My former Next New Networks colleague George Stewart suggested me for an interview on Leonard Lopate’s radio show on New York’s NPR affiliate, WNYC, to discuss “TV on the Internet” with John Gottfreid (Devour.tv) and Geoffrey Drummond (A La Carte Communications). It turned out pretty well, considering the continuing surprise that some folks still have about how popular the medium really is. (Thank you, producer Leslie Dickstein.)
Amazing illustration made by Kiichi for this month from the New Jenny-San Calendar english site. XJ5 icon created by gashi-gashi. Via the Teenage Roblog.
Four years ago, my partner Emil Rensing suggested I start a blog when I asked him what we should do online for our (Oh Yeah! Cartoons spin off) series My Life as a Teenage Robot. “You’ll learn something,” he said.
Boy was he right. All the Frederator blogs, Channel Frederator, and Next New Networks are all the direct result of the learning, and of course, that’s been in addition to all the great series, movies, and shorts, the great talents have been working on with us during those years.
A particular shout out and thanks should go out to a few folks:
Rob Renzetti created MLaaTR in the first place, inspiring us to create the first blog.
Eric Homan took my challenge to get the thing going, and keep it going.
Scott Peterson, MLaaTR’s story editor, wrote the blog for a couple of years when the rest of us were too scared to try.
Wichobot is the loyal and talented fan who took over the Roblog when the series was over, and has kept it going with our great fans over the last couple of years. It’s better now than we ran it, and proves the complete value of community in the modern, interconnected world.
And, of course, most of all, our loyal fans and readers who have read, suggested, commented, contributed, complained, and supported all of our efforts during the last four years. Without you we would literally be nothing.
Back to my week. By the way, I don’t want to leave the wrong impression here. My average week is no busier than anyone trying to keep their productions and businesses going. But, for those who wondering…
Thursday, September 20, 2007
I wanted to get this picture from the Nicktoons Studios up. It doesn’t have much to do with the post other than I took it during my trip and it reminds me of the evolution of even the best cartoon shows.
Kent Rice is the new CEO of Starz Entertainment (formerly IDT Entertainment), so he now represents our major production partner on Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! We’d met briefly in New York but I wanted us to get to know each other better, so we met for breakfast at the Graciela, my home away from home, and coincidentally Kent’s too when he first started working in LA.
On my way over to Sherman Oaks for an early lunch meeting, I called into a conference call with Dan Meth, Jeaux Janovsky, Eric Homan, and Carrie Miller about the show packaging for our impending weekly launch of the Meth Minute 39. As usual, we don’t all agree on everything, but I think there’s a solution everyone’s happy with in the end.
Peter Lee is in the LA office of Boston’s Prism VentureWorks. We met for lunch to give me my perspective on Next New Networks and Channel Frederator.
Over the hill from the Valley into West Hollywood to meet author/singer Barney Saltzberg at the Urth Cafe. Barney and I met about 10 years ago and like each other’s work a lot. As with others, we keep struggling to find stuff to do together and haven’t licked it yet.
I didn’t leave my seat for the next meeting, this time on Next New Networks business again with Damien Somerset, the creator/producer of Zaproot, our cool new green show on Viropop. We’d only met briefly before, and in case I haven’t made it clear, I really like getting to know the people with whom I’m doing things. Damien’s a nice, smart, talented guy.
East on Melrose are the Paramount Studios and the production offices of J.J. Abrams‘ Bad Robot Productions. We’re starting work on a movie and this meeting was the first time we’d met in person. Later on, Bryan Burke, JJ’s longtime producer and collaborator, and I had a great first dinner on the Sunset Strip.
Friday
Art’s Deli for a turkey sandwich for JetBlue, and home to New York.
Most of you regular Frederatorblogs readers know all about Next New Networks, but I thought I’d share this letter I sent out to my mailing list today:
Usually when I write to my whole mailing list it’s announcing some good news from our cartoon studio. With everything going on there (our feature film slate, a new original series for the web, awards galore, and more Nickelodeon series) you haven’t heard much from us this past year unless you’re a reader of our blogs. The studio’s kept me busy enough, but the launch of Channel Frederator in 2005 and my partner Emil Rensing’s VOD Cars has led to a cascade of developments I’ve been meaning to share for several months.
Next New Networks is a new kind of media company that will introduce 101 ad-supported micro television networks over the next five years, with 10 already on the air and five coming in the next few weeks. I’m a founding partner with Herb Scannell, Jed Simmons, Tim Shey, and Emil, an incredible group of colleagues who’ve all worked together in various media configurations over the past 30 years.
The initial networks are already unqualified hits with 25,000,000 video views so far, and four individual brands handily passing 1,000,000 monthly views. And that’s not including the all the activity around our blogs, forums, and newsletter. We’re making our business and creative choices around stunning talent that’s come our way and the vibrancy of online communities, and wrapping them all up with the branding skills we’ve developed online and in television. Automobiles, Internet pop culture, Comicbooks, Fashion, Politics, Brides, Jewelry, and Cartoons are just some of the communities we’re serving in our first year.
What makes our networks different than the kind we’ve all known? Well, nothing and everything. The productions are usually much shorter, and they’re on-demand. You can watch them anywhere, on hundreds of websites, but also on your TV. But the biggest difference is mostly our viewers. In many ways they’re more important than we are. They produce video, they write blog posts, and they even distribute our networks. Their roles in their specialized communities are most important to the building of our brands.
OK, so as usual, I didn’t make a long story short (though with all we’ve got going on I could go on a lot longer). You can check out the Next New Networks blog to keep up with more if you’d like. I’ll leave you with a short bit on each of our networks, and for those whose email can handle it, you’ll also find embedded players for each right on this page. Check them out, you might enjoy them.
INDY MOGUL just had a 1,000,000 view month. It’s is the first network for the YouTube generation. Producer/host Erik Beck shows you how to do the most sophisticated special effects with the stuff in your kitchen.
VOD CARS and FAST LANE DAILY have both passed their million view marks and offer up fast cars (”No talking, Just speed.) and lots of car news (and FLD host Ji Young Min was just named hottest in videoblogging). VETTE DOGS rounds out our industry leading automotive offerings and will soon be joined by GARAGE 419.
VERACIFIER features the fiercly independent and original journalism of Joshua Micah Marshall (Talking Points Memo), the most popular political blogger in America.
THREADBANGER has popped stars Rob Czar and Corinne Leigh. They’re hosts and producers of one of the internet’s hottest areas, DIY fashion, and are at the top of everyone’s list of the new online stars.
JETSET is just cool. Host/producer Zadi Diaz and producer Steve Woolf are defining forces internet culture the way Rolling Stone and MTV defined pop music culture. And JETSET correspondents will be hosting a second show here soon.
PULP SECRET features two shows about comicbooks. Reviews from A Comicbook Orange (Casey McKinnon & Rudy Jahchan) and Justin, Pete and Alex BS and comment on the week in comics.
BRIDE-O-RAMA is one of our two newest networks, a weekly featuring video tips submitted from recent brides to the brides-to-be of the moment.
BLEACHER BLOGGERS hosts Dave Aizer and Brent Popolizio focus on the unsung heros of internet sports, the thousands of bloggers who know better than you.
TOTAL MMO has up to date information and tips on massively multiplayer online games like World of Warcraft.
And, of course, I don’t want to leave out CHANNEL FREDERATOR another member of our 1 million club, Cartoon Central for the internet. Our first original series will be launching in Septemeber.
Next New Networks launched its newest network yesterday, and while it’s not animation it’s something that ought to be at the heart of everyone who reads this blog. Indy Mogul calls itself “the first network for the YouTube generation” and it’s really true. I’ve written here before about the revolution we’re in where filmmakers don’t need producers like me or even networks to show their work, become a star, and make a living. (In fact, the New York Times just published a fantastic story about this same subject this past Sunday.)
The first show –Backyard FX– is great. Erik Beck shows everyone who owns a home video camera and a kitchen how to do special effects at home. Enjoy Erik, he’s a star, and fly your jet pack.
The next Next New Network. Eric Beck hosts “Backyard FX” on Indy Mogul: “limited filmmaking with unlimited potential.”
“Indy Mogul is the network for everyone who watches DVD commentaries, signs up for behind-the-scenes videoblogs and podcasts, and dreams of being a filmmaker.
“It’s the network for anyone who picks up a camera and tries to make something more than a home video.
“It’s the network for anyone who’s ever bought fake blood, rigged homemade pyrotechnics, or filmed their own backyard stunts.
“If the next Star Wars gets made in a garage in Peoria, we hope that it shows up on Indy Mogul first.”
