Plizy's Blog

The best thing about working at a startup like Plizy is the pace of change. Startups are dizzying and thrilling at the same time because there is so much experimentation and so many unknowns.

I thought I would collect a few facts that I've learned since starting at Plizy that speak to how much technology and entertainment are changing. It's a tectonic shift that's happening right under our feet and so gradually, you don't even feel like you're moving most of the time. 

• Youtube is the 800lb gorilla of online video, unsurprisingly. In fact, if it wasn't part of google, it would be the world's second biggest search engine and every minute of every day, 700 videos are shared on Youtube.  
• Content might still be king: Game of Thrones is the most pirated TV series of all time but interestingly observers like  Erik Kain at Forbes have have started to shift blame from individuals to gatekeepers who refuse to get with the program. 
• Comedy is the most popular type of content on Plizy, reflecting the state of the web in general. Comedy took over news as the web's most watched genre in 2010. 
• The average web video is 6.4 minutes long...and only getting longer.
• Online originals are gaining steam as mentioned in last week's post as video sites like Blip announce web originals.
• People will pay for web video that are "fair and worthwhile" as Louis CK demonstrated with his $5, DRM-free (read: pirate-able) web exclusive, with which he benefitted handsomely. 
• Yahoo may be beleagured with "resume-gate" and recent layoffs but it's currently the reigning #2 in online video viewership with Y! Screen, thanks to gems like this: 

To say web video has come a long way would be a bit like observing that "that Facebook sure is popular". We're at an inflection point for online video with more and more investment in web originals because people are watching and hungry for entertainment!  

Netflix did it in February with Lillyhammer, starring Steve Van Zandt (look, it's Silvio from The Sopranos), with rumors of more original programming on the way. Hulu currently features originals like A Day in the Life directed by Morgan Spurlock (acclaimed director of Supersize Me) and expects to spend $500 million in 2012 alone beefing up it's original content roster. Google is investing $100 million into web video producers who have chosen Youtube as their distribution channel. $30 million is rumored to have been set aside for the immensely popular Machinima alone. The trend is clear: big investments in high quality, increasingly scripted content that is intended for the web only because web video is kind of hot right now. 

Where It Gets Spicy (WIGS) is a Youtube channel partner set to debut on May 14 is notable on a few different fronts. Firstly, the producers are Hollywood insiders with an impressive track record in film. Secondly, the focus on female protagonists (of which there is a shortage in mainstream Hollywood) says that they're willing to take a risk on content that might not otherwise get greenlighted. Thirdly, from top shelf production values to the star power they've assembled in their cast - this is a no holds barred attempt at compelling web only programming. 

Check out this sizzle reel and lose count of how many of the faces you recognize:

WIGS episodes will come in five to twelve minute segments, with the first installment is due next week. We'll be sure to keep you posted on this. 

Aimee Davison knows how financially difficult the life of an artist, actor and model can be with so many aspirants vying for so few opportunities. In 2010, Davison decided to create the very opportunities she sought through her project One Hundred Jobs. Over the course of fifteen months, her life became a petri dish where she would undertake a job for a minimum of one hundred dollars each (toward the end for thousands apiece) and document them on her blog and youtube channel. Davison practiced her passion for storytelling through video, documenting jobs ranging from compiling attendance stats after a conference to dressing up as a mime for a romantic proposal. Watch the conclusion of the project: 

Videos are impossible to monetize without views and Davison admits it’s a struggle to get people to discover your content using SEO, blogs, Reddit, and Stumbleupon. It requires a lot of work and dedication to create an audience. "Going viral multiple times is pretty much the only way to become a big name on YouTube and, after that, it's a matter of iterating your format to retain viewers", says Davison. YouTube's community skews young and comedy-hungry, so after the wrap of One Hundred Jobs, she immediately launched “LOLpervs,” a series of sexy comedy shorts and a Tumblr. She has amassed a half million views in just eight months; a figure she hopes to double by the end of summer.

In an ironic twist, one of Davison’s most successful videos is an interview with Alejandra Gaitain aka “TheReplyGirl”. Gaitain and other "reply girls" are controversial Youtube figures for using ample chests and search engine optimization to appear next to viral videos and attract viewers. Gaitain has over 8000 subscribers and over twelve million views by copying the tags of viral videos to appear next to them only to offer slight commentary...and a low cut top. She's decried as "video spam", receives countless negative comments and even death threats. In spite of the judgement of others however, Gaitain secures a healthy income for her efforts. 

Every video producer treads a fine line between art and commerce and what you're witnessing in this sympathetic profile is this tension run amok.

Davison herself continues to create fresh content for the web she thinks people will find amusing and has been v-logging every day as she continues to use the medium for her self-expression. 

Here's how to add Aimee Davison to your Plizy. (It's really easy!) 

Go to “Market” in the top left hand corner and search Youtube for “onehundredjobs” or “LOLpervs”.