It’s the end of the year—time for fruitcake, reflection, drunken holiday office parties, and many a “Best Of” list.
We think it’s the perfect time to reflect on some of the biggest tech trends of 2011. One such trend, while still a nascent movement, is the emerging importance of the second screen. As an agency with roots in entertainment, our interest is particularly piqued by the surge of second screen apps and synchronized social networking around content.
Let’s look at the facts:
A January study by Yahoo’s advertising division revealed that 86% of people who use the mobile Internet use their mobile device while watching television.
GetGlue, a check-in app, reached 1.5 million users this year (as of September).
Miso just announced a new product called SideShow, which is basically crowdsourced second-screen experiences, like a fashion feature to go along with the latest episode of Gossip Girl. Companies are thinking outside the “check-in” feature and imagining a world in which you watch TV while learning who the actors are, what they are wearing, and where you can buy that couch on Suburgatory.
We’re pretty stoked about this trend as it opens many a door for marketing integration into a world where commercials are fast becoming obsolete. Plus, it leaves us excited to see what’s in store for next year.
Your move, 2012.
In a constant push to improve the quality of the Creative Asylum online experience, we’re happy to announce our latest endeavor, a video series called Available Light: Creative Conversations from the Cat and Fiddle.
This series of webisodes sprung from a simple concept. We find interesting people we like, buy them a beer or other choice beverage at the Cat and Fiddle and chat about their process, interests, dreams, predictions or favorite movies. We let the conversation meander, then cut it down later.
There’s no lighting (thus the name), no uptight interview conventions with imposing production gear, no big crew or uptight producers gathered around a monitor in the back of the room whispering.
The goal is to create a relaxed environment for our subjects and hear what they have to say on a variety of subjects.
One of the great gifts of doing the kind of work we do is the people we meet along the way. This community is a wildly diverse gang of storytellers. They are ambitious, smart, opinionated and creative; some of them are photographers, screenwriters, production execs, and network VPs. The tie that binds is passion and an interest in navigating the rapidly changing landscape of film, TV, music, fine art, marketing and advertising.
These pieces will be short and sweet—probably about 2-4 minutes. Eventually we will release the longer version audio only on iTunes, but first things first.
So here they are. We have released two episodes to start:
Jim Wright is a photographer and director and Erich Hoeber is a screenwriter of films like “Red” and “Battleship”). They’re cool guys. Enjoy what they have to say and look for more to come. If you have ideas for subjects, let us know through our social media channels. We are always looking for more people to chat with on “Available Light.” If nothing else, you’ll get a free Stella on us.
Enjoy!
The explosion of social media, of perfectly smart and optimized search engines, of Google’s slow and steady rise to the top of the information chain—it’s all probably a good thing. We use it, we love it, some of us make a living finding new ways to utilize it. Having information at our fingertips is still something new and utterly amazing. You hear a song you like at the bar, pull out your smartphone, fire up the Shazam app and 20 seconds later you not only know the band and song name, but you are part of their fan club, have downloaded the song and have reserved tickets to their next gig. And you never even MOVED.
Wikipedia’s million-plus pages of intertwined information makes us better informed than we’ve ever been. Arguing the facts over dinner has become a typing race to see who can humiliate whom faster with the facts. Intellectual superiority (at least in public) in 2012 is defined by iPhone typing speed and dexterity. One wonders if evolution will begin to favor quick people with skinny thumbs, eventually weeding out slower, fat-fingered people because they can’t Google fast enough and therefore don’t get to mate.
Where it’s heading is obvious, although none of us know what it will look like. The answers will always be there, hovering in front of our eyes like B-movie spaceships. All we’ll have to do is look at it, pass it on, and we have passed. Instant expert. It’s way better than ignorance, right?
Perhaps.
But what about the quest for knowledge? The actual quest as in “a long or arduous search.” And we’re not necessarily referring to the academic quest for the Latin root of the word “survive” or some scientific unlocking of a random genome (although these are clearly more important). We’re talking about our own personal mini-quests for knowledge. Things we would like to know.
Since this is a marketing blog and we do a lot of entertainment work, let’s take it down to it’s most basic level: being a fan.
Not even five years ago, it was much harder to be a real fan of something. Ten years ago, it was borderline really hard, and prior to that, you had to be a little weird. Knowing where the lead singer of Guided by Voices taught 4th grade before he became a singer took some digging. You went to shows, met other fans, gossiped and learned. You read magazine articles and kept them and read them again until you had absorbed the work of the writer so completely that they were practically your ideas. You worked for it.
It was total pain the ass, and people knew it, and you were rewarded by having those people say “Wow!” or “I didn’t know that” when you educated them on your specialty. Little victories, but extremely satisfying.
If it was something more scholarly, like, say Edgar Allen Poe you were into, well that took reading…books. Remember those? You’d recognize them by the smell. And you didn’t read just one. Because any devotee knows, the baseline for any perspective is reading at least THREE books about your subject, then you start the “cool stuff nobody knows about” phase. You dig for the trivial. You go back to the obscure. The mundane.
The short version: it used to be a lot harder to be a fan, maven, buff or devotee.
So this is a small moment of silence for the passing of the quest.
That said, nobody really knows anything, even experts, unless they were actually there. And is the stripe of a fan how much they know or how hard it was to learn it?
There’s a good chance less than handful of people on the planet were in Robert Pollard’s 4th grade class.
Now go Google “Robert Pollard” and “4th grade.”
Boom. You’re an instant expert.
We have divisions in both Panama City and Cebu City, but Creative Asylum’s world headquarters is located in the heart of Hollywood. And when we say the heart, we’re talking the bleeding-but-still-beating heart, not some tourist reproduction at Universal Studios or a wax museum facsimile. We park at the ArcLight, formerly the Cinerama Dome and walk past world-famous Amoeba Records to get in the front door, first strolling through the courtyard where a few scenes from Casablanca were filmed. But what’s wildly unique about LA is it’s complete indifference to it’s own entertainment history. It’s a geek’s game, generally, tracking locations and noting what was filmed where and when. Luckily, we also happen to be fully staffed by such geeks, and therefore have decided to occasionally post about local entertainment history that’s within stumbling distance from our front door.
If you have to drive, it doesn’t count. We’re talking a stone’s throw only.
Which leads us nicely to Sunset Sound on the corner of Sunset and __. When the urge strikes to eat healthy, many CA folks can be seen strolling towards SUBWAY for a 6″ turkey and some chips (to counteract the healthy part of the meal, of course). On the way, we walk by a nondescript building with a very 70’s sign that says “Sunset Sound.” We grab the grub and saunter back.
But what’s gone on inside that grey little building has changed the world, quite literally, especially if you’re a music fan, a degenerate partier, or both. Because inside is where at least a few of your life’s most memorable soundtracks were recorded.
We’ll get to the rock and roll in a bit, but let’s start with with something cuddly—Bambi. Yes, the soundtrack to Disney’s Bambi was done at Sunset. So was 101 Dalmations and Mary Poppins.
But enough of the kid’s stuff. Then came the not-so-wholesome. The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Steet overdubs. Dirty. The Doors’ first two albums. Led Zepplin, Elton John, The Beach Boys (Just a little album called Pet Sounds), Van Halen, Warren Zevon and on and on and on. Here’s a partial list of the music and musicians that have “worked” at Sunset Sound, leaving ashes, empties, and some amazing music:
Studio I
Van Halen, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Macy Gray, Bee Gees, Doobie Bros., Whitney Houston, Barry Manilow, Oingo Boingo, Luis Miguel, Rolling Stones, Dave Grusin, Crosby, Stills, Nash, Lee Ritenour, Fourplay, Richard Thompson, Yes, Brian Wilson, Beach Boys, Annette Funicello, Carly Simon, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Bangles, Fishbone, Randy Newman, Sly & Family Stone, “Fabulous Baker Boys”, Vonda Shepard, Tom Petty, “The Firm”, Sheena Easton, Patti Austin, Aaron Neville, “Mary Poppins”, Sam Cooke, The Turtles, “101 Dalmations”, Lovin Spoonful, Buffalo Springfield, Janis Joplin, Genesis, Kenny Loggins, Jackson Browne, “My Best Friend»s Wedding”, Reel Big Fish, “Dr. Doolittle”, “The Truman Show”, “Tootsie”
Studio 2
Van Halen, Led Zeppelin IV, Sheryl Crow, Smashing Pumpkins, Matthew Sweet, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Celine Dion, Earl Klugh, Alanis Morrisette, Michael Jackson, Toto, Lita Ford, Robert Palmer, “Dick Tracy”, “Dune”, “Days Of Thunder”, “Rocky II & IV”, Ry Cooder, Richard Marx, Aretha Franklin, Tom Waits, Neil Young, Crowded House, Bob Dylan, Jennifer Holliday, Olivia Newton-John, Melissa Manchester, Barbra Streisand, Roberta Flack, Rick James, “Major League”, “Great Balls Of Fire”, Michael Feinstein, “Wayne’s World”, “Wayne»s World II”, Alice Cooper (Muscle 73), Leo Sayer, “The Waterboy”, “The Big Lebowski”, “Pleasantville”, Doyle Bramhall, Weezer, “The Prince Of Egypt”, DDT, Poison, Andy Williams
Studio 3
The Surfers, Elliott Smith, Social Distortion, Sugar Ray, Mary Lou Lord, “Midnight In The Garden Of Good & Evil”, Earth Wind & Fire, Prince, Dan Fogelberg, Hiroshima, Rancid, k d lang, The Wallflowers, Beck, Mr. Mister, Stevie Nicks, Belinda Carlisle, Kix, Desert Rose Band, Air Supply, Counting Crows, Deborah Harry, Jody Watley, Neil Diamond, Rita Coolidge, Lionel Ritchie, Sam Phillips, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Jones, Van Dyke Parks, Gillian Welch, The Refreshments, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Thisway, Melissa Etheridge
If you can’t find at least one band you don’t love in that list, we then apologize for wasting your time. Grab a sub sandwich and walk on by. But if you’re a fan of music history, it’s right around the corner. Stop by, we’ll take you there.
Check out the “history” page on the studio’s web site.
Remember back when United Colors of Benetton ads were controversial, eyebrow-raising, and just kinda awesome? Remember back when Benetton was a relevant name in the clothing industry?
This was pre-internet, before our laptops told us exactly what to wear and where to buy it. You had to work for it. For many non-big city Americans in the 80’s and 90’s, the only exposure to interracial open-mindedness they ever got was from walking by the Benetton window display at the mall. Sad, but better than nothing.
Benetton delivered a vision of tolerance. Even if that tolerance was mainly for really well dressed people. United Colors. Black, White, Asian, Native Americans all dressed awesome and just …hanging out? It’s easier to create that sort of cultural/fashion mash-up in 2011 because of the access we all have. But back then, that angle was hard.
Yeah, well, they’re back. Benetton just released this “Unhate” ad campaign that definitely harkens back to those days when their ads opted for shocking pictures that didn’t actually contain any clothing. They seem to be reclaiming the throne they created as a company that sells stuff, yes, but also has a message. Seems this time around, all they need is Love.
And kissing.
The ads feature world leaders smooching. Of course, It’s already caused some controversy…they’ve taken down a picture of the Pope kissing an Imam. God forbid. But we’re writing about it here, so they still win with that loss. There’s all sorts of stuff to explore on the website, including a kiss wall where you can upload your own pics.
So let’s check it out … and take a moment to tip our marketing hats to a company that deserves credit for creating a slightly more tolerant world, even if it was all just to sell more red sweaters.
If you’re into business startup stuff, then you should check out this solid series of profiles of entrepreneurs of all shapes and sizes as they spill the beans on what they did, didn’t do, wish they’d done, etc., etc. They’re short—2 or 3 minutes. It’s an easy way to get inspired over coffee to stop sitting around drinking coffee and get off your ass and start a company. Techcrunch sets up the series better than we can so we’ll let them explain it:
“…Sprinkle Lab, launched a series last week that aims to speak to anyone and everyone interested in the world of entrepreneurship. The series, called “Now I Know”, will be releasing a new episode every Monday and Wednesday for the next six weeks that contains a lesson learned, a memorable experience, or personal philosophy from different notable figures in the tech space. It’s slightly reminiscent of The Startup Kids, but instead of focusing on young entrepreneurs, it shares musings on the big issues the tech industry faces today, dished out by experts — of every age.”
See, we told you they would do a good job explaining it. One of the reasons we dig it at Creative Asylum is because we are launching our own web series very shortly called “Available Light: Creative Conversations from the Cat and Fiddle.” Basically once every 2-3 weeks or so (damn, will we regret putting THAT in writing), we will be posting another profile of a smart, creative person who is making a mark in the world of marketing, TV, film, art or music. We do the interviews at our local pub, the “Cat and Fiddle” (BTW – we also use available light. Hopefully the name of the show now makes sense).
When we discovered Sprinkle Lab’s “startup version,” we were happy to see we weren’t the only people out there making content for the love of making content. Look for “Available Light” on this site soon — and thanks to Sprinkle Labs for creating “Now I Know.” Now we know.
Let’s just leave taste out of it for a few minutes. You can’t deny Kevin Smith can sell. To his critics, the fact that he gets to make movies at all is proof of that. And since we are a marketing agency, it’s worth a moment to consider the new models of film marketing being pushed forward by the likes of Smith, and to some extent his 90’s indie rival Ed Burns. These guys have come to the conclusion that the studios still haven’t completely wrapped their brains around — everything’s changed. There are big films and small films, and sometimes small films shouldn’t be sold the same way as big films. The movie business is unique in that way. They charge the same for a surf and turf with champagne at the Palm as they do for a number three combo at McDonald’s. With “Red State,” Smith owns his film and has taken the marketing over, doing it his own way (which in his case is a nationwide roadshow and non-stop podcasting) and saying to the public: who wants a Quarter Pounder?
Just check out Kevin Smith’s “Red State of the Union” podcasts. It’s a fascinating look into the rapidly shifting landscape of movie marketing. No studio. No major marketing. No outdoor. No print. Not even an opening weekend push. You don’t have to listen to the podcasts and there will be no quiz, but it’s relevant. It might be a glimpse into the future of selling movies.
Who was the famous writer that said “What my wife never understood was that when I was staring out the window, I was actually working.”
Was it Dostoyevsky? F. Scott Fitzgerald? Dr. Suess? Socrates? Was he even married? We digress. The important thing is that apparently staring out the window is extremely important to the creative process. While this may be filed under “duh” for many Creatives, Wired Science did a in-depth and entertaining look at the mechanics behind zoning out that’s worth a read, if only for a well-researched justification for the last 2 hours you just wasted. It will make you feel better.
We’re here to help.
We stumbled upon a very cool app for both the PC and Mac called Ommwriter. This word processing app/program makes one of the most painful, arduous and soul-crushing—writing—kinda awesome. Basically it creates a visual interface for writing that is very Zen, very clean and very icon-free. Sort of like the way your apartment looked before you ruined it and tried to “decorate.” Full of clean promise. No bad art or prop books you’ll never read. No magnets on the fridge or stacks of empty DVD cases. But what’s really cool about Ommwriter is the sound it makes when you write. If you’re wearing headphones, it creates an audio soundscape that echoes the pace of your typing with a variety of customizable music and effects. Very soothing. Helps with focus.
That said, you might have to keep an eye out that your scripts, proposals or blog posts don’t come out overly minimal, vaguely Haiku-y or about yoga. Calibrate with Red Bull and you’ll be back where you started. Either way, it’s an interesting idea.
We hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween! We sure did. Our employees really turned on the creative for costume contests in both LA and Panama. Highlights included Bender (from Futurama), Altair (from Assassin’s Creed), Joaquin Pheonix, Peggy Bundy, Alice in Wonderland, and Beetlejuice. Not to mention a few zombies and ghosts here and there. Check out these creatives who escaped the asylum:
CA Panama (top) and CA Los Angeles (bottom) get into the Halloween spirit
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