Who

What: Media Bistro’s Producing Online Entertainment Content

Where: Tribeca Cinemas

When: August 19, 2009

Thumbs: Up

Of one point, all six panelists agreed: It’s difficult to be successful online. They consented on that point, even though they had different definitions of success. Whatever you set out to achieve — whether you want to make money, hit benchmarks for site visitors, get publicity, build a brand, or just express yourself creatively — online video is an uphill and demanding venture. The most telling moment of the night came when Paul Kontonis was asked “What would you tell someone just starting in online video?” and he replied “Don’t.”

But Kontonis’s fatalist attitude wasn’t shared by all. The panel offered some keys to the trade. Everyone agreed that you must first identify and zero in on your audience. (Kontonis mentioned “The Curse of Any” – If your video is for anyone, it’s for no one.) Each of them had advice for how to create and build something that’s both personal and innovative.

Heather Gold repeatedly stressed the importance of authenticity and doing what you really want to do. Colin Moore focused on building your brand. Adam Elend spoke about intimacy with your audience. Kontonis made the intuitive point that your videos have to be good and engaging. Diane deCordova amplified that by reminding people to make fresh and original videos. And Dina Kaplan said that you have to package it all together with the right look, feel and vibe that sets your videos apart from the millions of others out there.

The audience really wanted to know how to make money with online video. The panel emphasized how different online video is from blogging, where you tend to first work on producing content and worry about revenue later on. For original video, both Elend and Kontonis say they secure sponsors before shooting begins. Dina Kaplan sells shows another way. Her company, Blip.tv, packages 50 niche shows together and tries to sell them as a block to advertisers. The panelists suggested that in order to help attract an audience – and, in turn, advertisers – video producers need to spend half their time on content and half their time on marketing their product. Otherwise, you are better off heeding Kontonis’ warning: Don’t.

What They Said

“How do you make entertainment in a world where looking at a friend’s Facebook album is as entertaining as a TV show?”

- Adam Elend made us happy we weren’t the only ones

“People tend to go right to dollars and numbers. I would encourage you to ignore both of those.”

- Heather Gold has one definition for success

“We’re a network owned by a corporation owned by a corporation. We’re trying to make money.”
- Colin Moore has another definition

“Advertisers are a lot less interested in content than they are in your audience.”
- Dina Kaplan on why it’s important to build your own audience

“Don’t do live (video) unless you can do sports or news.”
- Paul Kontonis is slowly eliminating options of what you should even try

“There is a huge audience out there- 140 million people- watching online video.”
- Diana deCordova explained why video, despite the difficulty, is good to be involved in

What We Thought

• Manoush Zomorodi did a great job of two things. The first is handling a panel this large. She began by dividing them in two groups, but that boundary quickly disintegrated. The second is offering quick background and explanations for people, sites or programs mentioned. In fact, she set the tone for the panelists to begin explaining things themselves. She was a real audience advocate.
• It was pointed out a few times, but – it’s the Internet. Every piece of advice the panel gave could soon be obsolete.
• We seem to be moving closer to the point where you won’t discern between a “network show” and an “online show” when you watch content. We can’t yet fully imagine that world.

PANEL RULES!

Some audience behavior seems to repeat itself panel after panel. We’ll be updating a running list of “PANEL RULES!” that will help ensure that you are not the dweeb of the Panel Nerds.

Panel Nerds don’t like … Crammers

When you’re just haphazardly listing all the online terms and phrases you’re familiar with (SEO, metrics, uh… analytics!), we know what’s going on. You couldn’t get away without doing the reading in school. You still can’t. A better approach – Just ask the question.

Panel Nerds Etan Bednarsh and Danny Groner are New York-based writers and avid panel-goers. Want them at your panel? Email them here: PanelNerds@mediaite.com

Who

What: MediaBistro’s “Finding a Business Model for News & Online Media,” at Comix

When: July 16, 2009

Thumbs: Up

Even though the panelists admitted off the bat that they didn’t have a business model to rehabilitate all of journalism, that didn’t stop attendees from asking for it anyway. The panelists indicated that each of them was involved, in some capacity, with pursuing a different innovative venture to keep news reporting alive. Those projects include fundraising for donations from the public, subscribing to ad-supported domains, getting wealthy donors to support a site, and working for free in hopes of eventually bringing in advertising revenue.

One potential solution raised was micro-payments, nominal fees for access to online news. Carberry and Rosen correctly pointed out that newspapers never relied on subscriptions as the source of revenue, and it could be a mistake to now turn to readers to finance newsrooms. What news sites must do first, the panel agreed, is to establish and demonstrate its value to readers. While great content or investigations may be valuable to some, it is convenience, said Sklar, that often motivates people to pay for a service.

No matter who is investing in your project, there’s bound to be someone trying to influence your reporting. Rosen, who was at his best, said that all forms of subsidy come with a price – rich patrons with an agenda, advertisers wanting to promote their products, or even publications that cater to traffic patterns on their sites. It appears that while there are many new methods to sample and consider, there is not yet a definitive answer to saving journalism. Ultimately, we had to conclude that there may never be one definitive answer at all. We just hope that those who paid $75 or traveled all the way from Albany for the event felt they took something home.

What They Said

“It’s a fascinating time for media. Of course fascinating can also be a synonym for terrifying.”

- Moderator Jon Fine in his opening remarks. Fine writes a column for BusinessWeek that, it was announced this week, is up for sale.

“It’s almost like having a baby, and ours seems to be sick a lot.”

- Matt Romanoski discussing the setbacks and difficulties of his site, NewJerseyNewsroom.com, which launched this spring.

“Do what you do best and link to the rest.”

- Jay Rosen citing what has become the mantra and aim of many blogs.

“That’s like living with someone, then moving out, and expecting you’ll still date.”

- Maegan Carberry’s take on starting to charge online readers for content after it’s been free for so long. Still, we’ll miss the way your news print felt on Saturday mornings.

“The goal is to create a robust site with different voices.”

- Rachel Sklar is hoping to build Mediaite as a central hub for the ongoing media discussion

What We Thought

• We thought Fine did an excellent job moderating this discussion. He only chimed in to keep the conversation moving, ceding the floor to the panelists. He also contributed to some of the funnier moments of the evening.
• Only at media panels do you hear panelists half-jokingly acknowledge that they are idiots. We like the message and tone this conveys – They’re showing that they are students and observers of the changing media too. This is, we believe, the framework that makes participatory journalism possible and practical. Elitism is mostly dismissed in favor of education.
• We enjoyed seeing two panelists – Sklar and Carberry – not just hold their own with their male counterparts, but also hold their liquor. The ladies of the panel nursed glasses of champagne that commanded sophistication blended with high-class Julius Caesar Twitter jokes.

PANEL RULES!

Some audience behavior seems to repeat itself panel after panel. We’ll be updating a running list of “PANEL RULES!” that will help ensure that you are not the dweeb of the Panel Nerds.

Panel Nerds don’t like…. Dennis Miller Wannabes

Don’t casually make obscure references that no one is familiar with - If there’s a legal case you reference for your question, explain what the case is and how it’s relevant. Give us some background. Have the question make sense- for us and the panelists. If you keep this up, you’ll never last on Monday Night Football.

Etan Bednarsh is a writer and internet marketer in New York City . His writing focuses on the intersection of politics and pop culture. He is currently studying sketch and improvisational comedy at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade. Danny Groner is a freelance online writer and video editor in New York City. He has worked at several prominent media companies, dabbling in radio, television, and print and online journalism.

Want the Panel Nerds to cover your panel? Email them here: PanelNerds@mediaite.com

[Disclaimer: Mediaite's Rachel Sklar was one of the members of this panel. The opinions expressed in our column were not edited for content. We decided to attend this panel on our own, and not at the behest of anyone representing Mediaite. That Rachel was one of the panel members speaks to our dovetailing interests, and we are in favor of anything that dovetails.]