Robert Sporer Productions

The Web is Hollywoods New Farm System

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:09:00 +0000

No matter where you look just about everything has a “farm system” to find their future talent. Professional sports have the minor leagues and college sports, business has internships and white-collar jobs have apprenticeships. A few years ago the entertainment industry basically has college programs and film festivals as their new talent pool, however that all has been changing over the past few years all thanks to the web.

Think about it. Just about everyone at one point or another had the thought that they had a great idea for TV of film. Only thing is they didn’t have the money or resources to go to film school or make the project on their own. Those people could have given us fresh ideas to where we wouldn’t have to deal with constant remakes and reboots.

Of course, these days everyone has the ability to create and share their ideas with millions of people around the world. This is all thanks to smart phones, cheap computers and sites like YouTube. Everything from vlogs to web series are being uploaded everyday by everyday people without the help of film school or any formal training. These people are gaining more exposure and views with a simple video then most professionally done web series or extras some networks create.

The more you look at the people who are embracing the web, the more you will see that even Hollywood stars seeing the potential it offers. People like Joss Whedon and Lisa Kudrow have taken the web by storm and used it as turning points for their careers. One of the reasons behind this is that they are free of network influence and censors. However, those are house hold names and really don’t have to worry about being discovered.

Just recently the web held its version of the Emmy’s with the Streamy’s. The best of the unknown went face-to-face with Hollywood Elite and the underdogs win. A girl vloging from her room weekly is a more recognizable face on the web than people like Felicia Day. Guys like Rhett and Link who make silly videos can go to having a show on the Independent Film Channel. So why is it that networks and studios are looking to the web for their next big thing instead of film schools and film festivals?

Crowd Funding The New Alterative

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:44:00 +0000

The second the Internet came online is the second everything about the entertainment industry changed. People were able to share information about all types of projects in various stages of development. You could download the script to your favorite movie and not have to wait to go to the movies to see trailers. Then in 2005 a little site entitled YouTube changed the game again. Now a days people from all over the world are creating new and entertaining content every second of the day and uploading so millions of people can enjoy it.

However, sometimes creating that content isn’t cheep and people need to find new and interesting ways to fund their projects. This is where Kickstarter and Indiegogo come in. Kickstarter and Indiegogo are crowd funding sites that allow anyone and everyone the opportunity to donate money towards a project they like. Anything from a $1 to $5,000 can be given to a project to help it meet its goal.

The reason these crowd funding sites are changing the game is because they are doing what YouTube did and that is changing the Hollywood system. Typically if you wanted to fund your project you would have to either beg for money from a studio or max out your credit cards just to finance your idea.

Of course, most people aren’t just going to donate. Both sites allow you give rewards for specific donation levels such as thank you or producer credits, props or stills from the project to even walk-on roles. Think of it as a way of giving back and saying THANK YOU for helping my project out.

The one thing I love about these sites is that they give people the chance to create something that they normally wouldn’t have been able to on their own. By helping them pay for extra props, a real editor or special effects these projects can become something more than just another D-rated movie or short. Plus, if you really enjoy the idea it could also catch the eye of someone in the Hollywood system and give that creator a chance to continuously entertain you.

I asked my friend Traycee King why she chose Indiegogo to help fund the second season of her webseries 8.13.

Indiegogo is a great way to get the community involved and to make them feel like they helped make a film. I also chose it because whether or not I make my goal; I want to finish as much as I can! With Indiegogo, I can keep the funds whether I make my goal or not.

As you can see some people in the system want to give back and get people involved with their projects. Yes, it’s nice to reward fans with cool features on DVDs and Blu-Rays, but lets face it those are old news. With these crowd funding sites you can get people more involved and give them a sense of being part of the project.

I will honestly think about using Kickstarter or Indiegogo to finance one of my future projects.

My Business Plan vs. Others

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 21:30:00 +0000

It’s kind of funny that I profiled two experts who express how you should just go and start your business and worry about the business plan later. The entertainment business is an ever-changing business and that included how to go about starting a production company. Years go you would need to either max out numerous credit cards like Kevin Smith did to make Clerks and hope that you found someone to buy the film. Of course, if you somehow had access to thousands of dollars you could go on a spending spree and not worry about a budget.

Going back to what Carl Schramm said, “As soon as the plan is done, it is out of date” (Schramm, 2012). That statement is basically the entertainment industry in a nutshell. If you look at 2013 there are so many movies depicting the Earth either in danger or uninhabited. This is a great example of how the second you think you have a great original idea someone else is either working on or completed a script or pitch that is basically your idea.

That plays into what Chuck Blakeman said with, “Since the future is unknown implement now, perfect as you go” (Blakeman, 2011). The more time you spend developing your business instead of your ideas is the second you lose in this industry. No matter where you look everything has been done before, but maybe you have a new and interesting way of telling that story. You need to run full speed ahead with your ideas and worry about the business end as you go. There will be time once you know that your project is green lighted to worry about if you want this done under your own production company.

I look to incorporate what Mr. Schramm and Mr. Blakeman said with my business. The more time I spend developing a plan is more time my competition has to beat me to my idea. I will develop my business as I go and worry about getting my ideas into production. The reason behind this is because I need to prove to myself and the viewers that I have the ability to create original and engaging content. From there is when I can worry about building my business and team.

However, at some point I will need to have a business plan ready. Should I look for investors I would figure that my start-up costs and management would be the most important parts for them. Those are the two areas where the money will be going and everything else can be filled in.

Blakeman, C. (2012). How: the worst, most asked planning question.Retrieved from http://chuckblakeman.com/2012/8/texts/how-the-worst-most-asked-planning-question

Schramm, C. Straight Talk on Business (2012) retrieved 8/5/12 fromhttp://steinvox.com/2012/04/17/carl-schramm-straight-talk-on-entrepreneurship-why-we-need-it/

undefined. (undefined). Clerks. In Viewaskew. Retrieved Jan 26, 2013, from http://viewaskew.com/clerks/info.html.

Business Plan Key Components For Investors

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 03:59:00 +0000

Carl Schramm is the former President and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The vision of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is to foster "a society of economically independent individuals who are engaged citizens, contributing to the improvement of their communities." Mr. Schramm has a PhD in Economics from the University of Wisconsin and spent fifteen years teaching health policy and management at Johns Hopkins University. After leaving the Kauffman Foundation Mr. Schramm began teaching a class in entrepreneurship at Syracuse University.

Chuck Blakeman owns the Cranket Group, which is based out of Colorado. Mr. Blakeman’s company works with developing their businesses to make more money in less time and help them get back the passion when they first started their business. He has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, CNNMoney.com and The New York Times to name a few.

As Mr. Schramm states, “As soon as the plan is done, it is out of date” (Schramm, 2012). This is an important aspect to remember because in this day and age since technology is always changing and these days technology plays a major role in developing a business. Young entrepreneurs should spend more time creating the business and not worrying about writing what the business will be about. You have to remember that you are the face of the business to investors and they are investing in you as much as they are your business.

However, entrepreneurs need to be ready for the future and that is where a business plan comes in. Blakeman says, “But the flaw with that is the future cannot be foretold. Since the future is unknown implement now, perfect as you go” (Blakeman, 2011). Young business owners need to be ready for whatever can happen with their business and know they are capable of overcoming any obstacle. In the end the entrepreneur need to look out for their investors a little more than themselves.

. (undefined). Wikiepedia . In Wikipedia.com. Retrieved Jan 9, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Schramm.

Blakeman, C. (2012). How: the worst, most asked planning question.Retrieved from http://chuckblakeman.com/2012/8/texts/how-the-worst-most-asked-planning-question

Blakeman, C. (undefined). Chuck Blakeman. In ChuckBlakeman.com. Retrieved Jan 9, 2013, from http://chuckblakeman.com/.

Schramm, C. Straight Talk on Business (2012) retrieved 8/5/12 fromhttp://steinvox.com/2012/04/17/carl-schramm-straight-talk-on-entrepreneurship-why-we-need-it/

Google vs. Content Farms

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 22:41:00 +0000

Even though this topic is over a year old I still feel the need to talk about it because I experienced it first and still see that Google is working to fix this problem. Back in February 2011 Google went on to change their core ranking algorithm that would force content farms lower on search results.

Content farms are sites that create low quality content to appear higher on search rankings. Sites like this include About.com and Mahalo.com, which populate pages with basic information just to appear within search results. These sites base their revenue on ads and CPV they live and die via where they appear on searches.

The reason behind me talking about is because I was working for Mahalo when Google implemented their new core ranking algorithm. Now I really wouldn’t consider Mahalo a true content because a lot of the content was very information based. Now that information was mostly based around music, video games, photoshop and cooking.

Now Google’s head of web-spam prevention Matt Cutts said, “12 percent of Google’s search results saw some modification.” However, Mahalo felt the affects of that 12 percent results modification and had to deal with downsizing. The change did affect with how sites like About.com pay their writers and video editors who create the countless pages per day.

It’s interesting to see how Google goes about how it ranks sites, but it seems like they are trying to keep their search results ligament. That means forcing content farms and low quality sites below the fold. Of course, Google says that how a company operates is also included in how they rank.

Even though I saw first hand how this change could affect a company, I believe Google did the right thing. These sites can really clutter result pages and most of the time don’t have the correct information populating them. Also, by doing so Google is forcing sites to really work on creating quality content to help them raise their rank.

The Power of Reddit

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:14:00 +0000

So you a blog post, video or image you want to share with the world because you feel it will take off. However, you are just some random person on the Internet and have no real powerful outlet to share your work. If only there was a place you could post the link to your work and let the Internet do its job. Well there is actually a site that could make or break your work and that is Reddit.

Reddit is “the front page of the Internet” and was founded in 2005 by Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian. The is a mix of social networking and message board that allows users to either upvote or downvote all the content shared. Users are able to set the kind of content they wish to view by subscribing to specific “subreddits” that relate to numerous topics. With 3.8billion monthly page views it is fair to say that Reddit could be your distribution gold mine.

Of course, you could hope that the views and shares you can get through simply tweeting and posting on Facebook will help spread your content. Only thing is you won’t the recognition you deserve. Reddit will help you expand on your content to only make your future work better. Plus, by taking advantage of Reddit you will be able to have people realize they saw the content first before people on Twitter and Facebook.

Another great thing is that if your content covers multiple areas you can greatly expand your views or sharing by taking advantage of those numerous subreddits. By doing so you will expand on the eyes that see your content and the amount of them that will copy that link and share it on the other social networking sites.

Now this isn’t a typical publishing or distribution idea, but if you are going from an all-digital standpoint then this is something you need to consider. Even if you aren’t and are looking for a way to help spread the word about your work. Sharing exclusive content or holding an Ask Me Anything you will connect with demographics you might have never been on their radar. Yeah that is more of a marketing tool, but in the long run certain areas between that and distribution combine into the same idea.

Digital Distribution

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:44:00 +0000

With the rise of digital distribution certain questions begin to come to mind. Because the media is stored on a hard drive and no longer on physical media should the price reflect that? Since the media is stored digitally does the inclusion of Digital Rights Management (DRM) take away from the customers experience?

Honestly, these are all questions I have heard since digital distribution has gained more and more momentum. This is mostly because more and more companies are pushing for digital distribution. Only problem is most people have limited storage space available on their devices and moving towards digital distribution will be a problem.

First, let me get to the question of price. Currently, Xbox and Playstation customers are paying full price, $59.99, for digital copies of retail games. This has raised some eyebrows because with the lose of physically producing the disk, manual and box the cost of the game itself should be cheaper. Let alone the fact that you are using up your storage space to house the game instead of being able to change disks freely. Another factor to look at is that these systems only offer a specific amount storage and after time space is limited. Which means you will either be deleting a game or having to spend an unfair amount on additional storage.

That brings me to the second question about DRM. Digital Rights Management is another term for a license that allows you to run the game on your system. It prevents users from installing the same game on other machines due to the CD key having already been used. Most publishers believe that DRM will protect their games from being pirated and force people to actually purchase the game. However, if you look closely the horror stories that surround DRM and it saying that the CD key for the game someone just bought has been used. Going through customer support is even worse because most of the time they will deny customers new CD keys because they don’t believe they actually bought the game even with proof.

One should also note the debate that took place betweenMartin Edmonson of Ubisoft and Gabe Newell of Valve. Both Ubisoft and Valve are two major video game developers and publishers. Ubisoft believes in protecting their content with DRM, while Valve distributes their games digitally through their own service called Steam. Gabe points out that customers aren’t pirating games to get them for free, but instead because of the customers needs.

I actually have to agree with Gabe because with the current state of some video games I feel that I wasted $59.99. Most companies are just pumping out titles to keep revenue streams up and not caring about the content of the game itself. This is why people pirate their games and feel that if I am using my own storage space for a digital copy I should be allowed to spend less.

Interview: Brian Gottlock IFC tv Legal & Business Affairs at AMC Networks

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:50:00 +0000

I decided to talk with IFC TV Legal & Business Affairs attorney Brian Gottlock. Back in 2011 I had the opportunity to work with Brian while I was working at IFC and have been witness to his ability. The reasoning behind my choice of speaking with Brian is because I wanted to gain insight into how a network approaches negotiating and deal making.

Robert: Why did you choose to practice Entertainment Law?

BWG: I've always been passionate about the industry - whether film, TV, theater or music - and knew I wanted to work behind the scenes in some capacity. Since I also knew I'd be going to law school at a relatively young age (I got into a special law program in high school), I found a way to merge my interests. I've been fortunate enough to enjoy a career spanning many facets of the business: music law firm, talent agency, arts and media legal services organization, talent management, boutique entertainment firm, and ultimately in-house counsel at Comedy Central/MTV Networks and IFC/AMC Networks.

Robert: Describe your duties with IFC.

BWG: I am the sole lawyer dedicated exclusively to the channel, so I handle all matters of transactional legal across all departments, from programming and marketing to digital and acquisitions. We recently re-branded from a indie film-heavy network to a Nielsen-rated, ad-supported network with a focus on original comedy series, and the amount of agreements, negotiations and legal advice that go into programming the channel is intense. I draft and negotiate contracts that affect all business groups (with an emphasis on development, production and talent) and am always available to advise on all other IFC-related endeavors like marketing strategies, on-air promo rights and restrictions, licensing, new media initiatives and sponsorships.

Robert: What advice could you offer someone someone who is looking to pitch their material to any network?

BWG: Get a name talent agent or reputable entertainment lawyer. Not only will that open doors at a network versus someone coming in off of the street, you can learn from those representatives on how to best protect your material.

Robert: Can you see directors and writers using their success with online content as a bargaining chip in negations?

BWG: Absolutely. I've done deals with Rhett & Link (who got the series "Commercial Kings" based on their YouTube videos), The Onion, MyDamnChannel, Funny or Die and a host of other predominantly online properties. The success of online content, however, doesn't necessarily translate to TV success. But sophisticated talent with a demonstrable following can leverage that traffic (and those eyeballs) provided it's the "right" audience for the network.

Robert: What measures would you suggest to someone to protect their work and avoiding litigation?

BWG: Copyright copyright copyright. Protection is automatically vested within the creator once an idea is expressed (i.e., put in tangible form) and registration with the government is merely a "belt and suspenders" assurance, but once something is memorialized (whether it be a poem, a song, a script, a book, etc.) it should be registered - easily through copyright.gov for $35. Also, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) come in handy if material is highly confidential and runs the risk of dilution if exposed. And collaborations with creative partners need to have contracts behind them. Nothing ruins friendships/partnerships like success if there had been no formal agreement preceding it.

I want to thank Brain for taking the time out of his schedule to answer these questions. Just as we’ve been going over in class copyright is a major factor in protecting your work. Also, as he stated a good talent agent or reputable entertainment lawyer can open more doors for you then someone off the street. Research is key into protecting and expanding your career.

The Cost of Protecting Yourself and Your Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 17:55:00 +0000

These days it's harder and trickier to get your original content out there. No matter who you are someone is always looking to take advantage or exploit you and your material. From web videos to movies someone out there might have already thought of some aspect of your idea and feels they are entitled to something for that.

For me this can be tough because I know that I love running my ideas by people to gauge their reactions. This can make things tough because if they offer one piece of advice and I use it in someway they have a claim to my idea. Take Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman who recently settled a lawsuit with a former collaborator. Michael "Tony" Moore states that he grew up with Kirkman and worked on The Walking Dead and other projects. Moore goes on to state that he was "duped" by Kirkman and his agent to sign control of The Walking Dead over to Kirkman. The deal would grant Moore 60 percent of "comic publishing net proceeds," 20 percent of "motion picture net proceeds" and future finical interest other projects.

Even though both parties allegedly had a deal this is a prime example of how people can become greedy and risk the future of your work. This is why you need to make sure everything you agree to is in writing, especially when it comes to someone either offering their input or running an idea across. Or just make sure you don't talk about it over email, text or aim so there’s no written record of it (kidding).

Another problem these days is the Internet. In recent years more people have taken to the Internet to either post their short stories for feedback or as a means of just getting their material out there. They hope that someone somewhere will see it and that will lead them to a manager or publishing deal. By doing so they are making their material readily available for someone to pick it apart and use it for their own idea.

The recent Santa Pawslawsuit against Disney is an example of how you need to protect your material and be careful whom you give it to. Ray Harter, Richard Kearney and Ed Corno are suing Disney because they feel that the movies Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws and The Search for Santa Paws are unauthorized copies of their short story and script, Santa Paws: The Story of Santa's Dog. The plaintiffs claimed they conceived of their Santa Paws in 1991. They also filed suit against former William Morris agents John Ferriterand Barry Jeffery allegedly shopped the project around to studios. U.S. district court judge Catherine Perry made judgment in favor of Disney, ruling that the short story Santa Paws is not substantially similar to Disney's Santa Paws.

The Santa Paws case kind of leads into my next point and that is about remaking content that has already been made. One of the things on my list that I want to accomplish is that I want to be able to create a true Resident Evil movie and not the films Paul W.S. Anderson has made. However, in order to do this I would either have to write my script on my own and then hope that Capcom and Sony Pictures like it or go about the way Mortal Kombat: Legacy was created and write and shot a short video and hope it get’s Capcom and Sony’s attention.

Of course, if I go about the Mortal Kombat: Legacy way then I have to worry about Capcom and Sony suing me for infringing on their copyrighted material. These days with more and more remakes and reimagining’s being made it can be hard to know who truly owns the rights to the project and everything associated with it. Kings Road Entertainment is currently suing their former head of production SvenEbeling over the rights to All of Me. Seems like Ebeling and West Coast Productions were working on a remake of All of Me with Dreamworks, but things fell through. Ebeling was fired, but not before he alleged gave the rights of All of Me to WCP.

So should I try to get my idea for a Resident Evil movie made, I will need to make sure I go about it the right way or I will be owing Capcom and Sony quite a bit of money.

Just by reading this it seems like the entertainment business isn’t as fun and glamorous as most people think. It is a business were you need to protect yourself and everything you create because the second someone else gets a hold of your idea it’s gone. Then you’ll be sitting there watching other people succeed on that one thing that could have launched your career. That is why research is so important to everything you do and also trusting the right people to handle your work because if they slip out you are out of an idea.

How I Got My First Taste of being an Artist Manager

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 01:58:00 +0000

Some people think that being an artist manager is a piece of cake. Their friend gets famous and they just ride their coat tails into fame and fortune. However, they get into the situation where they don’t want easy money to go away so instead of helping mold their friend’s career they become Yes people.

Growing up I’ve always had friends who wanted to either be in a famous band or become the next big actor. I would become friends with them because they were my way to get my ideas to the right people. As they would work on their craft I would always try to only give positive notes. I didn’t want my express lane to NYC or Hollywood to close due to negative feedback.

However, as the years passed I started to realize that I wasn’t going to get far by only feeding them positive feedback on stuff I thought was terrible. So I started to slowly truly express my thoughts and feedback to them.

It’s funny how people react when you tell them that the direction they are taking will only lead to them going no where. Examples of this are when I told my friend’s band that their new songs about pot would never make it past any A&R executive. This is coming after they won a major battle of the bands competition and performed at one of the huge yearly festivals on the East Coast. What happened two years later? They broke up because the band hit a wall and couldn’t find that spark to carry them to the next level. Many people in my town were surprised about it, but I knew it was coming because of the direction they took.

Most recently I had a friend who released her first single and music video. This is a girl who I have respected as an artist since I first met her. When I finally sat down to watch her music video I couldn’t even make it half way through. It was one of the worst things anyone could have recorded and released to start their career. I told her what I thought of it and that next time she faces decisions like this I am always available to help her.

As much as it stinks to have to be the one who puts a damper on someone dream, most of the time it’s for the better. Just like with Creedence Clearwater Revival people will jump at the second someone offers them a chance at their dream without knowing what they are getting themselves into. Having that outside party to help you out can never be a bad thing especially when it comes to your dreams.

Is Eric From Entourage A Perfect Example of How to Become an Artist Manager?

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 17:11:00 +0000

The show Entourage gives an interesting look at the life of an artist manager from friend to professional. Now I know this is something you might read and wonder how I came to write this so let me explain.

When we are first introduced to the character of Eric (E) he has been Vince’s best friend since childhood. They grew up together and when Vince got his big break Eric unofficially because his manager. As the show continued throughout the seasons we witness Eric’s growth through his career choice. We also get to see how even being the artists best friend doesn’t mean you share the same career goals.

Through the first few seasons Eric is basically a bonafied Yes man. His job is to agree with whatever Vince’s agent says because he knows what’s best for Vince. This right here is a prime example of how managing either your best friends or a total strangers career can be a challenge. You have to prove to the artist and any other person involved in their career that you know what you are talking about and doing. This can be going out of your way to find the perfect project for them or making sure they are keeping their life in order.

As the seasons progressed so did Eric’s ambition and career goals. He started asking for advice from people he saw as mentors and taking a risk in opening his own management business. These were ricks that Eric needed to take in order to prove not only to himself that he can make it in this business. However, one of the biggest things Eric could have done was no longer be Vince’s Yes man. He would truly give his advice on projects because he didn’t just want to sit back and collect his commission.

Finally, Eric would prove that he has what it takes to take over one of the biggest management firms in Hollywood. Of course, you can say that this only happened because it was a TV show, but in reality it shows what hard work and having the “it” factor for finding projects can lead you. It shows that you need to have that personally connection to the artist and be willing to say no to them. Not everything they say or want to do is right and best for their career. They need to know that no one artist is the same and sometimes you need to forge your own path.

I think one of the main reasons I choose to write about is because when I first started watching Entourage I showed me what I wanted to do with my life. My friend was going to be Vince and I was going to be his Eric. Only thing is that my friend knew I wasn’t a yes man and would tell him if something was wrong or not fit for him. Another reason is because if you look at a lot of artist these days their family and friends play major roles. Brittney Spears and Kanye West are two major examples of how sometimes family and friends are the best management.

Now I’m not saying everyone should look at Entourage as a way to learn and understand the entertainment business. The show gives you an inside look, but it truly doesn’t show you the blood, sweat and tears that go into managing an artist. Yes, you might get to enjoy yourself here and there, but it isn’t always fun. You are on the job 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Most of your time will be spent on the phone depending how big your artist is. Oh and let’s not forget the late nights and ever changing schedule.

Those are things that I learned first had watching agents and managers work. Being constantly on the clock isn’t something most people can handle so along with the knowledge you also have to be ready to commit to yourself and the artist. Their life becomes your life.

Interview with Beau Ryan of Machinima.com

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 21:55:00 +0000

With the web becoming an ever-growing environment new media companies are becoming major intuitions for both established and new entertainment professionals. Machinima.com is becoming one of the major hubs to distribute already established content and new & original series. In the past few years Machinima has worked with studios like Warner Bros. to produce and distribute the Mortal Kombat: Legacy web series.

I talked to Beau Ryan a Junior Entertainment Programming Manager for Machinima. It is Beau’s job to browse YouTube for content that Machinima can distribute and also talk with directors and writers about original content for their YouTube channels.

Me: Do you take different approaches to negotiating with someone who already has an established series you are looking to distribute and any original content you bring to Machinima?

Beau: Yes, we were looking to distribute There Will Be Brawl on one of our channels so we had to work with the creators and TheEscapist.com on getting the rights to the series. We figured that by bringing it over to Machinima, we would be able to introduce it to a whole new audience. However, after the first few episodes we weren’t receiving the views and SEO hits we hoped for and people were pointing out that people could watch the whole series on TheEscapist.com.

When working on new and original content our negotiating takes a different route. We tend to work with the creators on establishing a relationship were both parties can prosper. We’ll work with them on making the series a hit were the views and SEO meet both our ideal numbers.

Me: How do you handle positional bargaining tactics?

Beau: If someone comes in with a figure and mind, but it’s not in our budget we’ll offer them what we have in our budget. It also depends on who the person is. When someone like Kevin Tancharoen comes to us about a series and they have a number in mind then we will talk with our Ad Sales department on helping to find sponsors for the series and help cover those costs.

Should John Doe come to us about their series we will work with them on getting something to cover upfront costs and then offer them some of the CPM traffic. So say for every 1,000 views we’ll offer them $3 dollars, which in the long run can become more then a figure they originally wanted. It really all depends on who the person is and what they have done.

Me: Can you give me an example of how you worked toward mutual benefit when you were negotiating a deal?

Beau: It depends on their needs and what they have in mind. Sometimes people have a figure in mind and don’t want to hear about CPM traffic payments. Some examples of us working toward a mutual benefit were when we worked with EA on the DragonAge: Redemption series and Warner Bros. on Mortal Kombat: Legacy. For those both parties knew this was going to be a relationship that would prosper and worked on making it so.

Of course, there are cares where we have to say no to people no matter what because they refuse to work with us on negotiating a deal that would work for all parties involved.

I want to thank Beau for his time. You should check out Machinima.com and RadNerd.com.

Is Crowd Funding The Way To Go?

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 18:27:00 +0000

I asked my friend Traycee King why she chose Indiegogo to help fund the second season of her webseries 8.13.

Indiegogo is a great way to get the community involved and to make them feel like they helped make a film. I also chose it because whether or not I make my goal; I want to finish as much as I can! With Indiegogo, I can keep the funds whether I make my goal or not.

I will honestly think about using Kickstarter or Indiegogo to finance one of my future projects.

How YouTube is Changing The Game

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 20:01:00 +0000

Over the past few years becoming a YouTube Partner has become a career for people. Their videos have received enough plays and comments that they are making six figure salaries by uploading a short and simple video weekly. How is it that most entertainers work years before earning that much, but John Doe from anywhere can achieve that right away via YouTube?

Out of the top ten earners in 2010 from the YouTube Partnership number ten received $101,000, while number one made $315,000.

Number ten on the list Natalie Tran has ranked in over 429.2 million channel views and 1 million subscribers. Natalie’s channel is mostly videos of her talking or ranting about something going on in her life. This type of video is called video blogging or Vlogging. Yet, some how 429 million people have watched her videos and found them entertaining.

The top earner on the list, Shane Dawson, is boosting over 707.9 million views and over 2.7 million subscribers. Just like Natalie, Shane vlogs about things going on in his life. In 2010 enough people watched Shane talk about his life that he was able to receive $315,000 from YouTube.

Now not everyone one of the YouTube partners are able to achieve money like this. No, these people have very tight guidelines to follow in-order to maintain their status as a Premier YouTube Partner. They need to upload a video once or twice a week, interact with viewers via the comment section of their page and maintain a stable number of views, comments and subscribers. For most people this is a full time job.

However, some have been able to cash in outside of YouTube. The people behind The Annoying Orange recently had a show air on Cartoon Networks Adult Swim block. The YouTube user Fred has had a movie made by Lionsgate and is currently working on a show Nickelodeon. Others have gone on to expand their career.

iJustine who refuses to discuss how much she makes from YouTube has gone on to guest on Law and Order and co-host Game Trailers on Spike.

No matter how you look at YouTube is slowly changing the entertainment model. Studios and networks are beginning to pay attention to what draws peoples attention of people online instead of reading the scripts they receive.

TED talk - Why Videos Go Viral

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 04:11:00 +0000

These days it seems like everyone is trying to create the next viral video. However, most of the time 99.9% of them fail at their attempt. Now why is this? YouTube’s trend manager Kevin Allocca gives us three reasons on why videos go viral in his TEDvideo from November 2011.

Mr. Allocca explains that the first step of something going viral is getting the attention of tastemakers. Examples he uses are how the day Jimmy Kimmel tweeted about the Double Rainbow video it went from nearly no views to over a million in a single day. The same goes for Rebecca Black’s music video for Friday. Comedian Daniel Tosh and others tweeted about video and the rest is history. It seems like one of the key elements for something to go “viral” is that you need to have that one influential person to mention or share your video to the world.

From there it’s up to the YouTube community to take control of the next step in the “viral” process. Just about all the successful “viral” videos have either responses or have been parodied by other members of the YouTube community. Mr. Allocca points out that there are over 10,000 parodies of Friday by Rebecca Black and within the first seven days videos for the other days in the week were created and uploaded. The community within YouTube is like nothing you will find anywhere else. The users are so involved and their creative freedom is unchallenged that on a rare occasion the parodie can out shine the original video.

The final and most important element is that you can’t go into making or uploading a video with the idea that it will be the next big “viral” thing. What makes Double Rainbow, Friday and Nyan Cat so successful is that they were unexpected and didn’t take off till months after they were uploaded. The unexpected factor is also what makes “viral” videos so great because they come out of nowhere and take the Internet by storm.

After viewing Mr. Allocca’s TED talk I have a better understanding of how “viral” videos and how they become the Internet legends they are today. Since new media is slowly taking over just about every industry, the better understanding you have of how to stick out and get people to notice your work the better your idea or business will succeed. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the video Dollar Shave Club created I would have never heard of their business, but with a successful “viral” video they have my attention and business.

No matter how hard your try the Internet can make or break your idea or business. It gives everyone a voice and just about everyone chooses to use it. Anything you think is funny or will be the next big thing can be seen by millions of others as a terrible waste of time. So the things you need to remember when going into creating content is that you need to make sure that it can gain the attention of tastemakers inspire community participation and most importantly be unexpected.

The International Academy of Web Television

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:32:00 +0000

The International Academy of Web Television is the newest addition to the to the International Academy. It is just like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science except for all productions produced for the interent.

The IAWTV was founded in 2008 and is devoted to the advancement of the arts and sciences of web television production. The following year the IAWT held the first Streamy Awards to honor and recognize excellence in web television production. The winners are selected by the members of the IAWTV.

It was only fitting that the web community would get their own organization to recognize and honor the achievements of the web community. Over the past few years the web has seen a boom of orignal content and series allowing it to become the go to place for getting your ideas out to the public. It has also seen an increase of high profile names come to act, direct and produce online content.

This is due to sites like Youtube, My Damn Channel and Funny or Die just about everyone can create and upload their content to be viewed by millions. They aslo allow for things to go "viral" which could lead them to be nominated for a Streamy or Webby award. By constantly creating high quality content the IAWTV can invite you to become a member, which to some is a very high honor.

Having an organization like the IAWTV shows just how far long web content has come over the years and how wildly recognized it is. With so many networks moving towards more reality based programming it is becoming more and more difficult to get your original idea told. By taking advantage of the IAWTV and the vast number of upload sites more and more are being picked up by the big talent agencies and networks to create their original content.

A lot of my friends in Los Angeles are members of the IAWTV. They tell me about the workshops that members hold where they share scripts and help each other flesh out ideas. This is a big thing especially when you are looking for help finishing an idea or looking for others to help write future scripts. If I were still living in LA I would take advantage of these workshops to help me with my scripts. However, I look forward to taking advantage of everything the web has to offer and the opportunities it can bring in the near future.

Hollywood & The Web A Relationship That Can Last

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:06:00 +0000

Over the past few years the web has become a major entertainment hub for both everyday people and major Hollywood studios. This is mostly due to the low production costs and instant worldwide distribution. In a matter of minutes your content can be viewed my millions of people and help launch or reestablish a career.

First I want to take a look at those who have used the web as a means of creating a career for themselves. Back on October 17, 2010 three friends got together and filmed the first episode of what would become Epic Meal Time. They took an idea of creating the most ridiculous food combinations and mixing in a little Canadian stereotype and created a hit show. Each episode earns millions of views, merchandise options like T-shirts, flavored maple syrup and bacon flavored spreads. The popularity of their channel earned them appearances on late night TV and a live show tour that typically sells out in minutes. Most recently Epic Meal Time moved its show from YouTube to the Internet TVstation Revision 3 who was actually just purchased by Discovery Communications.

Another great example is how Freddie Wong has taken advantage of YouTube and how it has helped create his career. FreddieW uploads videos showcasing his and partner Brandon Laatsch Visual Effects abilities. Freddie and Brandon’s work has brought them opportunities to work with companies like Microsoft, Electronic Arts and McDonald’s.

Of course, it wasn’t always fun and games for those who took to the web as their means of sharing their content. For the longest time Hollywood was scared of the web and didn’t know how to approach it. One of the first real companies to do so was CBS with their webseries Clark and Michael. It followed fictional versions of Michael Cera and Clark Duke trying to get their TV series produced. This was a bold move for CBS especially since they did it in 2007 when no one was really viewing the web as anything more than for web searching and emailing.

Now days just about every company is the web to release behind the scene videos, exclusive content and anything else they think people want to watch. However, most of them aren’t taking full advantage of what the web truly offers. Most recently Hulu and Netflix have been stepping their game up with original series like Battleground and Lilyhammer.

Netflix is also taking advantage of their internet streaming service and using it to bring shows like ArrestedDevelopment and Jericho back to life. These shows didn’t have long lives on their respected networks, but have such a strong fan base that bringing them back to life would be profitable for Netflix. Plus, there are no network constraints or limitations.

Finally, I think the big thing that really has Hollywood watching what is happening with the web is the award shows that have taken life to honor those who release content on the web. The Streamy’s and Webby’s are the two biggest awards for the Internet and over the past few years some big Hollywood names have been nominated and won these awards. When your big players are taking advantage of the web and you are really holding back because you don’t know how to use it says something.

I know that when I begin my career I am going to be taking advantage of the Internet any way I can to help promote my content and create original content for it. It is a cheap and effective way to get an idea out there and show people what you are capable of doing.

Going Digital and Why It Helps Make You A Better Filmmaker

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:57:00 +0000

If you were to take a closer look at the landscape of Hollywood today you will notice something different. These days it seems like more and more musicians, actors, writers, directors and producers are getting their start on site like YouTube and Funny or Die. Those new outlets have given people a voice that no one can really ignore and are being rewarded for their talent. People like Justin Beiber, Freddie Wong, Epic Meal Time and many others all got their start by uploading a video to the internet and letting the viewers do the rest.

Now one might say that the main reward is getting noticed and getting that big Hollywood deal everyone dreams of, but in reality there is a lot more behind it. By adopting the Do-It Yourself attitude most of these people are getting a crash course in the entertainment industry. With one simple video they will experience things like copyright infringement/protection, digital distribution, creating something that has a lasting impact and taking advantage of a growing technology.

Last year YouTube wanted to give their uploaders a crash course on copyright infringement with their “YouTube Copyright School.” With a short 4 minute video YouTube gave uploaders the dos and don’ts of using music, images and video that fall under copyright law. This simple video would help you avoid having your work taken down due to it infringing on someone else’s work. YouTube itself took advantage of itself by giving everyone this video. One of the things YouTube did to protect itself is that if you were found to be in violation of copyright infringement you were mandated to watch the video and take a short quiz before you can publish a new video.

Another great thing about using YouTube as your means of distributing your content is that they allow you to take advantage of their partner program. By being a YouTube partner you are able to get paid for all the content you upload to your channel. This allows users to make money through advertisements, likes and comments. YouTube is giving their users a way to monetize their channel and help them create better content. Of course, this isn’t going to allow everyone to experience the full perks of being a YouTube partner, but it is a start to getting people noticed and rewarded for their hard work.

However, just like with everything else new Hollywood has taken a stand for and against the internet. Now up until a few years ago Hollywood feared and hated the internet due to it allowing anyone free access to their content. Most of those means weren’t “legal” so Hollywood took advantage of what was out there. Services like YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, iTunes and Amazon offered Hollywood a way to get their content to the masses and get paid for it. Still you can tell the entertainment industry is afraid of the internet and as President of Participant Television Evan Shapiro put it, “The current and perhaps scariest Bogey Man yet is the INTERWEBS.” Little by little the entertainment industry is taking advantage of these new outlets. These outlets are the future of the industry.

All of this wouldn’t be possible either if it weren’t for technology helping people get their content out there. Professional cameras are available to anyone for a few thousand dollars and even Hollywood is using them. Back on May 17^th 201o the season finally of House was shot on the Canon 5D Mark II. Most recently the Canon 5D Mark II helped out on a little movie entitled The Avengers. By taking advantage of these great and somewhat cheap cameras just about anyone can create professional looking content.

I don’t know why the entertainment industry is slow to fully taking advantage of the internet and the technology out there. The means of copyright protection and distribution services like YouTube and Hulu offer allow Hollywood to take more risks on creating more original content. Instead of worrying about bottom line they can use the internet as a means of testing material before committing huge sums of money to a project. I honestly look forward to how they will continue to embrace everything available to them.

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Tue, 01 May 2012 23:08:00 +0000

Kickstarter has been impressing me lately and honestly I really want to back Brydge.

The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises Marketing Campaign's are Top Notch

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:05:00 +0000

Yesterday, the folks over at Warner Brothers kicked off their latest marketing campaign for The Dark Knight Rises. Upon heading over to thedarkknightrises.com you are greeted by a folder from the Gotham Police Department on their investigation into the anonymous vigilante known as "The Batman."

Inside you get to view the warrant to arrest John Doe aka “The batman” and his list of charges, the wanted poster from the Gotham Police Department and a letter from the Office of the Commissioner stating that the search for “The Batman” will continue on Harvey Dent Day. From there the real marketing campaign takes off. The last few pages of the file are a list of locations worldwide where you can view the bat symbol as graffiti. They suggest that people suggest photographic evidence of the graffiti by emailing it or using a hash tag on Twitter.

Now the reason I am bringing this up is because the people who create and manage the marketing for the Batman franchise are amazing at what they do. They have created two of the greatest campaigns I have ever witnessed. They find new and interesting ways to get the fans involved and reward them for their participation.

Back in 2007 when marketing for The Dark Knight kicked off with the viral marketing campaign with the fictional political campaign of Harvey Dent by using the caption, “I Believe in Harvey Dent.” Users went to a website to show their support for the fictional District Attorney for Gotham City. Soon after they launched a vandalized version of the website done by The Joker called, “I Believe in Harvey Dent too.” From their emails were sent out to have fans interact by submitting pictures to slowly reveal a photo of The Joker.

The marketing campaign gained momentum at Comic-Con 2007 where a scavenger hunt lead fans to unlock a teaser trailer for the film and a new photo of The Joker. Soon they would kick this scavenger hunt off worldwide and allow people to submit pictures of themselves as The Joker to receive a copy of the fictional The Gotham Times. On February 2008 they would kick off an I Believe in Harvey Dent tour where tour buses would travel worldwide to promote Dent’s candidacy for district attorney.

Marketing for The Dark Knight Rises kicked off in May of last year when the official website was launched. Users were greeted by an audio file of chanting and were encouraged to tweet the link. When enough people promoted the website a pixel of an image was removed until is officially revealed the films villain Bane. Next various magazine companies would receive CIA documents concerning a "Dr. Leonid Pavel.” If you went to see Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in IMAX then you were able to watch the first six minutes of the film linking to those leaked CIA documents.

Now with the current viral campaign on its way one can only imagine what it will lead to. In all honestly it really doesn't matter because these two campaigns have been amazing thus far. I have never seen such dedication from people to unlock or take part in events then I have with the marketing for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. The folks at Warner Brothers have really out then themselves time and time again. Also, I have yet to see anyone really come close to what they have done.

Pulp Fiction vs. Siri

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:36:00 +0000

Pulp Fiction is one of my all time favorite movies and the first Tarantino film I saw. This mash-up between Jules and Siri is pretty great.

How Snoop & Dre Got Pac on Stage

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:48:00 +0000

I hope you love this as much as I did. Also, I love the new ideas this technology opens for films. I just hope George Lucas doesn't steal it so he can re-re-re-release the original Star Wars films.

Are Movie Trailers Going Too Far?

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:43:00 +0000

I don’t know about you, but there are different levels of hype for me when it comes to movies. Most of the time I get excited just by seeing a certain star or director is attached to a great idea. However, most of the time I am iffy about an idea and wait for the trailer to sell me that this concept will work. Just like everyone else seeing a movie trailer is a key ingredient into convincing me to spend my money to see a specific film.

Studios have 60 to 120 seconds to either confirm that the film will be good or prove to me that any doubts I had should be casted aside. Unfortunately, it seems like these days studios prefer to take that elated time and spoil most of the film for me. Now I know most people won’t notice that they just saw major plot points and events happen on screen, but when I do it infuriates me.

I remember being excited for Funny People because I felt Adam Sandler was about to get his career back on track. The trailer reassured me that this film was going to be funny and be worth my hard earned $14 dollars. So I went to see it and when I walked out I was mad because the trailers spoiled the film by including all the funny parts and plot points. If I had known that I would have just re-watched every trailer instead of wasting my money.

For some reason Hollywood believe this is good practice. A few years ago there would only be one or two trailers for a film. Now days you have a teaser trailer, two to four trailers and if it calls for it a red band trailer if the film is rated R. It also seems like studios no longer believe they can sell a film with a 60 second trailer since most are longer than two minutes.

Jason Evans of the Wall Street Journal asks, "Why spoil one of the big surprises in the movie? The obvious answer is… money! Hollywood uses trailers to put butts in seats. If the marketing people think they have to spoil the film to sell tickets, they have no problem doing it.” Trailers are supposed to make you want to figure out the major twist in a film not give it away. They are supposed to make you want to know if a character survived and not show them walking away from disaster.

Another major problem Hollywood is facing with trailers is with those for best-selling book adaptions. You already are dealing with fans of a series who want the material done right. They already know the major plot points and the ending. Only thing is you have to show them that you casted their favorite characters correctly and are following the story as best you can.

Emine Saner of The Guardian brings up, “David Nicholls's novel One Day has already sold more than a million copies; perhaps that's why the team who turned it into a movie didn't worry about giving the plot away. How else to explain why the trailer appears to summarize the whole story? In three minutes you learn, for instance, that the two main characters meet at university, flirt, fall out, get married (not to each other) and get together when they're older.”

Hollywood is going down a dangerous path with how they are presenting their films. Even though countless people might not realize a trailer is spoiling a film for them, those of us do tend to avoid said film then. Now can I avoid watching trailers for The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises so that I am as excited as I was when they started filming? Yes.

I’m just saying that trailers these days are over stepping their boundaries and honestly hurting business more than helping it.

[Image via EOnline]