The new lineup for Crackle.com, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s online video network, includes original, high-quality made-for-the-Web shows. The “season,” which began on December 1, heralds a major trend that takes Web video to a higher level and away from TV show reruns, amateur-generated content (YouTube), movie trailers and video clips.
The 13-week season will consist of some returning series as well as a variety of new programming. The network seems most proud of two shows, “Anytime with Bob Kushell,” with an Emmy-nominated host and guests ranging from John Stamos and Christina Applegate to Neil Patrick Harris; and “Starving” a new comedy series from “Married with Children” star David Faustino.
“Delivering on our promise to debut high-quality original content on a daily basis, Crackle’s next programming slate combines new episodes of some of our most popular series with fresh new shows,” said Eric Berger, senior VP of digital networks. “We’re a one-stop entertainment destination.”
The site also features music, movies and TV releases from Sony, either broken up into snack-sized pieces or edited into “minisodes” – shorter versions of the traditional programming with things not related to the plot removed, like side jokes and laugh tracks.
The big thing here is that this is content made specifically for the Web and produced in a professional manner, moving away from how media companies treat the Internet as simply a dumping ground for TV shows, clips and movie trailers.
All the traffic of YouTube aside – especially that huge chunk no one is making money off – this content is going to be amazing in quality and will be something advertisers are much more likely to pay to advertise against.
“The Internet is the greatest vehicle for the distribution of entertainment ever invented,” Yair Landau, former vice-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment and president of Sony Pictures Digital, said some years back at a Stanford Graduate School of Business’ “Future of Content” conference.
Sony is starting to treat the Internet as its own medium, which is what led to the success TV saw when it moved away from emulating radio and the success the movies enjoyed when they moved away from emulating vaudeville.
Sony’s content will stick with a length that “works” for the Internet right now, but now there aren’t limitations on a show being 22 or 42 minutes – they can be successful on the Web in forms under a minute or approaching full-length movies.
Crackle can have a short run and fail, and that would still be good for Sony. Sony is pushing the envelope with current online models and is helping the Internet move closer toward being a delivery model that can instantaneously and simultaneously deliver millions of channels to billions of viewers worldwide.
By moving in this direction, even if its first attempt isn’t successful, Sony is opening up more avenues for its wide range of content and is developing new content and creators.
Sony is helping the Internet to free the storyteller from constraints, putting him in touch with a mainstream audience and giving him as much time as he needs to tell the story.