Archive for August, 2009:

'Narrow World of Sports', Peter Mehlman's Fresh Jock Comedy

Kobe Bryant on Narrow World of Sports“Yadda yadda yadda,” “Shrinkage,” “They’re real – and they’re spectacular.”

Peter Mehlman, the writer-producer who penned those famous lines on the TV sitcom classic Seinfeld has moved beyond television and brought his unique sense of humor to the web. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” (Okay, that one was written by Larry Charles, but you get the point)

Turning his attention from the realm of self-centered New Yorkers to the realm of sports, Mehlman’s first foray into cyberspace is the off-kilter and hilarious Peter Mehlman’s Narrow World of Sports. Each episode features Mehlman, as himself, interviewing big time sports celebrities like LA Lakers MVP Kobe Bryant, Boston Red Sox slugger Kevin Youkilis, Olympic champion Shawn Johnson, and Indy car speedster Danica Patrick. Sound pretty straight forward? I can assure you it is not.

Just as the show’s title is a funny take on the classic ABC series Wide World of Sports, the show itself is a funny take on the classic celebrity interview format itself. All the traditional elements are there – the host, the celebrity, the cameras, the Q&A – but they’re all twisted into a surreal event that’s just a little bit off from what we’re used to. For example, Mehlman poses a question to Kobe, but while they’re sitting on opposite ends of a fifteen foot long conference room table. Or Mehlman offers the burly Youkilis a beverage, but instead of the normal talk show mug of water, it’s a fruity red umbrella drink. Or how Mehlman starts each episode by greeting the audience from a desk, but the desk is inexplicably sitting in the middle of a basketball court or a soccer field.

If you couldn’t tell already, this show is all about the laughs and not much about the actual interview. And that’s fine by me. There’s plenty of places I can hear skateboarding legend Tony Hawk talk about where he got his start, but this is the only show I know where the host will comment “You’ve been married three times, but you’re the greatest in the history of your sport so you’re entitled to three wives, aren’t you? Other off-the-beaten-path questions include asking Patrick “When you get a speeding ticket, do you get to write that off as research?” and asking Kobe “Do you ever stop in the middle of the day and think to yourself, ‘holy shit, I’m Kobe Bryant!’?”

Narrow World of SportsDespite the silly questions and absurdist touches, Mehlman’s tone is dry and there is never a single wink to the camera. Even when he inspects Tony Hawk’s mouth with a tiny orthodontist’s mirror or asks him how difficult it is for a man of his profession to find a willing health insurance provider. Mehlman should also get credit for directing his guests in the same pitch perfect fashion. Kobe has trouble keeping a straight face, but Youkilis, Hawk, and Johnson play along nicely.

If you’re wondering where a sitcom writer gets off interviewing world-class athletes, Mehlman actually began his career as a sportswriter for the Washington Post. He then parlayed that print experience into writing and producing the TV series, SportsBeat starring Howard Cosell. So, in a way, Narrow World of Sports is Mehlman going back to his roots.

Peter Mehlman’s Narrow World of Sports is produced by BermanBraun, the production company run by former TV executives Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun. It can be found exclusively on YouTube and is sponsored by Palm, which receives one or two unobtrusive product placements in the intro and outro segments that wrap around each interview. In fact, they are usually pretty funny and play right into the style of the show.

The series premiered in early August 2009 and 9 episodes have been released so far. I, for one, am hoping there are plenty more to come. Peter Mehlman’s Narrow World of Sports is consistently funny and truly original. Even on the web, Mehlman is truly the “master of his domain.”

Henson Puts 'S.U.D.S.' Puppets Preview on YouTube

S.U.D.S. - HensonAnother project we hadn’t heard much about since we screened the trailer at the April Web TV Meetup, but today the first episode (above) of The Jim Henson Company’s S.U.D.S. (Simian Undercover Detective Squad) was released on YouTube. The series was produced by Henson Alternative along with Warner Bros. Studio 2.0 arm, which has turned out series like Viralcom and most of the WB.com original series including Childrens’ Hospital and Sorority Forever.

The 15-episode series is the first original web series involving Henson’s signature style of puppets to come of of the famed Muppets studio. Even though the company sold the rights to the Muppets characters to Disney back in 2004, there’s still a fair amount of original puppeteering coming out of the company. For S.U.D.S., two new characters, Yeager and Skreet, are introduced as a pair of less-than stellar detectives, who also happen to be monkeys.

I caught up with Henson’s VP of New Media, Allyson Smith, who produced the series, to find out more about the project and the company’s jump in scripted web series.

“One of the mission statements we have always held is that we create characters,” said Smith. “We look at the web and mobile as an extension of a third platform from film and TV.”

Henson - SUDSThe series is slated for a fall release exclusively on Film.com as part of a distribution deal with the site set up back in 2008. Following the online run there are possibilities for additional syndication of the show depending on how it performs.

Smith noted that the audience for the series is more in the PG-13 realm tending to be older than the company’s storied children’s audience. Under the adult-focused Henson Alternative brand, they have developed a following of more mature puppet humor fans, due in large part to Brian Henson’s live uncensored improv puppet show, Puppet Up, that toured worldwide back in 2006.

“Out of that emerged an adult comedy brand,” Smith noted. “People really embraced the idea of us getting in touch with things that aren’t designed just for kids.” The success of the live shows prompted a shift in focus to edgier comedy projects for all platforms. “The repsonse to them being a little naughty was overwhelming,” added Smith.

Created by Deb Loftis and SNL writer Perry Sachs, the project has one of those right-place-right-time kind of origins so familiar in Hollywood, even on the digital side. The pair happened to connect with Smith the day before she had a pitch meeting with Studio 2.0, who, as it turns out was looking for an adult-comedy project just like S.U.D.S. at the time.

Sachs is also working on a new web series with Henson Alternative called Alt.Reality, which will be a series of parodies on popular TV reality shows, all done with puppets of course. Some of the shows to be roasted? The Hills and Antiques Roadshow. It too will be released on Film.com.

Vampires and Hemophiliacs, Together at Last in 'Bleeder'

Bleeder

Whether it’s Buffy on network TV, True Blood on HBO or a slew of more offerings on the web (I Heart Vampires and Vampire Killers just off the top of my head), filmmakers continue to feel if you carve out your own blood-sucking niche, fans will come (and, maybe, the money will follow). But with no shortage of mythological, quasi-evil, sanguine-centric plot lines, the question for viewers becomes: how intriguing is your spin on the Dracula story?

Read On…

'Fall of Kaden' Scores Spot on KoldCast TV's Fall Slate

The Fall of KadenWe screened the teaser trailer for this unsigned web series back at the April Web TV Meetup, and it stood out as one of the best pieces of content no one in the room had even heard of. Flash forward a few months, and The Fall of Kaden, a gritty web drama from creators Matt Doubler and Adam Leiphart, has inked a distribution deal with KoldCast TV.

Set to premiere September 8 on the newly redesigned web TV network’s site, it is also slated to have its 10 episode first season pushed out through TiVo, iTunes and the Zune marketplace as part of KoldCast’s existing distributions deals. As part of the deal, KoldCast will have a 48-hour exclusive on new episodes before wider distribution to sites like blip.tv, Dailymotion and even Hulu later this fall.

We haven’t seen any episodes yet, and the trailer (above) is all we have so far, though the synopsis sheds a little light onto the basic setup:

A dark perspective on an unpredictable world, told through the eyes of Kaden (Adam Leiphart), a paranoid loan shark falling towards full collapse. With an intensifying pessimism and heavy-handed approach, Kaden’s conflicts perpetually spiral into total disasters. What begins as a struggle to preserve the failing relationship with his degenerate brother Danny (Joe Andalaro), quickly escalates into a vendetta to exact revenge on Burke, the wildcard gambler that ran off with his money.

Fall of Kaden - stillThe creative pair, Doubler and Leiphart, met on set of the TV series Prison Break and in fact wrote much of the first season from within prison walls. Together, the two along with Chris DiMaso formed a production outfit dubbed Tape 6, which produced the series. Leiphart also stars in the series as Kaden, while Doubler remains behind the camera as director. Production of the series spanned the course of multiple years.

The deal was set up by CJP Digital Media, the same firm that has taken over similar duties for Illeana Douglas’ Easy to Assemble series and Christopher Preksta’s upcoming Mercury Men. While the exclusive window on the series is relatively short, it does show movement by KoldCast towards locking up series on its network rather than allowing wide distribution of shows on potentially competing networks. More news on the network’s full fall slate of new web series is due out in the next week. No word yet on any greenlights out of its newly-formed original content studio.

UPDATE: The series hasn’t officially been announced as part of the network’s fall featured ‘slate’, though a distribution deal has been signed and the show is “under consideration” for the slate according to KoldCast.

'The Guild' Season 3 Begins on XBox, Inks Retail DVD Deal

If you were online at all last week, it’s hard to make the case you weren’t reminded of something happening on the 25th. The incessantly catchy music video, “Do You Wanna Date My Avatar,” turned out to be the most successful (and viral) promo for a web series we’ve seen to date. The four-minute dance pop fantasy was not only a swift monetary success, but ignited a growing fanbase around the launch of the hit web series’ third season.

Today the much-anticipated Season 3 of The Guild kicks off exclusively on XBox Live, before rolling out to the rest of Microsoft’s three-pronged network—MSN, XBox Live and Zune on September 1. While the phased rollout may frustrate some fans who aren’t XBox owners, it comes with the territory of exclusive online distribution deals like this one, which pay an upfront premium to the creators for the right to a release window on its platform.

As announced back at Comic-Con last month, the season significantly steps up the production elements and the cast, most notably adding a rival guild into the mix headed up by new cast member, Wil Wheaton. Codex (Felicia Day) and her Knights of Good gang—Zaboo (Sandeep Parikh), Bladezz (Vincent Caso), Vork (Jeff Lewis), Tink (Amy Okuda) and Clara (Robin Thorsen) are all back for the new season and must put their past inter-guild squabbles behind them.

The Guild DVDWhile for now you’ll have to head to XBox Live to watch the new season online, there was also news that The Guild team has reached a deal with retail DVD distributor Newvideo to release seasons 1 and 2 of the series in the US and Canada. This is the same company that put out Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog DVD earlier this year. Previously, the two seasons had only been available on as Amazon-exclusive DVDs. New cover art has been whipped up for the new DVD which is slated to hit retailers’ shelves on September 29th and will sell for $19.95.

For bonus materials to be included on the 132-minute, 2-disc DVD release, we’re promised a fair amount of unseen content like original audition footage, table reading, gag reels and even script PDF pages to go along with the usual   audio commentaries and cast & crew interviews.

With over 25 million total views on the Streamy-winning series, it’s safe to say this is a bonafide online hit, with steady interest from mainstream print media interested in what all the fuss is about. And while the show never actually says the name of its MMOG (massively multiplayer online game) that its characters obsess over, it’s presumed by most fans to be something pretty close to World of Warcraft. That explains why Blizzard Entertainment, the software company behind the uber-popular (12M+ subscribers) game, has made the show a staple at its annual BlizzCon conference which went down last week.

Bringing Middle East Documentaries into 'Alternate Focus'

Alternate Focus

If you’re looking for a venue for stories from, studies on, and analysis of the Middle East outside coverage by the mainstream media you’ll find a treasure trove of alternative journalism from Alternate Focus. Founded by a Jews, Muslim and Christian, the San Diego-based documentary producer, broadcaster, and distribution company focuses on telling the truth about one of the most volatile regions in the world.

Read On…

'Legend of Neil' Raunchy Musical Episode Debuts

Legend of Neil, Season 2, Ep. 3 — The Musical

Legend of Neil - Felicia DayOnline musicals are all the rage, and we probably have the Whedon clan to thank for that. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog gets a lot of credit for pushing web video forward, and you can’t help but notice its inspiration in The Legend of Neil’s new season with the release of Episode 3 (above) today on Atom.com.  (Warning, the video is potentially NSFW. Well, depending on where you work.)

Neil creators Sandeep Parikh and Tony Janning, who stars as Neil in the series, gave a preview of the episode last month at a live screening. In what be the raunchiest appearance on screen to date by Felicia Day (The Guild, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog), Day returns as the fairy finding herself is a spot of trouble with Ganon (Scott Chernoff).

And as if it needed more of a Whedon/Dr. Horrible connection, we learned that Maurissa Tancharoen sings the voice of Zelda in the episode as actor Angie Hill lip syncs. From what we can tell, the composers Nigel Cordeiro and Robert Harrington, have no relations to the Wheodon clan.

While this is the only musical episode of Neil for the the season, another upcoming comedy web series, The Cabonauts, promises a breakout song and dance number in every episode.

Branded Entertainment Demystified – What’s In a Name?

Branded Entertainment - Spic and SpanWe love our buzz words in the digital world. There was ‘social media’ and ‘microblogging’ and ‘user generated content’ and ‘engagement’ and ‘web 2.0’ (which paved way to the 2.0 suffix attached to everything) and ‘the cloud’… and now there’s ‘branded entertainment.’

The thing is, branded entertainment is nothing new. Over 50 years ago, those crafty soap companies figured out that to get in front of women to peddle their household products, they’d need to wrap their advertising around some meaningful content. And so was born the soap opera.

But while the concept isn’t new, the delivery method is. Unlike the push method of traditional tube TV, blanketing messages across a broad audience, technology has enabled us to deliver compelling, resonant experiences in an interactive format. Through the one-to-one properties of the web, we can reach users directly and craft relevant messaging that builds relationships and drives brand loyalty. New media brings us endless possibilities for taking branded entertainment to the next level, and harnessing the tools to turn a static ad into a dynamic experience.

To help crystallize this concept, we reached out to three pioneers who are helping to shape branded experiences that are as entertaining as they are effective. The four of us will give you our definitions of the various forms of branded entertainment in a roundtable discussion, along with our visions for the future of the space.

Roundtable Participants:

Justine Bateman – Partner, FM78.tv
Tim Jones – COO, Animax Entertainment
Gennefer Snowfield – CEO, Space Truffles Entertainment
Warren Tomlin – President, Fuel Industries

Question 1: How do you define branded entertainment?

Justine Bateman - FM78Justine Bateman: To me, branded entertainment is something borne of a Sponsor themselves or their ad agency. It may be a concept they have created fully and hire others to execute or it may be an idea they hire others to create. Nonetheless, the results are primarily focused on the brand vs. a story narrative that minimally involves the brand. Sometimes these pieces appear to be extended commercials.

Tim Jones - AnimaxTim Jones: In the broadest sense, you could argue that all entertainment is branded. However, as it pertains to our Branded Entertainment division at Animax, we define the term to mean any content (linear video, game, app, widget or interactive experience) that incorporates a brand or a brand message within its context. Animax recently produced a branded entertainment series for CKE (Carl’s Jr. and Hardees) entitled SLOTCAR. This 8-episode comedy series which targeted young hungry males went beyond incorporating products and logos and integrated the brand within the storylines of the series. For example, Episode 01 introduces us to the driver of the new Hardees car: Smokey, a black bear from Tennessee.

Gennefer Snowfield - Space Truffles headshotGennefer Snowfield: I see branded entertainment as scripted content that visually depicts the personality and core values of the brand through lifestyle triggers emblematic of the audience it serves. It should communicate the essence of the brand in a way that is both entertaining and personally relevant to consumers. In that manner, viewers relate to the message through the personification of those brand traits rather than pushing empty features and benefits at them as you would in a traditional TV spot. I always say that consumers remember what they feel, not what they hear, and people will always tune out when you try to tell them something. So, branded entertainment allows you to build a contextual backdrop around your brand that engenders an emotional response while still communicating underlying key messages. A perfect example of this in action is Shredded Wheat’s “The Palace of Light” series that, while could be described as merely a longer form commercial, humorously conveys the brand’s rich history and tradition (and without even realizing it, you’ll see that you take away core brand messages like the fact that shredded wheat hasn’t changed in a 100 years without once feeling like you’re being ‘sold’).

Warren Tomlin - FuelWarren Tomlin: Branded entertainment for us has always been about making the ‘entertainment’ part come first. It’s more than slapping a Fresca logo on the star’s backpack in a TV series; it’s about taking the brand’s identity and spirit and building content that reflects that. Branding isn’t something that needs to be hidden, but if it’s integrated in a way that detracts from the piece of entertainment, then the content fails, and the consumer walks away feeling cheap. Essentially, the adage applies: ‘if you notice it, it’s bad, but if you don’t, it’s worthless’. But more and more, transparency is key. Consumers are smart, and they know brands’ motives—so if the movie scene is good enough, they won’t care if happening at a Kinko’s. It’s well known, but Harold and Kumar go to White Castle is still something of a gold standard in the industry.

Question 2: How do you define product placement?

Bateman: Product placement is often where a product is put on camera, often for a previously agreed length of time, in exchange for a fee. This has become commonplace in Old Media and audiences have shown to have a decreased tolerance for this. Much of the time, the product has nothing to do with contents of the scene underway. Example: Will Smith throwing Dasani vending machines in the film, Hancock.

Jones: Product placement is simply when a logo or product is incorporated within entertainment content, like Elliot leaving a trail of Reese’s Pieces for E.T.

Snowfield: Product placement is just that – placing a product directly (often, overtly) into an entertainment experience (TV, film, or game). Two examples that I reference as product placement done well are both from over a decade ago. The first is Golden Eye where BMW is used as an integrated element for introducing their new 328i model, which boasted a hefty uptick in sales post-film. Apple followed a similar strategy the following year by featuring its PowerBook in Mission Impossible. Neither of these placements seemed heavy handed, however, (even though they were prominently featured) because it was believable that James Bond would be driving the latest luxury BMW vehicle, and that special agent Ethan Hunt would have a sleek, advanced laptop (and it certainly doesn’t hurt that Tom Cruise’s character saved the day thanks to his trusty PowerBook). Apple sought to position their brand as the provider of that innovative technology, and even capitalized on the placement in their advertising efforts.

There are hundreds of other notable examples as well such as Pepsi and Back to the Future, Reese’s Pieces and E.T., and FedEx in Castaway. But perhaps the most blatant, and prime example of brand integration that seems forced, and lacking in substance, is Taco Bell’s larger than life presence in Demolition Man, where according to Sandra Bullock’s character, ‘… after the franchise wars, all restaurants became Taco Bell.’ You could have conceivably inserted any brand into that placement; it didn’t communicate any value within the entertainment context that translated back to tangible brand attributes. It was just a gratuitous brand play, much like the recent throw in of Entenmann’s and Zune in Weeds. Those types of disconnected placements disrupt the experience and dilute the story overall, in which case neither brand nor content succeed. Product placement is not about randomly tossing your products into scenes, but aligning your brand with stories that resonate with the people who would buy them. The new Subaru WRX placements in SyFy’s Eureka make sense from that standpoint in that it’s plausible Jo’s character would drive a WRX and is congruent with Subaru’s positioning around forward-thinking features and performance.

Tomlin: Smart product placement takes a product’s intended use and demographic and wraps them into a piece of content in a way that doesn’t smell tacked on. The most important aspect is that it be a natural integration; the product needs to feel like a genuine part of the narrative. If you’re going to put a Volvo in a movie, it should have an opportunity to demonstrate its brand principles, such as keeping the hero of the movie alive in a crash. A great example is the Volkswagen integration into the Bourne movie, where it keeps the bad guy safe in a car chase. It’s funny how much something like the Wayne’s World scene poking fun at product placement can resonate with the industry, but I think since the late 90’s, brands in general have gotten a lot smarter about how and where they plug their content. This clip from Best in Show illustrates how both brands and writers can have fun with placement:

Question 3: How would you define sponsored content or the new concept of sponsor-funded scripted content that Justin Bateman and her crew at FM78 are pioneering?

Bateman: [Me and my team at FM78 created this concept because] funding scripted content is one of the best ways a Sponsor can spend their advertising dollars right now. Our business model includes many benefits for Sponsors and audiences alike, but two of those elements are very ORGANIC product integration where the brand or product is part of the plot or part of the characters’ lives (and not just something sitting on a table in a scene) and an incredible press/publicity campaign wherein the Sponsor would be spoken of during all our interviews and appearances with great appreciation. This would include The Today Show, Letterman, People magazine, NY Times, etc; all the major players in the Traditional press. The press campaign alone gives the Sponsors about $6.4 million of exposure before the show is even launched and that’s just if ONE of our actors is participating. If a Sponsor wants their brand in front of people and wants it out there in a way that endears the audience to them and doesn’t turn them off or make them feel like they are being hard-sold, funding scripted content is the way to go. The audience recognizes that the Sponsor is giving them a gift of a well-done, engaging, entertaining show in exchange for their attention. They are not going to be tricked into watching an ad. They are going to be treated with respect.

Jones: We are all used to receiving sponsor-supported entertainment. The :30-second ad on network television is the classic example. Brand messages are delivered during advertising breaks, but the two are at arm’s length of each other. Sponsored content reduces the space between entertainment and brand message.

Snowfield: FM78’s sponsor-funded scripted content model offers the brand greater flexibility in reaching consumers in a memorable way; however, it requires them to relinquish the control that they’re used to and allow content creators to develop narratives that are lifestyle-centric vs. brand focused. Meaning that the brand must essentially take a backseat and allow the entertainment experience to take center stage. The result is that the brand becomes the benefactor of an experience that respects the audience and delivers something of value to them without any associated corporate hard sell. And where viewers are grateful to the brand who bankrolled that experience vs. put off by being forced to sit through, in what many cases, turns out to be nothing more than a glorified infomercial for the company. The best example of this is IKEA’s Easy to Assemble series, the premise of which is that Illeana Douglas is having a tough time finding work so she’s forced to take a job at IKEA. So, it makes sense that it would be set in an IKEA store, and the entertainment value creates a positive association with the brand while subtly communicating core brand traits, such as simplicity, as the star-studded cast seeks refuge through some everyday normalcy. Without actually saying it, IKEA demonstrates how it fits into consumers’ lives and effectively asserts the tenets of the brand — uncomplicated, everyday quality, customer service-oriented etc.

Tomlin: FM78 is a logical extension of the idea that consumers don’t fear branding, but they do demand more for their attention. In a way, it blends the classic era of live on-air branding with the more subtle and integrated approaches of contemporary branded entertainment, and wraps it all in a tongue-in-cheek package—a tone that consumers are more willing to interact with. We’ll see content getting edgier, quirkier, and in turn, we’ll see brands getting more flexible with their brand positions for the sake of creating great content that consumers will line up to interact with.

Question 4: Where do you think is the overlap between these concepts?

Easy To Assemble - ThumbBateman: It is possible to have comprehensive overlap of these three concepts. The right players have to be involved. To begin with, the concept for the show has to be a solid one and not some nebulous outline of an idea that people hope will be filled in later. You must have great writers involved who will create a compelling narrative. (This has been true in Old Media for decades and it’s still true today.) The rest of the creative team has to be of top level as well. Your actors, director, editor, website builders, etc should be talented and dedicated to turning in their best work yet. THE INTERNET IS NOT A “SIDE PROJECT; it’s your next job upon which people will judge your work. This is not a time to work with people who are not taking this seriously. Next, the Sponsor has to have faith in this model and has to understand that creating expanded commercials can turn audiences off. Even if the concept is borne of the Sponsor (branded content), the Sponsor must have enough trust of the content creators to allow the story narrative to take precedent over mentions of the brand. Thirdly, there may be deals cut after the initial funding from the main sponsor (with that main sponsor’s permission) to include product placement from other sponsors. Again, we feel very strongly that these product placements MUST be organic and fit naturally into the plot and/or these characters’ lives. If it is not, it turns the audience off of not only the product, but of the show itself as you risk pulling them out of the story they’re watching.

Jones: Branded entertainment is nothing new and there have been any number of combinations and examples done in radio, TV and film for many years. There really is no “one size fits all” model. The brand goals and needs, distribution channels and type of content need to be analyzed and matched with the audience to make the optimal choices.

Snowfield: I think the overlap between these concepts centers around authenticity. Brands are an integral part of our everyday lives, and there’s nothing wrong with brands advertising their products or attempting to get their messages in front of consumers. In an oversaturated market where brands are all vying for the same share of voice, they must find creative avenues to rise above the clutter and reach their desired audience. Branded entertainment experiences give sponsors a vehicle for drawing consumers into a narrative where they can define brands in relation to their own lives, and connect on a deeper level than they ever could through overly produced ad spots and pithy taglines — especially in an age where TiVo and other DVRs have virtually eliminated commercial interruption. The key is not to try to sell consumers or usurp content to push product messages, but give them a venue that takes them out of advertising mode and wraps the brand in a meaningful experience where the characters and storylines are the embodiment of brand values. Whether you’re developing a branded entertainment campaign or integrating your product into scripted content, it must be organic to the characters who are portraying it and authentically represent the lifestyle of those who are watching it. When all is said and done, people don’t buy products, they buy the promise of the impact a brand will have on their lives. And what better way to convey that than through an evocative entertainment experience that genuinely reflects what your brand stands for and what your customers strive for? i.e. Don’t tell me the car goes 0-60 MPH; let me experience the roaring sounds of the engine and the thrill of watching the rubber meet the road. In some ways, sponsored content is just a new twist on experiential marketing where entertainment is the experience.

Tomlin: The lines between branded and ‘ad-free’ content will blur as brands and creators become more comfortable with the emerging freedoms of branded entertainment, and let the old rules fall away. The made-for-web approach allows valuable creative experimentation to happen that is crucial for understanding how far brands can go before consumers call them out. Eventually, that confidence and freedom will translate to multiple platforms.

Question 5: What do you think is the sweet spot for brands and content creators to partner on these types of initiatives?

Bateman: I really hope that Content Creators and Sponsors alike can recognize the Pioneer Moment that exists right now. Few generations get to have a Pioneer Moment and unbelievably, we get one. The biggest shift in Entertainment since the beginning of Film is here and those that can recognize this have a unique opportunity to actually design this moment. We will create the new business models that others will need to follow and Sponsors who get involved now will not only get to craft deals that suit their purposes (instead of following what their competitors design), but will go down in the history books as having been forerunners at this juncture. It’s a truly great way to wisely spend advertising dollars and distinguish your brand at the same time.

CTRL - NBCJones: Again, I’m not sure there is one sweet spot for brands and content creators. Every campaign is different, and so the sweet spot for one brand or content creator could be a disaster for someone else. I think new media offers the most opportunity for growth in branded entertainment. Brands are looking to reach audiences in non-traditional ways and to personalize their messages based on individual preferences, making new media (online, mobile, social networks, etc.) more appealing. Likewise, audiences aren’t content to lean back and passively receive these messages — they want to add their own voice, personalize their experiences and take part in a conversation. Therefore, online interactive experiences which integrate brands into compelling content in meaningful ways will be more effective than, say, a banner ad. When it comes to new media content, brands we’re talking to aren’t satisfied with passive product placement . They want to be part of the story.

Snowfield: While I’m not averse to organic brand integration, I believe that the sweetest spot for brands and content creators to partner effectively is on companion content that augments the entertainment experience and leaves the narrative in tact. Far too often, sponsors try to retrofit their products into a storyline. Instead, a brand could sponsor a web series, and rather than force their product into scenes a la NBC’s CTRL with a bottle of Nestea blatantly hijacking the content, they could create added value vignettes that expand the lexicon of the story and bring the characters to life. In that scenario, any brand messaging or inclusion is welcome because the brand is giving viewers more of what they want through a deeper backstory, extended scenes, character interaction, etc. I also think this is where multi-platform experiences will bridge the divide between advertising and entertainment by engaging consumers at the point of consumption with immersive experiences that become vivid, exciting and life-enhancing… where viewers are focused intently on the content and the brand who delivered it. Who wouldn’t want to adopt a brand that gives them more of what they want and enjoy? Then, in essence, by supporting that brand, consumers know they will get more of the content they crave. And that’s a pretty compelling brand proposition.

Tomlin: The magic nexus for brands and content isn’t too hard to find, but achieving that perfect balance takes work. Could NBC’s Chuck work at an actual Best Buy instead of a ‘Buy More’? Sure, but it only works for both parties if the brand is open to presenting itself in unusual contexts, and if the writers (and you’ll need good writers) are willing to frame their creative ideas in a way that keeps the brand’s position in mind. A sweet spot on one of our recent projects: Vans wanted to tap into the mobile market, so we built an iPhone skateboarding game with Vans products built into it, which actually made the experience a lot more authentic for players.

In Brands We Trust…

The four of us seemed to overlap on most of our thoughts on the differences between branded entertainment and product placement, and especially around the fact that authenticity of execution is critical above all else or it diminishes the integrity of both the brand and the content. But I think there is some room for interpretation on how best to integrate a brand into an entertainment experience.

The core issue is that the advertising paradigm must evolve to better harness the tools technology offers in reaching consumers on a personal level with content and experiences that resonate personally with them. One of the main reasons this year’s upfronts were so poor is because digital technologies and viewer consumption have changed, and the models that worked before don’t any longer. Nor will consumers tolerate brands who force products into their favorite shows or repackage ads as entertainment – especially when there are so many alternatives.

In a world where even the lines of real life and fiction are starting to blur though 3-D and augmented reality technologies, brands and content must work together to create holistic experiences that extend beyond the :30-second spot – and even beyond the delivery platform itself – to form an emotional bond with viewers. Brands and content creators must also realize that old rules no longer apply. They need each other. Content creators need brand sponsors to bring their vision to life and fund a quality production, and brands need content creators to substantively connect with consumers. But none of those things can be achieved without trust. And nothing influences consumer behavior more than an experience that moves them – and a brand they can believe in.

Gennefer SnowfieldGennefer is a writer, producer and CEO of Space Truffles Entertainment, a boutique digital strategy shop specializing in branded entertainment, web series promotion and immersive transmedia narratives that extend the brand experience through custom multi-platform content. A new media strategist and advisor, Gennefer is considered a thought leader in branded entertainment and speaks on topics ranging from digital storytelling to augmented reality. With over a decade in traditional and web marketing, Gennefer develops compelling brand encounters and multimedia experiences that are changing the face of interactive entertainment.

BlizzCon Report: Teeming 'Guild' Fans Overshadow Ozzy

Ed. Note: Jenni Powell provides us with an ’embedded’ report from last week’s BlizzCon convention in Anaheim, where gaming comedy web series The Guild was on hand to meet fans. There may be a mild Season 3 spoiler towards the end.

BlizzConMuch has already been written about the groundbreaking deal between Microsoft, Xbox, and The Guild. But another strong relationship exists between the MMO-centered web series and a gaming-related company. Last weekend that company, Blizzard Entertainment, hosted BlizzCon—a convention held in Anaheim, California, that is a feast of all things World of Warcraft, Diablo, Starcraft, and a multitude of other Blizzard creations.

Nestled near the back of Hall C, within sight of the stage where they would later present a jam-packed panel, the cast and crew of The Guild greeted hundreds and hundreds of adoring fans over the course of two days. The reaction to their presence was one usually reserved for rock stars. In fact, the cast’s final signing was during Ozzy Osbourne’s performance and yet the line continued to flow through with no interruption, with fans still hovering to observe as Felicia Day and crew (including myself) happily broke down their own booth.

Felicia Day at BlizzConThe incredibly warm-welcome is unique in the fact that The Guild was the only web series represented at the Con. It’s no secret that the plotline of The Guild centers around an online game that is eerily similar to World of Warcraft but it is never actually called that, being only referred to affectionately as “The Game”. Says Sandeep Parkih (Zaboo on The Guild, creator of The Legend of Neil), “our show is not even necessarily about World of Warcraft specifically and yet Blizzard let us come here and represent ourselves because, well, the president (Michael Morhaime) really loves our show and they see a ton of overlap in our fan bases… So it’s pretty cool of Blizzard to support web content and the creation of independent web content.
That’s pretty amazing. Hats off to Blizzard for that.”

“BlizzCon is kind of a closed ecosystem,” says series-creator Felicia Day. “It’s Blizzard only and the fact that they are fans of our show has meant a lot for us… as well as allowing us to have this booth space and having a cool banner and being able to meet the fans one on one all day, every day. It’s really gratifying. And it’s a huge corporation but their fans care about Warcraft and the games they play and it translates to our show… We are just lucky to have this fan base.”

Amy Okuda and Jeff Lewis - The GuildVincent Caso (Bladezz on The Guild) had this to say about the differences between attending BlizzCon and ComicCon, “It’s definitely on a smaller scale than ComicCon but we still have a massive turnout because it’s a big concentration of our fans. I just feel that Blizzcon feels homier, it feels more close-knit, more comfy because it’s Blizzard. We know everyone here pretty much, we know a ton of the staff…and that just makes it a ton more fun. And we get to play all these awesome games. Personally, I have been a fan of Blizzard for years. Not to say ComicCon is not fun but this is a whole other scene.”

Those not attending BlizzCon may wonder if all the pre season three spoiler-action was already exhausted at ComicCon a few weeks ago. But The Guild wasn’t about to leave the loyal Blizzard fans loot-free. During The Guild’s packed panel, seasons two and three director/editor Sean Becker world-premiered a 60 second teaser trailer. Among the gems nestled within are J. Teddy Garces‘ pelvic thrusting (I’m only giving you the actor’s name BTW, you’ll have to watch the episodes to find out more) and the revealing of the return of Dena, Bladezz’s precocious little sister, and George, Clara’s mild-mannered husband…at least mild-manned up until now *insert dramatic music sting here*.

Sandeep Parikh also gave everyone proof that he did indeed do that back flip in the Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? video.

Guild at BlizzCon 2009

Guild at BlizzCon 2009 - 2

Top three photos by katkamin. Bottom photos by Jenni Powell.

Friday Rewind: Tubefilter News of the Week: August 21, 2009

Do You Wanna Date My Avatar

Hang with me in my MMO
So many places we can go
You’ll never see my actual face
Our love, our love will be in a virtual space…

Admit it, you’ve been humming singing this number all week. It’s hard to talk web series news of the week without first acknowledging the breakout success of The Guild’s first official music video, “Do You Wanna Date My Avatar.” The video leaped to the #1 sales spot on both iTunes and Amazon and breezed past the 1 million view mark (now just shy of 2 million). Even the Wall St. Journal (the print edition) covered the video. The web series even vaulted its own hashtag (#datemyavatar) to the top of the Twitter trending topics. Season 3 of The Guild launches next Tuesday (the 25th) so expect another flurry of Twitter mojo. We’ll also have coverage of the Guild camp’s trip to BlizzCon.

Looking ahead to next week we’re also in for more musical treats featuring the lovely Felicia Day as Episode 3 of The Legend of Neil drops its own musical, a nine-minute raunch-filled spectacle on Atom.com.

Recapping the top stories, it was a week of indie web series news, with a first look at psychological drama Compulsions, which took the advice we’ve been saying all along—start the marketing early. Another indie fave, 2/8 Life returned for its belated second season. And web TV network KoldCast TV announced they are getting into the studio game with the creation of KoldCast Studios.

Top stories of the week:

'Shelby's Rant' Pilot Testing Waters For Fox Digital

Shelby's RantYouTube is as good a place as any to test a comedy concept, particularly a potentially controversial single-person vlog rant. Shelby’s Rant is the latest from filmmaker-comedian Matt Koval. To kick it off, a sassy vlogger Shelby (Makinna Ridgway) vents her pent-up frustrations with 1980’s “classic” nostalgia movies. Specifically, she’s hones in on The Goonies for being terribly overrated though admitting she has never seen it. (Say wha?) The whole rant in fact is based on a snarky MadAtoms blog post written by Becky Bain.

The pilot (above) for the series was produced by MadAtoms and USR Content for Fox Digital Studios. Originally aligned with now defunct Fox Atomic, MadAtoms.com is a comedy and culture site that has been the launch pad for a number of web series projects including S.W.I.P.E. and the upcoming Josh Gad comedy, Rent Control.

Matt KovalKoval tells us that they have five episodes already shot and ready to go. Whether or not the series gets greenlit for more depends on how much attention (comments, ratings, etc.) the video gets on his YouTube channel. Right now it’s tracking at just under 14,000 views on YouTube since it was posted late Tuesday. Maybe its the controversial topic (bashing the Goonies!?), but commenters haven’t been shy, with just under 1000 so far. (So if it’s you’re thing, then you have your call to action.)

Koval is an active YouTube creator-comedian and his channel has racked up a non-shabby 55,000 subscribers. His videos have broken the million-view mark on the site twice, most notably his “Fuplers” and “YouTube in 1985” sketches:

Think Your Family is Dysfunctional? You Should 'Meet the Mayferers'.

Meet the Mayfarers

Many, if not most viewers seeing Meet the Mayfarers for the first time will probably immediately think of The Office. This really isn’t that surprising. The style of NBC’s flagship show – which seems to have become the prototype for uncomfortable humor – easily lends itself to mimicry, especially online.

Still, despite the familiarity of its pregnant silences, cringe-worthy social pickles, and exasperated glances toward the camera, it would be a mistake to dismiss Meet the Mayfarers as simply a web series copycat of The Office for one reason above all others: Mayfarers is a smarter show than its distant television cousin.

Read On…