I just received the following from Iconocast an e-mail trend watching newsletter or as they call themselves " Consumer Analysts"
Iconoculture translates current trends into big picture insights
A mere 49 years ago, Allen Du Mont created the first TV network and shows like Honeymooners and Captain Video and his Video Rangers, all in the name of selling more TV sets. Today, technology is still driving new forms of content. So refocus from that 144" HDTV to the wee cellphone screen. Mobisodes -- 60 second episodes delivered direct to cell -- are playing for 3G Verizon Wireless and Vodafoners. For an upcharge, soap opera acolytes and fans of 24 are getting doses of on-the-go eye glue. With most of the big media players jumping into the pool, get ready for a slew of mighty-might offerings: sports, news, comedy, movie trailers, behind-the-scenes teasers for fave shows, cartoons (Ren and Stimpy reruns, please!).
Mobisodes are one more way to extend a brand, whet our appetite for long forms, and hook cell-umbilical Millennials or anyone in need of a 60-second escape. They're also demanding a new production aesthetic shaped by the teeny screen, including zippier cuts and more close-ups. Like VidLit, cellphone mobile novels, and the Ten Second Film contest, mobisodes are in hot pursuit of "less is more" entertainment gold. We're waiting for the best mobisode director Oscar, with a 60-second acceptance speech.
Anyone remember webisodes? Is this the same content reformatted for tiny screens? Wait I hear someone whispering to me "...no this is different - it's being pushed out to the consumer..." Can we try to have better terms?
Lastly Yahoo and Showtime are teaming up for a streamed broadcast of Kirstie Alley's new show "Fat Actress". A first for Yahoo but as Paid Content points out AOL has done this before. What a fantastic use of bandwidth. It's pioneering! Perhaps they could make it a mobisode. and make it even easier to come up with jokes about watching this on a small screen
