Sundance 2015
My favorite things from Sundance 2015 (in no particular order)...
- The Jonathan Gold documentary City Of Gold. Damn that made me hungry.
- The Airbnb Haus where they had strangers drawing strangers.
- Cop Car with Kevin Bacon. I'm still decompressing from that one.
Aspirational Content
Matthew Frost is one of the best at capturing current culture by being in it and making fun of it simultaneously. His latest short film with Kirsten Dunst for Vs. Magazine is right on point.
An Economy Based Around Creativity
“The whole economy is based around creativity” — Jimmy Marble on LA culture. Check out my short video with LA based artist Jimmy Marble as he takes his turn on the The Standard’s 6th Street Mural Project in downtown Los Angeles. #ItsGreatLA
Your New Favorite Los Angeles App - 5 Every Day
A friend of mine told me about this new app called 5 Every Day and I loved it so I made a video about it. Turns out it was created by a band I really dig called Yacht. It's super simple, every day they give you five cool things to do in Los Angeles. I hit those guys up because I wanted to learn more about the app and why they made it. Then I put the app to the test.
Special thanks to Yacht, The Standard Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles and InfiniteLegroom.com.
When Truth Is More Bizarre Than Fiction
Internet memes come and go but when I came across this one with Emma Watson and Sofia Vergara I had a feeling there was more to the story. Turns out the truth behind the GIF is even more bizarre than the GIF itself.
You're Going To Need A Chief Content Officer Sooner Than Later
Fast Company recently asked a wide range of creative professionals how marketing will change in 2014. Some of the highlights included...
"...we'll see interesting opportunities to use technology to save us from technology." --Scott Prindle, partner/chief digital officer, Made Movement
"We'll witness the rise of the collaborative economy." --Sandra Krstic, deputy managing partner of DDB & Tribal Worldwide, Amsterdam
"It's better to try to invent the future rather than predict it." --Winston Binch, partner, chief digital officer, Deutsch LA
But it was William Gelner, the chief creative officer at 180 LA, who really hit the nail on the head...
"Our social feeds will continue to be under siege by the world of inane crap. Truly great content and masterful storytelling will be the only thing that breaks through the morass. The best brands and agencies will focus on this. They will create new structures centered around creating the best stuff. Heads of content, or chief content officers, or whatever fancy title we chose to bestow upon them, will start to appear in the C suite alongside CMOs and CEOs. Share-worthy content will become the Holy Grail. I think brands will realize they need to reduce the number of social channels to the one or two that work best, and master them. It won’t be about being channel agnostic, it will be about being channel positive. If none of this should come to pass, rest in knowing that plaid shirts will be outlawed in creative departments until 2029 when they are back in vogue."
My first thought –gingham is the new plaid and second, no matter what the product or service is it can't and won't be successful without great programmed ("programmed" being the key word) content. Viral videos are a dime a dozen but consistent viral content, say a series of viral content, now that's a whole different beast. It's going to take someone who not only understands what's good but can develop content that will attract people over the long term –it's going to take a Chief Content Officer. As Dianne Wilkins, CEO of Critical Mass put it:
"The days of the one-off project or campaign are over, now it’s about data and profiles and connected experiences."
Brand's social channels can become the new TV networks. A company like Taco Bell has 10 million potential eye balls on Facebook. It's just a matter of time before companies realize they can be the next Netflix and make their own House Of Cards.
--hyla
HLN Pitch Meeting: Tim and Susan Have Matching Handguns
HLN recently announced they will be rebranding by programming content targeted towards "millennials and the millennial-minded". Enter "Tim and Susan Have Matching Handguns"...short form content out of Sundance with a compelling title that includes cats, guns and romance all packed into 95 seconds. If I'm running the HLN pitch meeting, a high-five is awarded to the person who finds this gem.
--hyla
Passion For TV Bridges Digital Divide
Mapping human interaction online is tricky. But new research from the U.K. of Facebook realtime data reveals a lot about how we watch TV in the digital age. The study found of all TV-related discussions taking place on mobile devices, 60 per cent happened as shows were actually airing. Some 2.5 million people in the U.S., for example, chatted through the final scene of Breaking Bad. The implications for TV advertising and Facebook are huge. Could this be a chance for Mark Zuckerberg to make even more money?
Google Glass Looks Ridiculous Until It's Your Time To Wear It
While wearables like Google Glass seem silly and creepy in the current state of technology our hate for them is a little nearsighted. Remember, there was a time when talking on a cell phone looked stupid too. Today, hands-free is the law in many states but just a few years ago if you saw someone talking to themselves in the car you called the law out of concern for their mental stability. Chances are the future you will be super pumped to score that Apple iHat Christmas morning 2021. Something to think about before calling out someone for looking ridiculousness.
P.S. Guy in the club with Google Glass on…you look ridiculous and I hope that holds true in 2021.
--hyla
Cataclysmic Boom
Tonight on The Project (Australia) my interview with these legends.
--hyla
Love In The Modern Age
Have you seen Oscar nominated #Her yet? If not you should, it’s my favorite movie of the year. Check out this Creators Project piece about modern love.
-- hyla
MTV names Miley Cyrus "Best Artist Of The Year"???
So much great music out this year and MTV names Miley Cyrus "Best Artist Of The Year"??? Hmmmm...let's discuss... I'm on HLN TV today at 3:45p PT, 8:45p PT + 11:45p PT and gonna throw some love at the guys that deserve it like Daft Punk, Disclosure, JT and Kanye.