Phase One is ready to launch in Mid december with a “soft” launch (to partners and those who’ve expressed an interest at OpenTelevisionNetwork.com aka klickTab.com. Not a lot on the site at the moment but more coming mid month.

Philip

It seems like a bleak future if the only hope a person has in making money on “new media” is to use it as a springboard to get a career in “old media”. The Old media empires seem to be shrinking, so there’s one incentive that’s rapidly fading. Except for short bursts, or for a few people that are extremely passionate about it, it’s too much work, too expensive and too time consuming to justify as just a hobby for the long term.

Thanks,
James

(P.S. get back to me with the cost of a spot please.)

Collectively they take about 20 hours a week, average, and after paying sales commissions last year (the bulk of the revenue goes in sales commission) we brought in a reasonable lower-middle class income for one person from the show, a net of about $50K. The show alone never bought in more than $2K a month.

Cost out the 20 hours a week however you like, but at opportunity cost (not doing consulting for someone else) it’s not great money.

Philip

One Podcast you appeared to leave out was, one I know you would know the numbers, and has more sponsors then any podcast I know.

Whats the turn over and production costs of Digital Production Buzz?

Its probably one of the leaders in sponsorship. So it would be interesting to know.

Thanks,
James

well best of luck Philip! I think it’s a long shot – as unlikely as coming back from 15-6 to beat the All Blacks.

Well maybe not quite that unlikely.

Philip

The technology is there – see esnipe.com for an example.

Otherwise we’d have several hundred spam posts a day.

Philip

Make it and they will come. We, my comrades, are the makers of the nickolodean one reelers, the silent filmmakers who started in New Jersey, fled west, escaped Edisons patent laws, where sunny weather 300 days a year meant more work for everyone. We are the Rebels, reincarnated anti-establishment early 20th century bohemians, shooting on revolving stages spinning to follow the sun and making it all up as we go along. No rules. No suits. No unions. No dressing rooms. No permits. No pay.

We are the hi def, final cut, final draft, duct taped, Bowfingered pioneers of our generation. Like the great Athletes who played prior to big television contracts, we are playing for the love of the game. Our early labors of love will soon be able to provide a living for some of us, our crews and our actors. Now heed this:

Have a business plan that works, and they will come. Build your libraries, tell worthy stories, capture it with style and honesty… and they will come! With promises of “The Big Time”… Studio deals… long term contracts. DO NOT leave those that helped get you there behind. If THEY had one creative spark, they wouldn’t come bearing gifts and singing your praises. They come to take your canvas’s and make YOU think THEY are doing YOU a favor. They need us.

We make the rules. If they want to play on OUR field, crush their old business model and hit them over the head with the new one… Pay us, pay our crrws, pay our actors, but we will not be sold down the river. We own our work, You can license it… but we will own it. Thems our rules…

The news will almost certainly come out here and on the Digital Production BuZZ first.

And I think hybrid product placement, consumer contribution models will definitely feature in the future.

Philip

One of the problems I think we face is an expectation that is set by high standards. Some assume that the content should generate large wealth – large enough to retire from and that is where these expectations need to be managed to a more realistic scale. Once you have the pie in the sky mentality brought closer to earth, you are able to maintain a better balance of creative freedom and financial recompense. To steal a phrase for a different context, “Freedom isn’t free”.

The more probable solution is probably closer to a consumer-bearing structure. The keys here would be convenience and cost. If it is cheap and easy to access you may be able to sustain such a model. It is also possible that a hybrid will be called on where the production is subsidized by advertising and the profit is found in consumer acceptance.

I am watching and pondering the various approaches to see which really makes the most sense and is the most sustainable It always comes down to “Cui Bono” though.

-gl

Check out the Ad-Supported Music Central blog:
http://ad-supported-music.blogspot.com/