YOU CAN ALSO BRING GUESTS, BUT THEY NEED TO REGISTER ALSO!Registration for New York http://bit.ly/IAWTVYouTubeNYApril

Google Office

Conference Room will be sent to attendees

AFTERPARTY: Gaslight Lounge in New York

Date:     April 25 for New York

Time:     7 – 9 PM New York

Panelists:

New York:

Michael Getto:

Michael Getto is the Festival Director at the New York Television Festival where he oversees operations, digital activation and creative brand strategy for the company, now in its eighth year. In addition to new business development and the execution – both legal and technical – of Festival development initiatives, Michael facilitates the delivery of Festival content for all NYTVF industry partners as well as the physical screening requirements associated with the annual event, which in total includes over 500 selections in the last seven years. Prior to joining the New York Television Festival, Michael worked for a number of leading film, music and comedy festivals across the country including the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, AFI Fest, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, and the Tribeca Film Festival.

Kelly Mena:

Kelly Mena is a New York City based filmmaker with experience in both documentary and narrative films. Currently, she is a Video Pro User in B&H Photo’s marketing department and has just finished working on the production and execution of their largest trade show, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). She has several years of experience as a videographer and editor, specializing in high-end weddings. Kelly managed a top New York event studio before breaking out on her own as a freelancer. With a background in film production and a degree in psychology, her approach to filming and editing video content and weddings is focused on bringing together a visually appealing piece with an equally completing story.

Dutch Doscher:

Dutch Doscher is a Freelance Director of after school specials, music videos and short films, For clients including Deloitte, Pfizer, National Geographic, HCCS, Sunburst and Prentice Hall.

Dutch Doscher began his career as a Casting Director for industrials, commercials and after school specials, expanding to music videos and short films.. After years of casting, one of the educational producers was impressed with Dutch’s ability to get the best performance from young actors. She decided to give him a chance to direct. He has given first acting jobs to some of the biggest young stars in the business like Frankie Munez (Malcolm In The Middle) Katrina Bowden (30 Rock) Scott Terra (Daredevil) and Lady Gaga (Pop Star), just to name a few.

Andrew Osborne:

Andrew NamChul Osborne is a freelance filmmaker based in Brooklyn, New York with extensive production experience, ranging from feature films to web based content.

Andrew earned a BFA in film production from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with a concentration in directing and editing. In 2009, Andrew was a producer on the feature film “Toe to Toe” that premiered in competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and was theatrically released by Strand Releasing in 2010. Andrew continues to freelance as a director, cinematographer, producer and editor for Pureland Picutres, Inc., a Brooklyn based film and commercial production company founded in 1999 by award-winning filmmaker Emily Abt.

Andrew is the producer and videographer of Capture Your Flag, a web based interview series interviewing a set of up and coming leaders annually, charting their development over time so viewers may find relatable stories to gain insight into how aspirational careers actually develop. Interviews are segmented by theme and question, creating knowledge rich and thematic driven video learning experiences used by millions worldwide. In just under three years, Andrew has produced over 2,000 videos for Capture Your Flag.

Daniel Gurzi:

Daniel Gurzi is currently Director of Digital Cinema at Adorama Rental Company. He is responsible for understanding current and developing technologies to properly plan equipment inventory for Adorama Rentals. After graduating in 2005 with a degree in Film and Digital Media for UCSC in California, Daniel began working in camera rental departments while freelancing to gain both on set equipment experience along with pre-production planning and budgeting. Daniel has negotiated deals for full length feature films, long form TV Series, documentaries and Commercials shooting on everything from 35mm & 16mm Film to 35mm Digital Cinema, 3D, 2/3″ broadcast and DSLR camera systems.

J. Sibley Law (moderator)

J. Sibley Law, who goes by “Sib”, is the creator of a dozen online television series ranging from cooking shows to animation series to political spoofs to comedy. One of the first YouTube Partners (ever), he is currently launching two networks (TangoDango and Ziz). He is an Official Honoree of the Webby Awards and regularly creates commercials for broadcast (seen on ESPN, etc.). Additionally, he co-founded the NYC Web Series Writers Group for the IAWTV. His book, Streaming Media Delivery in Higher Education is available on IGI Global. His articles about the online video industry can be read on his blog (rocketstail.com) and on other industry publications. He is a co-founder of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival (CT) and was its executive producer from 2005-2010. In addition to all this, he recently joined the web television dream team creating a television pilot called: Drifter (http://mobcaster.com/project/drifter).

How They Did It

The series is the brain child of J. Sibley Law (Official Honoree of the Webby Awards), who has a long history of political spoofs. Once he knew what he wanted to  do and how he wanted to do it, he contacted Jason van Gumster of Hand Turkey Studios. What makes the partnership a perfect match is that van Gumster is the author of Blender for Dummies; Blender is an open source (free) animation software that can literally be run from a thumbdrive on most any computer. The two devised a plan that put their joint creative juices in the same…blender. What they came up with was a collection of virtual puppets, of John Law (Law’s visual alter-ego), each of the candidates, and a hand which has yet to appear on the series. When asked why he took this approach Law explained, “lampooning anything in politics is a game of timing, but when you are poking fun at the process itself, timing is that much more important.” If last night’s response to Santorum’s announcement is any indication, expect to see very pithy and timely observations of the political process.

The series has already spoofed President Obama’s press conference on the birth control issue and campaign finance issues. However, the series got its start with an official announcement that Puppet John Law is NOT running for president. In that video he states: “I plan to cross this nation of ours and carry the torch for all manner of puppetry, from the highest of marionettes to the lowest of sock puppets. I know that one day all puppets in office will be able to serve this land openly. Thank you.”

About the Production Companies

Saxon Mills, Stratford, CT, is a both the production company behind the series and the engine behind the YouTube network that it is a part of (ZizComedyNetwork). Saxon Mills was founded by Law in 2005 and has been on the forefront of mobile and web television since then. It currently operates two YouTube Networks TangoDango and Ziz.

Hand Turkey Studios, Richmond, VA, is a full-service animation studio based in Richmond Virginia. It is helmed by Jason van Gumster who is both the author of Blender for Dummies and an expert at pooling large groups of animation talent to create high quality animation at lightening speeds.

Puppet John Law is a collaboration between the two production companies.

Puppet John Law

Santorum’s Love Affair: Bows out of Race

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vPEXBOW2pk

I have worked in an integral way on numerous political campaigns; sometimes on the winning side, sometimes on the losing side. I count a number of politicians—in both political parties—good friends. Despite what you might think about their political positions, my experience indicates that (most) politicians start out wanting to make a difference and do right by their constituents. They believe they can further the cause of their electorate, that they can best represent their constituency, and that they will serve the people better than their opponent.

Money and influence sully campaigns and have since the beginnings of democracy. But even today, with all the influence and money that flows through political campaigns, one truism can be gleaned from politics and applied to web television.

“How do you win an election? One vote at a time.” One only has to think back to the George Bush/Al Gore election to remember just how true that is. Even today, we see the Republican primary contenders traveling state-to-state, fair-to-fair, house party-to-house party. Why? To meet people! Raising money is part of the equation, but the goal is to win the support of opinion leaders in communities (communities of people living together, worshipping together, or country-clubbing together, or who share a common ideology). These politicians take their message out to various communities and make the case for how they are unique, different, and better than the rest.

When you listen to top YouTubers talk about keys to their success, it’s not so different. Many of them spend inordinate amounts of time responding to comments and fans, outreaching to communities that would resonate with their show, and working to convert the passive viewer into an active fan who likes, shares and talks about their show. It’s about what makes their show unique, different, and better at connecting with an audience.

Some may argue that the key is to simply create great content. But, discoverability also comes from knowing who would likely connect with that content and helping them find it. How do you build an audience? One view at a time. That’s a great place to start.

–

Puppet John Law is created by J. Sibley Law with animation powered by HandTurkey Studios.

Follow the facebook fanpage here!

Elements of a Hit Web Series (And the One You’re Probably Missing)

There’s a secret to building a hit web series; to writing the perfect story or cultural commentary that people can’t help but share. It’s elusive and the people who accidentally stumble upon it grow fewer with each…

Continued at Tubefilter:

http://news.tubefilter.tv/2012/02/02/elements-of-a-hit-web-series/

“We discovered that people really jump around and watched all kinds of content.”
— Joseph White, Digital Research Manager, Blip.tv

Speaking by phone, Joseph White, Digital Research Manager for Blip.tv, highlighted what jumped out at him from the study. He said this would be the year of cord shaving. In his mind, the general public probably would not cut the cords to their cable boxes or satellite dishes. However, many of them would spend less time watching broadcast programming and more time viewing online video. Of special note was the fact that viewers weren’t just niche viewers. “People and advertisers like to think that video game viewers watch that kind of content, and drama series watchers want only that kind of content. But we discovered that people really jump around and watch all kinds of content,” White explained. “We believed this was happening and the study confirmed it.” He went on to say they discovered that peak viewing happened during prime time, which “makes sense, because the largest bulk of people’s free time comes at the end of the day.”

Advertisers are concerned about when people are watching certain kinds of content. Obviously, if you are Boston Market, knowing that your ads will be seen by the highest number of people during the dinner hour is a tremendous benefit. Dailymotion’s VP of Content, David Ripert, confirmed that his network saw 6-9 pm as their prime hours, but the second highest viewing for them came at lunchtime. However, when trying to ascertain what that means for the creator of online shows, he explained, “Users are looking for entertainment and news; whether in clip form or full length, the quality expectation is higher and higher.”

Digging deeper into data about online video viewership, the Nielsen Cross Platform Report (Q1: 2011) is chock full of information about how people consume media and on which platforms. Though on the whole, television viewership increased by 22 minutes per month, some interesting facts emerge at the edges of the viewership. Generally speaking, the highest consumers of online video watch the least amount of television, and vice versa. To some that may seem like an obvious statistic, the kind worthy of a “doh!” But layered into that fact is who they are: women age 18-49 spend 4:57 watching online video each month, while their male counterparts spend 7:02. However, when broken down by ethnicity, the amount of time spent watching online video showed a wide spread: Asian (10:19), Hispanic (6:24), African-American (5:52), White (3:37). It’s no wonder that shows like Tony Clomax’s “12-Steps to Recovery,” “EastWillyB” created by Yamin Segal and Julia Grob, and “Odessa,” written by Jorge Rivera and James Peoples have found audiences and/or development opportunities. Certainly high production value and great characters help to surface these shows, but so do the racially diverse casts and the multiplicity of issues.

12-Steps to Recovery: EP 13 – Catch Social

When asked about the disparity of online viewership by ethnicity, Jorge Rivera said, “I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that in general, audiences are finding stuff online that meets their viewing interests in a way they aren’t on finding on traditional TV… That’s not to say that writing and casting ethno-centric content is the magic bullet, but it’s one small example of the greater experimental spirit of the Internet that makes it creatively more appealing…to everybody.”

East Willy B: EP 1 – You’ve Been Served

For her part Julia Grob suggested, “One reason may be the median age of the Latino population which is 27.4 years, vs. 36.8 median age of the US population as a whole. 22% of the Latino population is under 18! This means, the majority of Latinos are under 30.  We don’t remember a time where there wasn’t the Internet. We are trendsetters, on the cusp of new technology & new media — which would contribute to the higher number of hours spent viewing online video vs. the mainstream populations which is older and more likely to access video through old media methods (cable, dvd).”  While Rivera and Grob are mindful of these issues, Clomax took it a step further, saying, “The most important thing is to make sure that your content and subject matter crosses racial and socio-economic lines. If you’re producing something that everyone can relate to and you are appealing to all these different people, it will contribute to the success of the show.”

If [sci-fi fans] are as technology-forward as many suggest, Nielsen’s data
indicates that they are the super-users when it comes to online video.

Other niches of people also are known to spend copious amounts of time online. Shows like “The Guild” have capitalized on them. Many believe that sci-fi fans comprise their own grouping of technology-forward people who spend more time watching shows online than other groups. If they are as technology-forward as many suggest, Nielsen’s data indicates that they are the super-users when it comes to online video. “Mercury Men” (SyFy), “Ark” (Hulu), and “RCVR” (YouTube/Machinima) delivered their own slants on the genre, while at the same time adhering to a trifecta of high production-values, strong characters, and intriguing stories.

RCVR: Episode 1 – Little Green Men

Blake Calhoun, one of online video’s early and prolific show creators, is betting that he can find this niche and titillate them with his new show “Continuum.” (The first three episodes (of eighteen) are being shown exclusively on the show’s Facebook fanpage.) When asked about his audience, Calhoun said, “Genre shows and/or niche shows seem to work best online. This was definitely a consideration when I was developing “Continuum.’” He explained that releasing the first three episodes is part of a broader buzz marketing plan that includes the good fortune of having had the teaser trailer selected to play at Comic-Con. But is that enough?

Actress Melanie Merkosky as "Raegan" in Continuum

Answering that question, Steve Lettieri, who runs SciFinal.com says, “Character always wins the day for most successful web series, sci-fi or otherwise. Does the series have characters worth watching again and again? If so, then things like production values, visual effects, etc., can help separate you from the pack.”

“Don’t have unrealistic expectations about the early stages.
And, don’t ever, ever, ever stop because one person
—or one hundred people—are not jumping in to lend a hand.”
— Rob Barnett, Founder & CEO, My Damn Channel

In trying to read the tea leaves of this steeping cup of data I turned to Rob Barnett, who has created a lean and extraordinarily successful online video channel. When Time Magazine ran its article on the best websites of 2011, My Damn Channel was prominently featured. Barnett had some interesting things to say about what makes for a successful online video: “The old days of putting up great video and wishing for virality are over. The amount of new online video is growing at a pace too fast to fathom. If you’re in the business of figuring out how to use video to promote yourself, or an idea, or a cause, or a product of any kind, then you’ve got to create a business model and a game plan for every video that includes marketing in every possible way.” He even gave some hard data about what works in terms of length for online videos: 2-3 minutes max. He suggested that show creators need to gain permission from the audience to dive deeper into characters and produce longer episodes, but only after the audience wants it.

My Damn Channel’s: Dicki – The Boyfriend

Julia Grob and her team took that approach when they created the EastWillyB (with episodes in the 2-3 minute range). Then, their fans responded. “After launching the pilot, we received feedback from fans asking for longer episodes and more content,” she explained. Deeper dives into the characters and longer episodes may just be in the offing.

When asked what advice he has for show creators, Barnett’s passion is clear: “the best advice is always to follow your own inner voice. Our road was paved by finding great partners to help get us to every next step on the path. We only hired talent and staff we knew were as intensely committed to creating the best work as we were. Realize that every creative partnership has to have equal shares of trust, hard work, and commitment from every member of the team. Be about the ‘long money.’ Don’t have unrealistic expectations about the early stages. And don’t ever, ever, ever stop because one person—or one hundred people—are not jumping in to lend a hand. Relentless, passionate, constant pursuit of your goal always wins out in the end if you never bail on your desire.” Passion. Commitment. Quality.

[For web series success] “You should focus on five things: produce content regularly,
think about earning your audience rather than deserving your audience, target a niche,
go after a community that will embrace your content, and constantly interact with your fans.”
— Dina Kaplan, Co-Founder, Blip.tv

Back at Blip.tv, co-founder Dina Kaplan punctuated her thoughts saying, “The most exciting thing to us is how savvy producers are getting about producing and marketing shows. Two good examples of series doing things right are “Girl Parts” and “Vinyl Rewind.”

Blip.tv: GirlParts – The Wake Up Call

Kaplan continued, “They get that shows should have strong enough production values but should also really engage their communities of fans.” To do this Kaplan gave some insightful marching orders: “For a web series producer to be successful in 2011, you should focus on five things: produce content regularly, think about earning your audience rather than deserving your audience, target a niche, go after a community that will embrace your content, and constantly interact with your fans and even let your fans interact with other fans. This is how you will get the great multiplier effect that turns a series from a hope into a successful, sustainable business.”

Easy to say. And as online video begins shaving off bits of traditional broadcast viewership, there are great opportunities for deserving show creators. Those who factor in these many variables will inevitably have greater chances for success.

Written by J. Sibley Law.

Copyright © 2011, by J. Sibley Law, all rights reserved.

Recognizing content creators driving today’s Web television industry, the International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV) announced a call for submissions for the inaugural IAWTV Awards to be presented on Thursday, January 12, 2012, in Las Vegas during 2012 International CES.

Submissions for the first-ever IAWTV Awards begin Tuesday, October 4, 2011 and must be received by 11:59 p.m. PST on October 31, 2011. For more information, visit http://www.iawtv.org/awards.

For its premier event, the IAWTV Awards consists of 33 categories honoring Web series and talent, both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes.  Submissions for the IAWTV Awards are open to qualifying individual producers, production teams and companies, major studios and networks, independent talent, YouTube stars and mainstream talent. A full list of categories for the first IAWTV Awards can be found at http://iawtv.org/awards/categories.

“The original online video industry is booming and the IAWTV is thrilled to produce the first awards for content creators by content creators, honoring the talented community behind the screens,” says Paul Kontonis, Chairman of the Board of Directors for IAWTV, and Vice President/Group Director of Brand Content at Digitas. “As we open up submissions for our inaugural awards, we welcome entries from content creators who are changing the way we watch and from independent talent to distribution platforms and major studios.”

Qualifications for IAWTV Awards eligibility include:

•        Only episodes of a Web series as defined by the IAWTV that were released during the period of January 1, 2010 through October 31, 2011 are permitted to be entered for consideration in the inaugural IAWTV Awards and only so long as at least two (2) or more episodes of the Web series were released within the eligibility period.

•        The IAWTV defines a Web series as a series of two (2) or more episodes held together by the same title, trade name or mark, or identifying personality common to all the episodes that initially aired and were distributed anywhere in the world via the Internet using website technology (e.g., .com, .net, .biz, etc.).  Exclusions from this are works such as previews, trailers, sizzle reels, commercials, any sequences from feature-length films for theatrical distribution or home video release, aired and unaired episodes of established TV series delivered on free network broadcast television, pay television and all forms of cable television, and any unsold traditional TV series pilots.

•        Both members and non-members of the IAWTV are welcome to submit their shows for consideration.

•        All submissions and entry fees must be received by 11:59pm PST on October 31, 2011. All submissions must be received via the IAWTV’s online entry system at http://submissions.iawtv.org from the owner or authorized representative of the Web series.

Active members of the IAWTV will vote on IAWTV Awards and nominees will be announced in December 2011 following preliminary voting. To become a member visit http://iawtv.org/join-us.

About the IAWTV Awards

The International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV) Awards is an official Web television industry awards and experience established for content creators, by content creators. The awards serve as a platform for members of the IAWTV to honor the best of their profession, foster collaboration with peers and industry luminaries and to support the IAWTV. Proceeds raised from the show are used by the IAWTV for the betterment of the community by providing more member resources as well as professional development and education for professionals working in Web television.

About The International Academy of Web Television

The International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV) is a nonprofit organization comprised of leaders in the field of Web television, Web video and the digital entertainment industries. Founded in 2009, the IAWTV is helping to shape the rapidly evolving Web television industry while providing a venue for the acknowledgement of artistic and technological achievement in original entertainment distributed on the open Internet.  IAWTV members include actors, agents, composers, content developers, directors, editors, producers, technology innovators, writers, and other industry professionals all of whom joined the organization based on their passion and dedication to advance the craft of Web television. For more information, please visit www.iawtv.org or follow us on twitter @iawtv.

About CEA

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $186 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services.  Find CEA online at www.CE.org and www.Innovation-Movement.com.

Today the International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV) announced that it was breaking off negotiations with Tubefilter regarding acquisition of the Streamy Awards. The announcement expressed a natural conflict of structure between for profit and not-for-profit entities. Ultimately, the IAWTV will produce its own show and by all accounts the relationship between the two organizations is very friendly.

That said, many people were surprised by the announcement. Both Zadi Diaz and Felicia Day shared very heartfelt thoughts about the announcement shortly after it was made and expressed a very positive tone for the future.

Amber J. Lawson, Chair of the Awards Committee, who has been very involved in the dialog with Tubefilter, agreed to be interviewed about the decision via Skype Chat earlier today.

Here is that interview:

Here is what Melissa has to say: