Just a short one today guys... MySpace is linking in the U.K. with Film4 and Vertigo Films to get a low budget film ($1.96 mm) off the ground. Anyone in the U.K will be free to enter the contest, MySpace Movie MashUp, by submitting a short. The massive quantity of expected entrants will be cut down to 12 by the companies involved. The final 3 will be submitted to MySpace users, who will choose the winner. MySpace users will also have an opportunity to be involved in script selection, casting and other decisions for the eventual feature. They'll even be able to put themselves forward as cast members.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
The Gold Rush 2.0
Before I get to work on today's illuminating column, I'd like to take a moment to thank Melissa McNamara of CBS for her mention of Multi-Platform Media for the mention in Blogophile! Now you know we've hit the big time.
OK, now that the self-promotion is out of the way, it's over to Barry Diller. Today, he announced that IAC would be pouring millions into producing original content on their myriad of sites. He sees the value of user generated content, ala YouTube and MySpace, but feels that the future is really in professionally produced content. Good point, but you have to remember that he comes from the world of professionally produced content, and, oh yeah, he doesn't own either YouTube or MySpace. That said, overall, I agree with him.
Speaking of user generated content, Facebook and Comcast are teaming up to offer even more video. The content will appear first on Ziddio, a new Comcast site devoted to ugc. The best stuff will end up on Comcast's video on demand channel and on a new television show in the works.
Doc/Reality producer RJ Cutler is working to develop 10 episodes of a project called Facebook Diaries that will devoted to topics like "Heartbreak" and "Life During Wartime." The show will be shopped around, and Comcast, with some 23 million subscribers, does have some pull in the TV world.
Not to be too glib about it, but it strikes me that this one for the "more things change, the more things stay the same department." Remember "America's Funniest Home Videos," which is still on btw. Isn't that a network show that runs video submitted by users? The only difference there is that it doesn't appear on a website first.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Coach Potato Edition
The best ads on last night's coverage of the Superbowl were brought to us courtesy of Doritos. I didn't even realize that they were user generated until I saw the winners on the Today Show this morning. What's quite cool is that the winning ad, "the crash" was filmed on a budget of $12. Opps. A ad exec quoted in the WSJ said it was scary that amateurs could put together something so good. It definitely scored with the group with whom I was watching.
On Today's discussion about the ads, Matt Lauer roundly dismissed the automotive ads. Donnie Deutsch threw in something complimentary about one of the ads featuring a robot for GM. While the NYT also praised it, I also happened to notice that the ad was produced by Deutsch. Okaaay.
On the topics of coach potatoes, Reuters reports on an article from the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. It reports that a 4 year study of more than 10,000 U.S. children found that, "Simply restricting television viewing may not be effective in increasing physical activity."
Advertisers Discover Video
Another article in today's NYT reports on a number of advertisers meeting with success as a result of posting videos, much of it user generated, online. Notables are 1-800-Flowers.com, Buy.com, and Blendtec.com. At this point, the videos are novelties. What remains to be seen is whether they will translate into real sales. Some companies are wary of getting involved with soliciting user generated videos, fearing a loss of control. That problem should be solved, at least to some extent, by BazaarVoice.com, a company that helps clients review posted content.
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