18 months of grad school...

I was recently on a panel for an industry event - a trade show? conference? - I don't know, sadly, as I am not retaining a lot of detail these days. FTX West I believe it was called. Anyway I was invited to speak on a panel about new distribution methods. Panels are new to me. I suppose I still regard them as something incredibly dated, like Front Page Challenge. (yes I am indeed old enough to recall FPC on the air)
Anyway, as tired and brain dead as I was, i enjoyed it thoroughly. I realized while talking entirely though my ass that I had learned a huge amount since launching S3M in early 06. A huge fucking amount, actually. And yes there was indeed value in all the experiences I've had dealing with literally every corner of media distribution around today. TV, DVD, mobile, online, interactive, console-based gaming, merchandising, comic books, music -- list is long. The bottom line people is BRANDING. The solid brand - one that irrepressibly evokes entertainment and quality - will thrive on any media platform now and into the future. Content is on the upswing. Social nets are cool, but they can only entertain and distract people for so long and in so many ways. What were the first elements to evolve on Facebook and Myspace? Video clips, zombie hunting, simple games. People didn't just want to find new and cool ways to email and message people, they wanted to do shit that reminded them of what they love: zombies, vampires, horror, sci fi, comedy, rock bands, soaps, TV series, etc. In short, they wanted to do things that reminded them of the content they love.


Maybe I am biased. Making content is what I do. But I truly believe that the world does not need or even want a shiny new media player or social network. Since the ancient Greeks started theatresports and the unwashed masses crowded into the Globe to catch a matinee of "Ethel, The Pirate's Daughter", people want to be told stories. The stories - be they real or imagined, or some metaphor linking the two - are the glue that social networks depend on.

Content is more than king, people. It's what people have been doing with their leisure time since the dawn of humanity.

DK

Why The Heck Would You Start A New Blog???

This is the question I asked myself as I went back to my old Blogger site and looked at what was left. I guess I missed the ease of posting my own thoughts when they came and I had time to jot them down. Contrary to popular belief I am very partial to blogging, journal writing, list-making, and chatting on line. This, however, brutally conflicts with my ability to remember that I DO like these things and to make time for them. True and valid communication and introspection takes an organized mind. The very thing I totally lack.

First post and the rambling has begun.

So i started a new blog. This one is totally about me. A separate church from the state that is Sanctuary/S3M. Or is it the other way 'round? This is not to say I don't want to share thoughts with fans or friends of the show, but more to remind myself that I exist outside the sci fi/TV world, that I am connected to a far wider and complex society than the one that I work and play in so extensively.

So this is my own sandbox. Read if you want. Come, go, it matters not to me. I will hold forth, because... well... I can.

I will primarily try to hit two goals so as not to piss myself off: Expressing honest opinions & being interesting.

Beyond that, it's the wild west.

DK