I know. The money thing. It's a big problem, when you don't have it and I don't want to trivialize it, as I personally know how it feels when you don't have it and can't tell when it will be coming.
In times like these you need to scale down and work within the limitations of the format. I had to do it several times in recent years, it is possible. For example, when I started the first audio podcast in Poland in 2005, I though I could imitate Adam Curry. It just wasn't possible. I gave up on free stuff and decided to develop a line of commercial training videos. Which is not as glamorous as signing a seven-figure deal with a major network, but it offers me a piece of mind and flexible working hours. It counts when you have a small child and a debilitating disease that strikes at you when you least expect it several times a year. I wouldn't count on networks funding the independent producers. Unfortunately, it looks like the money's drying out and the independents have little chance to get a piece of it. On the other hand, we've already seen some major deals so I'm bullish on on-line video. But to see more money pumped into on-line video production and distribution we have to wait for another bubble, just like the Web 2.0 guys now have to make friends with e-commerce and build some useful stuff, it is time for the indies to do the work that pays they bills while working on their portfolios on a side. I think the next bubble will make a lot of new media content producers rich and famous, we just have to be patient. I understand you very well when you write that you are angry when the major networks' bosses laugh at what you strongly believe in, but in times like these it's worth to remember what Ghandi used to say: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win" They can no longer ignore us, so they laugh at us. Next, they will fight us, then we'll win. It's only a matter of time. When I started writing computer books, people used to tell me I was an idiot: how a Polish guy living in Lublin, Poland (check in on Google Maps) could possibly write a computer book in English, publish it in the USA, and make money? Guess what? That's what I did with "StarOffice for Linux Bible" published in 2000 by IDG. Not bad. When I wrote in 1998 a long article on the future of print on demand (POD), people told me again I was an idiot. In 2003 I started a small POD business, again all while living in Poland. I'm selling my work on all international Amazon.com sites, Barnes & Noble, and many other on-line stores. This year I'm launching an on-line training business and people are telling me I'm an idiot again! :) Why am I telling you all of this? To show you that you should be doing your own thing, build your audience, and the guys with the money will find you. That is what I did. I started writing articles and speaking at local conferences. I was writing for the local computer press, local edition of Playboy, newspapers, etc. Then I started writing computer books for the US publishers, then, once I found out that the money was in publishing, not in writing books, I decided to write and self-publish my own books. All of that has led to very nice training contracts with Fortune 200 companies. Sure, I am not a world-famous writer and I don't have blond long-legged groupies trying to rip my pants off and sell it on eBay, but life is still not that bad. Just do your own stuff, retain all rights if possible, don't be shy about doing something for money, you may actually learn something. And, above all, listen to your audience. My audience told me to continue writing articles after I wrote my first one. Which I did. Then they told me to write and self-publish a book on the same subject. Which I did. Then, they asked me to do training, in-person and on-line. I am not going to say 'no.' Don't worry about the money. Worry about the free or nearly-free distribution channels disappearing. This is how the major networks may try to fight us, by closing those down, but they will not win. There are far too may bright coders with too much free time on their hands to let that happen. And don't get angry at networks' bosses stupidity. You don't want a wise competitor with boatloads of cash. You *want* your competition to be stupid. Jacek On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 4:09 PM, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I really enjoy saying all the thing you do as well, Jacek. The problem is > that it's time the funding sources of all types stop seeing this as > experimental and something for later. The goods are there NOW. > > -----Original Message----- > From: "Jacek Artymiak" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:04:07 > To: <videoblogging@yahoogroups.com> > Subject: Re: [videoblogging] Re: Traditional Media Scares the Shi* out of me > As I Type > > > On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 12:05 PM, Jeffrey Taylor > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> They don't have an obligation to independents at all, but they're being >> massively stupid for missing out on opportunites to take on serialized >> content that has establushed communities that are alpha-recommending >> products and services left and right. Networks miss out, content creators >> miss out, time is wasted, common sense goes by the wayside. Both sides are >> hurting in their own ways with inprecedented losses and/or difficulty >> finding revanue. Frustrating to the max, considering it doesn't have to be >> like this. Being compared to cat pissing on toilet videomakers is >> ego-related, but it certainly doesn't help the situation to be seen by >> so-called "tastemakers" this way. >> >> So yeah, they don't owe us anything, but it doesn't make the siutation any >> less absurd. > > I really wonder why do you care? If they don't get it, they will have > a worthy competitor soon and that's that. May the best show win. The > rest is irrelevant. > >> A guy from the Annenberg/USC presented here yesterday, and says the way hi >> surveys are going, it seems that people will save TV for large events like >> the opening ceremony of the Olympics and other things that people want to > > I would say even that is not guaranteed. If you have watched Leo > Laporte's "24 Hours with iPhone" you have already seen the future. The > Olympics will be televised for as long as there will be sponsors who > are willing to pay the big bucks to the TV stations, who in turn pay > the IOC for the exclusive broadcast rights. As soon as the audience > moves on-line, the advertisers will follow and so will IOC. > >> see in full view, everything else is fair game to be mobilized and will be >> increasigly viewed that way. Teenagers are already watching full feature >> films on iphones willingly and happily. > > See? They already know. Funk the networks. Enjoy your freedom. Do you > really want those spin masters to understand what we are doing? Do you > really want some idiot telling you what you can and cannot say on your > show? Do you really miss the gag that the big corporate advertisers > are putting on the media? > >> >> 2008/11/14 Roxanne Darling <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> >>> Wellll, what time are you meeting??? >>> >>> On Thu, Nov 13, 2008 at 10:58 PM, Jacek Artymiak >>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]<jacekartymiak%40gmail.com> >>> >wrote: >>> >>> >>> > But who says the networks have any obligation to hire the independents? >>> > >>> > >>> > On Thu, Nov 13, 2008 at 8:37 PM, >>> > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]<thejeffreytaylor%40gmail.com> >>> <thejeffreytaylor%40gmail.com>> >>> > wrote: >>> > > Because people who deserve to be paid well for their excellent work >>> > > are >>> > not >>> > > getting their due. That is all. >>> > > >>> > > -----Original Message----- >>> > > From: "@sull" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> > > <sulleleven%40gmail.com><sulleleven% >>> 40gmail.com>> >>> > >>> > <snip> >>> > >>> > > >>> > > Why do they NEED TO GET IT? >>> > > Why do "we" feel like we NEED THEM TO GET IT? >>> > > >>> > > Co-Existing not feasible? >>> > > >>> > > Is this about getting picked up by the old suits or is this about >>> > > Independents being able to leverage technology to publish their works >>> and >>> > > fins a market? >>> > >>> > -- >>> > Jacek Artymiak >>> > http://devGuide.net >>> > >>> > vi(1) Tips: Essential vi/vim Editor Skills, 1st ed. >>> > http://www.devguide.net/books/vitips1 >>> > ---------------------------------------- >>> > devGuide.tv >>> > http://devguide.tv >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> >>> -- >>> Roxanne Darling >>> "o ke kai" means "of the sea" in hawaiian >>> Join us at the reef! Mermaid videos, geeks talking, and lots more >>> http://reef.beachwalks.tv >>> 808-384-5554 >>> Video --> http://www.beachwalks.tv >>> Company -- > http://www.barefeetstudios.com >>> Twitter--> http://www.twitter.com/roxannedarling >>> >>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >>> >>> >>> >> >> -- >> Jeffrey Taylor >> Mobile: +33625497654 >> Fax: +33177722734 >> Skype: thejeffreytaylor >> Googlechat/Jabber: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> http://twitter.com/jeffreytaylor >> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> >> > > > > -- > Jacek Artymiak > http://devGuide.net > > vi(1) Tips: Essential vi/vim Editor Skills, 1st ed. > http://www.devguide.net/books/vitips1 > ---------------------------------------- > devGuide.tv > http://devguide.tv > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > -- Jacek Artymiak http://devGuide.net vi(1) Tips: Essential vi/vim Editor Skills, 1st ed. http://www.devguide.net/books/vitips1 ---------------------------------------- devGuide.tv http://devguide.tv
