Pennyreel Presents a general dissatisfaction...
Online video is skyrocketing. Not just as a tertiary venue (after broadcast/theater and rentals) for studio content but as its own unique entity. It is estimated that Americans have watched over 10 billion online videos, and that online video advertising sales will surpass 1 Billion dollars in 2009. Close is the day when the majority of websites carry some form of video.
But the online video kingdom covers an extremely broad array of media types; there is a plethora of phylum, class, orders, genus and species beneath it. And in the genus of creative, narrative, short form video, the species that dominates is the comedy. The old saying goes that comedy is the most difficult genre, and yet there are more online comedy troupes out there than any other type of online performer. Pennyreel wonders why.
I know I can count on online video to make me laugh, but where is the action, the drama and the horror? We know that the short length cannot be the principle deterrent because commercials like Michael Bay's Black and Decker ad or John Woo's for BMW are action packed, plot driven and suspenseful, and Nike has certainly produced some of the most compelling short form video
of all time. Granted, these are big companies with huge budgets, but anyone who has seen The Celebration or Breaking the Waves knows that moving and profound work can be produced on a shoestring budget with little more than a camcorder and a broomstick, if the other elements are there.
We think it is simply that not enough people have seen the opportunity. The comedians know it's out there for them. They see venues like funnyordie.com and see successful groups like Lonely Island or The Whitest Kids You Know and it demonstrates to them a verified and legitimate path to success. But the first online comedians had no idea what was in store for them, they were simply looking for another outlet, a place to expand their reach. It is time for similarly minded artists in other genres to blaze their own trail. Quarterlife has done it, and we admire them for it.
Pennyreel Presents a genuine desire to see more drama, action, sci-fi and horror online. Remember, pennyreelers, there are no censors on the internets, or not nearly as many, at least. No execs or sponsors that will tell you your content is too racy or may alienate the target demo, there is only you and want you want to put out there. get to it.
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