Confusion at Channel 4

Ok, I admit. It's a headline to grab your attention and not a dig at the wonderful people at Channel 4. There is a reason I said it though, so read on.

I was delighted to be invited to the Channel 4 events this week and I decided the best one for me, was the 'making it multi media'. Apart from the fact that it fitted nicely with the 'Making It In Hollywood' theme which readers of this blog will be well aware of, the event was hosted by some of the top people in the new media business who I had been contacting for over 18 months via email. Tonight was a great chance to hear what they think and put a face to a name.

Adam Gee on the left. Channel 4 commissioning editor for factual entertainment. Emily Renshaw Smith, formerly of fourdocs but now with CURRENT.TV otherwise known as 'Al Gore's web tv station'.

Next to Emily is James Kirkham who heads up Holler, the creative company behind E4's SKINS marketing and promotion.

Out of picture, but will be on the blog above this, is James Fabricant, Head of Content at Myspace.

An exclusive and influential group of people in the world of new media I am sure you will agree.

The night was a very pleasant introduction to what each of them do and where they are successful. However it soon became clear that while they had cracked it for a few select projects, which used their collective online platforms wisely, there remained significant doubt (read opportunity) over how the commercial prospects of content producers were going to be sustained in this new world order. Enter 'Making It In Hollywood'. I dont have the answers either but I was somewhat reassured by their confusion by conveniently being half way through a journey with the traditional film festival route. While at the same time evolving an online experience through UKTHEATRE and UKFILM networks. Being in the eye of the storm is a nice place to be but that doesn't mean it will be easy. Understanding it and sharing it with you, is enough satisfaction for me, and perhaps at the same time I will stumble across, erm I mean, successfully create, some of the answers to REALLY 'Making It In Hollywood'. The new media way. Answers on a postcard please.

We live in interesting times.

Oh, and the lovely peeps at Channel 4, have invited me to their 4
Talent party tomorrow night. Yay.

Douglas