Teri Hatcher and Mudlark
Digital Content NewFront 9-10-2010
Really proud to participate in the eponymous Fandemonium Panel at this prestigious and thoughtful event in New York, talking about the Such Tweet Sorrow project. We were in glittering company with a whole series of television stars appearing throughout the day, including Teri Hatcher, Seth Green, Lisa Kudrow and Jason Bateman.
One signature theme was pretty novel: many of the Talent formally pitching their own web ideas to the conference. However it was pretty disappointing how weak were most of their pitches. Some of these Names will probably get the brand backing they seek just because these guys are talented and famous performers but but but…
But but BUT : Come on guys! The web isn’t just there as a new place to screen/strut your stuff. Video is vital here, but it’s not just chopped-up, lower-budget versions of what you do already. It’s there to explain and illustrate the new technologies and opportunities as an original component in them. Access is part of the equation – but not so much stars accessing directorial and executive roles as users accessing and shaping content too.
At least Seth Green’s not-The Truman Show not-EdTv thing (man lives out life on web – you vote his choices) wants to interact – but it’s still too caught up in its showbiz credentials. He couldn’t really answer any remotely technical question – and you didn’t get the impression he thought he should…
What I don’t know is whether the Brands will snap up this celebrity-heavy digitally-naïve material. I think many of them are further ahead in the game than that. Howard Friedman from Kraft was on the Fandemonium panel too, speaking all sorts of wise things about the online community’s well-calibrated BS detectors and about how you’ve got to give up a lot of control when you come here.
Tim Kring was also, inevitably, interesting in a great interview with Jeff Jarvis. I wouldn’t go down that “audiences votes for plot-turns/endings” if I were you, Tim – I reckon that would lead to authorial flatness (so maybe you keep some control) – but then I didn’t invent Heroes, so what do I know?
The other Big Thing we noticed that you get a lot of attention if you bring the stars along – though that didn’t influence how we illustrated and titled this post in the least.