If today’s announcement that Google will launch Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane’s original web series across its network of AdSense sites sounds familiar that’s because the same parties made the exact same announcement last year. Someone, however, forgot to tell the New York Times, who managed to dust off the story, give it a fresh veneer and up the ante by quoting AdSense representative Kim Malone Scott as saying “We feel that we have recreated the mass media.”

Kim, you will never live that down.

No matter. I love what this deal represents, although I’m somewhat skeptical that users will adopt the model of clicking what has been defined as an advertisement in order to watch an advertisement in order to then watch a short blast of something MacFarlanely funny. (more…)

Mike Turner, acclaimed comic book artists, business partner and friend passed away late Friday after battling cancer. He was 37.

Fathom, Turner’s first creator-owner comic book series, received numerous honors and has claimed the “Number one selling comic book of the Year”.

The Safran Company and Safran Digital Group extend our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathy to his friends and family. (more…)

Writer / Director / Producer James Gunn (seen here with Jenna Haze on the set  of an upcoming show that I can’t talk about) gave the keynote speech at today’s Independent Film and Television Alliance 10th Annual Production Conference in Los Angeles.

The audience was a mixed batch of over 500 independent filmmakers, television producers, sales agents and distributors who share the commonality of  currently seeing their traditional livelihood disintegrate into an infinite stream of digital disruption.

James didn’t mix words when it comes to the harsh reality of adjusting to a new world order for digital. He’s not a sugar-coater, just a straight shooter. After his speech, Jean Prewitt, IFTA President said that his was the best keynote they’ve had in the 10 years they’ve been doing the conference.

The following is his speech. (more…)

The folks at The Onion are pure geniuses:

Historic Blockbuster Store Offers Glimpse Of How Movies Were Rented In The Past

The video ends with mentions of other relics of the analog past that will seem archaic in the digital future and merit their own historical museums including the Virgin Records Music Store and Border’s Bookstore.

Not sure how you make a museum experience of it, but I’d add another lost relic to the list: Privacy.

The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article about proposed regulation of TV product placement disclosure that would have significant relevance for the growing web video business of advertiser sponsored, viral video campaigns.

The gist of the article is that the FCC is looking into requiring TV shows to include notices similar to what political candidates must say before or after campaign ads.

“You shouldn’t need a magnifying glass to know who’s pitching you,” said FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein. “A crawl at the end of the show shrunk down so small the human eye can’t read it isn’t really in the spirit of the law.” Current rules require disclosure but allow it at the end of the show. (more…)

Heard a familiar parable today and thought it applies nicely to the conundrum of web-video and digital disruption:

Two campers are relaxing around the fire, intoxicated from a long meal and lots of beer. All of a sudden, a young, hungry, bear appears. The two campers look at each other. It’s clear that they’re about to become bear food. The first camper starts to lace up his shoes. The second camper says: “what are you doing? You can’t outrun the bear!” to which the first camper responds: “No. But I can outrun you.” (more…)

I noticed today that Mashable’s SummerMash LA event is sponsored by a company called The Schwaggin’ Wagon. Their website says they launched the business after a conversation “about how much swag goes to waste after tech conferences. [It was] noted that, in addition to children, there were plenty of adults who could use some extra t-shirts and hats for free!”

I’ve bolded the above for emphasis, but no doubt you already noticed the discrepancy in the spelling of the company’s name, Schwaggin’, and the spelling of the noun in their description, swag.

(more…)

My doctor says laughter is the best medicine.

He also gave me six months to live. When I told him I couldn’t pay his bill, he gave me another six months.

But seriously folks, is today’s announcement of FunnyorDie’s partnership with HBO a step towards treatment for the ailing web video economy or is it just another symptom of a distressed digital development system grasping for a cure from a declining distribution channel?

Say what you will about FOD’s, traffic, strategy or content, but all the noise about whether or not FunnyorDie has a real digital business, or as I argued, is irrelevant as a web property, is made moot by today’s announcement.

And that’s a good thing. Which we can all laugh about.

(more…)

NPR’s Claude Brodesser recently asked Wired Magazine’s Chris Anderson for his thoughts on the size and effectiveness of movie marketing budgets. Claude suggested that the new Indiana Jones movie was so highly anticipated, had such awareness and pedigree that despite opening to over $311 million worldwide, Paramount must have overspent in its $100 million plus marketing campaign. Right?

Nobody knows anything.

Oscar-winning screenwriter William Goldman’s famous dictum about Hollywood starts to answer the question, Chris Anderson completes it. (more…)

Tip of the hat to Kirk Skodis who turned me on to Mitch Joel’s blog, Six Pixels of Separation. In anticipation of this week’s Advertising 2.0 panel in New York, Mitch’s macro perspective on the value of Social Media has added relevance:

What if everything we knew about Marketing and Advertising until now really was just an anomaly…maybe what we’re really seeing with Social Media and Web 2.0 is how Marketing, Advertising and Communications was really meant to work… even as traditional agencies continue to clamp on to business as usual. (more…)