If I Were an Indie Video Director…
…I’d create an episodic reality drama called Media Clash: Galapagos Island. It would go something like this.
Last Month on Media Clash
To the stunned surprise of many, a Wall Street analyst predicted MySpace could be valued at $15 billion in the next 3 years. Blind to the irony that such a huge valuation can be attached to an entity whose main assets are people they don’t own or control, investors are salivating as they search hungrily for more tasty morsels among the hundreds of social network upstarts.
photo by kylemac
Meanwhile, Google forked out $1.65 billion to purchase YouTube and secure their claim in the television of today’s on-demand generation. Shortly after the Wall Street feeding frenzy died down, packs of lawyers descended to crack down on unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material so big media companies will play (and pay) on the island.
On the other side of the island, disruptive media continues to spawn and spread faster than mega corporations can assimilate it. In previous episodes, Revver attracted talent from YouTube because of their willingness to split advertising revenue. But it appears fame is indeed attached to fortune as evidenced by the migration of the EepyBird Coke and Mentos experiment from Revver to Google.
photo by Rich Childs
Next on Media Clash
Will MySpace continue their rapid growth, or will their fickle youth audience become disillusioned if News Corp redefines personal expression to preclude anything referencing competition or offensive to advertisers?
Will YouTube remain a place where independent talent has a shot at being discovered and the average Gary has a sandbox for freedom of expression and a shot at fifteen minutes of fame? Or will big-moneyed media attempt to restrain the audience they so desparately want to retain?
photo by kylemac
Will the new breed of disruptors survive as a species? Or will they give birth to the innovation, then snooze quietly as others swoop in to profit from their labor?
photo by luist & his inner pig
Stay tuned as we follow these intriguing characters and discover if it’s possible to evolve toward a peaceful co-existence.
