The Line: Above, Below, and Everything In-Between

"Get Out of There!"

2010-05-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

In honor of the end of the semester, I offer up this video montage, created by Pajiba.com's video editor "hh." I found the theme fitting for an end of year wrap up. Enjoy!

"What Recession?" Says $40 million in VC Money for Online Video Ads

2010-04-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

There are nearly 2 billion internet users worldwide today. Advertisers have taken note - and media companies selling the ads are raking in the bucks...or, rather, pulling in the dough in hopes of accomplishing said buck raking.

Video ad network, Tremor Media, announced yesterday that it completed a round of funding to the tune of $40 million, bringing it's venture capital total to $82 million since the company was founded in 2006. (And who said we are in a recession?)

This VC round is also notable since Tremor's primary source of revenue is selling pre-roll spots - those approximately 30-seconds of online video that run before you watch your online video. Research firms Magna Global and the Internet Advertising Bureau still show search-based advertising - such as the ads that pop-up on Google post-keyword search - hanging onto nearly 50% of the market share, while digital video ads pick up a comparatively tiny 4%.

Does Tremor and its deep-pocket financiers know something we don't? This apparent confidence in the online video realm suggests they might. Perhaps they are looking into the not-so-distant future when computers and televisions become synonymous.

Personally, I often find online ads...well, bothersome, and I suspect most consumers would agree. Nevertheless, it is a solid competitor in the advertising market. Analysis from the Internet Advertising Bureau, which keeps tabs on the market's trends, shows that Internet advertising revenues in 2009 ranked third, right behind television and newspapers. According to a recent report from research and advertising firm, Magna Global, online advertising is estimated to generate global revenues of over $59 billion dollars this year, up from a "mere" $6 billion in 2000, and growing to $90 billion by 2015.

Hulu to You...for a Fee

2010-04-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

To be free or not to be free, that is the question. The Internet is all a-buzz these last few days, following breaking news from The LA Times that Hulu will begin implementing a subscription-only portion of the site, dubbed “Hulu Plus,” as early as next month.

Per the Times, “people with knowledge of the plans” state Hulu, the go-to destination site for viewing television shows online, will begin charging approximately ten dollars per month for access to premium content that goes beyond the most recent five episodes of any given show. By all accounts, Hulu is staying mum for the moment, but since rumors have been circulating for sometime now, whether the pay-service starts in May or sometime down the road, that it will happen, seems all but certain.

Comment threads, upwards of fifty postings long, are littered with people thanking Hulu for the service, but vowing they will leave if forced to pay: “I will never use Hulu again if they add a subscription fee,” “I used to love Hulu but if they start charging then I will definitely stop using it,” “Good bye Hulu, I loved you while it lasted,” are just a few, but representative sample, of how many people feel about the news.

But is it so wrong for Hulu to charge? After all, is there not some value in the content to which Hulu provides access? Don’t we want more access to more shows on the web? Shouldn’t the content creators have a right to receive payment for the work they produce, distribute, and own? Frankly, I don’t see what all the hullaballoo is all about.

“Free” is precisely the reason a vast number of cable productions have opted to keep their content offline: It’s simply worth too much to give it away for free. Unfortunately, “free” is also what many Hulu fans loved so much about the site that has, since its launch three years ago, relied solely on advertising for revenue.

Hulu users are generally divided into two camps: those using the service to catch up on a missed show and those who have abandoned cable service altogether, relying on the site as their primary source of entertainment-dosing. The latter group have generally come to be known as “cord-cutters” – abandoning traditional cable subscriptions in favor of something, well….cheaper.

But good, quality content certainly isn’t cheap – not to make anyway. So, why should anyone expect to have the “right” to consume it when then want it and where they want it at no additional cost? The fee is really two-fold: It puts a price on the convenience and values the content for what it’s worth.

And for those who argue that Hulu’s fee will only drive them to view web content that is free I suspect will soon find that the offerings are far less satisfying. (If you haven’t taken the time recently to peruse some of the vast, truly “free” content on the web, do. You’ll find that most of it is not all that good.) What’s more seem to forget, that only a few years ago, all video content was behind a pay wall: It was called Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, or (insert the name of your preferred rental service here).

Granted, there are a few caveats to Hulu’s plan. Among them, how it will differentiate it’s service offerings from, say Netflix, which already has a monthly “streaming included” subscription service of its own, and how it might expand its slate beyond its current offerings. Regarding the former, Hulu does have a leg up, with its usually next-day release window on television content, while Netflix’s offerings come at more of a lag.

This latter will be likely be more challenging to overcome. It will require negotiation and cooperation with the networks and cable content producers that have been previously wary of offering their content for Internet syndication. However, if Hulu’s successful in that regard, it might truly possess an offering worth paying for.

Phish...in 3D!

2010-04-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

April is certainly shaking out to be the month of three-dimension: sports events here and abroad at the beginning and a Phish concert to round out the end.

If you're a fan of the legendary jam band, your tickets are likely already burning holes in your pockets for the April 30th wide(er) showing...that is, if you weren't among those lucky enough to catch a pre-screening of the film in select theaters last week.

According to a press release on the film, tickets to the April 20th preview screenings sold out in less than an hour.

The taped concert footage, produced by AEG Network Live and Cinedigm (the same company that piped in the Final Four games to cinemas on the 3rd and 5th), has gotten mixed reviews by the advanced showing attendees...and by mixed, I mean, they either liked it or really, regretted losing hours of their lives they will never get back. Then again, even those not so harshly critical of the production value, were left with a general feeling of ...eh. "For me the novelty of seeing the band in 3D wore off about halfway through the presentation. Watching the film never ceased to be enjoyable, but the initial "wow" factor doesn't sustain itself," said one review.

The Wrap's critic was...well...slightly more critical - Not of the band, of course (every follow-up I read unanimously agreed that the music transcended any and all technical failings) but of the editing.

Just as close up shots and quick movements less than impressed those watching the NCAA games in 3D, so too did such cinematic techniques detract from Phish 3D: "The camera jumps around so often – a different angle and distance about every 1.5 seconds or less – that your eyes never have enough time to adjust to the changing depths. Even movie rubes like me know you don’t fill a shoestring 3D movie with quick cuts; it throws the eyes into violent oscillations of depth-perception. And it sucks."

It remains to be seen whether a wider-set of movie goers and Phish fans will have the same reaction following the April 30th release.

Conan & Fox, Conan & Fox, Conan & ...TBS?!

2010-04-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

Entertainment trades have been reporting since February that Conan is going to Fox: The Wrap had the prenup, LA Times had sources asserting a "viable plan to bring the comedian back to late night."

But Conan announced that his new late night post will be at...TBS.

I was particularly fond of Video Nuze's take on the surprise move: It shouldn't be much of a surprise at all, and merely is a sign of the ever-blurring lines between cable and broadcast television...and the deeper pocket's of broadcast's little brother.

"When it comes to bidding for expensive talent like Conan ($12 million/year reportedly) cable is at a big advantage to broadcast. The recession and ad spending downturn has highlighted the benefits of cable's dual-revenue stream (monthly distributor fees + advertising) model vs. broadcast's ad-only approach."

Video Nuze further offers that the disappearance of "top-tier talent on TV" could be a symptom - and growing one at that - of cord cutting: The more people move away from traditional television, the more the talent we love will be driven to alternative platforms.

What do you think? Post your comments below!

The Salary Battle Royale: Moonves vs. Iger

2010-04-19T00:13:00.000-07:00

Forty-three million dollars - that's what CBS Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer, Leslie Moonves, earned last year. A host of reports in the press last week reported that Moonves' total compensation - inclusive of base salary, bonus, and stock options - more than doubled his 2008 earnings.

And who said we're in a down economy?

To put these numbers in perspective, Bob Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Compnay (parent of rival CBS broadcast network, ABC) earned approximately 33% less.

According to proxy statements filed with the SEC, Iger's 2009 compensation summed to $29 million. The package included a base salary of $2 million plus a $9.3 million performance-based bonus (Moonves commanded $3.5 and $15 million, respectively).

Not slim pickings by any means, but if I were Iger, I'd insist the next dinner out is on Moonves.

Nevertheless, at a time when we are scrutinizing executive compensations in the financial sector, should we be extending that analysis to other industries....like entertainment?

Post your comments below!

On The Line with Tony Gilroy: The Final Draft

2010-04-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

A Writer’s Respite

“It’s kind of musical isn’t it?” Tony Gilroy looks back at me, one hand on the window pane, and cracks a genuine Duchenne smile, his every feature engaged.

I listen. He’s right. It’s gentler than the typical cacophonic din produced by jackhammers and drills. A melody fills the air, a pitch that slowly rises and falls. Smiling too, I agree. What a unique observation.

But it makes sense: Before “Duplicity,” before the Oscar nomination and Directors’ Guild win for “Michael Clayton,” before writing the “Bourne” series, “Proof of Life,” “The Devil’s Advocate,” “Dolores Claiborne,” and “The Cutting Edge” – Tony Gilroy was a musician.

“I can see a career path where I would have been a very mediocre successful record producer,” he says.

Turning onto a quiet brownstone-lined street on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, I was sure Tony Gilroy’s office was within one of the charming, Triassic Sandstone dwellings. (Well, would-be quiet save for the construction crew set up mid-block, machinery whirring away.) But as the numbers tick down to the address I sought what stood before me was a fairly non-descript, flat-front, simple apartment building, not much taller than the brownstones which flanked its either side.

Buzzer only, no doorman. Was it 6F or 6E? I pause and dig through my always-overstuffed bag for the post-it on which I’d scrawled the unit number. Neither. Glad I checked.

The speaker crackles in the way speakers are wont to do, and a voice, which I suspect belongs to my host, invites me up. I’m suddenly nervous. Does he remember me? As I wait for the elevator, I think about the handful of times we’d met. Most of them were on the set of “Michael Clayton,” where I’d worked occasionally as a production assistant. I was so bundled to brave the cold on those days I fear I bore a striking, and not at all flattering, resemblance to the Michelin Man.

Stepping in the elevator, I recall a line from an elegant article in the “New Yorker.” It was something about Tony Gilroy’s “easy smile.” Was that it? Perhaps the line referred to Clive Owen’s character in “Duplicity.” Either way, the smile that greets me when I reach the sixth floor puts me at ease. Mostly. Whether Gilroy remembers meeting me before or not, he doesn’t let on, and we make casual conversation of the sort two old acquaintances might exchange after not seeing each other for a while.

So this is where Tony Gilroy writes. The space is modest, like its exterior: A kitchenette to the right; probably a tiny bathroom off that, perhaps another room beyond. I peek. Perhaps not.

It is a classic New York efficiency apartment, complete with aged wood flooring and moldings layered with decades of paint. It’s low maintenance, sparsely furnished and tidy: Two straight backed chairs; an unimposing credenza on one side; a few framed photographs, others tacked to a corkboard on the opposite wall; a Vornado 660 fan on the floor; a simple bamboo area rug. That’s it. Facing two double-hung windows, a sturdy desk, the dominant fixture in the space, takes center stage. Atop sits a computer. A Dell, an HP? I can’t tell, but it has me transfixed. It holds the key to the burning question: What will Tony Gilroy’s next project be?

It’s a question to which no one has the answer. Perhaps his PC knows, but it’s not telling. Regardless, one can’t help marvel at the fact that a guy who once had so little affinity for educational pursuits came to craft a career from weaving words into compelling stories.

Tilting back in his chair, balanced precariously on one leg, he recalls playing in bands as early as junior high (which he loved) and being miserable at school (which he hated). His scholastic shortcomings prompted teachers to offer him an out during his junior year. “If you’ll shut up and take a couple of extra courses, we’ll graduate you in the spring,” he was told.

By April he was applying to colleges and by fall he was a student at Boston University. “At the time, if you could pay full freight and you were breathing, they would take you. So they took me.” Surprisingly he liked it. And he was good at it, particularly at writing papers – particularly at making money writing papers for other people. “My learning curve was quick.” He smiles again, this one less bright…and infused with a good dose of mischief.

Also quick was his college career: He dropped out during his second year to follow the music. From Boston to Los Angeles and back again, Gilroy was making enough of a living, playing guitar in various bands. Well that, and running a phone scam selling copy toner, “I made a lot of money – selling shit on the phone.” Another mischievous smile.

But then the joy ride began to wind down. There was a missed opportunity with a band that had a shot. There were songwriting deals that began to fall apart. There were habits developed that were…”of the time.” “And sort of cataclysmically, the house that I was living in burned to the ground. I lost everything – literally everything but a guitar. And my car.”

He was wiped out, he says, “in a lot of different ways.” The fire was an “epic bit of punctuation.” So he went home.

Back under the same roof with his father, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Frank D. Gilroy, the junior Gilroy began writing more fiction in earnest. He was writing, his dad was writing – He pauses to think about what it was like to be back there. He remembers it felt good. Yet he knew he couldn’t stay forever and hadn’t a clue how he’d ever get back out.

A temporary solution came when he got a deal to start a band based on some songs he’d written. “Temporary” because he was facing a dilemma: He couldn’t pursue both music and writing. For Gilroy, it had to be either/or. So he took the job offer to get into New York City, but ultimately decided to quit music – “cold turkey,” he says. And he never looked back.

Gilroy had been hard at work in the entertainment industry for many years – he wrote screenplays that never got sold, he sold scripts that never got made, and he cringed at some that did get shot, but “fucked up” by those at the helm. Finally he scored big with the one-two punch that was “Michael Clayton” and “Duplicity.” Both were critically acclaimed, both boasted the Apollo Creed-Clubber Lang heavyweight Hollywood equivalents of A-list talent, and both films featured Gilroy as not only writer but director as well.

“I very much wanted to go right away (after “Clayton”) because I didn’t want to get into this ‘what are you going to do next situation’… like I’m in now.”

Now, Tony Gilroy spends his days thinking about what he is “going to do next.” Frankly, so do the many people who worked for him on the previous two films. Not to add undue stress, it’s a simply a testament to the strong, positive and lasting impression he’s made on his crews.

I leave him to his work, though every inch wants to stay a moment more. Just one glimpse…a taste…a hint perhaps? Alas.

On The Line with Tony Gilroy...Part 4

2010-04-17T23:47:00.000-07:00

The financial boon that was “Bourne,” opened new doors Gilroy didn’t know existed: “When you hit it, and all of a sudden the head of the studio’s calling you over the weekend, which you never had before…I thought I was really there, but I really wasn’t. There’s another room here: Another writer’s room. I wasn’t aware of that.”

Tony Gilroy: Writer and Director

Even through the “Bourne’” movies Gilroy also his sights on accomplishing another feat: Directing one of his scripts himself. Why? “I just got sick of directors f***ing up movies,” he says. Fair enough. So, he developed “Michael Clayton” with the intention of sitting at the helm from beginning to end.

His only regret is that he waited so long to go for it.

“I’ve been very careful and very risk averse in a lot of ways, and I should have probably been a director earlier – if I’d been braver and more adventurous. There was another picture before “Clayton” that I really should have done, and it’s a very large regret. I just couldn’t’. I kept saying I wanted to do it, but I didn’t bring the crazy, the real level of passion and insanity that you have to bring to get a first movie made. I just did not. I didn’t fire those extra engines because there was something resistant. For “Clayton,” I did. But it still took five years.”

He took the idea to Castle Rock, who bought it based on what Gilroy calls “a very loosey-goosey idea.” So he set to writing, but that took time – time that found Castle Rock in a different financial position than when Gilroy had begun. “They couldn’t gamble as much as they could when I started it. But they liked it and wanted to maintain the relationship, so they gave it back to me to set it up someplace else.”

For the next four years, Gilroy chased the money, but the money wouldn’t stick until George Clooney entered the picture. “It really finally came down to George.”

And signing with new representation…

“I went to CAA (Creative Artists Agency) and two weeks later, everything started happening,” says Gilroy. “They helped me get the meeting with George. After that it didn’t really matter – anyone would pay for it.”

“I very much wanted to go right away (after “Clayton”) because I didn’t want to get into this ‘what are you going to do next situation’… like I’m in now.”

I leave him to his work, though every inch wants to stay a moment more. Just one glimpse…a taste…a hint perhaps? Alas.

On The Line with Tony Gilroy...Part 3

2010-04-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

A New Chapter: Tony Gilroy, the Writer

By that time, his brother Dan had optioned a book in college, written a screenplay and almost got the movie it made. It seemed like a fine idea to Gilroy, “I’ll go write a screen play really quick and I’ll make a bunch of money and then I’ll go back and finish my novel.” In practice, it proved more challenging than he’d thought. And his familial connections didn’t pave a magic road to the top – or a road of any sort except one of encouragement. “I knew William Goldman really well. I think I sent him the second script that I wrote, and he just eviscerated me, but told me to write another one.” So Gilroy did, and he played the game: “sending shit off and waiting to hear from somebody and never hearing back.” And he was getting work as a writer, smallish jobs here and there. “So many weird gigs…” He trails off, appearing almost bewildered by the memory. “You’ll do Aaaanything!” He laughs, remembering one; “I think the guy still owes me like six-hundred dollars.”

Slowly but surely the ball began to roll. He sold his first screenplay (“I quit tending bar right off that check.”), co-written with his “best friend’s girlfriend’s friend” who was a reader at New Line Cinema. He got an agent at International Creative Management, who he met because his co-writer’s father was an agent there. He went on his first trip to Los Angeles, pitching ideas to the studios. He even had a popular romantic comedy script that was making the rounds and getting lots of attention.

Despite connections getting made – Gilroy’s movies weren’t. “You go from just trying to get work, to trying to get something made that’s good, to trying to get something made that makes money to trying to get something made that’s good and makes money.”

Getting Movies Made

But it was an unproduced script that finally got him there. The rom-com making the rounds found it’s way into the hands of producers who came to Gilroy with an idea for what would become “The Cutting Edge.”

Gilroy explains that the industry often wants to pigeon-hole writers, categorize them as either “starters” or “finishers” (Either start a script and the producers will have someone else bring it home, or finish a script that is begging for a strong finale). With “The Cutting Edge,” he proved himself fully capable to be both. From there, he continued shining as a “starter” AND a “finisher,” earning a solid reputation for crafting stories rich with unexpected turns and complex characters on the screenplays that followed…and got made, including “Dolores Claiborne” and “The Devil’s Advocate.”

And then the “Bourne” films? “That whole thing was an accident,” says Gilroy. “Bourne was originally just a gig. I didn’t have any ownership in the beginning, although that changed dramatically.”

What also changed dramatically was Gilroy’s position in the industry: “Having a huge financial success, whether it’s unanticipated or not – and that (“Bourne”) was very unanticipated – that changes a lot of things. I was sort of unaware how much it would change things. Money is just everything.”

On The Line with Tony Gilroy...Part 2

2010-04-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

Gilroy explains that before “Duplicity,” before the Oscar nomination and Director’s Guild win for “Michael Clayton,” before writing the “Bourne” series, “Proof of Life,” “The Devil’s Advocate,” “Dolores Claiborne,” and “The Cutting Edge” – he was a musician...

Musician first, writer second.

“I can see a career path where I would have been a very mediocre successful record producer,” he says.

The thought amuses him. His face brightens with another full smile – every feature engaged. Tilting back in his chair, balanced precariously on one leg, he recalls playing in bands as early as junior high (which he loved) and being miserable at school (which he hated). His scholastic shortcomings prompted teachers to offer him an out during his junior year. “If you’ll shut up and take a couple of extra courses, we’ll graduate you in the spring,” he was told.

By April he was applying to colleges and by fall he was a student at Boston University. “At the time, if you could pay full freight and you were breathing, they would take you. So they took me.” And surprisingly he liked it. And he was good at it, particularly at writing papers – particularly at making money writing papers for other people. “My learning curve was quick.” He smiles again, this one less bright…and infused with a good dose of mischief.

“I was wiped out, he says, “in a lot of different ways.” The fire was an “epic bit of punctuation.” So he went home.

On The Line with Tony Gilroy...Part 1

2010-04-14T00:03:00.000-07:00

Oscar-nominated writer/director Tony Gilroy was kind enough to take a short break from his work to talk about the journey that got him to where he is today. While working to shape the interview for my class assignment, I realized what I had was far to epic to use it all for the one piece. BUT, I thought what he had to say was great, and I just love connecting those career dots (it's nice to know that hard work can pay off).

So, without further ado, here's the whole thing - in four "blog-sized" segments! (I'll post my shorter story assignment in a few days).

Enjoy!

-----

Buzzer only, no doorman. Was it 6F or 6E? I pause and dig through my always-overstuffed bag for the post-it on which I’d scrawled the unit number. Neither. Glad I checked.

So this is where Tony Gilroy writes. The space is modest, like its exterior: A kitchenette to the right; probably a tiny bathroom off that, perhaps another room beyond. I peek. Perhaps not.

It is a classic New York efficiency apartment, complete with aged wood flooring and moldings layered with decades of paint. It’s low maintenance, sparsely furnished and tidy: Two straight backed chairs; an unimposing credenza on one side; a few framed photographs, others tacked to a corkboard on the opposite wall; a Vornado 660 fan on the floor; a simple bamboo area rug. Facing two double-hung windows, a sturdy desk, the dominant fixture in the space, takes center stage. Atop sits a computer. A Dell, an HP? I can’t tell, but it has me transfixed. It holds the key to the burning question: What will Gilroy’s next project be?

He moves across the room – a quick task, maybe ten paces or so. “Should I close the window? Is it too noisy,” he asks, regarding the construction work on the street below.

Pausing, one hand on the pane, he looks back at me. He cracks a genuine Duchenne smile, “It’s kind of musical isn’t it?” I listen. He’s right. It’s gentler than the typical cacophonic din produced by jackhammers and drills. A melody fills the air, a pitch that slowly rises and falls. Smiling too, I agreed. What a unique observation.

Gunning for Win: The battle to be the best online wages on

2010-04-13T23:04:00.000-07:00

Late Sunday afternoon, April 11, 2010: Media elite, creative entrepreneurs and entertainment newbies alike gathered at the historic Orpheum Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, California to honor excellence in original online content creation. It promised to be a night celebrating the Internet as both the Great Equalizer and The Future of Entertainment. It promised to be a night to remember. It promised to be one small step for…

Well, actually, whatever Sunday night promised to be, it was one giant leap backward for everyone hoping to elevate the value of Internet content in the eyes of the mainstream and expose a broader viewing audience to the work produced online. It was certainly a night to remember, but one supporters of the medium hope they soon will be able to forget. To borrow the Internet’s word of the minute: Fail.

“When Lisa Kudrow’s producer is standing in line because her ticket can’t be located, you know it’s bad,” said one dismayed attendee. The self-described “plus-one of a star from one of the nominated series,” was appalled and empathetically embarrassed by the disorganization, technical blunders, shoddy production value, and self-deprecating, often grossly vulgar jokes that redefined “un-funny.”

Attempting to offer an upside, the Star Date of the Plus-One said that he was impressed – to a degree: “For an awards ceremony that no one knows about and no one cares about, the audience was full.” But then, “We left halfway through,” he said. “We were bored.”

For every critic of web television, Sunday night proved quite the metaphor for the majority of episodic videos abound on the Interwebs: They are just not working. Only a few years ago, the success of YouTube prompted big money media companies and venture capital-backed startups to create their own destination sites for the express purpose of developing web series. Today, a mere fraction of those is still operating. Very few web series have survived past season one and even fewer have produced enough revenue to let anyone involved bid au revoir to a more reliable Real Job. And that’s a problem, especially if “do what you love and make a living doing it” is the real goal.

As my mother always says, “If you can put a roof over your head, food on the table…and have health insurance, you’ve made it.” Currently, it’s doubtful that for most people, producing online videos will meet Mom’s bar for success.

So, the million-dollar question remains: Why do web series seem perpetually unable to retain an audience? Even if the first installment grabs an appreciable number of eyeballs, why is the overwhelming trend for webisodes to lose viewership in droves?

Whether it’s because of infinitesimal attention spans compared to which that of the MTV generation seem downright glacial; or bothersome technical glitches that often plague the web; or content that isn’t good enough or doesn’t come often enough to rope in a viewer – the jury’s still out. Any way it’s sliced, the end result is the same: There’s no money and therefore no long-term success. The prospects in the world of episodic web-video are indeed grim. Nevertheless, it’s that very, even perhaps minute, nugget of uncertainty, which continues compelling those with a will and a way to wander the Wild West of the webisode world. They are on the Quintessential Quest for a solution to the enigma.

Attention Span Fail: Click, click, clicking away.

Few people dispute that there simply aren’t enough advertising dollars to support the vast array of media platforms gunning for the dough. In the online space, the competition is even greater: Data aggregator eMarketer has reported that brands rarely devote more than 3% of advertising budgets to Internet pushes. Supply is simply overwhelmed by demand: Web video series number in the thousands. Internet content guide Clicker.com lists a hardly exhaustive four thousand six hundred ninety-one original online series to be exact. And of course web series account for a minute fraction of web content in total.

Despite the grim statistics, advertising continues to be the predominant revenue stream in most business models. Taking that as a given, the primary goal of content producers then is acquiring and maintaining an audience. But with so many distractions online – email, facebook, Twitter, Gchat – Internet users click through content at a rapid pace, the multi-taskers that we are. “The results are dramatic: most online video viewers watch mere seconds, rather than minutes, of a video,” posted online analytics firm TubeMogul, following one study observing audience behavior on upwards of 22 million streams. Its findings show that less than 50 percent of viewers watch more than 60 seconds of video. Just under 10 percent stick around for anything longer than five minutes. Most webisodes are longer than three.

According to TubeMogul’s Marketing Director, David Burch, another study was equally damning: “Basically the research took the top 50 professionally-produced, episodic web series and compared total views across episodes from pilot to the eighth.” The conclusion? On average, a whopping 64.31 percent of a show’s premiere viewership never makes it to episode two.

And those are metrics any advertiser shudders to hear.

For Sony’s Crakle.com, it’s been a trial and error game that’s led to the company’s current approach to online video content development. While Crackle initially endeavored to produce web series that could stand on their own and turn a profit, according to Crackle’s Online Development Coordinator Michael Karch, the studio-owned site found it impossible to fully cover its production deficit through advertising revenue alone.

“Our strategy has changed,” says Karsh. Executives at Crackle had noted the success of the 2008’s instant cult classic musical web short, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog. The project, created by TV writer Joss Whedon during the Writer’s Guild strike, was released for free online in three acts, but later successfully distributed for sale on DVD. And that became the inspiration for Crackle’s current model: Producing feature-length projects that are divided into segments for an online “webisode window” and then repackaged for domestic home distribution.

Point well taken: Variable online viewer numbers do not profitable advertising revenue make.

Technical Fail: Still buffering…

Yet another capricious quality of the Internet, whittling away at watcher retention is buggy technology. This is entirely out of the content producer’s control, but nonetheless is a contributing factor to the perception that web television is proving less successful than its mainstream brethren. The Internet has not achieved technological perfection, a point punctuated by the pervasive and perturbing “Buffering” notification. Even more bothersome is “Still Buffering,” often accompanied by a turning wheel or “loading” icon, cajoling the viewer to hang in there, often to no avail.

Once again, TubeMogul offers compelling data: “Re-buffers are commonplace, occurring in 6.84 percent of all streams,” according to the site. “When encountering a re-buffer, viewers click away 81.1 percent of the time rather than wait for the video to re-load.”

Content Fail: Just not Good Enough.

Peripheral distractions and mechanical glitches aside, content creators are not entirely powerless: The crux of any series is theirs to muck up or perfect. No doubt the web is littered with examples of the former. But the latter? The problem here is that few people – even those whose job it is to be an expert in the space – have a firm grasp on which content will lead its creators down the golden path to millions of followers.

This pilot season, one of the most anticipated shows in mainstream television development sprung from an unknown writer, Justin Halpern Tweeting “Sh*t His Dad Says.” “I didn’t think anyone would think it was funny,” says Halpern. But over 1.2 million people have proven him wrong. After Halpern’s friend gave his 140-character blurbs a shout-out one Follow Friday, Halpern’s popularity skyrocketed – from zero followers to over 100,000 in three days. He maintained that traction won with near-daily “words of wisdom,” courtesy of Dad; and now his show is being produced by CBS, directed by the legendary James Burrows (Friends), with a cast led by William Shatner.

Needless to say, Halpern has a roof over his head, food on the table, and health insurance.

But prior to stumbling upon his dream job, Halpern worked for a company that produced viral videos for advertisers. He somewhat prided himself on having a pulse on what would become a runaway hit. But he had not a clue his Tweets would take off the way they did. He says, “It was a little kick in the nuts that I didn’t have any idea.”

TubeMogul’s Burch expresses his bewilderment over the YouTube mega-sensation, Fred Figglehorn. Barely post-pubescent actor Lucas Cruikshank’s webisodes feature himself as six-year-old Fred, mostly monologuing about life with his dysfunctional family. Cruikshank’s brand of humor can be downright morbid. The helium induced-sounding timbre of Fred’s voice borders on obnoxious. And according to Burch, the show is wildly popular among the tween set.

It’s true that the statistics on Fred’s destination site fail to impress: After peaking around 20,000 last year unique views have seen a steady downward trend. However, the series – now in its second season with a Nickolodeon-backed feature film on the way – has YouTube metrics that are off the charts. To date Fred’s Channel boasts 471,634,067 total upload views, nearly 1.7 million subscribers and millions upon millions of webisode streams.

No single celebrity stocked web series – from Lisa Kudrow’s Web Therapy to David Wain’s Wainy Days – funny though it may be, even comes close.

Who would have thought.

Gunning for Win

Along with Fred, although rarely eclipsing his cult-like status, there are a handful of other web television episodic series that do boast millions of views month after month. Eight months ago, the bloggers at Mashable.com teamed up with web analytics pros at the Visible Measures Corporation, to scour the Internet and produce a monthly list of the top ten most watched web shows. The stand-outs of scripted episodics, charting consistently, include the animated Happy Tree Friends; sketch comedy driven Smosh; live-action-meets-animation-meets-gaming hit The Guild; and Red vs. Blue, whose creators lay comic dialogue over images crafted and captured entirely using the game Halo. These are the few, shining examples of web TV that works.

Then again, one could argue that these shows prove that web TV works. Period.

Consider mainstream TV: Per network, hundreds – if not thousands – of shows are drafted, pitched, optioned, written and rewritten each year. Of those, the pilot season process whittles down the choices until a mere few appear on television line-ups in the fall. The whole machine operates behind close doors, out of the general public eye.

Conversely, web television lacks this filtering mechanism, exposing the Fails and Wins for the world to see. Would anyone say that mainstream television is Fail? Probably not. And it’s likely the casts and crews of even the least popular shows would agree. No doubt they have roofs and food and health insurance in abundance.

So the one thing the web permits that mainstream TV does not, is for anyone and everyone to publish their wares and gun for Win.

Doing just that is 25-year-old aspiring writer, director, and producer Matt Vascellaro currently creating his web series offering, Settling. Vascellaro, whose friends say is “obsessed with the equation of what makes TV work – what makes people want to keep watching,” believes quality content in quantity is the key to lasting success on the web.

All too often as the viewer, Vascellaro, has felt abandoned by shows producing less than a dozen five-minute-or-less clips before taking a hiatus. In the light speed-fast pace of the web world, those breaks seem interminable…if the show even comes back. “Why should I really commit myself to viewing anything,” says Vascellaro.

That’s why, when Settling begins “airing” later this spring, Vascellaro will have one hundred shot and edited episodes in his arsenal, laying in wait to be launched daily on the web.

It might work or it might be a big Fail, but at least the Internet gives Vascellaro a space to try. Despite the odds, Vascellaro’s confidence is high and his sheer will is admirable. “At the end of the day, maybe we’ll produce enough good content so that people can’t ignore us anymore.”

3D TV Making Waves in Sports

2010-04-05T00:51:00.000-07:00

April 3: Football fans (or soccer to us, irksome as the "misnomer" is to our neighbors 'cross the pond) gathered in 1,000 pubs across the UK and Ireland to watch rival teams Chelesa and Manchester United go head-to-head in a live three-dimensional broadcast of the game.

Several hours later, on this side of the Atlantic, CBS Sports and LG Electronics, along with 3D-leader Cinedigm, beamed the NCAA Men's Final Four semi-finals into 100 digital cinemas across the US.

On the heels of successful 3D film productions, the technology is now making waves with sporting events as well.

Or at least a sizable ripple.

But it seems like a good deal more fun to watch a game at a bar (pub), beer (lager) in hand, and in that respect, for the moment at least, Europe's got us beat. By all accounts, opinions on the 3D showings have been mixed: Overall, people seem enthusiastic about the concept, but less enthused about execution.

I scoured the web to find something other than a glowing press release to get some sense of what it was like to actually experience one of these games in all of their 3D glory.

A report from Harpenden, England (slightly over an hour's train ride north of London's Gatwick Airport) said the pub was packed with fans who squeezed in for the showdown. Post-game reactions were a mix of laments over Manchester United's defeat to comments that the 3D tech, while an excellent idea, still needs some perfecting. My favorite fan quote? "Two of us have got headaches. But we can't work out if they've come from the TV or the amount of lager we've had to drink."

Excellent observation.

On the US side, one reporter noted that the close up camera shots, following a player down the court for example, were less effective in 3D than wider angles and the CBS-generated graphic overlays. The fast, up-close movements often resulted in blurred images that, "made this viewer long for the acuity of an HD picture."

No doubt the quality will only improve, as this is only the beginning of 3D event coverage. Europe's Sky TV company boasted an impressive turnout for it's April 3rd event and already has dates lined up for more in the coming weeks and months. Here in the US, the Masters golf tournament was delivered in 3D to Comcast subscribers (well, those who happened to own a 3D-TV) and ESPN will broadcast the World Cup in 3D this June.

Video Blogging: A generation of full time...Vloggers

2010-03-30T23:11:00.000-07:00

If you were the first person on the block to get a VCR, still refer to your TV's remote control as a "clicker," remember the smell of freshly "ditto-ed" copies handed out in class or recall being tethered to a cord when on the telephone, then you just might not be aware of the online video trend that has become a career for quite a few mid-twenties digital entrepreneurs: Video blogging...better known as "vlogging."

While this might date me (and my fellow comrades), who consistently swear when someone says "vlog," they are simply mispronouncing (or we are mis-hearing) "blog," it's a fact that the younger set, born post 1985 is far more prolific in their online endeavors than the rest of us.

Shane Dawson, Phillip DeFranco and Justine Ezarik are just of the few vloggers that have hit YouTube icon status with millions of video views well into the double digits.

And even when they try to leave (several of the top contributors in the vlogosphere have announced "this will be my last YouTube vid" on more than one occasion, but YouTube has a vested interest in keeping the posts a-coming and keeps them hanging on by dangling the golden carrot: ad revenue profit sharing.

According to David Burch, Marketing Director at online research and analytics firm TubeMogul, despite the fact that YouTube will not disclose the details on any of these financial agreements, he estimates the video site makes it well worth it for these twenty-somethings to keep vlogging full time.

But what is the draw? What keeps millions of viewers tuning in to watch these often random video ramblings? Perhaps its simply that the format is so uniquely in tune with our Internet behaviors. Think about your own internet use: daily (hourly? per minute?) email checks, tweets, facebook comments, ichat convos. Our most regular web activities are tied to applications that provide regular updates of new content. And that's precisely what these vloggers offer.

Unlike webseries (the only other dominant current online video offerings...not including one-off viral videos), vlogs don't typically break for a hiatus while the writer takes time off for a more lucrative, mainstream project. These, I dare say "kids," on online - ever day.

Grace Helbig, the vlogging "face" of webseries studio and platform My Damn Channel, agrees that regular posts are an essential element in the formula for success.

Each day, Helbig shoots, edits and posts her vlogs (it's her only job). She’s the constant among My Damn Channel's site varied video offerings, and her own experience as a viewer makes her well aware of the value her daily presence brings. “People feel like they’ve been let into this world that these people are presenting online,” says Helbig. “When they don’t do a video it’s a letdown. It’s like not being able to hang out with your friend when they had already agreed to hang out with you that day.”

Overhead is low, and with some basic editing skills and computer know-how, it seems like the payoff is not much to scoff at.

3D TV's Making a Big Splash with Deep Pockets

2010-03-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

Two thousand eight hundred ninety-nine dollars is certainly not chump change, but for tech fans and people with money to spare, it is just the right price to place on a home 3D television system.

Or so it would seem, given that it only took one week for Panasonic - the first of the television manufacturers to release a 3D model - to sell out of their in-store US stock.

According to a Bloomberg report yesterday, Panasonic executives couldn't be more pleased. After having sustained losses greater than $111 million in the previous quarter, the unexpected success of the product could make the business profitable once more by this time next year.

The Panasonic package, which comes complete with 3D Blu-ray player and glasses, seems to be a hit. And this news threatens to debunk BusinessWeek's December 2009 theory that the price tag would deter quick adoption of 3D technology into homes. Already Panasonic is surpassing its own prediction that 3D sets would see "modest sales" in 2010. Although most reports on the subject agree that over the next five years 3D TV sales will grow exponentially, sales in 2010 might just turn out to beat all expectations.

Then again, there are a good number of skeptics out there who believe the Panasonic "sales boom" could be more smoke and mirrors than hard fact. This morning, Fox Business correspondent Clayton Morris was quoted saying, "We don't know the sales numbers yet. If you make 3 of them and you sell them all, that's fantastic...but we don't know the numbers yet on exactly how many they sold."

Perhaps the news was meant to distract consumers from Samsung's unveiling of its own 3D product, which officially went on sale March 14th. There has been little buzz surrounding its release, only that the cost is approximately $400 more than its only current competition.

In June, Sony will add its entry to the home 3D marketplace, predicting 3D TV's in 2010 will account for 10% of its total television sales, per the Bloomberg report.

In addition, Sony is focusing on adding 3D content to its gaming, film and television production, and broadcasting divisions. It's this kind of complimentary business development that will help position Sony to potentially win out over its competitors, despite its delayed at-bat in the game.

So, will you be turning your living room into a 3D entertainment center? Share your thoughts in the Comments below!

Hit The Road Jack....er...Conan

2010-03-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

I have to say, if I were Conan O'Brien, right now I'd be doing cartwheels: The man who looked like he was getting the short end of the stick over the Jay Leno Experiment / Tonight Show debacle is certainly coming out on top. The events following the early termination from his post as the face of The Tonight Show have proven a financial boon and shown O'Brien to be a class act.

Back in January, MSNBC along with other news outlets reported that O'Brien's exit deal summed to $45 million, approximately $12 million of which he distributed to his displaced staff. For the last months, rumors have grown ever-stronger that the late night host will find a new home on Fox (the LA Times revealed that Fox Cheif Rupert Murdoch hopes to confirm a deal by the May fall line-up announcements, although O'Brien and Co. are carefully weighing their options, including a possible move to a cable network).

Now, O'Brien's 30-city "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour" is proving to be one of the hottest tickets of the year.

Hitting the road is O'Brien's clever work-around to his NBC exit agreement, which blocks him from appearing on television until September. And word is wide-spread across the internet that the monies earned from the dates will be pocketed not by O'Brien, but by his hard-working staff.

Tickets have been selling so fast that second shows have quickly been added to several major stops.

That revenue should nicely pad more than a few severance packages.

According to O'Brien, his tour preparations are already underway: "First step: Groupie auditions at Randy's Donuts off the 405 fwy. Knock twice on the white minivan." (via Twitter)

I wonder how many donuts Randy sold that day?...

Futures - Coming to Movies Near You

2010-03-10T22:11:00.000-08:00

And no, the title of this post refers not to an upcoming cinematic release, but rather, to the financial concept I recently became acquainted with last semester in my Foundations of Finance class.

WAIT! Don't glaze over yet - this is interesting. Some people think it could bring in extra revenue as the movie industry works to overcome losses from continued declines in the DVD/home movie sector.

Reuters reported today that two companies, Media Derivatives and Cantor Fitzgerald, are taking the lead in establishing platforms for investors to trade film futures.

What are futures? I'm partial to examples, and find the use of futures in the airline industry a clear one to follow:

Airlines know, in any given year, that they are going to need fuel - and a good deal of it. An airline might see that gas prices are down and opt to enter into a futures contract with a fuel vendor. Basically, this means that the airline pays today for an asset (in this case jet fuel) that will be delivered in the future. The airline is hedging a bet that fuel costs on the delivery date will be higher than they were on the day of purchase. If that proves true, the airline saved money by trading jet fuel futures.

This is likely an over-simplified explanation, but you get the idea.

Apparently, film futures will work in a similar way: "...if the expected box office revenue of a film is $170 million, an investor could buy a futures contract for $170 and, if the movie does better than expected, could sell at a higher price," said Cantor in the Reuters' piece.

In other words, investors in film futures would benefit from the difference between a lower price paid today and a higher price asked in the future, just as the airline in the example above.

The benefit for the studio behind the film is the potential to limit any downside. Per Reuters, "Hollywood studios often bring in partners to invest in their movies and minimize their risk. A futures market could give producers another measure of protection."

It is unclear at which stage of a film's production futures will be offered. However, it seems possible that if they're made available during development, futures could help with the financing. As I discussed in an earlier post, in the last several years, producers have been struggling to fill a gap left by "falling foreign dollars" (read about that HERE).

Media Derivative's Trend Exchange plans to start trading by the summer and Cantor Fitzgerald as early as the end of April.

For the full Reuters' story, click HERE.

...Ain't it grand when you find you can apply recently acquired knowledge to real world applications?!

Then again, maybe this J-School Grad just doesn't get out enough these days...

No Oscars for You!

2010-03-08T23:39:00.000-08:00

For a week leading up to the Oscars, East-coasters under the umbrella of Cablevision's jurisdiction (that's more than 3 million people) were told they would probably not see the event: ABC's parent, Disney, was going to pull the plug if a financial dispute between the cable provider and the network could not be resolved. You couldn't escape the warnings: Radio spots produced by Cablevision decried Disney for its "greed," written advisements scrolled across the bottom of television broadcasts, while audio recordings played in a loop at the On Demand channel.

Even though an earlier, similar dispute between Cablevision and Scripps Networks left subscribers HGTV and Food Network-less for three weeks, it seemed unimaginable Disney would follow through on the threat (at least to me).

But, lo and behold, Saturday night, the network yanked its broadcast. (According to the LA Times, the signal went dark right in the middle of a rerun of Lost). Dubious, I turned to the channel. Sure enough, the image before me was nothing more than a white screen over which Cablevision ran a customer alert, encouraging its subscribers to fight back by calling "1-877-NO-TV-TAX."

It seems broadcast networks (like ABC), suffering financially from increasingly poor advertising revenues, are putting a stake in the sand for retransmission fees - the additional revenue stream that is the "bread and butter" for their sister cable channels.

And now, since the Great Equalizer (ie. the official digital changeover), the broadcasters want to play too.

Basically, it works like this: The Service or Cable Provider (Cablevision) pays the Content Provider (ABC) for their content (TV shows). The Subscribers pay Service Providers for cable service. The Content Providers receive a percentage of Subscribers' fees in exchange for the right to have their content aired.

In a statement released by Cablevision's Executive Vice President, the service provider already pays ABC $200 million per year and is "shocked" that "in these difficult economic times, ABC Disney is threatening to remove WABC unless Cablevision and its customers pay $40 million in new fees for programming that it offers today for free, both over-the-air and online."

What the statement didn't make clear is that the current monies received by ABC's parent company, Disney, are likely intended to pay for the content creator's cable properties, including the Disney Channel and ESPN. Also, a decent amount of ABC's programming is in fact not available online, for free or otherwise.

To be fair, the lack of transparency on both sides makes it difficult to peg the "Bad Guy" - if there is one.

Fortunately for Oscar fans, Disney and Cablevision were able to reach an agreement on Sunday, and ABC's signal was restored less than 15 minutes into the broadcast. However, this is likely not the last time customers will be used as pawns in the chess game of ongoing negotiations between cable and content providers. The terms of the agreement reached by Disney and Cablevision have not been made public and many media outlets have termed the sudden accord as "tentative." In addition, Business Week reported today that Disney's current contract with Time Warner ends in August.

But for now, all is well in TV Land...at least for the moment.

Another Dimension

2010-02-27T14:02:00.000-08:00

"Sony expects that 3D televisions will make up between 30 percent and 50 percent of all sets it sells in the financial year that begins in April 2012," cited PC World back in November.

Even with the then-upcoming release of Avatar and several prior three-dimensional film efforts, it seemed a lofty goal.

The images this J-School Grad has of 3D call to mind the scant pop-out visuals of the Michael Jackson-led Captain EO. The movie, which premiered in Disney's Theme Parks in the late 1980's, was "advanced technology" at the time, but if memory serves, it was certainly not spectacular enough to move one to yearn for 3D at home.

But now...?

It can hardly be argued that Avatar did a great deal to prove that 3D has come a loooooong way in these (ahem) short 20 (ish) years.

Film-releases.com shows a 41% increase in the number of 3D films coming to theaters in 2010, with titles including Yogi Bear, Beauty and the Beast, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Smurfs.

In addition, 3D technology is being co-opted by artists other than filmmakers in an effort to not only enhance the viewing experience, but to reach a broader audience.

The New York Times reported Thursday on the first 3D fashion show.

In 3D, via satellite from London, Burberry introduced its fall line to crowds assembled in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Dubai. According to the story, the presentation "had a convivial vibe, similar to the opening night of the latest sci-fi extravaganza...but instead of popcorn, there were canapes and Champagne. And the previews were replaced with a 3D Christopher Bailey, the label's designer, talking about his inspiration."

Now, you might not be able to achieve said "convivial vibe" from the comfort of your home without first sending out a few invitations, but imagine the possibilities this experiment coupled with Sony's push implies: Experience the front row at Fashion Week, watch a live concert without spending hundreds of dollars for choice seating, enjoy an array of three-dimensional motion pictures...all from your living room couch.

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking that Sony stock could be a good investment.

That and the companies making those glasses...

(For the full Times story, click HERE.)

What Musicians Want

2010-02-25T20:48:00.000-08:00

According to entrepreneur/lawyer/music manager and enthusiast, Michael Morrison, aside from a lucrative record deal, musicians want...health insurance.

While this country might (finally) be on the verge of long-awaited health care reform, some time will likely pass before actual implementations of such change will take hold; and in that interim, freelance artists are among those in dire need of health care assistance.

...and insurance in general.

Morrison cites several devastating stories where musicians, whose (often meager) livelihood depends greatly on the maintenance and preservation of very expensive equipment, were stripped of the ability to carry on by theft, from which they were unable to recover.

The solution? Wanduta: A company, founded by Morrison that's devoted to providing musicians with access to insurance, both health and property, discounts on everything from equipment purchases to hotel rates, and also giving these artists exposure. With a membership that is free of charge, musicians can buy into a variety of affordable insurance plans AND simultaneously have samples of their music hosted on a site that will be made available to entertainment industry professionals seeking original material. MTV is looking to underscore a new show with a great song, but can't fork over the fee to license Dave Matthew's latest hit? They can go to Wanduta.

With over 100 bands already participating in the program launched earlier this year, Morrison endeavors to make this "the" go-to destination for musicians, producers and promoters alike.

...while making sure the artists can rely on more than just "an apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Check it out at Wanduta.com.

3D News Nuggets

2010-02-23T23:23:00.000-08:00

News Nuggets: Use them as fodder for water-cooler office chat or to wow dinner guests with your knowledge of goings-on in the entertainment industry.

One of the Big Topics in the business continues to be 3D. The three-dimensional boom is having an impact on businesses from movie theaters to companies with a stake in the creation of 3D glasses - the former in a slightly less positive way than the latter:

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the quantity of 3D films prepped for delivery to movie theaters this year could overwhelm multiplexes ill-equipped to host multiple 3D showings simultaneously. The story cites this interesting bit of data, "As of the beginning of the year, less than 10% of the U.S.'s roughly 40,000 screens were 3D enabled, according to the National Association of Theater Owners."

The plastics market stands to benefit in a big way from continued 3D production. As PlasticsNews.com (I know, who knew?) astutely picked up, today's 3D eyewear bears little resemblance to its predecessors, at least in substance. Exit floppy cardboard frames and enter glasses cast in sleek plastic. According to the site, glasses can cost as much as $50 each! The post goes on to cite four major players in the 3D glasses game:

RealD - disposable, recyclable and representing the low end of the cost spectrum at 65 cents each
MasterImage 3D - offering single or multi-use models
Dolby Laboratories - high tech and higher priced at $28
XpanD - the Lamborghini's of 3D glasses, employing LCD technology and coming in at the $50 mark.

(Each of the companies are profiled in greater depth by The New York Times. For the full story, click HERE.)

Apple's Core Concept - 99 Cent TV

2010-02-22T07:31:00.000-08:00

Apple, for all of its marketing successes is struggling with the same conundrum as the rest of the players in the online space: How to best monetize content online. Its solution? Decrease cost and increase volume.

Now the big question is whether content producers will be on board with this concept.

Media Memo's Peter Kafka reported last week that CBS chief Les Moonves is backing Apple's effort to charge less for television content on iTunes. According to the post, during a recent earnings call, Moonves suggested CBS "will mark down the price on some of its shows from $1.99 to 99 cents."

As the Financial Times pointed out in its take on the statement, the cost reduction will likely be timed with Apple's iPad release, and other networks could join CBS in dropping prices.

But not everyone weighing in on the speculation is buying it. The New York Times rightly notes that the high price tag on mainstream television production and debates over content valuation might keep networks from willingly jumping onboard the Apple bandwagon.

On The Line with Keegan-Michael Key

2010-02-21T21:58:00.000-08:00

It's a fact of life that Keegan-Michael Key knows all too well: Things don't always go according to plan.

"I was going to be a truck-driving veterinarian. That was my dream," says Key. "There was a very popular TV show on the air at the time called BJ and the Bear about a guy who was a truck driver and he had a monkey. I thought that was the coolest thing that ever happened in the history of the world. He drove a Coca-Cola truck, and I thought, 'I'm going to put animals in the back of the car and I'm going to drive all over the country and deliver animals to people.'"

His mom encouraged the young Key, but knew her son would likely be met with disappointment. The market for truck-driving veterinarians is...well...rather non-existent.

Lucky for Key, he found a back up. And fortunately, he's pretty darn good at it.

Fans of Mad TV know Key for the outrageous characters he created and performed during his five-and-a-half-year run on the sketch show, notably the too-tight-shorts-wearing Coach Hines and delivery-man Eugene, whose chats with celebrities about taking things to the HNL - "A Ho Nubah Levah"- often had the stars in stitches by the scene's end.

But the Michigan native who knows how to bring the funny, never planned on a career in television. After receiving his MFA in theater from Penn State, Key's goal was to craft a home on the stage. "I was initially going to move to Seattle and try to work in as much legitimate regional theater as I could."

However, Key, who describes himself as "kind of a homebody," was intimidated by the thought of making the move. "When the rubber met the road, Seattle couldn't be further from home." So, in the summer of 1996, he happily put off the trip to work on a friend's independent film project back in Detroit.

Although not "the plan," his decision to stay in the midwest proved to be a good one - to say the least.

While working on the movie, Key met the woman who would become his beloved wife, actress and dialect coach Cynthia Blaise. At the same time, he became pals with several actors who regularly performed improv at The Second City, Detroit.

By the fall of the following year, Key was granted an audition to replace a departing member of the improvisation troupe and booked the job. "It was scary for the first month or so," says Key, who had learned short-form improv as an undergrad, but was new to the long-form that was Second City's signature.

A novice no more after performing 6 shows a week for three years and eleven months "to the day," Key was courted by the main company, based in Chicago. They first offered Key a spot in their touring troupe, but at 31, Key no longer possessed the childhood wanderlust that made him once yearn to cart animals by truck.

So, when a spot opened up in the Second City's Experimental Theater Company - "no where near as avant garde as it sounds," says Key - he and Cynthia left Motown for the Windy City in 2001.

As a member of the not-so-experimental Experimental Theater Company, Key and his fellow castmates were thrust onto the radar of television sketch show execs. According to Key, talent scouts were regular audience attendees, and it wasn't long before Key was flying out to be seen for Mad TV.

Key - who'd twice before been put on tape for the show - was surprised. Mad TV made it known they were on the hunt for female cast members. "They saw 50 women...and me," says Key. Nevertheless, Executive Producer Dick Blasucci, himself a Second City alum, saw that Key was flown to Los Angeles and considered for a spot on the show.

The audition? "It wasn't long," says Key. He read a scene. "Then I sat down in the hallway...for about two-and-a-half hours."

When Blasucci came back, apologizing for the wait, he had paperwork in his hand. Key signed the contract on the spot, taking his career to the "HNL."

In 2008, word rolled in that the season would be the last for Mad TV, so Key and his talent reps were on the lookout for "the next thing." But, again, it was a series of unplanned events that shaped the last two years of Key's career.

"I was asked by the Second City brass in Chicago to host a showcase at the Second City Los Angeles Training Center," says Key. After the showcase, an executive from NBC stopped by to chat with Key.

The following day, Key's manager called: "The guy you met with last night wants a meeting."

And that meeting gave Key a development deal with NBC/Universal. Key pitched a story, they liked it, and he worked with a writer for six months, crafting the script. Then, NBC bought it...and put it on a shelf.

Not quite the outcome Key hoped for.

But meanwhile, unbeknownst to Key, an advertising executive's son was telling his dad about his favorite character on Mad TV - Coach Hines.

So, when time came for the ad man to cast a GMC commercial to air during the NBA playoffs, he found Key.

The spot received a good deal of airplay, capturing the attention of executives at ABC, who signed Key to a holding deal in short order. "It's like putting an actor on retainer. You can make commercials, you can make movies, but you can't do a television show for any other network, because we gave you this money."

It sounds like a sweet deal. And for Key it was, until it almost wasn't. Nothing was clicking and he was getting restless. At the suggestion of his manager, Key began studying with Lesly Kahn, known around Tinseltown for her astute eye with scripted comedy. Whether it was Kahn pushing Key out of his comfort zone for the three weeks of intense classes or the stars just coming into alignment at the right time, Key finally got his shot for a series regular role on the Jay Mohr-led Gary Unmarried and booked it.

In August, Key began playing Gary's best friend Curtis, working under the direction of legendary television comedy director James Burrows. Now, the show has wrapped for the season...and they are hoping the network will pick up the show again for the fall.

"It literally leaves me in limbo land," says Key. "Nobody who is shooting a pilot will touch me. The only thing I can do now is try to book guest star roles and be the best, most competent, kindest completely sane actor I can be in guest star roles. So the people who hire me go, 'I want to work with that guy again.'"

If it doesn't go? "What I'll have to do is run right back to the drawing board as soon as I can."

Right now, however, there's no "plan."

But if there is one thing that Key has experienced, it's that life doesn't work out according to a plan...and that's worked out pretty well for him so far.

From Twitter to Screen

2010-02-19T19:22:00.000-08:00

First it was stage to screen. Then, with the Cosby Show in the 80's through Rosanne and Ray Romano in the 90's, TV brought in a swarm of comedians to entertain us on the boob tube. After that, shows were stocked with sketch comedy and improvisation superstars...and still are.

But then Hollywood began looking to the internet and latched on to seemingly mundane writings gone insanely popular. Julia Powell blogged about cooking her way through Julia Child's cookbook and it blossomed into a movie starring Meryl Streep. ...and this fall, we could see the very first Twitter account turned TV show among projects hoping to tidy up sweeps week competition.

Justin Halpern, the guy behind the man who says the funny things that Justin Tweets, describes himself thusly: "I'm 29. I live with my 74-year-old dad. He is awesome. I just write down shit that he says."

He did just that, Tweeting the pearls of widsom, aptly dubbed "Sh*t My Dad Says," that bought him a ticket to Pilot-mania.

...and I have to admit, they're pretty winning. But enough to win him a spot in the fall line up? Only time will tell. Rest assured, though, Halpern's not going to let the sudden success go to his head...at least not if his dad has anything to say about it:

Chime in with your thoughts on shitmydadsays and more! Check out the post on this season's pilots-in-the-running and comment on your picks: Pilot Poll - What's YOUR Eye on for Fall?

Pilot Poll...What's YOUR eye on for Fall?

2010-02-16T08:51:00.000-08:00

Check out The Futon Critic's Development Watch List for the following broadcast networks, and write your Pilot Picks in the Comments below!

ABC

CBS

NBC

FOX

Don't Quit Your Day Job...until June

2010-02-15T19:08:00.000-08:00

Despite this down economy, over the next few months, choruses of "I quits!" will be heard in restaurants, bars, and offices from California to New York.

The reason? Two words: Pilot season.

It's the time of year when swarms of actors - aspiring and established - descend upon LaLa Land to audition for the shows that are in broadcast network contention to beam into your homes come Fall. And as news of casting decisions trickle in, thespians thrilled to bid au revoir to less than desirable non-acting positions, will eagerly run far and fast from the shackles of job security into the open arms of The Big Break.

This traditionally January to April period is the busiest and most anticipated time of year in the television business. And it's also the most nerve-wracking for anyone on the creative side, whose career fates are in the hands of the network executives deciding what will be a go and what will be a no-show.

The Museum of Broadcast Communications estimates that in the months leading up to pilot season, for a given network, approximately 300 shows are pitched, 50 are commissioned for scripts, and then a fraction of those will be moved into development.

Consider the stats for ABC's 2009/2010 season: According to TheFutonCritic.com's annual "DevWatch" list, ABC (often referred to as "The Alphabet" in the trades) had 34 shows in development of which 21 received a pilot order, meaning they are cast and filmed for consideration by the aforementioned network "suits."

Of those, just 8 were "picked up" to be added to the upcoming season's programming lineup: The Middle, Cougar Town, Happy Town, The Deep End, Flash Forward, The Forgotten, V, and Modern Family.

Those odds make it easy to see why booking a pilot isn't exactly a license to sell the farm.

Interestingly enough, neither is getting the news that you're pilot's been "picked-up."

"This really ominous thing happens," says actress Nadia Dajani, "The pickups happen in the middle of May, but they have until the middle of June to pick up your contract. And that's called Firing Season. I know many actors that have celebrated and done all the press for the upfronts in New York and they got fired four weeks later and replaced."

As it turns out, actors should probably hold off on the cartwheels and job-quitting when news of a mid-May "pick-up" rolls in. And hang on to the farm, you might need something to fall back on in case the back-nine order fails to come through.

On The Line with Nadia Dajani...Part 2

2010-02-14T21:47:00.000-08:00

When last we left off, Nadia Dajani moved to LA and signed with Writers and Artists - her first agent!

After performing her self-written 20 minute-long Donny and Marie-esque variety show, according to Dajani, her auditors were in shock: "The three of them were staring at me like I had just grown a second head. They said, 'We have no idea what we're going to do with you, but we'd like to sign you.'"

Not surprisingly, Dajani said yes...and she was off!

...or so she thought.

"I waited tables at a 50's restaurant, and I went out on auditions...and I never booked a thing."

Never really feeling she belonged in Los Angeles, the final straw came when her parked car was totaled by a hit-and-run driver. Lacking the funds to pay for the repairs, she took the misfortune as a sign it was time to head back to New York.

Little did she know that packing up to go home would be the decision that would lead to the beginning of a great career.

Back on familiar East Coast turf, she stayed with Writers and Artists and began taking acting classes taught by her agent. For four years, every Monday, Dajani would either drive or take a train from Grand Central Station up to teacher Molly McCarthy's Westchester home, honing her craft and building lasting friendships with fellow clients of the agency, including Heather Graham.

She also booked her first job ever: An afterschool special directed by Linda Lavin, perhaps best known for playing the title character in the hit TV sitcom Alice. Recalling that very special time, Dajani said, "I was very lucky - I always belonged here more."

Of course, one job does not a career make, so Dajani continued to live at home and work "all over." She played the roles of hostess, waitress and eventually bartender at a variety of New York City's less-upscale watering holes, finally "doing her time" at Down the Hatch, which, according to Dajani, was like "walking into the very bowels of hell."

But if that was the home of the devil, she found her angels while performing in a play at New York University. In a production directed by an eighteen-year-old Keith Bunin - who had yet to blossom into the accomplished playwright and television writer (In Treatment) he's known for today - Dajani acted in a cast with Ethan Hawke, Maddie Corman (actress - Some Kind of Wonderful & so much more), Liz Tucillo (writer - Sex and the City, He's Just Not That Into You), and Josh Hamilton (TV, Film, Broadway, you name it).

Whether they knew it in the moment or not, participation in that show would plant the seed for the Malaparte Theater Company. They only knew one thing: "We all loved each other and wanted to do more together," said Dajani.

At this time, Hawke was already well-known and donated $7000 to rent a little black-box called the Sanford Meisner Theater so the clan could mount a production of their own. Bunin offered up his translation of a Pirandello play, never before performed in English, and they mounted the show with the help of a cast that included Linda Larkin, Cynthia Nixon and prolific character actor/director Austin Pendleton.

The show was a hit: They made their money back and were able to continue reinvesting to produce more work. During the early to mid-90's, Malaparte's productions featured ensembles of talented up-and-comers such as Frank Whaley, Steve Zahn, Calista Flockhart...and of course, Nadia Dajani.

Between bartending and performing with Malaparte, Dajani continued to audition for film and TV projects, and her next job after the afterschool special was a mini-series (A Woman Named Jackie) in which she was cast as Christina Onassis. "That was the most hilarious mini-series I think ever made," said Dajani. She recalled shooting John F. Kennedy's fateful drive in Dallas, with 10 extras holding a flag on one side of the street and using the same 10 people when the camera turned around to capture the reverse angle. "But I had the time of my life. I learned a lot."

Despite these intermittent moments of success, Dajani would continue pouring drinks for drunken revelers until she got her "big break," booking a series regular role in the Debra Messing-led pilot Ned and Stacey.

She remembered the day she called the bar: "They were having a staff meeting and I said 'I got the job,' and they all screamed, and I said 'I've been waiting to say this for four years - I quit'...the stupidest thing was, most pilots don't get picked up. All I did was fly to LA and shoot for ten days, but then I was done."

Fortunately, for Dajani, the pilot did get picked up, and that marked the end of her days at the bar.

For that job, Dajani credits Amy Introcaso Davis, who was the head of casting at Fox. "I loved her and she loved me...we just really got along," said Dajani.

Because of that relationship, Davis "snuck" Dajani in to meet the show's executive producer, who was in New York to see actresses for the role of Stacey. "I met him on the same rainy horrible day - freezing winter February rain, snots coming out of your nose - that I met a really eccentric director, David O'Russell. I auditioned for (the film) Flirting with Disaster and then went over to Fox to meet (Ned and Stacey's) Michael Whitehorn.

She got the movie, six weeks later learned that there was "interest in her" for the role of Amanda Moyer on Ned and Stacey, and by August, she was in Los Angeles working as a series regular on a prime-time sitcom.

After the two-year life of the show, Dajani said, "everything changed - I wasn't green anymore." She'd proven that she could deliver, and the industry recognized it. "I was the go-to snarky New Yorker for a little while."

But although Dajani feels that she's been lucky, no one can say that she hasn't worked hard for her achievements...and continues to do so.

Even now, with nearly 20 films, as many television credits, and 16 pilots under her belt, she's flying to stay at a friend's place in Los Angeles for pilot season.

Her rationale? "Not for nothing, but it's not a bad idea to show your face."

...and not a bad excuse for escaping another cold New York winter!

Cinematic Successes - Made by Marketing? I Think Not...

2010-02-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

I just had to share this piece of journalistic wonder with all of you:

This week, in response to Dear John ending Avatar's seven-consecutive-week number one spot, a contributor for The Wrap, one Mr. Daniel Frankel, wrote a piece entitled, "Sex Change: The Rise of The Female-Driven Blockbuster."

As I read, I was stunned - and almost, overwhelmingly so.

But not because he offered riveting prose or flawlessly crafted structure...

I was struck by this writer's, bottom line: "Every No. 1 film at the domestic box office not called Avatar has been a chick movie." (Something in the tone left me assuming the next sentence might read, "And in the not too distant future we might even see the day when women are allowed to vote!" Clearly this one wasn't winning me over from the get-go.)

Mr. Frankel goes on to say that this "estrogen-fueled year at the box office...produced hits driven almost entirely by female audience members," a result, he seems to offer, of more effectively targeting the demographic. And then he offered real estate to several (mostly male) executives, who, in support of his thesis, put forth such comments as, "Studios are catching on that you have to make the movie for someone" and (my favorite), "It's hard to wrap your head around this because it's never happened before."

(Kudos to Mr. Frankel for allowing his sources to own the most of the truly absurd comments and opinion flaunting.)

Now, don't worry, my major gripe with this offering is not going to be the writer's subtle, yet present, chauvinistic tone. Rather, I'm interested in addressing the notion that films like Dear John, Julie and Julia, and It's Complicated have been successful because suddenly, studio executives (mostly male), after floundering for DECADES, unable to successfully reel in a female audience, have at last discovered THE KEY to the woman's psyche.

I stand by a two-part theory that attributes no weight to marketing mumbo-jumbo. I believe first in good writing and second in the power of a built-in audience; and the film that weds this awesome couple is likely to score the box office gold.

A good movie is a good movie and good movies will (by and large) be well received, and therefore, well attended whether they are "targeted" at men, women, or pre-pubescent tweens. And this has been true for all of time - even P.T. (pre-Twitter). To address this recent example, Avatar wasn't marketed well at all - in fact there was hardly a campaign of any sort (we weren't beat over the head with Valentine's Day-esqe ads, that's for certain).

Say what you will about James Cameron's films, the man knows how to tell a good story and craft a beautifully executed film; and the success of his newest release is owed to little other than that. People came, they saw, they liked, they told their friends, their friends came, saw, liked...and so on.

The same goes for the aforementioned "chick flicks:" They were good stories. Period.

THEN their success was magnified because they all had a built-in, ready-made audience who were eager to grant the movies a warm welcome. Fans of author Nicolas Sparks and his novels were going to see Dear John; the impressive on-line following of Julia Powell's blog that inspired the film Julie and Julia eagerly awaited its release; and romantic comedy devotees, forced to bide time with empty and painful attempts at the genre (the Katherine Heigl-led Ugly Truth, anyone?) could hardly resist a Nancy Meyers' film - she just KNOWS how to build a story that's supported by the familiar formula, without feeling she needs to beat you over the head with it. (Bless her!)

And, who doesn't know at this point about the craze that was the Twilight series before it's characters graced the big screen.

True, these predominately reflect female-based followings, but the same "phenomenon" can also be seen with those that are male-dominated. I don't know a guy who played with Transformers as a kid who couldn't wait for the movie to come out.

But loyal following aside, each of these films wouldn't have performed quite so well if it hadn't been for...yes, you guessed it, the good story.

Granted, there's always a healthy dose of those "well-attended, but turns out they shouldn't have been" type films, often stocked with ubiquitous "names," from which audiences leave, knowing the wasted 90 minutes is time they will never get back. Unfortunately, these occasional missteps make for a nice-looking opening, which I'm convinced is what keeps studio execs casting choices so narrow. But don't be fooled! In these situations, as more people come to realize they've been mislead (i.e. Katherine Heigl does not necessarily a good story indicate), ticket sales will decline and the movie, fade away.

Are you listening studio heads? Tell a good story and we'll pay the good bucks whether or not George Clooney's name is bigger than the title. Spend more money on talented writers and filmmakers rather than marketing strategists and we'll be there.

Oh, one more thing, Mr. Frankel: Is it really any surprise that a movie, any movie eclipsed Avatar finally? The movie's been out for WEEKS! There are few, if any people who haven't seen it...and those that haven't were probably never going to see it in the first place, either because they were scared away by thoughts of motion sickness brought on by an "interactive" three-dimensional environment...or because they are in grad school (ahem).

Week's News Nuggets

2010-02-11T20:05:00.000-08:00

Grad school is clearly in full swing...and apparently Winter is as well...still...

Journalism, Business Classes and Snow Storms - Oh My! That's a fairly accurate description of this week (if you're not on the Left Coast, you know what I mean). The biggest upside of the week? Our first Accounting class of the term was cancelled due to an NYU snow day on Wednesday - that's right, folks, the first day NYU has shuttered its doors in THIRTEEN YEARS!

That means, no additional homework to add to our litany of assignments due in the coming week. Yip EEE!

The biggest downside of the week? The death of my cell phone. (RIP)

Had it not been for two days wasted on the phone with the provider and Best Buy (they really do have great deals on cell phones...likely thanks to their shipping vendor's BEYOND TERRIBLE customer service) I might have been slightly more productive whilst snowed into my 800 square feet of luxury city living.

Alas - enough excuses! More "On the Line With..." interviews coming to you ASAP...but for now, here's your summary of news-worthy events from the week so far (brought to you, for your reading pleasure, "Brangelina" and "Anibutler" free!! and I believe that latter name-combo is a "Line" original, so feel free to say you saw it here first!)

And now, the news:

If you are one of the few people still checking your Myspace accounts, here is yet another reason to become a Facebook convert: After only 10 months of service as CEO of the site, Owen Van Natta has stepped down. First their customers and now their leadership...looks like keeping this acquisition going will be an ongoing challenge for parent News Corp. For the full story from The Wrap, click HERE.

Dear John will now be known as the movie to finally knock Avatar out of its weeks-long number #1 spot. So, either EVERYONE has already seen the 3-D extravaganza on the big screen and there is simply no audience left to attend, or the romantic drama is really that good. Based on Dear John's release proximity to Valentine's Day, I'm guessing it's a combination of the former along with a good portion of the male population agreeing to see a love-story to "make up for" having "dragged" their significant others to go see Avatar (ladies: shhhh...let's all agree not to tell the guys we actually liked the "guy movie"...hang on to that, it's our only leverage!)

According to a press release, DreamWorks Animation is hoping to tap into some 3-D gold of their own with their offering, "How to Train Your Dragon," and a cross-promotional deal with NBC and its Winter Olympics broadcast. The film opens on March 26th and plans to roll out a series of "sports-themed custom, CG animated vignettes" across all NBC platforms during the games. The remaining question will be: Does this film stand a chance against Avatar's achievements and the likely blockbuster hit Alice in Wonderland? I guess we'll see...but to me, (at the risk of dating myself) the vignettes' description sounds like a non-Disney retread of the classic Goofy Sports genre: "Featuring the characters from the feature film as they compete in humorous variations of the "Dragon/Viking" sports from the mythical Viking Games of 1010, the custom vignettes include competitions such as snowboarding, speed skating, bobsledding and ski jumping." Again, I guess we'll see...

The Art of Previsualization

2010-02-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

The assignment: Compose a feature-style profile of an individual or business. And then my first idea was shot down because the company is a start-up...and therefore, deemed "un-profile worthy."

So I went back to the drawing board with the following suggestions from my professor (and I'm paraphrasing), "What about Wes Craven or Avatar? Surely you'll find something innovative to write about."

My first thought? "Sure! I'll just whip through my trusty Roladex and give old Wes and James a buzzaroo!"

(and then I found out that I actually do have a contact who is working to put me in touch with Mr. Craven...so perhaps, in the future, I'll do better to squelch my knee-jerk reactions...)

Then, I turned to one of my favorite resources: IMDb.

After scrolling through the crew list for Avatar...WAY to the bottom of the crew list for Avatar...I saw a credit for "The Third Floor - previsualization." (Before I began work on this, my first writing and reporting assignment of the semester, I don't think I'd ever heard the term "previsualization.")

Curious, I looked them up.

Incredibly intrigued by what I discovered, I gave the company a call and requested an interview with the CEO, Chris Edwards.

I also contacted a few other companies on the list, but Third Floor was the first to return my call, and by the end of the day, I had my interview lined up!

Edwards is quite possibly the most engaging and enthusiastic person I've had the pleasure of talking to yet - and let me tell you, between last semester and this, I've likely spoken to nearly 100 people (and I'm not exaggerating).

We had our initial conversation last week, during which Edwards told me all about how he came to build a career as a previs artist (including a two-year stint on the Skywalker Ranch, working with George Lucas - more on that in a later post), and this week, he walked me through the more technical aspects of the craft with the aid of visuals from the impressive body of work the company's amassed since its inception in 2004.

The problem now? I'm only to be writing a 1,000-word story...and I have enough material for a novel. My biggest problem to date (I'm realizing) is that when I become privy to a vast amount of information, I want to share it all. How could I possibly decide what is important enough to share? To me, if it's interesting, it all seems important.

And this was all interesting.

Incredibly exciting, I must say (and that's not just my inner-nerd talking!) & I hope to share more when the assignment is complete. But for now, I'll wrap-up this post with my best attempt at explaining previsualization in a nutshell:

"Previs is a collaborative process that generates preliminary versions of shots or sequences, predominantly using 3D animation tools and a virtual environment. It enables filmmakers to visually explore creative ideas, plan technical solutions, and communicate a shared vision for efficient production."

-from Chris Edwards, Previsualization Society founding member and CEO of The Third Floor.

THE STAGES OF PREVISUALIZATION:

"Pitchvis” is a form of previsualization that is employed in situations where - much like the term indicates - the filmmaker is seeking to "pitch" a project, as might occur during rounds of fundraising, for example. In this scenario, the previs artists create a digital blueprint for a project, crafting representative sequences or teaser trailers – “a proof of concept to show off the director’s vision,” said Edwards.

As might be assumed, "postvis" happens at the near-end of the filmmaking process. Essentially, t is a “quicker and dirtier” preliminary special effects pass. It allows the director and visual effects producers the opportunity to see previs elements laid into completed footage, and make precise decisions before passing the ball to VFX vendors who will craft the more detailed – and costly – final effects art.

Postvis still of River God from Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (property of The Third Floor)

Traditional previsualiztion itself - during pre-production - is a multi-stage process that begins with the artists building three-dimensional assets. The Third Floor team uses Autodesk Maya software to design characters, props and finally the background through which the director can be guided on a virtual location scout. From there, rough blocking can be staged. “You’re just getting the striking composition at the beginning and understanding how the character is moving through the space in the roughest of ways,” said Edwards. At this stage, the filmmaker can focus on options pertaining to camera lenses and angles, choosing the optimal set-up to achieve the desired overall look and effect. Previs artists can then roughly animate the action, “particularly important,” said Edwards, “when the camera work needs to respond to the action and not the other way around.”

“It really is just a sandbox for the directors to visualize what it is that the scene will look like,” he said.

A vast amount of technical data can also be derived from this work, including an array of valuable camera statistics. For example, if the plan on the day is to have the camera migrate toward the action on a dolly, the previs artists, working within the Maya-designed environment can easily nail down the required length of the track.

(PHOTO rt: technical previs still of camera on dolly track. Property of The Third Floor.)

Or perhaps the director envisions the camera mounted on a crane that will swoop downward to a tight shot of the main character – the necessary velocity of the movement is monitored and recorded in previs.

(PHOTO: technical previs - camera field of vision and measurements. Property of The Third Floor)

Layer in additional capabilities like choreographing intricate character progressions recorded with the use of motion capture technology or plotting out handheld shots inside the digitally designed set with a virtual camera system, and it’s easy to see that the possibilities for planning an efficient shoot from pre-production through post are limitless.

“Now that filmmakers are faced with increased audience expectations and the global economic pressures of keeping their budgets down and outsourcing all the work to other countries with cheaper labor forces, they’re in this bind: They want to do better films, the films need to be fed to audiences that are very sophisticated, yet they have less money to do that with. So, what’s the solution?”

Increasingly, directors and producers alike are recognizing this practical value – and cost-saving benefit – of having previs artists actively collaborate throughout the entirety of a filmmaking endeavor. And, as these stages of previsualization become seamlessly integrated into production, the entire cohesive process is gradually being termed “visualization” or “virtual production.”

Fostering this shift in perception is what prompted Edwards and a group of other like-minded previsualization specialists nationwide to create the newly launched Previsualization Society. By forming this non-profit community, Edwards explained that he and the Society’s other founders hope to increase visibility for a “very misunderstood art form.”

“Previs techniques can be applied to just about any creative project or any artistic endeavor,” said Edwards. “It’s not just for large budget projects and it’s not just for visual effects driven sequences. These days we’re doing some very dramatic scenes that are just for the blocking of some intense character action…the technology is not as important as the creative process is. We’re using technology to empower the creative process. We’re embarking on a golden age of inspired content creation.“

Money, Money, Money, Money...and Sometimes Bad Movies Happen to Good People

2010-02-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

Since my last post...um, yesterday...I think that the time I have spent away from my computer is a ridiculously small fraction compared to the HOURS I have spent transcribing interviews and working on assignments...and as it is only the beginning of the term.

I fear this does not bode well for the semester ahead. But, I remain positive (midterms, after all are still over a month away!) and remind myself that med students have it FAR worse. (Not that I know that from any sort of real experience, but I do watch Grey's Anatomy - no judgements, please:-)

Alas, I am tearing myself away from my current project (you'll see more on that in posts to come, but I'll give you a one word hint: "previsualization") to answer a question presented to me earlier today: "Why did a movie like Hurricane Season, with a seemingly amazing cast, get released straight to DVD?"

Good question. Here's my take...in brief:

We’ve all seen them: movies with unfamiliar titles, but stellar casts, hiding amidst the rows of recognizable flix that only months prior played at multiplexes nationwide.

And every now and then (when we’re desperate enough and our DVR library has nothing to offer except for the twice viewed episode of sitcom X or drama Y that really wasn’t that good the first viewing around)…we rent one.

…and then we usually wish we hadn’t.

The number one reason for this seeming anomaly: Simply put – sometimes, bad movies happen to good people.

And failing that, if the movie is actually good, the top three reasons for a film landing on the soon-to-be proverbial rental shelf are, in order: Money, money…and yes, money.

Although representatives from the Weinstein Co. could not be reached for comment, it is difficult to imagine that anything other than money – or rather, the lack thereof – being the sole reason for Hurricane Season’s bypassing the big screen.

Releasing a film theatrically is a costly endeavor, and it’s no secret that the Weinstein Co. has had its share of widely publicized financial difficulties, especially in the last year. With Hurricane on sister company Dimension’s slate, it seems likely brothers Harvey and Bob made a “cut-our-losses” decision, despite the promise a stellar cast led by Forrest Whitaker might seem to offer.

...and in case you are wondering, yes I do realize it is Saturday night. Ah, the life of a grad student!

On The Line with Nadia Dajani...

2010-02-05T10:34:00.000-08:00

Nadia Dajani may not be a household name, but the New York born and raised actress has certainly made her mark in independent films and on the small screen as the (in Dajani’s words) “go-to snarky New Yorker.” She has accomplished a feat sought by most any thespian – to be a working actor. And although a bit of luck played a role, it was talent and hard work that brought this actress success.

Dajani grew up in the Westbeth apartment complex, an artist housing community in the West Village. “It was sheer madness – artists and their children,” Dajani said with a smile. “I was lucky and cursed right away, since this [a life in the arts] was what I knew I would be doing.”

Through high school, where she attended the city’s famed High School of Music and Performing Arts, Dajani trained in voice and musical theater. “I was a singer, a perform-ah,” said Dajani (insert jazz hands here), “but I wasn’t good enough. My mother would tell you otherwise, but I just wasn’t good enough to be a singer and a Broadway star. And so I shifted my focus to figure out how to be an actor because I had no clue.”

In a logical move for any aspiring actor to make, following her high school graduation, Dajani traveled across the Pond to study Shakespeare in London, but quickly realized that it too wasn’t for her. “I learned I’m terrible and so I stopped that madness right away.”

Having spent a year abroad, Dajani found herself stateside once more. After time making money waiting tables and hostessing and all the while wondering how she could start being an actor, she decided she needed to move to Los Angeles, because she assumed, “that’s where actors go.”

It happened that her best friend was a musician who had done some acting in his youth - Adam Horovitz, now known for his success with the Beastie Boys. It also happened that her best friend was the son of accomplished playwright Israel Horovitz, and had an agent that he agreed to help Dajani meet.

Upon arriving in LA, Dajani was brought before a team of agents at the now-defunct Writers and Artists Agency, who requested to see some evidence of the aspiring actress’ work – a current play, a reel…anything. However, having only school play credits to her name, Dajani could only offer to prepare a scene and come back – and they agreed.

But rather than cull a scene from a published work – as most actors would do – Dajani set to work creating her own showcase piece…actually, a mini-play…20 minutes long! “When I think about it now – the nerve,” Dajani said. “This was like the biggest opportunity anyone could ever have and I just shunned all of the normal scenes that actual talented people have written for actors and I just decided I needed to showcase me.”

Fortunately for Dajani, her naïveté paid off, and after performing the full twenty-minute variety show, complete with announcer segments and scene changes, Dajani landed her first agent!

…check back soon for Part 2 of On The Line with Nadia Dajani: "Playing" around with pals Ethan Hawke, Josh Hamilton, Frank Whaley & more, plus landing that first game-changing role on "Ned & Stacey!"

Tiny Coffee Shops; Long Days in Class; and Conan, Avatar & Miramax in the News......

2010-02-04T08:32:00.001-08:00

Sunday was a heat wave! Well, comparing to the “feels like” near-zero temperatures of the preceding days, Sunday was darn near balmy. And it was a good thing, since I was venturing out of the warm comfort of regulated central air to interview Nadia Dajani.

I will say here that I am a creature of habit. For example, if I order in, it’s always from the same Chinese restaurant and it’s always steamed chicken with broccoli, black bean sauce on the side and brown rice. (And they know it too – it’s practically at my door before I complete my phone order).

I have my places in the city I like to go, and I rarely try a new meet-up spot, especially if the person I am meeting up with is not someone I know very well: There are always hits and misses from bars to restaurants to coffee shops. So, when Ms. Dajani suggested that I pick out a place in the West Village for our Sunday interview, I panicked – I don’t have a “usual spot” in the West Village.

So I literally Googled “coffee shops in the West Village,” and the often-trusty New York Magazine was the first to pop up with their “Guide to West Village Coffee Shops.” Perfect. I settled on the first option, Mojo, thanks to several user reviews that commented on the relative ease of finding a place to sit, and it’s easy-going atmosphere.

When I walked in at 1:15pm on Sunday afternoon (hoping I’d found the right place since the only visible sign over the door said, simply, “coffee,” with no mention of Mojo from what I could tell), I did in fact see a few available seats, but the place was so small, it was impossible to imagine conducting an interview with the neighboring patron nearly sitting on our laps.

Fortunately, a very kind customer offered his relatively spacious choice window-flanked corner table in exchange for my itty two-top (Thank you again kind sir!). Shortly after the swap, Ms. Dajani arrived, and the interview was under way (she was just lovely and has a great story which will be posted in the coming days, so check back!)

Monday and Tuesday were filled mostly with classes, however I did receive word back from actor Frank Whaley that he is happy to chat with me and found a few moments for additional phone calls – so I’m certainly encouraged with this feeling of momentum!

And now for some News Nuggets from the past few days:

Chairman and CEO of News Corp. (and parent of Fox) Rupert Murdoch responded to questions regarding whether or not Fox will move into negotiations to bring Conan O’Brien to the network during their Tuesday earnings call. According to Murdoch there have been “conversations” but no real negotiations. He added that Fox affiliate stations currently run profitable syndicated programming from 11:00-11:30, but “If the program people can show us that we could do it and be fairly confident about making a profit, we’d do it in a flash.”

Murdoch also commented on the possibility of an Avatar sequel…but although he confirmed that both sides are interested in moving forward with the idea, Murdoch said (and I love this), “Being Jim Cameron I wouldn’t hold your breath for an early one.”

Now that Miramax is up for grabs, it looks like the Weinstein brothers might seek to reclaim the indie studio that bears the combined names of their beloved parents (and holds the library to their stock of films made at what was unarguably the height of independent filmmaking…and of their careers to date). The Wrap’s Sharon Waxman reported that two hedge funds approached the brothers about a team effort to buy back the studio, which the Weinsteins’ sold to Disney in 1993. Read more about it HERE.

Going to Court, Startups, Previsualization, & Week Round-up

2010-01-31T20:14:00.000-08:00

The last two days can be summed up in two words: “busy” and “freezing.”

Temps on the East Coast these last few days make me wonder why I chose the Right Coast over the Left to call home. I’m sorry Weather.com, but when you tell me that it’s “23 degrees, feels like 8,” I would much prefer you just tell me “it’s 8 degrees, hunker down, crank up your heat, and do not - under any circumstances - venture out of doors!”

Then again, had I REALLY understood the concept of 8 degrees, I might not have gotten so much accomplished.

I started Friday by going to the New York City’s Criminal Court at 100 Centre Street to begin work on my investigative reporting assignment – simply, “go to court and write about it.” (That’s grad school for you: I mean, I get the whole value of “figure it out for yourself,” but sometimes I just want someone to tell me how and I’ll get it done…I’m paying for this, after all).

So, Google map in hand, I braved the chilling cold (how is it the wind, no matter which direction I faced was never at my back), ducking inside a Duane Reade at one point, just to warm up for a moment.

I finally arrived at the courthouse and found the room for the trial. I’d be attending the proceedings for the young assistant accused of murdering her boss, the famed “Real Estate Agent to the Stars,” Linda Stein, as I’d read the trial was currently underway. And I knew I’d found what I was looking for when I spotted several photographers standing at the ready to capture photos of the deceased’s daughters…not sure how I felt about that.

Overall, it was a very strange experience – incredibly sad, and I felt just awful, voyeuristic (and not in a good way) for even being there.

Fortunately, my next meeting was with an old friend, and certainly a spirit-lifter. I had lunch with a college pal to discuss his latest entrepreneurial venture, and if his track record for success holds, and the idea is as solid as it sounds, it will be a great success. The company is called Wanduta…and a post is forthcoming!

Following lunch, I raced home for a call with the CEO of a previsualization company in LA – The Third Floor.

“What is previsualization,” you ask? Well, guess you’ll just have to tune back in to find out…but, suffice it to say that previs guys are the unsung heroes of modern-day moviemaking – really exciting stuff!

I’ll close this post with a wrap-up, highlighting interesting bits of news I read this week:

Conan is still tied to NBC: The Hollywood Reporter posted that the network now infamous for putting O’Brien – and his entire staff – on the unemployment line has picked up a multi-cam comedy (“The Pink House”) AND an hour-long drama (“Justice”)…both hailing from Conan’s production company Conaco.

Director Kathryn Bigelow was the big winner at the DGA Awards, beating out ex-husband James Cameron for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film…and making her the favorite for an Oscar win (it’s known that the winner at the DGA ceremony most often takes home the coveted Golden Statue!). Start placing your bets now!

And…if you’ve been keeping up – The Wrap announced Wednesday that Miramax (the independent studio founded by the brothers Weinstein) would close its doors on the 27^th, and then updated the news on Thursday with the following: “A Disney spokeswoman called to protest that Miramax is not 'dead.' ‘Miramax will consolidate its operations within Walt Disney Studios, and will be releasing a smaller number of films than in previous years. But it will continue to operate within the Walt Disney Studios,’ she said.” The latest news is that Disney is actually looking to sell the indie house…to the tune of over $700 million. Any takers?

The Beginning of Phone Calls & Emails

2010-01-28T19:38:00.000-08:00

Mind reeling with things to do and people to add to The List until nearly 3am, I awoke slightly later than planned, but figured, most offices in this business don’t really get going until 10am and LA is three hours behind, so I’m in good shape.

I started with people I know, or at least have some connection to...however remote that might be. I have to say that I'm pleased with the overall response so far - I mean, no one laughed me off the phone and everyone vowed to do what they can.

(Don't get me wrong, I do know the game: I was an executive assistant for quite a few years myself and I know all too well how many times I said, "we'll see what we can do," knowing that the only call the poor person on the other end of the line would receive in return would be from me, saying that Mr. X would "not be available for an interview at this time after all.")

But, my motto's always been, "the worst that could happen is that they say 'no.'" ...and frankly, I'd rather know I tried than always wonder "what if?"

So, with that spirit in mind, I plowed through nearly 20 phone calls and as many follow-up emails, from Frank "check-out-the-big-brain-on-Brad" Whaley to George Clooney and his producing partner Grant Heslov.

Yes, that's right, I said it - George Clooney.

And yes, the assistant did sound as though she were stifling the smallest of snickers, but I just acknowledged that I knew it might be a long shot and thanked her for doing what she could.

...and then, in my follow-up email I threw out the old "he may remember me from working on 'Welcome to Collinwood' or for my rendition of 'Bobby McGee' and a latter duet with Stephen Soderbergh at one of our karaoke-infused 'Clayton' gatherings" for good measure.

And yes, that really did happen.

And here's the proof:

And yes, I will now clear the floor of the names I just dropped.

And now I wait and see who gets back to me.

I'm hopeful.

And at least I got a lot done today...

Starting "The List"

2010-01-27T17:34:00.000-08:00

Today, I started and ended my day with making The List: Everyone I could think of to interview, from those I have direct contact with to those I will endeavor to gain access to via their representation (wish me luck!).

I began by flipping through the contacts in my Palm Treo (wondering if I just might be one of a dozen people in this country who doesn’t have a Blackberry or isn’t an iPhone convert) and realized what a digital packrat I have become. I don’t think I’ve ever deleted anything. I’ve somehow amassed nearly 1,000 contacts. I don’t even have close to that many facebook “friends.” Among them, I have a phone number marked “home” for Sam Rockwell (don’t worry, Mr. Rockwell, if you’re reading, it will not be used, nor will I publish) and an email address for Bette Midler – which I assumed was for her assistant, and yes I did try (if you are wondering), but alas, did not work (as I presumed).

I had to take a respite from list-making late afternoon through the evening for obligatory errands (I don’t recall having so much “life stuff” to attend to as an undergrad) and my investigative reporting class. There we received another assignment: two weeks to compose a story about a court case. [Note to self: add “go to court” to “to do” list].

Back home at 10pm, I wrapped up The List for the day and set my alarm for an early wake-up to begin the phone calls.

Day three: The Phone Calls

New Semester, new approach...and more posts

2010-01-26T23:51:00.000-08:00

I left my first Writing and Reporting class of the semester brimming with equal parts stress and enthusiastic anticipation of the months to come. After pounding away on the treadmill for an hour, I met my friend Samara for dinner at the lovely (and oh-so-tasty) vegetarian restaurant Gobo in New York City’s West Village (try it if you haven’t…seriously!)…and barely stopped chattering away long enough to let my dear friend get a word in edgewise.

The source of all my anxiety/excitement: Four blog posts per week…minimum.

What can I possibly have to say that much about? Surely I can’t dive into another post about NBC…haven’t we all heard enough about the Conan/Leno/Tonight Show drama? And I’m no Nikki Finke…nor do I have connection to the seemingly vast array of “sources familiar with the situation” that has The Wrap shooting me multiple e-mail blasts of “breaking” headlines thrice daily (Sharon Waxman, how do you do it?!).

…but I do have some good contacts from my personal forays in the entertainment industry (sometimes in front of the camera, sometimes – many times - far behind), so, I’ll see where that, and a little ingenuity takes me.

The plan? To grow my “On the Line With…” series, talking to individuals working in various fields of the entertainment industry about the early years of their respective careers. I hope to, in part, demystify the process of building a career in this business and "pull the curtains back," to show that, while overnight successes do happen, the vast majority of successful careers are achieved through hard work – it is a business, after all.

Minimum of four posts per week equals roughly 60 posts total…

So, are you along for the ride? Anyone?

Stay tuned! Day two: starting The List of people I will contact…and hopefully interview.

Don't Cut the Cord

2009-12-12T10:15:00.000-08:00

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts led off this week’s Annual Global Media and Communications Conference in New York, sponsored by USB Bank. In the question and answer portion of his presentation, he addressed his intended treatment of its newly acquired NBC-U properties, as they relate to Comcast’s online distribution prospects – a central concern of many opponents of the union.

He applauded NBC’s support of free online content via its relationship with Hulu. Unsurprising, since Comcast’s been doing the same thing via their own, albeit lesser-known, Fancast.com portal.

But further, according to Roberts, he also applauds NBCU for the following: NBC’s been “careful that the product that their cable channels put out through cable, telco and satellite distribution has not gone out over the internet in a way that would encourage cord-cutting.”

In other words, customers don’t need a cable subscription to watch certain channels, including broadcast outfits like NBC, ergo, the content is also free to view on the web. Conversely, a subscription is required for access to everything else; and for the most part, the content belonging to those networks currently isn’t made widely available for free (legally) online.

And in this, the upside for Comcast’s desire to own a majority stake in content production becomes clear: Whether or not it proves a successful attempt in the long run, for a time, Comcast can keep a tight leash over widely distributing programming online – a trend that could render moot the need for customers to buy into a cable package. After all, who needs it if you can see it on line, for free? Right?

Well…maybe not.

Clearly, it is in the best interest of both the content and cable providers to maintain this status-quo, of sorts – absent cable subscriptions, a large portion of their revenue is lost. However, it seems it should be in the best interest of the consumers as well – and for the same reason.

While the Nielsen Company recently reported that 99% of television programming is still viewed in the traditional way (i.e. on TV) online video consumption has risen 35% over the last year – a number that will likely continue to grow. This translates to increasing numbers of people “cutting the cord,” dropping their cable subscriptions in favor of more wallet-friendly options.

Simultaneously, it translates to less money for the content creators producing the shows that we love.

What the “cord-cutters” fail to see, is that they are chipping away at the revenue that supports programs they still watch on their computers, the danger being, before long, those shows won’t have access to the kind of funding they need to survive.

The “why pay for it when it’s” free argument seems flawed: Television’s never been “free,” we have just been paying for it indirectly through the advertisers. And advertising revenue in the online space, being a fraction of what it is in television marketplace, is not enough to fully bear the cost burden of producing traditional television programming.

Roberts did express hope that Comcast’s union with NBC-U will give both companies the opportunity to explore viable online business models, but we surely won’t see any groundbreaking solutions overnight.

In the meantime, we should expect that Comcast’s online efforts will be cable television business first, internet second – and that may not be such a bad thing.

An Inevitable But Steep Climb From The Valley of Free

2009-12-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

No sooner had Comcast and GE put pen to paper on the deal that would give Comcast majority ownership of NBCU than public advocacy organizations such as the Media Access Project issued treatises denouncing the merger, raising questions about what it means for, what MAP calls, “an open and diverse media.”

MAP is a non-profit law firm that seeks to protect the public interest in all areas of mass media, promoting free speech and both universal and impartial access to content. Currently, MAP’s website features an article titled, “Comcast-NBCU Is Bad For Broadcasting,” which details the organization’s concerns, chief among them the impact the deal could have on availability of NBCU-produced content on the web.

The Project’s President, Andy Schwartzman wrote, “The delivery of programming over the Internet is important not just for viewers, but for broadcasters because they can develop additional advertising revenue streams with advertising on Hulu. Comcast…wants to migrate everything to its TV Everywhere-approach where it seeks to grab revenue that otherwise would go to a competitive source.”

However, in the months leading up to the merger announcement, Comcast was already well on its way to perfecting a model that will place content behind a “wall,” accessible only to its cable subscribers. Termed, OnDemand Online, the service will provide Comcast customers the ability to view programming on the Internet via its Fancast.com portal, in the same way the On Demand option works on TV.

The idea is that the service will make available online a wide variety of content that is currently being withheld from the platform (think HBO and Showtime…unless you’re one adept at locating sites specializing in pirated content). If you’re a Comcast cable subscriber (i.e. you can’t just hold an internet subscription), you will enter a login on the Fancast site, it will recognize you as a paying Comcast customer, and you can watch “TV”, using Comcast’s motto, “anywhere, anytime.”

According to a Comcast representative, the folks at NBC were already on board with the concept – along with over 20 other broadcasters and cable outfits – who are well aware that increasing numbers of people are heading online to catch up on missed episodes of their favorite shows, or to ease the monotony of another mundane day at the office.

The rumblings that content now widely available on the web for free will soon migrate behind pay-walls in one form or another aren’t new. Content creators have been wising up to the fact that they can – and should – be paid for the property, and the brief 15-30 second ad spots aren’t cutting it: Its no secret that revenue streams from advertisements supporting content online don’t hold a candle to the value they maintain in the television marketplace.

So the problem shouldn’t be with Comcast’s efforts to, as MAP says, “migrate everything to its TV Everywhere-approach” – which was bound to happen, whether at the hands of Comcast or at the behest of the networks and sites like Hulu. (In fact, the mistake some networks made was allowing free content consumption in the first place – it’s a steep climb up the mountain from the Valley of Free.)

Rather, attention to the Comcast-NBCU deal should be focused on the extent to which the media mammoth is allowed to wield its newfound power, potentially granting preferential treatment to Comcast subscribers in terms of content access.

In this way, organizations like MAP would be well advised to restructure their arguments before the federal regulatory committees that are currently preparing review of the merger come January.

NBC, Comcast, GE...oh my!

2009-12-03T23:47:00.000-08:00

The widely expected and much discussed M&A deal of the year was finally, officially announced: Comcast and GE have signed a joint venture agreement, giving Comcast a 51% majority stake in NBC Universal.

The proposed merger will bring together the largest distribution provider and a major, but struggling, player in the production of broadcast, cable and film content.

Comcast will add to its current portfolio of regional sports networks and cable channels – including the Golf Channel, E! and the Style Network – NBC owned Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, SyFy and USA, among others.

According to the joint release issued earlier today, “The combination of assets creates a leading media and entertainment company with the proven capability to provide some of the world’s most popular entertainment, news and sports content, movies and film libraries to consumers anytime, anywhere.”

Under the terms of the agreement, GE will contribute its NBCU businesses, valued at $30 billion and Comcast will pay GE approximately $6.5 billion in cash and contribute its stable of distribution platforms and “certain other properties,” collectively worth $7.25 billion.

From a financial perspective, the move is a win-win for the two companies. It will generate an approximated total of $8 billion in much-needed cash for GE and leave Comcast with a cash reserve to grant its shareholders desired dividends.

Comcast’s interest in the joint venture has been named the Comcast Entertainment Group. The Comcast Cable entity will continue to maintain control of the company’s traditional cable business.

To access the full press release, click HERE.

On the Line with Eileen Heisler - Part 2

2009-12-01T22:25:00.000-08:00

Eileen Heisler and writing partner DeAnn Heline, currently Executive Producers on the hit ABC freshman sitcom The Middle, may not attribute all of their successes to luck, but it certainly was a stroke of something that led the talented duo down a path that has included work on Doogie Howser, Rosanne, Murphy Brown, How I Met Your Mother, and Lipstick Jungle.

In Part 2 of my conversation with Ms. Heisler, she talks about her present role(s) on The Middle, working with network executives, and (I had to ask) her opinion on the Jay Leno Experiment!

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“Showrunning, you wear a lot of hats,” Heisler said.

For those not in the know, “showrunning,” a term heard far more often on the Left Coast (I’ve never actually heard it used on a New York set) is industry speak for Executive Producer. And as Heisler can attest, “It’s very demanding on all fronts.”

The first hat worn by an Executive Producer is that of the head writer. “You’re in charge of all the scripts,” Heisler said. “That doesn’t mean I have to write them all myself, but we have to come up with the stories with our writers, approve them, give notes, rewrite the scripts, and – when they’re not good enough – write some of the scripts ourselves.”

Between writing sessions, Heisler drops that hat in favor of the one she wears on set during shooting of the current episode. There she oversees production, making sure the director and actor’s are working happily – or as Heisler terms it “being the spiritual leader of the show” – and chiming in with performance notes when necessary. (Her early training as a thespian coming in handy after all.)

Then she’s off to put on her post-production hat to ready the previously shot episode for its air date. She watches edited versions of the show and gives notes. She listens to music cues and gives feedback. Then she watches edited versions with music cues and – you guessed it – gives notes and feedback.

“I have days when I don’t sit down,” Heisler said. “Well, I sit down, but I don’t ever stop working. You wouldn’t believe how many meetings take place to put a half hour show together that people sit and eat their dinner in front of.”

As Heisler put it, she is essentially the production head of every department, approving everything down to the color of the carpet in the bedroom. She and partner Helene are the Ultimate Decision Makers…next to the network, that is. And that’s where the “talking to the network hat” enters the picture.

Heisler explained that, while she and Helene are the creative heads of the show, that creativity is always subject to approval by both the network and the studio. Laughing, she said, “There’s a lot of talking to people at the network and people at the studio.”

“It took awhile for me to realize that the network is not there to just make sure that I get to deliver the vision of the show that I want,” Heisler said. “They’re there because they bought a product that they need. They bought the thing I came up with, but they are my ultimate boss. They give you a lot of creative freedom, but definitely, there’s a lot of creative interaction with the network executives.”

Although the nature of the Showrunner-Network relationship may not have always made perfect sense to Heisler, she appreciates it now: “You go to upfronts and you see the network President standing up there in front of all the advertisers and you realize, ‘Well, everybody has a boss.’ All of a sudden it clicks – what a piece of the big picture your little show is.”

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So what does this hard working, multi-hat wearing talent think of the deviation-from-traditional-scripted-programming “experiment” over on her rival network NBC?

“I thought it was a really bad idea from the beginning,” Heisler said. “I think it’s a really bad idea.”

But more than that, she finds it disappointing. “I think it was the continuing of the chipping away at the NBC brand. I think NBC had this lovely reputation of being this place of quality drama and quality comedy.” In sum, to Heisler, The Jay Leno Show “is a cop out.”

…What isn’t a cop out is Heisler’s own original, scripted show The Middle, which can be seen Wednesday’s on ABC at 8:30pm!

Dynamic Advertising comes to VOD

2009-11-25T15:24:00.000-08:00

Today, I read a press release, announcing that the Video On-Demand software gurus at SeaChange International will begin rolling out “dynamic advertising technology” for UK’s leading on-demand cable television operator Virgin Media.

This seemed to indicate…perhaps…(maybe?)…that a solution has been found to entice advertisers to the VOD platform and more effectively monetize VOD for the content producers. And money coming in to support the content that we love must be good news…right?

Unfortunately, the announcement, rife with industry mumbo jumbo, left me with vague comprehension and more a sense of, “huh?”

What do they really mean by “dynamic advertising technology” anyway? How does it work?

I went on a little internet hunt to see if I couldn’t help non-techies like myself get a grasp on what is sure to be on its way to VOD near you, and here’s what I found:

It appears that SeaChange has been at the forefront of this technology development since at least 2005, participating in market trials covered in trade sites like Multichannel.com.

According to the folks at Multichannel, “dynamic advertising technology” will essentially allow for ads within on-demand video to be changed out over the course of its availability, akin to how ads run on some online content providers, like Hulu.com.

For example, different ads might appear depending on the time of day, targeting viewers who watch TV in the afternoon hours (like stay-at-home moms) versus the broader audience who is more apt to tune in at night.

Additionally, broadcasters can update time-sensitive ads like TV promos, so the viewer is seeing what episode is actually coming up instead of what already aired.

Now, four years later, select cable providers across the Pond, in Australia, and in several markets in the US are giving the technology the old test run.

Here in the States, Cox Communications has teamed up with NBC Universal via on-demand airings of The Office and Monk to evaluate what kind of value-added dynamic advertising can offer.

But this potentially viable advertising platform presents what will surely be thought of as a drawback to some customers: No more fast-forwarding through ads. Cox’s trial, disables “trick functionality” (i.e. fast-forwarding and rewinding) during VOD ad spots.

Avatar - The Application

2009-11-24T17:23:00.001-08:00

Up until now, the only thing I could tell about Avatar from its trailers is that it is James Cameron’s first Big Movie since all of his other Big Movies.

(Remember THIS Big Movie?)

(And this OTHER Big Movie??)

…oh, and that this new Big Movie features some crazy new animation that is crazier and newer than any other animation we’ve seen yet.

(Wow.)

Now, Fox Entertainment ups the ante in advance of the film’s release, with a crazy, new trailer. In a press release issued earlier today, the studio proclaimed, “James Cameron’s epic adventure AVATAR will take moviegoers to a world never before experienced, so it’s only fitting that the film is getting a “next generation” movie trailer.”

“Next generation” movie trailer?

Intrigued, I downloaded this new-fangled application, which promised to be a “dynamic interactive experience.”

Well, perhaps not this dynamically interactive, but...

I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it’s basically a trailer that lives in your application folder, with some “hotspots” (i.e. highlighted points, featuring in-depth views of the characters as told by the actors that play them), a link to buy tickets, and a twitter feed with interviews and behind-the-scenes details of the kind you might find in the extras section of a DVD.

(Makes me wonder what sort of value-added features will be left to entice viewers to buy a copy of their own.)

However, try as I might to prove this novel marketing tool ineffective, it has peaked my interest in the film, not because of the twitter updates or glimpses behind-the-scenes, but because of a far superior trailer compared to that previously shown on TV.

So, in that regard, kudos to Fox: This trailer finally shows the movie to be more than just the next Big James Cameron Movie.

To download your own copy of the Avatar app, click HERE, and let me know what you think!

A Movie In Your Pocket

2009-11-18T23:22:00.000-08:00

What if you could rent a movie in under 30 seconds by simply inserting a USB flash drive into a kiosk and then watching your rental at home or on the road without ever having to worry about returning a DVD?

That’s precisely the question posed by Digiboo, a new, self-described “digital media download company.” Digiboo describes its efforts as “as step toward making downloading and distribution of movies and other content much faster and easier.”

Having recently secured funding from actor Morgan Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment technology investment segment, Digital Revelations, Digiboo is now preparing to launch a trial run of their “movie in your pocket” product in January with select Hollywood Video and Movie Gallery retail stores.

According to a release by the company, a broader expansion will follow, bringing its digital kiosks to airports, bookstores, coffee shops, college campuses and more.

“There’s no subscription, no set-top box, no out-of-stock movies and no returns,” said Digiboo’s Chief Executive Officer and former President of MGM Home Entertainment Richard Cohen in the statement. “Digiboo’s technology enables films and other media to be played on many different kinds of devices – providing the seamless convenience and portability that movie lovers have been looking for, and what’s been missing from other models.”

It would seem Blockbuster is also looking to get into the DVD-less rental game, but with the potentially problematic use of SD cards instead. A Fast Company article that ran earlier this month pointed out a host of issues, among them the facts that SD slots are not universal across PDAs and many computers aren’t SD compatible...not to mention, televisions.

Some critics in the blogosphere also question the motivation behind producing any sort of physical rental device at all, given streaming and video download options available directly online – no extra device needed.

This might be the case in the future, but I would argue that in the interim, a video rental solution that is fast and hassle-free could amass a following. After all, if no one were renting physical movies any more, Redbox – the company that offers DVD rentals for $1.99 a day dispensed from a kiosk – would not be the thriving business that it’s become.

(Title of Movie): The Sequel

2009-11-15T11:09:00.000-08:00

The Holidays are right around the corner, but movie studios have seen more red than green this year. Houses big and small are placing their bets on franchise films in the hopes of making up for losses incurred in 2009.

The Walt Disney Company released their fourth quarter and fiscal year earnings yesterday, and while their Studio Entertainment division posted a 3% rise in revenue for the quarter, it was down 16% to $6.1 billion for the year, with operating income down 84% to $175 million.

On the earnings call, Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger acknowledged it was “an extremely disappointing year in 2009.” He went on to say that efforts to boost the studio’s profits going forward include “investment on franchise properties like Princess and the Frog, Cars 2, Toy Story 3, and Pirates 4.”

Additionally, the recent acquisition of Marvel Entertainment will allow the studio to build on established titles, including Iron Man and Spiderman, both of which have next installments in the works.

“When our franchise films are successful, they create a wave across the company that can lift up all of our Disney branded businesses,” said Iger on the conference call.

And Disney’s not the only one, Bob and Harvey Weinstein hope a run of previously profitable franchise favorites will have the trades penning tales of financial success instead money woes.

Scream 4, Spy Kids 4, Sin City 2 and Scary Movie 5 pad the upcoming slate for Dimension – The Weinstein Company’s “thriller” arm and the only library won in the brother’s Miramax divorce from Disney back in 2005.

Bob Weinstein, who heads Dimension, told Variety in September that he’s “heading back” to his franchise films: “These films are our strength, and we are committed to doing them in style.”

Rankings released by Hollywood.com Box Office indicate studios might be wise to stick to this strategy: A quick scan of their “Top 30 Opening Weekends of All-Time” turns up a bevy of franchise titles. In top five are The Dark Knight, Spider-Man 3, Pirates of theCaribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Shrek the Third, and Spider Man. For the full list, click HERE.

Find Out What's On...line at Clicker.com

2009-11-12T17:39:00.000-08:00

First there was TV Guide, then cable providers’ digital Channel Guides, and now Clicker.com. This newest generation of programming guides let’s you know what’s playing – not on TV, but on your computer.

From TV shows to movies to music videos to original web series, Clicker.com, launched today by former CEO of Ask.com Jim Lanzone, enables users to browse and access over 400,000 broadcast-quality, full-length titles from more than 1,200 sources.

“It’s not like the world of 40 years ago, where there was a total of three networks and shows came on at a specific time on a specific day,” said Clicker representative David Speiser. “Today the world is almost infinite video on demand.” And Clicker aims to help viewers locate and sift through these myriad options.

The road to building what Speiser calls an “ultimate programming guide for television content on the internet,” has taken one year and a staff of approximately 30 people skilled in algorithmic search to find and categorize relevant content. The result is a clean, well organized, easy to navigate site sure to appeal to even a novice internet video consumer.

Regarding piracy promotion, fear not: Clicker only supports legally available content.

Remember Alf, Who’s The Boss, Family Ties? Find them all here in moments. Users can search via genre, medium, trend, or within programs and save favorite titles in a personalized playlist. If a title, like The Cosby Show, isn’t available online, site visitors can still read a show description and find links to other sites containing additional program information.

As Speiser said, it’s IMDB meets Wikipedia with a programming guide, search engine and DVR.

With such a vast and ever-growing array of internet content, it remains to be seen how successful Lanzone and his team will be at keeping the site current and comprehensive. Nonetheless, the next time your left staring at your TV, with 800 channels and “nothing to watch,” perhaps Clicker will help you navigate the web and find something to suit your mood.

On the Line with Sam Linsky: A "Slow and Smart" Path to the Top

2009-11-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

“It’s hard to say it was expected but surprise makes it sound like all of a sudden it just landed here,” said TNT’s Sam Linsky of critically acclaimed police drama Southland. After NBC dropped the show last month, leaving the six completed sophomore season episodes unaired, executives at TNT saw an opportunity, started negotiating, and won the bid. “Once any show has passed on, it doesn’t mean it’s gone away for good.”

Linsky, President of Current Programming for TBS and TNT, is very pleased Southland will begin its run on the cable network in January, but is mum on any plans to continue production. “Certainly anything is always a possibility,” he said. “I am a big fan of the show and I’d love to make more, but that’s definitely a decision down the road.”

Nonetheless, it’s a solid add for the network that “knows drama” and right in line with what Linksy deems TNT’s greatest core asset: their signature brand.

Crediting Turner Entertainment President Steve Koonin and Senior Vice President of Content Creation Michael Wright for the success of “We Know Drama,” Linsky explained that as TNT moved away from its early model – creating movies for television – and into one focused on one-hour dramas, “it’s that clarity of brand that really started to open the doors.”

From there, Koonin and Wright sought to make TNT “a home for people who really didn’t want a ton of interference,” said Linsky. Citing a philosophy that the creative exec thinks is oft forgotten, he said, “A television executive’s job is not to make good television, but to hire the people that make good television.”

The summer of 2009 saw TNT go from one night of original programming to three, “a huge, huge endeavor,” said Linksy. But the payoff’s been in the success of The Closer, Saving Grace, HawthoRNe, and Leverage, all of which will be returning for another season (the jury’s still out on Raising the Bar and Dark Blue).

Rolling out new episodes of original shows during the summer season, when other networks are in rerun mode, has proven a boon for TNT. For July 13 to August 19, the cable network reported the Monday through Wednesday 9-11pm block consistently won out over other ad-supported cable offerings among 25-54 year-olds. Viewership increased overall to 4.2 million, up 25% from the same period in 2008.

TNT looks forward to continue growing their original programming slate. Development of new shows is ongoing, despite a down economy. “You can’t close ranks when things get really bad or you won’t be ready when things get really good again,” said Linsky, describing the effort to create TNT-branded entertainment as a “long-term strategy on a slow and smart road.”

And “slow and smart” is a path Linsky is familiar with in his own career. “It was the opposite of a rapid rocket to the top,” he said of his journey. “I started in the business in the mailroom at Castle Rock.” Linksy had no “in” to the entertainment industry – his family all worked in journalism, politics, and healthcare. “We knew no one and nothing about this business,” he said. “Dad’s barely interested in fiction.”

“You gotta chase the dreams,” said the mailroom clerk, now creative executive. “If you think you can do something and you really want to do it, move to LA and knock on doors. I started in the mailroom. Anyone can start in the mailroom.”

Taking it to the Streets - TNT, ING, and ME

2009-11-03T20:32:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has run the New York City Marathon will tell you that it is one of the best runs the country has to offer, made special by the crowd support, which is unsurpassed by any other race. Although I’d participated in the event as a volunteer at the finish line last year, as a runner this year, I was finally able to see – first hand – how truly remarkable an experience it really is.

And no moment was more memorable than when we crossed the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan. You could hear the crowds cheering and the energy was palpable as you turned the corner off the bridge and the crowd welcomed you to The City.

It’s at that point in the race that TNT chose to position their “Cheer Zone” – a publicity stunt for its new scripted comedy, “Men of A Certain Age.” They could hardly have picked a better spot to promote a show about three men experiencing the changes and challenges of mid-life.

“Running a marathon is a metaphor for life,” said Senior Vice President of Marketing for TNT Tricia Melton in a press release. “Reaching the mid-point means new opportunities and new challenges.” And that’s exactly what runners encounter at that 16-mile mark: More than half of the race down, but still 10.2 miles to go. For many runners, that’s where the race really begins!

TNT chose to position their “Cheer Zones” at these turning points in five city marathons – San Antonio, Atlanta, Sacramento, Seattle, and New York – playing up the theme that is central to its new show, which features three best friends who, according to the release, are now “navigating through the second act of their lives.”

Apparently, the marketing ploy also included 40 runners over the age of 40 who ran the marathon in T-shirts advertising the show…but I must have been too preoccupied putting one foot in front of the other to catch a glimpse of them myself!

“Men of a Certain Age” stars Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond), Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap) and Andre Braugher (Homicide: Life on the Street) and premieres Monday, December 7^th at 10pm…on, of course, TNT.

Southland: Gone from NBC but back on with TNT

2009-11-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

TNT announced in a press release on Monday (Nov. 2) that police drama Southland - a John Wells Production in association with Warner Bros. Television - will air on the cable network starting in January.

Less than a month after the critically acclaimed series was dropped from NBC's lineup, much to the dismay of fans, the cable network that has built its brand around airing both original and second-run drama series has obtained the exclusive rights to air the six completed and yet-unseen episodes of the second season along with the seven first season shows.

It's a move that seemed likely since both Turner Broadcasting, which oversees TNT, and Warner Bros. are divisions of entertainment conglomerate Time Warner Inc.

In an email exchange today, a TNT representative declined to say whether or not the network intends to complete the second season: "As with all of our series, TNT will evaluate the performance of Southland before deciding whether to order more episodes."

Surely the show's followers have fingers' crossed for a successful run, which is slated to begin on Tuesday, January 12th at 10pm.

On the Line with Jeff Gaspin - Part 2

2009-10-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

NBC's been covered heavily of late on the entertainment business beat, as reporters and industry insiders evaluate and speculate on everything from The Jay Leno Show to the potential sale of NBCU to Comcast. In an email interview with Jeff Gaspin, the Chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment, talks about his rise to the top, Leno, the evolution of broadcast television, and more...

On the Line with Jeff Gaspin, Part 2: “If we get the programming right, everything else will fall into place.”

TL: In your opinion, what can be done to help “fix” the broken or out-of-date broadcast television business model?

JG: There is no doubt that DVR’s and the streaming of programming on the Internet are affecting the television industry on many levels, both for broadcast and cable television alike. Cable has its dual-revenue stream business model, in that its both subscriber and advertiser supported. Broadcast TV, networks like NBC, ABC and CBS, do not currently get subscription fees, just revenue from advertising. So the model is definitely challenged. At NBC, we are now focused on bringing the network back to its rightful place, with quality programming that will deliver large audiences that advertisers will support. And I truly believe if we get the programming right, everything else will fall into place.

TL: How can broadcast television save itself from seeing the kind of problems newspapers now face?

JG: I don’t pretend to have the answers to what is plaguing media, whether it’s TV or newspapers. The bottom line is consumers, especially the younger generation, are now getting their media in new ways, many via the Internet. We just saw the latest newspaper figures come out last month, the nation’s top dailies are losing thousands of readers each year. We have to be mindful of this shift and we at NBC Universal are exploring a variety of new platforms including utilizing NBC.com and Hulu. And our digital studio is now producing fully-sponsored programming that only lives on-line.

TL: In 5-10 years, do you see broadcast television in general remaining a strong competitor in the world of scripted programming, or do you see the cable outfits leading in that category?

JG: The answer is both. We now have a broadcast studio and a cable studio at NBC Universal. The broadcast studio produces a lot of the programming you see on NBC, but also produces programming for other networks such as Fox, with shows like “House.” And at NBC, we are developing a lot of new scripted fare right now, both on the comedy and drama side.

Our cable studio is just getting started and it’s developing and producing programming for our cable networks such as USA Network and Syfy. USA Network, which is the top-rated basic cable network, just launched yet another strong scripted series in “White Collar.” The series’ debut attracted more than 5 million viewers and topped some of the broadcast competition that night. I believe long-term, both cable and broadcast will be developing scripted fare for many years to come.

TL: As you mentioned in an interview with “The Wrap,” NBC is “no longer programming to margin.” What has been the impetus for this shift in philosophy?

JG: Our goal is to put the best possible programs on the air, period. We are looking to produce good shows and do it economically. That has always been our philosophy.

TL: What would you say to people on the production side of the industry who have voiced concerns that the “Jay Leno Show” has not only reduced the number of available jobs now (and for at least through the duration of Mr. Leno’s current contract) but could also potentially result in further reduction of employment opportunities should other networks follow suit.

JG: We heard similar concerns when un-scripted, reality shows first took off on the broadcast networks 10-plus years ago. There are so many opportunities for un-scripted shows right now, more than ever, with the explosion of original content at the basic cable level and also with pay cable networks. NBC is developing the same amount of scripted programming as we were prior to the launch of Jay’s show and the network is now working under a year-round programming model. And on top of that, our cable networks like USA, Syfy and others are producing more original scripted programming than ever.

TL: In your opinion, is it likely other networks will make an effort to mirror that format?

JG: Time will tell. I wouldn’t be surprised though.

On the Line with Jeff Gaspin - Part 1

2009-10-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

NBC's been covered heavily of late on the entertainment business beat, as reporters and industry insiders evaluate and speculate on everything from The Jay Leno Show to the potential sale of NBCU to Comcast. In an email interview with Jeff Gaspin, the Chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment, talks about his rise to the top, Leno, the evolution of broadcast television, and more...

On the Line with Jeff Gaspin, Part 1

The Line: In what ways did your formal education and subsequent employment prepare you for your current position at NBC?

Jeff Gaspin: I know it sounds cliché, but getting my MBA from NYU was a great way to prepare mentally for the path I have taken professionally. And now having worked in a variety of roles in television—ranging from finance to development, I now have a great deal of hands-on-experience that allows me to make educated decisions in my current role. The entertainment industry, television in particular, is going through such a tremendous amount of change right now that having worked in such diverse roles can only help me when I have to make decisions in this capacity.

TL: Did you chart a clear path for yourself from the start? How much of your success would you attribute to “luck” or “right place at the right time?”

JG: Growing up there was a lot of pressure to be a doctor or a lawyer. I knew that wasn’t for me. I was drawn to entertainment and my first job out of school was in the finance department at NBC. Landing that job and getting to see how the network and the industry worked from a financial standpoint, was a great starting point. And I have been fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time on several other occasions. I joined VH1 in 1996 and that network was in need of a new programming and brand strategy, which we implemented and created franchises like “Behind the Music” and “Pop-up Video.” Six years later, I rejoined NBC and was put in charge of the newly acquired cable network Bravo. Again the network was in need of a new direction with its programming and brand, and we were able create hits such as “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and “Project Runway,” which led to increased ratings and revenue.

TL: 10 years from now, what would you like to be able to look back and say you accomplished in your current role at NBC.

JG: Nothing would make me happier than to see NBC get back to being the top network on the air, home of quality programming that viewers talk about for generations to come a la “Seinfeld” or “ER.” And to see our full portfolio of cable networks ,USA, Bravo Syfy and others, continue to flourish.

Eisner Stakes His Claim on the Web

2009-10-26T23:51:00.000-07:00

For 21 years Michael Eisner worked to raise the bar for family-branded entertainment as Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company. These days, Eisner endeavors to set the standard for original web series via his new media studio, Vuguru.

Vuguru announced today that the company has secured an investment and distribution partnership with Canada's Rogers Media, which, via Rogers Broadcasting, operates 54 radio stations and nearly a dozen television outlets in our neighbor to the North.

According to the release, in addition to providing Rogers Media with the long-term, exclusive Canadian distribution rights to future Vuguru projects, financing from the agreement will help enable Eisner to pursue his goal of producing up to 30 series per year.

A study done by the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California estimates that production of a web series runs anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 per minute, compared to the nearly $2.5 million it takes to produce an hour of scripted content for television.

Clearly, webisodes are proportionally far less expensive. However, it seems likely that in this medium, as across film and television platforms, heavy hitters like Eisner and Rogers Media will win out over smaller, more “grass-roots” competition with a greater ability to score broad distribution and sponsorship deals and produce more polished content.

Vuguru appeared on the scene in 2006 and launched it’s first Emmy-nominated serial, Prom Queen, in 2007. Verizon carried the series across all of its platforms, including mobile devices and Verizon’s FiOS TV. Prom Queen’s spin-off series was also supported by Verizon, and, according to a Vuguru press release, added “multi-level promotion and distribution deals with Bebo, MySpace, YouTube, Veoh, Imeem, Revver, and Blinkx.”

…well, ok then.

I’d like to think that the relative ease of producing content for the internet still offers opportunity to aspiring content creators. But, alas, it just might take heavy hitters, like Eisner, with the name recognition and financing to get original content noticed in a budding market where everyone from true video novices to major network studios like NBC (Quarterlife) and ABC (Motherhood) are churning out webisodes.

On the Line with Eileen Heisler - Part 1

2009-10-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

The pair met when they were neighbors in a dorm at Indiana University. “I think my cosmic purpose for going to Indiana was to hook up with DeAnn,” said Heisler, who took time out on this Saturday morning to talk to me about her current work on The Middle and how she’s come to be one of the top female showrunners in television.

Heisler began her career at Indiana as a voice major. By her sophomore year, knowing she never thought she would become a professional singer or muscian, she transferred to NYU, where she studied theater at the prestigious Circle in the Square Theater.

But that wasn’t quite it either. “One day, I was lying on the floor in an acting class and I had an epiphany that I did not want to do that,” said Heisler. “My classwork consisted of ‘pretend you’re eating an orange’ – this is not what I want to do.”

So Heiser made the call to her parents to announce that she was switching majors…again. However, this time, it was to something that stuck: film and television.

It was at NYU that Heisler discovered her passion for writing and was encouraged by her professors to develop the skill for which she clearly had much talent.

With a few PA jobs and a New York internship on the 80’s hit show Kate & Allie under her belt, Heiser, shortly followed by Heline, made the move out to Los Angeles.

“I just wanted to get a job,” said Heisler. “I knew I had to just get in there with the hopes of eventually writing.” She hit up all of her connections, which she said “didn’t really lead to much,” and eventually found an unexpected break through a temp position on the Doogie Howser pilot.

“I didn’t even understand how ‘temp’ the job was supposed to be,” said Heisler, laughing. She just thought to herself, “I’ll just keep my mouth shut and keep showing up until they tell me to stop.”

Fortunately, they didn’t tell her to stop, and she was able to parlay the stint on the pilot into a more permanent job on the show working for the producer.

“Having that temp agency book that job that day was lucky,” she said. “I could even hear in the background, ‘Hey did you place that job?’ It could have been if I hadn’t picked up the phone I wouldn’t have gotten that chance. That was a huge opportunity.”

Her next big break came courtesy of a car salesman.

One day, while sitting at her desk at the Doogie production office, a guy came in and said to Heisler, “I’m looking for some scripts to read because I’m going in to pitch for Steven Bochco.”

Heisler, incredulous said, “Really, how did you get in to pitch?”

“I was selling Steven Bochco a car,” replied the man.

And with that Heisler got on the phone to her longtime friend DeAnn and said, “Look people who are selling cars to Bochco are getting in, we’ve gotta just ask.”

And ask they did. They reached out to the show’s executive producers, with whom Heisler had developed a good relationship over her two years with Doogie, and it workd – they let them pitch. “That was a huge break,” said Heisler.

Now, nearly two decades after that career changing moment, Heisler and Heline are approached by people wanting to pitch to them.

“I think it’s a big mistake for people to just write quietly in their apartment until the perfect job comes along,” said Heisler when I asked if it all really comes down to being in the right place at the right time. And while, she does agree there is an element of luck responsible for some of her success, she attributes a great deal more to being responsible for getting yourself in the right place. “You should PA, you should get coffee, you should just get yourself there.”

----

Check back soon for more from Eileen Heisler on her current job, working with network executives, and her opinion on the Jay Leno Experiment!

Para-Viral Activity

2009-10-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

Paranormal Activity is the next installment in what’s been referred to as a “found footage” genre made famous by The Blair Witch Project. In the first leg of its wide domestic release this past weekend – technically its 4^th week in theaters – Box Office Mojo reported that the film took in nearly $20 million in gross receipts, coming in third behind Where the Wild Things Are and Law Abiding Citizen, both in their opening weekend.

To date, Paranormal’s grossed just over $33.1 million…not bad for a movie that reportedly cost only $15,000 to make.

Proportionally the most profitable movie in history, grossing over 2,000 times it’s initial investment, Paranormal is proof that viral campaigns can prove incredibly effective when done right.

Rumors that Steven Spielberg personally screened the film and had to have a locksmith break him out of the room in which he viewed it has had horror fans coming out in droves to experience the terror first-hand – and horror-phobes, like myself, vowing to rent it on DVD when it can be watched…with the lights on…at home.

From there, director Oren Peli reached out to his fans to “demand” for increasingly wider releases vie Eventful.com – the self-described “leading events website which enables its community of users to discover, promote, share and create events.”

After “demands” reached 1 million, distributor Paramount announced the wide-release for October 16^th.

Whether Paranormal Activity’s viral marketing campaign was truly viral or so brilliantly marketed as to appear viral is a mystery likely never to be known – but either way, few would argue that whatever it was…it worked.

Are The Powers-That-Be in Film & TV "Predictably Irrational"?

2009-10-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

In his book, Predictably Irrational, behavioral economist Dan Ariely, through a series of experiments, presents his theory that people are just that - predictably irrational - in their daily choices, actions and consumer behaviors. He offers that, when given a choice, people tend NOT to opt for what might be deemed, upon further evaluation, the rational choice.

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking to Mr. Ariely on the phone. During our conversation, he said that it is his belief that consumers cling to the choices they have grown accustomed to making, regardless of whether or not the choices make sense. For example, they might continue springing for the more expensive wine they favor despite the fact that the state of the economy suggests they should, perhaps, get the Yellow Tail instead.

This got me thinking: Could it be true that development heads and producers suffer from the same "irrational" disease as the rest of us? Is this why, with every passing pilot season we see the "next" ER or the "new" Grey's Anatomy or a "revisiting" of Malcom in the Middle? Don't get me wrong, some of my favorite shows - Jack and Jill, What About Brian (sadly, cancelled) - were no-doubt "inspired by" Friends, but the question remains: If these offshoots consistently fail (or more often than not, anyway), wouldn't the rational choice be NOT to find the "next" something but INSTEAD to find a "new" something else?

I don't have the answer to this question (otherwise I'd probably be fantastically wealthy producing shows of my own), but what I do have is an experiment of my own to better illustrate our "predictably irrational" tendencies. Enjoy!

THE OVERWHELMING APPEAL OF FREE:

$20 for $7 or $10 for nothing

The goal

To disprove or find exception to the following findings of Predictably Irrational’s Dan Ariely: When offered the choice between a $10 Amazon gift certificate for free and a $20 Amazon gift certificate for seven dollars, the majority of people polled at a Boston mall opted for the free voucher.

The reason

When faced with the question myself, I too thought “free;” however, I felt I would have selected the “$20 for $7” had the choices been presented to me while shopping or browsing on Amazon’s website.

The experiment

I surveyed 60 people (30 men and 30 women) while shopping or browsing at Barnes and Noble in New York’s Union Square, asking whether they would prefer a $10 Barnes and Noble gift certificate for free or a $20 B&N card for $7.

I then took the same question outside, querying 60 people – 30 men and 30 women – in and around Union Square (i.e. people who are not necessarily Barnes and Noble customers).

The expectation

A majority of B&N patrons would recognize the value of the “$20 for $7” - $13 dollars in hand versus $10 with the “free” option.

The findings

I was wrong.

THE OVERWHELMING APPEAL OF FREE:

$20 for $7 or $10 for nothing

The part where I reveal the numbers that disprove my theory

It came as no surprise to me, per my theory, that those people questioned outside of Barnes and Noble would hop aboard the “free” train. But I was so sure I would be right (or fairly certain, at least), that when presented with this experiment’s question, an overwhelming majority of B&N customers would jump at the superior, clear cost-saving offer of $13 toward a potential purchase.

As the numbers show, however I was mistaken.

What was most surprising is that the unanticipated responses in favor of “free” often came after several moments of silence, while the shopper – sometimes with books or even baskets of books in hand – mulled over their options.

I would grow a little eager with anticipation, as I could almost see the wheels of thought gearing into motion, turning slowly and gradually gaining momentum, working out this perceived enigma.

Every time this happened, I was sure I’d found, as Ariely might say, a “rational” person. I thought, “Clearly, if they are taking this much time to weigh the choices, true logic will be the victor!”

Every time this happened, the person would smile and say, “Free.”

This reply was frequently accompanied with a statement of the pollee’s rationale. Here’s a sampling:

“With the 20, I have to give you 7 to get it.”
“A bird in the hand you know…”
“I don’t want to pay you. It doesn’t cost me nothin’.”
“The $10 one is just faster.”

One customer even looked at the book in his hand – a book he was on his way to purchase – noted the price ($16.00) and still said…

…you guessed it, “The free one thank you.”

Conversely, every person who voted in favor of the “$20 for $7” hesitated not a moment before supplying their response, and each of them supported their assertion with some variation of, “This way I get $13 instead of only $10.”

Also interesting to note, the majority of people who chose the “$20 for $7” were male: a combined 21 men to 9 women in both portions of the experiment.

The conclusion

The power of “free” does, in fact, seem to overwhelm “rational” thought for a majority of people…women in particular.

LA On-Location Production Down, But Hoping for Boost From Tax Incentive Program

2009-10-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

A few more crafty tables are assembled on city sidewalks and an extra smattering of production assistants are doing their darnedest to keep passer-by-tourists from staring right at the camera - all good signs that production is picking up again in Southern California. However, as local non-profit FilmL.A. reports, the added film and commercial production - up 25.5% and 10.2% respectively for the quarter - is not enough to counteract overall drops in on-location filming days.

FilmL.A. coordinates permits for productions shooting on-location in and around Los Angeles and released a report on October 14th, announcing that filming on-location is down 14.3 percent compared to the same quarter last year. That's 1,620 fewer days from July through September with crews out and about.

Only Television Subcategories Pilots and Dramas are up in their year-to-date PPD's (permitted production days), and even these gains are slight - 2.4% and 1.7%, respectively.

President of FilmL.A. Paul Audly says in the release, "The year-to-date production numbers confirm the importance of the State's Film and Television Tax Credit Program and the need for the City of Los Angeles' recently passed package to improve the local filming environment."

No doubt this is true. With so many states - like Michigan, North Carolina and New Mexico - luring film and TV productions away from SoCal with tax incentives and even breaks on local purchases, what's been the motivation to stay?

The legislation signed by Governor Schwarzenegger allows for the California Film Commission to allocate $100 million dollars of tax credits per year, beginning on July 1st, 2009 and extending through 2013. Qualifying film and TV productions, will be eligible for a credit of 20-25% on applicable production costs for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2011.

Oh, and they can pretty much guarantee glorious sunny days and eerily temperate weather year round.

By comparison, the state legislation for New York - the other film and TV hub - offers a 30% credit and has allocated over $500 million to the effort, which will also be available through 2013.

Then again, shooting along the Hudson River in January is pretty darn cold.

[Click HERE for New York or HERE for California to find full details on the current tax incentive programs]

If Network TV Goes By The Wayside, Should We Care?

2009-10-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

NBC and their "Leno Experiment," Comcast potentially taking over NBC - the entertainment industry in recent weeks is aflutter with speculation on these topics.

But what some people are asking is, should we care?

From the perspective of a small survey of folks on the production side of the table, the answer seems to be, "not necessarily."

Grips, assistant directors, production assistants, writers, actors - most people don't care where their job is coming from...as long as they have one.

Granted, an absence of network shows could mean fewer jobs overall - but perhaps not: Cable television (pay TV included) appears to be picking up the slack admirably, has been for a over decade and continues to gain momentum with shows like "Mad Men" that are both critically acclaimed and viewer beloved. The breakdowns (the daily list of castings that actors aren't supposed to get, but many do) is replete with postings for original programming projects on USA, TNT, Lifetime, TBS, FX, and of course, HBO and Showtime.

Is the urge to "save the networks" born more out of nostalgia than anything else? Are wistful memories of gathering around the boob tube as a family and recalling memorable TV moments with friends the next day the driving force behind debates over recent rumors and network decisions?

Perhaps local network affiliates and their employees would disagree...

Another Strange Move by NBC

2009-10-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

In August NBC decided to postpone John Wells' Southland's fall premiere, a move that was purportedly designed to prevent the series from having to compete too heavily with rival network starters; but this week, the Peacock announced that the sophomore season of the scripted police drama will not return as planned.

With six episodes in the can, it is reported that Wells is already seeking a new home for the show.

Should it get snagged up by a rival network, the situation would be eerily reminiscent of NBC's earlier decision to cancel Medium, only to have it picked up by CBS.

With the decision to fill up its Monday through Friday 10pm time-slot with The Jay Leno Show, it would appear that the struggling network is focusing its efforts on cost-saving measures; however, as reported by the LA Times, cutting a show short of its promised 13 episodes is pricey, as NBC is required to pay for completed installments in addition to fees associated with shutting down a production.

It is unclear whether monies saved will outweigh monies lost.

The only two new scripted dramas that remain, in an apparent attempt to fill the void left by ER, are the medical-centric dramas Trauma and Mercy. According to people familiar with the situation, overtime outlays on the latter could be high: Mercy was not intended for a fall premiere, and the New York production is therefore often pulling grueling extended work-weeks at the behest of suits on the Left Coast to complete ready-to-air-episodes prior to shortened holiday schedules.

NBC was noticeably absent from Nielsen's Top Ten in the week of September 28th, earning a rank only for its airing of Sunday Night Football.

The Producers’ Problem: Falling Foreign Dollars

2009-10-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

Starry Hollywood is looking less bright these days: The firmament, once twinkling with dollar signs, has dulled as the fat times have grown thinner, and foreign wallets have grown tighter.

Several producers I spoke to this week gave me a brief lesson on the current state of one aspect of independent film financing: foreign pre-sales.

As it was explained to me, in the old days (i.e. not so many years ago), the majority of a movie could be financed from foreign cash. By that model, prior to a movie being made, a producer would sell rights to buyers in foreign markets to distribute the film. If the project had a big-name star or director attached, even better.

In recent years, as one contact said, “Buyers got a lot more sophisticated.” They saw that an A-list name didn’t always equate to an A-list product, or watched as a movie that was meant to receive a wide-release merely trickled into theaters before drying up.

Then they, along with the rest the world, looked on as the economy screeched to a halt.

Foreign buyers crunched down on their credit and have either closed their doors or turned to financing (presumably more cost effective) local product. Meanwhile, U.S. movie-making price tags didn’t get a price reduction. According to the previously quoted producer, many actors were unwilling to take a pay-cut, causing an unfortunate (and lingering) “disconnect in Hollywood” and keeping budgets inflated.

It’s disconcerting, to be sure, and the years to come will need see a shift in the way movies are made.

The Leno Experiment

2009-09-28T17:44:00.000-07:00

The fall season is off and running, and ratings reports are coming back with the numbers that will determine a shows fate as the season progresses. (The first fatality is already reported – CW’s The Beautiful Life – so if you haven’t seen the show yet, you won’t.) Of interest to many people – from NBC executives and parent company GE shareholders to actors and writers bemoaning the loss of 5 hours of primetime gold (i.e. employment opportunities) – is Jay Leno’s show, or as some have been calling it, “The Leno Experiment.”

The first numbers in looked promising: The show’s premiere had 18.4 million viewers, winning it the number 2 spot for the night. But The Jay Leno Show brought in less than 6 million viewers, dropping sharply as CBS rolled out its drama series’ debuts last week. Across the networks, the outlook was good for scripted show supporters, as new shows and old held the ratings reigns over non-scripted fare through September 25^th.

Those who regard a Leno success story as the final nail in the coffin of network television as we’ve known it breathed a sigh of relief and posted “I told you so’s” over the blogosphere.

However, celebration may not be in order after all.

Without factors such as costly location shoots, pricey development periods and expensive casts, shows like Leno’s are simply more economical. And this notion might just trump any ratings woes.

Per the Hollywood Reporter, head of the non-scripted division of the William Morris Endeavor agency John Ferriter estimated that “With just a 1.5 rating, The Jay Leno Show, could make $300 million a year for NBC – and probably spark other networks to follow suit.”

Granted, there could still be a small glimmer of hope: It seems unlikely that the other networks would abandon offerings that are bringing them success in favor of battling with NBC head-to-head with a matching format.

Or so we hope.

Social Networking - A Boon to Some, A Bane to Others

2009-09-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

Many industries are singing the praises of social networking forums like Facebook and Twitter, utilizing the sites as a tool for brand marketing and as an idea exchange platform; however evidence that it is a bane to others is becoming evident.

Journalists are garnering readership by Twittering about their articles and blog posts. Retailers are rewarding their social networking followers with advance sale notices. Major corporations like Ford, Carnival Cruise Line, and Jet Blue are appearing on the micro-blogging platform (some more successfully than others – see Mashable’s top 40 list HERE) as a way to connect more directly with their customers.

But while the benefit of reaching a wide audience in real time is a boon for many enterprises, the ability to instantaneously blast information to the masses can be injurious to parties on both “sides of the table” when it comes to auditions and casting sessions.

Several months ago, the New York theater community was all abuzz over one young casting director’s Twittering activity during an audition session for a then-upcoming New York Musical Theatre Festival Show. Her 140-character-or-less comments on actors and their presentation inspired a barrage of debate, some finding humor in the frequently disparaging observations, but most asserting that her Tweets were unbefitting a job interview (which is essentially what an audition is).

The Casting Society of America, while not condoning their member’s actions, took no formal action and left it to the Actors’ Equity Association to decide how to handle the offense. Initially, the casting director in question claimed “freedom of speech” (via Twitter, of course) in her defense, but after a meeting with AEA, released a statement of atonement. AEA then said to the media that they believed the matter to be closed.

Similarly, it appears that casting directors and their clients might be wary of unwanted information being posted via social networking tools as well.

One actor reported that, last week, a commercial casting house required those auditioning to sign a confidentiality agreement, stating that the actor would not share audition details in blogs or via Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Friendster, etc.

The identity of the casting company is not known and therefore could not be reached for comment: In keeping with the signed agreement, the actor declined to disclose the company’s name.

The Plight of the New York PA

2009-09-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

The thunderous explosion sliced through the quiet of the pre-dawn, frigid January morning. Several moments passed and another, louder blast rang out, this one accompanied by a flash that lit up the sky. Despite the fact that my fingers and toes were numb from the cold; regardless of the fact that I was standing alone on a deserted road, winding through the hills outside Newberg, New York; notwithstanding the fact that earlier mentions of a bear-sighting left me jumping at the slightest rustle of leaves – I was happy to be there.

A few moments later, my walkie crackled and a male voice came over the radio, “Cut! Check the gate!” Hearing that they got the money shot of the exploding Mercedes, I began walking back to base camp for a cup of coffee from Crafty and an asprin for the headache that served as a reminder of the previous night’s cast and crew impromptu karaoke party. But, for me, it was all worth it to be a part of Michael Clayton.

For the New York freelance set production assistant, the job’s allure is a love of the business, the thrill of being on a set, and the desire for the ultimate prize of joining the Director’s Guild of America – it is certainly not the remuneration for services rendered. Taking into account the long hours, a PAs salary (more often than not) breaks down to a less-than-minimum-wage hourly rate. It’s a fact that few PAs are earning a living wage.

On average, a PA working on a union show in New York (film or television) earns anywhere from $130 - $150 per day, and the day minimum could be anywhere between 12 and 18 hours. Sometimes, it’s a higher rate, with no guarantee on either a double day after 16 hours (the daily rate times two if the day goes into the 17^th hour) or overtime after 12-14 hours. Apropos the latter, overtime is usually computed at time-and-a-half off the day rate. For example, if the day rate is $130 and the day minimum is 14 hours, pay for the 15^th hour onward would be slightly less than $14/hr. SO, to make rent for the month, dedicated and determined PAs might take work on a different show each day, Monday through Thursday (if they’re lucky!), pick up a Fraterday and a Sutunday, only to start the cycle again the next week (again, if they’re lucky).

“What about benefits,” you ask? Well, the majority of PAs are asking the same thing, except those lucky enough to be on a show in which the producers and/or production company offer health and welfare independently or through the Producers’ Health Benefits Plan.

Generally speaking, overtime and additional perks provisions are at the discretion of the producers, and the producers’ decision can be influenced by what other shows are doing (i.e. getting away with), the economy, the size of the show, and even what an individual producer feels PAs are entitled. Alternatively, a strong Assistant Director who has a good relationship with the producers is occasionally able to negotiate on behalf of his or her staff and establish a “bargaining agreement.”

…but all this typically only applies to PAs on staff (i.e. one of the 4-6 PAs hired for the duration of the show). By and large, additional PAs “day-playing” on a variety of shows will earn the only daily rate.

Period.

Bear in mind that almost ALL PAs use “additional days” to survive, especially at the start of their careers.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that Production Assistants working toward joining the Directors’ Guild (the only way to be hired as an Assistant Director on a union show) must work and log 600 days as a PA? You heard me right: SIX HUNDRED DAYS.

“That doesn’t seem right,” you say, “PAs are the nuts and bolts of any production; the first to arrive and the last to leave; the right and left hands of the directing team; the one’s who put their lives on the line with their lock-ups as they face-off with irritable New Yorkers who just want to cross the street and could care less if they ruin the shot, incurring a firestorm of reprimands from the ADs, Director, and Producers, and an exasperated, audible sigh from the grip standing nearby!”

Then you ask, “When there exist so many inflated salaries above-the-line, is there really not enough in the budget to allocate a wee bit more to these hard-working, lowly denizens of the Belowthelineville?”

Again, a question being asked by many PAs and fortunately, a few ADs who have “been there” and are taking the initiative, albeit informally, to speak up.

Of course it’s been suggested that officially unionizing PAs would be one way to go: After all, Canada’s Directors Guild DGC/CFTPA Standard Agreement covers their Production Assistants. However, with so many State-side union issues stalling production at various times over the last few years, it is unlikely this option would garner much support…at least, not right now.

Jennifer Truelove, Matt Power and a number of other New York ADs, having themselves survived the 600-day DGA approval process, agree that, at the very least, it would be favorable to establish a universal base rate…and one that is commensurate with the increased cost of living. (Ms. Truelove recently noted that the money she earned as a PA in 1999 varies only slightly to not at all from the amount on checks she distributes to her staff today – 10 years later.)

From there, the ADs suggest compensating PAs on a “sliding scale,” after all, it is not unheard of for a PA to throw in the towel, with 400 days logged, because they “just can’t do it anymore.” For example, on the sliding scale, a Production Assistant who has worked 0-200 days could earn $180/day, 200-400 could equal $200/day, and so forth, giving weary Production Assistants incentive to forge ahead in pursuit of their goal.

It might not be the perfect solution, but it is certainly a step in the right direction – and one that hopefully will find legs in the production world.

In the meantime, if you are PA seeking information on benefits currently available to you, click HERE to visit the Producers’ Health Benefits Plan website.

Building Your Brand: Actors, Know What You’re Selling

2009-09-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

Take a page from the annals of business rags: good branding equals good business. Consumers need to know WHAT it is they are buying and WHY they should be buying it.

This holds true as much for actors as for any company (or individual) seeking to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the more traditional corporate world.

As an actor, YOU are the business and/or commodity that is seeking a buyer: The casting directors, producers, directors, and executives that will ultimately – hopefully – offer you a JOB!

But before that happens, you need to identify WHO you are for the production staff to whom you are marketing yourself.

A great article published last year in BusinessWeek, A Practical Guide to Branding, states, “studies show companies that market their products or services without first establishing their brand identities are not likely to achieve return on investment.” The article goes on to quote Rodger Roeser, president of Cincinnati-based Eisen Management Group, a public-relations and brand-development firm, “If you can't define your brand, your customers won't be able to, either.”

This is akin to the actor who consistently hears, “I love what you do, I just don’t know what to do with you.” These are performers who have not FIRST established their brand identities.

My teacher, Lesly Kahn, humorously recounts the days in her acting career when she didn’t understand why she wasn’t getting the work she wanted, the work she THOUGHT she should be getting: She was a sweet girl from Chicago, going out for roles befitting a sweet girl from Chicago. The problem was, while that may have been true, and that may have been how she felt, her outward image did not fit that package. In reality, Ms. Kahn is more akin in type to Laura SanGiocomo – a gusty Italian from New York.

Here is perhaps a slight departure from traditional business advice on branding: It is not enough to identify WHO you are, but to be cognizant of HOW OTHERS see you…and incorporate the two.

An exercise Lesly had us do, and one that I encourage you to try for yourselves, is to simply ask friends what their first impressions were of you (just be sure they are willing to be brutally honest…better yet, ask strangers or people you have just met for their opinion). Had any of us in Lesly’s class had to guess before we knew better, any one of us would have said she was a native New Yorkah!

And branding for an actor is not necessarily a one-time-only process. You may find a time when you need to “re-brand” yourself. An example of this comes from one good friend from our class who has seen a good deal of success, working as a series regular and featured in big-budget films. In these she has always been the gorgeous, seductive femme fatale. Now, however, she is looking to “re-brand” herself, knowing she is not going to be playing those roles forever. It will be a challenge to get those who know her established brand so well to see her in this new light, but she is working hard to redefine her brand identity, doing everything from smaller projects that will allow her play “against type” to exploring having her headshots be more reflective of the new HER.

After spending five years working for the Worldwide CEO of an advertising network, I found that this businessman and I were not that dissimilar: An actor is the CEO of his or her own company, and the product being sold is YOU.

A little Google-searching on this idea led me to an article in the archives of Fast Company by Tom Peters. In “The Brand Called You," Peters says: “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”

So before you run out and get your new headshots, before you go to your next audition or even casting workshop, take the time to define your BRAND – it is the first essential step of a great marketing plan.

If Web Video is past its prime, what’s the next “Big Thing?”

2009-09-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

It used to be (and not so long ago) that aspiring actors, directors, and producers had a home off (and off-off) Broadway to share their work and potentially be discovered. And people flocked (or so the stories go) to the many small, sometimes hidden away and hard to find blackboxes to be among the first to see the next “new thing.” I recall being in a class where actor Frank Whaley fondly recounted the pre-email days when he and friend Ethan Hawke plastered the town with fliers advertising productions for their theater company, Malaparte. In fact, more than a few now-well-known artists note in their bios how they got their start in the theater…the reason many find themselves arriving in New York to launch their careers.

New York in the 80’s and 90’s saw the growth of quite a few successful theater companies like Malaparte (Labyrinth, Naked Angels, & The Atlantic for example), which brought together up-and-coming talent (such as Whaley, Hawke, Calista Flockhart, Marisa Tomei, Sarah Jessica Parker, and William H. Macy…just to name a few) and relative “unknowns.”

In the late 90’s came the New York International Fringe Festival, advertised as “175 Shows, 11 Days, 21 Theaters, No Mercy.” The Fringe became the place to “be seen,” especially after the musical “Urinetown” was discovered and moved on to a wildly successful Broadway run (if you never saw it, by the way, it really is a hilarious show). Similar festivals have cropped up in recent years, such as the Summer Play Festival and the New York Musical Theatre Festival – both highly regarded for production quality and value…so much so that, while it can be an excellent (albeit competitive) springboard for new writers, is quite challenging for the actor or director without substantial credits or solid representation to find a way in.

A similar history could likely be charted through the world of independent film: Once a way for ambitious actors, directors, writers and producers alike to make their mark, it is now an expensive and daunting venture where producers are - more often than not - compelled to pad the production with “names” in the hopes of generating a return on the investment. The end result often meets the festival circuit, but with high competition and few distribution opportunities offered – as many independent houses disappear from the scene – the light at the end of the “discover me” tunnel is flickering at best. (Although the possibility of new hope with Video On Demand is discussed in a May 12^th article for the LA Times).

Then – YES THEN – the “next thing” came to be: Web content produced for the internet! Hooray! Brilliant! An avenue on which to share your wares with an unlimited audience! A way to produce work on a shoestring if need-be! This. Is. It.

…or WAS it?

That’s right. No sooner do we see some delightfully creative and funny (and successful) shows/shorts/scenes pop up on the old InterWeb (check out “The Guild” and “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” if you haven’t already), than the voice of gloom and doom comes to rain on our parade. According to an article posted August 25^th on the Wall Street Journal Online, “the exuberance” over online content has “dissipated.” The article backs up this assertion with comments from Scott Roesch general manager for Atom.com (described on their website as “an internet startup now owned by MTV Networks” and “partnered up with Comedy Central”): “Web video is no longer at the stage where if you build it, they will come,” says Roesch. He goes on to say that “Atom is scaling back its development budgets.”

The LA Times piece also adds (like my earlier observation on theater and independent film productions) that even web-based content is now turning to projects featuring recognizable “names,” again, surely in hopes to achieve a certain level of financial return on the venture.

This trend is understandable from the perspective of those on the financial end, especially given the current state of the economy, to play it safe. However, for those on the creative side, this may be marking the end of one “big thing” and the search for the next.

I still believe that all hope is not lost (just yet) on the web-based content front. While it may be true that distribution deals from internet hosting sites is headed toward a down swing (perhaps because production costs exceed ad revenue), it IS true that casting directors (independent, network & studio) and perhaps those in network development departments still have an eye on the internet for up-and-coming talent. One former network CD confirmed that a majority of her day was spent scouring hosting sites (like YouTube, Vimeo, and Veoh) for the best of the best. In addition, it appears that United Talent Agency (one of the top in the world of representation) is maintaining it’s presence on Veoh, where they have a Channel dedicated to the up-and-comers who wish to submit their work directly to the agency along with their own Channel celebrating their client’s work.

So, don’t put away your video recording devices just yet. The way I see it, no one is going to discover how brilliant you are if you are simply whiling away the hours lamenting the “state of things” in your living room. Get out there! Shoot something! Post it! And in the meantime, let's keep our eyes peeled for the next “big thing.”

Welcome to The Line

2009-09-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

Drawing from my own experience in the entertainment industry - along with that of my close friends, associates, and network contacts - I endeavor to present ideas and information relevant to the freelance industry professional. The goal of "The Line" is to explore topics germane to one's personal career success as well as broader subjects and relevant industry news to help you stay ahead of the curve in this rapidly evolving media landscape.

I hope that this blog will be of interest to many, but especially to all the actors, writers, PA's, AD's, independent directors and producers out there who believe there is more to entertainment news than Brittney's latest comeback or Brangelina's newest family addition.

I have long lamented over the fact that there is little readily accessible content online that offers REAL news and advice relating to WHAT WE DO and HOW WE DO IT. As a freelancer in the entertainment industry, it is imperative to recognize that you are the CEO of your own business, and as such, should be abreast of information that will help run your "company."

So, let's make this a forum where that can happen: Comment, exchange ideas, send me your thoughts for future posts, share posts with your friends.

You can also follow me on Twitter: @TheLineNYC

Again, Welcome...and check back soon for updates!

Krista