New Mediacracy

So you made an independent series that is 100% true to your voice, your vision, and your passion... now what?  On this episode of New Mediacracy, we sit down with writer/director Matt Enlow (Squaresville, Mountain Man), writer/producer Tai Fauci (Whole Day Down, Palisades Pool Party) and producer/consultant Brian Rodda (Songs From Series).

Join NM regular Chris McCaleb and Bernie Su as they discuss the challenges of remaining independent, the importance of a great marketing strategy, finding your voice amongst the noise of modern culture, and the very nature of art.

Part 2 of our 2011 year-end roundup! Most of this episode is about the IAWTV Awards happening this week! With GigaOm writer and Attack of the Show staff writer Liz Miller, writer/producer Bernie Su, IAWTV Award nominee and writer/director Brett Register, and What's Trending CEO (also an IAWTV Award nominee) Damon Berger. Joining them is producer and Disney creative exec Zadi Diaz, and producer and Blip VP of Content Steve Woolf, all anchored by two-time Emmy nominee, writer/director Chris McCaleb.

Timeline!

0:00 First IAWTV Awards are happening
1:15 Disclaimers about everyone's current and former relationships to the IAWTV
2:30 Reference to the post-Streamys New Mediacracy episode
3:20 Some talk about the IAWTV LA annual member meeting
5:00 Bernie asks Zadi and Chris why they didn't run for re-election as IAWTV board members
8:00 Bernie talks about why he doesn't run for the board
10:00 Damon talks about his views on the IAWTV
12:30 Zadi talks a bit about the structure of the organization
15:40 Steve talks about how little YouTube representation exists within the IAWTV
16:30 Liz was surprised that the IAWTV Awards didn't have more YouTube creator nominations
17:30 Damon doesn't understand how YouTube isn't nominated for best platform
18:30 Chris was disappointed in the nomination process; discussion ensues
26:45 Bernie points out that anyone unhappy with the process can join the awards committee for next year
28:20 Damon talks about the What's Trending road show at the Venetian
29:30 Bernie talks about the producer and writer's group exhibitions at CES
31:00 Cody (the dog) needs to go to the bathroom
31:30 Liz asks each person to talk about what they want to see happen in web video in 2012
31:50 Bernie wants to see online storytelling go mass market
32:55 Brett wants to see more studios release pre-theatrical VOD releases; a discussion of story structure for the web ensues
36:30 Talking about analogous examples of works in tv, film, and online
40:45 Zadi tells a story about mainstream media's view of what's happening online
44:15 Steve wants to see storytelling tools advance in 2012
46:20 Liz wants to see The Solution to lean-back web content
48:15 Chris wants to see the new BlackBoxTV channel on YouTube become a huge success
53:20 Damon wants to see the web video marketplace gain some coherence and step up the quality levels
59:00 Steve makes the argument that one of the reasons some web shows have taken off is exactly because they're different from TV and movies
1:01:00 Liz talks about two ShayCarl videos she saw at VidCon 2010 and VidCon 2011
1:03:30 Damon feels the emotional connection to story isn't happening enough in web video
1:06:00 On the importance of owning your content
1:09:25 Steve asks Zadi what it's like going from independent production to working at a major media company
1:14:20 Zadi wants to see legislation unfriendly to the web defeated in 2012
1:16:00 Brett wants to know more about the 8-track soapbox is composed
1:16:30 Where to find everyone on the show and what's next

Check out Part 1!

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A feisty year-end wrap up doubleheader! This is Part 1 of 2 with GigaOm writer and Attack of the Show staff writer Liz Miller, writer/producer Bernie Su, IAWTV Award nominee and writer/director Brett Register, and What's Trending CEO (also an IAWTV Award nominee) Damon Berger. Joining them is producer and Disney creative exec Zadi Diaz, and producer and Blip VP of Content Steve Woolf, all anchored by two-time Emmy nominee, writer/director Chris McCaleb.

Timeline!

0:00 Intros! Shout outs to Cindy Register
14:00 Shout out to Steve Garfield, part of the old school New Mediacracy from '06-'07
15:30 First mention of The Process, a web video podcast that never was
17:00 Can you cancel your own show?
21:00 The rise of the 7-figure web series
22:00 The inevitable discussion about the term "web series"
23:45 Opening the door on "independent television"
25:00 LouisCK's self-distributed success
25:35 Chris tries to table the LouisCK discussion
29:30 Chris officially gives up trying to table the LouisCK discussion
30:40 Damon opens the conversation about the difference between people with audiences from mainstream media, and true independent web success stories
33:00 Zadi talks about cycles of relevancy
34:00 Liz wonders whether you now have to have more than a webcam to blow up; a Jenna Marbles discussion ensues
39:00 Talk moves to the demographics of web viewers and identifying a niche for success
42:20 Mass-media qualities in web video, and Bernie brings up the Zooey/JGL viral New Years video
43:50 Steve interrupts to get at the pizza and gets yelled at
47:00 First mention of Tim Street
47:40 Damon justifiably attacks Steve for his pop culture ignorance
49:15 Chris asks if YouTube can manufacture their own stars as part of their channels initiative
52:00 The Annoying Orange phenomenon
53:45 Liz tells a story from the set of iCarly about Fred from YouTube, and the conversation goes to the Fred phenomenon
55:45 Brett speaks for the first time since his intro
56:30 YouTube channel initiative and cosmic panda: will it work?
58:00 Chris tangents to Marc Zuckerberg killing animals
58:25 Chris gets back on track
1:02:50 Bernie feels that the new YouTube makes for a more genuine discovery experience
1:05:20 Chris wonders whether future YouTube stars will rise up the same way this generation has
1:06:00 Zadi is a fan of discovery through cultural value delivery
1:07:30 Will YouTube's investment in content affect their promotional choices?
1:12:00 Bernie talks about the risks about putting all your eggs in one basket
1:13:45 Liz worries about the future of the "nut shot" video
1:15:20 Weekends are now the biggest web video viewing days
1:16:30 Talking over-the-top TV set top boxes
1:18:25 Liz's Dad is a nerd
1:20:00 Damon tells a story about Google's struggles to market GoogleTV and attract studios and network content
1:23:00 Bernie wonders how many YouTube premium channels will get renewed
1:26:00 The inevitable discussion about ratings, or the lack thereof
1:29:00 Bernie tells a personal Nielsen story
1:34:00 Correlating music, movie, and TV industries in the digital age
1:37:00 Web series with billboards and bus ads
1:40:00 Do people who buy internet-connected TV's ever connect?

Check out Part 2!

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In the summer of 2008, a fiercely determined group of LA filmmakers set out to make a feature film with virtually no money. The film was BELLFLOWER, and under the leadership of writer/director/star Evan Glodell, and producer/co-star Vincent Grashaw, they spent the next three years achieving a fierce, singular vision that practically defines the term "independent spirit."

Join NM regular Chris McCaleb as they discuss no-budget filmmaking, building your own digital camera system, sleeping on couches to survive, collaborating with 5 Second Films, creating an iconic movie car, and pursuing a dream against all odds.

UPDATE! BELLFLOWER has been nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards - The John Cassavetes Award (Best Feature under $500,000) and Best Cinematography. Congratulations to Evan, Vincent, Joel and the entire Coatwolf team! BELLFLOWER is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD.

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TV Line named it a "Web Series Worth Watching" in 2011. On this episode of New Mediacracy, we sit down with the creative team behind "Husbands" - co-writer/executive producer Jane Espenson (Battlestar Galactica, Buffy The Vampire Slayer), director Jeff Greenstein (Desperate Housewives, Friends), and co-writer/star Cheeks.

Join NM regular Chris McCaleb as they discuss scoring huge cameos from Nathan Fillion and Michael Buckley, the differences between writing for TV and Web, the challenges of being subversive, the excitement of remaining passionate, and the dangers of having your wisdom teeth removed.

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Perhaps no other web video series has been as successful or influential as "lonelygirl15". This week, we get a view from the trenches with original cast members Jessica Rose (Bree), Yousef Abu-Taleb (Daniel) and Jackson Davis (Jonas) as we talk about their experiences bringing this landmark series to life.

What began as the fictitious videoblog of a young girl named Bree spawned a worldwide phenomenon, garnering hundreds of millions of views, launching its cast and creators into the spotlight, and redefining how a story could be told online. Join NM regular Chris McCaleb as they discuss the days before LG15, the highs and lows of massive success, Bree and Daniel's first kiss, getting shut down by the police, relationship drama, and MORE!

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It's a very rare thing in life to achieve a childhood dream. In this episode, we have two women who have done just that: Paula Rhodes (A Good Knight's Quest, Hollywood Wasteland) and Stephanie Thorpe (After Judgement, Hurtling Through Space At An Alarming Rate), who discovered a shared love of a certain graphic novel: ElfQuest .

Join NM regular Chris McCaleb as we discuss the saga of bringing ElfQuest: A Fan Imagining to life, as well as the pros and cons of IndieGoGo vs. Kickstarter, (almost) dying for your art, the experience of being a woman in new media, and the dangers of jetpack transportation.

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Are you afraid of the dark? Buckle up for a triple dose of "T," as we return from our hiatus with three talented web creators who have been to the dark side (and lived to tell the tale!): Taryn Southern of Private High Musical and Sorority Forever, Taryn O'Neill of After Judgment and Compulsions, and Tony Valenzuela of Black Box TV and 2009: A True Story.

Join NM regular Chris McCaleb as we discuss YouTube, the pleasure and perils of doing it yourself, the culture of distraction, the art of pitching, and ghosts (seriously).

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It's a special episode with screenwriter and director John August (writer of Go, Big Fish, Charlie's Angels, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, writer/director of The Nines), talking about the entertainment industry, independent films, web series business models, and how he approached writing for his web series pilot, The Remnants. Join John and NM regulars Zadi Diaz, Chris McCaleb, and Steve Woolf for a great discussion that runs a little over an hour.

We chat about John's incredible blog, how he got into filmmaking, working with Ze Frank as an actor, the initiatives that got started and fizzled during the writer's strike, and writing stories for a new medium and for new technologies.

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We sit down with Felicia Day of The Guild, Doctor Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, and the forthcoming Dragon Age web series, and Ryan Copple, the creator of Riese the Series, to talk about how their projects came together and stories about the choices they have made and their view of the industry. Come hang out with them and NM regulars Zadi Diaz, Chris McCaleb, and Steve Woolf for wine, gummybears, cappuccino lollipops, and laughs.

There's talk about some recent soul-searching walkabouts to get perspective on burning out, selling your soul, meeting the devil at the crossroads of Santa Monica and Wilshire, web trolls, genocide in Finding Nemo, the term "story designer," the awfulness of the word "transmedia," and Brazilian waxes. Yup, full show.