Web vs. TV… is there a difference? Popular online network Koldcast TV is blurring the line, recently announcing a television deal with new cable network Youtoo TV. DCTV Creative Director Daryn Strauss spoke to Marti Restighini, Koldcast TV’s current (as of this August) Editor-in-Chief of The Sixth Wall, Koldcast TV’s blog. She formerly served as VP of Programming and Acquisitions.
DARYN: First of all, explain what your new role is at Koldcast TV.
MARTI: I am currently Editor-in-Chief of The Sixth Wall, aka The KoldCast TV Blog. I maintain and grow the KoldCast Entertainment Media brand as it relates to editorial content. This includes serving as an editor, creative strategist, and writer.
DARYN: Back when I started creating web series, it was a hard world for female-driven web series. I think that has changed. Since you’ve been involved in curating online series for Koldcast TV for several years, have you seen changes in what audiences seem to respond to on Koldcast TV?
MARTI: Absolutely. Back when the Internet was just a phone line and some static, there were very specific audiences looking for content online – more likely fans of Everquest than fans of Friends. But like all technology, as it got faster, cheaper, and better, more people learned to embrace it, as well as use it for a multitude of purposes including entertainment. We now have Latinos, Blacks, and Asians looking for targeted programming, as well as women. Filmmakers from around the world, all demographics and geographics, are seeking real estate on KoldCast TV, and each one brings something very unique to the entertainment experience. In fact, 60% of our distribution is international.
DARYN: Over the years, Koldcast TV has amassed quite an eclectic library of web series and it continues to grow. Can you talk a little bit about Koldcast’s programming and how Koldcast discovers new series?
MARTI: Our programming comes from a multitude of sources. Although most shows are incoming submissions by filmmakers looking for marketing and distribution support, we also comb social networks for filmmaker chatter about new shows.
KoldCast TV, the video distribution division of KoldCast Entertainment Media, was created to provide a home to independent filmmakers creating premium original episodic programming, provide a platform dedicated to the guaranteed discovery of their work, and deliver a “Best Of” discovery experience to audiences discovering an entirely new kind of programming. Our Network strives to distribute the best the industry has to offer, at any given time.
Our library has evolved tremendously since launch when we had just a handful of episodic comedies, off-road racing videos, and music-related shows. As the industry and the business has matured, so has KoldCast. We have gotten smarter at signing shows, distributing shows, and marketing shows. This, combined with an overall improvement in the programming over the years, has made for a powerful example of the future of independent programming. We never entered the UGC [user-generated] arena and have stayed true to the filmmaking community, our audience, and original our vision.
DARYN: As many have predicted, programming is becoming a multi-platform experience. With streaming technology like Roku and Boxee already being used to watch web originals, how concerned do you think web series creators should be about making sure the production value of their web series translates to TV?
MARTI: Web series creators need to stop thinking of themselves of “web series creators.” If they embrace the name of “filmmaker” and strive to project the best possible production value needed to properly interpret their content, the audience will take notice. They do take notice. I believe some programming currently labeled as “web series” will live eternally, and happily, on YouTube. Its content is delivered successfully to that audience and moving it to a high-definition, cinematic platform would hurt its appeal. The Annoying Orange, for instance, was not intended for your 1080p Sony Bravia. It really depends on who your audience is, where they are, and what the story is. But to answer your question, if filmmakers want to produce independent television, which is what “web series” is inching towards, then yes, filmmakers need to produce television grade content – or something near it. (NOTE: This doesn’t mean gobs of money. This means quality. Many of our filmmakers have delivered spectacular content on nothing budgets. And that’s a valuable skill in any business.)
DARYN: Does Koldcast make all series available on Roku and Boxee or only ones that translate to TV?
MARTI: Practically all KoldCast TV shows available online are also available on third-party platforms like Boxee and Roku. Since our content is always cutting edge, we are proud to share it via big-screen TVs. On a personal note, I’m a HUGE fan of Roku. Surprisingly, when I watch broadcast television on it, I’m disappointed at the quality. However, when I watch KoldCast shows, I am amazed at the cinematic look and feel of many shows. Unfortunately for web-only viewers, a lot of that feeling is lost on little screens with tons of other open applications. You might not know this, but we don’t batch encode videos like YouTube and similar UGC platforms. We manually determine what encoding profile is best for an individual video in the environments we play in, be it Internet or Roku.
DARYN: Speaking of TV, Koldcast just made a big announcement: a cable TV deal with YouToo TV. Congratulations! What is Koldcast Presents, and how will the web series on Koldcast TV be incorporated?
MARTI: Youtoo TV launches with a programming line-up that features television classic like The X Files, Batman, and Green Hornet, interactive programming like Say Yes & Marry Me, which will offer viewers the opportunity to propose marriage on-air via “Fame Spots”™, and original series like KoldCast Presents, which is a half-hour show showcasing ten original short-form series. Enjoyed in HD, our series are legitimate television shows… just a little shorter than usual. On a big screen you would never know its originated online – it’s just television.
KoldCast Presents is KoldCast Entertainment Media’s first original series. It is executive produced by David S. Samuels, our CEO, and producer Barry Gribble, and is hosted by Stuart Brazell (MSN’s Go See This Movie). KoldCast Presents features ten short-form series over its 26-episode run including: Red Carpet Run, Patrick Duffy and The Crab, Verse, Tyranny, Murder Squad, The Puzzle Maker’s Son, Hamilton Carver: Zombie PI, MacAwesome, and The Messenger Poet Show.
DARYN: There has been a lot of flux in online video over the past few months. What can we expect from Koldcast TV in the upcoming months?
MARTI: We are heavily focused in the marketing and distribution support of premium quality Internet-based original episodic programming. That includes expanding third-party networks and relationships, securing alternative (paid) methods of distribution via international licensing deals, expanding sponsorship opportunities, and partnering with other sites and networks. In addition, we expect to be announcing more opportunities similar to that of Youtoo. Beyond that, we expect to continue promoting our programming and helping this medium evolve as the future of social entertainment. And that’s all I can tell you!
For more info on the Youtoo Network, click HERE.
To check out Koldcast TV, visit www.koldcast.tv.
Marti was one of the first people I interviewed about web series — and still one of the best. Glad to see KoldCast is doing well.