. That is sacrosanct. Differentiators are knowledge and skill. We have an abundance of both. The responsibility that comes with the resources we have, and our performance on the job, separates us from the rest.

Go to www.webtv.in for further details!