30
HOLLYWOOD IS DOOMED The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams by jeremy campbell

Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

A Big Fat Juicy Movement We’re talking about challenging the video creation status quo and fostering change. Rejecting the way that Hollywood has traditionally done business over the past few decades. Giving big-budget, closed and controlled producers a real run for their money. The Web has begun tearing down corporate walls across all industries by presenting people with the collaborative tools that they need to connect. This has allowed innovative virtual models to emerge, setting the stage for the birth of a completely new creation ecosystem. This idea could plausibly go by many names - a virtual Hollywood or the world of Next-Gen video entertainment, for example - but the core principle is the firm belief that the stars and hits of tomorrow will no longer be manufactured exclusively in corporate studios.

Citation preview

Page 1: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

HOLLYWOOD

IS DOOMED

TThhee RRiissee ooff CCoollllaabboorraattiivvee CCrreeaattiioonn TTeeaammss

bb yy jj ee rr ee mm yy cc aa mm pp bb ee ll ll

Page 2: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

THIS EBOOK MANIFESTO is for anyone who wants to produce better quality web video entertainment, enhance their professional profile, be part of a new collaborative production model, make new connections, get involved with some interesting opportunities, and (in time) enjoy financial benefits.

The paradox, of course, is that the best way to get all of these things is through doing more with less via harnessing the power of human capital.

This ebook is about empowering a movement and creating meaning. Feel free to share it with anyone you feel will see value from it.

Page 3: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

©2009, Socially Collaborative Media, Inc.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/ca/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who helped make this possible. I could neither have founded this company nor authored this manifesto without your unwavering support and belief in me. I also want to sing the praises of all those who were involved in the lengthy (and sometimes a bit tedious) process of transforming my vision into a reality. I simply could not have done it without you.

NOTE: The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams is designed for people who are already familiar with video production, social media, the Web 2.0 landscape, and blogs.

Thanks so much for reading. When you’re done, feel free to post this on your blog, your Twitter page <http://www.Twitter.com>, Facebook<http://www.Facebook.com>, MySpace <http://www.MySpace. com>, or anywhere else across the web. You can also email it to a friend or colleague who you believe would benefit from its content.

Page 4: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

A Big Fat Juicy Movement

We’re talking about challenging the video creation status quo and fostering change. Rejecting the way that Hollywood has traditionally done business over the past few decades. Giving big-budget, closed and controlled producers a real run for their money.

The Web has begun tearing down corporate walls across all industries by presenting people with the collaborative tools that they need to connect. This has allowed innovative virtual models to emerge, setting the stage for the birth of a completely new creation ecosystem.

This idea could plausibly go by many names - a virtual Hollywood or the world of Next-Gen video entertainment, for example - but the core principle is the firm belief that the stars and hits of tomorrow will no longer be manufactured exclusively in corporate studios.

This is not just an ebook about a new web company. It’s an introduction to a new platform that might very well change the way we view video entertainment creation forever. After all, for many video producers, it’s not about the money at all—it’s about producing video content that spreads and is enjoyed and interacted with by audiences around the globe.

Page 5: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

6 Key Questions

Why should this matter to me?

Is this a freelancing/outsourcing platform?

Can this change the world of entertainment?

Where do I start?

How can I produce more video content by doing less?

How do I become an expert?

Page 6: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

The Rules Have Changed.

Big studios beware

In order to produce quality video entertainment capable of reaching mass audiences, loads of money, equipment, manpower, expensive editing software and time have traditionally been a necessity. These days, the social web has begun to tip the economics of video creation in favor of the people. Now, anyone who has enough passion, creativity, and a great story to tell has the potential to create a masterpiece.

An important caveat to this concept, however, is that well-established studios are able to effectively compete in the entertainment industry due to high quality creation value and star-power. This means that free agents who are collaborating on a video project must not only tell an emotionally compelling story, they must also harness the power of the social web and viral marketing in order to get word out about their video upon completion.

Further, the right human talent for a video project is almost impossible to come by without the help of movie industry connections or the ability to pay million-dollar salaries… So, if individuals want to create video that they truly believe in, where can they turn?

Page 7: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Spidvid is here.

With Spidvid <http://www.Spidvid.com>, people can connect with likeminded individuals and share common ideas, dreams, objectives, and goals in order to create video content that matters to everyone involved. These new groups of connected individuals will undoubtedly become the next significant wave of web video studios, established from the ground up.

Tools for the masses

As the title ―Small is the New Big‖ of Seth Godin’s past book outlines, there is a huge shift in the way small groups of people are aligning with one another to compete with large companies. Further, outrageously expensive tools and software that were once available only to well- funded production companies are now being given out to friends and family as Christmas presents.

Music Artists get it

The music industry has been forever changed by online marketing through social networks. Aggressive independent artists who have gained inexpensive access to these resources have risen to greatness, and a similar grassroots movement is currently underway for video producers. Spidvid is a platform through which the web video community will become empowered to create quality video content that doesn’t have to come from Hollywood ivory towers.

Page 8: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Now you’re getting it, too!

Power to the people has never been more evident than it is now, thanks to the collaborative web. Congratulations, now you understand the power that you have and the difference you can make in this new media world. You used to be an individual on a quest to do everything yourself, but now it’s becoming clear on how you can leverage the talent and time of other individuals to collectively produce quality content.

It’s exciting that you are realizing how you really can do more with less.

Page 9: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Take a deep breath

It can be overwhelming to hear all of this information, so by now you are likely asking yourself, ―Ok, I could get into this... but where do I begin?‖

We will touch more on this later, but for starters you will need to join our private beta <www.spidvid.com >. We are limiting access to the beta so that we can form a solid core network of passionate people with a true desire to join us on our quest for change in the world of video creation.

If you feel that you fit this description, go ahead and apply to be a member of our private beta. Then, wait your turn for an invite. Upon receiving one, post your profile and go from there. At the time of writing this ebook, there are no experts in this brand new space - and this fact carries with it some very exciting possibilities. Just as in any other profession, the experts will rise to the top of the talent pool; they will be the ones who dedicate themselves from the beginning to becoming thought leaders in their field. These people will go on to evolve into ―specialists‖ with highly valuable - and sought after - skills.

Join Spidvid’s Private Beta.

Page 10: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Meet the Entertainment Web.

The goal of this manifesto

Viewers want to watch more quality video entertainment than traditional TV can provide to them. I crave great shows and videos, but when I turn to my cable TV for content, I’m often left watching reruns of Seinfeld and Friends. Sound familiar? In fact, if it wasn’t for sporting entertainment I would have cancelled my cable back when the infamous Hollywood writers strike was taking place and reruns were the norm.

The fact is, we as media consumers love our prime-time programming - hits such as Entourage, Gossip Girl, Lost, Heroes, and Dirty Sexy Money, among many others. However, we are now beginning to migrate toward niche shows which can only be found on the web.

The transition from using the web solely as a medium for communication to a source of entertainment as well is now underway as niche programming becomes more appealing to each of our unique tastes.

Page 11: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Many of the larger studios are spinning off exclusive web video studios to accommodate this growing trend. The way I see it, these new web studios cut costs in every way possible, release content exclusively online, and call these ―new media‖ studios. But the fact is, they really aren’t that much different than their TV counterparts. The executives still maintain full creative control, don’t have revenue sharing deals with the people who actually implemented the plans, and have a very closed way of only using their internal talent and fail to collaborate with others on a broader scale.

By looking at models that have knocked down walls to allow for consumer participation, we are seeing that our collective power is much stronger than closed, hiearchicahal companies had led us to believe in the past. This has been openly demonstrated through researching information on Wikipedia, installing FireFox as a web browser, browsing Flickr for photos, and watching videos on YouTube.

Page 12: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

New opportunities for the creation community

Many actors, writers, directors, and the many other important people involved in video creation have long been shut out and turned down by studios. When talented people are rejected and can’t find work or other opportunities, where can they turn?

The obvious answer is to keep at it by going on more interviews, doing more casting calls, and ultimately wasting enormous amounts of energy and time by crossing fingers in the hope that something will eventually pop up.

The goal of Spidvid is to provide a connection platform that helps creators discover the talent that they need for their projects, as well as to aid creative professionals in their quest for great projects that they can be a part of. A transparent solution for the creation community is long overdue, where individuals enjoy benefits according to the value they contribute.

Spidvid Connects Production Professionals.

Page 13: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Massive Global Collaboration.

Turning the industry upside down

Many people may identify this approach as a disruptive force against the traditional studios, and they’re probably right. Just as blogs and citizen journalism are killing the print industry, there is something very special just starting to take place in the video space.

Business as usual is no longer, and with people being able to partner up in unprecedented collaborative ways worldwide in mere seconds, it’s not so hard to believe that the emergence of next generation media and business models is just around the corner.

Page 14: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Web Video 1.0: Simply have a presence

Before YouTube’s mainstream appeal, web video really took a back seat to information and communication services like email. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s hardly anyone was going online for videos so turning on the TV is what most of us did on a regular basis.

It’s unreal to think how fast web video has taken off with hundreds of thousands of videos uploaded to YouTube EVERY DAY, and some 130 million viewers/month. Recent reports show that young adults aged 18-24 rely on their computers for broadband video content more so than their TV now.

Yes, we’ve certainly come a long way since 2005 when YouTube was just a baby with modest dreams. Never did the founders ever believe in their wildest dreams that they would forever change the face of the web video landscape just a few months later.

Early on, YouTube empowered ordinary everyday people to upload any video they had on their computer’s hard drive, and allow it to be viewed, shared, and find an online audience it never had before.

Page 15: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

People were uploading everything imaginable from pets riding skateboards, to showing off their bad dance moves, to teens on webcams lamenting about the trials and tribulations of growing up in a challenging new world.

This type of content is commonly referred to as user generated content (UGC for short); content with an audience that family members, friends, and colleagues find emotionally intriguing.

Although it was cool for awhile to have such an in-depth look at the lives of other people (and to see things we simply could not on TV), the mass appeal of UGC quickly vanished due to the mountains of ―copy- cat material‖ that began to pile up online. It could be argued that over time, UGC has become more creative, educational, and/or entertaining, but people’s hunger for quality content was rapidly growing.

It was time for web video 1.0 to grow up, and to become something so much more.

Page 16: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Web Video 2.0: Quality entertainment on demand

There are those who may remain forever satisfied with uploading their personal videos for their social network connections to view, share, and enjoy. For many, a solution like this would certainly be ideal and provide great enjoyment by touching the lives of a select few.

Creators and production professionals are increasingly turning to the web to unleash quality entertainment in order to capture the strong viewer demand of this new media revolution.

It’s incredible to see where this is all going, and it’s no wonder that large studios and new web studios are popping up all over the place. This is through the understanding that change is coming to the TV landscape, in that people want to socialize and interact with content that matters to them, in addition to the fact that advertisers are no longer seeing the same ROI from TV that they had once enjoyed.

Page 17: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Many brands were primarily built by gaining scale through buying TV ads, enjoying the resulting profit windfalls, and then repeating the process because it effectively worked and scaled. Unfortunately, not a single brand in the last decade has been built this way, and none are likely to do so going forward. Advertisers are now demanding accountability and direct measurement, both of which the web is getting better at delivering.

We are now seeing an early transition between the two mediums where TV network executives are working hard to draw viewers back to their web properties to view more of their content, sign up for their newsletters, and see more ads which pad their bottom line. I believe that it’s inevitable that we will see a complete integration between TV and the web within 5 years, rewriting history on what TV as a medium really stands for.

Page 18: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Online media’s rapid growth

With 6 billion video views per month and over 1 billion people online, there is an unprecedented social media revolution that is changing the face of video and virtually everything else on the web. Ah yes, the internet is no longer just for geeks coding HTML in their garages.

So what comes next after quality entertainment on-demand becomes the standard?

What happens after high definition (HD) is readily available and viewers have become almost completely dependent on consuming their video content online?

The remainder of this ebook outlines how I believe a transformation of studios will occur from the bottom up, eliminating the traditional top-down approach - ultimately providing a new model for creation, production, and compensation.

Page 19: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Individuals make the studio

The key aspect for entertainment studios is to effectively connect the dots so that quality video content can become a reality. The dots are the individuals who make up the core fabric necessary to go from the idea phase to a final product which can be marketed to a viewing audience.

So, the big idea here is that the most important part of studios are the individuals and the way that they are connected together to produce entertainment value. With this concept in mind, Spidvid is an organized connection platform operating under the vision that quality entertainment will be produced that otherwise wouldn’t exist. What we are seeing now are thousands of independent video creators who a) typically take weeks or months to release quality content, b) could use outside talent to reduce the time to produce content, and c) don’t have the internal talent to take their content to the next level.

Our hope is that these creators see Spidvid as a solution to attract and collaborate with much needed talent, are able to release video content sooner, can enjoy increased entertainment and creation value for their content, and can properly reward their talent for providing important services to reach desired content goals.

Introducing Virtual Studios.

Page 20: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Reasons to Get On Board.

Primary benefits of collaborative video creation teams

Free to build and be part of – no money exchanges hands like on freelancing sites. Individuals contribute their time and talent and are rewarded in terms of recognition and financially according to the success their videos attract.

Saves time – instead of a creator doing everything herself, she can assign tasks to professionals reducing the time from starting a project to completing it. Each individual acts as a marketing and promotional outlet – if a team has five individuals involved, each member has personal motivation to see the video or videos succeed. This may include embedding content on a site or blog for increased distribution outlets, or communicating with friends, family, and colleagues on social networks to get the word out about new content available for viewing.

New friendships – an individual will have the chance to form relationships that he/she would not have had the opportunity to develop otherwise.

Larger opportunities – each video project an individual collaborates on is an additional video to add to the digital media kit and social media profile.

Page 21: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

So, exactly who is this movement for?

The Spidvid platform is for creators who want to build their own web video production teams, as well as for professionals who want to be a part of these teams.

Outlined below is a list that details how creators and professionals can get involved and put this platform to use.

Creators

A creator can use this platform in many different and unique ways. For example, a creator may have written a great script and thus needs actors, a director, a producer, and an editor to carry out his vision. He may only have a rough idea and a need to connect a group of individuals to take things from the idea phase to a fully produced video. On the other hand, a creator may be an investor that has secured high tech equipment and a great set to shoot on, but lacks the professionals to carry out the operation. Or a creator may already have an entertaining web show, but needs additional talent to take things to the next level. As you can see, these are just a few ways a creator can get value from this platform by obtaining much needed human capital.

Page 22: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Writers

Many creators seek out talented writers to take ideas and concepts and put them into a script that tells an interesting story. A writer can browse through projects that require their expertise, and choose where their talents may be best applied.

Actors

Actors may be the most important part of a team because they are the faces and personalities that viewers will connect with. Many projects need experienced and passionate actors, so this group will be sure to get many project invitations. Because actors must work with many others involved in a project, they need to be sure that they can work well with others, especially if a director is involved.

Directors

Directors should have the ability to lead in order to get the most out of their actors. Because directors are highly demanded by creators, there will be many opportunities for great directors to lead a set. Because much of the work is on location, directors must ensure that they don’t become over-extended by taking on too many projects simultaneously.

Page 23: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Producers

Often a creator is also a producer who takes responsibility for the success or failure of a project. Producers may not always have an exclusive spot on smaller video projects, but they may discover larger opportunities on Spidvid where their role would be integrally important.

Editors

Every video needs to be chopped, sliced, diced, and reconnected in a coherent way. Editors who are experts with Final Cut Pro may have creators flocking to them for post-production work. Editors may also find themselves working on a broad selection of projects at the same time. Since they aren’t physically needed in a given location at any point in time, editors can undertake projects from around the world.

Graphic Designers

When graphical work is needed for a video or show – logos or diagrams, for example – a graphic designer will come in quite handy. Although not necessary for every project, a designer may fit the profile of a consultant in many instances.

Page 24: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Narrators

When voiceovers are needed to tell a story, a story narrator with a captivating voice may be the desired solution. Narrators may find their place in niche content such as animation where characters need a voice, or in the beginning of a video where background information is given as context to the story.

Special Effects Artists

When cool things happen in videos they are usually because of exciting special effects. Special effects artists usually come in limited supply so when a creator needs one, he or she may not have many places to look. These individuals have extremely specialized talents and are able to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary.

Animation Artists

Many special effects come in the form of animated effects, so an animation artist who can add such effects on top of a video can have a lot of entertainment value to offer, but creators may not be seeking these skills. Animators must be initiators by outlining how they can be of use.

Page 25: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Music Artists

The final position worth noting comes in a slightly different form, and that role is the music artist. These individuals or groups are looking for new ways to reach audiences for their produced content, and our platform offers them the ability to make that happen. Many videos have greater depth while back- ground music plays, so creators can connect with music producers who are open to this avenue. Music artists may also browse through projects they feel their tunes would align well with, and send a proposal to the creator.

The connection and collaboration process is a two-way street, so creators must constantly scout for new talent, and professionals need to be able to identify where their strengths can be of use to those creators. It is our strong belief that some great long-term relationships will form. This will ensure the constant creation of quality video entertainment which will be enjoyed by the global viewing audience for many years to come.

Everyone Can Play a Role.

Page 26: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Start it up.

When and how should you start?

Many times, just simply starting something is at least half the challenge. So the earlier you start, the higher the chance that you will succeed.

These days, everyone stays busy. With so much going on in your daily life, you may not even remember reading this ebook next week. So, if this concept is up your alley, you should take the proactive step of providing your email address now so that you can be part of something bigger than yourself.

Within a few days, you will receive an invitation code granting you access to our private beta community. From there you can post your profile, connect with other likeminded individuals within the web video community, and collaborate on video projects in unprecedented ways.

We need you to be part of this new creation model, because without talented individuals such as yourself, the next big viral video or show sensation will never exist.

What will your next video creation team look like?

Page 27: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

Five ways Spidvid can work for you

•You have an original idea for a video or show, so you need to build a team to move from the idea phase to a video ready for distribution. You post your proposal idea and invite writers, actors, producers, and editors to bid on the chance to help turn your idea into a video reality.

•You have a well written script, so you need to build a team that can help you leverage the script into an entertaining video. You post your proposal stating that you have a script, invite the professionals you need, and effectively move forward.

•You have already shot the video, so you now need a couple of good editors to assemble together the raw content. You post your proposal mentioning that you have reached the editing process, invite editors to bid, take bids from editors, and have your content professionally polished to your satisfaction.

•You are in post production and are internally going through the editing process, but want some outside assistance for animated effects and video graphics. So you post a proposal outlining that you are actively

Page 28: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

editing the video, but would like to enhance it with animations and graphics. You connect with a couple of great professionals who can take your content to the next level on the quality scale.

•You have edited your video and are almost ready to release it, but you want to tell an engaging story that better resonates with your viewing audience. You need a narrator with a catchy voice, so you post a proposal communicating that you are late in the video’s production life cycle and want to polish it off with a dialogue voiceover. You post your proposal, invite and take bids from story narrators, find the ideal voice, and before you know it, your video is being enjoyed and shared by thousands of viewers online.

Page 29: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

I hope this inspires you to take action.

Don’t be shy to share this ebook, as it is with great hope that the ideas discussed here will both spread and improve.

You can also help get the word out by emailing a link to anyone that you believe may benefit from Spidvid.

Have something that you want to add? Visit http://www.hollywoodisdoomed.pbwiki.com for the ongoing editing of this document.

Page 30: Hollywood Is Doomed - The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

About the Author

Jeremy Campbell is a change agent set out to inspire, empower, and connect individuals to enable the video production model to be more open, collaborative, and that has significant meaning.

Campbell is founder of Spidvid.com and its parent company, Socially Collaborative Media, Inc. You can reach him at [email protected], or connect with him via his many profiles across the social web.