SONY's Crackle.com is in the headlines this week for repositioning itself as a portal for next-gen content creation and talent development blogged by Joyce Schwarz, www.hollywood2020.blogs.com and JCOM www.joycecom.com.
HERE are links to some of the headlines for Crackle.com: A Sony Web Site to Offer Videos by Aspiring Filmmakers - New York ...
Sony's 'New' Crackle Set to Aid Filmmakers - WSJ.com
iTWire - Sony adds snap to Crackle in bid to attract filmmakers
Tuesday, 17 July 2007. In what is arguably one of its more innovative ideas in ... However, the big kicker for Sony is that Crackle could well prove to be a ... www.itwire.com.au/content/view/13539/1023/ - Jul 16, 2007 - |
www.crackle.com -- Sony's new repositioned portal for next-gen content & talent development.
AGGREGATING SONY's FUTURE CONTENT OPTIONS?
It's a smart move by Sony execs and it helps tie together the Sony different content divisions including Columbia, Sony Music, Sony Games and others. Silicon Valley wags are saying that it also may help justify that outrageous purchase of Grouper.com, the user-generated website.
screenshot from crackle.com -- focusing on the new "FAME" pyramid to reward frequent video posts to crackle.com competitions.
In the press release (see link below) Sony and Crackle.com execs say the following about the announcement:
Crackle's irreverent editorial team, with a little help from our viewers, programs our provocative and entertaining channels for an audience of 25 million monthly unique users. We reward the best video creators with Crackle funding, promotion, syndication and even greater exposure to our large media partners. Great content surfaced from our open studio model is the key to our success," said Josh Felser, founder and co-president of Crackle.
"The evolution of online video will bring viewers more professionally produced material," said Sean Carey, senior executive vice president, Sony Pictures. "Crackle will provide this next wave of creative talent a forum that will give them the exposure and recognition they seek and deserve
Blogger note -- this is not the first time that Sony has delved into the pro-sumer arena of user-generated content or even tried to aggregate professional content. They've announced several different websites and portals in the past that were aimed at the film/video community. None of those seemed to take off. To be honest, I haven't heard any of my colleagues getting excited about Crackle.com so we hope that it will be more than the snap and pop some of Sony's other adventures into the new media arena have been.
Snap, crackle and Pop are licensed characters of Kelloggs of course-- for the record-- Crackle appears to the be blond dude in the center. It remains to be seen if Sony's newly relaunched Crackle.com has the staying power that the Rice Krispies characters have had. And also the amazing ability for Kelloggs to continue to reinvent Rice Krispies classic bar recipe for generation after generation.
Here's a link to Sony's own press release on the repositioning of Crackle.com Sony Pictures' Crackle Bursts onto Scene and Screen with Pioneering Studio Model
Seems like just another video sharing site with a bunch of media hype. Crackle offers nothing new and does it in a less than appealing package. I remember Grouper as a very easy to use and simple site.
Posted by: SteveK | July 23, 2007 at 08:57 PM