HOLLYWOOD

IS DOOMED
The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams

by jeremy campbell
THIS EBOOK MANIFESTO is for anyone who wants to produce better quality web video
entertainment, enhance their professional profile, be part of a new collaborative production
model, make new connections, get involved with some interesting opportunities, and (in time)
enjoy financial benefits.

The paradox, of course, is that the best way to get all of these things is through doing more with
less via harnessing the power of human capital.

This ebook is about empowering a movement and creating meaning. Feel free to share it with
anyone you feel will see value from it.
 ©2009, Socially Collaborative Media, Inc.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License. To view a copy of this
license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/ca/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second
Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.

I want to express my gratitude to everyone who helped make this possible. I could neither have founded
this company nor authored this manifesto without your unwavering support and belief in me. I also want
to sing the praises of all those who were involved in the lengthy (and sometimes a bit tedious) process of
transforming my vision into a reality. I simply could not have done it without you.

NOTE: The Rise of Collaborative Creation Teams is designed for people who are already familiar with
video production, social media, the Web 2.0 landscape, and blogs.

Thanks so much for reading. When you’re done, feel free to post this on your blog, your Twitter page
<http://www.Twitter.com>, Facebook<http://www.Facebook.com>, MySpace <http://www.MySpace.
com>, or anywhere else across the web. You can also email it to a friend or colleague who you believe
would benefit from its content.
A Big Fat Juicy Movement
We’re talking about challenging the video creation status quo and fostering change. Rejecting
the way that Hollywood has traditionally done business over the past few decades. Giving
big-budget, closed and controlled producers a real run for their money.

The Web has begun tearing down corporate walls across all industries by presenting people with
the collaborative tools that they need to connect. This has allowed innovative virtual models to
emerge, setting the stage for the birth of a completely new creation ecosystem.

This idea could plausibly go by many names - a virtual Hollywood or the world of Next-Gen
video entertainment, for example - but the core principle is the firm belief that the stars and hits
of tomorrow will no longer be manufactured exclusively in corporate studios.

This is not just an ebook about a new web company. It’s an introduction to a new platform that
might very well change the way we view video entertainment creation forever. After all, for
many video producers, it’s not about the money at all—it’s about producing video content that
spreads and is enjoyed and interacted with by audiences around the globe.
6 Key Questions
Why should this matter to me?
Is this a freelancing/outsourcing platform?
Can this change the world of entertainment?
Where do I start?
How can I produce more video content by doing less?
How do I become an expert?
 The Rules Have Changed.

Big studios beware

In order to produce quality video entertainment capable of reaching mass
audiences, loads of money, equipment, manpower, expensive editing software
and time have traditionally been a necessity. These days, the social web has
begun to tip the economics of video creation in favor of the people. Now,
anyone who has enough passion, creativity, and a great story to tell has the
potential to create a masterpiece.

An important caveat to this concept, however, is that well-established studios

are able to effectively compete in the entertainment industry due to high
quality creation value and star-power. This means that free agents who are
collaborating on a video project must not only tell an emotionally compelling
story, they must also harness the power of the social web and viral marketing
in order to get word out about their video upon completion.

Further, the right human talent for a video project is almost impossible to
come by without the help of movie industry connections or the ability to pay
million-dollar salaries… So, if individuals want to create video that they truly
believe in, where can they turn?
Spidvid is here.
With Spidvid <http://www.Spidvid.com>, people can connect with
likeminded individuals and share common ideas, dreams, objectives,
and goals in order to create video content that matters to everyone
involved. These new groups of connected individuals will undoubtedly
become the next significant wave of web video studios, established
from the ground up.

Tools for the masses

As the title ―Small is the New Big‖ of Seth Godin’s past book outlines,
there is a huge shift in the way small groups of people are aligning with
one another to compete with large companies. Further, outrageously
expensive tools and software that were once available only to well-
funded production companies are now being given out to friends and
family as Christmas presents.

Music Artists get it

The music industry has been forever changed by online marketing
through social networks. Aggressive independent artists who have
gained inexpensive access to these resources have risen to greatness,
and a similar grassroots movement is currently underway for video
producers. Spidvid is a platform through which the web video community
will become empowered to create quality video content that doesn’t
have to come from Hollywood ivory towers.
Now you’re getting it, too!
Power to the people has never been more evident than it is now, thanks to the
collaborative web. Congratulations, now you understand the power that you
have and the difference you can make in this new media world. You used to be
an individual on a quest to do everything yourself, but now it’s becoming clear
on how you can leverage the talent and time of other individuals to collectively
produce quality content.
It’s exciting that you are realizing how you really can do more with less.
Take a deep breath
It can be overwhelming to hear all of this information, so by now you are likely
asking yourself, ―Ok, I could get into this... but where do I begin?‖
We will touch more on this later, but for starters you will need to join our private
beta <www.spidvid.com >. We are limiting access to the beta so that we can
form a solid core network of passionate people with a true desire to join us on
our quest for change in the world of video creation.

If you feel that you fit this description, go ahead and apply to be a member of
our private beta. Then, wait your turn for an invite. Upon receiving one, post
your profile and go from there. At the time of writing this ebook, there are no
experts in this brand new space - and this fact carries with it some very exciting
possibilities. Just as in any other profession, the experts will rise to the top
of the talent pool; they will be the ones who dedicate themselves from the
beginning to becoming thought leaders in their field. These people will go on
to evolve into ―specialists‖ with highly valuable - and sought after - skills.

Join Spidvid’s Private Beta.

 Meet the Entertainment Web.

The goal of this manifesto

Viewers want to watch more quality video entertainment than traditional TV
can provide to them. I crave great shows and videos, but when I turn to my
cable TV for content, I’m often left watching reruns of Seinfeld and Friends.
Sound familiar? In fact, if it wasn’t for sporting entertainment I would have
cancelled my cable back when the infamous Hollywood writers strike was
taking place and reruns were the norm.

The fact is, we as media consumers love our prime-time programming - hits
such as Entourage, Gossip Girl, Lost, Heroes, and Dirty Sexy Money, among
many others. However, we are now beginning to migrate toward niche shows
which can only be found on the web.

The transition from using the web solely as a medium for communication to a
source of entertainment as well is now underway as niche programming
becomes more appealing to each of our unique tastes.
Many of the larger studios are spinning off exclusive web video studios to
accommodate this growing trend. The way I see it, these new web studios
cut costs in every way possible, release content exclusively online, and
call these ―new media‖ studios. But the fact is, they really aren’t that much
different than their TV counterparts. The executives still maintain full creative
control, don’t have revenue sharing deals with the people who actually
implemented the plans, and have a very closed way of only using their internal
talent and fail to collaborate with others on a broader scale.

By looking at models that have knocked down walls to allow for consumer
participation, we are seeing that our collective power is much stronger than
closed, hiearchicahal companies had led us to believe in the past. This has
been openly demonstrated through researching information on Wikipedia,
installing FireFox as a web browser, browsing Flickr for photos, and watching
videos on YouTube.
New opportunities for the creation community
Many actors, writers, directors, and the many other important people involved
in video creation have long been shut out and turned down by studios.
When talented people are rejected and can’t find work or other opportunities,
where can they turn?

The obvious answer is to keep at it by going on more interviews, doing more

casting calls, and ultimately wasting enormous amounts of energy and time
by crossing fingers in the hope that something will eventually pop up.

The goal of Spidvid is to provide a connection platform that helps creators

discover the talent that they need for their projects, as well as to aid creative
professionals in their quest for great projects that they can be a part of. A
transparent solution for the creation community is long overdue, where
individuals enjoy benefits according to the value they contribute.

Spidvid Connects Production Professionals.

 Massive Global Collaboration.

Turning the industry upside down

Many people may identify this approach as a disruptive force against the
traditional studios, and they’re probably right. Just as blogs and citizen
journalism are killing the print industry, there is something very special just
starting to take place in the video space.

Business as usual is no longer, and with people being able to partner up in

unprecedented collaborative ways worldwide in mere seconds, it’s not so hard
to believe that the emergence of next generation media and business models
is just around the corner.
Web Video 1.0: Simply have a presence
Before YouTube’s mainstream appeal, web video really took a back seat
to information and communication services like email. In the late 1990’s
and early 2000’s hardly anyone was going online for videos so turning
on the TV is what most of us did on a regular basis.

It’s unreal to think how fast web video has taken off with hundreds of
thousands of videos uploaded to YouTube EVERY DAY, and some 130
million viewers/month. Recent reports show that young adults aged
18-24 rely on their computers for broadband video content more so
than their TV now.

Yes, we’ve certainly come a long way since 2005 when YouTube was
just a baby with modest dreams. Never did the founders ever believe
in their wildest dreams that they would forever change the face of the
web video landscape just a few months later.

Early on, YouTube empowered ordinary everyday people to upload

any video they had on their computer’s hard drive, and allow it to be
viewed, shared, and find an online audience it never had before.
People were uploading everything imaginable from pets riding skateboards,
to showing off their bad dance moves, to teens on webcams lamenting
about the trials and tribulations of growing up in a challenging new world.

This type of content is commonly referred to as user generated content

(UGC for short); content with an audience that family members, friends,
and colleagues find emotionally intriguing.

Although it was cool for awhile to have such an in-depth look at the
lives of other people (and to see things we simply could not on TV), the
mass appeal of UGC quickly vanished due to the mountains of ―copy-
cat material‖ that began to pile up online. It could be argued that over
time, UGC has become more creative, educational, and/or entertaining,
but people’s hunger for quality content was rapidly growing.

It was time for web video 1.0 to grow up, and to become something so
much more.
Web Video 2.0: Quality entertainment on demand
There are those who may remain forever satisfied with uploading their
personal videos for their social network connections to view, share, and
enjoy. For many, a solution like this would certainly be ideal and provide
great enjoyment by touching the lives of a select few.

Creators and production professionals are increasingly turning to the

web to unleash quality entertainment in order to capture the strong
viewer demand of this new media revolution.

It’s incredible to see where this is all going, and it’s no wonder that large
studios and new web studios are popping up all over the place. This is
through the understanding that change is coming to the TV landscape,
in that people want to socialize and interact with content that matters
to them, in addition to the fact that advertisers are no longer seeing the
same ROI from TV that they had once enjoyed.
Many brands were primarily built by gaining scale through buying TV
ads, enjoying the resulting profit windfalls, and then repeating the
process because it effectively worked and scaled. Unfortunately, not a
single brand in the last decade has been built this way, and none are
likely to do so going forward. Advertisers are now demanding
accountability and direct measurement, both of which the web is getting
better at delivering.

We are now seeing an early transition between the two mediums

where TV network executives are working hard to draw viewers back
to their web properties to view more of their content, sign up for their
newsletters, and see more ads which pad their bottom line. I believe
that it’s inevitable that we will see a complete integration between TV
and the web within 5 years, rewriting history on what TV as a medium
really stands for.
Online media’s rapid growth
With 6 billion video views per month and over 1 billion people online,
there is an unprecedented social media revolution that is changing the
face of video and virtually everything else on the web. Ah yes, the internet
is no longer just for geeks coding HTML in their garages.

So what comes next after quality entertainment on-demand becomes

the standard?
What happens after high definition (HD) is readily available and viewers
have become almost completely dependent on consuming their video
content online?

The remainder of this ebook outlines how I believe a transformation of

studios will occur from the bottom up, eliminating the traditional top-down
approach - ultimately providing a new model for creation, production, and
compensation.
Individuals make the studio
The key aspect for entertainment studios is to effectively connect the dots so
that quality video content can become a reality. The dots are the individuals
who make up the core fabric necessary to go from the idea phase to a final
product which can be marketed to a viewing audience.

So, the big idea here is that the most important part of studios are the individuals
and the way that they are connected together to produce entertainment value.
With this concept in mind, Spidvid is an organized connection platform operating
under the vision that quality entertainment will be produced that otherwise wouldn’t
exist. What we are seeing now are thousands of independent video creators who
a) typically take weeks or months to release quality content, b) could use outside
talent to reduce the time to produce content, and c) don’t have the internal talent to
take their content to the next level.

Our hope is that these creators see Spidvid as a solution to attract and collaborate
with much needed talent, are able to release video content sooner, can enjoy
increased entertainment and creation value for their content, and can properly
reward their talent for providing important services to reach desired content goals.

Introducing Virtual Studios.

 Reasons to Get On Board.

Primary benefits of collaborative video creation teams

Free to build and be part of – no money exchanges hands like on freelancing
sites. Individuals contribute their time and talent and are rewarded in terms of
recognition and financially according to the success their videos attract.

Saves time – instead of a creator doing everything herself, she can assign tasks
to professionals reducing the time from starting a project to completing it.
Each individual acts as a marketing and promotional outlet – if a team has five
individuals involved, each member has personal motivation to see the video
or videos succeed. This may include embedding content on a site or blog for
increased distribution outlets, or communicating with friends, family, and
colleagues on social networks to get the word out about new content available
for viewing.

New friendships – an individual will have the chance to form relationships

that he/she would not have had the opportunity to develop otherwise.
Larger opportunities – each video project an individual collaborates on is an
additional video to add to the digital media kit and social media profile.
So, exactly who is this movement for?
The Spidvid platform is for creators who want to build their own web
video production teams, as well as for professionals who want to be a
part of these teams.

Outlined below is a list that details how creators and professionals can
get involved and put this platform to use.
Creators
A creator can use this platform in many different and unique ways. For
example, a creator may have written a great script and thus needs actors,
a director, a producer, and an editor to carry out his vision. He may
only have a rough idea and a need to connect a group of individuals to
take things from the idea phase to a fully produced video. On the other
hand, a creator may be an investor that has secured high tech equipment
and a great set to shoot on, but lacks the professionals to carry out the
operation. Or a creator may already have an entertaining web show, but
needs additional talent to take things to the next level. As you can see, these
are just a few ways a creator can get value from this platform by obtaining
much needed human capital.
Writers
Many creators seek out talented writers to take ideas and concepts and
put them into a script that tells an interesting story. A writer can browse
through projects that require their expertise, and choose where their
talents may be best applied.

Actors
Actors may be the most important part of a team because they are the
faces and personalities that viewers will connect with. Many projects need
experienced and passionate actors, so this group will be sure to get many
project invitations. Because actors must work with many others involved in
a project, they need to be sure that they can work well with others,
especially if a director is involved.

Directors
Directors should have the ability to lead in order to get the most out of
their actors. Because directors are highly demanded by creators, there
will be many opportunities for great directors to lead a set. Because
much of the work is on location, directors must ensure that they don’t
become over-extended by taking on too many projects simultaneously.
Producers
Often a creator is also a producer who takes responsibility for the success
or failure of a project. Producers may not always have an exclusive spot on
smaller video projects, but they may discover larger opportunities on Spidvid
where their role would be integrally important.

Editors
Every video needs to be chopped, sliced, diced, and reconnected in a
coherent way. Editors who are experts with Final Cut Pro may have creators
flocking to them for post-production work. Editors may also find themselves
working on a broad selection of projects at the same time. Since they aren’t
physically needed in a given location at any point in time, editors can
undertake projects from around the world.

Graphic Designers
When graphical work is needed for a video or show – logos or diagrams, for
example – a graphic designer will come in quite handy. Although not
necessary for every project, a designer may fit the profile of a consultant in
many instances.
Narrators
When voiceovers are needed to tell a story, a story narrator with a
captivating voice may be the desired solution. Narrators may find their
place in niche content such as animation where characters need a voice,
or in the beginning of a video where background information is given as
context to the story.

Special Effects Artists

When cool things happen in videos they are usually because of exciting
special effects. Special effects artists usually come in limited supply so
when a creator needs one, he or she may not have many places to look.
These individuals have extremely specialized talents and are able to
take the ordinary and make it extraordinary.

Animation Artists
Many special effects come in the form of animated effects, so an
animation artist who can add such effects on top of a video can have a
lot of entertainment value to offer, but creators may not be seeking these
skills. Animators must be initiators by outlining how they can be of use.
Music Artists
The final position worth noting comes in a slightly different form, and that
role is the music artist. These individuals or groups are looking for new ways
to reach audiences for their produced content, and our platform offers them
the ability to make that happen. Many videos have greater depth while back-
ground music plays, so creators can connect with music producers who are
open to this avenue. Music artists may also browse through projects they feel
their tunes would align well with, and send a proposal to the creator.

The connection and collaboration process is a two-way street, so creators

must constantly scout for new talent, and professionals need to be able to
identify where their strengths can be of use to those creators. It is our strong
belief that some great long-term relationships will form. This will ensure the
constant creation of quality video entertainment which will be enjoyed by
the global viewing audience for many years to come.

Everyone Can Play a Role.

 Start it up.

When and how should you start?

Many times, just simply starting something is at least half the challenge. So
the earlier you start, the higher the chance that you will succeed.
These days, everyone stays busy. With so much going on in your daily life, you
may not even remember reading this ebook next week. So, if this concept is
up your alley, you should take the proactive step of providing your email address
now so that you can be part of something bigger than yourself.

Within a few days, you will receive an invitation code granting you access to
our private beta community. From there you can post your profile, connect
with other likeminded individuals within the web video community, and
collaborate on video projects in unprecedented ways.

We need you to be part of this new creation model, because without talented
individuals such as yourself, the next big viral video or show sensation will never exist.

What will your next video creation team look like?

Five ways Spidvid can work for you
•You have an original idea for a video or show, so you need to build a
team to move from the idea phase to a video ready for distribution. You
post your proposal idea and invite writers, actors, producers, and editors
to bid on the chance to help turn your idea into a video reality.

•You have a well written script, so you need to build a team that can
help you leverage the script into an entertaining video. You post your
proposal stating that you have a script, invite the professionals you
need, and effectively move forward.

•You have already shot the video, so you now need a couple of good
editors to assemble together the raw content. You post your proposal
mentioning that you have reached the editing process, invite editors to
bid, take bids from editors, and have your content professionally polished
to your satisfaction.

•You are in post production and are internally going through the editing
process, but want some outside assistance for animated effects and
video graphics. So you post a proposal outlining that you are actively
editing the video, but would like to enhance it with animations and
graphics. You connect with a couple of great professionals who can
take your content to the next level on the quality scale.

•You have edited your video and are almost ready to release it, but you
want to tell an engaging story that better resonates with your viewing
audience. You need a narrator with a catchy voice, so you post a proposal
communicating that you are late in the video’s production life cycle and
want to polish it off with a dialogue voiceover. You post your proposal,
invite and take bids from story narrators, find the ideal voice, and before
you know it, your video is being enjoyed and shared by thousands of viewers
online.
I hope this inspires you to take action.
Don’t be shy to share this ebook, as it is with great hope that the ideas discussed here will both
spread and improve.

You can also help get the word out by emailing a link to anyone that you believe may benefit
from Spidvid.

Have something that you want to add? Visit http://www.hollywoodisdoomed.pbwiki.com

for the ongoing editing of this document.
About the Author
Jeremy Campbell is a change agent set out to inspire, empower, and connect individuals to
enable the video production model to be more open, collaborative, and that has significant
meaning.

Campbell is founder of Spidvid.com and its parent company, Socially Collaborative Media, Inc.
You can reach him at jeremy@spidvid.com, or connect with him via his many profiles across the
social web.