New Productions for New Media Mediums

After attending all three of the Mike Farrah talks this past week, what I found to be most interesting was the way in which the short clips at Funny or Die incorporate the sponsors' products into the material itself. The way in which Funny or Die incorporates product placement directly into their scripts in a way that adds to the show itself seems quite an astounding feat. Most people that I know tend to ignore commercials as much as possible, fast forwarding through them so that they do not have to watch these products get thrown in their faces. Mike mentioned how the advertising companies actually come to them with some sort of idea for an ad campaign for a certain product, and that is how they make these commercial videos. It was interesting to hear how difficult it is to just make a commercial based solely on what the production team wants to do and then to sell that to the ad companies. Despite seeming to act in some ways (and only some of the time) like a production house for commercials, even these ad videos seem to be quality Funny or Die content on their own.

I believe that what makes this such a success for Funny or Die is that it is being shown on the internet. It is the choice of the viewer to click on the ad videos and watch the material, whereas on television, the viewer must actually put effort into finding some way to not have to watch the commercials. Also, people are not necessarily used to watching material online yet. When they see a commercial online, it always seems (at least to me) like they are spoofing ads on TV. If the same hilarious Funny or Die commercials were shown on television, I think they would be looked at by viewers as just another commercial, even if it is better than most.

I believe in Funny or Die. The way in which they produce their content, with the team of about twenty who are always working together, seems like an ingenious plan, even if it is going back to the old and almost forgotten big studio ways. They have also mastered the short video and hilarious commercial market, but only online. Although I enjoy the Funny or Die TV show, I am curious to see how their material will have to change in order for it to thrive on the television market.