The Birth of Online TV

Online TV ShowsThe birth of a new medium

Colin DonaldDirector

www.futurescape.tv

The Birth of Online TV

•New Web series - scripted comedy and drama•Britain and America

Overview

• Why is online TV booming?

• Who is making the shows?

• Creative opportunities

Why is online TV booming?

1. Ubiquitous broadband

2. Audience aggregators

3. New online TV studios

4. New funding opportunities

5. Hollywood writers’ strike as catalyst

6. Falling production costs

Widespread broadband

• Nearly 6 in 10 homes (57%) in UK have broadband (Ofcom, May 2008)

• 8% narrowband dial-up (65% total)

• BT to invest £1.5bn for super-fast broadband to 10m homes by 2012

• HD movies, gaming, graphics, music

Online video viewing soaring

• 12 billion video views per month in the USA (comScore)– Rising by 1 billion per month

• 3.5 billion per month in the UK

• 30% of UK adults have used Internet to watch video content (Ofcom)

Issue – falling TV viewing?

• Yes – 30% of UK adults with Internet say they watch less TV (Ofcom)

• Yes, but – small fall? 1%?– From 219 mins / day in 2005– To 216 mins / day in 2006 (Ofcom)

Audience aggregators – Bebo

Online TV studios launching

• About 30 in Hollywood

– 8 have raised $50m in funding

• Major studios – digital units

– Hundreds of shows in production

• UK indies involved

– New: Shimmer Productions

– Talkback Thames - Toyboize

New funding sources

• 14 ways to fund a show• Broadcasters, new studios, sponsors

• Download sales via iTunes• Joss Whedon (Buffy) – self-funded• Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

• Hollywood writers’ strike as catalyst

New funding sources

• Particularly important– Branded entertainment– Product placement– Product integration

• Controversial – “hidden” advertising?

Issue – product placement

• Acceptable?• EU says Yes• UK culture secretary not keen– Holding consultations

• FCC – American TV regulator– Also consulting

• Would and should TV regulations apply to online shows?

Falling production costs

• The Gap Year (Endemol / Bebo)

– One-person “team” following their subject

– Camera, laptop, liaising with production

company

• Higher tech quality

– Sofia’s Diary made in HD

Who’s making the shows?

• New studios

• Broadcasters and established indies

• New commissioners

– Social networking sites

– Ad agencies

New commissioners

• Social networking sites• Bebo– The Gap Year– KateModern (two seasons)– Sofia’s Diary (two seasons)– Next: The Secret World of Sam King

• MySpace– I Love Chieftown

New commissioners

• Ad agencies and sponsors are

commissioning

• In The Motherhood

• US Web comedy about parenting

• MindShare agency for Sprint and

Suave

Creative opportunities

• “Nobody knows anything”

• It’s a new medium

• Previous attempts at online shows– The Spot (1990s)

– Online Caroline BAFTA winner (2000)

– The Strand (2004)

–Wannabes (2007)

Creative opportunities

• Online TV doesn’t mean cheap TV

• Short or long episodes?

• How many episodes comprise a season?

• Interactivity – support or straitjacket?

• Opportunities across all genres

• Online shows integrated into TV industry

Online TV doesn’t mean cheap TV

Short or long episodes?

How many episodes in a season?

Interactivity:support or straitjacket?

Opportunities across all genres

Online integrated into TV industry

The future:audience co-creation

Online TV ShowsThe birth of a new medium

Colin DonaldDirector

www.futurescape.tv