Cynopsis: DIGITAL

02/11/10

Good morning, it’s Thursday, February 11, 2010, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.

With the runaway success of Avatar, Hollywood is now seeing the world in 3D-colored glasses. Warner Bros. is working on a multi-picture distribution deal with the once-struggling IMAX Corp. to release a broad package of features in the large screen format – a vast majority of them in 3D, reports the WSJ. The studio has already agreed to release its “Hubble 3D” documentary and Christopher Nolan’s next film “Inception” in July. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures announced that the next Spider Man feature, directed by Marc Webb (“500 Days of Summer”), will hit theaters in 3D beginning July 23, 2012. It’s time for exhibitors to get busy adapting more 3D screens.
 

 
ESPN announced it is rebranding its ESPN360 broadband video site to “ESPN3.com” later this spring. The live and on demand site, which offers access of up to 20 events at a time across most major pro and college sports, negotiates directly with ISPs to pass on the service for free to its customers and is currently in about 50 million homes. ESPN will add new features to the service such as real-time stats and fantasy games integrations and seek to expand distribution by offering to swap it out for the linear ESPN Classic cable channel and bundle it with the newer networks such as ESPNU and ESPN Deportes, per the WSJ.
 
Multiplatform music and video network Music Choice is launching new interactive music video network called SWRV, allowing viewers to vote via online or text message for the videos they’d like to watch. A “Vid-ications” feature lets viewers dedicate videos via text or a photo/video message from their phone that will display on-air while the video plays. “Takeover” enables viewers program 15 minutes of videos, complete with their own playlists and introductory videos. Cox Communications has signed on to offer the service in Virginia and New England.
 
AP news articles have reappeared on Google News after nearly a 7-week absence as the two parties renegotiated a licensing deal, noticed the Digits blog.
 
Horror queen Anne Rice has agreed to terms with video book publisher Vook to publish an interactive version of The Master of Ramling Gate, a vampire tale first published in Redbook in 1984, per the AP.
 
SNL proved to be the top NBC.com site for short-from streams in 2009 (63 million) and widget streams (14 million.) With the help of original webisodes and its popular Dunder Mifflin Infinity mock social network, The Office took top honors in monthly average uniques (2.1 million) and total Rewind streams (116 million.) NBC says it set record for ave. unique visitors (7 million), total minutes (91 million) and ave. time spent per visit (6.6 minutes,) in 2009, citing ComScore.
 

 
For parents who’d like to get a better handle on the video their kids are watching online, YouTube introduced a new opt-in Safety Mode setting that screens out “potentially objectionable” content. It will disable searches of risque words and replace objectionable text with asterisks. Just click on the Safety Mode link at the bottom of any video page to activate it. You can also lock your choice on that browser with your YouTube password.
 
Dailymotion signed a deal with EMI to bring its library of music videos to Dailymotion’s web video site, mobile site and iPhone app as well as to the Dailymotion channel on broadband-connected TVs.
 
Digital content producer Next New Networks announced record viewership numbers for 2009, aggregating over 300 million views across its networks with over 1 million total YouTube, podcast and email subscribers. The company also says it doubled its ad revenue y/y with a 70% increase in the number of sponsors.
 
Public opinion site Urtak has updated its approach with a focus on launching Urtak polls for third party publishers. Online based polls, offered for free to publishers, are delivered via embeddable widgets with results immediately available to users.
 
PBS’ Frontline, ProPublica, and The New Orleans Times-Picayune are collaborating using multiple mediums and platforms to investigate a string of violent encounters between police and civilians in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The Law & Disorder blog consists of video, audio, photos, documents, work-shopped with producers and journalists from all three groups.
 

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM concrete5

 
The results of Hulu’s interactive AdZone Super Bowl commercial ratings poll are in. The Snickers ad starring a muddied Betty White and Abe Vigoda scored as the most viewed and second most liked while Doritos’ House Rules ad nabbed the most liked spot.
 
Top 5 Most Viewed
Rank       Brand             Video Name
1     Mars’ Snickers    You’re Not You When You’re Hungry
2     Doritos              House Rules
3     Motorola            Megan Fox Photo
4     E*Trade             Girlfriend
5     Google               Search On
Top 5 Most “Liked”
Rank      Brand             Video Name
1    Doritos               House Rules
2    Mars’ Snickers    You’re Not You When You’re Hungry
3    E*Trade             Girlfriend
4    Google               Search On
5    Doritos               Underdog
Top 5 Most “Disliked”
Rank      Brand               Video Name
1    Focus on the Family    Tim Tebow
2    Boost Mobile               Shuffle
3    The Back-Up Plan       Movie Trailer
4    Go Daddy                  Spa
5    Skechers                   Joe Montana Shape-Ups
Source: Hulu
 
Through its social media listening platform, Kantar Media’s Cymfony service introduced a customizable framework for deriving insights from traditional and social media dialogue impacting brands. The company is offering three types of research and analysis products studying competitive landscapes, category insights and “holistic market research engagement.”
 

 
Google put out an open call to municipalities to participate in building out affordable ultra high speed fiber networks in a few trial locales in the U.S. Google says it will offer service to somewhere between 50,000 and 500,000 people to help incubate next generation architectures and applications. Cable DOCSIS 3.0 ultra high-speed internet services, featuring download speeds ranging from 50 to 105 Megabits per second, now pass more than 52 million U.S. consumers and businesses, according to a new survey of the top 11 MSOs by Multichannel News. But these services like Comcast’s 50Mbx “Extreme” internet services are prohibitively expensive for most users, running $140/mo. or more.
 
Tribune Media Services and Blockbuster are working together on an initiative to have TMS map its deep movie metadata to a specific library of Blockbuster movie content to improve movie search results on its Blockbuster On Demand movie rental service. Tivo will be the first to utilize the technology to facilitate Netflix-like recommendations. 
 
Thanks to aggressive cost cutting and better digital sales (particularly from search-themed About.com), The NYTimes Co. reported better-than-expected revenue and profit for Q4. Operating profit grew 10.9% to $157.6 million. A 20% decrease in print advertising was offset in part by growth in digital advertising, which rose nearly 11%.
 
Less than a month after the company’s founder Rob Glaser resigned, RealNetworks announced plans to spin off its subscription-based Rhapsody music service into a new company. Rhapsody, a joint venture with Viacom’s MTV Networks, was down to about 700,000 subscribers as of Sept. 30
 

 
NBC has signed on to utilize Integrated Media Measurement‘s new location tracking capability to separate in-home and out-of-home media usage at the Vancouver Olympics. IMMI has recruited a panel consisting of BlackBerry and iPhone users who agreed to download software to their smartphone as well as their home and work computers that will track consumption of Olympics TV programming across devices.
 
Microsoft’s Bing’s share of the search market climbed sharply in January for the first time since Oct., according to data from Experian’s Hitwise. Bing accounted for 9.4% of U.S. searches in January, a 5% increase from December with Google declining only slightly to retain 71.5% of the market. Yahoo received 14.6% of U.S. searches, a 2% decrease.
 

 
iPhone application developer Bite Interactive announced the release of its Red Carpet app giving users the opportunity to rate and review nominees, post reviews to Twitter and Facebook and select their Oscar favorites. (Pick all 24 televised Oscar winners for a chance to win $1 million.) The $2.99 app will also link to your Netflix account to add films to your queue and save your ratings.
 
Casual games company Oberon Media announced it is planned a full lineup of games for Android-powered mobile devices for 2010 including popular existing I-play franchises “Fast & Furious”, “Deal or No Deal” and “Bubble Town.” Google’s Android phones have jumped to a 5.2% share of the U.S. smartphone market according to the latest ComScore numbers.
 

 
Sherman Oaks, CA-based digital media services firm Avail-TVN promoted Jan Young to VP/Content Services.
 

 
The world’s leading social networking site keeps figuring out new ways to reach the few internet users that haven’t been converted. Facebook announced yesterday that it is opening up its live Facebook Chat messaging service by allowing it to be integrated into other services like AOL‘s AIM instant messaging service, used by about 17 million users in the U.S. (It’s a long-overdue move for AOL, which is in the process of trying to remake itself into a widely distributed content company.) Now the some 2 billion chat messages sent via Facebook can be read on virtually any desktop IM client. Facebook also announced it has surpassed 100 million active mobile users, less than 6 months after surpassing 65 million Facebook Mobile users. That means Facebook Mobile is growing faster than the core site itself, which now claims 400 million users. Redesigns of m.facebook.com and touch.facebook.com can now be read from any mobile browser in more than 70 languages and Facebook apps can be found on Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Nokia and Samsung application platforms.
 
Correction: The premiere of the Funny or Die Presents on HBO is next-next Friday, Feb. 19 at Midnight, or Feb. 20 if you want to get technical.
 
Later – Wayne
Wayne Karrfalt for Cynopsis: Digital
[email protected]
02.11.10

Cynopsis Ad Sales:
Mike Farina – Sr. Dir/Business Development & Sales – 203-218-6480 / [email protected]
Classifieds – Trish Pihonak- 203-926-9878 / [email protected]

Member of Interactive Advertising Bureau (iab)

To subscribe to any Cynopsis edition(s) click here .
To unsubscribe , click the button at the end of this email.

Cyn opsis CLASSIFIEDS – For More classifieds, visit the Cynopsis.com classifieds page here .

JOB OPENING: MGR RSRCH temp /ABCTV/NY:  Execute Sr level stats analysis, excellent written verbal presentation skills in exec environment. Min of 4 yrs exp w/Nielsen ratings, MS Office www.disneyabcjobs.com #228492 (2/18)

JOB OPENING: NBCU RESEARCH ANALYST (Yoh)/NY:  Support cross network positioning & provide analyses/reports covering NBCU entertainment.Must have a BA/BS and 1-yr exp. in media research. Send resume to [email protected] (2/18)

JOB OPENING: DIR, NATIONAL ACCTS/Los Angeles: Drive dist svcs & acct mgmt-neg contract renewals, dist relationships, ovrsee maint & complnce mid-sze corp deals. https://www.abso.com/jobboard/Default.aspx?JOBBOARDID=507&JobDetail=68543 (2/18)

JOB OPENING: MKTG COORD/Ad Sales/DIY/NY: 1+ yrs Sales/MKTG exp. Support development of Upfront & Trade show materials, upkeep DIY site & materials. Full details: http://www.scrippsnetworksinteractive.com/careers & select req 1331 (2/18)

JOB OPENING: SENIOR PRINT DESIGNER/(BRAVO)/NBCU/NY: Creative lead in off-air advertising, promotion and marketing, from concept to development, of Bravo projects.BA, 6 yrs exp in print design. www.nbcjobs.com , #1142233(2/17)

JOB OPENING: SR RES ANALYST/AMC/NYC: Prep & maintain network analysis to support Ad Sales, Affil Sales & Mktg. 2+ years exp & related systems (MRI, Simmons). res to www.cablevision.jobs ref# 10513BR (2/17)

JOB OPENING: COORD, ANIMATION DVLPMNT & PROD/MANHATTAN BEACH CA: Entry-level. Support dvlpmnt & prod across all shows & supports dept personnel in all functions- licensing, mktg, & dist.Resume to: [email protected] (2/13)

JOB OPENING: MGR, ANIMATION, DVLPMNT & PROD/MANHATTAN BEACH CA: Support dev, prod & dist w/day2day coord of assets/scheds/vendors. Emphasis co-prod & intl prod. 3+yrs exp animation prod is req’d. Res to: [email protected] (2/13)

JOB OPENING: DIR & ACCT EXEC/RMG NETWORKS AD Sales/NY: Join the leading away-from home TV ent sales team.Dvlp/grow new & existing AD Sales across our platforms. 5-8 yrs TV and/or dig/OOH ad sales exp. Resume: [email protected] (2/13)

JOB OPENING: LEGAL ASSISTANT/Hallmark Channels/Los Angeles: Great opp. for exp’d Admin Asst with legal bkgrnd. Will support 3 Attorneys in Studio City. View full job posting & apply: www.hallmarkchannel.com “Jobs” (2/13)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/CABLEVISION/Hoboken, NJ:   Seeks AE for local ad sales.2+ yrs ad sales exp. pref cable TV, radio, e-media adv.  Valid NJ DL.  See full posting and apply to www.cablevision.jobs req 9453BR (2/12)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/CABLEVISION/OAKLAND NJ:   Seeks AE for local ad sales.2+ yrs ad sales exp. pref cable TV, radio, e-media adv.  Valid NJ DL.  See full posting and apply to www.cablevision.jobs req 9446BR (2/12)

JOB OPENING:  IPC CONTENT MGR/NY/MTVN International: Req: Program scheduling, programming acquisitions & budgeting exp. Attention to detail. Production mgmt exp. Apply: www.mtvnetworkscareers.com . An EOE/M/F/D/AAP  (2/12)

JOB OPENING:  DIRECTOR, INTEGRATED MARKETING/Nickelodeon/NYC: 8+yrs Integ Mrktg/Sales exp @ a TV Network, Strng Packged Goods exp, Strng Ideation/Acct Mgmt exp, Stng Projct Mgmt skills EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvnetworkscareers.com (2/12)

INTERNSHIPS – These positions are for credit only – nobody gets paid here. These ads are always posted for free , and students work for school credit only. For more information on the specs for posting an Internship ad, email Trish at [email protected] .

SPRING/SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: TV PRODUCTION COMPANY INTERN Learn story development, digital media & biz. dev. for a primetime network show production company in LA. Apply to [email protected] (2/18)

SPRING/SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY:  INTERACTIVE SALES INTERN Assist Rainbow Advertising Sales team. Woodbury NY Pref. Majors Ad./Comm./Film/Tv/Mktg./Bus. Apply to www.cablevision.jobs req 10523BR (2/12)

SPRING INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: PRODUCTION INTERN/NYC: Looking for motivated intern to assist producers @radical.media w/ all aspects of prod. for science/tech docu-series. 2-3 days/wk. Paid MetroCard. Cover/resume to [email protected] (2/12)

SPRING INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: EDITING/DEVEL INTERNSHIP LA- spring sem for credit/written commitment of 2-3 days. Edit and development unscripted/docs/promo at small production company. Edit on FCP a must. Email: [email protected]  (2/12)

SITUATION WANTED ADS, POSTED BY THOSE LOOKING TO BE HIRED …  There is no charge for placing your Situation Wanted ad … for more information contact Trish Pihonak at [email protected]

SITUATION WANTED:  Talented non-fiction PRODUCER/WRITER/DIRECTOR/SHOOTER; network credits; Field and Post; Emmy nominee; reality and development.  [email protected]. LA based (2/18)

SITUATION WANTED:  Need a Video or Spot? Need to engage an audience? See my Reel DIRECTOR /CREATIVE STORYTELLER Seeks Representation, freelance/staff gig. Major Credits, Effectiveness/Awards. [email protected] (2/18)

SITUATION WANTED:  PRODUCTION MANAGER 10+ Yrs of industry experience. Worked for Bravo, Discovery, Animal Planet, TRU & Playboy.Travel exp, multiple crews, cool under fire, on-time & under budget. Please contact: [email protected]  (2/18)

SITUATION WANTED:  Seeking any ENTRY LEVEL WORK in the TV industry in the greater NYC area. Close to 2 years of video and new media freelance experience in NYC + an internship at VH1. [email protected] (2/18)

SITUATION WANTED:  EXPERIENCED TURNAROUND EXECUTIVE/NYC (20+ years)seeks media or broadcast company needing restructuring of finances and/or operations. [email protected] (2/18)

SITUATION WANTED: “BIG Ideas” MARKETING SPECIALIST/NY:5 yrs exp. creating and executing integrated print and digital platform programs across multiple categories, presentation writing & event management. Contact: [email protected] (2/17)

SITUATION WANTED:   ART DIRECTOR (NYC) Highly experienced working concept through completion. Portfolio: www.baerdavis.com Email: [email protected]  (2/13)

SITUATION WANTED:   PRODUCTION ASSISTANT/ENTRY-LEVEL POSITION/NY or LA:’09 Hampshire College Grad, 4+ Years Exp Producing, Writing, Directing, Editing. Extremely Hard-Working, Optimistic and Dedicated. Contact: [email protected]  (2/13)

SITUATION WANTED:  Dedicated & Experienced ADV. SALES PLANNER. Sales proposals, resolving client discrepancies, quarterly post analysis, special sales service projects, expert computer skills. Contact- [email protected] (2/13)

SITUATION WANTED:  WRITERS/RESEARCH ASST/LA: WIF Mentee in Screenwriting. Hands-on, web/print research, 1 on 1 interviews, & structured investigation of issues/historic events. Experience in prod/screenwriting. [email protected] (2/13)

SITUATION WANTED:   Female VOICEOVER ARTIST with full studio. Versatile sound & styles. Experience in TV, film, radio, games, phone systems, websites, narration, promos, more… Contact [email protected] or visit www.marciheit.com (2/13)

SITUATION WANTED:   SALES/RESEARCH DIR/STRATEGIST: 20+ yrs media, Nielsen, Hisp, research, sales, and presentation experience. How can I help you? Email: [email protected] (2/13)

SITUATION WANTED:   20+ yrs. experience in TV Broadcasting & Cable ACCOUNTING/FINANCE. Seeking FT/PT or Temp-to-Perm position:   [email protected] (2/13)

SITUATION WANTED: SENIOR ADV SALES/MARKETING EXEC experienced in Domestic cable/syn and International cable. Successful track record in Biz Dev and Strategic Media Implementation- refs/contacts available. [email protected] (2/12)

SITUATION WANTED: PRODUCTION ASSISTANT/DEVELOPMENT/ENTRY-LEVEL/NY : Intern exp. in development & post production. Past Assoc. Prod. for A&E Biography. Creative, passionate, fast-learner. Willing to relocate. [email protected] (2/12)

SITUATION WANTED: FREELANCE ACCOUNTING/BOOKKEEPING/LA:set-up, rebuild or update on QuickBooks and Excel on a ‘per project’ basis. Email: [email protected] (2/12)

E-mail [email protected] or call Trish Pihonak at 203.926.9878 for rates and specs for Job Openings.

Are you looking for a job? Post your Situation Wanted Ad here — Email [email protected] for specs.

Cynopsis Media LLC
One Corporate Drive, Suite 724
Shelton, CT 06484
203.926.9878

All outgoing e-mails are scanned and sent out virus free. Copyright Cynopsis 2010