A video spokesperson a.k.a. website actor is a type of internet video with talking actors overlaid above the content of websites. Such videos are used to greet online visitors, to communicate messages, and to create a more human-like interaction experience than standard online text, graphics, or video content can provide.
Using the alpha transparency layer of the Flash Video (FLV) video container, the videos appear to be borderless. Using different methods, videos spokespersons can have absolute of fixed positioning. They have the ability to overlay existing website content without obstructing the view of the content as much as a traditional rectangular-framed video might. This allows them to be added to a website without design changes made to accommodate space for them.
Its popularity has grown significantly due to the prevalence of flash, its affordability, and ease of installation into most websites.
Although the Flash Video (FLV) format was introduced in 2003, Flash 8 began supporting alpha transparency in 2005, which lets you encode video with the background removed so you can overlay the subject of the video on to a website or other flash object.
Currently, there is no HTML5 video format that allows for a video spokesperson with an alpha transparency layer.
The phrase video spokesperson is also associated with the phrase "Video web presenter" or website actor which is exactly the same type of video employing the same type of technology. The name for this technology has had a rocky history and from month to month is named something differently. Said names are website actor, live actor, website spokesperson, video spokesperson.