New Media in 2009 – Bigger Productions, Bigger Returns

Like everyone else this time of year, I begin to wonder what the new year will have in store for us.  Since this blog is mostly about new media, I will keep this post focused on what we might be seeing in the world of online video in 2009.

Over the past few years the focus on the web has been the incredibly misunderstood and misused “viral video,” a slippery slope that has taken down any number of hopeful entrants.  We’ve also seen the rise and fall of the sketch comedy sites like SuperDeluxe and FunnyOrDie (yes, I know they still exist, but they fail to remain relevant).

Just in the past month or two, there has been a renewed, and stronger, push into original series on the web.  Most notable, perhaps, has been Joss Whedon’s “Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” now having a lot of success in a DVD release.  Also of interest is the WB’s “Children’s Hospital,” which broke some new ground by being a high-value production with name actors and releasing all ten episodes at once to what appears to be a healthy return.

So, for 2009, even with the economy in the crapper, I think we will be seeing more of the studio-backed sites giving it a go with high-end original webseries.  Not only in TV becoming a dead zone for scripted entertainment but the relative cost is still astronomically lower than trying to get scripted programming on TV.

As a sign of things to come, I present the trailer for Crackle.com’s “Angel of Death”.  Crackle is owned and operated by Sony.  Expect to see something like this from most of the usual suspects.  Whether or not it works is a much larger question. (via Tilzy)

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.765457&w=425&h=350&fv=id%3D2418937%26ml%3Do%253D9%2526fc%253D244%2526fp%253D1%2526fx%253D]

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Children’s Hospital, That Guy and Others Try All-You-Can-Eat Distribution

Let’s face it – it is not easy at all to keep an audience coming back for more.  Even major TV programs, complete with critical acclaim and plenty of marketing, can’t make the cut (I’m looking at you “Pushing Daisies“).

For episodic web shows this can be even harder.  Sure, you loved episode one of that new webseries but it was 3 minutes long and now you are suppossed to wait a week or more and then come back and check for episode 2.  Not a very appealing proposition and a major reason, I believe, that many webshows fail to get out of the gate and see massive downturn in viewership after the first episode.

Now, a few of the bigger players in this game, WB.com and Sony’s Crackle.com are both releasing series with “full seasons” available for immediate viewing.  That means, if you dig episode one of “Children’s Hospital” you can sit tight and watch all ten of them.  Same goes for “That Guy” on Crackle.

It will be interesting to see what impact this has on overall viewership.  Knowing all the episodes are there and waiting is a lot like having a good show stacked up on TiVo – you know it’s there waiting when you are ready to watch.  Maybe you will watch just one episode or maybe all ten but either way you know they are there.

Additionally, by releasing multiple episodes at once we get to decide how good the show is, not just the premise, which is all one can really hope to get if there is just one episode to see at launch.  It is, perhaps, too much to ask of your audience to commit to a new episodic program based on one 3-minute episode.

The WB Brings Out the Big Guns for Re-Launch

Warner Bros. Studios is launching a new website in May that will be a home for all their old shows as well as the place for new, original, web seriers.

ReelPop has the breakdown of what they have planned.  What I found interesting was who was behind the projects_ 2 from big time commercial/film director McG and one from Josh “The O.C.” Schwartz.

I wonder if the budgets for these projects are in line with what I hear most new webseries are getting – down around 5-10K/ep – or if the big names are drawing bigger dollars?

The Essence of What I’ve Been Saying…

In a long piece on plans by Warner Bros. to launch an Essence Magazine branded web presence I read this:

“Although the letters “TV” make up the Warner Bros. unit’s name, WBTVG president Bruce Rosenblum said that the group has a wider mission these days. “For the last several years, we haven’t considered ourselves as simply being in the TV business. We view ourselves as being in the content business, and whether that content is delivered over the television screen or for the cell phone or a computer, that distinction doesn’t matter.”

This is the sort of platform-agnostic approach I have been making for the past year.  My only addendum is that all content does not work on all platforms.  I still see far more repurposing of existing content for emerging mediums than the creation of content organic to the new platforms.

Does that mean one can be platform-agnostic and still serve multiple needs?  Sure, but it is a lot harder than making “Extra on Essence” – the first big move by WB.  Really?  Yup.  They’re taking the TV entertainment “news” show “Extra”, cutting it down to only a few minutes an episode, giving it black hosts and an urban twist and calling it “Extra on Essence.”

If this is forward thinking, I’m gonna cry.