Happy Friday! Welcome to Issue 6 of Rerun, your weekly digest of digital storytelling, interactive media and the future of TV curated by Axonista.
This week we found out that Marvel are bringing multiple series to Netflix, YouTube are introducing a paid subscription service and MTV will stream their Movie Awards on Periscope. We also have a couple of indie success stories and some analysis on where TV and VR may be in five years time.
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Top Pick
Netflix building its own superteam, starting with Marvel's Daredevil
“If the Avengers are here to save the universe, these heroes are here to save the neighborhood.”
While the cast of Marvel's The Avengers dominates the big screens, it looks like another superteam of theirs will get a chance at the small screen. Today the first of The Defenders, Daredevil, will appear on Netflix across 13 episodes. He'll be followed over the next couple of years by three other superheroes, each with their own show, followed by a 'coming-together' series. It's another chapter in Marvel's massive move from page to screen and a big coup for Netflix and its subscribers.
Future of TV
YouTube are introducing a paid subscription service
Google's YouTube is introducing an ad-free subscription service that will likely include offline access. The new offering would put YouTube right into the mix with other subscription services like Netflix, HBO Now and newcomer Vessel. Revenue from the service will apparently by split with content creators, although the details at this time haven't been revealed.
OTT subscriptions will grow over the next five years to nearly 200 million
Analysts at research group Ovum have predicted that OTT subscriptions will grow to nearly 200 million by 2020, up from less than 90 million last year. How accurate their prediction is will probably be clearer later this year, as the success of new services like Vessel, HBO Now and Sling TV becomes apparent. And of course Apple have yet to reveal their offering...
It’s the Internet. Sometimes you’re gonna have problems when you want to watch something.
Game of Thrones returns this weekend, and with it comes the first big test of HBO's Now streaming service. In anticipation of the massive demand they've added a page to their help site to explain why your video may pause to buffer.
Wil Wheaton’s ‘TableTop’ shows the $1.5 million power of niche communities and programming
An online series about tabletop games and hosted by Wil Wheaton got nearly $1.5m in funding for its third season. It shows that if you create something people love and engage with your community then the rewards will follow.
How to sell a TV show to Netflix
Just how do you get a TV show onto Netflix? This article by Indiewire goes through the steps that led to "Residue", created by John Harrison, being transformed from a movie release into a three-part TV series. It's a fantastic read and shows the amazing opportunities that are out there for indie productions right now.
Interactive Media
The MTV Movie Awards will stream live on Periscope and more
MTV will be experimenting with several new technologies at their Movie Awards this year, including using Periscope on the red carpet to get the audience even closer to the star celebrities. Viewers can interact with the show in multiple ways, including asking celebrities questions and choosing from over 20 camera angles on an All-Access Livestream.
Virtual Reality
How one gaming company is betting big on virtual reality
CCP, creators of Eve Online, are aiming to release the world's first AAA quality virtual reality game on both PC and Playstation 4. If you've ever dreamt about flying around in the middle of a giant space battle then this could be for you. According to Aaron Souppouris "it's definitely the best VR experience I've had in the three years since I put on the first Oculus Rift prototype."
Augmented and virtual reality could hit $150 billion by 2020
There's no question about it, augmented and virtual reality are exciting new fields, with Google, Facebook and Microsoft all already heavily involved. For anyone wondering where the revenue is and what the landscape might look like five years from now, this report by Tim Merel has some good analysis.
Tweeting Doctor Brennan
Fans of long running TV series "Bones" can now follow its lead character Temperance Brennan @DrBrennan on Twitter. In fact she actually joins Twitter during an episode and starts tweeting live throughout. A very cool plot device and clever use of media! Happy Friday!