Cynopsis: DIGITAL
02.04.13

Good morning. It’s Monday, February 4, 2013, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.

One of the most fascinating things about the YouTube ecosystem is the ongoing birth and success of grassroots YouTube stars. When the video site first launched its original programming initiative a year and a half ago, much was made about the (traditional) star power behind many of the channels — the thought being that success on one screen (film, TV) would translate to success on YouTube. Surveying the landscape today, we know that’s not necessarily the case. Star power alone isn’t enough to grow and sustain viewership, content creators need to know how to cultivate and engage with audiences on YouTube for long-term success. This is something that YouTube stars like The Fine Brothers know how to do really well. In fact, they started doing it long before YouTube decided to venture into premium, original programming.

Benny and Rafi Fine have been producing content on YouTube since 2005. They were one of the first 100 content creators selected by YouTube to program original channels for the video site. Their main channel, TheFineBros, currently boasts close to 2.6 million subscribers and nearly 550 million video views. Their back-up channel, which hosts behind-the-scenes content, podcast clips, and other extras, has more than 170,000 subscribers and almost 15.8 million video views. So it’s safe to say these guys are pretty successful. In fact, last fall Revision3, the Discovery-owned online video network, nabbed them to join its roster of content creators, which include other web stars like Phil DeFranco and the Epic Meal Time guys.

You’ve just wrapped up Season One of MyMusic as part of YouTube’s original programming initiative, what was the biggest hurdle you faced??

Benny: Explaining that we were going to create not only a successful long-form traditional TV sitcom on, but also that it would be the most ambitious interactive web series ever made with it being weekly for a year. It was especially difficult for a lot of people to wrap their heads around, especially cast and crew members from traditional media. But once they understood our vision for a 360-degree 24/7 “Sitcom 2.0”, everyone embraced it.

MyMusic has been referred to as the “first transmedia sitcom.” What does that mean exactly? How did you interact with fans around the world, in character and 24/7?

Rafi: The best way to understand it is to think of MyMusic as a “real time sitcom,” meaning the fans were brought into an experience that seemed like it was unfolding in real time to reveal the life of this fictional music production company. To make that experience feel organic and seamless to the viewers, we released a huge amount of ancillary content on YouTube and social media extensions. The show, which is in the style of a mockumentary, characters would talk about the weekly shows they were producing, like ‘MyMusic Presents.’ And we’d show little glimpses of characters filming them. And then, viewers could also watch the actual episode of “MyMusic Presents” every single week on the same YouTube channel.

We also had story elements in the sitcom impact content across the channel. This extended to social media as well, where you could literally follow every character on the show and their day-to-day lives. Via their Facebook and Twitter accounts, characters would hint at story beats and enhance the sitcom story, while other times, just be posting usual “real-life posts” similar to anyone today who has a social media profile. In total there were more than 70 accounts, more than 25,000 posts during season one, and more than 200,000 people were following the fictional company and characters and engaging with every post. Despite being on a hiatus between seasons, the accounts remain fully active and in character to this day, with the staff still posting and replying to fans.

What’s next for MyMusic now that season one has reached its end??

Benny: We are going to break the fourth wall and present the cast out-of-character for the first time. We’re also releasing DVD-style extras on the YouTube channel about the making of the series as we look to ramp up for season two later in the year. It’s been fun seeing the fans’ reactions to the actual actors, who aren’t nearly as crazy as the characters they play.

If last year was the year of high content volume, what do you think will define 2013?

Benny: We hope it’s more long-form, high-quality content. MyMusic in many ways stood alone in the space in 2012 in terms of just how large a show it was by taking nearly a year to release, including six, 30-minute TV-style episodes. We feel that the more premium content that comes to YouTube that proves to be successful like MyMusic, the better chance creators and filmmakers have to bring in new audiences and advertising. We also think that transparency of views and honest performance metrics will be continue to be an issue this year until a new rating system or protocol for measurement is developed.

You’ve now been in the business for eight years. If you could share one lesson with aspiring creators, what would that be?

Rafi: Adapt, adapt, adapt. If you are a new creator, realize what works online and what doesn’t. Don’t be afraid to create content that may not be your dream projects, but work well in the medium. This can help you grow an audience and a brand that will allow you to make bigger passion projects when you actually have a sustainable, dependable audience.

For traditional media companies in the space, it’s important to seek out the right established creators and personalities with whom to form strong partnerships and mutually beneficial deal points. Having a celebrity or big production values is not enough to succeed in online video — nor is just paying a YouTube star to promote you or your channel. There are good partnerships to be made to enhance all of our companies, and so both sides need to partner properly if you want to make a dent in the digital space.

What’s your next big project? Now that you’ve tackled non-scripted reality and sitcoms, any new formats you’re looking to attack?

Rafi: If you watch us, you know we always have more up our sleeves! In March, we will premiere a brand new animated series, and we also have plans to create at least a half a dozen brand new series that range from feature-length concepts to interactive programming, as well as innovative concepts around crowd-sourced entertainment and beyond. And of course, we’ll continue our 4 React series, which may turn into five or six additional extensions before the year is out. Not to mention that season two of MyMusic may be on its way before we know it!

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released the full schedule for the second annual Digital Content NewFronts(DCNF), which will be held during the week of April 29 in NYC. Headlined by the DCNF’s six founding partners, AOL, Digitas, Google/YouTube, Hulu, Microsoft Advertising, and Yahoo, the week will also feature upfront-style presentations from 12 other top web publishers and media companies, including Alloy Digital, Disney Interactive, Sony Pictures Television, VEVO, and The Wall Street Journal. Interestingly enough, social games developer Zynga is also scheduled to host a DCNF during the week. Here’s the full schedule:

• Monday, April 29: The Wall Street Journal (8-11am); The Weather Company (11:30am-1pm); Microsoft Advertising (2-5pm); Yahoo (6-9pm)
• Tuesday, April 30: Hulu (8-11am); Digital Broadcasting Group (11:30am-1pm); AOL (2-5pm); CBS Interactive (6-9pm)
• Wednesday, May 1: Blip (11:30am-1pm); Conde Nast Entertainment (2-5pm); Google (6-9pm)
• Thursday, May 2: Disney Interactive (8-11am); Digitas (11:30am-5pm); VEVO (6-8pm)
• Friday, May 3: Alloy Digital (8-11am); Crackle (11:30am-1pm); Buzzmedia (2-5pm); and Zynga (6-9pm)

HBO Go may soon be available on Apple TV. According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is in negotiations with Time Warner to bring HBO’s streaming app to Apple TV devices by the middle of this year. As is usually the case with TV Everywhere products, the HBO Go app would only be available to those who already subscribe to HBO via their cable on satellite package.

Amazon Studios has greenlit five children’s pilots, including one from the creator of Blue’s Clues, for its Prime Instant Video, Instant Video, LoveFilm UK, and LoveFilm Germany services. Last December, Amazon Studios committed to six comedy pilots, bringing the studio’s slate to 11 total pilots that are currently in production. Once completed, all 11 pilots will be posted on Amazon Instant Video, Prime Instant Video, LoveFilm UK, and LoveFilm Germany for Amazon customers to watch for free. Amazon says viewer feedback will help determine which shows get a full season run.The five children’s pilots are:

• Creative Galaxy: An animated, interactive art adventure series from Angela Santomero, the creator of Blue’s Clues.
• Oz Adventures: A series that follows Dot, Dorothy’s daughter, as she visits Oz every day with her Oz friends and solves problems.
• Teeny Tiny Dogs: Produced by The Jim Henson Company and created by Howard Baker (Rugrats), the show follows four dogs as they try and navigate the world despite their small size.
• Tumbleaf: Geared toward preschoolers, this show focuses on the daily adventures of a blue fox named Fig.
• The Untitled J.J. Johnson Project: Revolves around a young scientist who creates three robots to help her conduct scientific experiments in her dad’s junkyard.

Comedy Central has launched a new in-house production unit called CC Studios that will develop original, shareable digital content. The network has also named Allison Kingsley as its new VP/Digital Development, tasked with overseeing CC Studios. The goal of CC Studios is described as “to provide a creative playground for the comedy community where comedians, directors, writers, and animators can develop and cultivate their passion projects and further engage their peers and fans.” CC Studios will look to work with established comedians as well as new voices to create new digital franchises, and ensure that social media strategies are integrated throughout the development process. The digital unit will also partner with advertisers to create branded entertainment projects in collaboration with Comedy Central marketing and sales teams.In conjunction with the CC Studios launch, Comedy Central has premiered two new web series and taken the lids off of another two that are currently in development:

• Couched: Host Ben Hoffman spends a weekend living in a house full of college kids in order to get to know the “typical Comedy Central fan” as he prepares for production on his own show, The Ben Show (debuts on February 28 on Comedy Central).
• Bro-Dependent: Starring H. Michael Croner and Greg Worswick of the famous Groundlings comedy troupe, they play two best friends who are equal parts idiots and hopeless “bromantics.”
• The Lucas Brothers (title TBD): A morning show for guys from Keith and Kenny Lucas. It’ll feature sketches and interviews with guests like NBA stars Reggie Evans and Iman Shumpert.
• Behind Amy Schumer: A behind-the-scenes look into the life of Amy Schumer as she prepares for her new Comedy Central series, Inside Amy Schumer, which is scheduled to premiere in April.

Hoff Productions has launched SuperFactories.tv, a new online video platform that will look to offer aggregated and original manufacturing and construction videos. Targeted specifically for those who enjoy build videos, the site will look to reveal the step-by-step processes behind creating things like sports cars, luxury watches, bullet trains, cricket balls, and more. Hoff Productions has an extensive track record in creating similar programming for TV, it was behind National Geographic’s Ultimate Factories and Mega Structures franchises.

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GetGlue has launched a new Promoted Entries ad product, which is available for advertisers across the social TV service’s show-related feeds and TV guide. Similar to ad products available from Facebook and Twitter, Promoted Entries allows advertisers to promote content by placing it at the top of the GetGlue feed. In addition, when users “like” or comment on a promoted entry, that information shows up on their friends’ feeds. The product was launched in partnership with Pepsi for the Super Bowl. Those who checked into the Super Bowl last night were able to access exclusive photos and video spots from Pepsi. They were also awarded sponsored badges such as the “Pepsi Halftime Show” sticker.

Worldwide tablet shipments rose to record levels during the fourth quarter of 2012, reaching a total of 52.5 million units, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). When compared to Q4 2011 and Q3 2012, the worldwide tablet market grew 75.3% and 74.3%, respectively. The IDC attributes the growth to a mixture of lower average selling prices, a wider range of new products, and increased holiday spending. While Apple’s iPad continued to dominate the market, shipping 22.9 million units during Q4 (a year-over-year growth of 48.1%), its market share declined for the second quarter in a row (down from 46.4% to 43.6%) due to increased competition from other tablet vendors. Samsung, which slid in as the number two tablet vendor, saw its worldwide market share grow 263% year-over-year as the company shipped 8 million combined Android and Windows 8 tablets to capture 15.1% of the market. Unfortunately, the good news for those in the tablet business also meant some bad news for the PC market. “The record-breaking quarter stands in stark contrast to the PC market, which saw shipments decline during the quarter for the first time in more than five years,” said Tom Mainelli, Research Director/Tablets at the IDC.

The Yahoo-ABC News Network has released some internal digital video data demonstrating the success of its digital video programming in 2012:

• ABC News and Yahoo News co-produced five digital video series in 2012 (Power Players, Around the World with Christiane Amanpour, This Could Be Big with Bill Weir, Newsmakers, and Katie’s Take), all of which combined to surpass 100 million views during the year.
• Yahoo-ABC News Network’s live video coverage of the 2012 Election season, which began with the Republican and Democratic and ran through the debates and election night, produced 20 million live streams across ABC News, Yahoo News, and partner sites like YouTube. Election night coverage alone produced 10 million live video streams across ABC News, Yahoo News, YouTube, and other partner sites.
• ABC News mobile sites and apps increased video views by 147% in November 2012. On Election night, ABC News mobile products generated 450,000 live video streams.

Robert Gottlieb has been promoted to SVP/Head of Marketing at the FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG). At his new post, Gottlieb will be responsible for all aspects of FSMG’s on-air, off-air, and consumer marketing efforts including television, print, online, radio, and outdoor creative for FOX Sports, Speed, FOX Soccer, Fuel TV, FOX Deportes, and FOXSports.com. He reports to FSMG’s Co-Presidents and CEOs Randy Freer and Eric Shanks.

Media Innovation Group, the digital strategy and marketing unit of 24/7 Media, has promoted Michael Mamarella to the position of SVP and GM/North America. Based in NY, he’s responsible for the overall management and strategy of the business in the region. In addition to Mamarella’s promotion, Media Innovation Group announced that Nicky McShane has joined the company as its new European Managing Director. She’s based in London.

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Netflix continues its strong promotional push for the Kevin Spacey-starring political drama House of Cards. The streaming service is making the first episode of the show available for free to non-members through the month of February. The episode will be available in all Netflix territories across the globe (the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Latin America, Brazil, and the Nordics). This move is strikingly similar to the premium cable channels Netflix is looking to compete with. In the past, HBO and Showtime have made the first episodes of their original programming available for free on sites like YouTube.

If you don’t have a Netflix account, or do but just haven’t queued up House of Cards yet, I highly recommend that you do. I bowled through six episodes over the weekend and am absolutely hooked. Though I love Spacey’s charm, I can’t get enough of Robin Wright’s reinterpretation of a modern-day Lady Macbeth.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Later – Sahil
Sahil Patel, Associate Editor for Cynopsis Digital
02.04.13

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