jules.tv

I was surfing the web last night, YES I know that may sound a little sad, but I was “deep deep deep” into finding new websites and entertainment, as I constantly need more and better entertainment.  I came across a site called jules.tv,  Jules is someone with good humor, multi-talented and plenty of ideas. What he offers is some really good advice to people who want to climb the difficult ladder of the TV industry. Jules.tv also has camera reviews and some light entertainment. It looks like he’s from a video production background and has worked for all the major broadcasters, BBC, Channel4 and ITV. This is a beautiful way of  using this platform to crank up his SEO and exposing him around the web as a video producer, director, editor and cameraman. The site is very slick and is packed with links to other videos and advice. Jules.tv  has done a fantastic job and I would love to link up with him, as he seems so so talented.

Enjoy!

Hmm, broadcasting restructuring, well thats the corporate management term

The Stage has posted some sad news today, I haven’t checked the other news channels but I’m sure it will be everywhere. I’m personally quite sad, as they brought us some of the best dramas & soaps around. I’m really looking forward to watching stylista But I’m guessing tough times need radical change! Advertising revenues just can’t make up for their operational costs!

This is my opportunity to discuss the traditional workflow as this is going to be massively effected! Here is a basic overview of traditional broadcasting! It was: writer/ development of script, Broadcaster reviews, changes and develops. Then broadcaster gives the blessing for the project to air. Broadcasters then awards a production company for some work! This is very basic and high level, and I will go into much more detail in another blog! The changes in broadcasting will be integrating IPTV, and delivery of the programmes & adverting models over the web and other syndication methods! Yes yes, I will draw a diagram so we can see the new business model…

Here is what the stage have reported!

Five has become the latest broadcaster to unveil job cuts, announcing that up to 87 positions out of its current 354 workforce face redundancy. Dawn Airey Photo: Five Its plans follow news yesterday that ITV is to make a further 600 employees redundant, in addition to the 1,000 posts that were lost last year. In an announcement today, Five said it had outlined “proposals for a comprehensive restructuring plan”, which it said would “strengthen the company by increasing both its efficiency and profitability”. Five chair and chief executive Dawn Airey said the industry was in the “midst of one of the most difficult financial environments in history”. “Five has therefore taken the necessary step to review all operations to ensure we continue to work as effectively and efficiently as possible,” she said. “I am confident we are putting in place a new, streamlined structure which will ensure we remain the most agile and effective commercial broadcaster in the country.” In its statement, Five said several key departments had been “earmarked for integration”, including the creation of a new creative unit that will incorporate on-air and off-air marketing and creative services functions.

Cool, so any chance of seeing channel 6 sometime soon?

Another broadcaster restructuring

It’s a new trend we have been seeing now for the last quarter, I did blog about broadcasters looking into their corporate strategy, finance and maybe even merger or acquisition a while back, and now we are seeing this hit our news channels big time!!! ITV are really concerned with three main external factors for a drop in revenues.

1. Recession

2. Fall in Advertising revenues

3. Emerging media

These external factors have a massive effect when it comes to any broadcaster trying to do business in todays market. Yes the internet is pulling advertising revenues away from traditional TV spend, and there is a recession. Companies clearly don’t have enough money in the pot to pay for the fees broadcasters are charging, or they feel this way of advertising is not effective!

My questions are:-

1. Is the internet advertising revenues going to save a broadcaster?

2. Is there enough companies to pay for all these options we have on the internet to advertise?

In broadcast terms, they had total control over the viewer. If they had a very popular drama or soap, then they had a captive audience. Considering the nature of the internet and the choices of sites that we have to surf. How can they guarantee a captive audience?

What strategic advice do the online advertising networks such as videoegg.com have to drive traffic to their sites? Another factor, is the programming reflective of what the public want to watch and how we watch it? ITV did state that they are going to shift their style to more entertainment programming. 

Broadcasters need to find their feet again and experiment heavily on what will bring the views back to their stations.

Anyway this is all food for thought, our future is unwritten at this stage, but I can promise you that we are in for a very good time on the internet!!!! So sit back, watch and get busy building your networks…eeer online!

enjoy!

A brave new world!

It was in 1948 when suddenly and without warning millions of people stopped going to the movies, the Hollywood studios were in massive trouble. This was a time when America was coming out of its economic depression and the good feel good factor of “the American Dream” was on the rise.  What happened? Well, we don’t really know, but the Federal Trade Commission was investigating Hollywood practices, and it caused all the majors to sell all their theatre houses. The FTC wanted to break up the monopoly that the studios had.

Now this had a catastrophic affect on the actors, directors and playwrights as they couldn’t get any work. Projects were being slashed and theatre was in a massive decline.  So what did happen? What was the effect it had on the industry?  This forced people to look for new ways to address their craft.  We welcome the teaching of The Actors Studio . This was the platform which launched the careers for some of Hollywood’s biggest name in show business today.  A few teachers turned their craft into what is known as truthful acting, portraying real characters in real life. In fact the teachings of Lee Strasberg and Sanford Meisner changed the shape of the industry as we know it today.

So with this, I reflect on our current situation. The Kangaroo project has just been pulled by the Competition Commission, saying that is was too much of a threat to the emerging market of online video. The advertising revenues of broadcasters are down, and there is talk of consolidation in the market. So where does this leave the Actors and filmakers alike?   

Yes, my friend, it’s time to look at the resources we have and see what opportunities we have for self creativity. We have a massive opportunity in front of us, to produce some real grass roots content. Now is the time for us to build our own “actors studio” and find some of the best talents to start producing real entertainment. Why do I say this? Well, TV viewing figures are up, some of the best Hollywood movies are being produced today and ‘in a stay at home economy’ we, as a nation, want to be entertained. 

So, what is my point? I really believe that we are about to see some exciting new forms of creativity take shape. We have the internet  which will play a massive part and we have the talent, although most of them are not being productive at the moment!

I just though leaving this video for you would help!  It’s not for everyone, but it’s still a classic

Signing off!

Realitypod.tv

Kangaroo’s online video project almost dead

This is not very good news for the UK broadcast market, here is a link to FT.com’s post this morning, I will go into more detail later, but please click on this link and read on …

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/f1504f6a-f291-11dd-abe6-0000779fd2ac,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Ff1504f6a-f291-11dd-abe6-0000779fd2ac.html&_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fhome%2Fuk

Broadcasters, Films and Creative output!

In the UK media, there has been a  lot of attention on broadcasters, downsizing, ordering pay cuts and consolidation within the market. This tells us that “advertising funded” revenues they have enjoyed over the years are slowly in decline. What concerns me the most is creative output will be a lot less and it will be harder for creative people to get projects off the ground in traditional ways. Therefore expect loads of repeats on TV globally.    We have two main issues that face our industry,  “output and audiences”. It strikes me that broadcasters have to be more street smart in their approach to engage with the audience. They really need to understand the public, by  what they want to watch, when they want to watch and how we watch media.

Secondly funding projects and getting them off the ground, leaves no room for error. The competition for excellent creativity is going to be much more competitve. Whilst this is good news for our audience, Production companies, film & TV directors will have to bring something completely fresh to engage the audiences. We are seeing this now with the likes of Slumdog Millionaire breaking the UK box office record for ticket sales. We have no shortage of talent in the world, but more of a changing world. How we work, what we do and when we do things have completely changed. This gives the big broadcasters and hollywood studios a huge challenge or opportunity to adapt.

As a creative producer and someone who loves to watching news TV and films, together we will have to find explore other avenues to deliver content. Whilst internet viewing figures are on the up, I’m not entirely  convinced that web TV is the only answer, but  a mix of different platforms that will help engage the customer in the long run.. 

However, I think that Internet TV or web TV is still a great investment into the future and something that needs focusing on for it to a become viable medium.

Food for thought….

Signing off 

Realitypod.tv