The problem that I have with people making a big deal that Steven Bochco is doing an internet series is that there's nothing "Steven Bochco" about it. See for yourself. <http://www.metacafe.com/cc>. If you remove his name from the series, you have a bunch of random people standing around in non-descript locations telling unverifiable stories that the viewer is supposed to accept as truth about that person's life.
Period. Make a big deal when he's involved with something groundbreaking, like his television work. I mean, come on. "Cafe Confidential" isn't even "39 Second Single"! <http://www.39secondsingle.blogspot.com/>. "39" has editing, backgrounds, characters, punchlines..... You could bring a backdrop with you and film 44 episodes of "Cafe Confidential" in any mall in the country in one week. How are you going to make a big deal that someone (according to IMDB <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004766/>) who's won 10 Emmy Awards has lent his name to a project with ABSOLUTELY.ZERO.PRODUCTION.VALUE? hahahaha :/ Here's what MetaCafe had to say about it on their blog: <http://blog.metacafe.com/?p=109> "So what is Cafe Confidential? It's a whole new section of Metacafe. And it's all about storytelling - the girl next door and the guy across hall telling you about their craziest experiences, with no scripts, no sets and no special effects." "Café Confidential was conceived by Hollywood producer Steven Bochco. After creating such hit television series as "NYPD Blue" and "L.A. Law," Bochco wanted to find a new generation of storytellers - but not another screenwriter. His Café Confidential team scouted the streets and malls of L.A. in search of interesting young men and women." "These "amateur" storytellers weren't afraid to get personal as they described their dates, their jobs and their families. Bochco then selected the best of the stories for Metacafe, which is what you'll find at Café Confidential right now." So, actually, Steven Bochco has NOTHING to do with the series except giving the yay or nay to whatever his APs went out and shot. Anyone else could have done exactly the same thing, and it would have gotten ZERO press. I think I'll make a series about people standing at bus stops around my city and call it "Bus Stop Confidential". :/ -- Bill C. http://TheLab.ReelSolid.TV --- In videoblogging@yahoogroups.com, "Gena" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I try to limit how much crap I can stand in one day. Today, not so > good. I feel barfy. I was reading the article about Steven Bocho's > stepping into internet video and he sees it as a diversion. That's > what Bocho sees or has come to understand about Internet video. > > And how do you divert the masses quickly? According to him it is sex. > I'm not against sex. I am not against videos about sex, that included > sex or even if there is no sex at all. > > My point is that it is hard for many people to have an expanded > vision. Most people think YouTube is vlogging. That's what the news > media and a bunch of other sites that post YT videos tell people. > > There is a lot of education/information exchanging that has to take > place with the non-blogging public. Unfortunately, the news media and > others are putting there imprint on what they want to perceive as > blogs/vlogs. When I do presentations people are surprised when I show > them a variety of blogs and non YT vlogs. I hear it all the time "I > didn't know!" "How long has this been going on?" > > Another thing to consider is time is fractured. Most people tend to > allocate what time they have available with and growing set of resources. > > Good vlogs are not easy to find for novice users. You have to have the > right players on the system. Bandwidth issues. And even if you send > them the link they are too embarrassed to tell you they don't know how > to view the video. > > In closing, I hold dear that statement that Barry Diller gave as few > months ago and is buried in the archive. > > A quote from InterActiveCorp CEO Barry Diller: > > > There is not that much talent in the world, and talent always outs. > > There are very few really talented people in closets that don't get > > out. When we are talking about mass audience, which is the system of > > entertainment we have known for some time, when you are really > making a television program or a game there will be relatively few > people [able to do that] because there is simply not enough talent. > That may be a birdbrained statement, but it is mine. > > > > "People with talent and expertise at making entertainment products > are not going to be displaced by 1,800 people coming up with their > videos that they think are going to have an appeal." > > I continue to live (and blog/vlog)in defiance! > > Gena > http://outonthestoop.blogspot.com > http://pcclibtech.blogspot.com > > --- In videoblogging@yahoogroups.com, Rupert <rupert@> wrote: > > > > Yeah, and this weekend I listened to an extremely intelligent, well- > > respected man telling me that man-made global warming was a myth, > > presumably just because he wanted to provoke a response / have an > > iconoclastic opinion. I didn't rise to that, either. > > > > These aren't really provocative - they're shallow subjective personal > > opinions based on limited experiences, masquerading as broad > > statements of fact. > > > > I always assume that the majority of regular people think I'm weird > > (or worse) for putting videos online, because I think they probably do. > > > > Define 'failure' as stated by David Scott Lexis, when he says 'video > > blogs have been a failure'. What have they failed at? > > > > So they're not as popular or accessible as American Idol (even here, > > we're infected) but then neither is [fill in blank]. I guess [fill > > in blank] has been a failure, too. That's a really interesting > > viewpoint, David - thanks for your input. > > > > From all the scores of people that I know or have talked to about my > > videoblog in Real Life over the past 2 years, there are only 2 who > > have blogs and maybe 3 others who ever read blogs. > > > > I forward on links to vlogs to my friends and family whenever I think > > they'd be interested in a particular video - but not one has ever > > wanted to have a vlog or blog themselves or to continue to watch or > > read by themselves. > > > > The overwhelming majority of people you talk to in the UK think that > > blogs are confessional public diaries for narcissists (not that > > they've ever read one, if you ask). By this measure, 'blogs have > > been a failure' > > > > As for that other guy "Erick"s definition of entertainment... yawn. > > Some people make them. Some people watch them. Some people enjoy > > them. Some people do good and interesting things and reach audiences > > that they couldn't have reached before. What possible relevance has > > someone's subjective viewpoint of 'boring' or 'failure' got to do > > with this? My wife Kate is enjoying the new American Idol. I'd > > rather drill out my own teeth than sit through it. So what? > > > > I don't really know why I'm replying to this, because I don't think > > these opinions are worth getting bothered about. I'm just putting > > off work. Now that *is* boring. Maybe I'll just watch a few videos > > before I start. > > > > Rupert > > http://www.fatgirlinohio.org > > http://www.crowdabout.us/fatgirlinohio/myshow/ > > > > On 19 Mar 2007, at 10:43, Michael Schaap wrote: > > > > FYI > > > > In the comments on a short TechCrunch review (http://tinyurl.com/ > > 2bcqx5) about VLIP i > > read the following provocative statements: > > > > 'Erick' writes: > > > > "Unless a person is at least the slightest bit entertaining, Vlogging > > stinks. I dont want to > > look at some weirdo sitting at home/work talking into a webcam about > > their lame day or > > skill or opinion. If you arent as entertaining as Ze Frank, then you > > stink and nobody wants > > to hear/see you..." > > > > and David Scott Lexis writes: > > > > "Video blogs have been a failure, as I noted in a couple of AlwaysOn > > Network columns. > > Videos are one thing; automatically downloading video blogs (or video > > podcasts; I prefer > > "video podcasts") is too bandwidth intensive, too slow, takes up too > > much hard disk space. > > > > You want to leave your computer on all night to download video > > podcasts? Well, good for > > you but you're in the minority. How many video podcasts have been > > successful? Do any > > have over 10,000 subscribers to their feed? > > > > Compare and contrast with "standard" blogs such as this one. Matter > > of fact, are there > > any video podcasts that have even 1% of the subscribers that > > TechCrunch has? None that > > I'm aware of, and in my public blogroll I subscribe to a lot (http:// > > www.bloglines.com/ > > public/DSL). > > > > Mind you, this might be a decent idea, but until bandwidth, hard disk > > space and all sorts > > of other limitations are overcome (like the need for better and > > easier production > > techniques), it will remain a novelty for the SXSW crowd (and they're > > not early adopters, > > they're "way-too-early adopters"; in the 70's they would have been > > touting the wonders of > > AI). > > > > BTW, I still subscribe to several video podcasts for my iPod. But I > > suspect that I'm in the > > minority; I know very few people outside of the Bay area who > > subscribe to more than a few > > (if any) and I don't know anyone in China (where I currently live) > > who subscribes to any > > not even one. YouTube, thumbs up; video blogs & video podcasts, > > thumbs down (too > > early). > > > > Remember, so-called and self-anointed pioneers usually wind up with > > arrows in their > > back. Besides, how many people really have good "TV"/video presence? > > Not a lot. Good > > podcasters are a subset of good bloggers, but good vloggers are a > > subset of good > > podcasters: That's a tiny set..." > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > >
