Comments on: Dr. Horrible: The Best or Worst Thing to Happen to Web Video?

By: Let’s Talk About The Streamys: For Your Consideration Campaigning « Mrmattenlow.com

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:55:35 +0000

[...] this year is a new ball game, isn’t it? As Chris Albrecht reminded us there hasn’t been a behemoth released this year. There may be a few front-runners, but [...]

By: Thomas Koch

Thomas Koch — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:38:27 +0000

After just watching the mini-series now, I wonder if it’s even a web series at all. While, it’s totally awesome, I don’t think it a web series. I think it’s a pilot. Here is my blog about it:
http://www.bayareafilmmakers.com/is-dr-horrible-a-web-series/

By: Sorry, Whedonistas, No Dollhouse Web Content for You!

Sorry, Whedonistas, No Dollhouse Web Content for You! — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:11:24 +0000

[...] Whedonistas, No Dollhouse Web Content for You! Nerdgod Joss Whedon proved last year with the still-talked-about Dr. Horrible, that he knows how to tell a story for the web. Sadly for Whedonauts looking for more [...]

By: Rant: Rumors of the Death of Web Series Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Rant: Rumors of the Death of Web Series Have Been Greatly Exaggerated — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:32:56 +0000

[...] the Web Series. It’s a thoughtful look at the current state of web content, one that echoes some recent thoughts from our own Chris Albrecht, but it’s driven by the following sentiment: “It seems to me that we’ve finally [...]

By: Katie Fehrenbacher

Katie Fehrenbacher — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:15:43 +0000

NPH!

By: Eisner: (High-end) Content is King

Eisner: (High-end) Content is King — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:31:07 +0000

[...] words dovetail nicely with a discussion we had in our comments over the weekend about Dr. Horrible’s success. That was a case where ownership of high-end content stood out from all else out there, and created [...]

By: Eric Susch

Eric Susch — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:42:40 +0000

Online video is and will be a lot of things. Dr. Horrible wasn't popular because Joss had a built in fan base. That's only why people discovered it so quickly. It became popular because it was very well done and different.

Personally I've been extremely disappointed in almost everything that I've seen coming out of the "Writer's Strike boom." The VC funded "professional" stuff has actually been the worst - uninteresting, meandering, unfunny dreck. The overall quality of internet programming needs to come up quite a bit before people will gravitate to it on a mass scale.

Still there are bright spots other than Dr. Horrible. The Guild in my mind is probably the best example of a scripted series success, not just because the writing is good but because it services a definable niche. For now I think this is the way to go not just because there is a built in market but more importantly because it's what the internet is good at. TV and other mass media just aren't set up to serve the niche. The internet is. Leo Laporte and (IMHO) our own show at LetsKnit2gether.com are also serving their niche successfully.

By: Baxter

Baxter — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:05:45 +0000

U R Stoopid

By: Brent Friedman

Brent Friedman — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:32:54 +0000

I agree Ned. The bust economy is the white elephant in the room here. When Electric Farm released our first webseries, AFTERWORLD, the revenue prospects for digital media were considerably more diverse. Several years later we have have survived only because we were flexible and able to find new ways to monetize, along with scaling our costs accordingly. Like my partner says when asked about our business model: "Which one -- yesterday's or today's?"

By: Brent Friedman

Brent Friedman — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:27:18 +0000

I'll see your question, Mark, and raise you one: if Dr. Horrible was THAT successful, why the hell is Joss even bothering with television? For none of the grief and what must be at least comparable compensation, the man could start his own online channel and rule the internet. Until JJ Abrams gets his channel...

By: Chris Albrecht

Chris Albrecht — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:16:34 +0000

It's from a recent Forbes article. I linked to it in the story, but here it is:

http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/06/online-video-innovation-technology-e-gang-09-whedon.html

From that article:

"The series has since grossed $2.5 million. After a three-day free run on its own Web site (which was powered by Hulu), Dr. Horrible showed up exclusively on iTunes for $4.99 ($7.99 for high definition). Two weeks later, it went up on Hulu for free (with ads). A few months later, a DVD (complete with a musical commentary) sold on Amazon for $14.99."

By: Ned

Ned — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:11:05 +0000

Great start for a healthy debate, Chris. I feel like the points I would make are accounted for very nicely by the folks above--Brent especially--but there is one factor you left out: the economy. The boom economy for all things online video of 2007/08 raised expectations to absurd levels, and the bust of 2009 called in all bets too soon. I think a significant portion of any "lull" (if there is one) can be attributed to that whiplash.

A lot of folks are operating under the radar now, and the next 6 months or year will see a new wave of quality content. And somewhere in there will be the next Guild or Dr. Horrible.

By: markcuban

markcuban — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:27:02 +0000

Chris how does the 2.5mm revenue number break down ? do you know ?

and not questioning you, just curious where that number came from

thx

By: What to read on the GigaOM network

What to read on the GigaOM network — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:25:07 +0000

[...] Edit Staff | Monday, August 10, 2009 | 8:24 AM PT | 0 comments Dr. Horrible: The best or worst thing to happen to web video? (NewTeeVee) Vinod Khosla: “somewhat skeptical” of EEStor (Earth2Tech) OSS: Key to leveling the [...]

By: Jorge A. Mendoza

Jorge A. Mendoza — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 06:00:34 +0000

Keep looking for that innovation, that's where its at.

By: Jorge A. Mendoza

Jorge A. Mendoza — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:52:02 +0000

My perspective on this is that new media will always surpass old media. Kind of a bold statement but its in innovation that we thrive on. However, New does rely on old. So I'll have to say it's both good and bad for web video. Good for the media coverage, bad for the power needed to get media coverage...