CPM #4

Those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to devote hours every day to web research in our chosen area of interest - let's accept that mine can be conveniently labeled Media 2.0 - are relatively few. Some of those happy few were participants in the conference sessions at MipCom 2007 and from them I heard confirmation of many of the conclusions I have come to over the past half year. These conclusions I need not now recapitulate, since they are scattered as observations in my accumulated blog posts of the past.


In addition to confirmation there was also inspiration, in particular from Paula Wagner and Ben SIlverman.

Wagner spoke about the importance of the international box office, which now accounts for around two thirds of revenues, and referred to Hollywood as a “territory,” albeit, “maybe still the most important territory.” Wagner also cited a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers study predicting that the entertainment industry will be worth a whopping $2 trillion by 2011.

Ben Silverman suggested the audience for user generated content was limited, reflecting the fact that execs this year were taking a more laid back attitude to the onset of digital. “You can use it, but it´s really about creating episodic material,” he said.

Nothing there contradicting my belief in DIYLBM (do-it-yourself low-budget media).

Noted in passing: Not many years ago the presence of Indian media at Cannes was limited to one or two small booths with posters pinned up on the walls, their folds unmistakable. This year?

This year’s country focus was on India with the opening night soiree taking on an Indian theme.

And the soiree was fun! My champagne-fueled networking saw me chatting with no less than four attractive female media entrepreneurs in their twenties, Liz from Belfast, Laurentina from Rome, Katerina from Novosibirsk and Barbara from Vienna. If I have seen the faceof Media 2.0 then I must conclude it is indeed comely.