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		<title>NewFronts news roundup: a big week for Yahoo, AOL, Blip, Hulu and Crackle</title>
		<link>http://paidcontent.org/2013/05/04/newfronts-news-roundup-a-big-week-for-yahoo-aol-blip-hulu-and-crackle/</link>
		<comments>http://paidcontent.org/2013/05/04/newfronts-news-roundup-a-big-week-for-yahoo-aol-blip-hulu-and-crackle/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 May 2013 07:00:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Liz Shannon Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AOL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blip]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crackle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hulu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yahoo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paidcontent.org/?p=228898</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This week, famous faces, new shows and pleas for advertising dollars brought many web video companies to web video's version of TV's upfronts. Here are just a few of the biggest stories to emerge. <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=642273&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This week, major web video companies borrowed a tradition from the television world for the second annual <a href="http://www.digitasnewfront.com">NewFronts</a>. The New York-based events brought together executives, advertisers and celebrities to preview shows, make announcements and celebrate 2013&#8242;s potential &#8212; here&#8217;s a round-up of just some of what was presented.</p>
<h2 id="yahoo%c2%a0s-yhoo">Yahoo </h2>
<p><b>Celebrity Presence:</b> John Stamos, Ed Helms, Morgan Spurlock, Cheryl Hines, Rachael Harris, The Lumineers (who performed live).</p>
<p><b>New Shows Presented:</b> A mix of <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/innovation-takes-center-stage-yahoo-000700551.html">comedy and lifestyle programming</a>, including Helms&#8217;s <i>Tiny Commando</i>, a show about the intersection of food and film, and a Spurlock-produced series where celebrities tell Stamos about the first time they had sex.</p>
<p><b>Biggest News Announced:</b> For wrestling fans, it was probably the announcement that <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-ed-helms-zachary-levi-morgan-spurlock-headline-yahoo-newfront-presentation-20130429,0,587756.story">Yahoo and the WWE will be &#8220;tag-teaming&#8221; video distribution</a>. But Yahoo also announced plans to partner with Condé Nast and CNBC for shows.</p>
<p><b>Money Quote:</b> <a href="http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/04/30/yahoo-ed-helms-john-stamos-newfronts/">From Sam Gutelle at Tubefilter&#8217;s coverage</a>, based off a comment by Yahoo COO Henrique de Castro:</p>
<blockquote id="quote-de-castro-asked-adve"><p>De Castro asked advertisers to sink 5% of their TV budget of just one brand into Yahoo. Clearly, he understands that while the online video space is growing in popularity, it is still an area meant to complement TV, not overtake it. Yahoo’s new shows should do just that by providing solid, accessible entertainment.</p></blockquote>
<p><b>My Take:</b> None of the announced partnerships are as high-profile as <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/yahoo-saturday-night-live-exclusive-archives/">Yahoo getting the exclusive rights to <i>Saturday Night Live</i> clips</a>. That said, of all the new shows announced this week, I might be the most intrigued by <i>Losing Your Virginity with John Stamos</i>: It sounds like a lot of fun.</p>
<span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='604' height='370' src='http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ocj_sGKFOIA?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' frameborder='0'></iframe></span>
<h2 id="aol%c2%a0s-aol">AOL </h2>
<p><b>Celebrity Presence:</b> Sarah Jessica Parker, Nicole Richie, Baratunde Thurston, iJustine.</p>
<p><b>New Shows Presented:</b> A <a href="http://corp.aol.com/2013/04/30/aol-s-investment-in-original-programming-takes-center-stage-at-d/">wide range of largely lifestyle-oriented programming</a>, including the Gwyneth Paltrow-starring <i>Second Chances</i>, Hank Azaria&#8217;s <i>Fatherhood</i>, Webby co-founder Tiffany Shlain&#8217;s <i>The Future Starts Here</i>, and a show about ballet executive-produced by Parker.</p>
<p><b>Biggest News Announced:</b> To track who&#8217;s actually watching all that programming, <a href="http://corp.aol.com/2013/04/30/aol-to-launch-video-audience-measurement-powered-by-nielsen-onl/">AOL will be collaborating with Nielsen</a> on a system that will &#8220;express audience measurement in the language of TV, enabling comparisons between the audience of AOL&#8217;s high-quality original programming and curated premium partner content to TV viewership&#8221; (according to the press release).</p>
<p><b>Money Quote:</b> From <a href="http://www.thevideoink.com/news/nielsen-aol-partnership-makes-strides-in-measurement/#.UYQDL78hP2Y">Video Ink&#8217;s coverage of the Nielsen deal</a>, an interview with Nielsen SVP of Strategic Partnerships John Burbank:</p>
<blockquote id="quote-ultimately-it%e2%80%2"><p>Ultimately, it’s not up to the Comscores and Nielsens of the world. “It’s really the market that has to decide, and we’re doing our best to make the measurement as robust and as fair for everybody so the buyer and the seller have to agree to transact on the data,” Burbank added.</p></blockquote>
<p><b>My Take:</b> Some of AOL&#8217;s original programming sounds potentially interesting, but relying on celebrities and brands to drive web content is far from a fresh business model, and oftentimes doesn&#8217;t have much staying power. However, if the audience for that content finally gets properly measured, it could help advertisers better understand the potential impact of online video.</p>
<span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='604' height='370' src='http://www.youtube.com/embed/xVFiC-tGOv8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' frameborder='0'></iframe></span>
<h2 id="hulu">Hulu</h2>
<p><b>Celebrity Presence:</b> <i>SNL</i>&#8216;s Seth Meyers (who hosted the event), <i>Desperate Housewives</i> star Eva Longoria, professional wrestlers Sergeant Slaughter and Rey Mysterio.</p>
<p><b>New Shows Presented:</b> <a href="http://blog.hulu.com/2013/04/30/springtime-in-nyc/">Two new exclusives</a> include <i>Quick Draw</i>, a comedy western, and high school drama <i>East Los Angeles</i>. Plenty of other series are on their way, and Hulu made note of <a href="http://paidcontent.org/2013/04/29/starting-today-new-episodes-of-all-my-children-and-one-life-to-live-are-airing-online/"><i>One Life to Live</i> and <i>All My Children</i></a>, which have <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2013/04/all-my-children-one-life-to-live-top-digital-streaming-charts/">performed well in their new digital iteration.</a></p>
<p><b>Biggest News Announced:</b> Hulu had <a href="http://paidcontent.org/2013/04/30/hulu-surpassed-4m-paying-hulu-plus-subscribers-1b-streams-in-q1/">some exciting numbers to report</a>, most importantly that Hulu Plus has topped four million subscribers, and according to comScore, it&#8217;s number one in engagement among top ad-supported sites.</p>
<p><b>Money Quote:</b> From <a href="http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/newfronts-hulu-plus-tops-4-million-subscribers-1200428107/">Variety&#8217;s coverage</a>, a snippet from Meyers:</p>
<blockquote id="quote-you-might-be-wonderi3"><p>&#8220;&#8216;You might be wondering why someone who works for a traditional network like NBC is at the Hulu upfront,&#8217; he said. &#8216;Simply put, I’m hedging my bets. I don’t want to be working for the steam-engine company and wondering if cars are going to work.&#8217;&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p><b>My Take:</b> It would have been interesting to see bigger-name content presented by Hulu this week, but with subscribers on the rise and the site bringing in more original series, things seem to be going well for the site.</p>
<div class='embed-hulu' style='text-align:center;'><iframe width='512' height='288' src='http://www.hulu.com/embed.html?eid=d1ye7ggctl5usnkwepm7ag' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<h2 id="blip">Blip</h2>
<p><b>Celebrity Presence:</b> Rob Huebel (who hosted the event), Grace Helbig, Rooster Teeth&#8217;s Burnie Burns.</p>
<p><b>New Shows Presented:</b> The Huebel-starring comedy <i>Mainly Murder</i>, unscripted competition series <i>Jewelry Star</i>, <i>The Great S. Cape!</i>, created by <i>Dark Knight</i> producer Michael Uslan. (<a href="http://press.blip.tv/2013/05/01/blip-debuts-line-up-of-original-web-series-new-talent-and-exclusive-partnerships/">Full details presented on Blip&#8217;s site</a>.)</p>
<p><b>Biggest News Announced:</b> Not only has Blip <a href="http://www.mydamnchannel.com/news/blip_and_my_damn_channel_form_strategic_production_and_sales_partnership_7794.aspx">already announced a partnership with My Damn Channel to distribute original content</a>, but on Wednesday <a href="http://newmediarockstars.com/2013/05/ray-william-johnson-partners-with-blip-to-take-down-youtube/">they announced a production deal</a> with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/RayWilliamJohnson">hugely popular</a> (and <a href="http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/04/29/ray-william-johnson-maker-studios-lawsuit/">outspoken</a>) YouTuber Ray William Johnson.</p>
<p><b>Money Quote:</b> From <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/blip-inks-deal-ray-william-johnson-149076">AdWeek&#8217;s coverage of the event</a>:</p>
<blockquote id="quote-blip-is-the-future-o4"><p>&#8220;&#8216;Blip is the future of TV,&#8217; said CEO Kelly Day. &#8216;We have the largest library of Web originals anywhere. And we are not a platform.&#8217;&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p><b>My Take:</b> Blip is currently in the midst of a <a href="http://paidcontent.org/2013/04/25/blip-new-verticals/">massive sea change</a> &#8212; so it was inevitable that this week&#8217;s news is a bit underwhelming in comparison to earlier shakeups. However, it&#8217;ll be exciting to see how the talent Blip&#8217;s brought in meshes together.</p>
<embed src="http://blip.tv/play/AYOC0moC.x?p=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="720" height="433" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true"></embed>
<h2 id="crackle%c2%a0s-sne">Crackle </h2>
<p><b>Celebrity Presence:</b> Jerry Seinfeld, David Arquette, Missi Pyle.</p>
<p><b>New Shows Presented:</b> <a href="http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2013/05/03/crackle-unveils-slate-of-2013-original-programming-at-digital-content-newfronts-in-new-york-285400/20130503crackle01/">Plenty of them</a>, including <i>Extraction</i>, a feature-length thriller starring Danny Glover and Vinnie Jones, <i>Cleaners</i>, an assassin action series with a cast including Arquette and Gina Gershon, and <i>Strand Street</i>, directed and produced by Milo Ventimiglia.</p>
<p><b>Biggest News Announced:</b> As <a href="http://paidcontent.org/2013/01/20/2013-the-year-of-the-web-series-second-season/">previously announced</a>, there will be a second season of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/07/arts/television/seinfeld-to-continue-comedians-in-cars-getting-coffee.html?hpw">Jerry Seinfeld&#8217;s extremely successful</a> <a href="http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com"><i>Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee</i></a>, but more importantly the landmark 2010 web series <a href="http://www.crackle.com/c/The_Bannen_Way"><i>The Bannen Way</i></a> will return in 2013 for six new half-hour episodes.</p>
<p><b>Money Quote:</b> From <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/crackle-newfront-seinfelds-comedians-cars-451580">the Hollywood Reporter&#8217;s coverage</a>:</p>
<blockquote id="quote-crackle-is-for-the-n5"><p>&#8220;Crackle is for the new living room,&#8221; Eric Berger, executive vice president of digital networks at Sony Pictures Television and GM of Crackle. &#8220;It&#8217;s programmed, it&#8217;s everywhere and its easily accessible. We&#8217;re not a content aggregator but a programmer much like a cable network.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p><b>My Take:</b> Anecdotal evidence suggests that <i>Comedians In Cars</i> has been huge for Crackle, introducing a whole new audience to the service, and the emphasis on thriller and drama programming is a positive step forward for those looking to see web original content mature.</p>
<p>But there&#8217;s this line from the press release: “The long-awaited sequel to the cult favorite David Spade comedy <i>Joe Dirt</i> will break new ground as the first made for digital movie that is a sequel to a hit motion picture.” We might be looking at two steps forward, one step back.</p>
<span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='604' height='370' src='http://www.youtube.com/embed/526iGwVdp6o?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' frameborder='0'></iframe></span>
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			<media:title type="html">sarah jessica parker newfronts</media:title>
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		<title>With Dailymotion out of reach, what&#8217;s Yahoo&#8217;s next move in online video?</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2013/05/01/with-dailymotion-out-of-reach-whats-yahoos-next-move-in-online-video/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2013/05/01/with-dailymotion-out-of-reach-whats-yahoos-next-move-in-online-video/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 May 2013 18:44:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janko Roettgers</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blip]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dailymotion]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Marissa Mayer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PPLive]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Yahoo]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Yahoo is passing on the opportunity to buy a stake in the video site Dailymotion after regulators stepped in to alter the deal. So which company should the internet giant buy instead?<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=641285&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Au revoir, <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/us">Dailymotion</a>: Yahoo won’t be buying the French video platform after regulators stepped in with demands to alter the deal, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323798104578455322038933406.html">according to the Wall Street Journal</a>.</p>
<p>Yahoo was in talks to buy as much as 75 percent of Dailymotion, with an option to buy the remaining 25 percent at a later date. The deal would have valued Dailymotion at around $300 million &#8212; but it wasn’t meant to be: Regulators resisted the idea that Dailymotion would be owned by an American company, and wanted to restrict Yahoo’s ownership to 50 percent. Yahoo declined.</p>
<p>This puts an end to what would have been Yahoo’s first major acquisition since Marissa Mayer took over as CEO last July, and it would also have been the company’s first major attempt to compete with YouTube since it <a href="http://gigaom.com/2010/12/16/yahoo-starts-to-hack-off-some-dead-limbs/">shut down its own video hosting service in 2010</a>.</p>
<p>So where is Yahoo going to look next to boost its online video business? Here are a few ideas:</p>
<p><strong>Blip:</strong> Blip is one of the few remaining independent U.S. video platforms, and the service has undergone an ambitious transition from a catch-all for online video to a platform for premium serialized content &#8212; the kind of stuff advertisers like. This could be a good match for Yahoo, which has eyeballs, but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-marissa-mayer-is-about-to-spend-200-million-on-a-youtube-wannabe-2013-3">needs inventory to place ads against</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Ustream:</strong> The one area in which YouTube is still vulnerable is live video. Granted, the Google-owned video service has been offering live streaming to select partners for some time. But it’s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/live/all">live video section is a mess</a>, and the only bright spots have been large live events. <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/">Ustream</a> could help Yahoo to get a headstart in live video, while at the same time providing the company with a site that already offers offers hosting for recorded videos as well.</p>
<p><strong>PPLive:</strong> The Chinese video market is huge, with billions tuning in every month. It’s also not exactly profitable, which <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/simonmontlake/2013/04/26/online-video-no-solution-for-baidus-profit-slide/">has led to consolidation</a>, and could help Yahoo to buy one of the country’s many video providers on the cheap. Standalone video properties like <a href="http://www.pptv.com/">PPLive</a> and Xunlei are the most likely targets, and could help Yahoo to build a video business across Asia and beyond. Of course, there’s <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/15/news/international/pluggedin_fortune/index.htm?cnn=yes">that whole China thing</a>, but Mayer has proven that she’s not afraid of unpopular decisions.</p>
<p><strong>Flickr:</strong> The Yahoo-owned image hosting site has enjoyed a bit of a comeback in recent months. And guess what: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/explore/video/">Flickr has been offering video hosting</a> for five years already. Video has been a bit of an afterthought for Flickr, but Yahoo could certainly change that if it wanted to. The advantage of this approach would be that all the resources are already part of Yahoo &#8212; and historically, integrating acquisitions has been one of the things that Yahoo has struggled with a lot.</p>
<p><em>Who do you think Yahoo should buy instead of Dailymotion? Leave your thoughts in the comments!</em></p>
<br />  <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=641285&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" /><p><a href="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=935849"><img src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=935849" /></a></p><p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=video&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=641285+with-dailymotion-out-of-reach-whats-yahoos-next-move-in-online-video&utm_content=jroettgers">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/11/report-the-connected-tv-marketplace/?utm_source=video&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=641285+with-dailymotion-out-of-reach-whats-yahoos-next-move-in-online-video&utm_content=jroettgers">Report: The Connected TV Marketplace</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2012/11/ott-technologies-and-strategies-for-broadcasters/?utm_source=video&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=641285+with-dailymotion-out-of-reach-whats-yahoos-next-move-in-online-video&utm_content=jroettgers">OTT technologies and strategies for  broadcasters</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2012/10/what-the-shift-to-the-cloud-means-for-the-future-epg/?utm_source=video&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=641285+with-dailymotion-out-of-reach-whats-yahoos-next-move-in-online-video&utm_content=jroettgers">What the shift to the cloud means for the future EPG</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>After a radical transformation, Blip gets ready to take on cable</title>
		<link>http://paidcontent.org/2013/04/25/blip-new-verticals/</link>
		<comments>http://paidcontent.org/2013/04/25/blip-new-verticals/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:13:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janko Roettgers</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blip]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blip Networks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kelly day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steve Woolf]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paidcontent.org/?p=228443</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Blip used to be just another video hosting site trying to compete with YouTube. These days, it's looking very different - and it's getting ready to take on cable TV.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=634561&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Online video is ready for its FX moment, according to <del datetime="2013-04-25T20:35:28+00:00"></del><a href="http://blip.tv/">Blip Networks</a> CEO Kelly Day. Just like Fox turned FX into a successful network for original programming on cable, Day is planning to turn Blip into a network of topical channels with strong brands that are ready to compete head-to-head with traditional cable channels.</p>
<p>To prepare for this, she’s been spearheading a radical transformation of the video site ever since she joined a year ago. “I came here because I have high aspirations for this company,” Day told me when I stopped by Blip’s offices in New York last week.</p>
<p>To understand how much Blip has changed, it’s worth looking back at its origins: Blip launched back in 2005 under the name Blip.tv as a kind of YouTube for video bloggers and podcasters, which early on set the tone for a slightly different set of content. “We’ve never had viral videos, we don’t focus on music videos,” remembered Blip Senior Vice President of Content Steve Woolf when I talked to him about Blip’s transformation in March.</p>
<h2 id="from-900000-accounts-to-4000-s">From 900,000 accounts to 4000 shows</h2>
<p>Still, a lot of people uploaded all kinds of content &#8212; and some time last year, Blip made the strategic decision to get rid of most of them. Blip’s staff has been reviewing around 900,000 accounts over the last couple of months with the goal to identify high-quality serialized content. Woolf estimated that in the end, only about 4,000 shows will remain on the site. And Blip is also getting a lot more selective when it comes to new signups: “Blip was an open platform, now there is an application process,” explained Woolf.</p>
<div id="attachment_228510" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 170px"><a href="http://gigaompaidcontent.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/kellyday.jpg"><img  alt="Blip Networks CEO Kelly Day." src="http://gigaompaidcontent.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/kellyday.jpg?w=708"   class="size-full wp-image-228510" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Blip Networks CEO Kelly Day.</p></div>
<p>Blip’s new focus on serialized, monetizable content will be on full display at the <a href="http://www.iab.net/digitalcontentnewfronts">Newfronts in New York</a> next week, where Day is going to unveil some additional details about her plans to turn the site into a new form of multichannel network. At the core of it is professional, serialized web content that can engage audiences through a variety of channels &#8212; be it on Blip or off. The company has taken some first steps in that direction over the last couple of months <a href="http://paidcontent.org/2012/06/28/blip-launches-studio-focused-on-branded-content/">with the launch of its own studio in Los Angeles</a>, which is headed by Woolf. It also forged a partnership with YouTube, producing some exclusive content for the former rival.</p>
<p>And now, it is looking to spin out new online channels around some of the topics that have been working well for niche channels on cable. Think cooking, golf, or any other cable properties with a highly specialized audience. “Those are some of the easiest to disrupt,” she said.</p>
<p>Her plan includes taking that kind of shows off of Blip and building dedicated websites with highly curated content around it, likely with a separate branding. Some of these sites could even have a live component, something that Blip hasn’t done much in the past. Day wants to launch these new sites and brands within the next year, possibly as early as this fall. “I believe in building verticals around interests,” she told me.</p>
<h2 id="so-what-about-youtube">So what about YouTube?</h2>
<p>Of course, Blip isn’t alone in its move towards more professional content. YouTube has famously <a href="http://gigaom.com/2011/10/28/youtube-premium-content/">invested hundreds of millions into advances</a> for content creators, and has been pushing hard to establish channels as destinations on its site. “They’re doing a lot of good for the industry,” acknowledged Day during our interview. At the same time, some creators have found themselves falling short of YouTube’s expectations, with <a href="http://gigaom.com/2012/11/12/youtube-original-content-success-rates/">less than 40 percent of the site’s original programming slate getting re-funded.</a></p>
<p>Day argued that this is in part because of YouTube’s inability to surface that content to the right audiences. “I don’t think the algorithm works for everything,” she said. Some of these creators could benefit from being on separate, more curated destinations. Or to take the cable analogy: from producing for FX, not Fox.</p>
<p>That’s why she is considering to partner up with a “select hand full” of these channels, and eventually help them be successful off of YouTube. “It is a good opportunity for us to bring on some new partners,” she said.</p>
<br />  <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=634561&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" /><p><a href="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=245941"><img src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=245941" /></a></p><p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=media&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=634561+blip-new-verticals&utm_content=jroettgers">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/11/report-the-connected-tv-marketplace/?utm_source=media&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=634561+blip-new-verticals&utm_content=jroettgers">Report: The Connected TV Marketplace</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2012/12/connected-consumer-2013-how-2012-laid-the-groundwork-for-change/?utm_source=media&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=634561+blip-new-verticals&utm_content=jroettgers">How consumer media will change in 2013</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2012/10/what-the-shift-to-the-cloud-means-for-the-future-epg/?utm_source=media&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=634561+blip-new-verticals&utm_content=jroettgers">What the shift to the cloud means for the future EPG</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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			<media:title type="html">Blip Networks CEO Kelly Day.</media:title>
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		<title>Blip to publishers: we&#8217;re going to monetize your videos, whether you like it or not</title>
		<link>http://paidcontent.org/2013/03/25/blip-preroll-ads/</link>
		<comments>http://paidcontent.org/2013/03/25/blip-preroll-ads/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:01:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janko Roettgers</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advertising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blip]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blip tv]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[preroll advertising]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paidcontent.org/?p=226461</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Video site Blip is looking to increase the ad load on the content it's hosting by making advertising mandatory. The changes are going in effect early next month.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=623912&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Video hosting site <a href="http://blip.tv/">Blip</a> has come up with a new way to make more money with advertising: The site, which has been specializing on web-exclusive serialized content, is going to turn on preroll advertising by default for all of the content hosted on its site in early April. Blip shares its ad revenue 50/50 with publishers.</p>
<p>Publishers will have an opportunity to opt out of ads for up to five videos in order to keep short clips and trailers ad-free, but after that, all fo their videos will be preceded by preroll ads. The changes were announced a few days ago in an email to producers that read, in part:</p>
<blockquote id="quote-%e2%80%9cblip%e2%80%"><p>“Blip’s mission is to be the place to discover the best in original web series. We support this mission by selling advertising against the content that you, the Blip Producer community, create and upload. The technology and bandwidth required to deliver your shows to a wide audience is paid for by advertising, similar to television.”</p></blockquote>
<div id="attachment_226471" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://gigaompaidcontent.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/blip-previous-ad-policy.jpg"><img  alt="Blip's previous ad policy: prerolls were entirely voluntary." src="http://gigaompaidcontent.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/blip-previous-ad-policy.jpg?w=300&#038;h=107" width="300" height="107" class="size-medium wp-image-226471" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Blip&#8217;s previous ad policy: prerolls were entirely voluntary (click for a full-size view).</p></div>
<p>That’s a notable change from Blip’s previous take on advertising. The company described its advertising program in the past as “entirely voluntary,” noting <a href="http://support.blip.tv/entries/20883048-How-does-advertising-work-on-Blip-">on a still-active support page</a> that producers “can use almost all Blip services without accepting advertising.”</p>
<p>The email now sent out to Blip’s producers tries to quell fears that ads could drive audiences away:</p>
<blockquote id="quote-%e2%80%9cwe-know-tha2"><p>“We know that for some long-time Blip producers running advertising on your content will be unsettling. Rest assured that all of the available data in the market shows that audiences have become acclimated to pre-roll ads. In many cases, a prominent brand in front of an episode actually increases the perceived value of the show.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Blip started out as a video hosting site that competed directly with YouTube, and <a href="http://gigaom.com/2011/05/17/blip-tv-redesign/">changed its course two years ago</a> to focus exclusively on serialized content made for the web. The company distributes content to a variety of platforms, and opened a studio in Los Angeles to produce its own content last summer.</p>
<br />  <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=623912&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" /><p><a href="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=19723"><img src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=19723" /></a></p><p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=media&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=623912+blip-preroll-ads&utm_content=jroettgers">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/11/report-the-connected-tv-marketplace/?utm_source=media&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=623912+blip-preroll-ads&utm_content=jroettgers">Report: The Connected TV Marketplace</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/05/players-and-strategies-for-real-time-in-stream-advertising/?utm_source=media&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=623912+blip-preroll-ads&utm_content=jroettgers">Players and Strategies for Real-Time In-Stream Advertising</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/10/using-data-to-build-audiences-online-and-off/?utm_source=media&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=623912+blip-preroll-ads&utm_content=jroettgers">New Use For Web Stats: Finding Hot Markets, Offline</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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			<media:title type="html">blip devices</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Blip&#039;s previous ad policy: prerolls were entirely voluntary.</media:title>
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		<title>The Chris Gethard Show blends public access and alt comedy</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2012/11/11/chris-gethard-show-review/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2012/11/11/chris-gethard-show-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Nov 2012 08:01:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Liz Shannon Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blip]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Gethard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Justin.tv]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manhattan Neighborhood Network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public access]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[talk shows]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web series]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gigaom.com/?p=583236</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Thanks to public access television, comedian Chris Gethard has found a way to bring the New York alt comedy scene to the web with <i>The Chris Gethard Show</i>, one of the strangest and funniest interactive talk shows you'll ever see.   <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=583236&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Last Tuesday, Americans had no shortage of options for live coverage of the 2012 Presidential election, <a href="http://gigaom.com/video/election-live-stream/">offline and online</a>. But only one featured a live band, a Presidential candidate campaigning for write-in votes, pizza delivery, people in animal costumes and a host going increasingly insane over the course of 12 hours.</p>
<p><a href="http://thechrisgethardshow.com/"><i>The Chris Gethard Show</i></a>, a weekly hour-long series running on public access channel <a href="http://www.mnn.org/">Manhattan Neighborhood Network</a> and live-streamed through Justin.tv, ran for 12 straight hours this Election Day, from 12 PM to 12 AM EST. All day, Gethard and the eclectic bunch behind &#8220;the most bizarre and often saddest talk show in New York City&#8221; kept themselves busy with live music, comedy, stunts and audience interaction, including a 15 minute stretch where the show was co-hosted by a slightly unhinged heckler named Don, as well as a dance party when the election was called in favor of President Obama. A far cry from CNN&#8217;s coverage, but right in line with <i>TCGS</i>&#8216;s established blend of awkward stunts and wild improv.</p>
<p>Gethard, a comedian, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chris-Gethard/e/B005LT0F1E">author</a>, and established fixture of the New York alternative comedy scene, began hosting <i>TCGS</i> in 2009 as a live stage show at the Upright Citizen&#8217;s Brigade Theater in New York, where it accumulated a cult following and some press attention after Gethard <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ross-luippold/diddy-makes-live-comedy-debut_b_810395.html">successfully used Twitter to book Sean &#8220;Puffy/Puff Daddy/P. Diddy&#8221; Combs as a guest</a>.</p>
<span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='604' height='370' src='http://www.youtube.com/embed/hRGMuKQQXbU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' frameborder='0'></iframe></span>
<p>However, once Combs finally did appear on the show (it took a year to schedule a date), Gethard felt that <i>TCGS</i> had peaked in its current format. &#8220;It&#8217;s hard to top using the Internet to get P. Diddy on your show,&#8221; Gethard said via phone.</p>
<p>Thus, when a friend connected Gethard with MNN, a New York public access channel, in June 2011, it became an opportunity to stretch beyond the stage &#8212; and New York City, for that matter, thanks to the MNN studio&#8217;s ability to live-stream its content.</p>
<p>New York public access <a href="http://www.mnn.org/about-us">is supported by local cable companies</a> as a public service &#8212; MNN 4&#8242;s <a href="http://www.mnn.org/producers/faq">only rules for what you can&#8217;t do</a> are:</p>
<blockquote><p>Advertise or sell products or services; use copyrighted material; show animals or humans being injured or killed; slander anyone; or show hardcore pornography, such as penetration or any genital contact. Any shows with adult content or language must be aired after 11:00 P.M.</p></blockquote>
<p>The lack of restrictions give Gethard and his team plenty of freedom, and the live-streaming opened the series up to a new worldwide audience &#8212; however, leaving UCB meant that the show struggled to regain the loyal audience it had found there. &#8220;We lost our UCB following, but we rebuilt that. Now people everywehre can see some of the weirder alt comedy stuff happening here in New York,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Gethard cites the October 27, 2011 episode, <a href="http://blip.tv/thechrisgethardshow/tcgs-19-the-great-american-presidential-debate-and-halloween-spooktacular-5682148">&#8220;The Great American Presidential Debate and Halloween Spooktacular,&#8221;</a> as the turning point for <i>TCGS</i> 2.0, due to a surprise twist in a pre-planned bit.</p>
<p>The afore-mentioned write-in Presidential candidate, comedian <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5RlRgfXjsg">Connor Ratliff</a>, was running for President on the campaign &#8220;I am 35 years old and legally qualified to be President,&#8221; and had issued a challenge to any and all Presidential candidates to debate him on <i>TCGS</i>. He anticipated that no one would even bother replying &#8212; thus leaving him alone on stage.</p>
<p>However, he did get two responses: One, from the Romney campaign (which declined the invitation), the other from Jimmy &#8220;The Rent Is Too Damn High&#8221; McMillian, a New York local legend who campaigns for every elected office, and <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-rent-is-too-damn-high-jimmy-mcmillan">whose political aspirations went viral in 2010</a>. McMillian wanted to debate. So <i>TCGS</i> <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-rent-is-too-damn-high-jimmy-mcmillan">made it happen</a>. According to Gethard, &#8220;It twisted our arm into doing something a little more elaborate and more high concept.&#8221;</p>
<p>Other notable <i>TCGS</i> episodes:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://blip.tv/thechrisgethardshow/tcgs-51-the-night-of-zero-laughs-2-6230381">&#8220;The Night of Zero Laughs,&#8221;</a> featuring a wide range of panelists from <i>30 Rock</i>, UCB, College Humor and other New York comedy establishments trying not to laugh at call-in jokes and each other.</li>
<li><a href="http://blip.tv/thechrisgethardshow/tcgs-28-ruin-this-show-5866536">&#8220;Ruin This Show,&#8221;</a> in which Gethard challenged the call-in and studio audience to disrupt the show at all costs. (Gethard referred to this episode as his least-favorite. &#8220;We just sh&#8211; the bed real hard on that one,&#8221; he said.)</li>
<li><a href="http://blip.tv/thechrisgethardshow/tcgs-62-smash-cut-to-the-future-6363951">&#8220;Smash Cut to the Future&#8221;</a>, in which Gethard travels to the future to defeat a robot army.</li>
</ul>
<p>All episodes (save the 12-hour election special) are archived on iTunes and Blip, where Gethard says most of the viewing takes place, with episodes getting 35,000-50,000 views. &#8220;Uploading an hour-long episode very week isn&#8217;t cheap &#8212; Blip was best built for us to deal with that, with a lot of infrastructure and control. Also, they really got a kick out of what we were doing and helped us out a lot in terms of promotion.&#8221;</p>
<p>What kind of ratings does the show get on public access? Gethard has no idea, because MNN 4 doesn&#8217;t track them. But while public access seems like a quaint throwback to a time before YouTube, Gethard likes being on public access, as it hearkens back to the kind of programming he grew up with.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a part of the past I miss &#8212; I miss regional television, stuff that had a lot of heart but not much production quality,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We think of [<i>TCGS</i>] as a public access television show that we can expand beyond what people think of public access. It can be low budget and silly and crazy at times, but that doesn&#8217;t have to be a bad thing.&#8221;</p>
<br />  <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=583236&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" /><p><a href="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=45236"><img src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=45236" /></a></p><p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=video&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=583236+chris-gethard-show-review&utm_content=lizlet">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/10/using-data-to-build-audiences-online-and-off/?utm_source=video&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=583236+chris-gethard-show-review&utm_content=lizlet">New Use For Web Stats: Finding Hot Markets, Offline</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2012/12/connected-consumer-2013-how-2012-laid-the-groundwork-for-change/?utm_source=video&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=583236+chris-gethard-show-review&utm_content=lizlet">How consumer media will change in 2013</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2012/04/connected-consumer-q1-controversy-courtrooms-and-the-cloud/?utm_source=video&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=583236+chris-gethard-show-review&utm_content=lizlet">Controversy, courtrooms and the cloud in Q1</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Wit, wisdom and breaking news from the New York Television Festival</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2012/10/28/wit-wisdom-and-breaking-news-from-the-new-york-television-festival/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2012/10/28/wit-wisdom-and-breaking-news-from-the-new-york-television-festival/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Oct 2012 19:00:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Liz Shannon Miller</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[The web's most popular Jane Austin adaptation gets a big deal. The value of mainstream celebrities might not measure up to web celebrities. Some people actually miss Myspace. And other things learned from the  New York Television Festival.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=577892&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The New York Television Festival always brings together a unique mix of creators and executives to discuss the evolution of the medium in the digital age. And delightfully, this Friday the entire <a href="http://www.nytvf.com/">Digital Day line-up of panels</a> was live-streamed and <a href="http://new.livestream.com/92Y/NYTVF/videos/5340782">archived online</a>.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s four hours long, though, which is quite a few hours! There&#8217;s some good discussion overall, with folks from AOL, College Humor, YouTube, Blip, MySpace and MSN, but here are the Cliff&#8217;s Notes &#8212; some of the smarter insights and comments from the day&#8217;s panels.</p>
<ul>
<li>Research matters &#8212; apparently, people are pitching content to the CW Digital department without actually knowing what the CW is. Don&#8217;t be that person. &#8220;Nothing is more frustrating than when someone comes in who haven&#8217;t been to our website, don&#8217;t know who our audience is, but know they have the perfect show for us. Not gonna happen,&#8221; CW Digital EVP of marketing and digital programs Rick Haskins said during the Development: Building a Foundation panel.</li>
<li>The great content creators, according to everyone on the Development panel, understand more than just making content &#8212; specifically, how to market that content on a social media level.</li>
<li>Celebrities don&#8217;t always click on the web, according to Ran Harnevo, AOL Senior Vice President of Video, but casting someone with, say, four million Twitter followers will be significantly more meaningful than a celebrity who has less of a following. And web celebrities like Ian and Anthony of Smosh may have a lot more draw online.</li>
<li>&#8220;A lot of well-known stars want to do it for the money &#8212; they don&#8217;t give a rat&#8217;s ass about digital, and to me that goes nowhere. You want to find people who understand digital and are passionate about it,&#8221; Haskins said.</li>
<li>My Damn Channel CEO Rob Barnett urged people to avoid exclusivity initially, but then focus on finding a company the best deal as your development grows &#8212; especially when it comes to promotion, not just money. &#8220;You gotta look for promotion &#8212; the sea we&#8217;re all swimming in gets more and more crowded every day,&#8221; he said. &#8220;If you&#8217;re just upload to one of those huge places, the odds are getting the push that you need are getting scarier by the minute &#8212; you&#8217;ve got to be as judgmental of a home as we are of your content.&#8221;</li>
<li>Barnett also recommended people check out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/yt/creators/playbook.html">the YouTube Creator Handbook</a>: &#8220;90 percent of it is awesome &#8212; 10 percent, I don&#8217;t like, but we&#8217;re using 90 percent of it and our videos are getting more views.&#8221;</li>
<li>During the Talent Debate panel, Innovative Artists head of digital David Tochterman revealed that breakout web series <a href="http://www.lizziebennet.com/"><i>Lizzie Bennet Diaries</i></a> has partnered with <a href="http://deca.tv/about-us">DECA</a> &#8212; big news for the homegrown web series from Hank Green and Bernie Su.</li>
<li>Also revealed during the Talent Debate panel: Mark Malkoff&#8217;s life is now much more difficult since Facebook removed email addresses from user profiles, as he now has to work much harder to book celebrities for his <i><a href="http://www.mydamnchannel.com/mark_malkoff/celebrity_sleepovers/5070_8274.aspx">Celebrity Sleepovers</a></i> series.</li>
<li>Going back to the web celebs point: Despite <i>Celebrity Sleepovers</i>&#8216;s impressive roster of names (including Camryn Manheim, Steven Weber, Ed Begley Jr. and Rob Corddry), Malkoff said that the iJustine episode was by far the most viewed of the series.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.blip.tv">Blip</a> CEO Kelly Day laid out the company&#8217;s shift in approach over the last six months &#8212; specifically, a shift from its previous &#8220;Blip vs. YouTube&#8221; mentality, and a new focus on helping creators distribute their content through a variety of means, including YouTube as well as other partners. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s a binary conversation. YouTube can be a great way to build your audience, but it&#8217;s not the only way to build your audience,&#8221; she said.</li>
<li>Lee urged creators to &#8220;play the whole field&#8221; when it comes to putting content out there. &#8220;Go out and experiment and see what you get out of it.&#8221;</li>
<li>MySpace Entertainment president Roger Mincheff stepped up big time to discuss <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/earshot/justin-timberlake-myspace-vanderhook-lauch-373752">MySpace&#8217;s recent relaunch</a>, and defended keeping the MySpace name despite the brand&#8217;s rocky recent years, especially given the comedians and musicians who attribute MySpace to their success &#8212; making MySpace the ultimate farm system. MySpace nostalgia? That&#8217;s apparently a real thing.</li>
</ul>
<p>This is just some of the interesting stuff discussed over the course of the day: It&#8217;s a fun mix of folks discussing how creators can use the current state of entertainment to thrust their content into the world, and the challenges they might face in the process. <a href="http://new.livestream.com/92Y/NYTVF/videos/5340782">Go watch it yourself</a> if you have a minute to spare.</p>
<br />  <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=577892&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" /><p><a href="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=239059"><img src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=239059" /></a></p><p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=video&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=577892+wit-wisdom-and-breaking-news-from-the-new-york-television-festival&utm_content=lizlet">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/05/players-and-strategies-for-real-time-in-stream-advertising/?utm_source=video&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=577892+wit-wisdom-and-breaking-news-from-the-new-york-television-festival&utm_content=lizlet">Players and Strategies for Real-Time In-Stream Advertising</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/10/using-data-to-build-audiences-online-and-off/?utm_source=video&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=577892+wit-wisdom-and-breaking-news-from-the-new-york-television-festival&utm_content=lizlet">New Use For Web Stats: Finding Hot Markets, Offline</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2012/12/connected-consumer-2013-how-2012-laid-the-groundwork-for-change/?utm_source=video&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=577892+wit-wisdom-and-breaking-news-from-the-new-york-television-festival&utm_content=lizlet">How consumer media will change in 2013</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Report: The Connected TV Marketplace</title>
		<link>http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/11/report-the-connected-tv-marketplace/</link>
		<comments>http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/11/report-the-connected-tv-marketplace/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Nov 2010 07:00:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/members/paulsweeting/" rel="author">Paul Sweeting</a></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[@CNN]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pro.gigaom.com/?p=49950</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The television business is on the cusp of the biggest technological upheaval since the introduction of cable TV. The addition of Internet connectivity to living room devices will enable new functionality around programming services, program discovery, social networking, ad targeting and measurement — aspects of the TV viewing experience that have remained largely unchanged for decades. These trends have the potential to become the foundation for new economic models around how viewers pay for video service and how program creation is financed. In this report, we examine the leading contenders' strategic positioning, relative strengths and weaknesses, and provide the early line on their odds of success. Companies mentioned include Google, Apple, Boxee, Roku, Vudu, Samsung, Microsoft and Sony. To see a full list of companies and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=306343&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The television business is on the cusp of the biggest technological upheaval since the introduction of cable TV. The addition of Internet connectivity to living room devices will enable new functionality around programming services, program discovery, social networking, ad targeting and measurement — aspects of the TV viewing experience that have remained largely unchanged for decades. These trends have the potential to become the foundation for new economic models around how viewers pay for video service and how program creation is financed. In this report, we examine the leading contenders&#8217; strategic positioning, relative strengths and weaknesses, and provide the early line on their odds of success. Companies mentioned include Google, Apple, Boxee, Roku, Vudu, Samsung, Microsoft and Sony. To see a full list of companies and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial.</p>
<br />  <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=306343&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" /><p><a href="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=429533"><img src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/1008864/GigaOM_RSS_300x250&#038;sz=300x250&#038;c=429533" /></a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Star Wait Strikes Back From 2002</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2010/05/06/star-wait-strikes-back-from-2002/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2010/05/06/star-wait-strikes-back-from-2002/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 May 2010 00:02:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Liz Shannon Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[CNN Media]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Star Wars]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Director Mike Rotman celebrated Star Wars Day this year by uploading his documentary feature <i>Star Wait</i> as a series.  Filmed in 2002, the show consists mostly of interviews filmed with <i>Star Wars</i> enthusiasts waiting in line to see <i>Episode II</i>. <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=225173&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Those who observe the holiday known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Day">Star Wars Day</a> tend to do so in their own individual ways.  Some spend May 4th rewatching the films, others simply use it as an opportunity to say “may the fourth be with you” a whole bunch. <a href="http://newteevee.com/2010/03/19/stupid-for-movies-a-live-streamed-odyssey-in-film-nerdity/"><i>Stupid for Movies</i></a> and <a href="http://newteevee.com/2009/04/13/kevin-pollaks-chat-show-holds-for-laughs/"><i>Kevin Pollak Chat Show</i></a> director Mike Rotman chose to celebrate this year by uploading his 2005 documentary feature <a href="http://www.starwait.com"><i>Star Wait</i></a> to <a href="http://starwait.blip.tv/">Blip as an episodic series</a>.  </p>
<p><i>Star Wait</i> was filmed in 2002 during the lead-up to <i>Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones</i> (the most disappointing of the <i>Star Wars</i> prequels — or at least that’s what I think), and consists mostly of interviews Rotman and editor Adam Schenck filmed with the hardcore <i>Star Wars</i> enthusiasts who spent six weeks waiting in line to see <i>Episode II</i> premiere at the Mann Chinese Theater in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>While <i>Star Wait</i> was available as a feature film on DVD in 2005, its 2002 origin was as a web series.  According to Rotman, with whom I spoke via phone, he and Schenck would visit the line, take their footage, and edit together an episode the next day, posting it to their website as a “postage-stamp sized” Quicktime video (as YouTube and other hosting options didn’t exist back then).  The site attracted up to 150,000 hits a week back then, and clips on YouTube still rack up views.  Rotman believes it to be “one of the first docu-reality web series ever.” <span id="more-225173"></span></p>
<p>After being reedited as a feature film, <i>Star Wait</i>‘s 2010 transition back to web series from feature film isn’t necessarily perfect — episode one opens with a 1:45 credit sequence/montage that introduces the primary characters but is much better suited to a full-length film than a web series, and concludes with an abrupt cut (the result of an encoding problem).  But future installments, Rotman says, will be more polished and standalone, and in the meantime the content of the first episode is undoubtedly intriguing.</p>
<p>For, as Rotman and Schenck document, waiting in line for <i>Star Wars</i> wasn’t as simple as sitting down in a lawn chair: Those participating in the line were obligated to log a certain number of hours waiting, raise at least $50 for charity and wear customized badges. The entire process is given a great deal of dignity, as these fans aren’t treated as a crazed mob, but instead as distinct individuals, with different reasons for engaging with the franchise and different attitudes towards important issues like spoilers.  One of the funnier sequences in the first episode, in fact, is when fans explain the color-coded badges they wear, which indicate not only their participation in the line but the level of advance knowledge they want to have prior to seeing the film.  </p>
<p>According to Rotman, he doesn’t plan to leave the series online “forever,” but will keep the nine episodes available for the foreseeable future.  The film version is still available on DVD in North America, and Rotman is looking to expand its reach with worldwide distribution.  <i>Star Wait</i> might not be perfect web content, but it’s a great example of recycling — especially since, despite the eight years that have passed since its filming, its tale of passionate fans is still very relevant. </p>
<p><b>Related GigaOM Pro content (subscription required):</b> </p>
<p><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/04/shattering-the-fourth-wall-to-find-web-audiences?utm_source=video&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=225173+star-wait-strikes-back-from-2002&amp;utm_content=lizlet">Shattering the Fourth Wall To Find Web Audiences</a></p>
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		<title>Reservation Brings an Intimate Touch to Superheroics</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2010/04/28/reservation-brings-an-intimate-touch-to-superheroics/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2010/04/28/reservation-brings-an-intimate-touch-to-superheroics/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Apr 2010 21:30:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Liz Shannon Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Shows & Stars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blip]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://newteevee.com/?p=47279</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Comparing a web series to a TV show isn’t something I love to do, because the playing field is pretty uneven. But in the case of the indie series Reservation, when compared to the NBC drama Heroes, I don’t mind doing so because Reservation wins. Directed [&#8230;]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=225076&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Comparing a web series to a TV show isn’t something I love to do, because the playing field is pretty uneven.  But in the case of the indie series <em><a href="http://www.thereservation.tv">Reservation</a></em>, when compared to the NBC drama <em>Heroes</em>, I don’t mind doing so because <em>Reservation</em> wins.</p>
<p>Directed by Matthew Balthrop of <a href="http://www.g14productions.com">g14 Productions</a> and distributed via Blip, <em>Reservation</em> tells the story of people with extraordinary abilities — and the government agency hunting them.</p>
<p>The approach, though, is pure character with little narrative, with each tightly-paced episode focusing on either someone with supernatural powers and how it affects their lives, or one of the agents hunting them.  The closest the show has to a central protagonist is Alec Silva/Agent Pearce (Al Ghanekar), a reactivated agent whose decision to return to duty deeply complicates his personal life.</p>
<p>But in between vignettes about his domestic drama come portraits of people dealing with their special abilities without resorting to cliches like crime fighting or villainy.  What would you do if you saw the future and it held tragedy?  What’s it like to live life at sonic speed? <span id="more-225076"></span> These are some of the questions <em>Reservation</em> answers without relying on cliche, and as a result of this ensemble approach, the stories told are intimate and focused, shifting to drama to suspense on a dime and keeping things interesting.</p>
<p>The show isn’t perfect — production values are decent, but the sound design could use some work. And while the opening and closing themes are decent, the episodic music choices are pretty poor, hovering on the level of daytime soap operas.  Some of the acting is also a little over the top, but the writing’s unique approach elevates some of the more amateurish elements and keeps things moving.</p>
<p>In short, <em>Reservation</em> proves a much more intriguing superhero drama than its most obvious comparison, managing to be affecting and engaging without relying on Peter Petrelli’s boyish charms or Claire the cheerleader’s bisexual experiments. Doesn’t matter what the medium is, in the end — good storytelling is good storytelling.</p>
<p><strong>Related GigaOm Pro Content (subscription required):</strong> <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/08/should-you-super-syndicate-your-web-series/?utm_source=video&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=225076+reservation-brings-an-intimate-touch-to-superheroics&amp;utm_content=lizlet">Should You Super-Syndicate Your Web Series?</a></p>
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		<title>Viral Hitmakers Team With Indie Doc About&#8230;Grocery Baggers?</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/2010/03/12/viral-hitmakers-team-with-indie-doc-about-grocery-baggers/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/2010/03/12/viral-hitmakers-team-with-indie-doc-about-grocery-baggers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:40:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Liz Shannon Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Shows & Stars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blip]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jib jab]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael gregory]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SXSW]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Last fall, I interviewed Pixar CTO/indie film producer Oren Jacob for a GigaOm Pro piece about using online data in the offline world. At the time, Jacob was considering the idea of putting his latest project, the Spellbound-esque documentary Ready Set Bag!, online in full for [&#8230;]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=224545&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Last fall, I interviewed Pixar CTO/indie film producer Oren Jacob <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/10/using-data-to-build-audiences-online-and-off/?utm_source=video&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=224545+viral-hitmakers-team-with-indie-doc-about-grocery-baggers&amp;utm_content=lizlet">for a GigaOm Pro piece</a> about using online data in the offline world.  At the time, Jacob was considering the idea of putting his latest project, the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0334405/"><em>Spellbound</em></a>-esque documentary <a href="http://readysetbag.com/"><em>Ready Set Bag!</em></a>, online in full for free, as a means of figuring out how to target audiences who might subsequently go to theaters to see the film again.</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="300" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="src" value="http://blip.tv/play/AYHMsRAC"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="300" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYHMsRAC" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>Since then, though, Jacob and his team have revised their strategy considerably, and today, at <a href="http://tweet-house.com/">the Tweet House SXSW event</a>, Jacob announced the launching of a new Blip channel for the purpose of spreading the word about <em>Ready Set Bag!</em>, enlisting an eclectic yet well-known team to create content about the film, including <em>Auto-Tune the News</em> creators the Gregory Brothers, mash-up artist <a href="http://www.mikerelm.com">Mike Relm</a>, animation studio Jib-Jab and <em>Pop17</em> founder Sarah Austin.  <span id="more-224545"></span></p>
<p><em>Ready Set Bag!</em> tracks a large ensemble cast of grocery baggers training to win the title of Best Bagger in America at a national competition held every year in Vegas. Jacob is currently in process of negotiating a deal with a to-be-named distribution company and is aiming for a summertime release in 35-40 cities (to date, the movie played at film festivals and individual theaters, mostly in northern California).</p>
<p>Because the film was a documentary, there’s hours of footage directors Alex D. da Silva and Justine Jacob had to leave on the cutting room floor — and it’s that, plus the existing film, which will be made available to the Gregory Brothers, Relm, Austin and anyone else who wants to get involved with the channel, which launched today with <a href="http://ReadySetBag.blip.tv/file/3329140/">the film’s trailer</a>.</p>
<p>Each will experiment with the existing content in their own way — for example, JibJab will use animation techniques similar to <a href="http://newteevee.com/2009/12/29/jibjabs-2009-year-in-review-takes-on-kanye-iran-octomom/">their other photo-based series</a> to introduce audiences to the film’s cast of intrepid grocery baggers. (If you need help guessing what the guys behind <em>Auto-Tune the News</em> might do, then I feel sorry for you.)  In addition, excised storylines and deeper character pieces will be uploaded as well, giving audiences a broader look at the world of the film.</p>
<p>In order to get his starting line-up of channel contributors, Jacob relied on both old-school and new media networking, which included approaching Michael Gregory in the men’s room <a href="http://newteevee.com/2009/11/12/newteevee-live-auto-tune-the-news-to-hook-up-with-sony/">after seeing him speak at NewTeeVee Live last November</a>.  But with the channel’s launch, anyone will be allowed to submit ideas for their own remixes, spoofs or other contributions directly to Jacob, who called it “a wide-open casting call” when we spoke via phone. [UPDATE: If you're interested in submitting an idea, send them an email at volunteer@readysetbag.com.]</p>
<p>Those involved committed for a number of reasons, ranging from altruistic — all ad revenue from the online content will be donated to food banks around the country — to more nerdy — Jacob showed them the film, and they liked it.  Having been provided with a DVD of the film as well, I get why so many have gotten on board. <em>Ready Set Bag!</em> is an extremely kind, human story, and you also learn a lot about the challenges of grocery bagging — which might not seem super-exciting to you, but that’s just because you’ve never seen it done right.  The challenge for a film like this is, of course, getting seen, but <em>Ready Set Bag!</em> might just be able to bring the eyeballs in.</p>
<p><strong>Related GigaOm Pro Content (subscription required):</strong> <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/10/using-data-to-build-audiences-online-and-off/?utm_source=video&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=224545+viral-hitmakers-team-with-indie-doc-about-grocery-baggers&amp;utm_content=lizlet">New Use For Web Stats: Finding Hot Markets, Offline</a></p>
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