Searching the Web for the next big thing!

By: Marco R. della Cava (USA Today - Fri/Sat/Sun, May 30-June 1, 2008)

"There's a huge cultural change going on out there, The model of how people consume their entertainment is totally up in the air," says Jason Nadler of United Talent Agency.

That's not the only thing up for grabs. The foundation of Hollywood's dominance in pop culture and the entertainment industry is being threatened by the democratizing force of the internet, which posits that anyone with a snappy idea and a video camera can dish up features to the masses.

Network executives are busy signing deals with online content producers with a knack for wooing audiences with short attention spans.

There are some encouraging signs for the executives diving into an unpredictable world of entertainment fueled largely by the whims of twentysomethings:

- For companiesused to spending millions of dollars on talent and programs, the Web is a bargain on both fronts.

- For what you spend on one TV Pilot, you could do an endless online serial.

- The beauty of the Web is that you can easily test an idea and move on.

Although media companies of all types continue to wrestle with how to make money from the Web, money is flowing into that part of the entertainment industry at a time when TV and Film are finding it increasingly difficult to capture audiences. Online advertising spending is projected to double to $50 billion by 2012, according to forecasting group eMarketer.

"Ultimately, what will win out on the Web is story-driven content," says Michael Eisner (former Disney Chief).

"Online entertainment is as different from TV as TV is from film", says Brent Weinstein (former chief of United Talent Agency's Online Division).

Thoughts from an online content producer: "When we first started getting attention, people would say, 'Hey, you've got a great steppingstone into the world of real entertainment.' But from day 1, we never felt the internet was some sort of proving ground. It's a new platform, period!"