All Things Video

Josh Swartz is the COO of Popdog, an esports technology and services company. Josh started his career as General Counsel of iFilm and later served as COO of Wasserman, President of Relativity Sports, and Managing Partner of Diamond Ridge Ventures. Most recently, Josh co-founded Catalyst Sports & Media, which joined the Popdog family in December 2018. In this episode, Josh and I discuss the increasing competition for esports player representation from both established talent management firms and new entrants. We also examine the differences between traditional sports and professional gaming, and Josh argues that esports teams are not analogous to pro sports franchises but rather more like talent agencies and multi-channel networks (MCNs). Finally, Josh expresses skepticism about venture capital investments in esports teams and predicts a market correction as a result of inflated valuations. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting t

David Craig is a Clinical Associate Professor of Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California (USC). David is also the co-author of multiple books and articles about social media entertainment and the rise of creator culture. Prior to academia, David spent three decades as a Hollywood producer and television executive, during which time his projects received over 60 Emmy, Golden Globe, and Peabody nominations. In this episode, David and I explore the cultural influence of social media entertainment. Much attention is paid to shocking and negative online content, but David argues that progressive voices are leveraging social media to increase awareness and raise money for good causes, uplift their audiences, and lobby for policy change. We also examine differences between the Chinese and Western social media economies, taking a closer look at key Chinese platforms like Kuaishou, Tencent’s Bigo Live, and Douyin (the Chinese equivalent of Tik Tok). Finally, we discuss social media’s im

James DeJulio is the Co-Founder & CEO of Tongal, a global community of creators that develops video content for networks, studios, and brands. Prior to launching Tongal, James was an executive at How2TV, The Robert Evans Company / Paramount, and Half Shell Entertainment. In this episode, we explore the changing nature of the entertainment landscape. James argues that the traditional Hollywood model is outdated, which has led to fewer films being produced, a greater reliance on sequels built around major franchises, and a risk aversion that prohibits creativity and experimentation. As a result, James and his partners launched Tongal to provide opportunities for talented but undiscovered creatives and produce high quality content at a lower cost than traditional studios. We also discuss Disney’s big bet on streaming media, the continuing arms race for big Hollywood talent, and the ongoing negotiations between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Association of Talent Agents (ATA). Finally, we highlight

Jacqueline Twillie is the Founder & President of ZeroGap, which provides training programs for women's leadership development. ZeroGap’s mission is to eliminate the gender wage gap and increase the longevity of women in leadership roles, particularly within male-dominated industries. Jackie is also an instructor for General Assembly, career coach, and the best-selling author of Navigating the Career Jungle: A Guide for Young Professionals. In this episode, Jackie offers suggestions to help women improve their executive presence, risk and resilience, and negotiation skills. She encourages young women to “stand in your success” by accepting praise in the workplace and shares some lessons from her upcoming book Don’t Leave Money on the Table. Finally, she explains how men can support their female colleagues’ professional development, and she discusses how she leverages LinkedIn to engage her community online. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the pa

Chris Stokel-Walker is a British journalist specializing in YouTube and digital culture. His work has appeared in a variety of publications, including BBC, Wired, The Economist, The Guardian, and BuzzFeed. In this episode, Chris and I explore the intersection of politics and social media platforms. We discuss U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and U.K. Chancellor Philip Hammond’s recent critiques of large tech firms, social media’s impact on the changing nature of public speech, and the implications of fake news. Chris also shares a few findings from his upcoming book YouTubers, including the impact of YouTube’s recent policy updates, why he considers Jake Paul “the first post-modern YouTuber,” and what happens when creators outgrow the content their audience enjoys. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading

Benjamin Grubbs is the Founder & CEO of Next 10 Ventures, an investment firm that incubates and accelerates new businesses within the global creator economy. Prior to launching Next 10, Ben spent 15 years in Southeast Asia helping to grow the Yahoo! broadcast business, spearheading eBay’s marketing efforts, and leading Turner’s interactive media group. Most recently, he served as the Head of YouTube Kids in APAC and then the Global Head of Top Creator Partnerships for YouTube. Ben and I cover a lot of ground in this wide-ranging conversation, from his experience building commerce and media businesses in APAC to his decision to launch a venture fund focused on the next 10 years of creator-led innovation. We talk about challenging conventional wisdom and using data insights to inform international strategy, how existing infrastructure in the U.S. is at times a barrier to adopting new technologies, and the cultural export value of media. Ben shares lessons learned from Taobao’s success over eBay in China,

Jesus Chavez is the CEO of Vertical Networks, a digital studio that produces mobile-first content. Prior to Vertical Networks, Jesus was an executive at Univision for 8 years and then served as COO of mitú. In this episode, we share the recipe for success as a digital publisher: develop IP, distribute across multiple platforms, and pursue multiple revenue streams. We also discuss the future of mobile entertainment and how to engage an audience in a distracted environment. Finally, Jesus offers his thoughts on Mitú’s decision to pivot from an MCN to a consumer-facing brand, Netflix’s interactive episode of Black Mirror, and the importance of owning versus renting your distribution channels. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading media companies and engage in thought-provoking debates about the issues s

Chang Kim is the Founder & CEO of Tapas Media, a content publishing, distribution, and monetization platform for comic artists, illustrators, and novelists. Prior to Tapas, Chang worked at Samsung and then co-founded Korean blogging software company TNC, which was ultimately acquired by Google. In this episode, we explore the digital disruption of the publishing industry. From the early days of blogging to today’s ebooks, online newspapers, and digital magazines, we evaluate the cost advantages and interactivity of digital versus physical distribution. Chang also shares lessons learned from the gaming industry, from monetization models like virtual credits and in-app purchases to the success of publishing platforms like Steam and game development platforms like Roblox. Finally, we discuss differences between startup ecosystems in Korea and the U.S., the future of cryptocurrency, and how to solve for the chicken and egg problem when building a two-sided marketplace. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW

Justin Lefkovitch is the Founder & CEO of Mirrored Media, an experiential marketing agency that works with brands, music artists, and influencers. Justin launched the business in 2010 after graduating from Pepperdine University. In this episode, we dive deep into the world of experiential marketing, and Justin explains what it takes to create memorable events worth sharing. We also discuss the resurgence of touring and live events as a significant revenue driver for the music industry and debate the possibility of new music services like Spotify and Apple Music launching new artists directly without help from traditional record labels. Finally, Justin predicts that new technologies like holograms, augmented reality, and virtual reality will create even more immersive experiences for fans, from large tentpole activations to pop-up events. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to i

Benedikt Kraus is an esports industry veteran and the former Vice President of Global Media Network at ESL. Prior to joining ESL, Benedikt competed in professional Counter-Strike, worked as an editor at early esports magazines, and served as a TV editor for GIGA Digital Television. In this episode, we discuss the evolution of esports and the competitive gaming industry. Benedikt explains how monetization has improved over time, from the early days of display advertising to the current focus on influencer marketing and integrated sponsorships. We also debate the merits of a franchise system versus open leagues, the future of new streaming services like Mixer and Caffeine, and the differences between esports in the U.S. and Europe. Finally, Benedikt shares his thoughts on underrated game titles and his fascination with the potential for AI-driven content creation. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ec

Jim Louderback is the GM & SVP VidCon at Viacom, overseeing the world’s largest event series for online video creators, fans, and industry executives. Jim began his career in consulting and publishing, helping companies navigate the transformation to online media. In 2007, he became the CEO of Revision3, one of the first online video networks, which Discovery acquired in 2012. Since then, he spent his investing in and advising early stage companies before joining VidCon full time in 2017. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, from YouTube’s unique approach to community and monetization that differentiated it from other early video sites to the impact of an entire generation growing up on social media. Jim shares his take on TanaCon and the YouTube Rewind 2018 controversy, explains VidCon’s decision to go international, and describes his team’s focus on keeping the audience “front and center.” Finally, he offers his predictions for 2019: Pinterest will invest heavily in video, AR is due for a crash,

Jen Sargent is the COO of Wondery, the podcast network behind hits like Dr. Death, Gladiator, and Business Wars. Prior to Wondery, Jen worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan and venture capital at Bertelsmann in addition to gaining experience as an operator through her time at DoubleClick and Reed Business Information. She took the entrepreneurial leap in 2008, co-founding the digital media company HitFix, which was acquired by Uproxx in 2016. In this episode, we discuss a number of challenges facing digital publishers, particularly the need to diversify their revenue streams and improve their unit economics. At the same time, publishers must compete fiercely for audience attention, as YouTube, Facebook, and Amazon largely monopolize content consumption and thus ad dollars. Podcasting, on the other hand, is still relatively new territory, presenting an opportunity to test and develop IP that can then be translated to other platforms. Finally, Jen shares her 2019 predictions, mentions both the need and

Drake Rehfeld is the CEO of Demeanor, a platform that helps social influencers create and sell products to their fans. Prior to Demeanor, Drake worked in research engineering at Snapchat and then served as Head of Engineering at Team 10. In this episode, we discuss alternative monetization opportunities for influencers. Drake encourages creators to move beyond advertising and merchandise sales to build lasting businesses that align with their personal brands. He shares his experience building products for influencers that launch with built-in audience and distribution, so the primary challenge becomes user retention and monetization. We also touch on the YouTube Rewind 2018 controversy, CGI influencers, and Quibi’s prospects for success. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading video networks and engage

Ed Laczynski is the CEO of Zype, a B2B technology company that enables OTT video distribution for media companies. Prior to Zype, Ed served as SVP Cloud Services at Datapipe and then CEO of Clearlogin. Earlier in his career, he worked as a software engineer in the finance and advertising industries before launching his first startup, a tech consulting firm called Ltech. In this episode, we explore everything related to Over The Top (OTT) video distribution. This technological shift is fundamentally changing the way consumers watch video from traditional broadcast and cable to Internet-delivered content. Ed explains the different business models for OTT video, from SVOD for serialized content with loyal audiences to TVOD for niche content and AVOD for mass-market audiences. We also consider the economic and strategic imperatives for entertainment brands to build their own service versus licensing content to a distributor like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon. And finally, we debate OTT video’s greatest challenges: c

Bill Carmody is the CEO of Trepoint, a marketing agency that provides performance-focused services to challenger brands. Bill has spent his entire career in the agency world, from early positions at Modem Media, Ogilvy & Mather, and Marden-Kane to his first entrepreneurial endeavor as Co-Founder & CMO of the Seismicom agency.   Bill is also an accomplished author, public speaker, and leadership coach. He’s generously offered to provide All Things Video listeners with a free one-hour coaching session, available on his website: http://billcarmody.com/atv In this episode, we discuss how to measure the ROI of social media, and Bill shares some useful benchmarks for social influencers’ audience and engagement rates. We also consider the longtail value of influencer marketing campaigns based on the value of permanent media placements. Finally, Bill offers his advice on how to differentiate as a services business and encourages entrepreneurs to consider their “minimum viable audience” in addition to d

Bob Moczydlowsky is the Managing Director of Techstars Music, a startup accelerator that invests in early stage music companies. Prior to Techstars, Bob oversaw music information at Yahoo!, then joined Topspin for 5+ years until its acquisition by Beats by Dre, and most recently led U.S. music partnerships at Twitter. In this episode, we discuss Myspace’s impact on the importance of social media for musicians, the voice technology revolution, and the future evolution of music streaming services. We also consider how social media platforms can offer deeper engagement opportunities for superfans without disrupting the user experience. And finally, Bob shares his passion for basketball culture, obscure taste in music, and excitement for content experiences to become more personalized and interactive in the future. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executi

Matt Labate is the SVP Digital at Fine Brothers Entertainment, a next-gen media company and leader in digital programming. Matt started his career in independent film, then joined the Sony Pictures digital team. After a brief entrepreneurial stint, he joined Revision3 prior to its acquisition by Discovery, and then served as VP Creative at Reach Agency before making the move to FBE. In this episode, we discuss the “platform wars” and social media sites’ increasing feature homogenization as they compete for user attention. Matt shares FBE’s experience creating content for Facebook and their strategy for bringing platform intentionality into the production process. Finally, we examine the issue of creator burnout and question the long-term potential of linear programming for digital content. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leade

Jeff Ponchick is the Co-Founder and CEO of Repost Network, a music distributor on a mission to help independent artists make a living from their work. Prior to Repost, Jeff was an early employee at Jukin and Fullscreen. In this episode, we discuss digital’s tremendous impact on the music industry, though it still has a long way to go. Jeff explains that only 12% of music’s $38B annual revenues are paid out to artists, largely due to unnecessary intermediaries and systemic inefficiencies for claiming royalties. But new technologies like blockchain offer promising solutions to the complex rights issues, while new monetization approaches offer independent artists more opportunities to earn a living than ever before. Finally, we evaluate the value gap between ad-supported and subscription-based streaming services and comment on the resurgence of touring and music festivals. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online

Jon Cornwell is the Co-Founder and CEO of Newsflare, an online marketplace for user-generated news content. Prior to Newsflare, Jon worked as a management consultant and then launched his first venture: Clear Cell Group. In this episode, we examine digital media’s transformation of the news business. We discuss how social media and the smartphone revolution gave rise to citizen journalism, examine differences between state-funded and private news organizations, and contemplate a more curated, consumer-funded model for the future of news. Finally, we debate whether the economic incentives of the news business are increasingly at odds with consumers’ informational interests and how politicians or media personalities may exploit this fact for personal gain. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading video ne

David Bloom is a journalist, strategist, and educator who has been covering the intersection of entertainment and technology for more than two decades. He writes weekly columns for Tubefilter and TV[R]ev, teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and hosts a podcast called Bloom in Tech. David and I cover a wide range of topics in this episode, from Netflix’s aggressive content spending and Facebook Watch’s international launch the rise of the celebrity showrunner. We also examine the FTC’s treatment of influencer marketing campaigns versus celebrity endorsements and debate the issue of censorship on social media platforms. Finally, we touch on the recent Logan Paul v. KSI boxing match as well as the success of Crazy Rich Asians at the box office and what it means for minority representation in Hollywood. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives