Digtial storytelling

Attended a wonderfully refreshing presentation this morning on digital content.  It was called the Multi Platform Content Incubator hosted by the local New Media association. Billed as some of the finest examples of cross platform entertainment the globe has to offer.

It was great because there was no dogma about the internet being a big deal.  Nobody was trying to convince anyone to spend more online or that everything not digital is doomed.  It was focused on content, how it's being created and how it's being applied to different platforms - some old and some new.  Here's what some of the speakers covered and my thoughts below.

Brent Friedman - Electric Farm Films - "Afterworld"
afterworld.tv, a 2.5D animated episodic Sci-Fi web series. 
- Net distribution is fraught with technical problems.
- And because online delivery has promise of immediate delivery, viewers are livid when technical problems/delay occur.  Even though it's free.
- Portals like YouTube and MySpace they are many limitations.
- CAA actively looking for sponsorship of content with major brands (danger danger agency people!!!)
- It all starts with a good script, but creating all the content proves much harder.

Nathan Mayfield - Hoodlum Interactive "PS Trixi"
Comes from soap opera background, now producing original content firstly in Australia and now for BBC and ITV in UK.
- 1 human year = 17.5 internet years
-With multiplatform content, technology is the bane of existence.
- As content falls outside talent union norms, negotiate early.
- **start with script, then identify story points that can pool out to different online platforms/portals that best tell the story
- Audiences are intelligent and want to suspend disbelief, but don't try to be too clever because they will see through it.
- find815 - coporoduced with Lost team next big show
- Though online, still pushed in a "series" type model of 8-12 weeks of promotion and release of series at regular intervals.

Dan'l Hewitt, Director of Development, Bebo / "KateModern
Most technologically advanced social network. 
- Doesn't claim social networks will take over the world, or that aren't a trend but as they reflect in an online world what we do in the real world they will exist in some format.
- For now Bebo is a great multimedia delivery platform.
- Consumers accepted of product integration when organic to the storyline and characters.  They understand that it covers the cost of production.

What I thought was really interesting was talking to content producers, film makers, the folks from VBS.tv is that in a way all these new websites, tools and applications are really tertiary elements.  What still rules is the idea.  The story.  And whether you use email, blogs, widgets, gaming like content, expanded content, traditional posters, TV ads or events all depends on what the idea is and whether those things tell the story better.

It was also interesting talking to talking to content funders, Telefilm and entertainment lawyers, as they all acknowledge that the new "model" of how deals are done and more importantly what the content looks like is being developed on the fly.  In a few years it will more or less be figured out. 

For advertisers, this means ensuring you really understand what your story/brand is all about and ensuring you have a compelling idea to tell it.  From there you can develop and choose the right touchpoints to tell it.  And the really smart companies will be the ones who recognize this is an interdisciplinary affair.  Digital agencies, that make websites and banner ads probably aren't going to do very well in this more robust space.  Likewise, broadcast agencies that specialize in hard sell weak idea TV ads won't do too well either.  But those who can marry great ideas with technical expertise (or at least production networks) are poised to be the next great generation of story tellers.

For a brand maybe this means looking at your marketing function as a marketing department, but as a media company.  A company that generates media ideas wrapped around you brand that are intriguing enough for people to watch.  And you will get the hard number results to prove whether you have something interesting to say.  Some of the viewership numbers for things like KateModern are approaching levels of top level network programs.  To make this possible some of the old sacred cows are going to have to give.  We're seeing that in Hollywood with the writers strike.  Which to me appears to be good thing.

While that's all great to say.  It's going to be a heck of a lot of work to figure out and there are sure to be loads of lessons along the way.  But boy it's going to be fun.

Comments

[The Kaiser]

Cool stuff Brett. That's going into the content manifesto.

Good man.

[Brett Macfarlane]

I love a good manifesto!

Godspeed. Sooner the better, we all need one.