2013-05-19T23:45:09-04:00 Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=jonathan-heath Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Jonathan Heath Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3183363 2013-04-30T04:48:44-04:00 2013-05-01T08:41:08-04:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/
We know this though; anyone who has spent more than five minutes on YouTube in their life can see the vestiges of famous viral videos being played out on the slightly bigger screen to advertise headache tablets and chocolate bars. Advertising agencies have people sitting on the Internet all day long looking for that latest thing, something popular they can retrofit into a new creative for their client.

Sometimes it works out, most of the time it doesn't and the ad looks stupid and ridiculous next to the original. Beroca comes to mind immediately with their ludicrous ad involving an OkGo style treadmill dance. In an ideal world the original creators themselves would get involved with the ads. American comedic duo Tim & Eric have been able to do this; bringing their surreal style to a series of Old Spice commercials. Director Wes Anderson has curated clips for American Express and most recently Prada utilizing his own stylistic tendencies.

It is Wes Anderson himself who has been a victim of one of a creative highjacking recently by DDB Sydney, for the Australian branch of Expedia. The ad so blatently and unapologetically borrows from Anderson's palette that it ceases to become an advert and more of game to spot which trope of the directors will appear next.



The 'homage' is unrelenting; there is no point where it stops being a mini-Wes Anderson film, it is comparable to an incredibly high budget film school piece by an incredibly un-imaginative student. There is an overt reference to every single one of Anderson's films both in the detailed content, sight gags and cinematography and to top it all off they have essentially cast the boy from Moonrise Kingdom as the lead.

Here's a quote from Dylan Harrison from DDB about the project -

"Considering the breadth and depth of what they offer, there is no shortage of inspiration. We aimed to bring a creative passion equal to the potential of the brand, which was embraced with open arms by Expedia."

It would appear that they only brought their passion for Wes Anderson films.

Unbelievably lazy work. Nihil Sanctisne? - Is nothing sacred?]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3090207 2013-04-16T04:53:34-04:00 2013-04-17T07:57:57-04:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/
KitKat Australia have taken a very different approach recently, taken a break perhaps? [pause for laugh] They have produced an ad which looks like it belongs on the Staff Picks selection of Vimeo. Illustrator Mike Watt was drafted in to create artwork to celebrate the finale of the white chocolate incarnation of everyone's favourite four fingered treat.

The outcome is a series of beautifully crafted etchings created with the final fifty white chocolate bars in the country. One assumes that the art will be displayed in a particularly cool gallery environment, not to generalize about the country's climate but in order to "make something last forever" as the adverts' copy runs, its probably best not to make that thing from a product that has a propensity to melt.

Having said that, if the KitKat bars down under have as much plastic in them as ours they will probably be fine.



This subtle approach to video marketing combining a huge brand with a technical skill, which is then documented in a gentle yet engaging way as I have said, is reminiscent of the art and technical based filmmakers usually found on Vimeo filming subjects who often create things from organic matter and who live in the woods, or live some kind of vaguely bohemian existence except they have an iPhone 5...ironically. 'Hipsters' basically.

The model was used very successfully recently by viral ad posterbrand Oreo with their recent campaign involving the separation of the famous cookie from its creamy centre. Chocolate and sweet ads have always seemed to predominantly involve either obnoxious children or 'cheeky' women.

It is very refreshing to see some brands getting a little more creative with their ads as opposed to just bludgeoning their demographic with obvious clichés and 'money shots' of people stuffing their face. The only downside to this KitKat campaign was the length of the film; they should have been a lot braver and made it longer. Perhaps they should make a chunky version? [applause]]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2996538 2013-04-02T03:01:54-04:00 2013-04-02T06:54:06-04:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/
Much like the previous effort our Heineken hero is gifted a ticket to a Champion's League game, the final at Wembley no less. Unlike The Candidate though its not as simple as just walking out on the pitch and aiding the rippling of a flag this time the guy has to make his way around the world to see Bayern overcome Barça (writer's prediction).

There is no real comparison to make between the two recent adverts obviously with the drinks brand reverting to previous cinematic efforts both directed by Frederic Bond but once again Heineken are employing a forward thinking approach to the use of social media with fans being able to interact with brand ambassadors including long range goal maestro Clarence Seedorf



As you can see the smooth operator we saw dancing rings around the restaurant and the Ambassador's reception a few months ago is back in the form of a drummer given the opportunity of a lifetime.

There is a lot of ingenuity to his tricks as he negotiates the various global roadblocks with a little bit of a magic and a little bit of charm. One can't help but think he was just a bit lucky to just be wearing the same shoes as the billionaire though... or did I not get that? Anyway he charmed his way onto that helicopter well enough.

We've got an interesting twos-up from here from Heineken in terms of video marketing, they are succeeding in covering all the bases with a highly sharable viral with a great use of social media and an excellent company case study as a bi-product. With this latest though they have a quality glossy effort, the kind you'd be happy to watch on a pre-roll or in the cinema - its slick, its silly but its still very sharable.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2925113 2013-03-21T13:05:42-04:00 2013-03-26T11:24:34-04:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/
The films couldn't be more different and it is within that difference that I would like to champion the Canadian effort. The domestic violence video is extremely powerful and very well put together using a classic viral 'one-face-a-day' format to get a very serious and important message across to the viewer.

This is the Canadian PSA:



I already mentioned smoking in the intro so if you haven't seen it I apologize for ruining it slightly, but as you can see it's a great video that goes for the 'belittling' tactic over the classic tried and tested 'guilt' tactic. That's not to say that the ads we see constantly with mutating cigarettes, orphaned children and rotting lungs aren't important - the shock tactics are generally considered to work over comedy - but it is wholly refreshing to see a different and humorous perspective on an anti-smoking advert.

The video production is lucky in many respects because the focus of the piece is 'social smoking' an activity which if you think about it, or even try to explain it is probably one of the stupidest things you can do with your life. However, this is where they can have some fun.

The futility of the activity makes them ripe for derision without requiring the need for a shocking conclusion - You couldn't do an ad about a guy who breaks wind fifty times a day and then accuse him of being in denial about his habit. Or could you? Could we have a better way to approach PSAs here. Granted it is not the first comedic attempt but there are certainly far too many mawkish ones out there. I'm looking at you Peta. Celebrity + Cause = Lazy. Lets get more creative with our PSAs people!

Here's a bonus clip for all the nibblers out there:

]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2723196 2013-02-20T06:21:00-05:00 2013-04-22T05:12:01-04:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/ video marketing from Heineken. You get dressed up nice and smart and you try and use words like "passionate" and deploy the classic always-subtle self-complimentary line 'My biggest weakness is that I work too hard.' Well it would appear that Heineken don't want any run of mill employees working for them and have put their latest batch of applicants through what some may describe as 'cruel' tests.

With 1734 applicants for a role within their Champion's League department it was always going to be a hard decision but as you can see from the video, the winning "Candidate" more than deserved his prize.



The Dutch beer brand has been a heavy hitter for a while when it comes to online video, not quite up there with it's European cousin Red Bull but they consistently produce quality web content and campaigns that test and show off the possibilities of web marketing.

Within this campaign Heineken have not only produced a quality piece of video marketing. The crowd source element has involved their social media channels lobbying for input in choosing "The Candidate" encouraging sharing and engagement and improving the virility of the piece.
The film bodes well for any future candidates as well as being a great internal piece for the company. It could be groundbreaking for any company that wants to appear more transparent and develop themselves online as a creative force.

The comparisons with The Apprentice are obvious but this short-form version feels a lot more real and satisfying. You can't help feeling like Guy really earned his job at the company. Even if he did say that "Other people get infected by my Enthusiasm". Not quite a Stewart Baggs-ism.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2675758 2013-02-13T05:26:16-05:00 2013-04-15T05:12:01-04:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/
VW followed up their wildly successful Darth Child advert from last year with an ad showing a Volkswagon driver affecting a Jamaican accent and exuding the type of island charm and relaxed approach to life that only the tropics, or a ride in a new VW can bring you.

Of course the response from the viewers was inevitable with certain commentators taking issue with the apparent racist overtones of the affected accent of the white protagonist along with the insinuation that all Jamaicans are "laid back and chill".

Thankfully, East London's choice beer brand Red Stripe have taken time out from turning shops into musical instruments to 'make a call' on the VW ad. In a response film we see a Jamaican NFL video referee taking a look at the offending ad before declaring it "Not offensive...happiness is always in play man". So there you have it, no need to get angry with the commercial YouTube commentators.



The Red Stripe film hasn't exactly picked up the shares, let alone gone 'viral' but it's quick thinking like this from brands, coupled with a great sense of humour that really shows off the way YouTube and online video can be used to great effect. Viewer engagement is key to the success of any piece of video marketing but to have another brand get involved with your campaign in a totally non-cynical way is a great example of how the Internet and social media platforms can be used for good.

The Internet is an incredibly opinionated place and perhaps nowhere more so than YouTube, with comments sections regularly filling up with people spouting various uninformed opinions along with the genuinely spiteful and of course the infamous troll community. We definitely need to see more brands with a sense of humour stepping up like this in the future.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2478422 2013-01-15T08:25:35-05:00 2013-03-17T05:12:01-04:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/ video production agencies involved. We've seen dramatic events taking place in the street for TV channels, huge sing-alongs in stations for phone companies and now thanks to French kitchen brand Cuisinella we have sniper assassinations.

Not real ones of course, killing members of the public for real in the aid of advertising won't happen until TV talent shows eventually evolve into 'The Running Man'...which they will, eventually.

The setup for the ad revolves around three members of the public being shot in the street from a paintball gun-wielding sniper hiding in a nearby building. After the initial moments of panic and screaming from the surrounding public, an Ambulance arrives with the crew bundling the victim into the back and proceed to use a defibrillator on the very much alive and screaming prankees. They are then semi-zipped up in a body-bag, dumped in a coffin and left in a Cuisinella showroom.



Upon escaping their faux-grave the victims quickly realise they have been part of a ruse to flog kitchen goods, and appear to take it in good spirit, that might be the relief of not being buried alive though.

Is there any merit to this kind of shock viral advertising? This rather disturbingly titled viral - 'ça sent le sapin' (Smells Like Pine) was removed by Cuisinella themselves who branded it as 'Sick' - not before racking up a few hundred-thousand views and gaining the attention of viral ad fans everywhere though.

Advertising has come a long way from provocative bra adverts on billboards to people actually getting shot in public. It's probably Quentin Tarantino's fault. Thanks Internet.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2243994 2012-12-05T09:15:20-05:00 2013-02-04T05:12:01-05:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/
The video in question is of course Kony 2012; the film that ignited opinions as well as shares across the world upon its release, it inspired heated debate as well as parodies, perhaps the most famous being South Park's take on the whole affair and particular the mental breakdown and subsequent public exposure of the Invisible Children founder.

Leaving the other big brands in its wake the success of the Kony film this year tells us two important things about the future of online video production and social media marketing.
Firstly, length is no longer a factor. Kony 2012 was a 30-minute documentary which able to garner some six million more shares than the next highest ranked viral ad (TNT Belgium's Dramatic Advert). This isn't to say that all brands should start making short form documentaries as the second factor is inextricably linked to this.

Secondly, in order to succeed like Kony the brand content and marketing strategy needs to be extremely potent. Kony reaches viewers on levels that other brands cannot by definition of being a worthy (though debatable) cause, but the branding of the film and the excellent use of social media and call to actions that created all those shares should be applauded and can be replicated and fitted to other brand's campaigns.

In terms of the list itself, shares of the top 10 viral ads rose from 16.8 million in 2011 to 28.0 million in 2012 proving that our online viewing habits are increasing and evolving year on year. There was also a 21% increase in the amount of shares in total amongst the top 500 ads of 2012 and it should be noted that only three brands remained in the top 20 from 2011. They were Red Bull, VW and DC shoes.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2143157 2012-11-16T06:42:11-05:00 2013-01-16T05:12:01-05:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/ web video are going to be somewhat more surgical with their approach.

Only 30-40% of the initially invested video creators will be given a second boost of YouTube money with Google reaching out to the high impact creators who cater for the biggest hits, the majority of which is programming that appeals to the younger demographic such as humour, music, cars and sports.

The debate about celebrity impact has arisen with this latest batch of investment. How important is a famous face when it comes to marketing your web videos? The quality views come from subscribers and returning visitors. It is this audience that the channel owners need to nurture in order to achieve success, these are the ones that understand YouTube in the context of television 2.0 and use it thusly - they know all about cynical YouTube use and aren't going to be swayed by some tacky razzmatazz.

The top 25 new channels are now garnering over a million views a week, with the top 33 having over 100,000 subscribers, this is the mark of repeat views and a demonstration of their popularity and importance on the website.

The latest funding packages will be around the same as the first ranging from $1 to $5 million in exchange for a years worth of content exclusive to YouTube. The challenge for the producers though is to recoup YouTube's investment before branching out with ads of their own. This has been a difficult task for many of creators and was obviously too much for those who never made the second round.

YouTube have said that their underlying goal throughout this whole process is to change the perception among content creators and advertisers. Have they achieved this yet? Only time will tell, but with the average TV viewers watching more regular TV in a day than they do with online video in a month there is some ground to be made up yet.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2082470 2012-11-06T11:31:50-05:00 2013-01-06T05:12:01-05:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/
Diners at the newly opened Comodo in New York will be encouraged to photograph their food (as normal) but make sure to include the hashtag #ComodoMenu which uses Instagram to collate all the other guests images together. This creates a photographic menu for the diners to go with the stuffy old analogue papery thing they give you when you sit down.

This writer's opinions on Instagram aside, the idea is a great one, tapping into a burgeoning trend that encompasses over 100 million users and counting. It's a great way to get social buzz going on around a restaurant, venue or a product and makes the user feel like they are contributing to the success of something that they are enjoying.

It is surely only a matter of time before this kind of marketing takes hold wholesale, for as we saw with Twitter and the eventual implementation of hashtags on television programmes all it takes is the marketing nous to figure out what people do socially and get them to do it to promote your brand.

So thanks Comodo, for making a deplorable modern day habit justified and for opening the floodgates for this type of marketing campaign in every 'youth-orientated' pastime.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2055310 2012-11-01T05:57:53-04:00 2013-01-01T05:12:01-05:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/
Perhaps it is with that in mind then that YouTube have removed the emphasis on view-counts when producing search results, and will begin to factor in the amount of time that has been spent actually watching the videos.

Essentially YouTube will analyse the amount of minutes people spend watching your video, and compare it with the amount of time that people spend watching other people's videos. The videos with the most minutes watched will be given higher search ranking.

How does this affect the creators then? Well it means that viewer engagement is now key to getting successes on the website. Keeping your audience hanging on until the end and promoting repeat viewings wherever possible is going to get you those high search results.

The new algorithm is certainly going to work for deliciously catchy Internet gems such as 'Bacon Pancakes' - a 12 second clip that one cannot help but watch over and over again, especially with a loop function engaged. Your video might not work like this though, often people require more than 12 seconds...

Audience interactivity is a smart way to encourage viewer engagement and there are plenty of tools at your disposal to help you with this. We all know how helpful the annotations can be with keeping viewers hooked to series, encouraging subscriptions and even guiding viewers through adventures. However, another new change coming to YouTube's setup is the ability to link within videos to offsite locations. You can use this commerce with iTunes or Amazon and others or link to your own website.

There are 72 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute. If you are in the video production game and want to succeed online, YouTube is making an environment that promotes creativity and encourages making videos that people watch and watch again. If you can't succeed in making these films then don't bother.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1226442 2012-01-24T19:00:00-05:00 2012-03-25T05:12:01-04:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/ video marketing though? Web video is one of the most dynamic and engaging forms of marketing a company can engage in and forsaking it these days is surely a mistake but how can you stand out amongst all the other videos?

We'll get to that in a minute but first here's another intimidating statistic about YouTube: 86,400 videos are uploaded to video every day; that's the equivalent of Hollywood making and releasing 302,400 features every week. Of course the content comes in many forms, which is why some of the web videos get so many hits, the viewers are out there for sure.

The recent Star Wars Uncut film is over two hours long. It fan creation project that involved the recreation of Episode IV with filmmakers sending in their own 15 second clips to make up the entire movie. It has garnered just under 1 million hits since its upload last week. Sticking with the force, the latest VW advert 'The Bark Side' running at 1 minute long and uploaded on the same day has a whopping 7.2 million views.

With the amount of views the top videos are getting and the amount of time your average person spends on YouTube you would think that advertisers would be going crazy for a chance to get on board with the web video production site. You would be wrong though.

Around 30% of the videos on the site get 99 percent of the views. About 10% of that figure is actually getting monetised by advertisers, leaving around 19% left without advertising. That is the equivalent of roughly 16,675 hours of video a day. The fact is that advertisers fear YouTube, the concept of web video advertising is still quite new and they are all dipping their toes at this point in time.

This won't last though so if you are thinking of monetising videos with your adverts and getting your brand out there, now is the time. The prices will begin to skyrocket very soon and video sites, especially YouTube are going to get carved up for the high bidders. It won't be Groupon ads forever.

Web video is a big part of the future of the internet as well as the broadcast experience, so getting involved with it now and marketing your content via sites like YouTube and its contemporaries is incredibly important if you want to showcase your business and brand as engaging and appealing.

Getting creative with your video content is incredibly important if you want to stand out and there are many ways to achieve this. With YouTube it really boils down to two choices if you want to be hitting the big numbers. You can either go kooky and viral like Chuck Testa or you can market heavily and hit your social media and audience targets over and over again like Old Spice.

Once you get your clip up there you'll find YouTube less intimidating than you first thought. Become part of the 60 a minute; you won't regret it. ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1212466 2012-01-18T06:15:30-05:00 2012-03-19T05:12:01-04:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/ Super Bass became something of a media sensation; appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres show where they got to meet their idol in person and sing a duet. This may never happen again.

Any reasoned person would agree that the Internet is a global community that should be prized for being a bastion of free speech, freethinking and free opinion. The Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act serve to dismantle the very fabric and makeup of the internet in a bid to save the entertainment industry, an industry that has failed almost conclusively to protect itself from the onset of technology, and the overwhelming power of the internet and sharing.

The SOPA and PIPA acts, if passed, could present a bleak future for sites like YouTube where uploaded videos would have to pass even more stringent copyright tests. By handing the reigns over to the entertainment industry the US government is giving them power to sanction, take down and prosecute anyone that infringes on copyright. Thinking about uploading that video of you singing a Drake song? How about uploading that footage of a concert you went to? Or making a 'supercut' video (one of the most popular viral memes of 2011)? You could get up to five years in jail for breaking the rules laid down by these acts. All for uploading a YouTube video.

The language used in the acts is so broad that sites such as Tumblr, Vimeo, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and even the beloved Facebook could all come under threat and even face being shut down. There would be no due process with SOPA and PIPA, just a shutdown notice.

The great irony? If the entertainment industry put more effort into harnessing the power of the Internet they would not have to resort to these tactics. Networks post content to YouTube and other video sites all the time in an attempt to garner the millions and billions of views that are accrued every day for the most innocuous of clips. Films can be streamed online, web video providers are competing with the big studios to create their own content now. Payment should not be an issue; there is advertising revenue, you can charge nominal monthly fees as Netflix do or one off payments to films via Ultraviolet or special studio websites.

Piracy is a problem and something that must be dealt with through well thought out and customised strategies. SOPA and PIPA will not end internet piracy and in fact the easiest way to get around a SOPA blocked site is to merely type in the IP address into your browser. The outcome of the bills fundamentally will mean a less stable and less secure internet as it will meddle with the various systems that hold the net together.

There are a number of ways that entertainment industry can already take action against copyright infringements; content can be removed from YouTube, file-sharing sites have been successfully sued and taken-down, families have been taken to court over web vide- based copyright infringements. Clearly the industry has the power to bring a halt to copyright theft whether legitimate or petty, there is no need to bring in SOPA and PIPA, it only serves to set a dangerous precedent for web censorship in western society.

Think of all the amazing things that web video can do whether it is making you laugh, keeping you informed, encouraging your opinion, testing your beliefs, making you listen, giving you advice and numerous others. These are now all under threat thanks to SOPA.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1198778 2012-01-11T08:28:24-05:00 2012-03-12T05:12:01-04:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/ The King's Speech and Slumdog Millionaire Cameron stated:

"Our role should be to support the sector in becoming even more dynamic and entrepreneurial, helping UK producers to make commercially successful pictures that rival...the best international productions."

It's been a confusing couple of days for Cameron where culture is concerned, whilst on the one hand channeling his inner 'hipster' by championing niche musical acts Lana Del Rey and Band Of Horses as well as declaring his admiration for the Malcolm McDowell movie classic If... Today's decision to become part of the crowd and play up to the Hollywood standards of film production is predictable but nonetheless disappointing.

The internet and particularly Twitter has been up in arms with the hashtag #fundablefilms settling in for a long stay on the trending topics board. Personal favourites so far include The Return Of The King's Speech and Bridesmaids Revisited. The internet has a big part to play in this latest development though and could be the key to safeguarding all of those homegrown directors, filmmakers, writers and actors that we all enjoy and who will now be completely disenfranchised by the new push for commercial success.

Online video is one of the largest parts of the web. It is both extremely popular as a search engine for various clips but also as a means to catch up with or watch television, films and various other video productions. Posting content to the internet is by and large free, and can in some cases cost the viewer nothing to watch.

Big name studios are already turning to the internet to release streams of their films, sometimes even on the point of release to the cinema. Now whilst the magic of the cinema is undeniable and it is a massive shame to see filmmakers like Ken Loach, Shane Meadows and Steve McQueen left out in the cold for funding, there will always be a place for their films online, and with the right kind of attitude and marketing the independent film world could make online video productions a real success.

Netflix and YouTube have already begun making original content. Google, Apple and Microsoft are bringing the online world to our television sets. Content is king on the internet and Britain has a slew of incredible talent that could use it to raise the funding needed to bring great films back to our cinemas.

As it stands for now we are going to have to watch a public funded body blow millions on what will probably be commercial failures at the box office in order to fulfil some kind of colonialist ideology that we can impress the world with giant British productions that are purely made to stand up to whatever sequel or remake Hollywood has released that week. ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1182856 2012-01-04T06:18:04-05:00 2012-03-05T05:12:02-05:00

Jonathan Heath http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-heath/ online video sites broke through to challenge the waning dominance of the television media and its network overlords.

With the most popular YouTube channels gaining billions of hits a month and gaining thousands in the subsequent advertising revenue, television is rapidly becoming a less attractive prospect for the future of producing and watching television or films.

Netflix have just announced that their first original series Lilyhammer will debut in early February. The show stars Steven Van Zandt reprising a Silvio-esque role as a gangster moving to Norway in a witness protection scheme, with dramatic and comedic consequences.

The trailer shows off some pretty high production values (perhaps a reason for the price hike for rentals) and certainly looks like it could sit alongside some of the glossy efforts from network stalemates such as HBO and BBC.

There is going to be a raft of original content funded by YouTube, Netflix and other online video production houses released this year but this first effort from Netflix is setting precedents all over the place and importantly throws up two very important points.

Firstly, the series is being released on 6 February, eight parts in a boxset form. This is an interesting move considering the status quo of the television industry and the prerogative of the established networks is to build anticipation and hype by releasing episodes on a weekly basis. Netflix knows all about boxsets though as it has been renting them to consumers since its inception. Could this experiment ensure the maximum number of views for the series?

Its hard not to get stuck in to a box set of great television if you have it at your disposal the tendency is to greedily watch as much as you can. I seem to remember watching the majority of The Pacific in one night and have done so with several other shows such as The Wire, The Shield and Game Of Thrones. Ultimately it comes down to quality, but Lilyhammer is looking pretty good at this stage.

The second point is interesting when it comes to awards season. It is a very entertaining thought to consider that one day we could be watching a YouTube original series going up against an HBO counterpart for a Globe, Bafta or Emmy prize. Will they get their own category, or in a world rapidly turning to online devices to watch television will they be counted amongst their more classically presented peers?

One of the main problems for studios dealing with the online sphere remains the piracy element, but there are ways around it. Stand-Up comedian Louis CK recently released a show online for the low price of $5 encouraging viewers not to download the show, "It's only $5". He has just announced that after checking his Paypal account he has made over a million dollars from the experiment. Imagine if the Christopher Nolan put the Dark Knight prologue online and charged a few dollars to see it. Wouldn't you rather watch the full HD version? Without having to watch Tom Cruise or a crackly Daily Motion cam effort, ears up against the speakers trying desperately to work out what Bane is saying.]]>