The Birth of Online TV

Online TV Shows The birth of a new medium
Colin Donald
Director
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?
Ubiquitous broadband
Audience aggregators
New online TV studios
New funding opportunities
Hollywood writers’ strike as catalyst
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

“ 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)

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 Shows The birth of a new medium
Colin Donald
Director
www.futurescape.tv

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The Birth of Online TV

by Futurescape on May 03, 2009

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The Birth of Online TV — Presentation Transcript