Web Originals: Television’s New Guinea Pigs
The statistics don’t lie: online video viewership is at an all time high, as 176 million U.S. Internet users watched online video content for a staggering average of 15.9 hours in May 2011 alone. Time equals money, with Nielsen reporting that Americans viewed 4.6 billion video ads in May, racking up 2.0 billion minutes spent on advertisements alone.
The web is becoming a critical outlet for TV networks to grow their audiences and revenues. Understanding the statistics regarding the number of minutes Internet users are spending watching online video, television executives are spending more energy on developing their online counterparts, creating more serialized original web content than ever before to give advertisers more sponsorship opportunities. For example, L Studio’s Web Therapy and Adult Swim's "Children's Hospital" were eventually turned in to television shows.
This panel will include influential actors and executives involved in successful original web programming to discuss this nascent online media and how this will impact the future of television.
Presenters
Brian Terkelsen
President & Managing Director, Liquid Thread
Starcom MediaVest Group
Brian Terkelsen is President & Managing Director of Liquid Thread at Starcom MediaVest Group. Liquid Thread, SMG’s digitally-led content creation unit, moves beyond branded entertainment to create communities, conversations and advocates for brand properties; it is geared to create and sequence content across every screen to advance marketer goals.
Prior, Terkelsen was the President of MediaVest’s connectivetissue. Under Brian’s direction, connectivetissue™ serviced over 100 brands and developed over 200 programs for MediaVest clients including Kraft, Masterfoods and P&G, culminating to over 8,000 minutes of original content. The unit delivered award-winning programs including CoverGirl’s involvement in America’s Top Model, the M&M’s characters’ roles in Entertainment Tonight, new shows such as Blush: The Search for the Next Great Makeup Artist with Max Factor, The Thread Star Style and Celebrity Trends webisodes (which were awarded Mediaweek’s Media Plan of the Year honor in 2009), and Next Stop, New You with P&G Beauty Brands and South Beach Diet for Kraft Foods, as well as scripted work with What I Like About You and Herbal Essences. In 2008, Advertising Age recognized Brian with its Media Maven accolade. Most recently, Brian was awarded with AdWeek’s Media All Star honor.
Brian is a familiar face in Hollywood and a true entrepreneur. He has been in the entertainment marketing industry since 1992 when he co-founded Eco-Challenge Lifestyles, Inc with Mark Burnett and has served as an Executive Producer for numerous productions of Eco-Challenge on MTV, ESPN and for Discovery Channel’s Eco-Challenge series.
An early adopter of new technologies, Brian created the official Eco-Challenge website—www.ecochallenge.com —and was one of the first to produced live action, digital sports coverage of an event in 1996. Bitten by the “digital bug”, he joined the founders of Quokka Sports as Group General Manager, tasked with creating content in the adventure and sailing genres and managing the overall strategy for programming and negotiated programming deals.
Kudos for Kudrow! Hardly the dumb blonde of Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Lisa Kudrow was born in Encino, California, on July 30, 1963. Her father, Lee, was a physician and her mother, Nedra, was a travel agent. Lisa was raised in Tarzana and played varsity-level tennis in high school and college, and is a pool shark who has mastered some of the more difficult trick shots (so beware). She graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychobiology. At first, she wanted to pursue a career in research, so she returned to Los Angeles to begin working with her father. However, Lisa got inspired to perform by one of her brother's friends, comedian Jon Lovitz, and so the tall (5' 9") blond-haired, green-eyed beauty entered show biz. Lisa auditioned for the improv theater group, The Groundlings, based in Los Angeles. Cynthia Szigeti, a well-known improv teacher, took Lisa under her wing. In that class, Lisa became a friend of Conan O'Brien. Graduating with honors in 1989, Lisa became a full-fledged member of The Groundlings. Breaking into TV, she got a recurring role as Ursula, the ditsy waitress on "Mad About You" (1992). This led to her starring role on "Friends" (1994). In the debut season (1994-95) of "Friends" (1994), Lisa earned an Emmy nomination as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series; in 1998, she won that award for her role as Phoebe, the ditsy but lovable folk singer. Lisa has also been nominated for Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and American Comedy Awards for her performances. Lisa made the transition to the big screen with a lot of success. In 1997, she starred opposite Oscar winner Mira Sorvino in the above-mentioned Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997). Lisa garnered more praise for her film work when she got the New York Film Critics Award for her starring role in The Opposite of Sex (1998). Lisa married Michel Stern, an advertising executive, on May 27, 1995. On May 7, 1998, they were blessed with a son, Julian Murray; they live in Los Angeles.
Marc DeBevoise is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of CBS Interactive’s Entertainment division. In this role, DeBevoise oversees CBS Interactive’s entertainment sites, including CBS.com, TV.com and Clicker.com, as well as digital content distribution strategies, and the development of both original and show-based digital content, applications and games.
DeBevoise joined CBS Interactive from Liberty Media’s premium subscription channel Starz, where he was responsible for the company’s overall digital strategy and the digital initiatives supporting its film, television and digital original content properties. At Starz, DeBevoise also led the generation, evaluation and execution of business development, strategic investment, and growth opportunities for all of Starz’ business units.
Prior to joining Starz, DeBevoise held various roles at NBC Universal, in both Digital Media and Business Development, and worked in the Technology, Media & Telecommunications Investment Banking Group at JPMorgan.
DeBevoise has been recognized on Home Media magazine’s “Digital Drivers” list for 2011, The Hollywood Reporter’s “Digital Power 50” for 2010, and Multichannel News’ “40 Under 40” for 2009. DeBevoise is also a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
DeBevoise received his M.B.A. with distinction in Entertainment, Media & Technology and Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business and his B.A. in Economics and Computer Science from Tufts University.
Monday, March 12
