Digital Hollywood Wrap Up

On our last day we attended the big panel a reason for being at Digital Hollywood. All the chiefs lined up in a row so that the Indians could listen to what they had to say and ask questions from them.

Digital Deals - The Networks, Studios and Producers - Monetizing Content Across Platforms attended by representatives of ABC, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) NBC/Universal, Break Media, Definition 6, HSN, TouchStorm, LLC and LIONSGATE. This was a panel that many had been waiting for as was shown by the large amount people standing outside the tent it was held in despite the unseasonably cool weather.

What I took away from the panel was that AVOD (Advertiser Supported Video On Demand) is expected to be big by 2015 with a possible 20 billion dollar market. To me AVOD sounds a lot like commercial supported over the air and cable TV. They are just calling it something different to make it sound more sexy and different. The big issue with AVOD is social TV. You've heard previously that content is king, now we're hearing that conversation is king. Conversation about a product, as you is accustomed to liking on Facebook or following on Twitter.

We also were given figures that I long disputed that 60 percent of the homes in this nation had broadband. To start off with the recession ate into pocketbooks of those that were using broadband and second there is broadband and then there is broadband. Surprisingly when the moderator asked how many people were unplugged, not having cable or satellite, around 1\3 of the people seated raised their hands.

Anyone that has a internet service knows that there is a multi-tier system that the carriers use when they provide service to you. Many more have basic plans then have the fast plans that are needed to make downloads a simple seamless event.

What will make programing easier and more like the TV shows you're used to seeing over the air or on cable is a means to measure eyeballs (People actually watching) shows that are put on. Right now many original shows for the net are of cheap production quality or Loss Leaders. A Loss Leader in entertainment industry is a show that is going to lose money but put on to establish a company, raise their image or viewing of others across the system or platform they are being run on.

The basic problem with measurement on the net is that is comes with a loss of privacy. To accurately measure what people are watching and who is watching it in a home or on a smart device outside the home you have to allow them to have information about you that you might not like them to have.

When you make any production today you have to worry about something that you didn't have to worry about when I was starting out in the industry. These being your need to secure all digital rights to that production you have just done. One single person such as a musician whom played a riff in the background of music created and completely paid for the production can keep the program off the platform you're trying to get it on or force the removal of it once it is on the air.

Many platform owners will simply dump your program if anyone even suggests that there will be a DRM complaint. They just do not want to go to court over it.

Getting the word out today has many more methods then when we were young. Social media is important to the promotion so much that often you can have more fans for a show or series then you actually have people watching the series.

With connected television on the increase second screen viewing is expected to be on the rise. Second screen meaning any smart device that can be used to interact with special events on another screen with connected with what is being seen on the main screen you're viewing on. This reminds one of a modern day viewing party with people interacting from different locations.

In many ways the business of entertainment is being ran just like it always has been ran. Get the product made and sell it to as many platforms as possible to cover the cost of it as possible and turn a profit.

The main difference is just whom it is sold to. This reminds one of a modern day viewing party with people interacting from different locations. Smart devices are in so many hands and growing with each day that programs are being turned out that is also optimized for the smart devices.

More than ever the foreign market has become an important part of the money making process. The one problem being that certain productions well liked in our country have no value outside our country period.

This possibly can lead to productions being made in the USA market that will have no interest or value in them for us. In movies, you hear more about the worldwide box office and the U.S. box office totals

Smart devices and the internet have brought change to the world of entertainment. Only time will tell if this is a change that will grab hold of you or just a bump in the road leading to the next hot thing.