Broadband Jungle Blog

Sex and the Austen Girl App - Phase 1

Interactive Emmys - 2009 Call for Entries

IDA DocU panel at Kodak: The Broadband Generation

Moderated a new media panel for the IDA in June...watch Daniel Tibbets of GoTV Networks, R.Blank from Almer/Blank, Hayden Black from Goodnight Burbank and Abigail, Daniel Paul from ManiaTV, John Canning from Media Sherpa and Ryan Stoner from branded content agency Omelet fight it out over important stuff like:

Is television really over?  Yes and no.

Are we currently re-inventing storytelling? You bet.

Pitchfork.tv

Pitchfork, indie music site extraordinaire, shows how it's really done when it comes to music and broadband video: Their recently launched in-your-face indie channel Pitchfork.tv wraps the user in a very clever interface that floats the electrifying lineup past the player window on parallel layers.

Buzzing with the necessary raw energy, the channel programs music coverage of all sorts that's proudly rough around the edges, very appropriate for the subculture it portrays. A breath of fresh air when compared to other MTV clones still popping up in the broadband and mobile space.

No wonder indie cable broadcaster IFC has already signed the network to a new TV-series that re-bottles some of that magic for old fashioned, linear television, debuting August 24 as Pitchfork Airwaves on IFC .

To get an idea what kind of shows Pitchfork is putting on: This format is called Don't Look Down and this episode features Abe Vigoda, 'Chino, CA's greatest noise-pop band rock tracks from their new album Skeleton on the roof of the Queens, NY venue Silent Barn.'

Crank it up.

All's Faire from Dinosaur Diorama

Since placing their fictional band The All-for-Nots on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the talented team around the very clever The Burg have reteamed for a new sitcom set in the fertile environment of full blown Renaissance Fair folly.

The always very informed Tubefilter News reports that All’s Faire is 'about the adventures of a crew of some real-life Renaissance Fair goers. Writer/Producer Thom Woodley of Dinosaur Diorama, who is reportedly a “Ren Faire” expert, and Bob McClure, who some may recall as “Jed” in Dinosaur Diorama’s earlier hit series The Burg, are in the midst of shooting the hopeful hit.

Here's the trailer...

The Fold materializes

We are finally witnessing the advent of dramatic programming in the form of ambitious, thrilling and adventurous web originals: Mike Shields observes a new trend in his MediaWeek article 'Web Content Producers Turn Focus to Dramatic Fare'.

Last year's Prom Queen and the recent prequel for Robin Cook's upcoming medical thriller Foreign Body (both from Michael Eisner's Vuguru) and Steven King's original animated series for 'N' have been catching most of the spotlight.

The Fold, a quirky, erotically charged  sci-fi adventure series shot on a shoestring budget is set to premiere August 4th. The R-rated trailer is currently on my favorite video community Vimeo, and The Fold appears to be an indie production with considerable pedigree from New York's  downtown performance and theater scene that might as well turn into an instant classic.

Produced with lush cinematic hdv aplomb and understated scrappy low budget special effects, the new series was cooked up by published sci-fi/horror author Polly Frost and Ray Sawhill with director Matt Lambert. The resulting scenes promise something more than the 60-second soap-style entertainment we've grown accustomed to. The Fold  actually takes time to allow for some very complex story lines to unfold, outrageously complex at times:

"Part sci-fi, part sex comedy, part art movie, THE FOLD interweaves stories involving a time-traveling geek with Aspergers Syndrome, an investigation by a Gaming Babes Magazine reporter, a sex-cult guru, a right-wing CEO determined to remake history, and a New Jersey hot tub salesman for whom things mysteriously start to go the right way."

Need to see more?

THE FOLD trailer UNCENSORED! (18+ please!) from Matt Lambert on Vimeo.

Public Service Administration

Another example of how YouTube owns this election: On their YouChoose '08 initiative comedy gems and informative bits and pieces from voters like you and me co-exist in harmony with complete archives of campaign spots from the various camps. Refreshing.

The maverick comedy team of Public Service Administration recently added a particularly delightful episode: "He said it first" spoofs a breaking news story about presidential candidate John McCain from the pov of the newsroom. Here's the bleeped version just in case.

Lisa Nova Twitter Whore?

Pretty incredible stuff from Lisa Donovan aka  Lisa Nova. Part-time cast member on MadTV, the comedienne and genuine YouTube star has posted a series of two episodes of her her new character Twitter Whore. The intro and Lisa's high-pitched voice acrobatics alone are worth the price of the admission.

The character is addicted to her blackberry like there's no tomorrow, and only twittering away 24/7 offers temporary relief. Or not...

Just some stats: 2 days after posting, Twitter Whore has managed to rack up 200,000 plus views, 1,600 ratings and 1,200 plus comments. Does she know how to engage an audience or what?

Here she is in Twitter Whore episode 2.

goGOOROO Video Embedding

Progressing towards branded hosting solutions as announced earlier this year, our own Internet video community goGOOROO.com recently added a video embed function for its users.

Channel and Video of the Day have moved to the homepage with embed video players prominently on display front and center. From here on, every channel and video added to goGOOROO contains embed code when available, pushing us closer to our next release: goGOOROO-curated  channels  with a revenue sharing model for  our content partners.

We've also modified our catalogue function and are editing a series of top links covering everything from the best online TV links to sports sites and movies currently in release.

Visit the GOOROO and come back often.

HBO dismantles 'This Just In'

What’s the matter with television networks in the broadband space?
Even the storytelling masters at HBO can’t seem to get a popular portal off the ground?

Steven Zeitchik in Variety.com about the site's departure: HBO comedy site shut down.

This Just In, the comedy site HBO envisioned as both a brand extension and a potential development pipeline, is being shut down just six months after launching.
HBO announced the site in late 2006 to much fanfare, saying it would allow advertisers to work with the company and also serve as a breeding ground for new talent. Former Icebox CEO Steve Sanford was brought in to run the site, which offered a mix of celebrity riffs and goofy videos from assorted standup comics.

Here’s how the cabler plans to play it safe instead: Back to the proven distribution models.

HBO has been developing a broadband site together with cable operators that will allow users to access on-demand programming via the Web.