#tim shey

I’m going to try, in as few posts as possible, to create a coherent timeline of the short, eventful life of Next New Networks, an early, consequential moment in streaming video history. 

From Part 1: Emil Rensing and I, with a huge assist from future Tumblr creator David Karp, stumbled into the brave new world of online video without much of a plan. 

From Part 2: Our friend –my former partner at Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, and our future Next New Networks partner– Jed Simmons introduced us to Spark Capital in Boston, who wanted to partner and fund Next New. 

Part 3: Late 2006 

What do we do now? 

Once Spark signaled their interest, we needed to get serious. I still had Frederator Studios, my successful and increasingly busy independent cartoon production company, but the excitement of this opportunity was overwhelming. Even if I was significantly older than the typical internet entrepreneur, I felt that my background in media and production could be meaningful. The first phase of the consumer internet required deep engineering skills because the infrastructure was still somewhat nascent. Web 2.0 had developed enough tools that even someone with my limited skills could participate. Besides, I had Emil on my side, someone who had a unique understanding of the state of the tech world. 

By summertime, after a variety of conversations and meetings, Emil and I settled on a co-founding team. Jed Simmons, of course. Emil had a start up friend –Tim Shey– who’d sold his DC based, interactive agency and moved to New York where he was consulting with some early stage video companies. I was stretched to thin to have an operating role in the joint, so we all agreed that my childhood friend and adult colleague Herb Scannell –former Vice Chairman of MTV Networks and CEO of Nickelodeon– would be a perfect CEO. Luckily, he agreed, and our management line up was in place. (David Karp would be our founding developer, until he launched Tumblr several months later, of course). 

We can leave the machinations of filling out the A-round of investment aside. Suffice to say, many venture capitalists were uninterested in any idea that didn’t have unique software attached –we didn’t– but we put together an investor group and board of directors that were excited with our vision. 

Next New Networks posters designed and illustrated by Frank Olinsky

Our vision? ah. yes. By the time we were on the road pitching our wares, we had taken the basics of VOD Cars and Channel Frederator and put together a plan that was based on “communities of interest,” which we felt would be the engines of viewership and growth. As Tim Shey later wrote: 

Next New Networks popularized the ideas of videoblogging and advertiser-supported online video, and pioneered the multi-channel network (MCN) business model and the concept of audience development, assembling a diverse and successful portfolio of original programming including hit channels Barely Political, VSauce, and ThreadBanger, and a network of independent creators such as The Gregory Brothers—racking up over 2 billion video views and thirteen Webby Awards, more than any online media company at the time.

Virginia Heffernan of the New York Times was probably the writer that caught onto what we had accomplished better than most.

By March 2007, we were fully funded with our first round, expanded past the Frederator/NY office into a larger space in the same building on Park Avenue South, and started to put together an amazing start up staff that could actually execute. At least, what we’d morphed our vision into.  Super distribution! 

When I started my YouTube channel with my production partner Shanika in September of last year it was to be used solely as an outlet for our creative expression. We had so many ideas for funny smart creative little shorts. We were coming up with enough to produce a weekly sketch comedy show. So we thought what better place to share ourselves then with YouTube. From there fully  wrote, casted, shot and edited our first skit and launched it about a week later. Our skit was a parody role reversal video meant to raise awareness out street harassment. We had high expectations for it. “I’m settling for no less that 10,000 views on the first day,” I told Shanika. Boy was a wrong. The first night rounded out at a measly 200 views. In the continuing week we reached about 3,000 views and got featured on a few feminist blogs. Then boom. It was over, our buzz had died. With a very  small taste of success we continued to make really well written, planned out videos. Every video practically turned into a month long process. Sadly enough, none  of them even broke the 1,000 views mark (with the exception of bandwagon Harlem Shake video). We were down in the dumps and confused about our failure as a channel. Luckily, thanks to a New Media Lab visit from Tim Shey (director of the YouTube Next Lab) I’ve gained a new perspective on my life as a YouTuber.

Tim Shey came to the MNML on Friday April 5 to talk to the New Media Labers about how he stumbled into a career in trans and new media. Shey, who started the programming company  “Proteus” just after graduating from college, insisted that the key to his success was approaching every situation like a curious and eager 12 year old. According to Shey, the “doesn’t know any better” 12 year old like attitude pushed him to reach new heights and explore new things in the world of transmedia. He went from running his own programming company and “creating Twitter before Twitter was Twitter” to becoming head of the YouTube Next Lab. Creative individuals who see aren’t getting their desired experience out of a media platform are encouraged by Shey to  take the 13 year old approach make the change they want to see. Want to learn graphic design? Just Do it. Want to invent Tumblr? Just do it. Want to re-invent YouTube? In the words of Nike and Shey, just do it.

Shey had similar words of advice when I asked him how to resuscitate my failing YouTube Channel. He briefly instructed me to read the YouTubers playbook, a book of YouTube best practices for attracting audiences. But he mostly emphasized the “just do it attitude” of his  earlier discussion. Keep making videos long enough and the views from your niche audience will come, he insisted.

If you remember about two weeks ago I went to an interview at mtvU for a commercial... that commercial is for Trojan condoms.

It went much better than the interview I had with Christine Cowan for a VJ / on-air host position at MTV.

And that interview was much much better than the interview I had two years before that at Fuse with Scott Barkham.

That's not a good track record!

I give up... my foot was in a door that was slammed shut :(

Its a real cool dream but I'm 21 now and I need to find work, start a 401k (I still don't fully understand what that is), and re-leave my mother's house.

In my city (Plainfield) everyone wants to be a rapper. That's cool... but everyone in my birthplace (Brooklyn) does too... Jay-Z is not giving up is space anytime soon. Look how long it took Kanye!

This is just some fuzzy math but I think that only 1% of people break in. Then out of that half of them actually get paid.

I still want to be in media, one of my favorite new companies Next New Networks has an internship open for a media assistant, and I have been Googling my butt off to find information about what my exact duty is.  Well would be if hired. :) From what I have been reading this looks like a job I can do with my eyes closed.

I actually follow on twitter one of the people that I would be working under Tim Shey. I sent him a tweet once but I never got a reply... I am going to send him a direct message on monday.

It says internship that can become full-time!!! This could be my Pursuit of Happyness moment!

Along with all that coolness I could also possibly be used as extra talent in the many shows that they shoot onsite!

I'd also see this as an opportunity to learn how to create my own network and Omit Televison and Omit TV will be back!

WOW, its 3:10... in the morning :/ night