#if we are able to sustain and GROW the viewership of the show we are more likely to get buddie

[911-on-abc]

I have mixed feelings about Tim but I genuinely respect him for at least being honest about this (x)

[maloned]

CM Punk's Pipe Bomb: Reigniting My Passion for Wrestling and the Hope for His AEW Return

CM Punk's Pipe Bomb and Money in the Bank 2011 was the pivotal moments that reignited my passion for wrestling. As a Lapsed Fan who had lost interest in WWE and wrestling after the failed invasion angle and the original brand extension, I had limited my viewership to WrestleMania alone.

However, in 2011, fate intervened when a nearby Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant began airing all WWE PPVs. It was the perfect opportunity to enjoy the shows while indulging in some delicious wings and a raucous crowd of wrestling fans. Then, I stumbled upon David Lagana's podcast, "We Want Wrestling," specifically created for Lapsed Fans like myself. That podcast was fanning the flames of my fandum, preparing the way for what came next.

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The unforgettable Monday night of June 27, 2011. I still ignored RAW and Smackdown during that time, but I decided to tune into the end of the go-home episode of RAW before Money in the Bank, I was treated to CM Punk's legendary Pipe Bomb promo. It was a captivating moment. Punk eloquently expressed all the thoughts I had about the state of wrestling. He articulated the very reasons why I had drifted away from my favorite form of sports and entertainment.

That remarkable promo, combined with the electric atmosphere of the Chicago crowd at Money in the Bank and the phenomenal 5-star match between Punk and Cena, ignited a renewed excitement and hope within me. It carried me through the rollercoaster ride of The Summer of Punk and sustained through Daniel Bryan's (Bryan Danielson)'s YES Movement. upto the next Brand Split in 2016. Despite growing weary of WWE's questionable booking and the excessive time investment required, I was grateful for being drawn back into the wrestling world. For a few years, I had the privilege of experiencing WWE and witnessing the rise of Bryan alongside my daughters before they outgrew it.

In recent years, my rekindled fandom has found a new home in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Thanks to their English simulcasts on PPV, AXStv, and the NJPW World streaming platform, I've been able to delve deeper into the wrestling world. The captivating performances of stars like Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, the Young Bucks, and Cody Rhodes led me to the first-ever ALL IN pay-per-view and the birth of All Elite Wrestling (AEW). AEW's shows have become a tremendous source of entertainment for me, reinvigorating my love for the sport.

The journey came full circle on August 20, 2021, when CM Punk made his triumphant return to wrestling in AEW. His arrival marked the beginning of a year that saw him headlining some of the most memorable in-ring pay-per-views in history. Through Punk's presence, AEW transformed from an exceptional in-ring promotion to a major box office draw.

"This is my plea to all four guys. Please find a way to make it work. If we can make it work, we can set up the future of professional wrestling for a long time and we can change the course of professional wrestling for a very long time. When you think about it, unselfishly, we're doing this for 20-30 years down the road so guys and girls can make a living." - FTR with Dax Hardwood podcast

"It's not in fashion right now, but you need to point out the fact that he lifted people's games in ways you wouldn't expect," Mick Foley said of CM Punk on the Foley is Pod podcast.

CM Punk's Pipe Bomb promo and Money in the Bank 2011 reignited my passion as a lapsed fan, taking me on a journey through The Summer of Punk and beyond. CM Punk's return in 2021 marked a full circle moment. His presence elevated AEW, reminding me why I fell in love with wrestling. I'm grateful to CM Punk for reigniting my love and hope to see him and many other young stars, shaping wrestling's future. He has a special ability to elevate others' games in this ever-evolving world of sports and entertainment.

[marykatewiles]

Don’t Sleep on Headless

Hey everybody. Real talk time. If you want @shipwreckedcomedy to be able to keep making stuff, if you want to support female/POC indie creators, you need to watch Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story. We NEED you to watch and share it. 

Headless is it for us. We pulled out all the stops for this. This show cost us a quarter of a mil to make (thanks to you!). The four of us at Shipwrecked paid ourselves none of that. We’ve worked on this show for three years now. This is what we gambled on.

The response to the show thus far has been so positive, and we’re so happy! But even for the small channel that we are, and even with the INCREDIBLE cast who gave their time to be a part of this project, the views we’ve been getting on this show are fewer than we hoped. 

I remember a few weeks into The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Hank Green made a vlog talking about how the show wouldn’t be sustainable if it didn’t start getting more views. And it really helped! And that’s where we’re at. We can’t keep doing this if we don’t grow. 

Don’t get me wrong, we are going to continue to put out Headless until Halloween and make it the absolute best show we can. But if we can’t grow as a company, we can’t keep making shows like this. It just isn’t sustainable for us. 

We really thought this was gonna be the one to do it. We thought this was gonna be the thing to take us from small creators with less than 50K subscribers and a handful of views to a real, bona-fide channel with reach and influence that pulls the kind of viewership on our projects to match the amount of work we put into them. And I think it can be! It looks good enough to be on any streaming network. It makes me laugh every thirty seconds. But we are a small group and we NEED word of mouth for this show to succeed.

Shipwrecked is primarily female-run, making narrative content in a space where other (more successful) creators are predominantly male. I’m sorry to harp on this, but I can’t help but feel like we have to work so much harder to get the same amount (or a fraction) of attention. 

The episodes we have yet to come in this show are so wild, so wacky, so Intense, and so heartfelt. SO many people put their hearts and souls into this show. I believe it can catch fire and become one of the most successful digital series out there. But WE NEED YOU TO WATCH IT. 

The story we have playing out over the next few weeks is Shipwrecked at its most Shipwrecked. We have some surprises and reveals up our sleeves that I think you are really going to love. More than anything, we love unfolding a big story over a period of time and bringing people along for the ride. I’m so excited for you all to see what we have in store, and I promise you are going to want to do what you can to experience it in real time.  

It’s free. It’s fun. It’s spooky. It’s funny. If you want Shipwrecked to be able to continue to make shows like this - original content, inspired by literature, with a mysterious twist and fresh humor - help us make Headless a success. We need you to take us there - we can’t do it on our own. ♥️💀🎃

Subscribe to Shipwrecked Comedy - support female driven literary inspired cinematic narrative content!

[my-mt-heart]

In answer to @retiredkat's ask:

AMC wants to become a streaming platform, so it's more about throwing things at the wall to see what sticks and multiple offerings increase the odds. Isle of the Dead is a 6-episode limited series, which is basically minimum investment for the studio (ie. they're not confident), and it will probably be used as a springboard for introducing characters that will spawn another show. (TWDU is like a virus.) AMC also cares about licensing fees and other revenue from the international markets, which are a sizable chunk of income.

That said, the people wanting a Negan spinoff are a small vocal subset of the fandom. A Negan solo show is even less likely to be a runaway hit than a Daryl solo one. (Note that I'm referring to the characters here, not the actors.) AMC is hoping to boost numbers by adding Maggie, but the shock value conceit isn't going to draw a big crowd or one that stays long term. The show is a drunken hookup (potentially leaving a present), not a lifetime marriage.

(Where's Herschel supposed to be in all this? Back at the ranch in Carol's orphanage for abandoned children?)

MT and I already talked about AMC underestimating the way Carol resonates with the general audience. (That was on the blog, right? It's been a long week lol) In mainstream media, she's the character most likely to be brought up when talking about the actual content of TWD. Her character development is unique and comparable to iconic characters like Ellen Ripley (who incidentally was written as gender neutral in the sense that she was given the same trajectory as a male character would) and Sarah Connor.

Yes, there might be a segment of the audience who watches TWD for Daryl arm porn, but that's not sustainable viewership. He's a reactive character and won't be able to carry a show of his own. French Byways with Daryl Dixon will need a lot of innards spilling all over the place and things to go BOOM in a science-experiment-gone-wrong kind of way to distract from the fact that there will be no substance to the storytelling and a regression or a complete retcon of the character. He needs other characters to come into his own, so if you want plot, either you have to change his personality or have other main cast to play him off of.

(How is Daryl going to talk to French people? Pretty sure he isn't Cajun. Does the CW Public Library have a Berlitz language course he can stuff into his back pocket?)

I'm pretty sure all of these things make AMC nervous, but the show sounds like a one-and-done. Daryl goes on an adventure to find Rick. Once he reunites with his wayward brother, the whole premise of the show will be over. Just like the Maggie and Negan spinoff, AMC is making a minimal financial commitment. It will close out Rick's story (the movies are NOT happening) and expand the universe, which makes it worth the investment and it's also the very reason, like MT says, that we have been handed this rainbow sprinkled turd of a spinoff.

Tales of TWD is the show that's most likely to have better viewership. It's an anthology show so the studio can experiment with different modes and genres. You don't have to watch in order or even all of the episodes. If something is popular, AMC can create a new offering out of that. It's fertile grow ground and doesn't have to attract a massive audience. Like the others, it's just a 6-episode order.

The original concept for the Caryl show was a comedy. A completely different offering for the franchise, catering to a different crowd: those who'd watch for character development and smaller (ie. cheaper to produce) slice of post-apocalyptic life stories with a human interest bent. AMC wasn't looking for a huge audience, they wanted longevity for this show. It was supposed to be the connective tissue between shows, able to spawn new ones and the anchor of the franchise.

If you have a revolving cast by virtue of the concept itself, you have a more economically sustainable business model because there won't be as much inflation of the production cost. (TV shows get more expensive to produce the longer they run.) Carylers are loyal viewers and a large group of people, ranging from fans engaging online and those going to conventions, to general audience who watch specifically for these characters, to more casual viewers who enjoy this added element to their genre show.

What about "Diverged," then, right? It wasn't a well-received episode. No, but there were reasons for that which don't have anything to do with the MMB+NR combo being able to carry a show. As a storyteller, you enter a covenant with your audience where you have to make good on any promises you've made upfront. If you're producing a horror show, the viewer expects that when they tune in. They don't expect an episode of mostly physical comedy with an extremely limited cast, and an episode featuring nothing but Carol and Daryl will also depend on the chemistry between those characters. If 90% of the episode is spent apart, you're obviously losing that magic and like I said before, to best showcase Daryl, you need other characters with him.

It wasn't a bad episode and it carried important emotional beats, progressing both character arcs, but "Diverged" didn't fit the tone of the larger show. You have to meet the expectations you've set and this episode, which was mostly introspective relationship drama, was too different and slow-paced for people who watch for the walkers or villains or, really, the main concept of the show. Compare it to Connie and Virgil's closed-room episode, which functioned within the parameters established by the show. Mutated humanoid creatures vs. a rat as the main villain.

I hope this answers your questions somewhat. I'm not an AMC studio executive, so I don't have direct access to their market research, but I'm looking at what would be red flags to me based on my experience (which is about twenty years) in the industry, and they have to have concerns. I can see that they're limiting their expenditure by only ordering 6 episodes and that they don't expect more than a season of any one of these shows. They've learned their lesson from TWD:BW.

This answered some of my questions that I didn't even know I had. Ty for taking the time as always <3

[starberry-cupcake]

Mob Psycho 100 and the new layers of shonen anime

I recently finished watching both seasons of Mob Psycho and I felt I had to write something about what it meant to me as a viewer to be introduced to this anime, because it’s been a while since I’ve been as pleasantly surprised as I was. I think this one deserves some positive observations, so here we go. 

I’ve watched anime and read manga for most of my life. 

I grew up around stuff like Captain Tsubasa, Sailor Moon, Saint Seiya, Dragon Ball, and evolved as a viewer as genres and products did around me. 

I re-discovered what sports manga and anime could be when I first encountered Slam Dunk. I re-discovered what shonen manga and anime could be with stories like Fullmetal Alchemist. I re-discovered what shojo manga could be with mangakas like Rumiko Takahashi, Yukiru Sugisaki and CLAMP, and later Bisco Hatori. I re-discovered what josei manga could offer with Ai Yazawa. And so on. 

I saw genres grow and develop, exceed their limits and question themselves. You had shojos with male protagonists, lgbt content in josei manga (and I mean actual content, not fanservice), shojo manga about sports, magical girls AND magical boys fighting alongside one another, archetypes deconstructing, seinen with philosophical debates, fantasy and mechas at the same time...

However, even though good content was never completely gone, the last decade or so was marked by a very big increase on niche exploitation.

Others have explained it better than I can but, basically, we saw an explosion of anime with certain types and genres which are absolutely clones of one another and respond to the same niche interests in order to sell merchandise and be produced quickly and easily. 

And, worse than that, there are others which disguise themselves as “revolutionary” and “different” yet are the same exact thing with maybe a bit more quality on one aspect or another, but ultimately follow the same patterns and generate the same kind of mindset on their viewership and the same expectations. 

Like I said, it isn’t that stuff with more complex content didn’t exist anymore, but it had a harder time to sustain itself out there when the market was asking for faster and bigger profit and anime and manga which don’t follow a formula are difficult to sell. So it’s harder to pitch new ideas when studios want to make a quick yen and when a lot of the fanbase outside national limits doesn’t pay for content. 

I had kind of given up a bit. I watched stuff I already knew, new seasons of this or that, sometimes I explored different things, some of which were pleasant, some of which were fantastic, but the ones I enjoyed the most tended to really differ from the genres I was used to. 

This year, my sister ( @strawberrydaydreams ) recommended me Mob Psycho 100. She knew I liked One Punch Man well enough and thought I’d like this one better. 

She was right. 

Mob Psycho does something different with the genre than what I had seen before. It doesn’t quite deconstruct archetypes and tropes, it doesn’t quite subvert them. 

What I feel Mob Psycho does is re-contextualize them for an audience who isn’t content anymore with the blandness of genres past. 

It doesn’t quite deconstruct masculinity in shonen, it enhances it. It adds more layers to it than the mere idea of power and competition that has been installed in it for ages. 

The idea of power is accompanied by notions of emotion, vulnerability, guilt, love, kindness, respect, fear, responsibility, courage. There’s this idea that power means nothing in a vacuum if you aren’t human enough to be able to live without it. 

And it isn’t just that Mob is such a vulnerable and likable kid, it’s also his surroundings. 

He has a teacher who has 0% power but 100% common sense. Reigen is a lot of things, but he’s mostly the voice of reason, a reason that exceeds the believability of the genre and contextualizes it in the real world. 

I don’t remember when was the last time I heard an adult character in an anime saying something like “I don’t care how powerful he is, he’s a child, this is too much for him to handle”. The first time I heard him say that I remembered all those small shonen protagonists being beaten up by grown ass adults and normalized by the plot because hey, power = physical power in shonen. 

When I was a kid, I thought nothing of tiny Gohan being beaten up to death by grown ass men, but when I was a little older and saw Gon being almost killed in HunterxHunter, I was in pain. Every time in shonen someone pointed out that a character “is just a kid” it was taken as a joke, implying something along the lines of “that person doesn’t understand that this kid is super powerful”. 

The fact that a character was a kid had no relation, in the context of the show, to the idea that they were strong enough to fight and, most often than not, that physical strength was enough to put the weight of the world, universe or multiverse on those tiny shoulders. 

The suspension of disbelief is part of the genre, especially with anime and manga where everything tends to be exaggerated and taken to an extreme. Still, shonen is a genre aimed at a young audience, and in a tradition of decades upon decades of the normalization of this, and the subsequent separation of power from anything emotional or mental, where physical strength is the only requirement for a story to allow someone to be chosen, it sends a conflicting message on what power, and subsequently in this genre the idea of masculinity, can entail. 

And even though other shonen have de-constructed masculinity and the genre itself, they completely let go of the archetypes of a regular shonen story to do it, which is another process entirely, a valid and amazing one, but another one. 

Mob Psycho introduces common sense in an archetypal shonen. It’s built on the premise that power and physical force aren’t romanticized, setting archetypes and storylines that are typical of the genre on a setting that emulates how the world actually works and how social interactions are a part of human nature, as is empathy. 

It doesn’t retort to isolation and suffering, to pain and torture, to make the protagonist strong, he is already strong physically, what he needs to become a better person, to grow up, is the constantly growing support system and voices of reason helping him through it. 

And, most importantly, it isn’t anymore about how a protagonist is forgiving because he’s just “a good goofy character archetype”, here he is forgiving because it’s fair in the context of human empathy and interaction. 

And it isn’t just about Reigen as a mentor (a faulty, complex and far from perfect mentor, but who is, after all, a good person). 

There’s the bodybuilding team, these super ripped guys who look too old to go to school (and one ex gang member) all training together and taking Mob under their wing, with this idea of masculinity being completely extended from “we have muscles and physical strength” to “we don’t use it against people unless they’re abusing others who can’t protect themselves”. 

And there is family, friends, an entire growing circle of people who attach themselves to this universe because they learn from this kid and his journey. 

I have to admit that though Ritsu’s path was something I wasn’t sure of at the start, it made for such a complex dynamic of the older and younger brother rivalry archetype. It took this idea that is present in so many shonen anime and manga of the younger brother’s conflicts with the shadow of the oldest to an entirely different level of complexity and discussion, of guilt, fear, doubt, conversation and reconciliation. 

And, through all this, Mob recognizes, at every step of the way, that his absolute incredible power is not everything. That he is, first and foremost, a person. That he can always improve in something. 

He doesn’t see his powers as an advantage, but he also doesn’t completely reject them. He fights for control, yes, but he doesn’t let go of who he is. He has to learn to reconcile different parts of his life, because everything is part of him all the same. 

Added to all this there are fascinating characters and great designs, stories within stories and a lot of lore and interesting things that keep adding themselves to it all. 

In and of itself it’s an interesting and smart story. But what surprised me is the level of re-contextualization of genre archetypes into a more realistic plain of what the world needs. 

A shonen anime, which traditionally represents the young cis male demographic, which follows the same patterns and archetypes of power, rivals, fights, abilities, leveling up; but adds to that layers which build up on that with empathy, kindness and common sense, it’s a pretty refreshing thing to see.

[shoury01]

OKRs: ITS USES AND IMPAIRMENTS IN VISIONING

We often wonder how successful companies continue to navigate and grow and know exactly what direction to go. The trick seems to be an almost irresponsibly aggressive approach to growing key objectives with a talented group of people.  OKR is an acronym for Objectives and Key Results —  a framework for visioning and setting goals within an organization that was popularized by Google.

Today, OKR is used at a seemingly broad variety of companies, from larger established firms like Anheuser-Busch and Deloitte to younger tech companies like Eventbrite and Twitter. Therefore, what are OKRs and how do they work, and — most importantly — do they work. Many leaders ask how they can align their team to the vision and set goals within their team.

What is OKR?

OKR is a goal-setting methodology originally developed by Andy Grove, former CEO and Chairman of Intel. In his book, High Output Management, he describes OKRs as being the answer to two questions:

We can expand the definitions of each part of the OKR to something like: 

Objectives: Memorable, qualitative descriptions of what needs to be accomplished in a given timeframe. They may be ambitious and feel somewhat uncomfortable. They may also be short, inspirational, and public so everyone knows what everyone else is working on.

Key Results: A set of 2–5 metrics that measure progress towards the Objective. The focus must be on an outcome, not an activity (shouldn’t include words like “help”, “consult”, or “analyse”).

John Doerr, who learned OKR from Andy Grove while at Intel, was the one to teach and instil OKR at Google. He explains that the objective can be broad, aggressive, and even inspirational. But for the key results, the more specific, measurable, and verifiable, the better. Doerr recommends setting a limit of three to five OKRs per cycle, and that each objective should be tied to five or fewer key results.

OKR – An Example

Let’s say our business relies on giving a better customer experience than our competitors. So, our quarterly objective may be - to create an awesome customer experience. But how do we know if we are succeeding in doing this? What form of measurement shows we are creating an “awesome” customer experience? 

Net Promoter Score (a tool that measures what people think of the brand) and customer churn rate (how many customers we are losing a month) may be some metrics. A great experience would mean people both say nice things about us and staying or coming back. By saying we want to improve our NPS score and lower churn, it sounds like we are willing to do whatever it takes to make our customers happy. But to run a sustainable business, we need to keep costs under control. Which is why we may add a third Key Result around cost as a countermeasure. Therefore, the sample OKR may be:

Example — YouTube

Suppose the goal is to increase the total usage time of Google products. The tricky part is finding the right metrics in which to progress. Understanding the business is key in being able to identify key growth nuances and folding those nuances into company objectives. Similar to Facebook, YouTube wants viewership, measured in minutes, to go up, because a fixed percentage of that viewership are advertisements. So as total time goes up, so do revenues.

In this case the Key Results may reveal part of the strategy to increase watch time. The first key result sets a numerical goal to hit for the objective. Having this number is crucial (and theoretically could be included in the objective itself) to score the outcome of this objective. Other examples of OKRs:

Why use OKRs?

At first brush, the appeal of OKR is obvious. It simplifies everything. By calling out objectives, you help your team identify and zero in on what matters most. With the key results, you create measurable benchmarks that help clarify what tangibly needs to happen, and likely hold folks accountable for those outcomes. And lastly, it’s probable that OKRs promote alignment and transparency across the team since everyone knows what each others’ OKRs would be. 

Making OKRs Effective

There are nuances around how effective OKRs are in practice. John Doerr himself admitted that “goal setting isn’t bulletproof” and OKRs should not be blindly nor rigidly adopted. Some learnings from those who have used OKRS are:

Know why we are implementing them:- . . . For OKR to work, we have to have a deeper ���why” for how OKRs might help you achieve that performance.

Focus on Crafting of Effective OKRs:- . . .

Separate OKRs from compensation — and try hard to separate it from performance reviews:- . . . Tying OKRs to compensation can cause employees to purposefully set lower goals in order to achieve them. Combining performance reviews with OKRs can be counterproductive since someone’s past performance is emphasised more than the binary result of whether the goal was achieved. This can be a challenge to achieve in practice. 

Someone who hits their OKRs is going to look better than someone who totally fails to hit them. As a result, it’s important to consider the unintended negative consequences OKRs might have on your team’s performance.

Challenges of OKRs

Missing the big picture:- . . . When goals are too specific people can focus attention so narrowly that they overlook other important features of a task. For example, new ideas or feedback that are brought forward can often be ignored or seen as irrelevant, when in fact they are salient to the task at hand.

Optimizing for short-term, over long-term :- . . . Sometimes the narrowness of goals can come at a cost. It is easy to react to immediate outcomes and focus myopically on short-term gains and to lose sight of the potentially devastating long-term effects on the organization.

Dilution of focus:- . . . Research has shown that individuals are prone to focus only on one goal at a time. As a result, the OKR framework which recommends 3–5 objectives at a time, may prove to be distracting, since multiple goals are being pursued.

Shifting risk attitudes :- . . . Studies show how goals tend to increase risky behaviour. Depending on what domain we are in, this could be positive — but if we are in a negotiation situation, a higher propensity for risk can harm negotiation performance.

Promoting unethical behaviour: - . . . Goal setting can encourage cheating behaviour. For instance, one study found that “participants were more likely to misrepresent their performance level when they had a specific, challenging goal than when they did not.

Harmful to learning, cooperation, and intrinsic motivation:- . . . Goals can detract from our ability to learn and cooperate, as well as, our intrinsic motivation to do a task well. Narrow goals can inspire performance but prevent learning. Goals can foster a culture of competition that can be adverse to an organization. 

Motives for Collapse of OKRs (Managerial Perspective)

Smaller teams and organizations tend to have faster rates of change, and so for them, it felt like more work to manage the framework to stay nimble as a team, than to simply execute on the work itself. 

Concluding thoughts

The most salient feature of an OKR is the thinking it produces, i.e., focus on what matters most, and think about clearly how we know if we are going to get there. Whether that’s through the precise OKR framework — or not — is less important. Articulating a vision of the future is important, and providing support and guidance for what progress looks like is what matters. 

The research is persuasive: Goals can do more harm than good, especially if overprescribed. At the same time, there is plenty of research that also shows the power of well-defined, thoughtfully instituted goals. More so, it is enlightening to know the range of negative consequences so that leaders can consider (a) if a goal-setting framework like OKR would work in our own team and (b) how in general to think about setting goals productively in our team.

[fred-frederator-studios]

This essay was originally published on February 23, 2015 in the C21 Media Kidscreen Edition.

The New Golden Age of Animation   The internet’s unleashed a brand new creative era. Who’s going to pay for it?

By Fred Seibert

“May you live in interesting times, goes the ancient Chinese curse,” said my first cable television boss when things were exploding 35 years ago. Well, we’re in “interesting times” again.

I’ve been a network executive and television producer for those years, doing pretty well on the teams that established the MTV and Nickelodeon brands, and restarting the animation business at Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network. So why would I start up in the internet, a place where video revenues are a fraction of traditional television?

Because, it’s just like those old cable times, we totally live in interesting times. Established producers avoided us like the plague; there wasn’t enough money for them. And voila, a new medium opened up for pioneers and young people, ushering in a new age of creativity and, eventually, untold prosperity. That’s what’s happening on the internet today.

It’s been said by many –I agree, passionately– that we’re entering a new golden age of animation. Advances in technology have always pushed filmmakers forward, from movies to broadcast to cable to the internet, we’ve gone from Looney Tunes to South Park to Simon’s Cat.  

But, how is all this new creativity going to be supported? How will the filmmakers be able to financially sustain in a world where the very monetary underpinnings of the last 65 years –advertising, that is– are under siege?

I’m not particularly worried about the loudly chronicled hand wringing about the lack of “monetization” for online video (and particularly animation, with its expensively painstaking, labor intensive and time consuming, production process, which is more susceptible to cost pressures). Why not? I’m an independent producer and net-caster after all; we need money to support our ventures as much as the next. But look, most of the digital companies we look at in awe –Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter– all of them launched without a clear design for revenue in sight. But audience acceptance and love of their products always drive a viable business model. So it’ll be with internet video, the viewers always get what they want.

Yes, there are challenges. Online advertising rates are pitifully low (though growing hourly, it seems). And cable television has dual revenue streams. But, it didn’t always; the demands of the audiences for new programming pushed that evolution forward rapidly. Online audience tracking for kid audiences barely exists; but radio, broadcast TV and cable overcame similar obstacles in their day. And certainly, the marketplace for licensing and merchandising –a key revenue element for animation producers– in traditional media is much more developed; but let’s remember that it happened over a 20 year span.  

Significantly, online video casting is already overcoming these obstacles everyday, with the innovative programmers and new technological innovations that attract more viewers by the hour.

– Google has announced a browser for children as well as a new YouTube just for children under 14. (Anecdotally, that’s as much as a third of all views on YouTube.)

– Our show, Bravest Warriors, may have accumulated about 2 hours of content over two seasons.  However, Cartoon Hangover has been able to monetize the property via licensing with hundreds of thousands of products sold, including plush, t-shirts, and more sold at Hot Topic, WeLoveFine.com, and via other retailers.

– Simon’s Cat, the world’s second most popular online cartoon, with fewer than 100 short videos in 6 years, has seen it’s highest viewership to date this year, with advertising rates growing over 25%, and with licensing programs across the European continent and the U.S.

– Our Channel Frederator Network has grown by leaps and bounds over 18 months, globally distributing 1300 independently owned online animation channels, with 14 million subscribers, 157 million unique viewers, and more than 800 million video views.

It’s time for every television producer to get into the new challenges of online video in all of it’s forms. Things are moving fast, and the opportunities are amazing to those who can face the future.

“Interesting times?” You bet. Crazy ones too. But hey, we’re in television. How crazy is that?

[schmidtsource]

Schmidt Times is Live!

July 28th, 2017 on my website, schmidtsource.com.       July breezed by in no time, but Schmidt Times saw a lot of modest developments in its first month. Having this channel public really pushes me to keep a steady stream of projects in the pipeline, but we’re at a notable juncture now: the channel’s been active for almost thirty days, but my hours for producing content will be slashed around this time next month. We won’t dwell on that fact, though. With our launch on YouTube, Vidme and Twitch going on four weeks, I’d say it’s time to take stock in the channel’s performance so far. Even in these early days, there’s been some surprises along the way!

YouTube managed to surpass my estimate of five subscribers last month and drew in the attention of ten viewers. Last week’s Game Time episode has been viewed less than the average, but past videos seem to be hitting a consistent number of views! I’m pleased we saw some solid growth here in the beginning, but at the time of writing, I’m nervous we’ll see a bit of a stall before more watchers find their way to the channel.

As expected, Twitch is dead in the water with videos standing strong at zero views. The upload system is still in beta and I don’t think discoverability is too advanced right now, so my content on the platform goes unnoticed. I tried streaming there last week, though, and although internet here in the village doesn’t work well for live broadcasts, it brought in a handful of video views. In the future, building a viewership there will be dependent on streaming the recording process!

What surprised me the most in these first few weeks was seeing Vidme grow slower than YouTube. I assumed a smaller community would bolster discoverability, but I’ve only been able to intrigue one follower so far. It’s clear that more engagement with Vidme visitors will be necessary to build a viewership over there, but the process of producing content drains so much of my time already. Shifting through videos to engage with other audiences is hard to make time for right now!

Since my videos are presently on a weekly upload schedule, I’ve been investing a lot of time into promotion across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. When I started out, I wasn’t planning to have an Instagram account for Schmidt Times, but I’m glad I put one together. Across everything, Instagram has seen the most growth this month with twenty-one followers. I’d say this is the most surprising, since technically the Twitter account is the most active marketing platform, but Instagram doesn’t have a character limit that brings down how many hashtags can be put on a post, so it has an advantage for reaching a wider audience.

Excluding my launch post, I’ve only been exclusively promoting Schmidt Times on YouTube, so that could be a contributing factor for why Vidme is slower on the uptake. I think it’s the right call to give YouTube the most focus since it’s the largest and most familiar platform in the lineup, though. Going forward, I’ll try to give Vidme some time to shine, but Twitch will wait until I’m in the city and can rely on a stable internet connection for streams.

The Game Time subseries I mentioned last month was completed and queued up early this month. I’m excited to share the video, but the release date I’ve decided on is near the end of August, so there’s still a while before it’s available to the public. There’s always a temptation to just launch everything at once, but keeping a schedule is important to the sustainability and growth of the channel, so I have to show some restraint.

I knew before starting preproduction that this would be an uphill battle, but I’m enjoying the struggle through obscurity right now. A year ago, I was assembling the initial intros and outros for Schmidt Times and its slate of shows. Now I’m putting them into action and watching them slowly welcome viewers to my work. So, here’s to our first month and the hope’s that we continue to build an audience in the many more to come!

[topicprinter]

You’ve to be a bit crazy to leave a cushy job and a stable career to start your own business. Two months ago, I did exactly that when I left my multi-six figure salary and founded Your Auto Advocate with my business partner, AKA my dad.At that time (the first week of March), it wasn’t clear what effect coronavirus would have in the United States. As the days and weeks unfolded I couldn’t help but get depressed. I’d talk with family or friends, and they’d say, “Boy, don’t you wish you had kept that job just a bit longer?” And I’d think to myself, “maybe?” I was confused, scared, and certainly not making much progress on my new business venture.Then, amidst all this negative energy, my dad had a great idea; “Why don’t we film YouTube videos via Zoom?” Before working full time on Your Auto Advocate I had filmed a handful of videos with my dad. He would talk about the car business, I would post them on our YouTube channel, and we’d get a few hundred views. I had a vision for growing our YouTube channel into something sustainable and scalable for the business, but it never really took off.Until… We started recording Zoom conversations like Ray had suggested. Here’s the story (and lessons learned) from growing Your Auto Advocate’s YouTube channel from 0 to 14,000+ subscribers in three weeks. Below you’ll see I am as transparent as I possibly can be, with screenshots from Google Analytics, Webmaster Tools, and Youtube Analytics. I hope you find this valuable.What is Your Auto Advocate?To provide clarity on what you are about to read, you need to have a brief understanding of what Your Auto Advocate is, and how YouTube (and content marketing in general) play into the company’s overall growth strategy.Your Auto Advocate is a professional car buying service.Let’s say you’re in the market to buy a new vehicle. Odds are, the thought of going into a dealership (or in our current state, going onto a dealer’s website), makes you queasy. That’s because most people do not trust car salespeople. I can’t blame them. Interacting with car dealerships is far from pleasant, and it’s tough to walk away from buying a new car feeling confident you got a great deal.No one wants to be the guy or gal that makes the dealership a lot of money.That’s where Your Auto Advocate helps. Instead of going to a dealership, you hire Your Auto Advocate. You tell Your Auto Advocate what vehicle you’re interested in, and they handle all of the dealer outreach and negotiation. Their only compensation comes from you, the client, so you have confidence they’re working the dealers for the best deal possible without a “kickback” of any sort.That’s Your Auto Advocate in a nutshell. We make car buying simple, easy, and fun.Now, to gain awareness for this new venture I was adamant that we needed to leverage Ray’s 43+ year career in the car business to teach consumers the ins and outs of how dealerships work. That led us to create videos and write written guides. My thought process was that if we could build trust with our audience early on, and give them the tools they needed to feel more comfortable buying a car on their own, then eventually, we’d find prospective customers that would pay us to simply do it for them.Before we got tractionIt’s important to recognize that Your Auto Advocate’s YouTube success did not occur overnight.Before gaining traction, I fumbled around with a few videos that didn’t get more than a few hundred views. Those videos were shot in 4k, with professional lighting, a microphone, and more. The “new” videos we created from recorded Zoom calls (using our free Zoom accounts of course!), were in 360p, with no microphones, and no editing.What changed from those original videos, to the recorded Zoom calls that allowed us to get over one million views in a few short weeks? Here’s what I think happened:People enjoy the back and forth banter and authenticity between Ray and I;People enjoy the poor quality of the videos, it appears more authentic than well produced content. I think this is really important to understand this point. Here is an email from a customer that sums it up well: https://imgur.com/2PnNFTWRay and I began creating videos that were topical and relevant based off of current events, rather than focusing on “general” information on the car business.These three characteristics are what I think allowed us to find traction on YouTube.The growth we experiencedAs I wrote about a few months ago, finding your first paying customer is not easy. It was on April 19th, nearly 6 weeks after I quit my job, that we had our first paying customer. This is an important date, because it was just four days later that our YouTube videos began to pick up steam.Screenshot of YouTube AnalyticsAs you can see in the screenshot of our YouTube analytics, we saw a massive increase in viewership over the past week or so. Before this spike, we were averaging around 100 views per day across all of our videos. On Thursday April 23rd we knew something was happening, because we spiked to 1,852 views.I sent my dad this message on that day:https://imgur.com/l7D5IeJViews on Friday the 24th grew to 4,400, then 21,916 on Saturday. This kept going until it reached the top on Saturday, May 2nd at 131,417 views in a single day.https://imgur.com/tPo35xoWe’ve seen viewership decline since then, and if you asked me “why,” I wouldn’t be able to provide a concrete answer. I don’t know why.We have a base of 14,000+ subscribers now though, so each of our new videos receives a few thousand views when we upload them. We’ll see if we’re able to grow more rapidly again in the future.I have a lot to learn when it comes to developing a YouTube channel!Converting viewers into customersThe goal of content marketing is to generate customers for your business. One of the benefits of YouTube is that you can monetize your content (you may have noticed in the screenshot above it showed nearly $3,000 in revenue from ads on our videos, for example), but the primary goal is to convert readers or viewers into customers.We saw a huge spike in website traffic in conjunction with our growth on YouTube. People that found Your Auto Advocate on YouTube would then google search our name. Here’s the search data for “Your Auto Advocate”:https://imgur.com/TXrYqwMOnce traffic reaches your website it’s important to have a clear “flow” for how users can convert into customers. Fortunately for us, the traffic that made it to our website was converting at a high clip! In the screenshot below you can see (to the right) the “goal conversion” for Marketing Qualified Lead. That is anyone that completes our Sign Up form.Google Analytics screenshotThe bounce rate has been incredibly low, and the time on site has been incredibly high.About 2% of traffic has converted into MQL, and over two thirds of that traffic has converted into a Sales Qualified Lead.Those SQLs have converted into paying customers at a high clip too!The funnel (as of writing this) is:67 MQLs, converting into26 customers39% of visitors that fill out our sign up form have gone onto become paying customers!Anecdotally speaking, the other 61% who are not converting into customers right now, have told us they’d like to work with us in the future, when they are ready to buy their next car. That being said, I anticipate more than 70% of our MQLs will convert into paying customers over the next few months. There really has been limited to no negative reaction to our business model, pricing, or value proposition. People really hate going into car dealerships or dealing with car salespeople, and we can take them out of that pain.As in any service business, the more you can delight your customers, the better your chances are of gaining referrals and word of mouth recommendations. With that in mind, we created a compelling thank you page after paying your final invoice:https://imgur.com/AHbmNNuAnd, new reviews have been coming in too!https://imgur.com/gVoXP3aWhere do we go from here?Well, all this growth has forced Your Auto Advocate to mature more quickly than I had previously imagined. Our first employee will be joining us on May 25th to help us expand and meet demand! If you had asked me if this was possible one month ago I would have said “No way!” But look where we are now.It’s truly incredible that some Zoom recordings with my dad have enabled our business to grow as quickly as it has. Authenticity goes a long way I suppose. Incredible.There are a few high priority tasks I will be focusing on over the coming days and weeks:We need to find other marketing channels. YouTube as a marketing channel is great, but being entirely dependent on it as your growth engine is not smart. What if YouTube changes its algorithm and you don’t get as many views? Over the coming weeks I will be exploring and testing new marketing channels such as:Affiliate marketing;Referral marketing;Direct mail marketing;Social media marketing; andPartnership development (employee benefits programs).We need to make service delivery simpler, easier, and more fun. The other area of the business I will be focusing on is developing a product to wrap around the service we are currently providing. I have a vision for how we can make the user experience for both the customer, and the Your Auto Advocate representative that is working with them to be efficient, convenient, and seamless. If we do this right we’ll be able to scale the business in a way that is profitable.I need to create a timeline with goals, financial projections, and expected hiring dates. Since we’ve proven the business model, one of my primary responsibilities is to develop clarity around how quickly we can (and should grow), and what type of investment that will take. I owe it to myself, and all future team members to provide a clear roadmap of where we’re going and how we plan to get there.I hope you found this interesting and valuable. I’ll post another update once I get a chance, sometime in June I imagine. Thanks for reading.

[digital-strategy]

Much has been said about AT&T’s supposed plans for HBO, the US-based premium cable network that’s often considered the most valuable component of Time Warner (which AT&T bought for $108B in June 2018 and renamed WarnerMedia). The prevailing narrative suggests AT&T wants HBO to become Netflix – something Netflix has been expecting HBO to attempt since at least 2012. This sparked considerable outrage from fans of HBO, most of whom believe such a move would not only dilute the network’s best-in-class content offering, but fundamentally rewire the company. After all, this is the brand that long professed “It’s not TV. It’s HBO.” And, well, Netflix is trying to be TV.

Being protective of the HBO that exists today is sensible. No matter who you are, there’s something to love. Not only is HBO the most profitable single network in the world, it also produces much of the industry’s best content (averaging ~25% of all nominations for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Comedy Series at the Emmys since 2013, despite airing only 4% of all series). The company’s talent-friendly development team and creative expertise have also made it the “network of choice” for Hollywood’s most celebrated showrunners, writers and stars. And for video distributors, there’s no network they can sell that has a greater impact on profitability than HBO.

But to continue to win, HBO, like all successful businesses, needs to change and grow. This isn’t about failure, nor empire building. Instead, its about adapting to the fundamental changes to the very business HBO conquered. Over-the-top distribution means more than moving content from the TV to an internet-enabled device. It means competing in a market that’s not fair, that’s fought both locally and globally, and where every participant must make and do more than ever before. And so before one critiques what HBO should be, or what AT&T might want it to be, it’s important to address three key areas of context.

  #1 – Why HBO Needs More Content

While the SVOD narrative typically focuses on original television series, movies are incredibly important. This is particularly true for HBO. While the network’s catalog is primarily composed of TV content, films represent 73% of total viewing and 34% on HBO Go/HBO Now (the network’s closest Netflix comp). In addition, 40% of all of HBO’s viewers watch only on the network’s film content. This engagement stems from HBO’s dominant share of major studio “Pay-1” deals, which provide the network with an exclusive first window to the films theatrical distributed by Warner Bros., 21st Century Fox, Universal Studios (excluding DreamWorks Animation) and Summit Entertainment. To point, the network has often marketed the fact that it had exclusive rights to half of the biggest 25 films at the prior year’s box office. However, increasing verticalization across the media industry means that most Pay-1 deals are likely to be taken off the market in the years to come.

Although HBO will likely be able to renew its deal with sister company Warner Bros. (#2 at the 2017 box office), the recently acquired Fox (#4) is likely to be retained by Disney for its forthcoming streaming service and/or Hulu. Universal’s Pay-1 (#3), meanwhile, is expected to stay within NBCUniversal/Comcast (though its OTT video play remains unclear) and Summit is now owned by Lionsgate (see below). Among studios not on HBO today, the odds are long. We already know Disney’s catalog (#1) will be exclusive to the company’s streaming service once its deal with Netflix ends in 2019. Lionsgate/Summit (#6) is expected to divert its content to Starz (which it bought in 2016). Paramount’s (#7) remains up for grabs, but if/when Viacom is acquired by CBS, it’s likely to end up on CBS All Access. Sony (#5) is also TBD, but as a perennial acquisition target, its Pay-1 may also vanish. And should any deals come available (such as Universal), they’ll be hotly contested and unprecedentedly expensive. For years, HBO faced only one or two competitors in bidding for these rights. Now it also faces well-capitalized competitors such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. And if HBO does win, they will still experience a net reduction in their total Pay-1 share of top films.

However, this is as common a problem as the solution is clear. Most modern networks, including AMC and Netflix, began with only licensed content. But as licenses became more costly and scarce, and programming competition more intense, almost all of these networks progressively shifted their budget to original content (85% of incremental spend at Netflix is now on originals). HBO helped pioneer this path back in 1995 when it greenlit Oz, and today nearly 50% of its budget is on Originals and exclusive sports. Going forward, this share (and thus the company’s output) will need to grow further. Fortunately, the company has several years to replace its Pay-1 catalog as its current deals covers movies released through 2021 and 2022 (and these films would then be available for roughly 15 months before leaving the service).

Beyond simply offsetting Pay-1 losses, it’s important to consider how the programming requirements for SVOD services are greater than those of traditional (i.e. pay-TV) networks. Today, fewer than a quarter of HBO’s subscribers actually subscribe to HBO at $15 per month. Instead, most subscribe to a premium cable bundle of HBO+Showtime+Starz (at $25 or $30) or as part of an “everything TV” package ($120+). Over-the-top, however, HBO is sold à la carte – which provides greater pricing transparency to customers, lacks multi-network bundling, and is month-to-month versus annual. This challenges HBO core’s programming strategy, which aspires to have at least one show for every subscriber at all times.

In the over-the-top world, HBO is asking customers to pay $15 to watch four episodes of a single show each month (and $45 total to watch a single season), plus the occasional movie. Not only can these subscribers choose lower-priced substitutes with substantially greater volume (and an increasingly comparable library of Emmy nominees), they can simply wait until a given HBO show has finished its weekly releases and then binge it for a single month’s fee (or they can wait until several shows have accumulated and binge them all for that same $15). This “binge-and-churn” behavior is common in for à la carte SVOD services, but it’s new for the premium cable networks who used to collectively offer several shows per month as part of an annual, bundled contract that their subscriber couldn’t pause and restart.

For similar reasons, HBO’s low-volume strategy also exposes the company to significant creative risk. If a series misfires (HBO’s Here and Now premiered in February 2018 and was cancelled two months later), the network can ends up with no new content to offer the show’s target audience for more than two months. As a result, HBO can encounter significant customer churn (which means lost revenue, increased customer acquisition costs and lower viewership of all other HBO content – including future premieres). Increased output not only reduces this programming risk, it also helps sustain a $15 month-to-month subscription.

  #2 – Why HBO needs to be more global

While HBO content is available worldwide and the company counts close to 90MM international subscribers, the nature of these subscribers and the company’s foreign operations varies significantly. Outside the US, HBO operates under a number of business/operating models. The first model is “owned and operated channels” (or “O&Os”) where HBO shares the same responsibilities and costs as it does in the US. In some markets, HBO’s O&O networks are available only via traditional TV (HBO Asia) or OTT subscription (HBO Nordic), while in others it might be available through both channels (HBO in Brazil). The second model is joint venture networks, which are co-financed by HBO but co-owned and operated by a local partner (HBO Latin America was set-up by minority owner and day-to-day operator Ole Communications, with Sony, Disney and Universal all serving as partners). HBO’s third model is licensing. Here, the network either licenses its brand and original content to a foreign operator (HBO Canada is owned and operated by Bell Media, a large telco) or just its content (in the UK, Germany and Italy, HBO content is only available on one of Sky’s self-branded networks, along with considerable non-HBO content). In some of these markets, HBO isn’t even a paid channel – it might be available on basic cable, or even via broadcast.

This multi-model strategy create a substantial range in per-subscriber economics, with HBO receiving as much as $10 per viewer/subscriber month in some markets and as little as $0.08 in others (both subject to currency swings). In aggregate, REDEF estimates that HBO’s foreign business (90MM subscribers + international licensing revenue) generated $1.3B last year – with its domestic operations generating more than three times as much on 60% fewer subscribers. While HBO’s international strategy might thus seem to have left considerable money on the table, it also allowed the company to expand globally without investing heavily in local offices, navigating complex regulatory and distribution agreements, or developing (and in many cases, even licensing) market-specific content. As a result, HBO spent some 20 years generating billions in revenue with almost no costs or efforts. International was, in a sense, considerable upside to a lucrative domestic business.

However, many of these advantages have atrophied as over-the-top distribution has emerged. For example, a network can now operate in foreign markets without many of the aforementioned operational costs and burdens (Netflix is available in Cuba, for example). And international exposure produces competitive advantages that bolster every other market, including domestic. As a result, HBO’s remunerative foreign model has begun to feel expensive, not gilded. We see this in a few ways.

First, it means HBO doesn’t have a direct relationship with (or individually know) the majority of its international viewers and subscribers. Second, the network can’t serve these customers on a common platform. This makes investing in technology and product more costly, limits customer data/personalization, hinders the ability to perform content analytics and prevents subscribers from watching HBO outside their home country (Netflix subscribers can watch Netflix anywhere). Third, HBO’s foreign deals can tether the company to the decline of traditional TV and/or limit its ability to prepare for life after it. In today’s brand-centric marketplace, for example, HBO is without a consumer-facing brand in many of the largest global markets (e.g. the UK, Germany, Italy). And in some of the markets in which HBO is a branded channel (Canada), HBO only controls its brand guidelines – it can’t force its partners to launch à la carte OTT offerings, increase marketing spend, invest in local originals or licenses, etc. With its joint ventures, HBO faces the even larger challenge of having to persuade its local partners to reinvest in and cannibalize their shared business in order to help HBO improve/grow the business they don’t share (i.e. other markets, their tech stack, etc.).

This model can also limit HBO’s ability to invest in content overall. Netflix, for example, uses its foreign markets not as upside to its US operations, but as an opportunity to bolster its worldwide content catalog (including the US). There’s no The Crown, Dark or 3% if Netflix doesn’t operate in the UK, Germany or Brazil, for example. There would also be fewer US-originated series (and likely fewer high-budget series) were Netflix not available – and thus able to monetize – on a truly global basis. Finally, there’s the economic argument. Due to the low-touch nature of OTT distribution, global networks benefit from unprecedented operating leverage. While HBO’s largely risk-free and margin-rich $1.3B in international subscription revenue makes Netflix’s high-risk 4.5% margin on $5.1B (or $227MM net) seem paltry, Netflix has seen international contribution margins grow an average of 11 percentage points in each of the past four years. If this trend (and that of revenue growth) holds, Netflix will net $1.25B abroad in 2019.

  #3 – Why HBO needs more subscribers and more usage

Scale, defined by both the number of subscribers and their frequency of use, has always mattered in the video business. But it is now existentially relevant. As a network gets larger and more used, every aspect of its business becomes easier and more defensible. Growth makes it easier to afford content (costs don’t vary based on viewership, while efficiency does), launch this content (viewers tend to concentrate their online video use on their default service), and ensure these investments are successful (even the smallest niches can be economical if a network’s install base is large enough).

Today, for example, Netflix will often release B-grade shows to greater success than its primary competitors (Amazon/Hulu/HBO/Showtime/Starz) do with great ones (which are far harder to find and make). Furthermore, Netflix can often economically outspend these competitors on either category of series while releasing more of them. In today’s blockbuster-driven media environment, the number of “at bats” is a significant advantage; one “home run” (e.g. Game of Thrones) can be worth dozens of singles or doubles, if not more.

We also see scale dynamics play out in HBO’s most valued market: talent. Over the past year alone, Netflix has made $100-300MM deals with top-tier showrunners Shonda Rhymes, Ryan Murphy and Kenya Barris. While each creator doubtlessly would have loved to produce for HBO, the network can’t put out the sufficient volume of series needed to recoup nine-figure deals or satisfy the appetites of each creator (in 2019, Murphy alone will have more than half as many shows on the air as HBO). No other network or studio has ever made a nine-figure  deal based around potential output (WBTV’s Greg Berlanti deal involved buying out the back-end for nearly a dozen series already on the air). Reach is also believed to be behind Netflix’s deal with Barack Obama, who is rumored to have turned down higher offers from competing networks because he wanted to maximize his social impact.

It’s not just former presidents who are attracted to Netflix’s sizable audience. Netflix’s attempt to corner the market in stand-up comedy is buoyed by the exposure it affords comics. Ali Wong recently told Fortune that while she was previously unable to fill a venue in San Francisco, she’s now selling “out within 30 seconds” thanks to Netflix. Networks have always raised a comedian’s profile, but never to this degree and at such volume. And HBO, the previous leader in premium stand-up, admitted in 2017 that the prices Netflix was paying had largely forced the company to pull out of the category.

What I’ve described above is a positive feedback loop (or “flywheel”) – one that’s distinct from the competitive dynamics of traditional television, and helps to smother competition (Netflix’s investment strategy is predicated upon squeezing many of its competitors out of the industry). Consumers only need additional à la carte services if the service they’re already using isn’t good enough. And given there’s no ceiling to how much content these digital services can provide, and many reasons to crank out ever more, viewing time inevitably concentrates. This is why many people believe only a few D2C platforms will be viable over the long run (and the top one or two platforms will capture almost all of the value). While this theory is in stark contrast to the communitarian dynamic of pay-TV (which supports dozens of Big Media companies on a relative equal basis), it adheres closely to the outcomes and dynamics exhibited in most consumer digital markets (e.g. social networking, ride sharing, smartphones, search, online advertising).

This “(a few) winners take most” dynamic has also transformed HBO’s competitor set. There has never been evidence that any of the big three premium cable networks (HBO, Showtime, Starz) cannibalized one another. In fact, their individual successes tended to lift the premium cable bundle overall. But in the new digital, à la carte world, each of these networks is determined to be one of the few enduring digital platforms. As a result, they – and others such as CBS All Access – are ramping up their original programming, growing marketing spend and rapidly expanding abroad (and on a D2C basis). Those that do so successfully will compress the success of the others.

And then there are the digital players. In each of 2016, 2017 and 2018, Netflix grew its content spend by HBO’s entire budget. While the network’s average quality might lag that of HBO, volume and spend compensates for a lot (the two networks had roughly the same number of Emmy nominations in 2018, and Netflix had four Outstanding Series nominees to HBO’s five). And while many of HBO’s newest competitors (e.g. Amazon, Apple) have different business models, they compete for the same finite supply of potential series, consumer spend and consumer attention. Apple, which has yet to launch its video offering, looks to be pursuing HBO’s content model – a dozen or so annual releases of highly differentiated, high quality programming – except that the shows are likely to be given away for free to the company’s 1B+ active users. One can debate whether the need to generate a direct profit in video is a strategic advantage or cost, but not whether this will affect HBO both directly and indirectly. To defend against these challenges, HBO needs to fuel every component of its flywheel.

  The War of Would-Be Usurpers (and Its Many Battles)

As any Maester would tell you, the fate of any war’s victor is to await the next one. By almost every measure, HBO has won the past two decades of cable television (thus covering both its ascendance and peak). But the future of media looks very different than its past. And while the company’s profits, B2B and B2C brands, internal development capability, and market-leading content catalog will endure for years to come, HBO will need to change and adapt.

Many envision (or expect, or fear) this means HBO will need to replicate Netflix. It shouldn’t and doesn’t have to. There can be a bigger, stronger and better version of the HBO we enjoy today. And in the second part of this two-part series, we’ll detail a six point plan to get it there.

You can reach Matthew Ball at mb.ball@gmail.com or @ballmatthew. 

via REDEF ORIGINAL: Why HBO Needs to Grow (The Future of HBO, Pt. I)

[touristguidebuzz]

Cyber Monday: All Books and Courses Up to 50% Off!

Are you looking to get into the travel industry? Well, you’re in luck. Though I don’t talk about it often (well, at least compared to my books), I have a travel media school called Superstar Blogging, with courses on blogging, photography, vlogging/YouTube, and travel writing.

Today, we’re releasing a couple massive updates to the courses. Based on reader feedback, changes in the industry, and updated best practices, we update the courses every year to ensure that they have the best and most current information possible on how to succeed in the travel industry.

And, because it’s also Cyber Monday, we’re heavily discounting the courses too! It’s a double win! Also, all my ebooks will be on sale too! Triple win!

First, you can get all my e-books and guides 50% off for the next 24 hours. You’ll get all my destination guides plus my guide to travel hacking and teaching English overseas. My guides take what you love about this site and supercharge it. The destination guides include all my favorite hostels, restaurants, and bars — spots you probably won’t find listed elsewhere – as things to see in ado in each place. They go into a level of depth not found on the website and help you be the best traveler in any destination! They are written for budget travelers and those wanting to get off the beaten track when they travel.

As Edward said about my Thailand guide, “One of the best things about Matt’s book is that it avoids all the frivolous details that so many travel guides have nowadays. This book gets straight to the point – and helps you avoid all the tourist traps. I went to Thailand not knowing what to expect and reading this guide eased my fears. It was like a cheat sheet to best the country had to show me. There was never a moment I felt “lost.” This was a great guide and I definitely plan to buy more.”

My travel hacking guide will help you unlock the mystery of points and miles and have traveling first class for free in no time. Travel hacking is what makes constant travel affordable. As Rusty said, “Matt’s guide has unlocked a whole new way to travel. His book was an eye-opener — it explained the concept and language of travel hacking in a way that is easy to read and understand. Since buying his book six months ago, I have accumulated nearly 300,000 points. Now, I’m repeating the steps for my wife so we can have double the miles for our future trips!”

And the teaching English book will help you get a job, teach overseas, pay off your debt, and have a life changing experience. Teaching overseas was one of the best things I’ve done in my life.

Clic here to get the deal right away or click here to learn more and see all the books included!

Now, to the courses:

The Business of Blogging

There’s a seemingly endless pool of travel blogs out there. Every day hundreds of people think, “Hey, I travel, so I’m going to start a blog and try to make a living out of this like all these people I see online.”

While there are plenty of blogs, there’s not a lot of well-run blogs, which gives you plenty of opportunity to succeed. You need to be like the cook who says, “This place is good, but I can do better” and then opens up a successful restaurant!

Imagine being able to share your experience with the world. Imagine setting your own schedule, traveling wherever — and whenever — you want, inspiring others to travel — and getting paid to do it. Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn your love of travel into a paying gig while helping others at the same time?

In this course, I am here to be your mentor and walk you through the entire process of establishing a successful blog. Think of me as your training wheels.

I’ll take you behind the curtain: you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how I run my website; never-before-seen screenshots of my systems; and my tips, tricks, and blogging advice.

With this update version of the course, you’ll also get:

Expanded advice on choosing a blog name, picking a niche, and developing your brand. Since many students got tripped up on this part of the process, we added some tips and checklists so you can do this quicker and better.

An expanded section on setting up a newsletter, with added screenshots and guides so you can install your newsletter easily

An updated and expanded section on making e-books, including how to come up with an idea, write and edit your book, and set the price

A new way to design and write your product pages to increase the number of people who purchase your book

An added section on influencer marketing and how to succeed at it

An added section on setting up a shopping cart

An added section on how to network at conferences

Added sections on basic HTML and CSS coding (we’ll help you master tech)

Added sections on how you can adjust your theme

We’ve updated all our videos and screenshots; created new walk-throughs, charts, and visual aids; and reorganized the content so the course is structured in a more logical order.

Additionally, we now have monthly office hours during which I’ll answer your questions and give feedback over the phone.

This update continues to make our program the most robust and informative out there. It will teach you how to run a sustainable business and succeed in the world of travel media for the long haul.

The course is normally $299 but, as part of our Cyber Monday deal, this course is 33% off for the next 24 hours.

Buy now for one payment of $199 OR Buy now for 3 payments of $66

OR learn more about the course: http://bit.ly/2BrPd9U

The Art of Travel Vlogging

People love video. It’s engaging and exciting. Video makes everything seem more real and alive. Humans are visual creatures, and video gives us a special connection to what and who we are watching.

If you’ve been thinking about getting into the travel video world, NOW is the time to kick-start your career making travel videos. Video is the wave of the future in the travel industry.

The course is taught in conjuction with two travel vlogging superstars: Nadine from Hey Nadine and Kristin from Hopscotch the Globe.They will give you a behind-the-scenes look at how they make and edit incredible content on YouTube (and explain why they included certain footage and why some ended up on the cutting room floor), and learn how they have masterfully connected with bigger stars, brands, and their readers, monetizing their channel while getting paid to travel the world.

Through video instruction, step-by-step guides, photo and video examples, and at-home exercises, this course will give you a complete understanding of how to succeed with video online.

In this course, we’ll teach you everything you need to know:

What gear to use and why, so you don’t spend unnecessary money

What to do to keep your gear safe

How to be on the right side of the law by understanding permits

How to scout locations, plan shots, and film videos, as Nadine and Kristin take you behind the scenes of their show

How to paint a visual story that others want to watch

How to get over shyness and become a captivating host with proven tips and advice

The secrets to growing your channel faster with interviews

How to edit your videos, as Kristin and Nadine walk you through how they edit theirs in Adobe Premier and Final Cut Pro

How to increase viewership through networking, marketing, and social media. Learn where to spend your time and where NOT to spend your time.

What to do and what not to do when connecting with influencers (a vital part of any YouTuber’s career)

Successful ways to make money — collaborating with brands and tourism boards, and creating your own products — including videos on monetization

The course is normally $299 but, as part of our Cyber Monday deal, this course is 33% off for the next 24 hours.

Buy now for $199 OR Buy now for 3 payments of $66

OR learn more about the course: http://bit.ly/2zsvVjk

Our Photography and Writing Courses

Additionally, our photography course is 30% off (only $69) and our writing course is 40% off (only $299). Just click on the links to take advantage of those deals too!

*** There’s never going to be a moment when you have enough time. If you wait for the perfect moment to start your blog, you’ll be waiting forever. And you’ll always be wondering “what if…”

But with lifetime access to these courses, you’ll have plenty of time to turn what you love into something more.

I know when you are new to blogging, spending a couple hundred dollars on a course is not the easiest thing in the world. I remember when I started blogging and was making zero money. But what is your time worth? Would you rather waste it trying to figure it out yourself — and probably getting it wrong — or pay to get the right information right away so you can save time, work smarter, and start earning quicker?

Many people think all they need is information. They say things like, “I could find that information for free!” or “I found this other free mini-course. That’s all I need.”

Sure, there’s tons of free information on the web.

But if all someone needed was information, wouldn’t everyone be a wild success? Why would we need doctors when we have WebMD? Mechanics when we have YouTube? Universities when you have a podcast? I could read a book on gardening, but that doesn’t mean I’d be a world-class gardener.

No, you need more than information. You need someone who can make sense of it. Someone who can guide you, answer your questions, give advice, help you problem-solve and distill all that information, and speed up your success.

That’s what we do with these courses. We are your mentors. We take your through the vast amount of information out there, show you what works and what doesn’t so you save time, avoid making mistakes, and supercharge your journey to success.

So take advantage of my Cyber Monday sale and get started! The sale end tomorrow at 10am EST.

P.S. – Don’t forget you can get all my e-books and guides for $49.99 for the next 24 hours too. That’s a 50% savings! Click the link here to get the deal or click here to learn more!

The post Cyber Monday: All Books and Courses Up to 50% Off! appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

Cyber Monday: All Books and Courses Up to 50% Off!

Are you looking to get into the travel industry? Well, you’re in luck. Though I don’t talk about it often (well, at least compared to my books), I have a travel media school called Superstar Blogging, with courses on blogging, photography, vlogging/YouTube, and travel writing.

Today, we’re releasing a couple massive updates to the courses. Based on reader feedback, changes in the industry, and updated best practices, we update the courses every year to ensure that they have the best and most current information possible on how to succeed in the travel industry.

And, because it’s also Cyber Monday, we’re heavily discounting the courses too! It’s a double win! Also, all my ebooks will be on sale too! Triple win!

First, you can get all my e-books and guides 50% off for the next 24 hours. You’ll get all my destination guides plus my guide to travel hacking and teaching English overseas. My guides take what you love about this site and supercharge it. The destination guides include all my favorite hostels, restaurants, and bars — spots you probably won’t find listed elsewhere – as things to see in ado in each place. They go into a level of depth not found on the website and help you be the best traveler in any destination! They are written for budget travelers and those wanting to get off the beaten track when they travel.

As Edward said about my Thailand guide, “One of the best things about Matt’s book is that it avoids all the frivolous details that so many travel guides have nowadays. This book gets straight to the point – and helps you avoid all the tourist traps. I went to Thailand not knowing what to expect and reading this guide eased my fears. It was like a cheat sheet to best the country had to show me. There was never a moment I felt “lost.” This was a great guide and I definitely plan to buy more.”

My travel hacking guide will help you unlock the mystery of points and miles and have traveling first class for free in no time. Travel hacking is what makes constant travel affordable. As Rusty said, “Matt’s guide has unlocked a whole new way to travel. His book was an eye-opener — it explained the concept and language of travel hacking in a way that is easy to read and understand. Since buying his book six months ago, I have accumulated nearly 300,000 points. Now, I’m repeating the steps for my wife so we can have double the miles for our future trips!”

And the teaching English book will help you get a job, teach overseas, pay off your debt, and have a life changing experience. Teaching overseas was one of the best things I’ve done in my life.

Clic here to get the deal right away or click here to learn more and see all the books included!

Now, to the courses:

The Business of Blogging

There’s a seemingly endless pool of travel blogs out there. Every day hundreds of people think, “Hey, I travel, so I’m going to start a blog and try to make a living out of this like all these people I see online.”

While there are plenty of blogs, there’s not a lot of well-run blogs, which gives you plenty of opportunity to succeed. You need to be like the cook who says, “This place is good, but I can do better” and then opens up a successful restaurant!

Imagine being able to share your experience with the world. Imagine setting your own schedule, traveling wherever — and whenever — you want, inspiring others to travel — and getting paid to do it. Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn your love of travel into a paying gig while helping others at the same time?

In this course, I am here to be your mentor and walk you through the entire process of establishing a successful blog. Think of me as your training wheels.

I’ll take you behind the curtain: you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how I run my website; never-before-seen screenshots of my systems; and my tips, tricks, and blogging advice.

With this update version of the course, you’ll also get:

Expanded advice on choosing a blog name, picking a niche, and developing your brand. Since many students got tripped up on this part of the process, we added some tips and checklists so you can do this quicker and better.

An expanded section on setting up a newsletter, with added screenshots and guides so you can install your newsletter easily

An updated and expanded section on making e-books, including how to come up with an idea, write and edit your book, and set the price

A new way to design and write your product pages to increase the number of people who purchase your book

An added section on influencer marketing and how to succeed at it

An added section on setting up a shopping cart

An added section on how to network at conferences

Added sections on basic HTML and CSS coding (we’ll help you master tech)

Added sections on how you can adjust your theme

We’ve updated all our videos and screenshots; created new walk-throughs, charts, and visual aids; and reorganized the content so the course is structured in a more logical order.

Additionally, we now have monthly office hours during which I’ll answer your questions and give feedback over the phone.

This update continues to make our program the most robust and informative out there. It will teach you how to run a sustainable business and succeed in the world of travel media for the long haul.

The course is normally $299 but, as part of our Cyber Monday deal, this course is 33% off for the next 24 hours.

Buy now for one payment of $199 OR Buy now for 3 payments of $66

OR learn more about the course: http://ift.tt/2zt7fH2

The Art of Travel Vlogging

People love video. It’s engaging and exciting. Video makes everything seem more real and alive. Humans are visual creatures, and video gives us a special connection to what and who we are watching.

If you’ve been thinking about getting into the travel video world, NOW is the time to kick-start your career making travel videos. Video is the wave of the future in the travel industry.

The course is taught in conjuction with two travel vlogging superstars: Nadine from Hey Nadine and Kristin from Hopscotch the Globe.They will give you a behind-the-scenes look at how they make and edit incredible content on YouTube (and explain why they included certain footage and why some ended up on the cutting room floor), and learn how they have masterfully connected with bigger stars, brands, and their readers, monetizing their channel while getting paid to travel the world.

Through video instruction, step-by-step guides, photo and video examples, and at-home exercises, this course will give you a complete understanding of how to succeed with video online.

In this course, we’ll teach you everything you need to know:

What gear to use and why, so you don’t spend unnecessary money

What to do to keep your gear safe

How to be on the right side of the law by understanding permits

How to scout locations, plan shots, and film videos, as Nadine and Kristin take you behind the scenes of their show

How to paint a visual story that others want to watch

How to get over shyness and become a captivating host with proven tips and advice

The secrets to growing your channel faster with interviews

How to edit your videos, as Kristin and Nadine walk you through how they edit theirs in Adobe Premier and Final Cut Pro

How to increase viewership through networking, marketing, and social media. Learn where to spend your time and where NOT to spend your time.

What to do and what not to do when connecting with influencers (a vital part of any YouTuber’s career)

Successful ways to make money — collaborating with brands and tourism boards, and creating your own products — including videos on monetization

The course is normally $299 but, as part of our Cyber Monday deal, this course is 33% off for the next 24 hours.

Buy now for $199 OR Buy now for 3 payments of $66

OR learn more about the course: http://ift.tt/2ACnZAd

Our Photography and Writing Courses

Additionally, our photography course is 30% off (only $69) and our writing course is 40% off (only $299). Just click on the links to take advantage of those deals too!

*** There’s never going to be a moment when you have enough time. If you wait for the perfect moment to start your blog, you’ll be waiting forever. And you’ll always be wondering “what if…”

But with lifetime access to these courses, you’ll have plenty of time to turn what you love into something more.

I know when you are new to blogging, spending a couple hundred dollars on a course is not the easiest thing in the world. I remember when I started blogging and was making zero money. But what is your time worth? Would you rather waste it trying to figure it out yourself — and probably getting it wrong — or pay to get the right information right away so you can save time, work smarter, and start earning quicker?

Many people think all they need is information. They say things like, “I could find that information for free!” or “I found this other free mini-course. That’s all I need.”

Sure, there’s tons of free information on the web.

But if all someone needed was information, wouldn’t everyone be a wild success? Why would we need doctors when we have WebMD? Mechanics when we have YouTube? Universities when you have a podcast? I could read a book on gardening, but that doesn’t mean I’d be a world-class gardener.

No, you need more than information. You need someone who can make sense of it. Someone who can guide you, answer your questions, give advice, help you problem-solve and distill all that information, and speed up your success.

That’s what we do with these courses. We are your mentors. We take your through the vast amount of information out there, show you what works and what doesn’t so you save time, avoid making mistakes, and supercharge your journey to success.

So take advantage of my Cyber Monday sale and get started! The sale end tomorrow at 10am EST.

P.S. – Don’t forget you can get all my e-books and guides for $49.99 for the next 24 hours too. That’s a 50% savings! Click the link here to get the deal or click here to learn more!

The post Cyber Monday: All Books and Courses Up to 50% Off! appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

via Travel Blogs http://ift.tt/2AbCo5A

[tamboradventure]

Cyber Monday: All Books and Courses Up to 50% Off!

Are you looking to get into the travel industry? Well, you’re in luck. Though I don’t talk about it often (well, at least compared to my books), I have a travel media school called Superstar Blogging, with courses on blogging, photography, vlogging/YouTube, and travel writing.

Today, we’re releasing a couple massive updates to the courses. Based on reader feedback, changes in the industry, and updated best practices, we update the courses every year to ensure that they have the best and most current information possible on how to succeed in the travel industry.

And, because it’s also Cyber Monday, we’re heavily discounting the courses too! It’s a double win! Also, all my ebooks will be on sale too! Triple win!

First, you can get all my e-books and guides 50% off for the next 24 hours. You’ll get all my destination guides plus my guide to travel hacking and teaching English overseas. My guides take what you love about this site and supercharge it. The destination guides include all my favorite hostels, restaurants, and bars — spots you probably won’t find listed elsewhere – as things to see in ado in each place. They go into a level of depth not found on the website and help you be the best traveler in any destination! They are written for budget travelers and those wanting to get off the beaten track when they travel.

As Edward said about my Thailand guide, “One of the best things about Matt’s book is that it avoids all the frivolous details that so many travel guides have nowadays. This book gets straight to the point – and helps you avoid all the tourist traps. I went to Thailand not knowing what to expect and reading this guide eased my fears. It was like a cheat sheet to best the country had to show me. There was never a moment I felt “lost.” This was a great guide and I definitely plan to buy more.”

My travel hacking guide will help you unlock the mystery of points and miles and have traveling first class for free in no time. Travel hacking is what makes constant travel affordable. As Rusty said, “Matt’s guide has unlocked a whole new way to travel. His book was an eye-opener — it explained the concept and language of travel hacking in a way that is easy to read and understand. Since buying his book six months ago, I have accumulated nearly 300,000 points. Now, I’m repeating the steps for my wife so we can have double the miles for our future trips!”

And the teaching English book will help you get a job, teach overseas, pay off your debt, and have a life changing experience. Teaching overseas was one of the best things I’ve done in my life.

Clic here to get the deal right away or click here to learn more and see all the books included!

Now, to the courses:

The Business of Blogging

There’s a seemingly endless pool of travel blogs out there. Every day hundreds of people think, “Hey, I travel, so I’m going to start a blog and try to make a living out of this like all these people I see online.”

While there are plenty of blogs, there’s not a lot of well-run blogs, which gives you plenty of opportunity to succeed. You need to be like the cook who says, “This place is good, but I can do better” and then opens up a successful restaurant!

Imagine being able to share your experience with the world. Imagine setting your own schedule, traveling wherever — and whenever — you want, inspiring others to travel — and getting paid to do it. Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn your love of travel into a paying gig while helping others at the same time?

In this course, I am here to be your mentor and walk you through the entire process of establishing a successful blog. Think of me as your training wheels.

I’ll take you behind the curtain: you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how I run my website; never-before-seen screenshots of my systems; and my tips, tricks, and blogging advice.

With this update version of the course, you’ll also get:

Expanded advice on choosing a blog name, picking a niche, and developing your brand. Since many students got tripped up on this part of the process, we added some tips and checklists so you can do this quicker and better.

An expanded section on setting up a newsletter, with added screenshots and guides so you can install your newsletter easily

An updated and expanded section on making e-books, including how to come up with an idea, write and edit your book, and set the price

A new way to design and write your product pages to increase the number of people who purchase your book

An added section on influencer marketing and how to succeed at it

An added section on setting up a shopping cart

An added section on how to network at conferences

Added sections on basic HTML and CSS coding (we’ll help you master tech)

Added sections on how you can adjust your theme

We’ve updated all our videos and screenshots; created new walk-throughs, charts, and visual aids; and reorganized the content so the course is structured in a more logical order.

Additionally, we now have monthly office hours during which I’ll answer your questions and give feedback over the phone.

This update continues to make our program the most robust and informative out there. It will teach you how to run a sustainable business and succeed in the world of travel media for the long haul.

The course is normally $299 but, as part of our Cyber Monday deal, this course is 33% off for the next 24 hours.

Buy now for one payment of $199 OR Buy now for 3 payments of $66

OR learn more about the course: http://ift.tt/2zt7fH2

The Art of Travel Vlogging

People love video. It’s engaging and exciting. Video makes everything seem more real and alive. Humans are visual creatures, and video gives us a special connection to what and who we are watching.

If you’ve been thinking about getting into the travel video world, NOW is the time to kick-start your career making travel videos. Video is the wave of the future in the travel industry.

The course is taught in conjuction with two travel vlogging superstars: Nadine from Hey Nadine and Kristin from Hopscotch the Globe.They will give you a behind-the-scenes look at how they make and edit incredible content on YouTube (and explain why they included certain footage and why some ended up on the cutting room floor), and learn how they have masterfully connected with bigger stars, brands, and their readers, monetizing their channel while getting paid to travel the world.

Through video instruction, step-by-step guides, photo and video examples, and at-home exercises, this course will give you a complete understanding of how to succeed with video online.

In this course, we’ll teach you everything you need to know:

What gear to use and why, so you don’t spend unnecessary money

What to do to keep your gear safe

How to be on the right side of the law by understanding permits

How to scout locations, plan shots, and film videos, as Nadine and Kristin take you behind the scenes of their show

How to paint a visual story that others want to watch

How to get over shyness and become a captivating host with proven tips and advice

The secrets to growing your channel faster with interviews

How to edit your videos, as Kristin and Nadine walk you through how they edit theirs in Adobe Premier and Final Cut Pro

How to increase viewership through networking, marketing, and social media. Learn where to spend your time and where NOT to spend your time.

What to do and what not to do when connecting with influencers (a vital part of any YouTuber’s career)

Successful ways to make money — collaborating with brands and tourism boards, and creating your own products — including videos on monetization

The course is normally $299 but, as part of our Cyber Monday deal, this course is 33% off for the next 24 hours.

Buy now for $199 OR Buy now for 3 payments of $66

OR learn more about the course: http://ift.tt/2ACnZAd

Our Photography and Writing Courses

Additionally, our photography course is 25% off (only $79) and our writing course is 40% off (only $299). Just click on the links to take advantage of those deals too!

*** There’s never going to be a moment when you have enough time. If you wait for the perfect moment to start your blog, you’ll be waiting forever. And you’ll always be wondering “what if…”

But with lifetime access to these courses, you’ll have plenty of time to turn what you love into something more.

I know when you are new to blogging, spending a couple hundred dollars on a course is not the easiest thing in the world. I remember when I started blogging and was making zero money. But what is your time worth? Would you rather waste it trying to figure it out yourself — and probably getting it wrong — or pay to get the right information right away so you can save time, work smarter, and start earning quicker?

Many people think all they need is information. They say things like, “I could find that information for free!” or “I found this other free mini-course. That’s all I need.”

Sure, there’s tons of free information on the web.

But if all someone needed was information, wouldn’t everyone be a wild success? Why would we need doctors when we have WebMD? Mechanics when we have YouTube? Universities when you have a podcast? I could read a book on gardening, but that doesn’t mean I’d be a world-class gardener.

No, you need more than information. You need someone who can make sense of it. Someone who can guide you, answer your questions, give advice, help you problem-solve and distill all that information, and speed up your success.

That’s what we do with these courses. We are your mentors. We take your through the vast amount of information out there, show you what works and what doesn’t so you save time, avoid making mistakes, and supercharge your journey to success.

So take advantage of my Cyber Monday sale and get started! The sale end tomorrow at 10am EST.

P.S. – Don’t forget you can get all my e-books and guides for $49.99 for the next 24 hours too. That’s a 50% savings! Click the link here to get the deal or click here to learn more!

The post Cyber Monday: All Books and Courses Up to 50% Off! appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Travel Blog – Nomadic Matt's Travel Site http://ift.tt/2AbCo5A via IFTTT

[theladyjstyle]

Are you looking to get into the travel industry? Well, you’re in luck. Though I don’t talk about it often (well, at least compared to my books), I have a travel media school called Superstar Blogging, with courses on blogging, photography, vlogging/YouTube, and travel writing.

Today, we’re releasing a couple massive updates to the courses. Based on reader feedback, changes in the industry, and updated best practices, we update the courses every year to ensure that they have the best and most current information possible on how to succeed in the travel industry.

And, because it’s also Cyber Monday, we’re heavily discounting the courses too! It’s a double win! Also, all my ebooks will be on sale too! Triple win!

First, you can get all my e-books and guides 50% off for the next 24 hours. You’ll get all my destination guides plus my guide to travel hacking and teaching English overseas. My guides take what you love about this site and supercharge it. The destination guides include all my favorite hostels, restaurants, and bars — spots you probably won’t find listed elsewhere – as things to see in ado in each place. They go into a level of depth not found on the website and help you be the best traveler in any destination! They are written for budget travelers and those wanting to get off the beaten track when they travel.

As Edward said about my Thailand guide, “One of the best things about Matt’s book is that it avoids all the frivolous details that so many travel guides have nowadays. This book gets straight to the point – and helps you avoid all the tourist traps. I went to Thailand not knowing what to expect and reading this guide eased my fears. It was like a cheat sheet to best the country had to show me. There was never a moment I felt “lost.” This was a great guide and I definitely plan to buy more.”

My travel hacking guide will help you unlock the mystery of points and miles and have traveling first class for free in no time. Travel hacking is what makes constant travel affordable. As Rusty said, “Matt’s guide has unlocked a whole new way to travel. His book was an eye-opener — it explained the concept and language of travel hacking in a way that is easy to read and understand. Since buying his book six months ago, I have accumulated nearly 300,000 points. Now, I’m repeating the steps for my wife so we can have double the miles for our future trips!”

And the teaching English book will help you get a job, teach overseas, pay off your debt, and have a life changing experience. Teaching overseas was one of the best things I’ve done in my life.

Clic here to get the deal right away or click here to learn more and see all the books included!

Now, to the courses:

The Business of Blogging

There’s a seemingly endless pool of travel blogs out there. Every day hundreds of people think, “Hey, I travel, so I’m going to start a blog and try to make a living out of this like all these people I see online.”

While there are plenty of blogs, there’s not a lot of well-run blogs, which gives you plenty of opportunity to succeed. You need to be like the cook who says, “This place is good, but I can do better” and then opens up a successful restaurant!

Imagine being able to share your experience with the world. Imagine setting your own schedule, traveling wherever — and whenever — you want, inspiring others to travel — and getting paid to do it. Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn your love of travel into a paying gig while helping others at the same time?

In this course, I am here to be your mentor and walk you through the entire process of establishing a successful blog. Think of me as your training wheels.

I’ll take you behind the curtain: you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how I run my website; never-before-seen screenshots of my systems; and my tips, tricks, and blogging advice.

With this update version of the course, you’ll also get:

Expanded advice on choosing a blog name, picking a niche, and developing your brand. Since many students got tripped up on this part of the process, we added some tips and checklists so you can do this quicker and better.

An expanded section on setting up a newsletter, with added screenshots and guides so you can install your newsletter easily

An updated and expanded section on making e-books, including how to come up with an idea, write and edit your book, and set the price

A new way to design and write your product pages to increase the number of people who purchase your book

An added section on influencer marketing and how to succeed at it

An added section on setting up a shopping cart

An added section on how to network at conferences

Added sections on basic HTML and CSS coding (we’ll help you master tech)

Added sections on how you can adjust your theme

We’ve updated all our videos and screenshots; created new walk-throughs, charts, and visual aids; and reorganized the content so the course is structured in a more logical order.

Additionally, we now have monthly office hours during which I’ll answer your questions and give feedback over the phone.

This update continues to make our program the most robust and informative out there. It will teach you how to run a sustainable business and succeed in the world of travel media for the long haul.

The course is normally $299 but, as part of our Cyber Monday deal, this course is 33% off for the next 24 hours.

Buy now for one payment of $199 OR Buy now for 3 payments of $66

OR learn more about the course: http://ift.tt/2zt7fH2

The Art of Travel Vlogging

People love video. It’s engaging and exciting. Video makes everything seem more real and alive. Humans are visual creatures, and video gives us a special connection to what and who we are watching.

If you’ve been thinking about getting into the travel video world, NOW is the time to kick-start your career making travel videos. Video is the wave of the future in the travel industry.

The course is taught in conjuction with two travel vlogging superstars: Nadine from Hey Nadine and Kristin from Hopscotch the Globe.They will give you a behind-the-scenes look at how they make and edit incredible content on YouTube (and explain why they included certain footage and why some ended up on the cutting room floor), and learn how they have masterfully connected with bigger stars, brands, and their readers, monetizing their channel while getting paid to travel the world.

Through video instruction, step-by-step guides, photo and video examples, and at-home exercises, this course will give you a complete understanding of how to succeed with video online.

In this course, we’ll teach you everything you need to know:

What gear to use and why, so you don’t spend unnecessary money

What to do to keep your gear safe

How to be on the right side of the law by understanding permits

How to scout locations, plan shots, and film videos, as Nadine and Kristin take you behind the scenes of their show

How to paint a visual story that others want to watch

How to get over shyness and become a captivating host with proven tips and advice

The secrets to growing your channel faster with interviews

How to edit your videos, as Kristin and Nadine walk you through how they edit theirs in Adobe Premier and Final Cut Pro

How to increase viewership through networking, marketing, and social media. Learn where to spend your time and where NOT to spend your time.

What to do and what not to do when connecting with influencers (a vital part of any YouTuber’s career)

Successful ways to make money — collaborating with brands and tourism boards, and creating your own products — including videos on monetization

The course is normally $299 but, as part of our Cyber Monday deal, this course is 33% off for the next 24 hours.

Buy now for $199 OR Buy now for 3 payments of $66

OR learn more about the course: http://ift.tt/2ACnZAd

Our Photography and Writing Courses

Additionally, our photography course is 25% off (only $79) and our writing course is 40% off (only $299). Just click on the links to take advantage of those deals too!

*** There’s never going to be a moment when you have enough time. If you wait for the perfect moment to start your blog, you’ll be waiting forever. And you’ll always be wondering “what if…”

But with lifetime access to these courses, you’ll have plenty of time to turn what you love into something more.

I know when you are new to blogging, spending a couple hundred dollars on a course is not the easiest thing in the world. I remember when I started blogging and was making zero money. But what is your time worth? Would you rather waste it trying to figure it out yourself — and probably getting it wrong — or pay to get the right information right away so you can save time, work smarter, and start earning quicker?

Many people think all they need is information. They say things like, “I could find that information for free!” or “I found this other free mini-course. That’s all I need.”

Sure, there’s tons of free information on the web.

But if all someone needed was information, wouldn’t everyone be a wild success? Why would we need doctors when we have WebMD? Mechanics when we have YouTube? Universities when you have a podcast? I could read a book on gardening, but that doesn’t mean I’d be a world-class gardener.

No, you need more than information. You need someone who can make sense of it. Someone who can guide you, answer your questions, give advice, help you problem-solve and distill all that information, and speed up your success.

That’s what we do with these courses. We are your mentors. We take your through the vast amount of information out there, show you what works and what doesn’t so you save time, avoid making mistakes, and supercharge your journey to success.

So take advantage of my Cyber Monday sale and get started! The sale end tomorrow at 10am EST.

P.S. – Don’t forget you can get all my e-books and guides for $49.99 for the next 24 hours too. That’s a 50% savings! Click the link here to get the deal or click here to learn more!

The post Cyber Monday: All Books and Courses Up to 50% Off! appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

Cyber Monday: All Books and Courses Up to 50% Off! http://ift.tt/2AbCo5A

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MIPJr: Kids Networks Face Pipeline Pressure As They Compete for Viewers

http://styleveryday.com/2017/10/16/mipjr-kids-networks-face-pipeline-pressure-as-they-compete-for-viewers/

MIPJr: Kids Networks Face Pipeline Pressure As They Compete for Viewers

“We need more, more, more,” said Disney vp worldwide programming strategy Karen Miller of the insatiable appetite for shows.

As kids’ appetites for content grows, pipeline pressure is the biggest challenge facing programmers as platforms fight for viewers said executives from Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network across the board at this year’s MIPJunior.

“Supply and demand is getting tricky,” said Cartoon Network vp acquisitions and co-productions Adina Pitt. “There is not enough out there or we can’t make it as fast as we need it. The economics are tricky.”

The “new normal” is all rights with a minimum of 20 episodes to prevent brand dilution, she said, which makes the financing deals more difficult. “It means more money we have to pony up,” she said, prolonging both negotiation and development times.

As the 6 – 11 year old demographic is on all screens, shows are being launched in apps before premieres, and games are being developed simultaneously. The build a franchise an IP must be on all screens.

The use of devices has pushed a downward demographic shift at Disney.  

“Kids are growing up way faster and they’re leaving us way sooner,” said Disney vp worldwide programming strategy Karen Miller. The channels have seen their demo lose two years, now at 6 – 9 year olds in recent years.  

Because kids’ tastes are moving at lightning speed, they getting away from animation earlier, panelists said. “We’ve seen an evolution in the appeal of live action for us,” said Disney vp production and development David Levine. It’s had success with telenovela-style shows geared towards a pre-teen audience in Latin America, and is now looking for similar serialized shows with appropriate themes for its younger viewers around the world.

At Nickelodeon that means plucking talent from various platforms and developing shows around them. Hahn highlighted JoJo Siwa, a 14-year-old YouTube star with 17.3 million followers whose signatures are brightly-colored hair bows and inclusively. Siwa came to Nickelodeon via the company’s consumer marketing group and the network built a show around her bubbly personality.

“How she represents our audience is ‘future proofing’ us in an interesting way,” said Hahn, adding that they would be looking to develop more talents like Siwa as cross-device viewing overtakes traditional TV in a few years time.

The migration to mobile around the junior high years has also been a major challenge. “Kids are moving off of kids’ channels and kids’ platforms, and certainly off of measured kids’ platforms at a great speed,” he said, inviting the Netflix and Amazon elephant into the room.

“There’s a lot of viewership going to platforms that don’t have any sort of public ratings system, all of those viewers are going off into what we call ‘unmatched’” – meaning no numbers – “so it’s challenging from a monetization standpoint and it’s challenging from a business standpoint to get attention.”

Demographics are also becoming more gender balanced, and “diversity is a natural state” said Hahn (who is white).

MIller emphasized it’s not only quality but also quantity that networks are looking for, to catch kids eyeballs locked on screens everywhere, all the time.

“We need more, more, more,” she said, adding that a standard season for a children’s show is now 26 episodes and 52 episodes aired in a single continuous run is ideal. “We need to be able to create an opportunity to engage in a lot rather quickly due in part to the way that content is dropped onto SVOD platforms.”

If there is a gap between seasons, the channels create shorts or special events to sustain interest in the property.

There’s a growing need for globally-appealing shows, said Hahn, citing Nickelodeon’s Hunter Street teen dramedy. After the network picked up the original Dutch version of the show, it went on to develop a global English-language adaptation, sharing locations, scripts and some cast to film in both languages. They are now following the same mold with the Latin American show I am Frankie and are looking for similar deals.

“It’s incredibly cost effective for us,” said Hahn. “And the global vision adds a really important layer.”

#Compete #Face #Kids #MIPJr #Networks #Pipeline #Pressure #Viewers

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New Post has been published on Atticusblog

New Post has been published on https://atticusblog.com/fox-news-anchor-others-hit-network-with-race-bias-claims/

Fox News anchor, others hit network with race bias claims

Fox News faces renewed felony claims that it mistreated non-white employees, a week after network discern Twenty-First Century Fox Inc severed ties with its largest star over unrelated sexual harassment court cases.

11 modern and former Fox employees, such as Information anchor Kelly Wright, filed an amended lawsuit in New york nation court docket on Tuesday claiming they were demeaned, humiliated, paid much less than white co-workers, and surpassed over for promotions.

The lawsuit was firstly filed remaining month by Fox News payroll personnel. Tuesday’s criticism brought magnificence motion racial discrimination claims.

One after the other on Tuesday, a former Fox News money owed payable specialist, Adasa Blanco, filed a lawsuit in federal court docket in NY claiming her complaints about racial discrimination were unnoticed and she became forced to give up in 2013 as a result.

A Fox News spokesperson in a declaration said the network vehemently denies the claims and “will vigorously protect those instances. “In both instances, the plaintiffs say they have been ridiculed and mo They are saying Fox executives along with Dianne Brandi, the network’s pinnacle lawyer, informed them nothing might be carried out due to the fact Slater knew too much approximately unspecified “improprieties” committed by way of former network chief Roger Ailes and top-rated commentator Invoice O’Reilly.

Fox stated Slater turned into fired in February in reaction to the complaints.

Catherine Foti, a lawyer for Slater, in an announcement stated the claims were “frivolous” and “entirely aimed at producing headlines, inflaming racial tensions and poisoning potential jury swimming pools and judges. “The brand new racial discrimination allegations came after Fox on April 19 stated it had ousted O’Reilly over sexual harassment claims. Ailes become pressured out ultimate yr after a sexual harassment lawsuit by using former anchor Gretchen Carlson, which turned into settled for $20 million.

Both Ailes and O’Reilly have denied any wrongdoing.Feed through former Fox News senior vice president and comptroller Judith Slater because of their race.

Maxine Fox

Maxine Fox writes well-researched diabetes articles with an emphasis on curing diabetes certainly. After being identified with type 2 diabetes, she did sizeable research on a way to reverse diabetes evidently. As a scientist, she changed into able to delve deeply into the scientific literature going returned for many years. What she found was shocking. kind 2 diabetes did now not even exist earlier than the 1920’s and an enormous root purpose changed into the creation of “trans fats” and other unnatural ingredients into the human weight loss program. This is a 100% verifiable reality but None of the mainstream diabetes magazines and other most important assets of diabetic information want to reveal this reality. They may be very worried about making their advertisers (most pharmaceutical agencies and diabetes supply businesses) satisfied. In truth, even if doctors have attempted to put this records of their diabetes articles, advertisers threaten to leave and the articles don’t get posted. A real remedy (and a herbal therapy for diabetes might suggest an extreme loss of sales for these multi-billion dollar industries.

Maxine Fox’s diabetes articles are devoted to supporting people cure their diabetes via natural way. Besides supplying strong facts, she hopes to serve as an instance to others that it’s miles feasible to completely reverse your diabetes and loose yourself from a lifetime of taking diabetes medication every unmarried day. Maxine’s HgAC1 turned into above 10 whilst she was first identified however every test has lower back a analyzing of much less than 6 for greater than a yr. There are no extra daily curler coaster rides in blood sugar tiers – in fact, even consuming ice cream sometimes does not appear to purpose an intense surge in blood sugar.

Leftist Cable Tv News Interview So-Called Experts Who Hold Pronouncing – I Assume – Before Speakman

The leftist Faux News and socialist propaganda have hit an all-time high. Their techniques so obvious now that even a low-IQ, millennium with the attention span of a gnat can see quicker than a Google search which brings back 4.five million items for your question in 0.0054183710391 seconds – do not accept as true with me – seek Faux Information and spot for yourself why do not you?

Right here’s how it works. The leftist media gets collectively to attack President Donald Trump, blows something out of proportion, embellishes his feedback, calls him a racist and then interviews semi-outstanding individuals who want to get on Television and asks them; Do you think Donald Trump is a racist, bigot, homophobe, Islamaphobe, sexist or liar? Then, the visitor being interviewed gives us their Opinion based totally on their echo chamber mindset. Then the media repeats with lesser recognized, frequently difficult to understand folks, individuals who manifest to want their three minutes of fame and represent some leftist organization that sounds neutral. Then the interviewee another time states the same speak factor.

Nevertheless, each time media brings on a guest interviewee, after interviewing themselves, journalists on Television, the interviewees start their sentences with; “I Assume” and then cross directly to trash Trump, and the reporters by no means query their remarks, best trust them in one huge glad Kumbaya moment. The humorous element Right here is we don’t have to ask what someone “Thinks” who’s from the Middle for Progress of America, or the Sustainable Equality Institute for Girls. We already know they hate Trump, marched in opposition to them, perhaps even broke the law somewhere rioting?

Whilst the News media interviews a person who has a leftist bias, and that they say they “Think” properly this is no longer Announcing lots because, in the event that they repeat the identical vintage talking points, they are now not questioning at all. And, to that point, no person at the left or proper in all likelihood cares much approximately what they Assume. This is not News, newsworthy or maybe relevant to the truth of life in the world. All it does is give media repute and fame wherein it isn’t always due and hasn’t been earned.

It is a substitute illuminating as to why the left-wing media is losing ground, profits, and viewership in recent times. It also is going to show us why no person trusts cable Tv Information anymore. At first-class It’s miles enjoyment, and an experience-exact programming to help one’s view of the arena, and this is the best true thing possible say on it. Please Suppose in this, no, truly don’t forget it all.

Network Advertising In A Way That Works

One of the first-class parts about turning into a Network marketer is that your marketing campaign can develop indefinitely. However, that doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to grow at all. Do not be One of the realize-nothings trying to get rich via Marketing. Read the records furnished in this text and you’ll recognize what it takes to prevail at Community Advertising and marketing.

At the same time as many humans mistakenly recognition their efforts on the numbers of leads they get, a hit marketers emphasize the significance of satisfactory prospects. When you have employees who’re dedicated to their component, each you and they may see monetary growth.

Get a separate phone line as a Network marketer in order that humans can constantly stay in contact with you without intruding on your non-public life. You may get this cell phone line on the identical cellular smartphone, However, ensure it’s registered to a blank commercial enterprise address. You do not need to be so personal with every person.

Usually, make certain the prospect is relaxed and relaxed with you earlier than seeking to promote your product. Being a terrific listener and displaying the individual that you care approximately their emotions and thoughts go a protracted Way towards building consider. Be honest about your need to listen from them because people can tell when someone is faking them out.

When beginning a Community Advertising approach, you must parent out what your driving motivation is. Is it how plenty income you want to make? Is it an item you need to shop for or maybe, it’s fulfillment based totally on the quantity of earnings-earning people you have got on your downline? Sometimes, supporting others is the greatest advantage of all.

Monitoring your Community Advertising downline is extremely vital. If you see someone underperforming, ask them if they need any assist or advice. If a person drops off entirely, maybe they just need a few motivation to get back on track. You need to be a mentor to the human beings underneath you to ensure they’re making you profits in addition to themselves.

With so many details to attend to on your Community Marketing commercial enterprise, it is easy to lose sight of your number one purpose: prospecting. When you have a dozen emails to respond to, a pile of paperwork cluttering your desk, down-lines to train, and an enterprise convention to wait, locating new potentialities can From time to time get lost in the crowd. make certain you prioritize your duties to maintain prospecting on the pinnacle of the listing. Whilst your different responsibilities are still important, you Do not have an enterprise with none customers.

Boom your Community Marketing success by means of taking the time to study one new approach each day to enhance your leadership abilities. Skim an e-book of inspirational thoughts. Find out what 9aaf3f374c58e8c9dcdd1ebf10256fa5 experts are announcing. Sign up in a community university or person-mastering management direction. Examine the biographies of well-well famous world leaders and enterprise specialists. Comprise their techniques into your business plan, and take rate of your accomplishments!