For added functionality I'm dragging the couch to a new section of the house. Off of Blogger and onto Word Press. So come have a seat at --

On this blog I scribble about the changing media landscape. About how audience behaviors are forcing storytellers and media companies to adjust how they do business.

I have an amazing new show at NBC called: DAY ONE. It is the story of ordinary people working together to save the world from an extraordinary threat. Though Day One's prime time adventures are simple and compelling, its mythology is vast and designed to be experienced across multiple media platforms. A new kind of transmedia epic.

Day One's two hour pilot episode has been filmed and looks awesome. NBC ordered more episodes and scheduled the series launch for spring 2010. But over the past couple of weeks, much of the new Fall TV season has rolled out and the ratings have rolled in. Clearly, launching a new scripted series in prime-time on a broadcast network has never been more challenging. The message was clear...

For Day One to have the greatest chance of long term success, a new launch model was needed.

Working closely with NBC's creative team, I came up with something very exciting. We're taking the thirteen hours of story that was to be drawn out over as many weeks, and making four hours of spectacular entertainment. Showing it over two nights in a row. It's the miniseries model. A contained story. Easy to market and promote. Asking the audience to make a finite commitment: Show up at this time on these two nights and watch something incredible. If you like it, we will make more.

As the show's creator, I no longer have to worry about my story being interrupted mid-stream by a knee-jerk shift to another night or time slot. I don't have to worry about any Day One fans being disappointed if the last couple of episodes never make to the air. Now, all I need to worry about is making something that doesn't suck.

Stay tuned!

As anyone who could possibly have any interest in reading the wonky text of this blog surely knows -- I'm obsessed with the transmedia approach to telling a story. Extending a movie narrative, video game fiction, or any story universe, across multiple media platforms simultaneously. This approach has the potential to reach a broad audience on their platform of choice, allowing fans to immerse themselves in rich content.

So, when I created DAY ONE, my new television series for NBC, I very much had in mind all of the various media platforms where my story might find a home: on the web, DVD, comic books, novels, globally, gaming, toys, etc. I've done this transmedia thing before, working with cool ideas that other people have created, but DAY ONE is my first opportunity to embed the transmedia approach and culture into the DNA of the original concept.

While DAY ONE the television series is what I like to call "THE MOTHERSHIP", it can only accommodate a very specific piece of the massive DAY ONE story and mythology I've created. Over the last few months I've been working with NBC's amazing licensing group to find creative innovative partners willing to take a leap of faith and collaborate with me and my team, taking transmedia storytelling to the next level.

The first of these exciting collaborations happened yesterday. A well known and award winning creative professional from a medium other than television -- came into the show's writers room and collaborated with me and my amazing staff on content for their slice of DAY ONE's transmedia pie. Working under my supervision, within a defined creative box, playing to the strengths of this creator and their platform of choice -- we created relevant, original, and exclusive content that will be canon for the DAY ONE universe.

As a proof of concept event -- the success of yesterday was huge. My vision of a respectful collaboration between creative professionals with different skillsets ain't crazy -- it's awesome!

This past week I did a guest blogging stint with my favorite website: io9. It's a gawker owned site that offer up science fiction news and snarky commentary by the megaton. I wrote a couple of from the hip posts for them made some comments here and there. And polished it all off with an interview that's just gone up over there. I had a blast. It reminded me how I've been neglecting Global Couch. Now that cool things worth talking about are starting to happen with DAY ONE at NBC -- I figure I should start blogging about it all! So look for more blah-blah-blah activity here starting this week!

Here's a rambling snatch from the io9 interview about transmedia storytelling:

IO9: "You're talking about what you've called on your blog "Transmedia Storytelling"; that there's going to be Day One the television show, but that there's also going to be Day One the web presence, and comic books as well... Is that how you see storytelling in general now? Multiple platforms for one story?"

ME: "I certainly do see storytelling as going across multiple platforms now, but that really has a lot to do with how I grew up as a kid. As I always say, everything I learned about everything comes from Star Wars. For me, those movies were so impactful on me, such a consuming reaction. But it was also playing with the action figures, reading the comics, reading the books, playing the games, making Star Wars movies of my own... All that stuff just imprinted itself in my head. So when I think about the worlds that I create, I just automatically imagine the expanded universe component and get excited about using the different platforms to tell the story in new ways."

ME: "I'm very lucky that transmedia storytelling, crossplatform narrative, is so important right now in the entertainment business, in all facets of it, whether it's a video game or a movie or a TV show, it's important to be able to extend your story across platforms to be able to reach the fractured audiences that are experiencing the stories in so many different places and in so many different ways. I'm lucky to be able to think about that stuff naturally."

You can find the entire interview and links to my other i09 posts by clicking HERE!

Oy. The trailer has leaked for my new NBC show DAY ONE. This version was done for NBC's UPFRONT presentation to advertisers in NYC last May. At that time we were still shooting the pilot. So all the clips in here were shot during the first couple weeks of production. The VFX shots in this baby were all done specifically for the upfronts and many of them will be highly different in the show. The music is temporary of course. And... oh well... just insert your own insecure writer/creator excuse here. I hope people like it and there is soooooo much more yet to come!

Franchise war as viewed through a CAMCORDER. I love this style of VFX.

Long time no post. Just wanted to leave a quick note about my new pilot for NBC: DAY ONE. This morning, NBC announced DAY ONE would be part of their schedule in 2009-2010. It's fantastic news. A great punch-line to an eventful period in my professional life.

"DAY ONE
From executive producer/writer Jesse Alexander ("Heroes," "Lost," "Alias") and director Alex Graves ("Fringe," "Journeyman"), "Day One" tells the story of life on earth following a global catastrophe that has devastated the world's infrastructures. Beginning with the immediate aftermath of the cataclysmic event, an eclectic band of survivors -- played by Adam Campbell ("Date Movie"), Catherine Dent ("The Shield"), Julie Gonzalo ("Eli Stone"), David Lyons ("ER"), Derek Mio ("Greek"), Carly Pope ("24"), Thekla Reuten ("Sleeper Cell") and Addison Timlin ("Cashmere Mafia") -- strives to rebuild society as they unravel the mysteries of what happened and face their uncertain future. The group, all residents of one apartment building in suburban Van Nuys, Calif., embarks on a quest for survival and discovers that hope is found in small victories -- and heroes are born every day. "Day One" is a Universal Media Studios production. "

Many of the ideas I've talked about on this blog will be part of the DAY ONE experience. I'll do my best to chronicle my future transmedia efforts on GlobalCouch but as I've found while shooting the pilot -- my days are quite full.

I will certainly continue to use my TWITTER for timely updates and try to post some awesome photos (SPOILER FREE!) I've taken during the production of the pilot episode.

You can find the photos here: www.libertypark.tv

Take care!

Jesse

My buddy David Nottingham just sent me a link to this amazing video clip he found on YouTube. It seems some enterprising outsiders have begun making their own movie based on the video game franchise: HALF LIFE. Their aesthetic is very much what I'm trying to achieve with my new pilot for NBC. Using VFX in a way that doesn't draw attention to the effects themselves -- but uses them in context to sell the idea that extraordinary events are happening in an ordinary world that the audience can recognize and connect with. The fact that the folks who made this Half Life short didn't spend much money on the thing is very cool. Obviously, if one were paying for their labor and their tools -- the budget would be higher than the $500. this video cost 'em. But the lesson is still paradigm shattering for Hollywood. With the right approach, tools, and creative talent -- amazing things can be done at a price point that accounts for the current economic crisis enveloping in the world. No excuses Hollywood. The gauntlet has been thrown down. Who will face the challenge?

Just found this via ToplessRobot.com -- Very cool!

Another cool article about the RED cam plus a total digital workflow! This time it's for my buddy Dean Devlin's show -- LEVERAGE. Dean loves tech as much as I do and is always doing something innovative. His transmedia approach to ID4 was all time! You can find the article HERE.

Just found a cool piece of video over on the scifi channel site. It's all about how they're using the RED CAMERA to shoot my favorite show -- SANCTUARY. They claim to be the first show in North America to be shot entirely on the RED. If you're curious about such things and want to learn more about their 4K workflow, you'll find it HERE.

The craziness of pilot season has kept me from blogging much lately. As my pilot status nears resolution -- I find myself looking at examples of sci-fi effects brought into the real world. I'm sure you've seen 'em all before -- but they're still awesome.


Death Star Over San Francisco from Mike Horn on Vimeo.

Just stumbled across this very cool interview with Danny Boyle. The interviewer is none other than my classmate from AFI -- Darren Aronofsky. They have a great chat about the amazing cameras Boyle used to shoot Slumdog Millionaire in the hectic slums of Mumbai. Check it out --



And here's a link to the BLOG where I found the clip -- SLASHFILM.

I haven't blogged in forever. I've been scribbling my new PILOT for NBC. It's almost done -- which is usually the time I procrastinate the most. While surfing the web in search of escape -- I found this killer video about the new machinima toolset built into the PC version of GRAND THEFT AUTO 4. Take a look. I may finally have a reason to use my PC!

I blog a lot about how a transmedia approach to narrative can be a great way for content creators to immerse their audiences in entertainment experiences. But this week I saw TWO THINGS that made me think less about transmedia narrative extensions, and more about the simple act of sitting on a couch and watching a screen. What I saw has me believing that in-home experiences rivaling the Holodeck of Star Trek, and the Metaverse of Snow Crash are just a couple of years away.

The FIRST thing I saw was a 103" Panasonic Plasma TV running a demo of 3D content. The quality of that image was staggering. A Disney movie, some footage of the Olympics in China, a trip to the Grand Canyon, a music video with a CGI background. All of it was good enough to take me one step closer to being there. Off angle viewing is no problem with this tech. Yeah you still need to where the glasses -- but they're clear and comfortable. It's a similar setup to watching a DREAMWORKS 3D movie in IMAX theaters, or that U2 concert flick that was making the rounds. But this was in a home setting, running on a modified BluRay player designed for consumers. And there was nothing special about the TV (Other than it was 103" inches!). By Q1 2010 these things will be available to the public. Wow. That's crazy. A high level 3D experience in your house that doesn't require you to buy a new television? 72 hours ago -- I would've thought that statement absurd.

The SECOND thing I looked at was FAR CRY 2 on my XBOX 360. I used my HD projector to put this thing up on my big screen at 720P -- getting an image that is 140" inches diagonally. The experience I had playing through the intro and first few levels of that game was crazy immersive. The game takes place in war torn Africa and Ubisoft has done an impeccable job replicating the scenery and sounds of that beautiful and deadly environment.

It wasn't hard to imagine 3D TV and NEXT GENERATION GAMING coming together to blow the doors off home entertainment. That's no great revelation. It's talked about all the time. But these two elements aren't theoretical -- they're here. And with the way tech innovation is accelerating and Hollywood is scrambling to hold onto its audience -- I give it two years or less before this kind of experience is ready to replace prime time in the home.

P.S. -- I just read somewhere that nobody pays for PORN anymore. There is just too much free porn on the net that it doesn't make sense to pay for it. Does that mean porn will be transitioning to an entertainment model that is more experience based? Media biz pundits like to say that porn leads the way for the mainstream entertainment business. If that's true -- what will they do with 3D TV? Yikes.

A couple weeks back I went to the NEWTEEVEELIVE event in San Francisco. I was on a panel with some amazing people kibbitzing about bridging the gap between BROADCAST TV and THE WEB. It was awesome. The video of the panel is online -- HERE.

Chris Albrecht and I did this interview via his FLIP HD camera at NewTeeVee Live. The new Flip is amazing. So small. Very high quality -- as long as you've got plenty of light. The interview is kind of fun. I don't say anything too crazy. But the keyframe with my tongue sticking out is unfortunate. And I kind of look like Blofeld. Maybe I should follow Brian Lam's example and start using my WiiFit!


Jesse Alexander at NewTeeVee Live from Chris Albrecht on Vimeo.

I met Jason Kilar of Hulu at NewTeeVee Live yesterday. He's a very cool dude. (Even after what he did to my iphone!) With Hulu, Jason and his team have achieved what many thought impossible. His presentation on the matter was brilliant and inspiring. Jason shared candid insight into how he established the internal culture of the Hulu team. The Hulu methodology can be applied to starting a web company. A TV show. Game company. Independent film project. Transmedia Studio. Etc. I hope you dig it!

The video is available -- HERE.

I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been busy scribbling the pilot for a new show. Setting up my home office. Trying not to play Gears of War 2 and Fable 2 on my XBOX. And Googling myself (Which is not a psychologically healthy pastime by the way.)

Walt Disney used to say: “Keep moving forward.” I couldn’t agree more with this sentiment. So as I think about the script I’m writing. And the various other projects I’m working on. I find myself reading an old index card riddled with little notes. Words of wisdom from my past self. To my future self. Lessons for building network TV franchises. But also applicable to other forms of AAA content. Some of them you may Grok. Others you may not. What follows is just one man’s vision based on his specific experience. So here you go. Not in any particular order or grammatical cohesion --

Episodic stories with sensational cliffhanger act outs. Stories of real people in real places dealing with an element of their ordinary world becoming extraordinary. An ensemble cast with a broad appeal for both national and international audiences. Transmedia content that stems from the DNA of the show’s core concept. A great writing staff that works well in small groups of three and five. Memorable moments in every episode: dialog, story reveals, imaginative set-pieces, etc. A definable “X” for the project -- so that everyone who works on the thing understands their mission. An element of both wish fulfillment and relevance for your audience. Make something that is sustainable both creatively and financially. Passionate leadership at all levels is critical to AAA success. Stories should be driven from character choices in response to personal need and/or outside condition.

Use this “wisdom” at your own peril. I make no promises that it will bring success. It may very well bring disaster. But it works for me. And it's all baked into my new project. Though it’s important to keep moving forward, it’s also critical to bring the lessons of the past along for the ride. See ya!

I write this with a heavy heart. As of today I am no longer a writer/producer on HEROES. I could not be prouder of all the work I did on the show and wish all my Heroic Scribbler pals the very best. I will certainly continue to blog at GLOBAL COUCH.

Just wanted to mention two awesome books I'm reading. The first is called BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY: HOW TO CREATE UNCONTESTED MARKET SPACE AND MAKE THE COMPETITION IRRELEVANT. I learned about this bad boy from an article re: Nintendo's corporate strategy.

From Publishers Weekly
Kim and Mauborgne's blue ocean metaphor elegantly summarizes their vision of the kind of expanding, competitor-free markets that innovative companies can navigate. Unlike "red oceans," which are well explored and crowded with competitors, "blue oceans" represent "untapped market space" and the "opportunity for highly profitable growth." The only reason more big companies don't set sail for them, they suggest, is that "the dominant focus of strategy work over the past twenty-five years has been on competition-based red ocean strategies"-i.e., finding new ways to cut costs and grow revenue by taking away market share from the competition. With this groundbreaking book, Kim and Mauborgne-both professors at France's INSEAD, the second largest business school in the world-aim to repair that bias. Using dozens of examples-from Southwest Airlines and the Cirque du Soleil to Curves and Starbucks-they present the tools and frameworks they've developed specifically for the task of analyzing blue oceans. They urge companies to "value innovation" that focuses on "utility, price, and cost positions," to "create and capture new demand" and to "focus on the big picture, not the numbers." And while their heavyweight analytical tools may be of real use only to serious strategy planners, their overall vision will inspire entrepreneurs of all stripes, and most of their ideas are presented in a direct, jargon-free manner.

My buddy Ryan Sarver sent me a link to this announcement of an upcoming location based MMO. I'm kind of obsessed with this new game space. So much potential! Can't wait to give it a try!

"DrugLords is a location-based massively multiplayer online game about drug trafficking. Using GPS inside your iPhone, you become a drug dealer in the criminal underworld, which exists parallel to your everyday life."

Today's LA TIMES has a great article about people ditching their expensive cable/satellite packages. Happy to watch their TV/MOVIE content via BROADBAND and NETFLIX. We've all seen this trend in our circle of pals. (Javier Grillo Marxuach of MIDDLE MAN fame is all about APPLE TV.) And based on the response to my recent SEESMIC query -- this rejection of broadcast/cable/satellite appears to be happening on a global scale. It was only a matter of time before this movement reached critical mass. Nothing like a significant economic downturn to force the issue. Check out the article if you're so inclined --

HOLLYWOOD MAY NOT BE RECESSION PROOF THIS TIME.

And here's another article on the same topic in Advertising Age --

PUBLIC MIGHT CUT THE CORD ON LANDLINES CABLE TV.

I just discovered SEESMIC.  It's an amazing web based community for exchanging ideas.  It works very much like a traditional forum -- but it's all done via video clips shot with your webcam.  I tried it out for the first time tonight.  I'm curious to see if anybody responds to my query --