Another negotiation between media giants — this time, between Hollywood and a web goliath — will further chip away at the current digital content delivery dividing lines.

According to an article published in today’s “New York Times”, by Media reporter, Brooks Barnes, “Google is experimenting with a new method of distributing original material on the Web, and some Hollywood film financiers are betting millions that the company will succeed.” Episodes of Seth McFarlane’s popular FOX Broadcasting animated series “Family Guy“ will be made available exclusively for online viewing.

Google’s expected distribution method extends beyond exclusivity, to innovation. The NYT article goes on to say that Google’s “AdSense advertising system” — dynamic video banners — will bring Family Guy episodes “to thousands of Web sites that are predetermined to be gathering spots for Mr. MacFarlane’s target audience” as well as on YouTube.

Google’s move is a wise one. Not only does will it utilize the web in new ways to reach new audiences, it will create a revolution in codifying advertising ROI.

I discussed with a wise colleague a couple of years ago what the then pre-Google YouTube would eventually become. He articulated plainly what was already in my mind, “television.” It is now here.

Tags: Digital Distribution, Family Guy, Google, Hollywood, Media, Web 2.0

Today, a great article appeared on Light Reading’s ever-intelligent, entertaining Contentinople.com, the 2007-launched “website covering the rise of the digital media industry.” The article, by Contentinople contributor, Erin Barker, further demonstrates the connection between “Big Media” and Web 2.0.

According to the article, “Slide, producer of the Facebook/MySpace SuperPoke application” has joined forces with media giant, Vh1,  for an exciting syndication initiative. According to Barker, “10,000 SuperPokes will be randomly selected to air on Vh1, as animations with the sender and recipient’s names at the bottom. That’s right, on television.” This is a powerful endeavor, further demonstrating the power of Social Networking to reach wider audiences. It also envisions the future of media, where lines between online and television content will one day be erased and content pushed and pulled to audiences in many new and innovative ways.

Read the Contentinople post here.

Tags: Contentinople, Digital Video, Facebook, MTV Networks, MySpace, Slide, Social Bookmarking, SuperPoke, Syndication, Vh1, Web 2.0

YOUTUBE continues to actualize the digital multimedia/video revolution that has been long-coming, and about which Mitra Creative’s team has been aware for many years.

Many of the current innovations in the communications applications and true socialization of video and other rich media were pioneered some two decades ago in incubation centers like the MIT Media Lab (now “The Media Lab”), the NYU Tisch School of the Arts and many more. Our team observed the budding of this revolution and deeply respect the empowerment in this regard that came from the visionary YouTube.

In an article published today, YouTube has taken a step that those of us in the digital/interactive space, as well as in the filmmaking, multimedia software development and other spaces had eagerly awaited and hoped for. The “video sharing site” (that’s what people call YouTube, though it is clearly much more) has just introduced a dedicated “channel”, called a “Screening Room” for Independent Filmmakers. Read the AP/Yahoo! article about the new YouTube Indie Film Screening Room by writer, Ryan Nakashima.

This is a very important step. It means the loosening of the controls that have been a stronghold on creating, distributing and socializing some of the most important of all media. Independent films, for example, took home the largest number of Academy Awards® in the 2007 ceremonies (2006 films). YouTube’s move better enables the “voice” of independent film production.

We are excited!

VISIT THE YOUTUBE INDEPENDENT FILM SCREENING ROOM: http://www.youtube.com/ytscreeningroom.

Tags: Digital Media, Independent Film, Socialized Media, Web 2.0, Web Trends, YouTube

It was announced today that, after three years of development, Mozilla will release Firefox 3, a refreshed version of their popular browser which has become a serious competitor to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer .

According to an article from Newsfactor.com by AP writer, Nedra Pickler, which was published today: “Firefox already has more than 18 percent of the global market, according to Net Applications. With the release of Firefox 3, Mozilla could see a boost in downloads and market share. Microsoft’s next version of Internet Explorer won’t come to market until later this year.” According to the article, the major focus of the release is on security and personalization.

It will be interesting to see how this new release will fit into the “browsersphere”.

Tags: Firefox 3, Internet Browsers, Internet Explorer, Microsoft, Mozilla

Several months of talks of an acquisition of the pioneering search engine, Yahoo!, by Microsoft ended today. On the same day, an announcement was made that Yahoo! signed a deal with the other giant, Yahoo!’s to-date rival, Google. Reports on the deal are that Google ads will now appear in certain Yahoo! Search Results.

The next couple of months should be very interesting to watch.

Story from CNN Money, Thursday, June 12, 2008.

Tags: Google, Information Sharing, Microsoft, Online Advertising, Search Engine, Search Marketing, web, Yahoo