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Turning the Advertising Tide: An On-Location Exposé of Online Video Upstart TurnHere

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Mar 21, 2007 
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Kenneth Musante  |
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Turning the Advertising Tide: An On-Location Exposé of Online Video Upstart TurnHere

Janas, Olsson and DeCastro continue up Fashion Avenue. Olsson carries the tripod. Later he will edit the footage together with DeCastro’s voiceovers and intro which they will shoot later. Working with TurnHere makes distribution incredibly simple, says Olsson. You “edit it in the living room,” upload it, “and it’s distributed around the world.”

Steve Janas has done full-scale documentaries before and he also wants to do more narrative works. He learned his trade at NYU film school and in LA working for Showtime Networks. That’s where he met Olsson. Reelstuff Entertainment has recently signed a deal with the Discovery Channel to do a 15-episode series about the future of domestic technology that they’ll start shooting in April.

While some online video distribution sites like Revver compensate casual video creators with a small amount based on how many views they get for an uploaded video, TurnHere is aimed squarely at professionals. The company pays creators directly for the content as normal freelancers, as commissioned by different businesses. Creators know exactly how much they will be paid and what their expenses are going to be.

When they reach 39th street, they stop as Janas films several fashion-related sculptures. Olsson’s phone starts ringing off the hook. It’s unusual to get so many business phone calls, he says. He and DeCastro take shelter again beside the wall of a building, which blocks the harsh wind.

Janas meets up with them and there’s some confusion while they try to sort out exactly where DeCastro was supposed to do her intro. Janas thinks they’ve forgotten to do it back at Madison Square Garden and might need to walk all the way back to shoot it. Eventually they decide to press on and record DeCastro’s scene at Times Square.

They reach 42nd street. Olsson’s phone keeps ringing, so he ducks inside a nearby doorway to take the calls. Meanwhile DeCastro, with Times Square in the background, runs through her intro several times in front of the camera. She’s bundled up in her heavy winter coat. The microphone is buried somewhere under her scarf. The wind keeps blowing.

The biggest problem with shooting this way is sound, says Olsson. Visuals can be tweaked in the editing room, but you can’t do anything if the sound is garbled.

After Janas gets the intro he’s looking for, the trio continues East on 42nd street to Bryant Park and the public library. Janas gets some Bryant Park footage while DeCastro lights up a cigarette. She and Olsson chat.

Janas returns again and they go across the street to get some food. It’s almost lunch time. He pauses one last time to get some more footage of the library’s exterior. Then they head inside the restaurant. They will continue filming later, and will return to capture Times Square at night. But for now they are grateful to be inside, and to sit down to a meal of nice, hot Mexican food.





Reader Comments.

Kenneth, thanks for the mention. However, I think I should clarify Revver’s business model a bit, because I believe the artists behind properties like Ask a Ninja, Lonelygirl15 and EepyBird would hardly classify themselves as “casual creators.” These folks view themselves as professionals who are earning a living by leveraging a new medium. And while there are certainly casual creators earning small amounts on Revver, it’s these professionals who are most rapidly adopting Revver’s tools and services. And as evidenced by the $35K that EepyBird earned on a single video last fall, they are also reaping significant benefits. They also, notably, retain creative control over their content and its distribution as they build their brands online. We’re proud and thrilled to be able to support their efforts.

Posted by Angela Wilson Gyetvan | 5:07 pm on March 21, 2007.

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