On 2009, the third edition of Kinofest – the International Digital Film Festival announced a premier,the AVON Movie for Life short film contest, a parralel competition of Kinofest, part of the Avon Campaign for early discovery of breast cancer.

This my project, selected in “Avon Movie for Life” film competition. 26 films were selected as finalists and they can be seen on the official Avon Channel on YouTube.

Film director: Ovidiu Paun;

Script: Ovidiu Paun;

Camera: Adela Cotimanis;

Producer: Iliana Dumitrache;

Sound: Catalin Postelnicu; 

Editor: Valentin Narcis Sturzu

You need to read Wikipedia’s article on filming if you want to really know what we do (kidding: we use digital film- nothing of ours is on tape except for the most recent 60 min of stuff we shot, which are on DV tapes.)- it definitely is interesting. Do you have any suggestions for us?

Leave a comment.

Killer Tracks has just come up with a couple of new releases in 10 different libraries!

For those of you who don’t know, Killer Tracks is most likely our most beloved audio resource. You can browse through hundreds of songs, clips and sound fx through it’s user-friendly catalog or using a more specific search through the “trakfinder”. You can then listen to the clips and set aside those you like to download them. This is especially valuable for those of you in Computer Animation or Digital Film.

Now, Killer Tracks has expanded its library once more, to include the following 15 new releases in 10 different libraries. So be sure to check them out!

Pacts with Rogers Communications for funding

from variety.com

By CYNTHIA LITTLETON

Eisner Eisner’s Tornante produces ‘Glenn Martin, DDS’ for Nickelodeon.

Michael Eisner has grand plans for his made-for-Internet production business. Eisner’s Tornante Co. has cut a deal with Canadian media conglom Rogers Communications to help fund the production of as many as 30 Web skeins a year through his Vuguru production shingle. The deal with Rogers calls for Vuguru to become a standalone entity, with Rogers taking a minority interest in the company and controlling Canuck distribution rights to Vuguru productions. Eisner will serve as chairman of Vuguru, which will assemble its own board of directors. The plan is to recruit a CEO and expand the creative staff beyond the handful of execs who have worked with Eisner on the 3-year-old production venture. Vuguru will maintain its offices alongside Tornante in Beverly Hills. “We’re going to put the foot to the metal. We’re trying to show that high-quality content with a promotable hook can get an audience on the Web,” Eisner told Daily Variety. “If you can get an audience, you can get advertisers. I think the big upside in the entertainment business in the future is probably not the movie business or other existing businesses. I think it’s going to be story-driven content delivered through the Internet.” Vuguru has produced several Web skeins since the shingle was formed in late 2006, notably the serial suspenser “Prom Queen” and sports comedy “Back on Topps,” starring Jason and Randy Sklar. (Tornante bought the Topps baseball card and bubble gum company in 2007.) Eisner said Rogers execs approached him about becoming an investor in Vuguru. He hadn’t been shopping for a partner, but he’d gotten to know Rogers’ senior management team after the company acquired Canuck rights to “Prom Queen” as well as “Glenn Martin, DDS,” the stop-motion animation series that Tornante produces for Nickelodeon. A number of high-profile Internet production ventures, some with deep showbiz pockets, have folded or dramatically scaled back operations in the past year, including 60Frames, Mania TV, Disney’s Stage 9 and Turner Broadcasting’s SuperDeluxe. Among the notable ventures that are still investing in the realm are Will Ferrell’s FunnyorDie, Sony’s Crackle, MTV’s Atom and Reveille through its partnership with MSN. Eisner said Vuguru intended to ramp up production long before the deal with Rogers came to fruition. Vuguru has been able to keep its shows from running deficits because it keeps a tight rein on budgets. And it has been successful in recruiting sponsors and licensing its shows in foreign and ancillary markets. A tuner adaptation of “Prom Queen” is also in the works, while “Back on Topps” is being developed as a TV series by Comedy Central. Eisner said the company will focus squarely on scripted series running 120-200 minutes in total. Among the projects in the works is “The Booth at the End,” which he described as “In Treatment” meets “The Twilight Zone,” and “Pretty Tough,” revolving around the lives of young femme athletes. Vuguru productions are generally budgeted at $3,000-$6,000 per minute, though costs vary depending on the talent involved and the source material, among other factors. But even as the company expands its scope, another major factor in keeping costs down is to be selective, he said. “You only put things in development that you’re sure you’re going to make,” Eisner said. “The first time we talked about ‘Prom Queen,’ I knew we were going to make it. The biggest waste of money in this business is script and talent abandonment.” Vuguru has taken a number of different routes in the distribution of its Web product. “Prom Queen” got a promo boost in 2007 through its partnership with MySpace, which had a 12-hour exclusive window for each seg. “Back on Topps” has its home base on FoxSports.com but is widely distribbed on other Internet vid sites. The ability to experiment with distribution strategies was one of Rogers’ motives for getting into business with Vuguru, Eisner said. Rogers has a wide footprint in the Canuck media landscape, from cable TV systems to local broadcast stations to Internet and telephony services. Whatever the distrib scenario, his experience has taught Eisner that the key is to promote the shows through social networks and other online media and make it easy for viewers to find the episodes on advertiser-friendly video sites. Eisner, who ended his 21-year tenure as Disney CEO in 2005, said his approach with Vuguru was shaped by his experience in finding creative solutions to fiscal constraints when he worked at ABC and Paramount in the 1960s and ’70s. “Everybody said we couldn’t get anyone to do movies for under $10 million, but that’s what got us things like ‘Footloose’ and ‘Saturday Night Fever,’ ” he said. “I’m always more interested in doing things that are uniquely challenging and that nobody thinks will work.”

DIGITAL: Analyst: Service will attract core fans, not everybody

By Jennifer Netherby — Video Business, 10/27/2009

OCT. 27 | DIGITAL: Walt Disney Co. is likely to launch its Keychest service, to enable consumers to access digital content on a number of different devices, before competing services offer their own versions of a digital content cloud, market research firm In-Stat said in a research note Monday.

Last week, Disney announced Keychest, technology developed by the studio that would allow consumers to buy digital or packaged content and access it later through different digital platforms, such as mobile phones or videogame consoles. Content would be stored on a “digital cloud” so consumers never have to download it but can always access it.

In-Stat principle analyst Gerry Kaufhold predicts Disney will be able to make some money from Keychest fairly quickly, but he noted it’ll take some time for digital content to catch on with consumers. And even then, some consumers will stick with packaged media.

“Not everybody wants to do this,” Kaufhold said. “Disney has a dedicated group of fans; they’ll be able to get some percent of the Disney fan base to use it because it provides portability of their content and permanence of their content. For Disney, it’ll work, and if it works for Disney, there’ll be others trying it out too.”

He said it’s possible Disney will get its Keychest technology off the ground before the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem — a consortium that includes every major studio except Disney, and such major companies as Sony Computer, Microsoft, Intel, Comcast and Best Buy — introduces its own open system to allow digital access to content across platforms.

Kaufhold said Keychest is part of a larger trend by content holders to keep their content under their direct control. He expects Disney will eventually create a content exchange for distributing digital content securely to various service providers under rules the studio establishes.

see original http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6704047.html?nid=3516

DIGITAL: New components to retail for $79.99, $129.99

By Danny King — Video Business, 10/27/2009

Roku’s HD-XR online-video set-top player is priced at $129.99.

OCT. 27 | DIGITAL: Roku has launched two new online-video set-top players and will launch a Roku Channel Store on its Web site offering content from new partners to be announced soon, the company said in a statement today.

The closely held company, whose set-top boxes let Amazon Video On Demand and Netflix customers play digitally delivered movie and TV titles on their TV sets, has introduced a standard-definition set-top box for $79.99 and a $129.99 high-definition box with an 802.11n connectivity protocol that’s considered better for video-streaming HD content than the $99.99 box Roku released last year. The high-def HD-XR also includes wi-fi and a USB port for future use.

Last year, Roku’s set-top boxes were the first components Netflix used to make its video-streaming titles playable directly on TVs. Amazon began streaming its digital movie and TV titles through Roku set-top boxes in March. Between those two services, Roku users have access to about 60,000 titles.

Roku, which was spun off from Netflix by founder and CEO Anthony Wood, is looking to boost sales with a wider range of both hardware products and content that they can play on TV sets.

The Roku Channel will be launched within the next few weeks, the company said. In the past few months, Roku has started channels for such content providers as Major League Baseball and podcast provider Mediafly. The company also improved the design of its interface for Netflix customers.

see original http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6704037.html?nid=3516

By Susanne Ault — Video Business, 10/27/2009

OCT. 27 | DIGITAL: Paramount Digital Entertainment will launch new Web series Circle of Eight at MySpace.com before rolling out the project as a rental exclusive at Blockbuster and Blockbuster On Demand.

Circle of Eight debuts today on MySpace as a three-episode series. Seven more episodes of the show, which tracks a woman’s supernatural experiences at a historic building, will be presented through Dec. 8. The series integrates social gaming and networking, with viewers able to post comments for others to see.

Mountain Dew partnered in the project as a sponsor, and the soda brand is heavily featured in the Circle of Eight plot line. Mountain Dew plans to widely promote Circle of Eight through theatrical and TV spots.

Adobe powered the technology behind Circle of Eight’s creation.

At an unspecified time after its MySpace run, Circle of Eight will be compressed into a full-length film, with additional scenes and an alternate ending, for exclusive Blockbuster rental distribution. The chain will offer the title in select Blockbuster stores, through its mail service as well as through its new VOD offering. No other sell-through or rental retailer will offer the product.

“Circle of Eight shows our ongoing commitment to launch studio-quality entertainment on digital platforms,” said Thomas Lesinski, president of Paramount Digital. “With strong, mutually beneficial relationships with brands such as MySpace, Mountain Dew, Adobe and Blockbuster, we can launch premium-quality content in the digital window and continue to monetize Circle of Eight on additional platforms, multiple windows and in international territories.”

Blockbuster executive VP/chief merchandising officer Bill Lee added, “We are thrilled to bring such an innovative entertainment experience to our customers. This is one more indication of Blockbuster’s continued commitment to deliver exclusive content to consumers on as many screens as possible, whether that’s through our stores, by mail or through our on-demand service.”

see original http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6704169.html?nid=3516

From videobusiness.com

DIGITAL: Verizon offering programming for $9.99 monthly fee

By Jennifer Netherby — Video Business, 10/28/2009

OCT. 28 | DIGITAL: Epix, the new premium TV and online movie channel being launched by Viacom, Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate, will go live Friday through Verizon.

Verizon will offer the channel for a $9.99 monthly fee to FiOS subscribers, allowing them access to the channel on TV and online. Epix also will make more than 150 movies available each month for online viewing at www.epixhd.com for subscribers.

Verizon is the only telco that has so far signed on to carry the new premium movie channel.

“We’re taking the lead in delivering the richest and best entertainment to movie lovers, on whatever platform they choose,” Verizon VP of content strategy and acquisition Terry Denson said in a statement announcing the launch.

Verizon has offered a free preview of Epix on demand since August. The high-definition and standard-definition versions of Epix will be offered to FiOS TV customers for free this weekend.

Epix will debut with a two-hour Madonna concert, Sticky &Sweet Tour: Live From Buenos Aires. The channel also will air Iron Man, comedy special Eddie Izzard: Live From Wembley and 15 other movies, including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Medea Goes to Jail, The Pink Panther 2and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

see original article http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6704304.html?nid=3516

From videobusiness.com

By Jennifer Netherby — Video Business, 10/28/2009

OCT. 28 | DIGITAL: Warner Bros. Entertainment Japan will begin offering Japanese consumers the ability to rent or buy Warner movies and TV shows directly from the studio for viewing on PCs and mobile phones by the end of November.

Warner On Demand will offer new and recent TV and movie titles including the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as well as classics from its library, some of which have never been released on disc.

Consumers will be able to transfer films between their PC and mobile phones from NTT Docomo for viewing on either device.

Warner said it is launching the service to give consumers more ways to watch movies and to build a more direct relationship with them, according to the announcement. The company is calling it an extension of a global WB loyalty program started in the U.S.

Warner will send regular news and updates from the studio on theatrical, Blu-ray Disc, DVD and digital releases to consumers.

Warner Bros. Entertainment Japan president and representative director William Ireton said Warner On Demand is part of a “strategic initiative perfectly suited to Japan’s leadership in technology,” and one that will help the studio grow the Japanese video market.

The site will be the only one in Japan to offer WB content through electronic sell-through.

Warner has partnered with Japanese software company Skillup Japan to deliver digital content through Skillup’s content delivery platform.

[Mike's Comments:] ScreenPens has long been a vocal proponent of digital films and theater projection conversion. This move by industry leader Cinedigm, along with its recently inked deals with Warner, Sony and the like means greater access opportunties for indie filmmakers and virtually eliminates the cost of 35 mm film conversion! 

Most indie filmmakers shoot in HD video today finding an easier, less espensive work flow. DV can quickly and safely be uploaded into todays digital on line / off line production systems to produce the finished cut. Eliminating the cost of conversion from digital HD to 35 mm removes a huge barrier in cost and opportunity for distribution into mainstream theaters around the world.

Access Integrated Technologies, Inc. – All News Releases

October 5 Virtual Premiere and Q & A with Cast – LIVE from Madame Tussaud’s – to Kick Off Marketing Campaign

LOS ANGELES, Sep 30, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Cinedigm (NASDAQ:CIDM), the global leader in digital cinema, in association with Ullman Family Film Productions, will release the Matthew Modine feature OPA! on Friday, October 16 in approximately 300 theaters nationwide. To kick off the campaign, Cinedigm will offer a simulcast screening of the film, coupled with a LIVE question-and-answer session with the cast, in 50 cities across the country on Monday, October 5, 2009. The LIVE event, which utilizes CineLive^TM technology, will give audience members in these markets a sneak preview of the film and the chance to participate in an in-theater Q & A with Modine, his co-stars Agni Scott and Alki David, moderated by French Stewart (Modine’s co-star at the Geffen Playhouse), all appearing via satellite from Los Angeles’ Madame Tussaud’s.

At the LIVE event on October 5, Modine and cast will take questions via text message from audience members nationwide, in an event designed to celebrate the film but to also raise awareness for Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R), the global leader of the breast cancer awareness movement.

Cinedigm, in support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R) and Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), also will promote a “text to donate” option during the LIVE Q&A and Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R) PSAs will run on Cinedigm’s nearly 3,000 advertising screens nationwide during October. Since its inception in 1982, Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R) has invested more than $1 billion toward breast cancer research.

“CineLive^TM brings the experience of a live premiere – something that was formerly limited to Los Angeles and New York — to moviegoers nationwide, giving them an opportunity to see and interact with their favorite stars from their local multiplex,” said Bud Mayo, CEO of Cinedigm. “CineLive^TM is the future of movie-going.”

Directed by Udayan Prasad, OPA! stars Modine, Agni Scott, Alki David and Richard Griffiths.

via Cinedigm Launches the Largest All-Digital Independent Film Release With OPA! on October 16, 2009.

Johannes Bhakdi

Klatcher.com and award-winning independent horror movie Mindflesh create a blueprint for financial success in the filmmaking industry.  FOR RELEASE Thursday 15th October 2009

Launching today, Klatcher.com establishes a new way to publish, consume and monetize feature-length movies. The media platform allows producers to offer a 360 degree movie experience that gives filmmakers a direct relationship with their audience and profit from it.

Demonstrating this is Robert Pratten’s award-winning horror movie, Mindflesh, on http://klatcher.com/mindflesh.

“On average, filmmakers will see four to ten times more qualified traffic on their Klatcher channel than on their website or social media site. By combining this visitor power with the most advanced digital e-commerce system available today, we get our publishers to the sweet profit spot”, says Johannes Bhakdi.

Klatcher.com allows filmmakers to form a gravitational center around their movie and draw traffic from disparate social networks, blogs and video sharing sites to make an integrated content community and marketplace. By integrating sites like Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr and other industry leaders, Klatcher has taken the lead in matching quality content with quality traffic.

“Our goal was simple: to provide filmmakers with an easy solution to publish and promote their movies, and bring in more profit than through any other channel. With Mindflesh, we can prove we are there”, says Johannes Bhakdi, CEO of Klatcher.com.

“The new and intriguing thing about the Klatcher platform is that it enables filmmakers to not only put my movie online but to create their own brand universe and integrate it to the social web. ”, says Pratten

The Klatcher platform offers producers the latest video technology for webisodes, downloads and HD quality on-demand services for free, including a cutting-edge commercialization platform. The combination of innovative online publishing, Klatcher business services and the social media marketing technology promises to make a big difference for the future of the movie business model.

“The social web is blurring the definitions of entertainment, advertising, filmmaker and audience but until Klatcher there hasn’t been a technology platform to support this new world environment” says Pratten.

For his article in the upcoming November issue of Indie Slate magazine (#59), Pratten discusses how filmmakers can and will inevitably have to develop their movies into transmedia projects that span video, comics, games and events. Thankfully Klatcher.com is developing its offering to support this emerging breed of interlinked content.

Website: http://klatcher.com/mindflesh

About Klatcher.com

Klatcher.com is a Hollywood, CA based media technology company that provides filmmakers a free online publishing and marketing technology to maximize their movies media value. It was founded in 2008 and has technology development centers in Berlin, Germany and Chennai, India. Current flagship channel include the world’s largest user-generated real life show  by lifecasting pioneer Lisa Batey, Chloe And Keith’s Wedding whose viral campaign was ranked the #1 viral video of the year on Facebook and Yahoo, Camille Carida’s groundbreaking webcomic Lick It Man, and Mindflesh, Robert Pratten’s award-winning psychological horror movie.

From guardian.co.uk

by Patrick Smith Monday 19 October 2009 14.58 BST

ZenithOptimedia is reversing its forecast for 2009 UK online ad spend – from its earlier prediction of a 2.3 percent increase, to an expectation of a 2.1 percent decrease.

The sector will pull in £2.78 billion this year, compared to 2008’s £2.84 billion, the Publicis-owned agency now reckons.

Updating its full-year estimates on Monday, Zenith says that the overall UK ad economy will fall 13.1 percent this year to £10.69 billion, with newspaper spend down 19.1 percent and magazines down 15.5 percent year on year.

Remember when online was going to offset declines in traditional media? In the UK, it just isn’t going to happen any time soon according to these figures: Zenith says UK online ad spend will fall again year on year by 1.1 percent in 2010 to £2.75 billion with only a modest 4.9 percent lift to £2.89 billion due in 2011.

Of the UK online total in 2009, 62.4 percent will come from search, 20.5 percent from classifieds and 17.6 percent from display

Globally, Zenith says online is the only advertising vertical that will grow in 2009 with a 9.2 percent lift—an improvement on its April prediction of an 8.6 percent global online growth but less than its most recent July prediction of a 10.1 percent lift, after a worse-than-expected first half. Across all media globally, Zenith downgrades its its earlier prediction of an 8.5 percent fall to 9.9 percent for 2009.

The recovery is coming, but it will be slow going: the report says the global ad economy will be back on track with 0.5 percent growth next year—a slight downward revision on Zenith’s earlier prediction—and 4.3 percent growth in 2011. Emerging economies leading the way with 7.8 percent annual growth across all media, while “developed nations” including the US, western Europe and Japan will collectively fall 2.9 percent.

But the good news: Zenith expects the “market to hit bottom before the end of 2009″; the report says the 2009 downturn “entirely relates to first-half activity… Since then improvements in economic confidence have been accompanied by positive signals from media owners that the downturn is bottoming out.”

see original post http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/oct/19/zenith-report-online-advertisement-2009

originally from videobusiness.com

By Jennifer Netherby — Video Business, 9/25/2009

SEPT. 25 | DIGITAL: Just as the PlayStation 2 was crucial to launching the DVD business, the latest generation of videogame consoles, led by the Xbox 360, are playing a pivotal role in the fledgling digital movie business.

The reason is simple: Xbox 360 is in an estimated 16 million U.S. homes, the PlayStation 3 is in 8 million, the Wii is in another 20 million or so, making gaming consoles the leading Internet-connected device already hooked up to TVs.

They’re expected to hold that lead until 2013 when connected HDTVs overtake them, according to Futuresource Consulting.

Studios say that both Xbox and the PlayStation are a key driver of digital movie and TV episode sales after Apple iTunes.

Xbox, which has offered movie rentals and TV show sales through the Xbox Live Marketplace since late 2006 and streamed Netflix Watch Now since last year, has a 31% share of the digital video-on-demand business, second only to Apple’s 52% share, according to Screen Digest. That’s all the more notable given that Xbox doesn’t yet have content deals with all the major studios. (20th Century Fox and Sony are the two holdouts.)

Meanwhile, rival PS3 is getting more aggressive in video, saying it has delivered 250 million game and video downloads to U.S. users since launching its service last year. However, Eric Lempel, director of PlayStation Network operations and strategic planning at Sony Computer Entertainment America, acknowledges a majority of those sales were for games.

There also are hints and hopes that the Nintendo Wii could add a digital-video component by the end of the year, which would add tens of millions more connected devices for delivering movies. Sonic CinemaNow started offering Hollywood films to Wii users in Japan earlier this year through a third-party provider, though the company wouldn’t comment on any U.S. plans, beyond saying gaming is part of its strategy. Determined Wii owners can already get video from Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, Hulu and other online movie services using PlayOn software installed on a PC.

“We see game consoles playing a major role,” Sony Pictures Home Entertainment executive VP of digital distribution Sean Carey said. Not only are they connected to the TV, but Carey said, “the demo that typically buys these devices is that digital customer.”

For Xbox and PlayStation, that’s good news. For other movie services, it’s unclear what it means.

So far, Netflix is the only third-party video service available on any game console in the U.S. The company has an exclusive deal with Xbox 360, but for how long, neither side has disclosed.

Netflix chief financial officer Barry McCarthy told an investors conference in early September that game consoles are the “principle” device for Internet movie services to be on because of the large install base. “In a perfect world,” he said, “we would like to be on the Wii and the PS3 also.”

Both Xbox and PlayStation execs say they are open to adding other third-party services to their consoles, though both seem intent on creating a more curated experience for users rather than adding the broadest array of digital movie stores to their devices, as manufacturers of Blu-ray Disc player and HDTV have done.

“It’s not just about plugging partners in,” Xbox Live general manager Christina DeRosa said of the company’s strategy. “It’s about picking the best and developing the best service around it.”

Lempel said PlayStation would consider adding services that add convenience and are easy to use.

“We don’t want to have a lot of services competing on the PlayStation Network, but if it really brings a good experience to the user and expands our content offering, certainly we’d look at it,” he said.

For studios, game consoles offer another advantage over other living room devices: access to the hard-to-reach and harder-to-market-to core male 28-year-old videogamer demo.

“I don’t think a lot of our audience sits down at 8 p.m. to watch a TV show,” said Lempel. But they are watching on demand. South Park and Family Guy episodes tend to be top sellers on both consoles.

Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said that some of the customers Netflix has signed up from its Xbox partnership weren’t watching movies on DVD before and don’t order DVDs through the service, though they are streaming movies from Netflix.

“They were disengaged from physical media,” he said.

For certain types of titles that appeal to its core base, Xbox’s share of business can be substantial.

Lionsgate president of digital Curt Marvis said the studio’s slate of action, horror and comedies are perfectly suited for the gaming crowd.

“As a studio, we do extremely well on the Xbox and PS3,” he said. “We view that as a very, very important marketplace for us.”

Magnolia Entertainment’s sci-fi Mutant Chronicles turned out to be a big seller on VOD, largely thanks to the Xbox.

“When you do deliver a young male title to us, our success in that demo tends to end with us punching above our weight,” Xbox general manager of content acquisitions and strategies Ross Honey said.

Nevertheless, Xbox execs believe the viewing experience, not content, is key to drawing in viewers. Honey points out that there are more places than ever before to get the same movies and TV shows. Instead, Xbox is focusing on things like its social networking “party mode” and other interactive features in development.

PlayStation Network is looking to license exclusive content and develop its own original content, Lempel said.

Sony’s biggest differentiator may be its large hard drive that can store plenty of digital movies. Unlike other video services where rental transactions outnumber digital sales, the opposite is true on the PlayStation, where 70% of digital transactions are movie purchases. However, that is likely partly because, for many films, the company only offers a purchase option.

Even as consoles stake their claim on the still small digital business, no one expects them to make it the overnight success DVD was. Digital, most believe, will take longer to build.

“It’s not going to be a groundbreaking shift to digital,” Futuresource analyst David Sidebottom said.

see original article http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6698916.html?nid=4672

Originally from worldscreen.com

by Mansha Daswani

LONDON: Channel 4 is to make its long-form original content available for free on YouTube in the U.K., with a library of about 3,000 hours available at any given time to British Internet users.

Channel 4 will make its 4oD VOD service of new content available on YouTube shortly after the TV broadcast. The lineup will include Skins, Hollyoaks, The Inbetweeners, Peep Show, Brass Eye, Derren Brown, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, Teachers and others. C4’s shows will begin appearing on YouTube in the coming months, available solely to U.K. users, free of charge and supported by advertising. The three-year deal sees the two companies sharing ad revenues; the terms of the rev share were not disclosed. Channel 4 will have a branded presence on YouTube and will be able to sell advertising around its content on the site. The agreement also allows Channel 4 to sell advertising around some non-Channel 4 content on YouTube for the first time. YouTube will help Channel 4 develop its advertising sales proposition in digital, including the use of YouTube’s demographic targeting tools. Channel 4 has already been selling pre-roll advertisements on YouTube clips.

Nikesh Arora, the president of global sales operations and business development for Google, said: “Over the past few years, fans have had access to increasing amounts of professional programming online as TV companies experiment with new ways of distributing their content. Channel 4 have been visionary in their online strategy and are consistently at the forefront of new uses of YouTube to engage their viewers and unlock new revenue streams. This significant new agreement brings Channel 4’s great full length content to the YouTube community, helping Channel 4 to grow their online revenues and to continue to invest in the creation of high quality original content.”.

Andy Duncan, Channel 4’s outgoing chief executive, added: “Channel 4 was the first broadcaster anywhere in the world to make all its commissioned content available online and we’ve consistently pioneered in this field. This strategic partnership is another important milestone for us and we’re delighted to be combining the power of the ‘4’ brand and the appeal of our content with YouTube’s unrivaled reach and reputation online. Making our programs directly accessible to YouTube’s 20 million U.K. users will financially benefit both Channel 4 and our independent production partners and help bolster our investment in quality British content. It demonstrates our ability to strike dynamic commercial partnerships to help underpin our future as a commercially funded, not-for-profit multi-platform public service network.”

view original article at http://worldscreen.com/articles/display/22918

From newteevee.com

Magma Must Watch Videos

Rachel Maddow: The Nobel Prize & Obama Derangement Syndrome

93,220 views

Gummy Bear in molten potassium chlorate

584,247 views

Tsunami Strikes Parking Lot in American Samoa

129,471 views

YouTube – Good-bye Twitter

1,832,799 views

President Obama On Winning the Nobel Peace Prize

73,877 views

See All Videos »

//

Magma, the viral video analytics startup brought to us by the folks behind Rocketboom, is still a bit raw around the edges. Its internal metrics system is a black box and the site has so many features it’s inscrutable. Magma wants to be a public analytics platform, a personal viral video collector, a Billboard chart, a social recommendations engine and a promotional tool for content producers. But it’s still very new, so we’ll give it some time.

For now, one feature I’m finding quite useful is Magma’s “Must Watch” section, which is also available as an embeddable widget (seen here). “Must Watch” highlights videos that have recently surfaced and are gaining steam on sites like Twitter, IceRocket and YouTube’s daily most popular list. Videos are assigned a “Magma score” (I don’t really get it, but higher is better), but more importantly, their view counts, comments and links are collected across multiple uploads and multiple sites, with the portion from the current day split out. Here’s an example.

For Magma to really beat out competitors like Viral Video Chart it should do a better job of parsing and illustrating stats — after all, the data the site uses isn’t proprietary; the secret sauce is in combining it in a good UI. The company understands that and sent over a screenshot of its planned feature set. Still, what really matters is that each time I’ve checked Magma I’ve found something to watch that isn’t already overexposed.

view original article

http://newteevee.com/2009/10/11/magma-finds-videos-before-they-erupt/

Nick Crocker is MD of Native Digital and co-founder of We Are Hunted.

What the news industry is experiencing now, the music industry started dealing with 10 years ago – falling revenue and a migration to digital. Ten years on, the music industry is still coming to grips with the changes. A new force – iTunes – has emerged and with it, the iPod, the MP3 and a shift in consumption that has resulted in 95% of music downloads resulting in no payment to the creators, at least according to IFPI data.

As the news industry faces up to the digital challenge, it’s worth looking at the music industry’s last decade to understand what the news business has coming. Its future success will depend on:

- Its approach to the notion of ‘free’ content.
- Its ability to adapt not just its own process, but that of the ecosystem surrounding it.
- Its willingness to embrace new technology, to experiment and innovate and its openness to the needs of consumers.

What follows is a list of four things the news industry can learn from the music industry’s last decade.

1. Rumors of your death will be greatly exaggerated

The music industry exists because people love music. Some businesses in that industry might be less profitable now, but people still love music as much as they ever did. The newspaper business exists because people need news. Profitability is wilting, but in a world overloaded with messaging from all manner of sources, the need for original, exclusive, highly relevant and genuinely useful content has never been greater.

Lesson: Just like people still want music, people still need news. The news industry isn’t dying, but it must evolve to avoid stagnating.

2. The print industry’s brand will suffer

The print industry might have the same coming. Earlier this year, the Associated Press board voted to “pursue legal and legislative actions” against those using content without permission. Aggregators will be the first targets of these actions. The AP has also committed to a remarkable plan which will see it charge up to $2.50 per word for use of its articles.

Rather than embracing the notion of “do what you do best and link to the rest” and maximizing the value of the link economy, the AP appears to be choosing the litigious route. When the music industry stared down Napster and BitTorrent, it too chose the path of litigation. And while litigation effectively throttled Napster (and a number of subsequent players) it did little to slow the spread of illegal downloads and nothing to engage a generation of consumers embracing a new form of consumption.

The legality of aggregators who reprint an excerpt of text and link to it is a gray area. As the argument over the nature of copyright for print online develops, expect the boundaries of ‘fair use’ to be tested. If we learn from the music industry’s experience, we can expect any fallout from the testing to splash on to the news industry at large.

Lesson: Learn from the mistakes that the music industry has made. The news industry’s brand might suffer, but the decline in public perception can be mitigated by embracing new forms of content distribution.

3. The ecosystem is the problem

Artists, managers, labels, publishers, press, distributors, packagers and producers are all still to some extent entrenched in traditional ways of thinking about the music industry. Innovation has to overcome the combined inertia of all these forces to see the light of day.

The news industry will have the same problem. Anyone who makes a living off the process of supplying, writing, editing, printing and distributing printed piles of paper all over the country will have to be transformed if the news industry is to embrace the digital opportunity. Most importantly, consumers will always prefer free. Regardless of whether its music or news, it’s hard to convince people to pay for something they’re accustomed to getting for free.

There are plenty of smart people in the news business with smart ideas about how to evolve. News Limited’s Australian CEO John Hartigan had this to say:

“How many journalists … have written a story recently that was original, exclusive, highly relevant and genuinely useful to [their] audience? … Fewer papers are being sold and in my view it’s because many of them are largely boring and irrelevant to their readership. Their content is ubiquitous rather than unique.”

Hartigan understands the problem and sees the opportunity to embrace new ideas. But ideas and insight aren’t the issue, execution is.

Lesson: The news industry has great ideas, but execution will remain a problem until it learns to let go of old models of reporting, distribution, and consumption and evolve.

4. This is the end of one-size fits all

News is no different. It’s no longer about one paper for all people. It’s about news distilled from many different sources, delivered many different ways on a range of platforms.

People have shown they will pay for premium products in specific niches. The success of publications like Monocle is testament to that. Best described as the Economist of lifestyle magazines, Monocle isn’t just a magazine, but a multi-platform brand encompassing the magazine, a physical store with Monocle branded merchandise, and a web presence that publishes text, audio and video content. Consumers engaging with Monocle can buy the magazine in stores, they can access content for free online, they can pay to engage online more deeply or they can go to a Monocle store and buy Monocle products.

The news industry is going to have to develop a similar model that matches multiple products, at multiple price points, through the right channels to the right consumer. This is starting to happen, but there’s a long way to travel before people understand that a stand-alone, general news website isn’t a sustainable business model.

Lesson: Independent music artists have found a way to make money by developing new, innovative value-add models — the news industry must follow suit.

A decade ago, the record industry was blindsided by the shift to digital. Analyzing the impact of that change is a worthwhile exercise for anyone with a stake in the future of news. Where do you think the news industry should be heading? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

see original article

http://www.ivonson.com/internet-marketing-news/internet-marketing-idea/4-things-old-media-can-learn-from-the-music-industry%E2%80%99s-last-decade

Would like to add I don’t think a failed day and date release spells total death – the on-line world offers the long tail. Some video’s are on you tube over a year before they go viral, there is also this possibility for films that keep a permanent on-line viewing option – have a think about how many films that bombed at the box office only to be heralded as a classic years later.

D-Day for US studio model

from screendaily.com

By Mike Goodridge

That is a new technology scenario being touted to the major studios as they struggle to cope with the fast-collapsing distribution windows that have been the bedrock of their business models for decades.

Then there’s a premium VoD option that could come in just four weeks after theatrical release in the $30-$50 price bracket.

“US films still dominate, but within a very short period, studios won’t be able to monetise their expensive product the way they are used to”

Exhibitors may not be thrilled to hear of these developments but with the contraction of the DVD market and the dramatic erosion of income from pay-TV deals, the studios are desperately trying to carve out new windows and revenue streams.

Ultimately, new windows might just be a stopgap before the studios’ movies are released day and date in all media and all markets. That sounds like an option with terrifying consequences if the film doesn’t work – ie, it is immediately dead in the water with no chance of compensation from ancillary platforms – yet some would argue that we are already at that place. If a film disappoints in its opening day in the US, the global industry has decreed whether it is a flop by weekend’s end.

The studio film business is in crisis, there is no question. This week alone we have seen management changes at two studios, and, as Todd Wagner explained at a Screen townhall meeting in Toronto last month, “People are going to rethink their business models from the ground up or there will be carnage.” This is not about the recession, which just served to exacerbate existing problems; it is about the emergence of the internet, iPods and digital technology which is changing the way audiences consume movies.

The Los Angeles business has already seen plenty of the carnage Wagner talks about, and more is to come. Seasoned studio veteran Bill Mechanic’s recent speech at the IFTA Production Conference predicted two of the majors would be sold or consolidated within the next five years. That means the probable loss of tens of thousands of jobs. Producer overhead deals and astronomical star salaries, already in decline, will become a thing of the past.

Wagner insists that “nobody knows” how distribution will look in 10 years’ time, but he is optimistic the absurdly lucrative pay-TV deals which have driven up studio marketing spends around the world are coming to an end and a new level of sanity will arrive in the business.

Curiously, the European and Asian film industries look sunny in comparison.

In Asia, the mainland China market is providing a rich new audience base for local product while in Europe, government and pan-European subsidies continue to buoy the production sector which has already cut its reliance on the fast-shrinking US distribution community.

‘Monetise’ is the byword as the industry changes. How will producers be able to monetise their film in an environment in which their traditional buyers have run out of cash? Sales agent Stuart Ford mused at the same Toronto panel that telecom companies and iTunes could help replace presales in the financing puzzle. Local distributors will remain as marketing vehicles to reach the audience.

Then again, speculation at this point is just that. We don’t know what the worldwide ripple effect of the studio meltdown will be. US films still dominate audience share in virtually every country. But the fact remains, within a very short period, studios won’t be able to monetise their expensive product the way they are used to. The question is, will a new revenue source emerge to renew their model?

to view original post

http://www.screendaily.com/news/opinion/d-day-for-us-studio-model/5006509.article?referrer=RSS

from guardian.co.uk

Software startup Boxee aims to bring web video to the living room, but its founder reveals it has had to battle content companies

Family value … Boxee allows users to watch online video together on the sofa. Photograph: Frederic Cirou/Corbis

A wall divides broadcast television and broadband video: the wall between the living room and home office. The living room is home to what was once considered the small screen, television, and the home office is now home to even smaller screens on laptop and desktop computers.

The plans to bridge those worlds are slowly coming together, but keep running into obstacles. The BBC is trying to marry its iPlayer broadband catch-up service with broadcast digital television via Project Canvas. This is facing stiff resistance from consumer electronics manufacturers and others in the television industry, such as satellite television giant BSkyB. While the players in the electronics and television industry jockey for position, developers are moving into the gap.

Changing channel

XBMC, formerly XBox Media Centre, is one of several projects to create a media centre platform using common computer hardware. Despite the name, the media centre is cross-platform and runs on a number of platforms including the Xbox, Linux, Windows, Apple’s Mac OS and Apple TV OS. It organises all of your music and video files, and with plug-ins, it can be used as a digital video recorder or as a viewer for online video from traditional broadcasters and online video providers. XBMC has a huge range of plug-ins, but they lack the simple installation process of adding a plug-in to Firefox or installing an iPhone app. However, XBMC has spawned a number of spin-offs that are pushing innovation well beyond that of the television establishment.

MediaPortal on Windows, Plex for the Mac, the commercial movie service Voddler and social media player Boxee all have their roots in the XBMC project.

The XBMC spin-offs were created by developers looking to solve a specific problem. MediaPortal developer Erwin Beckers began the project in 2004 because the XBox didn’t support TV cards. Since the project forked from XBMC, the code has been almost entirely rewritten.

In December 2007, developer Elan Feingold was looking for a media centre application for his Apple Mac and began porting XBMC to the platform. He worked under the auspices of the XBMC project until May 2008, when there was a decision to split his work to a new fork. Plex was born.

After becoming captain of his own ship as put it, he Feingold began work on a media centre component to aggregate not only local content but also to bring together web-based multimedia services. Plex has 120 plug-ins or applications, and growing.

Boxee was also born out of the developers’ frustration with existing applications, according to CEO and founder Avner Ronen. Microsoft had its media centre software and Apple had Front Row, but Ronen said, “We thought there is a place for product that puts the user first and enables access to all content, not for Apple or Microsoft to decide what you can and can’t access.”

Boxee also takes a trick from social networking and social media services such as Last.fm, which allows you to rate music, pictures and videos and recommend content to your friends. When you log into Boxee, you see what your friends have watched and what they recommend.

Installing applications is easy in both Plex and Boxee. You can browse a list of image, audio or video applications that allow viewing or listening to a range of traditional and internet-based media.

Once you’ve connected your computer to your flatpanel TV, you can switch easily from catching up on a BBC show you missed last week, and then listen to music on Last.fm or a Shoutcast radio channel and then watch a funny video from the Onion News Network, all from your sofa.

Plex and Boxee also have applications for services such as Hulu, a US-based video-on-demand service that features content from NBC, Disney’s ABC and News Corporation’s Fox network. CBS is the only network without a presence on the increasingly popular service. Neither Plex nor Boxee circumvent the regional restrictions of services such as Hulu, but that hasn’t prevented a running battle between Hulu and these media centre applications.

Hulu has never officially contacted Feingold, but has deployed what he called “behind the scenes counter-measures”. Once, when it looked at the source of Hulu after the service stopped working with its software, it found an HTML tag named PLEX, which presumably broke the service.

The relationship with content companies is not completely adversarial, with some companies contacting Feingold to add their content to Plex. “Most people get that having more eyeballs is better,” he said. Boxee’s conflicts have been a bit more public, but Hulu is working again.

Dis-contented

Ronen wants to help content owners to make money, while Boxee is working with content companies for premium services such as Major League Baseball’s on-demand service. He also sees that there is the opportunity for content companies to sell their own premium applications, much like Apple’s iPhone app store.

“Content owners will need to follow the users. If users are on internet, on computers watching TV, they will need to be there,” Ronen said.

Both Feingold and Ronen know that users wanting to use their software face a conundrum. The flexibility of media centre applications comes at a cost – and that’s the cost of dedicating a computer to Plex or Boxee.

“I’m highly cognisant that to run software, you need to buy a $500 Mac Mini, completely aware of the barrier to entry,” Feingold said. He wants people to be able “to have the Plex experience” without having to buy themselves another computer.

Online and download services are now developing their own set-top boxes for video download rental services such as Netflix and Vudu in the US. “I don’t think that people want another box,” Feingold said. Connected TVs are now able to display a limited amount of online video content, but in five years, Feingold sees apps as part of television’s future.

Feingold would love to work full-time on Plex, but for now it remains a labour of love. Boxee landed $6m in a second round of funding in August. One of its goals for 2010 is to get on additional devices beyond computers and Apple TV. It won’t be building a Boxee set-top box, but it is working to get Boxee on a number of devices, including set-top boxes, games consoles and connected TVs.

original article http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/oct/07/boxee-web-video-software

from variety.com

Farsi to manage digital distrib in newly created post

By MARC GRASER

Warner Bros. is dialing up plans to distribute more of its movies, TV shows and original fare onto mobile devices, and has tapped Natalie Farsi to spearhead the effort for the studio.

In the newly created post, Farsi will essentially manage the mobile business for Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Warner Bros. Television Group, expanding the development and marketing of ad-supported mobile websites, applications, mobile games, video services and messaging products for the studio’s various divisions. She also will be Warners’ key negotiator with wireless carriers and mobile service providers.

“Mobile is one of the fastest-growing areas of our industry, offering numerous opportunities to build new and innovative distribution models that will positively impact our business and provide continued growth,” Farsi said.

She reports to Andy Mellett, senior VP, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, and Brett Bouttier, senior VP, digital, Warner Bros. Television Group.

Farsi already had been working with Warner Bros. as a consultant, since 2007, helping to launch a mobile version of “TMZ.”

Before that, she served as senior VP of mCommerce and content for Fox Mobile Entertainment, where she oversaw Fox Mobile Studios.

Farsi also has served as VP of media at mobile entertainment venture m-Qube.

orginal article http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009630.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2570

from Variety.com

Even leaner, meaner world for niche films

Though long expected, Disney’s announcement Friday that it will scale back Miramax was just more downer news for the already browbeaten indie film community.

The larger studio will now handle “certain marketing, distribution, operations and administrative support functions from its Burbank headquarters,” Disney said.

That translates to an almost 75% reduction in staff to just 20 remaining execs. A series of meetings this week and next will lay out who stays and who goes, but Disney won’t name names for now. Some of the early exits are expected to come from the production and development side. Production prexy Keri Putnam and acquisitions veep Peter Lawson are among the rumored first execs to ankle. Marketing and distribution also are expected to shed many staffers.

Miramax prexy Daniel Battsek will stay put in New York, where he’ll oversee the remaining Miramax slate, including dramedy “Everybody’s Fine” (set for a Dec. 4 release) and John Madden’s Mossad thriller “The Debt.”

Miramax had already started morphing from an acquisitions-heavy mandate to more inhouse production and co-production — with a distinct turn toward genre fare. Mike Judge workplace comedy “Extract” is one example. The label’s upcoming pics, including Jennifer Aniston-Jason Bateman comedy “The Baster” and thriller “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,” are more evidence of the trend.

Among the Miramax pics headed into production is romantic comedy “Liars (A to E),” produced by Scott Rudin and helmed by Richard Linklater. But with as few as three films reported to go out under the banner this coming year, who knows what will remain on the Miramax release slate.

Some observers see the Miramax “restructuring” as merely a preamble to a complete elimination of the division.

If that’s the case, it all feels eerily familiar. Paramount Vantage folded its marketing and distribution operations into big Paramount last year, allowing a small staff to remain to acquire and co-produce genre fare. Then another wave of layoffs effectively put an end to Vantage.

The old genre trick — to help boost bottom lines in niche divisions when arthouse fare isn’t cutting it — is an indie Band-Aid that was inspired by New Line’s early horror successes. It spawned Dimension when Miramax was still run by Harvey and Bob Weinstein. And Focus Features begat Rogue.

But clearly, Disney didn’t wait to see what its new focus on comedies and thrillers might yield. “Extract,” grossing just $10.8 million to date in wide release, was perhaps one signpost it wasn’t willing to ignore.

On the whole, the shrinking indie slots at studios spell ongoing tough times for filmmakers. Some are already crying doom over what the Miramax cuts will mean for acquisitions at Sundance in January. Despite the fact that the label made very few pickups in recent years, the notion that just one more possible buyer was taken off the field is cause for a full indie orange alert.

Some say the indies are already on red alert. One sales agent reported that U.S. distribs can now play hardball when it comes to paying filmmakers and sellers. “People are behaving really badly. They’re basically saying, ‘We’ll pay you whenever we want to pay you, no matter what the contract says,’ ” the seller lamented. “There were 20 places to distribute your film before, and now there are 10.”

As more and more specialty films go without a significant (or any) theatrical release, or get paltry minimum guarantees from smaller buyers — with a major chance of not recouping at all — the urgency of finding a solution has reached its apex. New companies and consultancies are trying, but, so far, nothing seems to be making a game-changing impact.

It’s interesting, meanwhile, that a studio — Paramount — has been making headway by using indie tactics to release an $11,000 indie horror pic. The studio quietly rolled out “Paranormal Activity” in midnight runs for the past two weeks to amazing per-screen averages and will now take it wider.

Perhaps the leaner-and-meaner studios of today are the new indies. Without the label.

original article http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009700.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562

Originally from allthingsd.com

Spotify, the streaming music service Americans love talking about but can’t actually use, has given us even more to chat about: The company now promises to roll out some sort of TV service, some day.

Where? In Sweden, of course, which is where Spotify started, and which acts as a sort of test lab/best case scenario-provider for the service.

The company has announced a two-year deal with Telia, a European telco/Internet service provider, “to work together developing Spotify’s music service for computers, mobile phones and eventually TV as well.” No details about what that TV service might be, but the companies say a mobile offering will be available for Swedes within a “few months”.

That’s interesting, since Spotify already has a mobile offering: Subscribers to its premium service can use the company’s iPhone app, which Apple (AAPL) approved last month. No description of how the new service will differ.

It’s also worth noting that this is Spotify’s second deal with a Swedish ISP. It already has a linkup with Bredbandsbolaget, owned by Telenor, (TELNF) Scandinavian telco, which allows users to bundle their subscription fee with their Internet bill.

It’s also the only territory where the service has a bundling deal, and industry observers think that tie-up has a great deal to do with the company’s much-talked about success there.

Everywhere else, though, Spotify remains a work in progress. It claims 5.5 million users, but as of last month only about 100,000 of them were paying the company a monthly fee, according to people familiar with the service. It is currently trying to break into the US market, but has been mired in discussion with the big music labels — the same ones that have licensed the company in Europe — for months.

View original article at http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20091008/spotify-promises-a-tv-service-in-sweden-of-course/?mod=ATD_rss

From joedigitalblog.com

Everyone knows their TV and Internet are on a crash course with each other and when these worlds collide, the way we experience entertainment will never be the same. It won’t be too much longer before we’ll all be checking our Facebook, and other time sucking web accounts, for photos and video messages from our friends, while simultaneously watching our favorite TV shows and VOD movies. These viewing experiences will also continue on our mobile devices, out of home networks and into live events.

We increasingly demand a 360 storytelling experience that breathes life into these new, integrated platforms by allowing us the opportunity to participate in our favorite TV shows, online games and other digital content. While technology will continue to be a key component of this new entertainment experience, applications are useless without the spine and structure of a great story, characters and a relevant and entertaining message.

The 360 storytelling sphere of possibilities is merely shallow hush unless each and every digital venue delivers platform specific, customized content that tells a story that reaches, entertains and retains audience loyalty. Future success depends upon STORY STRUCTURE, KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE and STRATEGIC DISTRIBUTION.

PART I: STORY STRUCTURE

We can agree there is already a morass of content that is difficult to manage. Tomorrow will be even more of a challenge as more content, and on more platforms, comes into the fold. Whether we’re talking about brand ideas or entertainment properties, it’s crucial to structure stories that cater to audiences wherever they choose to experience your story.

This is especially true if we consider that, in the 360 story environment, the point where the viewer enters and exits your story is constantly in flux and is left entirely in the viewers’ control. However, if you structure an engaging story with the 360 environment in mind, you can provide a more entertaining experience that (1) stands out in the growing sea of content and (2) creates deeper levels of engagement. Before you begin to think about the technological applications and distribution options, here are a few key questions to ask yourself:

1. What is my story?
2. Who is my audience?
3. Why will my audience care?
4. How can I build emotional connections between my characters and my audience?

Knowing your story is only half the battle. Knowing your audience and the ways they want to receive your story is of equal importance.

AUDIENCE

Your audience has always been in control of your messaging, but now they are equipped with the digital tools to demand everything be completely on their terms.  Understanding your audience, the way they speak, the terms they use and places they like to interact with each other is as important as a solid story structure.  Two key factors to remember about audience in the 360 story environment: (1) Every audience is different and (2) Audiences will continue to fragment across multiple platforms.  Here are three main types of audience today:

1. Passive, lean back audience

2. Engaged, audience

3. Active, lean forward audience

The traditional TV viewer is considered part of the passive “lean back” audience, as they enjoy a great idea or story, but don’t feel compelled to participate past the emotional involvement of the story.  The engaged audience will be watching and following along on a related website or checking Twitter and Facebook for related conversations.  The active “lean forward” audience (think LOST) is hungry for the opportunity to co-create your story.  They are participating with other fans, uploading content and providing your story with additional distribution.  In the 360 story environment it’s about audience loyalty. If you don’t supply your rabid fans with interactive tools like widgets, websites, mobile applications, and games, they will look elsewhere.  One of the great opportunities, with respect to the lean forward audience, is the ability to test different 360 storytelling elements to see what resonates with the fans.

MARKETING

Transmedia Storytelling Explained

The story of traditional branding and marketing, set against the backdrop of this nerve racking, yet exciting paradigm shift, makes yet another exciting plot twist. “360 storytelling”, “Multi-platform storytelling”, or Transmedia storytelling, as it was coined many years ago by the great MIT/USC professor Henry Jenkins, is moving away from the fringe and into the limelight. While the nomenclature continues to evolve, the idea remains consistent: Great Story + Strategic Distribution = Loyal Participants.

Some of us have been reared on this type of storytelling, while others are realizing its power through sheer necessity. Right now there is more content being produced and distributed every single minute, from every part of the globe, and across multiple platforms, than at any time in history.  How does a brand or entertainment property reach out and retain peoples’ attention and create loyalty?

In traditional branding, (1) determining the customers’ journey and (2) identifying the number of touch points where your brand will intersect with peoples’ lives, were important first steps in successfully managing a brand’s message. We’ve moved beyond the need for a great idea and unrelenting brand messaging and into a new era where:

• a compelling story is the only way to guide customers through this new crowded landscape and

• a strategic and relevant distribution strategy is the only way to encourage engagement and ultimately create loyal participants.

When people watch their favorite TV shows, it’s very common for them to be engaged with another activity – they’re online or using their mobile phone to supplement their involvement with the story. This is yet another reason why it’s so crucial to have a strong narrative that holds on all organic platforms. There are simply too many entry and exit points for the audience these days to approach things any other way. Rest assured, this type of storytelling is here to stay. Coupled with emerging social media and mobile technologies, Transmedia storytelling techniques will become the spine of every successful branding campaign in the very near future.

Transmedia Storytelling Is Gaining Popularity

The born digital generation is accelerating the popularity of this storytelling trend in marketing because this demographic expects their branding and entertainment to be completely:

(1) on demand

(2) on their terms

(3) authentic

Transmedia has been popular in filmmaking and TV for awhile and it is quickly gaining popularity in other forms of branding and media. “The Lord of the Rings” franchise and MTV’s “Valemont”, are prime examples of large scale Transmedia projects. For example, the “Valemont” fan can watch the show and, to get their complete “Valemont” fix, can use their mobile phones or log onto the website for extra pieces of story and content. This evolution in storytelling creates the need to carry a narrative across multiple platforms and technologies, and sets the stage for an engaged group of people to interact, share clues and ultimately become communities of loyal participants.

If your story lives with them, they live your story. Later this week we’ll take a deeper look behind the technology that is bringing this new paradigm to life and make some predictions about the future of Transmedia storytelling in marketing and entertainment.

DISTRIBUTION

Distribution takes on many new and exciting forms in the world of 360 storytelling and needs to be strategically mapped, based on the specific needs of your story.  The bad news is, audiences will continue to fragment across an increasing number of platforms.  The good news is, the audience may be one of the best forms of distribution for your story through social networking and video sharing.  This factor becomes even more interesting, considering that 1/3 of all online videos get shared.

Traditional platforms like TV won’t disappear or lose out to online and mobile, but we’ll get to a point very soon when all these platforms hold an equal footing.  The distribution efforts of loyal fans and participants will become even more apparent in this transition.  Distribution channels in the 360 story environment may include:

from screendaily.com

5 October, 2009 | By Sarah Cooper

The newly formed DFG was set up by the UK Cinema Exhibitors Association (CEA) to negotiate financial support for small and medium-sized UK cinema operators to convert to digital cinema technology. The CEA, the trade association for UK cinema exhibition, represents around 90% of UK cinema operators.

Perrin has held a number of roles in the film industry including director of marketing at Warner Bros Distributors UK and deputy head of distribution and exhibition at the UK Film Council.

The CEA chief executive Phil Clapp said: “Helping to ensure that as many UK cinemas as possible can navigate the transition to digital cinema is at the very top of the CEA agenda. I am delighted that we have been able to secure someone of Steve Perrin’s experience and reputation to lead this work.

original article http://www.screendaily.com/news/digital/uk-ireland/steve-perrin-to-lead-uks-digital-funding-group/5006444.article?referrer=RSS

—————————————————-Fabulous Comment!——————————————————

Jonathan Williams | 6-Oct-2009 11:16 am

Ah yes, Steve Perrin, the man who was centrally involved in the UKFC’s lottery funded ‘Digital Screens Network’ which handed out a £multi-million susidy, most of it to the US studio owned exhibition chains, which was sold as the creation of a network which would benefit foreign (not American – isn’t amazing how people don’t think that those are foreign…) non-mainstream UK independent and classic films.
The one part of this deal which was delivered was the 3D projectors that Hollywood would have paid for if the British weren’t such total mugs. The fact that Perrin used to work for Warner Bros before robbing lottery players pockets on their behalf comes as no surprise.
All that the specialist filmmakers and distributors got out of all this was a very bad taste in the mouth.

Wal-Mart Scales Back DVD Displays

Article from Wall Street Journal

A recent shift in merchandising strategy by the world’s largest retailer spells more trouble for DVD sales and the entertainment industry that depends on them for profits.

As part of a larger effort to clean up its aisles and appeal to higher-end shoppers, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is doing away with display cases to promote the latest hot movie titles.

The move comes as major film studios are reeling from declines in revenue from DVD sales as cash-strapped consumers turn to low-cost rental services and digital downloads for home movies.

“We think the new strategy implies Wal-Mart no longer sees DVDs and Blu-ray discs as traffic drivers,” J.P. Morgan analyst Imran Khan said.

Studio chiefs dispute that conclusion, noting the importance of DVDs as a sales category for Wal-Mart, but none would speak publicly for this story.

Wal-Mart, which accounts for nearly a third of DVD retail sales in the U.S., didn’t respond to inquiries for comment.

The change to its DVD selling strategy is part of a larger merchandising overhaul the company calls “Project Impact,” in which it has been devoting more shelf space to top-selling products and cutting back on items that linger. The discount giant also is trying to spruce up its image and cut back on clutter in its aisles, like corrugated displays for DVDs, in hopes that it can attract a more upscale shopper.

As for DVDs, the Digital Entertainment Group estimates that overall U.S. retail sales fell 13.5% to $5.4 billion during the first half of 2009. At the same time, DVD rentals rose by 8.3% to $3.4 billion. Digital sales and rentals from services like Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc.’s iTunes rose 21% to $968 million.

Video on-demand revenue from pay-TV service providers, like Comcast Corp., is also rising. Comcast spokeswoman Jennifer Khoury says the company served 368 million total views on its VOD platform in July, up 11% from last year.

Meanwhile, studios have cut deals with services like Netflix Inc., the mail-order DVD rental service.

Meanwhile, Wal-Mart and other major retailers, along with several fast-food chains, have been adding low-cost DVD rental kiosks near store entrances provided by Redbox Automated Retail LLC, a division of Coinstar Inc.

Redbox’s prominent placement and its overnight rental price of $1 are viewed by film studio chiefs as a threat to sales. Three major studios — News Corp.’s 20th Century Fox, Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Brothers and General Electric Co.’s Universal Pictures — are locked in a legal battle with the company and refuse to make their new titles available to Redbox until 28 days after their release. News Corp. owns The Wall Street Journal.

Starting with just 12 kiosks in 2004, Redbox is now expected to have 22,000 machines across the country by year-end.

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