If Web broadcasting goes mainstream, you could be a star
The arrival of Apple TV and other products is pushing Internet video onto TV screens.
from the May 1, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
Who'll watch what?
If the day does come when Internet video is commonplace on television, what will viewers decide to watch? To a large degree, they may view the same shows they watch now. Analysts say that the big broadcast networks aren't about to fade away, and their hit series will still draw huge audiences.
On the other end of the spectrum, however, a large selection of user-generated content targeted to niche audiences – the kind of subject matter that might never bring in enough viewers to justify a big-budget TV show – could flourish.
"Vendetta Gunn," for instance, is full of Boston-specific references that outsiders might not pick up on or be interested in.
Larry Cohen, Nick Fenster, and Michael Thomas – the three undergraduates who created the show using a borrowed camera – believe they've gotten their money's worth for the $120 it cost them to produce the first episode.
"We never had any illusions it was going to be this amazing, breakout Internet success," says Mr. Cohen, the show's director. "But it has gathered a strong, small following."
"Apparently, employees of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority watch it at the office," adds Mr. Fenster, one of the on-screen stars. An officer at the MBTA has even offered to appear in the show's next episode.
As the technology improves, so will the technical demands for Internet television – unlike YouTube, where anything goes.
Traditional production skills – such as knowing how to properly light a scene – will become much more important, says Mr. Muchnik, the digital film school director, And yet, a low-budget project won't necessarily need to look as perfect as "The Sopranos" to get noticed, he adds. "Content is king. If you have a good story to tell, people will watch it."
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