Feature: "Digital Hollywood Spring 2008"

Digital Hollywood (http://www.digitalhollywood.com/) is always about the essence of programming versus the technology. Now while this is a bonafide matter to be debated, one of the things that came out in texture with the spring incarnation at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood was that people are more open to watching long form video. That was one of the sticking points plus the fact of watching commercials being tolerated. As ABC.com has shown, the HD element with limited interruptions and sponsors can work. But can it make money? The key is to keep the movie studios and innovative delivery systems from completely "smash and grabbing" the material and trying to run. This is what hurt the music industry. The key is perceptive steps and making sure the light is on.

The first order of business is to make the content available and identify the niche to market it too. The panel on "The New Hollywood Equation" used a roundabout way of projecting this. Alex Barkaloff who is involved with Digital Media Initiatives at Lionsgate talked about the use of franchises to show a persistance of vision with accepted marketing strategies. David Brooks, a former effects artists, also on the panel, is now involved in Fox Atomic's arm of the digital wing and discussed the use of filmmaker's perception and training the new continigent to create from the get go with the internet as a testing ground. Donick Carey, as Exec Producer of "Lil Bush", was also on the panel and saw the reverse being true since creating their show from the ground up is what got them to where they are. Redpoint Ventures, the lone VC on the panel, seemed predirected to the element that shows the greatest turnaround. Lesley Pickney, Director Of Digital Development at Essence, talked about keying into the right demographic and knowing their wants specifically. With her, it was interrelated around African American women and how the brand dictates the marketing. However the most interesting revelation came from Michael Jay Solomon who used to work for Warner International Television. He had found a niche that no one had accessed: faith. He recently launched an evangelical portal (http://www.iworshiphere.com/) that gives 24-7 access to pastors to spread their sermon for free when broadcast units like Trinity Broadcasting are charging millions to go on the air. And it is all done through rev-share. The question is "will it be successful?" Solomon's key is that "I don't produce. I don't acquire. I don't pay" and the model will work. Furthermore, he says that "content is King but distribution is Emperor". This is a very true statement. There is also another deal in the workings with Shangahi Media Group for Solomon where he will stream 35 live channels of their media worldwide. The agreement is 99% done and based around the predilection that over 100 million Chinese live outside China itself. The audience potential is massive. The independence of content is creating a portal that no one else can duplicate because of the structure. That is a the key to a great deal across the board.

The "Golden Age Of Hollywood" on the internet is not quite here although some would like to differ. The panel explaining this was based around the aspect of delivery of content versus persistance, if you will, of vision. People do want to see long form but what will they endure to get it? The discussions within this panel is of knowing what works. While people might want to see sports (as mentioned to Will Flannery of Fox Cable Networks), the instaneous nature of a live game cannot be duplicated within the online brand just yet. The fuel is just not there yet. The aspect of different celebrities bringing their thoughts to digital and wanting to play in the space was brought up by both Ivana Ma, of Generate (http://www.generatela.com/) [a combination agency/content house] and Michael Kernan, former new media executive at ICM. When the writer's strike happened the talent got bored and needed to have their fix. The internet and new media content game provided that. The problem is that when the strike ended the people returned to the normal mediums while some deals floundered. Guarav Dhillon, founder and CEO of Jaman (http://www.jaman.com/), believes that you need to know what you want. The media revolution, according to him in terms of content, is already here. You can see it coming through. Most people think full integration is still 3-5 years away but some analysts believe it is much closer. It is just finding the integral distribution and funding avenues that make sense.

The VIP dinner held that night by Norwest Venture Partners in the Grand Ballroom encompassed the aspect of "Celebrity 2.0" and how talent figures into this cultural landscape. Among the resolute clinking of glasses which distracted many from the thoughts at hand, hands-on entreprenuers in this space including Damon Wayans and Chuck D made their thoughts known. Damon Wayans was the most outspoken whilst promoting his new venture "Way Out TV" (http://www.wayouttv.com/). His perception is that people are ready for long form. The aspect of celebrity is not the key but part of the formula. "The Landlord" from "Funny Or Die" would be just as funny, according to Wayans, if Will Ferrell was not in it. The proponent of hesitation to that statement is that people went to see the clip precisely because Will was in it and it grew from that. It has to be an organic process and name recognition does not hurt which is the point. Damon seemed resolute in his viewpoint but he did give the fact that pitching a celebrity means you have to have everything in a row. There are 20 more people waiting to pitch right outside the door. It becomes more of a limited opportunity in this thinking but that is the way some see it. Chuck D with his music group Public Enemy believed in using the online portal from the beginning. The problem is that technology makes things more interesting but also more complicated. You got to know how to use it. Cash Warren, fiance of Jessica Alba, who launched his own online network I Beat You (http://www.ibeatyou.com/), understands that it is the interaction with the audience that is important and said so. You have to make people feel that they are in on the gig. He said that his company just put up a piece that they did of a staring contest with Adam Sandler. That is the "immediacy" that Damon Wayans refers to: in your face and reflective of the moment. The other member of the sympoisum was Rob Dermott who is the manager of Linkin Park. Music again is trying to find the bridge between the boat that sailed and the cruise ship that is about to leave dock. You can't rush it but you have to know the potential either way.

The second day was more about establishing the bridge. "Hollywood Reinvented" talked about the want to create new avenues of content perception but it is simply also finding the angle that works. It is about being instantaneous. Sean Carey, SVP at Sony Pictures Television, knows it is about providing choices for the viewer. ITunes dominates the market but it is about finding the other arenas in the know. Sony just launched, according to Carey, a service called Pix for the mobile market based around the Crackle division. But again, success is based on the flow and rate of delivery. David Werthheimer, now part of a consortium called Etc. based at the University Of Southern California but formerly of Paramount Digital himself, knows that everyone has to see the vision. But making sure everyone is on the same page is a lofty ideal since major corporations like the studios lumber along and require certain shifting to implement large scale ideas. Perhaps the most interesting and effective use of incorporating multiple medium systems to achieve a common goal was done by Live Earth at their concerts last year. President of Live Earth Nina Guralnick, seemed modest to the achievement, but the fact that the shorts films, musical acts and SMS behind in the concert acts provided such a blending of interactivity was astounding. Her claim that most of the audience worldwide was on the internet is wondrous if in fact it holds true. But people never thought they could watch hours upon hours on a smaller screen. That seems to be being tested.

"Hollywood 2.0" is using the new distribution systems to push certain kinds of content. Dean Valentine, a longtime attendee of Digital Hollywood, is always a little bit wary of the impression the new technolgy will have. It needs to make money bottom line and that truly is not being done yet. The machine needs time to grow but the question is that will it be allowed to do so on its own? The fact of the matter is that the technology will move forward at its own pace no matter what kind of content you throw at it. It just might not be ready as soon as people want it to. One agency perspective was always shielding the studios from such elements but now some are starting to embrace it. Every couple months brings another consortium. But it is always about the money which is an uphill battle. "Taryn Southern" is one of the new internet celebrities who is creating her own content and getting hits. She did a piece which she showed called "Hot 4 Hill" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Sudw4ghVe8) which is basically politicizing in a bikini. Now while that may make younger viewers take note, the sarcasm and knowing needs to be a little more intense. She says it is "controversial" but in terms of the factor, unless you are dealing with far right, there is a lack of edge to it. The lone high horse on the panel, to his credit, was Dougas Gayeton (http://www.gayeton.com/) who is just about to premiere his documentary of Second Life: "Molotov Alva" on Cinemax. He felt that You Tube when it first showed footage of his docu actually hurt his chances of distribution because certain markets like exclusivity. Somehow Gayeton was able to maintain control of some of his rights although he wasn't very upfront about how that was accomplished. He sold broadcast of North America but was able to hold onto DVD and international rights when dealing with HBO which is unusual. Such a deal is very hard to structure especially in this space with the subject matter. If correctly done, it is a good model to study for future distribution formulas.

"The Hollywood Producer" panel was a bit of a paradox by comparison since most of the involved parties make material outside the Hollywood system for the most part. The person who seemed the most in control of his focus (with the West Coast might to back it up) was Quincy Jones III of QD3 Entertainment (http://qd3.com/). He is Quincy Jones' son with model Ulla Andersson. This guy has the hook up having worked with 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and others creating new media content and docu elements. His company has a deal with Image Entertainment and he truly understands his arena. There is no messing around with the hip hop crowd. They call you on your bluff and you have to deliver. QD3 retains the base worldwide rights which means that extra footage can be repurposed. This guy knows his stuff and will continue to become a bigger and bigger player in this niche but decidely mainstream market. George Ruiz, of ICM, who moderated the panel, understands the obstacles faced and one of his clients: Felicia Day, who created "The Guild" (http://www.youtube.com/user/watchtheguild) who also spoke. Day made "The Guild" because the doors were closed in terms of developing the property and pilot season has always been tough. What is interesting is that with the writer's strike wrench that was thrown in this year, networks needed to find new ways to fill their schedule.

The "Variety Ten Innovators To Watch" networking event was on the roof near the pool at the Rennaissance. Rustled cloth and people mingling to be sure. However staying in one spot, drinking Coke and reading Variety gets yourself shot by the event photographer in one of the classic Hollywood mag reading poses. A short time later, Edgecast (http://www.edgecast.com/) threw a small shindig over at Lucky Strike Lanes, the bowling alley in Hollywood & Higland. These people are a class act who know the aspect of being cool, hanging loose and not pushing your product too much. I ended up (after having a Caucasian) discussing Family Guy and South Park with those gathered overlooking the lanes. Edgecast provides hosting solution for the massive influx that comes through the playing field currently.

Digital Hollywood for Spring 2008 showed that he content creators are more in control of their material but the lack of a true formula in advertising and monetization continues to be a problem. However the assimilation of the consumer and their willingness in the market in terms of long form, is coming together and, although integration is not quite there, it is moving forward.