Mike O’Hearn is both a bodybuilding superstar and an Internet personality, with the most consistently interesting Facebook updates out there.
He’s recently published a new video short series online called Alter Ego that is interesting on many levels. Here’s episode one:
I’ll be posting more about this later, but for now, do yourself a favor and watch the first few episodes.
There’s a lot of interesting aspects to this, not the least of which is the innovative approach Mike has toward the new world of online video delivery. I’ve been looking at this for a few years now. In March of last year (2011), I was fortunate to be a panelist on a TV show called White House Chronicle hosted by journalist legend Llewellyn King and his co-host, the ever so cute and brilliantly insightful Linda Gasparello. It was an episode titled The Future of Broadcasting. Also on the panel was former CNN regular Bob Franken, and media guru and fabulous hot babe Lauren Ashburn. I think it’s fair to say that Lauren and I were basically of the same opinion: that shorter formats (3 to 5 minutes in length) will dominate future broadcasting efforts.
I raised a few examples during the broadcast of successful short-form successes, including Ray William Johnson, and Joe Penna – aka Mystery Guitar Man.
(And for the record, I am hereby claiming the distinction of being the first person on network television to mention the names of Ray William Johnson and Joe “Mystery Guitar Man” Penna, and to describe the intriguing work of both of these Internet superstars. More on that in an upcoming post.)
Johnson is in a class by himself. Penna also. But these folks are delivering content that is a single complete production in about four to five minutes. I think history will show that Mike O’Hearn’s Alter Ego dove into a new area. Mike is doing a serial, in 1 to 3 minute segments. Very interesting stuff, and unique – Mike’s at the front line of this brave new world. Now – I know there have been efforts by some established network television types to do something roughly along these lines, but not quite like this – I’ve never before seen an original series quite like the one Mike is creating – not anywhere, especially not online.
Formats have fluctuated for as long as the ability to create film has existed. The first 90+ minute theatrical productions were released in the silent era. When my parents were children, they – particularly my mother – loved the twenty minute serials that were common in movie theaters at the time. For the past few decades, broadcasting has been dominated by the typical television sitcom of 22 minutes plus commercials, and the standard TV drama of about twice as long.
MTV pioneered the commercial success of music videos back in the 1980’s, and there was a lot of talk then that these shorter 3 to 5 minute formats were the wave the future. That forecast has already been realized on YouTube, Vimeo, and elsewhere on line.
Mike’s Alter Ego takes that concept a step further, telling a longer story in shorter 2 to 3 minute segments that continues in a series. It’s sort of the online version of the old Buck Rogers / Lone Ranger serials, which were hugely successful in their day.
Mike’s work is bold, fascinating, unique, and I think – historic.
And it’s fun to watch. And it’ll be fascinating to see how it evolves – what works, what doesn’t, and which format will ultimately “stick”.
So enjoy it already! And experience a milestone in broadcasting history.
Scandalous is finally going to Broadway. It’s about time.
I’ve always thought it was silly that we tally Olympic gold medals by country, with no adjustment to account for each nation’s population. Is it fair to compare the more than 300 million people who live in the United States of America with, for example, tiny little Grenada, with a population barely over 100,000? It stands to reason that larger countries, on average, will produce more gold medal contenders than smaller countries, it’s just the simple law of probability.