GENERATION 247 - Web TV, Internet Streaming and Online Entertainment by Kevin Foong

Computer games for education?

A lot has been made of applying gaming to education, this is exactly what Harvard alum and Columbia MBA, Nteido (aka NT) Etuk, has spent the last four years doing. The premise is that educational computer games enable student players to better retain information because abstract concepts can be turned into experiences and therefore more easily retained. NT's company, Tabula Digita is privately held, here's the boilerplate: "The company creates cutting edge, immersive, 3D educational gaming modules that complement existing methods of teaching by offering a relevant and engaging way for students to interact with middle and high school subject matter. Focused initially on the introduction and review of algebra concepts, Tabula Digita intends to extend its expertise in creating immersive educational entertainment products to encompass subjects at all levels of education."

How to get financing for web TV and video content

Last year, a new web TV incubator called 60Frames  opened its doors. Backed by UTA and Spot Runner and flush from having raised $3.5 million in initial funding, the outfit proceeded to finance and incubate shows such as Black Version and Who, What, Wear.  Thus far, it's punts have not made much of a mark on the entertainment landscape.

The 60Frames idea is to fund and syndicate high-grade video content, with an eye toward cultivating bonds with advertisers early on in the video creation process and to represent ads on its distribution network from the onset. While the media producers and syndication firms typically impose strict licensing rules and leave ad sales to the broadcasters, 60Frames approach free up the licensing convention in favor of mass distribution.  Budding web videomakers in need of financing take notice, I think we'll see more structures like this crop up, backed by old media.

My affair with Macs

Last year I purchased a Macbook, a black one I might add.  I'd lusted after Mac laptops since the titanium Powerbooks arrived but I never could quite get myself to switch simply because my world was Windows, both at work and at play.  So when Apple switched processors from Motorola to Intel and one could boot up a Mac with Windows, I pounced.   

No doubt this was an emotional reaction, not a deliberated decision, the equivalent PC laptop to the Macbook only cost a fraction but the Macbook just looked and felt so much better. For the geeks, it was an Intel Core 2 Duo 2Ghz, 2GB RAM, 120GB 5400RPM HDD running Windows Vista 32-bit.   What did I think of the performance? It was wonderful, after some set up hiccups, mainly to do with Vista itself and its lack of drivers and general support (at the time), I was happily leading this double life, Mac on the outside, Windows on the inside ... having my cake, and eating it.

I've since upgraded to a Macbook Pro 15" to take advantage of the better graphics card and better looking aluminium case and the much better tactile response of the keyboard. For the geeks, it's an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4Ghz, 4GB RAM, 200GB 7200RPM HDD with the new NVidia 8600GT 256MB video card and the 15" backlit screen (better for the environment).  I set up this Macbook Pro so that the 200GB of hard disk was divided 75% to Windows and 25% to Mac and the machine booted directly into Windows Vista.  Every now and then, I'd change the boot up and start up in Mac OS X just to play around.  At the beginning of the month, I changed my 200GB hard disk to 50% Windows and 50% Mac.  This week, I set my Macbook Pro to boot up in Mac OS X. ... what is going on?  Will this seduction last? Will I miss my Windows?

12th Webby Award Nominees are out

... and here are the nominees for Online Film and Video.  The Webby's has turned into an interesting award platform for recognizing  innovations on the internet in four categories: Websites, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video and Mobile. Members of The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences select the nominees for both awards in each category, as well as the winners of the Webby Awards.    My vote went to The West Side, a beautifully shot black and white  (great use of depth of field) Urban Western, sort of like A Western but set in a latter day urban environment.  Most impressive thing, it's a no-budget flick.

KateModern makers to produce for MySpaceTV

MySpace announced at MIP TV in Cannes that the team that created KateModern aired on the Brisitsh social network Bebo will make a pilot of "I Love Chieftown" drama this month, with a full 60-"webisode" series launching in mid-September.

The drama will be based in east London and follow lead character Jamie, an aspiring filmmaker, as she follows an up-and-coming band and its journey to make it big. "Against a music backdrop, a story of everyday life, love and relationships will emerge in this 'coming of age' series," MySpace said. "Viewers will be invited to watch and interact with the characters as they develop friendships and their stories unfold." The series of five-minute episodes is billed as an "aspirational piece" that will be aimed at people in their late teens and early 20s and will include a "high level of interactivity".

The KateModern team was originally hired and trained by the Lonelygirl15 to make a UK version of their interactive drama. KateModern now gets 300,000 views per episode.

The essential startup team composition

Here's a neat interview the folks at PartnerUp had with Guy Kawasaki of Apple and Garage Technology fame:

Q: What sets of skills do you look for in the team members of a startup? Should you look for people with skills the same as yours or different?

A: Startups are pretty simple: someone has to create it, someone has to sell it, and someone has to collect the money. So generally, a team should have these three skills and not, for example, be all engineers, all marketers, or all accountants.

Q: How many team members, do you feel, are needed to adequately launch a startup?

A: Two or three are sufficient. One is lonely. Four is overkill for the three main roles.

Q: What personal qualities (personality, etc.) do you look for in startup team members? Are there any qualities that you always try to avoid including in your team?

A: You always look for “chemistry,” but I think this is bull shiitake. It’s funny how if a company is doing really well, all the jerks can get along. Also, if a company is tanking, even the nice people start getting testy. You could make the case that nice people communicating well can make a company successful, but I think luck is more powerful than this factor.

Q: Do you prefer to see startups teams where each team member has some of their own money invested, or are you ok with only one team member providing the seed money?

A: It really makes no difference…to the extreme of no one investing any of their money. The theory is that a team will spend its own money more carefully. However, if it’s the team’s money, they also think that the other investors shouldn’t have as big an influence.

Update to my categories

I've just updated the five categories I'll write about based on popular feedback from you, so from now on, I'll be blogging on five topics:

1. Internet TV - media, technology, people and M&A
2. Start-up life - tips for entrepreneurs, strategies, management, financing
3. Social Media - social networks, social network marketing, viral marketing
4. Game World - my long time favorites and some newer ones like the Alternate Reality Gaming genre
5. Random Walk - just things that don't fit anywhere else

Keep the feedback coming along, folks, I really appreciate it and hope you'll all find something worth coming back for!