Want Content? “Pick One”
A meeting with the super smart Avner Ronen of Boxee yesterday, combined with reading coverage of the Pirate Bay trial and the 30 Rock “McFlurrygate” has got me thinking on overdrive about the future of video content.
In a conversation last night with my buddy Aaron, we came up with a simple rule called “Pick One.” While certainly not groundbreaking, it’s an easy way to think about the future of entertainment.I’ve seen a lot of folks living inside the insular tech world develop the attitude that they deserve their content free of:
- cost
- time/focus consuming advertising
- product placement
This led to the “pick one” theory. For a sustainable content production model, the consumer has to pick one of those. I hate to play the old media asshole here, but an episode of Lost isn’t going to get made with none of the above.
I would defo opt for the last choice. Well, as long as it’s done professionally. The whole McFlurry thing was a bit hard to swallow (unlike a McFlurry TM C etc.), but I can see the effort that went into it at least.
Wouldn’t it be cool if they (show makers) brought out actually decent products with their shows? Not the cash-in video game, Lost. Not the inevitable, cheapo, tacky action figures, basically everyone. Something like, to reference Lost again, Dharma Initiative foodstuff. Get a deal with Coke to rebrand their cans for a while or something. Make their own chocolate bars. That would be awesome.
