Boise State University Graduate Students Use “Big Data” to Analyze Kickstarter Videos
Boise State University (BSU) doctorate students Evi Ofekeze and Ibrahim Olalekan Alabi have been focused on machine learning (ML) and data science under BSU Research Computing Services Director and West Hub Steering Committee Member Steve Cutchin for the past few years. Most recently the two students contributed to the NASA-funded SnowEx project with BSU Geoscientist H.P. Marshall using ML to predict hydrological outcomes of snowpack from remote sensing data.
Additionally, Ofekeze and Olalekan Alabi have been working with BSU Associate Professor of Marketing Anne Hamby and Assistant Professor of Information Technology Steve Pentland to analyze the varying degrees of success in response to fundraising videos on Kickstarter, a crowdfunding platform that often contains videos in which an entrepreneur describes their idea to potential investors.
“In the current work, we are examining how the vocal characteristics (in terms of pitch and loudness) associated with the entrepreneur's description predict the likelihood of obtaining funding,” explained Hamby. “We extracted the time series data from each video in terms of the pitch and loudness variation, and Evi and Ibrahim used BSplines to obtain the ‘shape’ of different videos on these dimensions - for instance, whether the pitch increases continuously over the video, increases then decreases, etc.”
They then used cluster analyses to group the main categories of patterns, from which three emerged for pitch and five emerged for loudness. Hamby said that some clusters are more persuasive than others in terms of their association with crowdfunding success.
“The work with the College of Business at BSU aligns with our goal of advancing the use of machine learning in various research domains,” said Ofekeze.
“We are also able to perform advanced data analytical techniques in social science research,” said Alabi. “This indicates the scalability of ML techniques.”
Ofekeze and Alabi are also currently working on their Software Carpentry trainer certifications.
The article shows how graduate students are applying machine learning and big data to real-world research, from analyzing Kickstarter videos to studying snowpack and predicting hydrological outcomes. What stands out is the range of fields that can benefit from data-driven methods when researchers have access to strong computing resources and meaningful datasets. It also shows how academic projects can connect technical skills with practical problems. Even creative industries such as architecture and design are increasingly influenced by data, where an interior designer dubai may consider user behavior, space usage, and project requirements when developing design concepts. The broader takeaway is that combining technology with specialized knowledge can open new ways to understand complex challenges.
Using Kickstarter videos as a source for big data research is a really interesting idea. There is so much information in a short campaign video, from the way a project is presented to the details that might catch people’s attention. Looking at as many as possible could give researchers a much richer set of patterns to work with. The workload behind research like this can be pretty intense too, and during busy study periods, thoughts like do my class for me might cross someone’s mind when deadlines start competing for attention. It is fascinating to see how everyday online content can become useful research material.
Interesting research! It's impressive to see graduate students using big data to better understand what makes Kickstarter videos more effective. The findings could be valuable for many creators. Just like best ghostwriters help shape compelling stories, data-driven insights can improve how ideas are presented and received. Thanks for sharing such an innovative and informative project.
It is interesting to see how big data and machine learning can reveal patterns in communication, especially in crowdfunding videos where tone, pitch, and delivery can influence audience trust. At ORM Systems, we also see how data-driven decisions matter in technology selection, whether businesses are analyzing performance needs or sourcing reliable networking components like GLC-LH-SMD. This study is a strong reminder that the right insights can improve both strategy and results.
Really interesting study on how big data and ML help decode what makes Kickstarter videos persuasive great example of data driving insights! Also, for anyone in the job market, finding reliable CV writers near me can help present your own data science or analytics work more effectively to employers.