Insertions: Pre-roll video
Overview
The INSERTIONS screen allows upload of short videos that can be played as pre-roll to primary video content, including main videos, playlists, series, and/or timed events. Common examples of insertions are festival trailers/bumpers, programmer introductions, artist/filmmaker introductions, and sponsor ads. A video only needs to be uploaded once as an insertion, and from there it can be added as pre-roll to any number of primary content. Each primary content can have as many insertions added for its pre-roll as desired. Additionally, a specific insertion can be designated as the default in order to play in front of all primary content.
If you don't see INSERTIONS in your left-hand navigation, within the CONTENT section, you can turn this on by navigating to SETTINGS > OPTIONAL FEATURES > and enabling them.
1. Uploading Insertions
To start, click the "Create Insertion" button at the top-right corner and add the title of the insertion to be uploaded. A Request Page URL link will be offered that can be copied and sent to a content provider if the video isn't already on hand. The Request Page URL link can be copied later, as well, after creation of the insertion. Please note the specs for an insertion are the same as primary video. See: video specs.
On the insertion's detail screen, along with uploading the video here directly, view other details about the uploaded video and set whether this insertion should be skippable, or not. If checked as skippable, about five seconds into the video a "Skip" button will appear in the lower right of the playback screen for approximately 5 seconds, giving the viewer the option to skip this insertion or not. Please note: insertions, when used as pre-roll for a timed screening (see Live Events), have the skippable feature disabled.
Prior to uploading, the insertion's detail screen will appear with the options below.
Once the video has been uploaded the option to preview the insertion from this screen will be available. At the bottom of the screen are three fields for optional Private Custom Data. Custom data is internal reference only and will show as columns in many of the Reports.
Insertions created will be added to the list on the main INSERTIONS screen. Select the vertical ellipsis (⋮) to set an insertion as the default or to delete it.
2. Positioning Insertions As Pre-Roll
Once insertions have been added they can be incorporated into primary content: videos, series, playlists and timed events.
Open the specific primary content and go to the screen with Pre-Roll options. For video content, that will be the sub-menu Video Assets. For all other content (Live Events, Playlists, Series) that will be the sub-menu Additional Assets. The "Use Default Preroll Insertion" will be checked as a default. This means whatever insertion is set as the default will always play in front of that video, series or playlist, but if no insertion has been chosen as the default then no pre-roll will play.
To set the pre-roll, other than for the default, uncheck that box and a field will appear where insertions can be selected to play as pre-roll. Any number of insertions can be selected by adding them in the desired play order. To edit the order afterwards drag and drop an insertion into the desired spot.
3. Replacing An Insertion
It is possible to replace insertions instead of having to delete one and add a new insertion. For example a sponsor ad has been uploaded but later the sponsor asks to replace it with a new version. The old version is already set as part of pre-roll for lots of content. Instead of redoing all of that work, simply reset the insertion, remove the existing video from it, and upload a new video, leaving all of the pre-roll setup exactly as it was.
Click the vertical ellipsis at far right and then "Reset Source" to remove the video and allow a new video to be uploaded into this insertion. This insertion will not play on content it is associated with until a new file has been uploaded (it will just be skipped).
If you have any follow up questions, please reach out to us at festivals@cinesend.com