Tubefilter News

“Known as the last great race on the earth, the Iditarod is an 1150-mile sled dog race across the most dangerous and extreme terrain of Alaska. Fifty-eight year old Kathy Frederick is one of the oldest female rookie competitors to ever compete in this treacherous race and I, Leslie Morgan will be documenting her journey.” This is, in a nutshell, the premise for the unique documentary web series 1150 Project created by the one-woman producing dynamo Leslie Morgan. The series is literally unfolding right now, as Leslie follows Kathy currently racing in this year’s Iditarod. Tubefilter talked via e-mail (as she is currently still in Alaska working on the series) with this inspiring creator to get the inside scoop on this truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Tubefilter: What was the inspiration behind this project? How did you and Kathy meet?

I have been interested in finding a documentary project about someone living out a dream, Lemonade: The Movie and David Lynch’s The Interview Project inspired this web series. I met Kathy online after a mutual friend told me about her and her website. When I saw she needed a volunteer for three months to help her out managing her household I thought I could help her, but I also wanted to document her journey. I have been interested in producing a web based project for some time and thought rather than taking months to try and make a feature why not try to film and edit in Alaska, posting episodes as I go.

Included in President Obama’s commencement address at Note Dame University last year was a desire to find ways to communicate about a workable solution to the problem of unintended pregnancies. A Southern California-based independent media company called Yellow Line Studios wanted to help give that desire a voice. And so they created Bump+.

Using the device of a fictional reality show, Bump+ follows the stories of three women, all in their first four weeks of pregnancy, as they weigh the pros and cons of continuing to full term. Denise is almost a child herself, though this is her third pregnancy with signs they were results of domestic abuse, Hailey is a sorority girl who seems to care more about what being on the show can do for her than her pregnancy, and Katie is facing the tough decision of what to tell her husband when he returns from Iraq…because the father isn’t him.

Launching on the eve of the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the show has been releasing 2 episodes a week since February 1st, all the while fostering an open and honest communication with and between its audience. Though the production itself is clearly not trying to present itself as a true documentary, the comments show a sincere desire to communicate with the fictional women involved and in the end, the audience influences the final decisions of the women. Several alternate endings were shot and however the story is lead, the project intends to follow-through with it. One of the women may decide to keep their baby while another opts for abortion…one may choose an entirely different option altogether.

Back in December Hulu, along with Clear Channel, MySpace, Ford and Pepsi all signed on as sponsors and production partners for If I Can Dream, a new online docusoap Web series by reality programming mastermind Simon Fuller (American Idol). TheWrap (along with Tubefilter) covered the deal announcement, but overall, it didn’t generate much in the way of media or Web series industry buzz. But it’s time to take a closer look.

Last week’s article by Stuart Elliott of the NY Times (the advertising industry’s most influential reporter), profiled Pepsi’s new Pepsi Refresh Project campaign and mentioned the Web series production deal as the first original content deal for Hulu—calling attention to it one more time, but to a very wide and influential audience of top media and ad agency execs who are still cautiously dipping their toes into the branded entertainment space with their clients.

I’m sure fellow industry watchers are wondering, is Hulu seriously planning to enter the race to produce quality original Web series and if so, how would it impact a market that already includes producers such as Michael Eisner’s Vuguru, Sony’s Crackle, Dailymotion, Babelgum, Next New Networks, DECA and a slew of talented independents breaking new ground?

Going Where The Money Is

Branded underwriting and product placement is all the digital entertainment community talks about today (even as much as the storyline), and for good reason. They need to cover production costs and don’t have revenue assurances such as a subscription model (like cable) or pre-existing licensed distribution deals lined up in advance (like films and broadcast) that will cover costs and procure a modest profit. This upfront cash flow need is the perfect moment for a brand to have a significant (though let’s hope not oppressive) presence within the story as well as association with a certain series. The brand appeal factors include story genre, talent, and demographic reach, as well as ongoing social media engagement to build new customer relationships and retain existing ones.

With a reported 44 million users (and growing) Hulu is still dramatically smaller than YouTube’s reported 330 million users, but offers high quality curated content versus YouTube’s mix of licensed content from CBS for full shows (and official movie and TV show clips and trailers), plus a lot of mediocre user generated content not worth advertising against. Hulu’s audience is drawn to the site for recognizable entertainment franchises, but also offers a Web Originals channel with shows from a variety of independent and larger Hollywood production companies. (No doubt their future original shows will appear on this channel as well.)

“Hulu’s mission is to help people find and enjoy the world’s premium video content when, where and how they want it. As we pursue this mission, we aspire to create a service that users, advertisers, and content owners unabashedly love.”

The news of the Vice Magazine’s VBS.tv pairing with CNN came last week (see Ned’s thoughts on it), but last week also saw the debut of CNN’s first original web series with indie label Sup Pop Records—Indie Asia (above). Being billed as “CNN.com’s new online series,” at first glance it’s a pretty straightforward travelogue docu-series.

Its hosts however aren’t your typical multi-accented CNN journos. Instead the twosome of Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry, who make up Sup Pop-signed indie rock duo The Handsome Furs, take us on a considerably less newsy jaunt through East Asian spots like China, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand. The married couple are self-described “travel nerds,” plagued with lifelong passion for making music and seeing the world.

But it isn’t just mindless observations and digital scrapbook fodder. We get a unique spin on travel in these countries, especially that of a indie rockers traveling to work in countries that aren’t always hip to western influences, or unauthorized work stints. “As a band it’s a gamble getting into any country,” says Boeckner of border crossings, “because you’re ostensibly working.”

At times there are some stiff plot-moving voiceovers that feel read from the couple’s journal each day, but where it shines is in the real moments caught on their Flip camera. There’s no camera crew or field producers tagging along, just smart editing (by Michael Senzon) of their point-and-shoot vignettes of daily life—like grocery shopping in a Beijing supermarket. “It makes for a better show if you’re actually exploring the city,” added Boeckner, “so hopefully when you get on stage you have a better idea of who you’re playing for and the environment that they live in. It makes it easier to connect with them.”

New episodes of Indie Asia come out weekly on Thursdays on CNN.com.

KASKADE, the music producer/remix artist (neé Ryan Raddon) is profiled in the latest episode of music doc series The Craft which came out today from husband and wife creators duo Trevor Smith and Stephanie Luciano-Smith. [KoldCast]

Vpype launched a public beta of Vpype Live Broadcaster, its live interactive video application on Facebook. Just like many of the live streaming portals (Ustream, LiveStream, Stickam), users can create scheduled or unscheduled interactive live shows, send video notes, store completed broadcasts, etc., though Vpype lives entirely within the Facebook ecosystem. [emailed release]

Yellow Line Studio announced it is premiering its first original web series on Friday, BUMP+, which follows three women facing unintended pregnancies. The thirteen-episode documentary series from creators Christopher Riley and Dominic Iocco aim to show both sides of the hot-button abortion debate. “Each woman has her own reasons for accepting a reality show producer’s invitation to chronicle the very personal journey toward a decision about her pregnancy.” (Trailer below.) [BUMP+]

Yale University released a scripted music video (below) “That’s Why I Chose Yale” from its official YouTube channel this week. The video has already racked up over 160,000 views, though sadly comments and ratings have been disabled, hinting that the Ivy League stalwart might not be ready for YouTube’s huddled masses. 2006 Yale graduate Andrew Johnson, a Yale admissions staffer created the video, which stars more than 200 Yalies singing and dancing. [Washington Post]

There’s a sort of May-December romance going on between two news outlets, and it’s kind of adorable if you’re into that sort of thing. Even the cool kids have to grow up some time, and with the recent news of the pairing between CNN and Vice, it becomes none more apparent. It happens to everyone, we get older, we all become our parents, yadda yadda yadda. But this pairing (pairing? what is this, Starbucks?) between the two makes a ton of sense for both parties. Vice is looking to branch out from just being the (self-proclaimed) hipster bible and looking to be come something a little more—how can we say— legitimate. And CNN is looking to appeal to a younger audience. I mean, Larry King, anyone? Insert dinosaur joke. That guy is old.

What’s happening is that VBS.TV, the Spike Jonze helmed internet video arm of the Vice empire, is going to be showing some of their more newsy videos on CNN.com. This is suprisingly good thinking on both of their parts: CNN has been known to be a little too self-congratulatory and Vice has been known to be a little too self-referential. Together, though, they bring the social legitimacy that both parties seem to have been aiming for the last couple of years.

Cool Hunting is already one of my favorite daily reads, a curated intersection of inspiring art, design and culture from around world. And woven throughout the interviews with designers, craftsmen and artists is a regular web video series Cool Hunting Video that brings this all to life. With a history going back to early 2006, just after Apple announced their video iPods in 2005, the series has grown into a standalone show of 150 episodes to date, and business, in its own right.

Its latest episode (above), a three minute look at Nike’s newly opened Tokyo flagship store with architect Masamichi Katayama. Shot in Japanese, with English subtitles, we get an authentic sampling of the sounds and design of the new store without an overtly corporate polish. The episode was in fact sponsored by Nike, which explains some of the access they had, but its captured in Cool Hunting’s discerning style.

Producer Ami Kealoha recently posted a Best of Cool Hunting Video 2009 list, somehow picking the top 5 episodes from the past year. Some creators would say that’s like picking your favorite child, but Kealoha and her team managed to draw favorites, including a portrait of three colorful printmakers in Sao Paulo, Brazil (below). Kelaoha often hires director Greg Mitnick to helm most of the bi-monthly episodes, with Cool Hunting’s EIC Josh Rubin and executive editor Evan Orensten stepping in to produce part of the time.

We asked Kealoha about the series and how they pick what what to feature for their high brow audience. “We use the same criteria that we use for the site—it’s stuff we like, said Kealoha. “Of course, we temper that by considering what does and doesn’t work for video, so the nature of the subject and the kind of access we have to it makes a big difference.” And this is playing out as the video series progresses, trying to match content choices with their astute fan base. “We think of our audience as creative professionals,” she added, “so we are always thinking about things like process and behind-the-scenes.”

An other episode (below) teamed up the CH crew with fashion label Diesel who invited them to check out the Miami edition of their annual Diesel:U:Music Tour last month. Headliners of the event Kid Cudi and Santigold are interviewed talking about how their multi-genre music styles are “taking it back to rock and roll basics.”

Escape. The web isn’t clamoring with that many series that truly rip us out of our office chairs. Often we’re given mere momentary amusement. But I’m talking about the ones that suck us through our laptop screens and into a world so refreshingly different yet intimately familiar we actually feel transported.

Everyone has something that gives them this kind of escape. For me, it’s a show that propels me into the land of ski tracks in fresh powder, vertical drops and climbing 5.10’s. Pure adrenaline daydreaming. Luckily, I may have just found my new episodic winter escape.

Fitz Cahall is a natural storyteller, crafting 20 episodes of an NPR-worthy podcast of outdoor adventures called The Dirtbag Diaries. His real life human tales of triumph are This American Life for REI junkies. But now, Cahall is taking the leap into web series, with the upcoming premiere of The Season later this month. It’s 22 episodes of outdoor goodness, all shot in HD, following the unique stories of five individual dreamers from the Pacific Northwest. Guys like Paul Kuthe, a kayaker who overcame a difficult past and rock climber Matt Maddaloni who invented a new camera rigging system for filming climbs.

“The idea, or maybe the question, behind the series is this,” wrote Cahall in a recent blog post about the series. “Could we take compelling stories from our community, combine it with tightly crafted footage and create small installments that reveal a bigger story?”

Cahall and his producing partner Bryan Smith of Reel Water Productions managed to score high-end outdoor clothing line Arc’teryx along with microbrewer New Belgium Brewery to sponsor the series.