Digital Dish

Like every industry I’ve seen so far, Hollywood is a combination of two sides: On one, the creatives. On the other, the suits.

In the Internet world, it’s the suits versus the geeks. In media business, it’s the suits versus the writers/journalists.

What it really boils down to is money and product. There are those who handle the money, those who create the product. It’s the universal peanut butter and chocolate of every industry.

Lots of elements come together to create the world we live in. Sometimes they do so calmly; sometimes it’s combustible. Gas is converted into a vapor and then lit on fire, more or less, to make an engine move. Naturally there are times when all the elements come together with the right intentions and instead something catastrophic happens.

In the TV world, I suspect that comes in the form of a failure, lawsuit or some other unhappy outcome or union.

A lot of really good companies and organizations are run by people who are a mix of both suit and geek. The guys from Twitter or EQAL are as business-smart as they are geeky. But far larger is the number of people who on one side or the other.

From what people keep telling me in the television business, this is what is killing TV.

As someone who speaks a little of both creative and suit, I’m not sure I agree. But remember, I’m still a bit of a rookie in the business. I marveled at the terms “showrunner” and “leave behind” for months.

I think there is a down market that’s also a disrupted one. It doesn’t matter if you are a suit or a creative—if you can make money right now, you are a genius.

Nonetheless, it’s a pain point I have heard regardless of industry. Getting the creatives and the suits to play together well anywhere is almost as hard as it is to get a show on a network.

The ticket is in everybody changing their mindset a bit. I know the big hit is something that does a lot for a company, but it doesn’t mean steady progress to a big hit does any less. Wouldn’t you love to own Twitter right now? Funny—it was virtually unheard of for more than three long years.

Just the same, as a creative one has to understand that a product’s success is ultimately determined by the outer market and other conditions. This isn’t controlled by the creative or the suit, but the audience, the money, and all kinds of factors.

It’s where the term “perfect storm” comes from. If you want to create, create. If you want to focus on making money, focus on making money. But regardless of which you choose, you must do it specifically for the climate, whatever it may be at the moment. That alone is where to find hits.

It’s not a question of thinking like one or the other, but more like a meteorologist. A project I’ve created is built from this. We’ll see if I’m right! I’ll post more soon about it!

Not long ago I spoke at the Writers Guild on a new-media panel, where we talked about how to launch various projects and how people can succeed in the multiplatform (Internet, media and entertainment) world.

Afterwards, nearly 30 people were waiting to meet with me to learn more about the various resources and whatnot for anyone launching Internet projects.

It just proves the Web’s not just an Internet business game anymore, but media and entertainment, too.

While most know where to get the latest news, and which are the main social networks, it can be hard to find other places to go to exercise your creative endeavors.

We hosted a shoot not long ago that showed at least one industry executive how freely (and cheaply) content can be created. Here are a few favorite things to use:

The Flip camera: You’ve more than likely seen this tiny digital video gadget in dozens of hands, from those of soccer moms to hipster types and even a few celebrities. But it also can be used to shoot your short Web series or other show. I’m not kidding. It may not produce the high quality you expect on regular television, but for the Web it can be great. We shot a series on it without sound or lighting that turned out just fine.

Braveheartwomen.com: There are a zillion blogs and social networking sites about fashion, gossip and other topics for women, but Braveheart is different. Influencer-stacked at its launch—Dr. Maya Angelou, Leeza Gibbons and Mariel Hemingway are among the site’s contributors/participants—the site is designed to bring women around the world together and give them a voice. You can blog, share, engage in community and all that good stuff. The power of empowerment!

iPhone: Yes, it’s cliché, but the iPhone is really great for taking pictures. Not only can you snap the shots of the things you’re into, but extend it to everywhere you engage online, like Twitter, your blog, etc. BlackBerry fans can get the same effect with the Curve (though iPhone’s photos are better). Imagine a great book or blog series of life from cell phone pictures. I’ve known some creators to work handhelds into larger picture stories.

Luxury settings: Any creator knows that it can be tough to work alone at home, especially when you’re seeking inspiration. Luxury hotels around the city are hot spots for co-working for this reason! I love Oceana in Santa Monica for its heart-shaped pool and quiet, oceanfront setting. Digital executives have flocked to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. I like the Westin off Market Street in San Francisco and London in New York for the same purpose.