Over at BrandStorytelling, I ran an Op-Ed piece this week on the possible signs of an upcoming branded content backlash. As I write there: "Late last year – just a few weeks ago – I predicted that we’d see a branded content backlash in 2020. I assumed this would be caused by a Jenner/Pepsi type moment, but we may be seeing the beginnings of this backlash in a new piece from 100Reporters, detailing many recent transparency and ethical lapses in branded content." The linked article references many branded/corporate funded films that hide, or at best elide, their corporate funding, and raise many ethical issues as a result.
My article there is geared towards branded content folks, but I think its relevant to regular film folks as well. Especially if you are considering brand funding for your projects. Bottom line - if you do, be honest and transparent about it, and don't try to elide who funded your project. While this applies most to corporate funded docs, let's face it - traditional doc funders, be they impact investors, or old-fashioned major foundations - also have their reasons for funding docs, and I think you should be just as transparent about those sources.
Towards the end of the article, I quote Pat Aufderheide, of American University, who says we need a lot more conversations about the ethics of documentary - in this case around doc funding. I couldn't agree more, and hope it becomes a topic of greater conversation this year. With more folks jumping into the funding space every day, it's a long overdue dialogue.
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Quibi debuts at CES to some good reviews: Quibi launched at CES last week, and wowed the crowd. Which is not hard to do - pull out a few celebrities in a town full of geeks looking at new technology (often promoted with "booth girls" not unlike a car show...). If you want to read the good, Gizmodo is as good a place as any for a summary - and even they conceded it was "Either a Clever Gimmick or the Future of Entertainment." The review latches on to what made everyone swoon- the technology, called Turnstyle, which allows you to switch viewing modes from landscape to portrait in some cool ways, and the talent on board. Ok, sure.
and to a scorching and prescient bad review: But over at the Lefsetz Letter, Bob is having none of it, saying "This is what happens when baby boomers with MBAs try to compete in the tech sphere…THEY LOSE!" And he foes on to list the myriad ways that Quibi is a loser, concluding "Quibi is a disaster, a complete waste of money as a pay service. Expect them to change the model, be free, or tie in with YouTube, Facebook and/or Instagram and Snapchat in an effort to succeed. And after they pivot, they might declare victory, but really, this idea with this business model is DOA."
Meanwhile, over at The Information (subscription needed) they ran- Quibi’s Numbers Show High Wire Act, and break-down a bit more about how this thing is being run - and reveal that Quibi is already spending more than it has raised, taking a big gamble on future subscribers. Fundraising 101- raise your nut before you've sold a ticket, or in other words - this is a bad idea.
But I think we can call Quibi a waste of time based on one thing alone- their launch video for CES - sure, it's expensive, but an overly-long, slickly produced paean to the history of computing, and how you now have the "whole world in your hands," capped by some directors and actors beloved mainly by people over 40...that launches at CES, a trade show for industry (as opposed to say VidCon) is a commercial for all that you don't really get about the future. This ad would have made sense when Apple launched the iPhone, perhaps, but we figured out the whole world was in our hands a long time ago, Meg and Jeff.
And then they got on stage with Marc Pritchard from P&G and talked about how Quibi will save ad-supported media. Once again, that's not a consumer problem, but an industry problem, and the wrong focus for any company. From AdAge: "It all amounts to what Pritchard has been seeking for years from his bully pulpit as chief marketer of the world’s biggest advertiser (once again) and chairman of the Association of National Advertisers: content that appeals to millennials and younger, but with old-school production, business and editorial values—brand-safe, with minimal clutter and verified audiences."
And at $4.99 with ads. Have a year of fun with this one, Quibi, 'cause that''s about all you've got. I've been vocal in my criticisms of Quibi, and I agree with Lefsetz, but will go further - Quibi will become a unit of Verizon within a year, and everyone will claim success, but it will be written down, and off, not much later.
One caveat - if the DOJ splits up Facebook and Google, and blocks kids from using TikTok, there's a chance some free-time will be spent watching Quibi instead. But that's a weird set of things on which to pin your survival.
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Didn't like that De-Aging in The Irishman? A deep-fake hacker did a better version, and most people think its better than what Scorsese used. Me - it's smoother, younger and more realistic on the small screen at least, but I'd argue it goes too far in the de-aging. Still, a fun watch.
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Teen Vogue stepped in the doo-doo this past week, with their advertorial about how well women at Facebook are helping to ensure election integrity. The Brand Content Marketing Association called them out in The Drum, alongside everyone else under the sun. Bottom line - as I write about in this week's post for BrandStorytelling mentioned above - follow the golden rule of transparency. And until I read this, I didn't know anyone had made best practices, so the BCMA should market those...
Westworld/HBO held a pretty cool activation at CES, with a very immersive, but slightly creepy sounding dinner event, where everyone's data was used to personalize the event. This is the right kind of event/launch to hold at CES, as its a commentary on the event as much as a solo happening. Mashable reports.
This is pretty Westworld, Big Brother and icky all in one:
Read more about it here.
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What went wrong with virtual reality? asks the BBC, in an article that also talks about what has worked. Go figure - cost, lack of quality content, and over-hype are among the culprits. Prediction - it will get far worse before it ever gets better.
But Zuck thinks it can solve the housing crisis - because people can more easily work remotely. Me: Is he kidding? We already know this from tech generally - people still tend to gravitate to cities for friends, culture, tolerance, etc.
And Panasonic made some cool VR goggles - that are cooler to look at, but much more likely to fall off your face (no strap/unbalanced) None of this is going to help sell VR/AR, but...
This Holocaust survivor had some good things to say about its use in a recent museum exhibit.
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