Reinventing the Reel

Note: this is a quasi-Machinima rant. More Machinima-focused rantings in my next post.

CMP Media recently held their second annual Hollywood and Games Summit in LA, an event designed to help cross-pollinate game and film cultures - an official mixer for both industries. The romance of Hollywood and the gaming industry is essentially the world's worst kept office secret. Both industries eye each other during corporate functions, work together on certain projects, all the while wondering when the other will swing by the cube and ask the other out. Everyone in the office knows of their attraction to one another, and while its obvious that the two will find a dark corner at an office party in the near future, the company still gets a rise from the drama of the courting.

I couldn't attend the summit (and am sorry that I didn't), but it was a very interesting one from the standpoint of Machinima. Or rather, it should have been a very interesting one. Unfortunately, word has it that our courting couple walked the gangplank towards the boat -- and then missed it entirely -- as Machinima was never a part of the summit's larger conversation.

Fortunately, someone noticed the conf misstep and decided to speak up. John Martin from Reallusion (developers of the Machinima app, iClone), brought up the questions around Machinima at various points during the day, and asked some of the panelists firsthand what their take was. There was a bit of an attention scramble to address this - clearly some of the panelists knew about Machinima, but like the conf organizers, hadn't given it enough forethought to include as a point to discuss. Machinima was ripe for topical intercourse - it involves games, filmmaking as well as the crossover of both tech and brand. The fact that it wasn't even a part of someone's presentation is, well, crazy. However, I don't fault anyone specifically here - it just makes it clearer on how the shifts in the entertainment are being overlooked.

Obviously, shifting whole entertainment industries is a very hard conversation to hold. The RIAA doesn't want it, the MPAA doesn't want it and network television is having a hard time acknowledging it as well (though some networks are slowly getting it). The 800-pound gorilla named "Decentralization" is having a very significant impact on these established gatekeepers of "everything worth watching and listening to." However, these industries must understand now is their chance to change course - embracing new models and methods like Machinima - otherwise they will continue to play catch-up, all the while losing value with consumers). It will take some extreme measures, but rather than stay mired in the tarpit, now's their chance to learn, leave and live.

Last month, I had the pleasure of presenting at VIDFest in Vancouver, where I also had the chance to sit in on presentations by Jeff Macpherson and Kevin Gamble of TikiBar TV and Brooke Burgess of Broken Saints. However, the most important part was the overall theme - that these shows, along with Red vs. Blue and Homestar Runner are how entertainment is taking shape and building value online. Their audience is loyal and acts as the show cheerleaders, spreading the word and roping in additional audience. The producers have a direct connection with the audience, sometimes even incorporating ideas from their community into the show itself. This point-to-point connection is key and is more valuable than any marketing budget out there. Another point to consider - none of these shows have made a jump to network television (and most have been approached for such). Why? I obviously don't know all the details, but it really comes down to the what large networks can offer in return. Network TV could gain these shows additional audience, true, but it would break down what made these shows a success in the first place. Add in a barely sustainable production budget, ad placements and having to share in any ancillary products, and all of a sudden your first point of distribution looks that much better.

I'm a firm believer of the "we need to be here before we get there" and know that there are no simple toggle switches to change industry overnight. However, public platforms like the Hollyood and Games summit are a good place to lead that conversation, and for them to recognize the shifts like the above that are taking place.

I was having a frank discussion with a friend yesterday about how the world has changed since our parents. We noted that there are hardly any "career" jobs left, where someone stayed in the same position for 35 years. Now, a person often needs to reinvent themselves at least 3-4 times over the course of their lifetime. Industries will need to recognize that they too need to incorporate a process of reflection and reinvention. Otherwise, it will continue to happen without them and we'll reminisce over the once was. Until then, here's to the first Hollywood film released online.

Update: Just tripped across this related article by Wired Editor-in-chief (and Long Tail author) Chris Anderson who dives in and discusses how the entertainment industry is quickly finding that blockbusters are being redefined and niche is king.