The player: Paul Kontonis, CEO and co-founder, For Your Imagination

The play: For Your Imagination is a New York-based Internet video production company that is currently producing six Web series and plans to expand to about 20 later this year. The company develops original Internet TV shows and also partners with producers to fine-tune, distribute, promote and monetize their shows. In addition, For Your Imagination works with brands to create Web video content for them.

The pitch: “We are an online media company that develops targeted shows that audiences and advertisers want to reach,” Mr. Kontonis said. For Your Imagination shares ad revenue with the creators.

In the mix: For Your Imagination produces “DadLabs,” a show that runs four days a week and provides parenting tips for new dads. The show earned 240,000 views in the month of January and garnered its first advertisers via deals with Baby Bjorn and Graco. The stars of the show integrated Graco products into the show for a week as part of the ad buy for a $60 CPM. For Your Imagination also produces “B-School Talk,” about going to business school, and “The Patrice Oneal Show,” featuring the former host of VH1’s “Web Junk.” Last month For Your Imagination launched “Live @ FYI,” a live music show originating from New York that streams music performances on the Mogulus online service.

The competition: For Your Imagination competes with other online TV producers, including On Networks, Next New Networks and Revision3. Most of those Internet TV producers both develop and acquire content. Mr. Kontonis said For Your Imagination also works directly with brands to produce video, such as a nine-part series for the Wounded Warrior Project about injured servicemen and -women returning from current U.S. military actions. The series, hosted by Matthew Modine, ran online.

The backstory: The company was founded in January 2007 and launched its first show in March. In April, For Your Imagination built a 5,000-square-foot studio at its Manhattan offices. The studio cost less than $15,000 to build, Mr. Kontonis said.

The money guys: A handful of seed investors put a little more than $1 million in the company at the start. Last year, For Your Imagination generated $400,000 in revenue. For Your Imagination is currently raising money in a first round of venture funding and hopes to corral about $3 million, which it will use to expand to about 20 shows by year-end. The company makes money through advertising, sponsorships, licensing, merchandising and DVDs.

The pros: “We are able to get content out as quickly as we want. Everything is no more than two weeks before it’s live. There are no barriers to entry and budgets are low,” Mr. Kontonis said.

The cons: “Because it’s so easy, anyone can do it,” he said. To stay ahead, the studio aims to use every available promotional tool, Mr. Kontonis added.

Background: Mr. Kontonis, 36, was born in Manhattan and raised in Queens, N.Y. He has worked with Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions and with btldesign, a marketing communications agency. He lives in Queens with his family.

Who knew? Mr. Kontonis starred in a series of MCI commercials in 1998 and 1999. 