Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
Production of Web shows looks set to increase down under with the announcement this week of a new Web TV production company Pixel8, from branded entertainment agency InShot. Pixel8 is the creative brainchild of James Grant Hay, the founder and CEO of InShot, an agency which specialises in placing brand products in movies, television, video games and Web TV shows.
Speaking at the annual Screen Producer’s Association of Australia (SPAA) Conference at the Westin Hotel in Sydney last week, Mr Grant Hay told audiences attending his branded entertainment roundtable discussion of his intention to independently produce made-for-digital Web shows. ‘This is a logical step for ourselves and that of our advertising clients, who increasingly have come to expect custom-based branded entertainment solutions from our agency,’ he said.
Global production of Internet television has exploded in 2009, with online video expected to comprise 90 percent of the world’s Internet traffic by 2013, according to Forrester. Professionally produced brand-funded content is forecast to grow nearly 14 times to $5.79 billion in 2011.
Mr Grant Hay’s announcement coincided with the final day’s conference keynote address, given by Senator Stephen Conroy the Australian Federal Government’s Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
Like the Digital Britain Report, the Australian Government has mandated in recent times the roll-out of a National Broadband Network (NBN) to bring Australia into the digital 21st Century as part of the coming Internet-Protocol Television (IPTV) revolution. ‘The building of the NBN, which is now underway, will significantly enhance the experience for content consumers, said the Minister. The NBN will be an enabling platform for a whole range of new content business models and opportunities for generations of producers to come,’ he said.
Following the conference, Mr Grant Hay revealed to reporters in the Media Room a sneak preview of BobbyDrexler, his online interactive Web series thriller. ‘BobbyDrexler is a dark sardonic character driven piece about a career identity thief who preys on the wealthy. Think Kevin Spacey and you have BobbyDrexler,’ he said.
Mr Grant Hay said InShot would continue to service its advertising clients for brand integration opportunities in movies, television shows and Web series. http://pixel8.com.au/
