BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, today announces that it has signed a global deal with Internet TV platform Babelgum to provide clip content from a range of natural history, travel and other factual shows in the BBC Worldwide portfolio.

Under the deal BBC Worldwide will provide a variety of short-form content from a range of programmes including a number of David Attenborough documentaries in addition to Tribe and Top Gear for viewing on the Babelgum platform. Clips shown on the service will be supported by advertising and made available through three new branded channels: “BBC LoveEarth” and “BBC Knowledge” available today and “BBC Entertainment” early next week.

The deal with Babelgum represents a move by BBC Worldwide, the BBC’s commercial arm, to further broaden the reach of its content to new channels and outlets, to engage with audiences around the world.

An independent Web TV platform supported by advertising, Babelgum combines the full-screen video quality of traditional television with the interactive capabilities of the internet, offering professionally produced and copyright protected programming on-demand to a global audience.

Babelgum’s CEO Valerio Zingarelli, said: “BBC Worldwide has some of the best known and most loved content in the world. We are glad to be able to offer a wide variety of programmes as short-form content tailored for the internet. These include shows with a massive international following such as Top Gear, Tribe and Galapagos. The BBC brand is known around the world and by bringing these brands to the Babelgum platform we further emphasise our position as a leading player in the internet TV space and a point of reference for Nature and Science’s passionate audiences.”

Jemma Adkins, Head of Content and Development, Digital Media, BBC Worldwide, said: “Babelgum’s focus on natural history and the environment is a great fit for us. We’ve got a wealth of content in this genre and we’re excited about making it available to Babelgum’s users around the globe. Babelgum is an innovative player in the market and a great way of reaching out to an audience that perhaps doesn’t see our content on more traditional channels.”

Jackie Clune comments on the Johnny Vegas incident.

Another day, another interview with Tina Fey.

LIZA!

Spike Lee is blogging for The Guardian from Babelgum.

Daisy Lowe and the rock 'n' roll IT girls.

Alex Turner may have dilemma on his hands as to which of his bands is better.

The Times recommends the 'Asian Bjork'.

It also profiles some bands plying their trade away from the beaten track.

Neil Diamond returns.

So do The Roots, natural successors to Diamond's crown?

As the economy falters, the art world is booming.

Richard Price discusses Lush Life and The Wire with The New Republic.

Sasha Frere-Jones is ga-ga for laser bass.

Also folks, try and keep up with Pedro Almodovar's blog which is just great.

Salon, like everyone should, urges watching Ira Glass' This American Life.

Slant has an interview with Errol Morris.

Babelgum to Plunk Down Six Figures on Oil Doc; feature length Oil Sands to be the first project from the P2P TV service's Digital Studio program. (Variety)

Puppet Video Sparks Blogging Feud; video blogger Loren Feldman mocks Fast Company TV's Shel Israel's interviewing skills; online fight erupts. (TechCrunch)

Verizon FiOS to Shut Down Analog Channels This Month; company phasing out local analog channels starting April 21, well in advance of the national February 2009 deadline. (Multichannel News)

HD TVs Lowering Crime Rate? Low wages in China flooding U.S. with cheap electronics that just aren't worth stealing (just try pawning an old CRT TV). (Freakonomics Blog)

Nielsen Acquires IAG Research; Ratings company spends $225 million for TV show consumer engagement measurement service. (Broadcasting and Cable)

Sprint and CW Form Super Arrangement; Supergirl to get her own animated mobile series. (MediaWeek)

FILM................................................ GROSS

1 21................................................... $15,100,000

2 Leatherheads.................................. $13,485,030 3

Nim's Island................................... $13,300,000

4 Horton Hears A Who..................... $9,100,000

5 Ruins, The..................................... $7,840,000

6 Superhero Movie........................... $5,405,000

7 Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns ..... $3,510,000

8 Drillbit Taylor................................. $3,495,000

9 Shutter............................................ $2,875,000

10 10,000 B.C................................... $2,775,000

PROJECTS ANNOUNCED

• Spyglass Entertainment has jumped into "Leap Year," preemptively buying the romantic comedy pitch from the writing team of Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont ("Made of Honor") in a deal worth seven figures. Project is being produced Spyglass toppers Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum and president Jonathan Glickman along with Benderspink's Chris Bender and J.C. Spink. Benderspink's Jake Weiner will exec produce. No logline was given.

• Luminaria Films has launched production on the feature "Spoken Word" with Kuno Becker, Ruben Blades, Miguel Sandoval and Persia White starring. Blades is taking a leave of absence from his post as minister of tourism in Panama, where he's served for the past four years. "Spoken Word" is directed by Victor Nunez, whose credits include "Coastlines," "Ulee's Gold" and "Ruby in Paradise." Pic's produced by Karen Koch ("Adaptation") and Bill Conway ("Miami Vice") for their newly launched Luminaria Films. Screenplay, by Conway and Joe Ray Sandoval, is based on Sandoval's poetry as a San Francisco spoken-word artist returning to New Mexico to be with his dying father, only to find he loses his "voice" as he is sucked back in to the dysfunctional life of drugs and violence he left behind

• In its first major material deal made since Mary Parent took over as head of MGM’s worldwide motion picture group, the studio ponied up for “The Matarese Circle,” a 1979 book by Robert Ludlum. Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Media will co-finance the film, and Denzel Washington is attached to star. The book sold for $3 million, with another seven-figures to be paid to screenwriters Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (“3:10 to Yuma,” the upcoming “Wanted”) Sources said the scribes’ quote is $1.25 million, but their WMA reps were asking $2.5 million for the writing job. Leverage was diminished, however, because the property was controlled by ICM, which repped the Ludlum estate and surprised everybody by closing the deal so quickly with MGM, before the scribe deals were worked out.

• Endgame Entertainment has picked up Robert Tannen’s spec “Hungry Rabbit Jumps” for Tobey Maguire to topline. Project is described as a dramatic thriller in the vein of David Fincher’s “The Game.” Endgame’s James Stern is producing alongside Maguire and Gordonstreet Pictures’ Ram Bergman. Endgame’s Wendy Japhet is executive producing. Mark Ross is overseeing for Maguire Entertainment.

PROJECT UPDATES

• Candice Bergen has signed on to co-star opposite Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway in the romantic comedy "Bride Wars" for Fox 2000 and New Regency. Story revolves around best friends (Hudson and Hathaway) who are pitted against each other when their wedding dates clash. They compete for venues, services and guests. Bergen will play Marion St. Claire, the queen of all wedding planners. Gary Winick will direct from a screenplay penned by June Diane Raphael and Casey Wilson. Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith also wrote on the project.

ACQUISITIONS/ FESTIVAL NEWS

• Los Angeles-based Alchemy Television has teamed with Germany's Tele Munchen to handle worldwide rights outside North America on the upcoming CBS cop drama "Flashpoint." Originally developed by Canadian broadcaster CTV and produced by Pink Sky Ent. and Avamar Entertainment, "Flashpoint" turns on a elite squad trained in SWAT tactics, psychology and state-of-the-art weaponry. Series toplines Enrico Colantoni ("Veronica Mars"). Tele Munchen and Alchemy are launching the 13 episode, one-hour drama at Mip TV. Alchemy specializes in big-budget miniseries, and "Flashpoint" represents its first step into the series market and its first U.S. network show.

• Discovery Enterprises Intl., the newly created international sales arm of Discovery Communications, has taken international distribution rights on Werner Herzog's feature docu, "Encounters at the End of the World." Deal completes distrib arrangements for "Encounters," a portrait of the daily lives under extreme conditions of people in Antarctica. ThinkFilm and Image Entertainment signed on earlier this month to handle North American theatrical distribution, with Image handling DVD and digital. U.S. release is skedded for June 11.

BUSINESS NEWS

• The Weinstein Co. is launching an international TV distribution division, with an adaptation of W.E.B Griffin’s bestselling, post-9/11 espionage thriller “By Order of the President” atop its slate. The Weinsteins are in negotiations to cast the lead roles of the U.S. prez and Army major Carlos Castillo, who becomes the president’s intelligence special agent. “By Order of the President” likely will be made up of three or four 90-minute episodes, following the same format as the critically lauded Brit police procedural “Prime Suspect.” Budget will be in the region of $10 million for each episode, with lensing expected to begin by this fall. The Weinstein Co.’s new TV unit makes its debut appearance at this week’s MipTV confab in Cannes, where it will handle worldwide sales outside the U.S. and U.K. for its forthcoming BBC-HBO skein “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.” Harvey Weinstein will attend the TV market for the first time, following the London memorial for Anthony Minghella. Minghella helmed the feature-length pilot episode of “Ladies Detective Agency,” which drew 6.3 million viewers during its Easter Sunday preem in the U.K. He and co-scribe Richard Curtis were the key drivers of the project.

• News Corp. heir Lachlan Murdoch has pulled out of a A$3.3 billion ($3 billion) deal with fellow mogul James Packer to privatize Packer’s Consolidated Media Holdings. CMH is one of Down Under’s premier media groups, and owns 25% of paybox Foxtel and 25% of PBL Media, which in turn owns the Nine Network — one of Oz’s leading free webs — among other prime Oz media assets. Early Monday morning CMH shares halted trade on the Australian Stock Exchange and soon after Murdoch’s private company, Illyria, announced it wanted out of the deal. In a letter to CMH, Illyria said it was not in a position to proceed "due to material changes in the overall transaction terms."

• In its first HD video-on-demand deal in Asia, AETN Int., the overseas division of A&E Television Networks, has inked with Korea Telecom to offer a branded HD Video On Demand version of the History channel for Korea. AETN has launched HD History channels in the U.K., U.S., Scandinavia and Central Europe. “We expect to take them out throughout Asia and Latin America over the next 12 months,” Sean Cohan, senior VP international at AETN Intl., said Sunday at Cannes Mip TV mart. Airing from summer 2008, the History HD VOD service will form part of Korea Telecom MegaTV. Launched last July, the IPTV service has rapidly built 550,000 users, offering interactive and VOD TV. Deal underscores various strategies at AETN: the switch to totally HD production; embrace of VOD for its marketing and future revenue potential; the building of an ever-wider channel portfolio to service segmenting markets.

• Setting up camp in one of the world’s strongest emerging growth markets, Disney-ABC Int. TV has closed a major, multi-year licensing deal with Russian broadcaster CTC Media, Disney announced early Monday at Cannes Mip TV mart. The Mouse House has also reupped on one of its key European accords: its free-to-air output deal with Germany’s ProSieben Sat1 Group. Disney Media Networks Latin America has announced the production of local versions of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Brothers & Sisters” in Colombia. The CTC Media accord covers features — including the first two “Pirates of the Caribbean” pics — live action series, animated skeins — “Cars,” “The Incredibles” — and made-for TV movies. Disney held down a three-year licensing deal with CTC Media from 2004. This deal looks larger, however.One key for CTC is Disney’s collaboration in powering CTC’s timeslot dominant 2 p.m.-4 p.m. kids animated series block, which will now tap the likes of “Aladdin,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Ducktales

• Kadokawa Entertainment has secured a deal with Hong Kong library operation Celestial Pictures to handle a package of Celestial’s Shaw Bros. movies in Japan. Shaw library contains 760 classic movies made between the 1950s and 1990s, many of which have been remastered for re-release and broadcast. Deal spans distribution of horror, fantasy, action and martial arts pics across home entertainment, free- and pay-TV, video-on-demand and mobile. Celestial declined to disclose number of titles involved in the Kadokawa package. And it was unable to explain how deal would impact on relationship with King Records which has a video-only distribution agreement in Japan that remains in force. Separately, Celestial has expanded a deal with MGM Channel Central Europe covering the Shaw library’s martial arts titles on pay TV in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. New deal is a continuation of the three year partnership that originated from the success of MGM Channel Germany’s Kung Fu Classics nights. Key titles to be distributed include martial-arts renowned masterpieces such as Chang Cheh’s “The Five Venoms,” Hu King-chun’s “Come Drink With Me,” and Liu Chia-liang’s “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.” Hong Kong-based Celestial is a subsidiary of Malaysian satellite broadcaster Astro All Asia Networks.

• The Madison Square Garden Network has begun scheduling movies for the first time in its 38-year history, including "All the Right Moves," "Requiem for a Heavyweight" and the concert/biopic "Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise." MSG's entertainment strategy kicked off in October 2006 when the Garden rebranded itself, extending the sports-centered operation to a combination sports-and-entertainment network. One of the key reasons for the rebranding was the disappearance of MSG Network's summer staple: the games of the New York Yankees. The Yankees org set up its own sports regional in March 2002 called the YES Network. MSG covered the loss of the Yankees for the next four years by sharing games of the New York Mets with MSG's sibling Fox Sports Net NY. But the Mets games vanished from MSG and FSNY in March 2006, turning up on a new sports network set up by the Mets and its partners Time Warner Cable and Comcast.

• Cablevision's long-neglected Fuse cabler is looking to reinvent itself, starting with an ambitious new roster of music-themed series. Recently hired programming topper Matt Farber is set to announce the net's image makeover and programming slate at Fuse's inaugural upfront event Thursday. The gathering -- which will include a perf by Wyclef Jean -- also reps the first major coming-out party for Fuse since oversight of the net shifted last year from Rainbow Media to Madison Square Garden (and Eric Sherman took over as the channel's prexy). Not only has MSG upped Fuse's programming budget, but it will also open Fuse's first-ever West Coast offices later this year.

• Spike TV has ponied up about $12 million to buy an exclusive five-year license to all 257 half-hours of "Married ...With Children" from Sony Pictures TV, to begin airing in September. The network also revealed some additional details about its previously reported purchase of updated repeats of "Unsolved Mysteries," including the fact that there'll be 175 re-edited hours of the series in the five-year exclusive contract and that the episodes will be available on Spike.com for streaming and downloading to mobile devices. Spike also said Dennis Farina will be the new "Mysteries" host. The late Robert Stack hosted the series on NBC from 1988 to 1997, on CBS in 1998 and 1999, and on Lifetime in 2000 and 2001. The network declined to discuss dollar figures, but it will pay roughly $150,000 per episode to distributor HBO, putting the total cost at about $26 million. "Mysteries" becomes available to Spike in October.

• Michigan is the latest state to enact legislation aimed at boosting local production, with Gov. Jennifer Granholm set to sign an economic stimulus package Monday that includes an aggressive film incentive program. Granholm said Michigan's program is designed to increase the number of productions filmed on location in Michigan, attract production facilities, grow industry activities that support film production, create jobs, and train workers for those jobs. She cited other states that have used incentives including Louisiana, which has seen reported annual production rise from $7 million to almost $350 million; Connecticut's production tax credit, touted as attracting 66 feature films and $400 million in film expenditures; and New Mexico, where production spending went to from $1.5 million to $476 million. The Michigan program provides a 40% refundable or transferable tax credit for producing films in Michigan, with an added 2% for films produced in "core" communities. It also provides a 25% tax credit for film and digital media infrastructure investments. Additionally, film and digital media production companies can receive job creation tax credits issued by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority; loans from the Michigan Strategic Fund for up to $15 million per qualifying productions in Michigan; loans against film production tax incentives; and participation in the capital access program established by the Michigan Strategic Fund. The law also includes a tax credit of 50% of expenditures incurred by a production company providing on-the-job training for Michigan residents.

• FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has inked a multiyear production deal with Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) that commits both partners to invest in multimedia TV projects. The deal, announced at MipTV, is expected to generate $12 million over the next two years. The two parties previously collaborated on lifestyle skein "Kylie Kwong: My China," which followed the Australian-born Chinese chef as she toured the culinary delights of the middle kingdom . Deal will see the creation of commercially branded multiplatform content with an Asian flavor for international auds.

• Wim Wenders is hitting the road with a new name for Wenders Images, his Berlin-based shingle — Neue Road Movies, in honor of the director’s now defunct original production company. Wenders’ current project, “The Palermo Shooting,” about a jaded German photographer who moves to Sicily in order to start a new life, will be the first film under the company’s new name. Senator Film is releasing “Palermo” in Germany.

INDUSTRY MOVES

• The weekend defection of agents Nick Stevens, Sharon Sheinwold and Lisa Hallerman from UTA to Endeavor has raised questions about UTA’s viability and has focused attention on the battle among talent agencies to control the lucrative film comedy arena. Hours after co-owner Stevens and partners Sheinwold and Hallerman told UTA they would be crossing Wilshire Boulevard to go to Endeavor, both agencies were dealing with the repercussions. The short-term focus was on clients, and the long-term focus will be on how UTA gets on without the trio. Also of note will be how Endeavor absorbs three strong personalities into a partnership roster that grew to 24 just weeks ago when former UTA television partner Marc Korman arrived.

• PointRoll has hired Dea Lawrence as its regional vice president of western sales. She will be responsible for the management and expansion of PointRoll's West Coast sales team, driving revenue growth and developing/maintaining relationships with advertisers and agencies. Prior to joining PointRoll, Lawrence was vice president of sales for the Variety Online group.

• Image Entertainment has restructured in the wake of founder Marty Greenwald's exit. Bill Bromiley, formerly prexy of First Look Entertainment, has been tapped chief acquisitions officer and Rick Eiberg has been upped to exec VP of operations and chief technology officer. They join David Borshell, newly named prexy of the home entertainment indie, and Image CFO Jeff Framer as exec officers of the company. Bromiley began consulting for Image on its feature films' initiative last June and joined the company in January. Eiberg, a five-year veteran of the company, previously served as senior VP of operations. In his new post, he will oversee the company's supply chain, distribution and technology.

• International film sales company Protagonist Pictures has hired Charlotte Van Weede as head of sales.Van Weede joins Protagonist from Hanway Films where she was director of sales and distribution. Previously, Van Weede was VP of international sales at Summit Intl. and, prior to that, sales director at Intermedia Films.

• Indian entertainment conglom UTV has promoted Siddharth Kapur to CEO of UTV Motion Pictures to head all its movie operations. Kapur was previously exec VP of marketing, distribution and syndication. Alpana Mishra has been elevated to chief operating officer of production, UTV Motion Pictures and will oversee film production and development for UTV Motion Pictures. Vikas Bahl has been promoted to COO of the group's second-string film development and production label UTV Spotboy Motion Pictures. Ram Mirchandani will set up a separate film development and production arm, funded by UTV Motion Pictures, which will exclusively produce films for UMP.

TECHNOLOGY/ MULTI-PLATFORM CONTENT NEWS

• Internet TV network Babelgum has announced the first project to be funded from its $15 million Digital Studio Initiative will be “Oil Sands,” a feature-length environmental doc about the threatened Athabasca Oil Sands region in Alberta, Canada. Project will look at the tensions between the indigenous population in northern Alberta and the controversial technology attempting to harness the natural resources of the Athabasca Oil Sands region. Canada has the world’s second highest proven oil reserves after Saudi Arabia. Project will be produced by Insomnia Media Group, Emmy-award winning producer Philip Alberstat and Emmy-nominee Randy Bradshaw. Leslie Iwerks (“Recycle Story”) will helm. Budget of “Oil Sands” is believed to be in the mid six figure dollars range. Project is the first to come out of Babelgum’s fund dedicated to commissioning original content. The company uses peer-to-peer technology to deliver professionally produced content, instead of the user-generated clips of sites such as YouTube.

WEBSITES TO WATCH

http://www.ourworld.com/v11

A new start-up named FlowPlay is combining virtual worlds with casual gaming to attract tweens' attention in ourWorld. For a modest $6/month users can earn "flow" to put toward virtual items such as hairstyles, clothing and furniture. The company secured $3.7 million in financing in Feb., led by Intel Capital and Ambient Sound Investments.

http://www.mtv.com/music/iwantmymusic/

MTV and Garnier Fructis are inviting emerging artists to create a profile and upload original music videos to www.iwantmymusic.mtv.com for fans to vote on. Virtual MTV also launched the Rock Your Style Lounge at www.vmtv.com allowing fans to mingle with the finalists, who will be announced on multiple MTV platforms on April 28.

http://www.kidthing.com/

Game engine creator Tocali Games reached an agreement to develop interactive properties for Advanced Brain Technologies' web 2.0 learning platform Kidthing.

SOURCES:

www.variety.com www.cynopsis.com

C'è naturalmente spazio per qualche contributo erboristico, come un reportage sull'attività di un etnobotanico tedesco in Messico. Carino, ma con un non so che di surrealismo britannico alla Monty Python il servizio sul Garlic Information Center, un centro di ricerca inglese centrato alle proprietà medicinali dell'aglio. Attualità ambientale e mercato erboristico sono invece argomento del breve servizio su Citropsis articulata, pianta di origine ugandese e keniana a rischio estinzione a causa del suo eccessivo sfruttamento come viagra naturale.

Sono infine dedicate ai temi della fitocosmesi e dell'igiene naturale le puntate di Bare Beauty, magazine dell'emittente singaporiana Arts Central sulla bellezza naturale in declinazione asiatica. Gli episodi sono tutti integralmente disponibili su Babelgum (il copy che ha creato il nome è un genio), ma ad esempio nella quinta puntata si è parlato di dentiftici e neem, nella terza di spezie in cosmesi, nell'ottava di white tea. Non mancano, per gli appasionati del cosmetico homemade, ricette ad hoc, anche sul sito.

Ha ben detto Gianluca Grignani, intervistato durante Domenica In, il giorno seguente alla proclamazione dei vincitori del Festival di Sanremo: il buon Gianluca, che non è solo un rocker apparentemente "maledetto" ma anche un artista sensibile alle nuove forme di comunicazione, ha spiegato che la crisi dei dati di ascolto del Festival di Sanremo 2008 non è imputabile solo a eventuali problemi di qualità dei contenuti ma ad un generale cambiamento del panorama  mediale. Anche in Italia.

Il pubblico si sta orientando verso nuove forme di fruizione: non è solo internet o YouTube, la geografia mediatica mostra sempre nuovi confini.

Quali sono le principali tendenze in atto? Vediamole, molto schematicamente:

-crescente frammentazione dei media e delle audience

-crisi dell'attenzione e dei modelli tradizionali di pubblicità

-centralità sempre più importante del contenuto e non del canale (qualcuno ha detto in passato che "content is the king")

-passaggio dal concetto di "prime time" (in cui anche le "casalinghe di Voghera" hanno più monitor PC accesi che schermi televisivi) al "my time" (Babelgum, Joost e tutte le nuove forme di palinsesto "home made" e in generale il fenomeno delle web TV)

-conseguenti nuovi modelli di fruizione dei contenuti

-l'utente riveste un ruolo sempre più attivo, non solo nella fruizione e nella scelta dei contenuti, ma anche nella creazione degli stessi e nell'immissione nel circuito mediale

In fin dei conti Baudo non può ritenersi così insoddisfatto dei propri dati di ascolto. Bella consolazione, comunque.

Se Spike Lee invita i registi a girare film destinati esclusivamente alla rete e la radio approfitta delle nuove tecnologie per rafforzare il suo rapporto con il pubblico, l'apparecchio televisivo non fa che lamentarsi del calo di ascolti. Andrà sempre peggio: la tv prevede un fruitore passivo che non decide cosa vedere, come e quando. La rete permette invece la massima autonomia dell'utente nella scelta e nella fruizione dei contenuti. Di più: può partecipare attivamente alla creazione dei video.

Bisogna solo aspettare che aumenti un po' la diffusione e l'utilizzo di internet e pc, poi per la casalinga di Voghera saranno tempi duri. Ma non è il caso di deprimersi: la rete si sta sostituendo alla tv anche come memoria storica.

L'iniziativa 'Il mio paese 2.0' prosegue idealmente il filone dei documentari e delle inchieste ormai abbandonate dalla televisione.

++ Babelgum (global internet television network) ++
++ Il mio paese 2.0 ++ ]]> http://davideorsini.wordpress.com/?p=61 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:31:05 +0000 davideorsini http://davideorsini.wordpress.com/?p=61 Sperando di poter rilanciare l'iniziativa del Progetto Cinema Libero, pubblico un brano dell'intervista a Spike Lee di Repubblica.it, in cui il regista americano sostiene a gran voce che:

"Girate film solo per Internet
ho capito che il futuro è sul web"
di SPIKE LEE

A differenza di molti colleghi, ho capito soltanto molto tardi di voler diventare un regista: accadde tra il secondo e il terzo anno di università al Moorhouse College di Atlanta, Georgia. Il professore di cinema m'incoraggiò a dare un senso compiuto a tutta la pellicola di girato che avevo ed è stato allora che ho iniziato a voler diventare regista. Non avevo alcun parente che lavorasse in questo ambiente, e quindi da questo punto di vista non avrei avuto aiuti. Né mi sarebbe servito andarmene da Los Angeles e farmi strada da solo, bussando alle varie porte con una sceneggiatura in mano.

Così, ho capito che il passo successivo doveva essere iscrivermi a una facoltà specifica e dopo tre anni all'Università di New York sono diventato regista.
Il mio primo film rispondeva a quello che mi era stato chiesto, ma sicuramente ero ingenuo, giovane e ottuso. Quindi anche se di fatto nel 1982 mi ero laureato alla facoltà del cinema di New York, prima di girare il primo vero film sono passati altri tre-quattro anni di grande impegno. S'intitolava "Lola Darling". I finanziamenti, circa 175 mila dollari, li misi insieme in vari modi, grazie a sovvenzioni, donazioni, partnership limitate. Fece incassi per 8,5 milioni di dollari, e da allora in poi non ho più fatto fatica a trovare finanziamenti.

Ricordo però che mentre giravamo stavamo molto attenti ad accumulare le lattine e le bottiglie vuote di qualsiasi cosa bevessimo, e quando ne avevamo abbastanza - visto che nello Stato di New York c'è una resa di un nickel al pezzo - con quello che abbiamo messo insieme siamo riusciti a comperare due rullini in più di pellicola. Insomma, quel primo film è stato davvero finanziato un centesimo alla volta...

Penso che ogni giovane artista si senta scoraggiato quando stenta ad affermarsi, ma non ho mai smesso di sperare. Non mi è mai piaciuto perdere: ero determinato a sfondare. La parte difficile è quando tu hai una visione in mente, ma gli altri no, e quindi devi allontanarti e prendere le distanze da chi rischierebbe col suo pessimismo di influenzarti negativamente. Noi sapevamo che ci saremmo riusciti, ma sapevamo anche che dovevamo darci da fare, non potevamo semplicemente starcene seduti con la braccia incrociate ad aspettare che il successo ci piovesse addosso. No, le cose non funzionano così.

Ai miei studenti alla Nyu ricordo sempre che sono fortunati a studiare cinema, perché si tratta di qualcosa che amano. Devono farlo soltanto per questo, non perché sperano di diventare ricchi o vogliono essere famosi. L'industria del cinema non è uno scherzo: in tanti falliscono. Io sono riuscito ad avere successo, perché ho talento, ho lavorato molto sodo, ho saputo cogliere il momento giusto e ho avuto fortuna.

Ma i giovani talenti non necessariamente escono dalle scuole di cinema... [leggi tutto]

The on-demand service, under the working title of Kangaroo, brings together the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.

All three broadcasters already offer programmes over the Internet but only in the UK. This international venture reflects the strength of British broadcasting.

Ashley Highfield, director of BBC Future Media and Technology. offers an insight into the reasons behind the venture in an entry on the BBC Internet blog.

Essentially this is a response to the emergence of other on-demand video services such as Joost or Babelgum,as Highfield does not want to leave it to these new players to "to own the relationship with our audiences".

It's critical that we engage with all UK licence fee payers, wherever they are and however they consume our services. And it's critical that those services are not detrimentally disintermediated by other platforms and gateways - audiences must be aware that they are watching or listening to programmes and services from the BBC: in other words, that we have a deepening, direct relationship with them which is increasingly two-way.

It's clear that the Beeb is concerned about the brand and ensuring that in a fragmented, new media world, the brand identity remains strong.

Its being launched as a Vista-based software update that will eventually be pre-installed on all HP PCs, however, there are plans for a desktop application for non-HP users in the pipeline too.

More Competition For IPTV: HP Launching Next.TV

The service will be free-to-view and supported by targeted advertising.

The CEO of Dave Networks, Rex Wong, the former CEO of Applied Semantics (later Google Adsense),  plans to launch a "snoop-and-serve" contextual video advertising service that has got to be called into question.

“We will be using the same technology used by [US] Homeland Security to monitor [telephone] chatter. Audio keywording will allow us to contextually figure out where to sell ads and to place more than just pre- and post-roll ads.”

With a technology platform such as this pre-installed on the leading worldwide vendor for home computers, the implications for the uptake of this could ensure a huge footfall for an invasion of people's homes, tantamount to allowing a government spy to permanently come and live with you in a way that James Bond with all his charms could only dream of.

Shaken 'and' stirred? I am...

However, a recent survey undertaken in the U.S. conducted by Nielsen/Netratings may suggest public backlash may not be as huge as one would expect.

Users Request More Targeted Ads, Study Says

The study has found that the 'majority of U.S. web users feel that they see too many ads and wouldn’t mind having those ads better targeted to their needs'. As opposed to being served ads, 91% of those over-exposed to advertising would prefer using a search engine, given a choice.

David Reeve, manager of corporate marketing for WebVisible, who wrote the survey questions, says:

"We thought it would be the other way around… but it emphasizes that having a quality web site is essential to capture and convert more business."

In a nation not exactly backward in coming forward over privacy concerns, I have to wonder if the connection between targeted advertising and user tracking has not been linked in most people's minds. There is clearly a need for advertising relevance, and indeed there are ethical methods, but the basic right to not be tracked needs to be defended before we all become slaves to the system we helped to create.

BitTorrent described the new BitTorrent DNA product in a statement as "the ideal solution for publishers seeking ways to overcome the obstacles associated with centralized content delivery, such as slow downloads, choppy video streams, and inefficient use of network infrastructure." The inaugural client for the new content delivery network (CDN) is online video start-up Brightcove, which powers a number of large companies' broadband media operations.

BitTorrent DNA will be used to "accelerate" the delivery of the video hosted on Brightcove's platform.

With the rise of online video and large-scale media downloads, content delivery has become a crowded niche in the market. BitTorrent DNA will square off with industry leaders like Akamai Technologies--the force behind CBS' video distribution network as well as a host of others. BitTorrent is hoping, however, that its massive following (150 million downloads of its client, according to the company) will help give it an edge.

In addition, the peer-to-peer format has become increasingly popular in the streaming video space, with recent entries like Joost and Babelgum touting P2P technology as the backbone for their professional-quality video content.

In February, BitTorrent announced that it was creating a digital download store that would use that robust user base as a way to legally transfer large movies, games and other files. The company has also forged alliances with major movie studios for legal film downloads.

Meanwhile, the exhaustive battle over online piracy wages on.

Original URL: http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9793357-7.html

- “La TV cavalca il Web 2.0″ 1° Parte

- “La TV cavalca il Web 2.0″ 2° Parte

Next came a mash-up of Joost and YouTube, brought to us by enthusiast Paul Yanez (who has done the same with iTunes and Babelgum; though running more than one of these at a time will likely crash your machine).

Now the sincerest form of flattery of all, DNAStream is offering a service which slavishly looks like Joost, but purports to be from another service provider. However, unlike Joost the service requires no client to be downloaded and runs in a standard browser window, nor does DNAStream provide any information about itself on the site (presumably, for fear that Joost lawyers will come-a-knocking).

The NFL's new approach gives it more say over the context in which its material is presented, as well as leverage when it comes to setting advertising rate cards. The move also rekindles the debate over whether walled gardens limited to the content of a single provider, or syndication via broader aggregators will win the day.

For certain genres of content -- sport and new release movies as examples -- restricted availability via a single destination will likely continue to work. But for everything else, TV shows included, it's an approach which flies in the face of one of the most established consumer beahviours: the way in which they watch TV and that this is never limited to a single channel or network.

It's the latter approach which informs emerging plays from the likes of Joost and Babelgum, with one current downside, neither has yet to sign up a breadth of content providers which make either service a destination in their own right.

Hulu.com, the soon-to-launch online TV portal JV between NewsCorp. and NBC Universal (NBCU), promises to redress the balance, and even now it's clear that at least one of the partners is re-thinking its distribution relationships with third parties, such as last week's revelation that NBCU is to end its deal with iTunes. 

Particularly telling are the straplines employed by incumbent services:

Babelgum's slogan is: "TV experience, Internet substance." Veoh touts: "VeohTV makes watching Internet as simple as watching television." Joost simply states: "The new way of watching TV."

Which suggest that out of the three quoted, two get it and are playing the long game on anticipated mainstream usage, while Babelgum is clearly speaking more directly to the early adopter audiences which forms the user bases of all three offers.

The report also cites A poll conducted by AP and Time Warner Inc.'s AOL from last September, which found that only one in five online video viewers have watched or downloaded a full-length movie or TV show. Arguably both dated and self-serving given the commissioners of the study.

What's without a doubt, as the piece highlights, is that  TV and PC environments are merging. It will take 10-20 years, according to the report for them to fully converge, the report adds, perhaps a subjective judgment, given the speed of change both within the service, technology and device landscapes and broad underestimates of consumer adoption.

TV viewing is one of the most deeply-entrenched habits witnessed by humankind, after the other thing, change is beginning to happen quite profoundly among both younger and yonug-at-heart consumers, but the mainstream majority will likely take longer than the VC-backers and hyping-journos would like to believe. This isn't an uncertain world, merely one which is shifting distribution mechansim.

Now it seems these three are to be joined by yet another newcomer, WiTV, conceived by the people behind the Streamcast Player.

Details of the new service remain sketchy, beyond a currently small amount of blog chatter, but you can bet you'll be hearing a whole lot more about this over the coming months. WebTVWire was first to splash news of WiTV back in June, following up yesterday with these screen shots. Hopefully the company will work out how to spell trailer before it rolls out to the public :)

Differentiating it from the rest of the pack, WiTV is browser-integrated, so will work across all operating systems from word go -- it's only in recent months that Joost has released a Mac-compatible version, while the BBC's iPlayer continues to vex Mac owners and open sourcers by only offering a Windows XP version in its initial release.

It's stated that the service is compatible with Apple TV and Windows Media Center, bridging the all-important 'last 20 ft' PC / TV divide. If the developer's claims stack up, the service also works with mobile devices and games consoles.

In these just-released screen shots, its backers have clearly been giving careful thought not only to community-type features (Skype compatability is mentioned in reports) but also to attracting content owners, through branded environments, as well as advertising overlays.

Another key differentiator, it's claimed, is that all content will be streamed directly from a central server. It's already widely-known that despite being bases on a p2p architecture, Joost continues to server augment content distribution to its one million registered users.

As impressive the screen shots are, it remains to be seen whether WiTV's backers will have the wherewithall to cut meaningful content deals: Joost's formidable hype machine, the deep pockets of its Skype-founding backers and a liberal sprinkling of opportunism have allowed it to engage majors such as Viacom. Meanwhile, despite wheeling out Spike Lee at its launch to media movers and shakers in Cannes earlier this year, Babelgum has announced just 25 small, indie content deals.

One to watch...

Brought to us by the same people who invented Skype and Kazzaa - Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis - Joost can best be described as free on-demand online television.

I've been using Joost for a week or so (along with more than a million other 'beta testers') and I'm pretty impressed. So let me cover the major features and my thoughts on it...

Features and Feel of Joost

Joost is an application that you install on your desktop. It is pretty non-traditional in terms of it's interface, and it's sleek, easy to use, and elegant (takes a little getting used to). When on viewing mode, the controls appear when you go to any side of the screen. My Channels on the left provides you a categories list of the 150+ channels they currently offer, along with the ability to have your favorites. The Video Controls are on the bottom and are the standard play, pause, skip to channel/program, and volume controls one could expect, along with a search box to search for keywords, specific programs, or by subject.

Now the coolest thing that I think is going to work to Joost's favor is their 'My Joost' on the right of the screen. These are essentially widgets that people can use and have on the screen while watching television on Joost - useful things like a notice board, instant messaging with friends, rating of programs, chatting with others viewing the same channel, a clock, news ticker, etc. It works well, and this social aspect of Joost is what I think is going to help differentiate it from other TV-on-internet competitors (see section 'Competitors').

Technology

Joost is a growing brand of applications that run on something called Internet Protocol TV (IPTV). The way it can deliver near-perfect streaming is by using a peer-to-peer streaming technology (still depends on connection speed of course). Data is delivered to your internet through encrypted packets, which are cached by your browser (the same way it caches content on the web). This cached content is then sent to other users, so users share the burden of the download in a sense.

The other cool thing about Joost is that it 90% of it comes from open source. The Joost founders say that soon, software developers will able to create their own plug-ins for Joost. Smart move.

Competitors

Joost has it's share of competitors in the online-video market. I'm not including solely user-created video sites like YouTube because I think while they maybe related, they really are two different things. I haven't tried out the last two, but here are the four major ones:

1. Babelgum - similar to Joost, but smaller and looks less elegant.
2. VeohTV - similar to Joost, but also smaller. Includes user-generated content along with content from major TV networks.
3. Zattoo - only available in Switzerland, streams actual broadcast and cable television networks. A simpler and more traditional interface.
4. UUSee - similar service to Joost - only in China right now. Live streaming of mainstream TV channels. I've been told it's really good quality, and the content licensing is actually legal (that's quite an achievement in China I hear).

Can Joost take off?

Joost is really nice, but I won't watch it often unless my favorite television series or a lot more movies are available on it. The main thing it's missing right now is abundant content. But it is still in beta, and Joost is aggressively working on the issue by signing up content providers. If it can pass this hurdle, here are some reasons why I think it can take off:

1. It's easier: Even if I can record my favorite shows at my convenience on television, I need to be near a physical television. I have access to the internet much more often. On-demand television which I can watch with just my laptop is a much better proposition - and I'm sure for many others too. Plus, I can watch whatever I want...when I want it.
2. It's free: Except for the ads and the internet connection of course.
3. Growing library: Television shows - even the most popular ones - are seemingly disposable. You can't see old episodes unless you buy the DVD or tape all the episodes. Movies stop playing. With Joost or similar technologies, I can access all previous series or movies whenever I want. And easy to search through them too.

Having said that, do I think people are going to be switching entirely from television over to Joost? Not for a few years atleast. There are plenty of competitors with the same goal as Joost, and the television and cable industries have quite a vested interest in making sure things television channels stays on TV's. But it's something to keep an eye on, and as Joost starts putting more and more channels and content, I'll be watching.

Leave a comment and I'll send you an invite to Joost (I'll need your email if you want one).

"There is an Internet TV ‘goldrush’ in progress," says the company, "as mainstream broadcasters, cable networks and TV content producers move their content online alongside a new raft of legitimate ‘Webcasters’ (Internet Video and TV aggregators) like Joost, Vudu and Babelgum."

1) Demand for premium content online

Consumers are demanding premium content online. Their love of UGC and all things YouTube is far better proven, but the signs of real consumer demand for longer-form, premium content are there. 60-80% of the 100m or so daily streams on YouTube are estimated to be of pirated content, highlighting that it's not just videos of cats mashed up with techno soundtracks that are popular. Take THE dance scene from Napolean Dynamite. Add to this the number of Torrent downloads, and demand for the latest film and TV content is evident.

So, Joost, Babelgum et al join the party, meet this demand, and sell out for billions of dollars within 5 years? Maybe, but not necessarily. Why is it that consumers are demanding premium content online, when there are so many other ways of getting their hands on the content they want? Cable networks could in theory meet demand for niche content with a greater number of channels. The small matter of cost aside - consumers seem to love this content for free - the main reason would seem that while people love premium content, this is overshadowed by their love of all things Internet. This may seem like stating the obvious, but the impact of the Internet is vast, and instead of viewing new Internet TV players as the companies driving the next phase of the Internet, think of them more as one product of pervasive trends driving the development of the Internet, and society in general. In short, the Internet is sufficiently developed that people are driving the agenda, not the other way round. So, what is driving social media and the Internet, and what does this tell us about the shape of premium content online?

2) 'self-expression' driving the shape of the Internet

Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, Etsie,Second Life. What do they all have in common? Lots of things, but self-expression is a central and growing theme. As social networks and content communities have arisen, offline rules start to apply. People try to differentiate and validate themselves in their social groups offline, why should online be any different? The difference is that they now have new tools to differentiate and express themselves in new ways, and it is no longer about expressing 'yourself', but one part of you, or one 'you'. Perfect access to information, communication and location-based tie-ins (mobile Internet being another key trend) are and will shape the internet, but within these structures, self-expression will be fundamental to driving development. People want to make friends, influence people and express different sides of themselves, back to Nietzsche's 'need to be loved'. Take microblogging on Twitter, iLike app on Facebook, the rise of Facebook apps for dating, Last.fm, everything is now about self-expression whether we like it or not. It's about telling the world about you and showing people close to you that you really care. The options for doing both are growing every day.

So, where does this leave premium content online? Rights holders' and advertisers may be happy, but are consumers being offered tools for self-expression? Will Joost, Babelgum etc plug into the virtual world people are creating? Maybe, maybe not. Compelling content may attract users, but it will have to be compelling, and tailored to them specifically. Not 'one size fits all' global rights. Do users like standalone destinations, which aim to be the centre of their media experiences? If the current Internet is anything to go by the answer is no, people are moving away from portals and choosing destinations where they aggregate what they want. Not just aggregating premium content, but aggregating everything that is important to them, and turning it into an online version of their lives. So this leaves me wondering whether consumers are actually being offered what they want at present. Joost has outlined an open model where developers could provide apps around the platform, and this may move it into the social space. However, it is unclear whether this is going to give it enough of a social component, or whether the rights will extend to anything beyond community around content. I can't help thinking that people want to watch, discuss and USE the content itself as part of self-expression. This is where current companies may fall short. They may roll out amazing platforms with great content, only to be overshadowed by faster and more powerful trends on the Internet that get closer to meeting actual demand.

DownloadBlog

Ok, interessante. Utile per chi effettivamente ci tiene a testare qualche servizio e non ha ancora ricevuto un invito. Possiedo 7 inviti per Pownce e svariati altri di Joost, Babelgum, ecc.

Mi iscrivo, comincio a gironzolare per il portale per capire come è fatto e come si possono distribuire/ottenere inviti. Mi piace. Tutto molto ben realizzato e con una particolare attenzione per gli indirizzi mail degli utenti registrati, appositamente salvati come immagine per evitare che qualche spambot possa raccoglierli per poi far inviare quintali di pubblicità alle "vittime". Mi sono però chiesto quanto traffico possa generare una simile struttura e la risposta è arrivata dopo circa 15 minuti:

Bandwidth Limit Exceeded

The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth limit. Please try again later.

---

Apache/1.3.37 Server at www.inviteshare.com Port 80

Avranno mica acquistato il server presso qualche webfarm low cost? :P

4oD: not explicitly reported, but new media division - spanning other activity too - spent £34.6 million, up £11.5m on 2005. (Source: C4's 2006 annual report).

60frames: the JV between Hollywood power brokers United Talent Agency and online ad agency Spot Runner. Start-up capital of US $3.5 million. (Source: Globe & Mail, 31 Jul 07)

Babelgum: €220 million [US$288m] (source: C21 Media [by subscription], 19 April 2007). Other sources suggest seed capital of €10 million [£6.78 million] from founder Silvio Scaglia, with a further €70 million pledged during the next three years.

BBC iPlayer: £4.5 million (source: The Sunday Herald [UK], 2 December 2007). Funded by licence fee.

BitTorrent: backed by US $20 million from  Accel Parners and DCM.

Break.com: Lionsgate has invested US $21million for a 42% stake.

Brightcove: US $81 million so far... Launched 2005 with $5.5 million funding from General Catalyst Partners and Accel Partners (source: company press release, 1 March 2005). Raised a further $16 million the same year, attracting investment from AOL, IAC/InterActiveCorp, The Hearst Corporation, and Allen & Company LLC (source: company press release, 22 November 2005). A further $59.5 million was sunk by a syndicate led by AllianceBernstein L.P., Brookside Capital LLC, Maverick Capital, Ltd.; the funding round also included investments from The New York Times Company, Transcosmos Investments & Business Development, Inc., as well as all of the company's existing strategic and financial investors: Accel Partners, Allen & Company LLC, AOL, General Catalyst Partners, The Hearst Corporation, and IAC/InterActiveCorp. (Source: company press release, 17 January 2007).

Bud.tv: backed by parent company Anheuser-Busch to the tune of US $30 to 40 million.

Dave.tv: Provider of video distribution and social networking platforms to content providers, founded in 2003. The company is currently backed by angel investors, including Applied Semantics co-founder Rex Wong, who is believed to have sunk at least half of the company's initial $7 million funding (source: MarketWatch, 1 Aug 2006). Potential investors take note: the company's site says "We are in the midst of seeking strategic or venture capital to facilitate our growth."

ITV Broadband: £20 million (source: Digital Spy, 8 June 2007).

Hulu.com: NBC Universal / NewsCorp.'s JV, originally dubbed 'Newco': US $131 million (source: LA Times, 29 June 2007).

Joost: seed capital of US $45 million (source: Wikipedia, 29 June 2007). Backers include Sequioa Capital, Index Ventures – an early investor in Skype – CBS, the US media group, and Li Ka-Shing, the Hong Kong tycoon. Viacom, the US media giant, also has a minority stake.

Vmix: seed capital of US $5 million in 2005 (source: Marketwatch, 1 Aug 2006), plus further funding of $16.5 million in October 2007 (source: Vmix press release, 31 Oct 2007). Founded by former execs from Universal Music Group, Fox Studios, Apple and mp3.com. JK&B Capital and ATA Ventures joined existing investors Mission Ventures and Enterprise Partners in the latest funding round.

Vudu: founded 2004, launching summer 2007. Backed by US $21 million from Benchmark Capital and Greylock Partners.

Vuze: backed by US $13.5 million raised from Redpoint Ventures, BV Capital, Greycroft Partners.

Update 17 Dec 07

Recommended reading: Media and entertainment freelance writer Daisy Whitney has produced this excellent summary of going rates for online video advertising rates on some of the best-known sites.