Jul 31st, 2007 | Media 2.0 | No Comments
Busy day for online video today: not one but two “professional” video sites have launched — although one has no content to speak of yet, just an e-mail form and a press release. That one is 60frames.com, which according to the release was “incubated by leading Hollywood talent and literary agency United Talent Agency (UTA) and innovative Internet-based advertising agency Spot Runner” and has raised $3.5-million in funding.
As Liz Gannes describes it at NewTeeVee, 60frames — which has apparently signed filmmakers Joel and Ethan Cohen to an advisory board — looks to be more like an aggregation and advertising play, since it says consumers will “be able to view 60Frames’ original programming through top video portals, social network Web sites, and mobile and emerging broadband outlets.”
The site, which is being run by United Talent Agency exec Brent Weinstein, says that it will also help advertisers “create immersive online branding to better connect their company and products to targeted audiences.” Wow — I can hardly wait for that stuff. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Hopefully, 60frames has learned a lesson from the train wreck that is Bud.tv, and the failure of HBO’s This Just In, which I wrote about recently.
The second of the online video experiments is called MyDamnChannel.com, and sounds a bit more promising. It looks very similar to a site called FunnyorDie.com — the Will Farrell project that got much buzz for a hilarious series of videos starring his friend’s infant daughter as a foul-mouthed landlord (a video that has been watched a staggering 41 million times). MyDamnChannel even pays tribute to its predecessor in a parody of that video.
The new project is the brainchild of former MTV and CBS Radio executive Rob Barnett. The site has signed on comedian and Simpsons’ star Harry Shearer (who also writes for Huffington Post), musical genius Don Was, comedian Paul Reiser and filmmaker David Wain. Shearer has already contributed a funny clip in which he plays Dick Cheney (in a suit and very convincing prosthetic makeup) and sings a torch song about Scooter Libby.
Will these new sites succeed? I have no idea. But the site that wins will do two things: it will make it easy for people to effectively distribute its video, and it will be funny — and the second of those is by far the hardest.
Jul 26th, 2007 | Blogs, Media 2.0 | No Comments
From my pal Paul Kedrosky comes a video clip from new Wall Street Journal tech video-blogger Andy Jordan, who went out into the park to see whether one guy’s iPhone would help improve his social life or not. Kara Swisher of All Things D has a clip of Andy explaining his new gig.
Jul 3rd, 2007 | Media 2.0 | No Comments
Scott Anderson of Tribune Co. describes how the Fort Lauderdale paper covered the iPhone launch with live video using a Sprint cellphone data card:
“Live trucks? Microwave relays? Don’t need ‘em. Starbucks or another hot spot? Don’t need ‘em, either. And ultimately cell phones will be so good at video that’s all you’ll need for a live feed, period.
But for now, we plan to keep using goodies like the GoStream, SlingBox, etc., to not only go head-to-head with local broadcasters, but to blow past them. Nobody has more local reporting feet on the street than newspapers.
And we’re buying lots and lots of them video cameras.”
via Jeff Jarvis, who has also written on his Buzzmachine blog about other forms of “outsourced reporting” of the event.
Jun 6th, 2007 | Media 2.0 | No Comments
(cross-posted from my Globe blog)
First it was “Brookers” – YouTube sensation Brooke Brodack, 20, who did skits in front of her web-cam and was signed to a TV development deal by Carson Daly Productions last year — and then came David Lehre, who is also developing comedy shorts and other material for MTV after his short films became popular on YouTube (Washington Post story here).
Now Justin Timberlake has signed YouTube singing sensation Esmee Denters to his fledgling record label Tennman Records, and will reportedly have her as his opening act in several European cities (she is from the Netherlands). Another female singer who calls herself Ysabella Brave has also been signed to a recording contract after a rise to popularity that has seen her video clips viewed more than 3 million times on YouTube (I wrote about her here).
Sandi Thom, a British singer who played shows in her apartment and streamed them over the Internet, was promoted as a Web sensation last year, but it turned out that she had already signed a contract before she started getting popular for the impromptu Internet shows.
In addition to Brookers and Lehre, other YouTube stars who have been signed to deals include Lisa Nova (who signed with The Daily Reel) and Little Loca (who signed to do a reality TV show with the CW network). And NBC said recently that it has signed three Web comedy stars — including one from YouTube and one from MySpace — to work on its new DotComedy website.
The TV blog NewTeeVee, meanwhile, says that William Sledd, a former Gap employee whose YouTube videos are number four on the most-subscribed list, has signed a deal with Bravo to bring his gay-themed clips to the channel’s website (the Los Angeles Times had a story recently).
Looks like the Web is becoming the farm team.
May 27th, 2007 | Media 2.0 | No Comments
Some good advice from Kevin Anderson about what newspapers can learn from CBS and its acquisition of Wallstrip:
“Broadcasting equipment will gladly sell you loads of high-priced gear that will allow you to shoot you high-spec documentaries that costs thousands of dollars/pounds to make, but you’re rushing into a crowded, mature market. In the UK, some newspapers are rushing into a market dominated by a taxpayer-funded, well regarded public broadcaster: The BBC.”
“But, broadcasters are in the same position with video that newspapers are in their traditional business: Both are hampered to some degree by the cost of legacy systems. This is why I often say, YouTube isn’t about video. It’s about ease of use and social recommendation. Exclusive content, tailored for the web not for TV, made to share and seed with low-cost but high-quality pro-sumer gear is the beginning of a winning video strategy for newspapers.”
