Turnhere est une "Web video production Cie", en d'autre terme une société qui produit des vidéos pour Internet, ceci pour une large cible, mais surtout pour le secteur des voyages et des loisirs.

Avec un réseau de + de 2 000 réalisateurs professionnels autours du monde, Turnhere a produit en 2 006 plus de 1,000 videos dans 52 pays.

Turnhere joue la qualité, la diffusion des vidéos sur les grands networks (Yahoo, Google, MSN, AOL, ...) et semble devenir un acteur incontournable de la vidéo professionnelle pour le secteur des voyages et des loisirs.

Je vous propose un interview avec Todd Tracey qui nous présente plus avant Turnhere.

>Todd, can you tell some information about you?

My name is Todd Tracey. I run sales at TurnHere. I'm 38, married with one child and live in San Francisco, California.

>You work for a great travel site, TurnHere, Can you tell us the story and some fact about it?

TurnHere's mission is to tell great stories using the most compelling medium available : online video. For the past year, we have produced several hundred high-quality, short-form films that explore different cities and neighborhoods around the world, as well as the colorful people, businesses, shops, restaurants, cafes and bars that make these areas come to life. All of our films are unscripted, authentic pieces that strive to give the viewer the experience of being at the places they see on film. In addition to making travel pieces and films for small businesses, we also create video for media companies like Discovery, hospitality companies such as InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, real estate firms, and an array of other customers that understand the vast opportunities of online video. Our clients use their films for a variety of purposes, from marketing and advertising to corporate messaging and training.

Currently, we distribute films through our website www.turnhere.com, and through a broad distribution network that includes Google, Yahoo !, AOL and MSN. Of course, many of our clients choose to host their films on their own homepages, and video can act as a powerful tool to enhance users' experience with any website.

Our films are produced by a growing network of about 2,000 filmmakers, who reside all over the world and whom we call upon to produce films depending on the location of the shoot. We like to give our filmmakers the liberty to infuse their personal visions and creativity into a piece, which makes our films compelling and effective as well as entertaining and personal.

>Can you give us some outline about your goals with TurnHere!

In 2006, we produced about 1,000 videos in 52 countries. Going forward, our ambition is to become one of the top Internet digital media companies in the world and capitalize on the burgeoning market for online video. Our mission is to introduce our clients to the power of web video, help them utilize it to further their objectives, and to generate demand for our talented network of filmmakers.

>TurnHere work on quality content, not amateurish stuff who can destroy tourism image. How do you work to build this quality content ?

First of all, our filmmakers are professionals with experience. And most importantly, they know how to tell great stories. The combination of storytelling and technical ability is what allows us to produce videos that bring customers to all types of businesses, whether in tourism or another industry. Our filmmakers are certified, which means that they have undergone a thorough review of their work before we send them out on shoots. Equally important, we have an experienced production staff that coordinates all the pre- and post-production involved in putting together a piece. Their skill and strong relationships with our filmmakers ensures that our content meets the client's standards, and that it bears our signature TurnHere style: authentic, entertaining, and unscripted.

>Internet is going faster and we talk now about Web 2.0 and Travel 2.0. What do you think about this evolution in the tourism & hotel market place ? Word-of-mouth marketing and User Generated Content are the big trends for Travel 2.0 ?

While digital video predates Web 2.0, the explosion in popularity of online video is unique to the current Internet marketplace. First, when it comes to travel and tourism, online video allows consumers and companies to tell colorful, dynamic stories to wide audiences at an extremely low cost. As a result, businesses such as InterContinental and Swiss Hotel in Sonoma, CA - both TurnHere clients - can communicate with their customer base quite easily and affordably. TurnHere's film about the InterContinental Hotel in Hong Kong, for example, provides an entertaining and informative look into the hotel and the city of Hong Kong itself. Travel and tourism businesses that take advantage of new technologies in online video will see big gains, as they will be able to deliver compelling messages to the many consumers they want to reach without overspending.

Online video and Web 2.0 have also empowered the consumer to make smarter travel choices. Whereas before consumers would have to turn to network TV to watch film on most of their favorite travel destinations, today the Internet can easily satisfy their hunger for travel video and, in doing so, give them more comprehensive information about locations across the globe. Combined with the many social networking sites that have sprung up during Web 2.0, online video has turned the Internet into an interactive travel guidebook, where companies and consumers can communicate more easily with one another and, as a result, arrive at a common ground where everyone's interests are met.




>We see important impact of news technologies (RSS, AJAX, podcast, blog, socialnetworking tools, Google mashup,Vidéo etc), what is your point of view ? Do you plan to use more Web 2.0 stuff on TurnHere ?

Blogging is becoming a favorite Web 2.0 technology at TurnHere. We keep a regular blog for our filmmakers (www.turnherefilmmakers.com) that we use to send them important updates, allow them to post some of their personal work for peer review, and to maintain a healthy relationship with the people who shoot our pieces.

>What about your developpment and project for TurnHere ? Are you looking for filmmaker in France and Europe ?

We continue to add qualified filmmakers to our network. We have good demand for work in France and Europe and continue to recruit in that region.

>Any advise for partners who want to work with TurnHere ?

Contact us by going filling out a webform at http://turnhere.com/video_contactus.aspx or call us at 510-658-9292, ext. 176

> Can DMO's and Tourism Board become TurnHere Partners ?

While we'd have to treat this on a case-by-case basis, in general DMOs and tourism boards could make excellent partners for TurnHere.

>Any advises for people who start to use TurnHere !

First, visit www.TurnHere.com, where you'll find our travel and neighborhood films. All films on the site are searchable and categorized, so you should have a great time exploring what's on there. You can find films on several locations around the world. The next time you think about travelling to a particular destination, log onto the site to find a film about it first. You'll not only learn something, but you'll also be wildly entertained.

Anyone interested in having hiring TurnHere to produce a film can contact us by going to www.turnhereproductions.com

>What are your taste for:

>Travel: Adventure travel - I like the great outdoors and nature

>Travel destination: Canada, Portugal, & Spain. My wife favors France so we'll probably be travelling there next.

>Hotel : Intercontinental is my current favorite hotel.

>Business: I love the creative power of entrepreneurs and small businesses. They are the engine for creativity and new ideas in the marketplace.

Merci Todd, Turnhere est vraiment une société à suivre pour la promotion et la communication des acteurs du tourisme et des loisirs.