MacFarlane, Google set ad unit toons
“The Family Guy” plan for world domination apparently includes invading friendly web sites.
“Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy” will be carried on the “Ads By Google” advertising network, fed directly to web sites where “Family Guy
The New York Times broke the story early this morning in a story titled “Google and Creator of ‘Family Guy’ Strike a Deal.”
Monetization will come via the online video quasi-standard methods: Either as a preroll clip or as banner images below the streaming video.
MacFarlane created new characters for the strips, which will go out as 50 two-minute episodes. He told the Times they would be “animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier.”
Google has dubbed the syndication method “the Google Content Network.”
“We feel that we have recreated the mass media,” said a modest Kim Malone Scott of the AdSense unit.
Those Google AdSense slots appear to be good for something other than annoying you and maybe making a nickel or two for publishers like me (call it AdCents).
‘Kiss of Spider Woman’ planted in Unbox
“Kiss of the Spider Woman” has been underground since 1985, the year in which it seduced the Oscars.
The indie film locked up unlikely nominations for best picture, best director and best actor (for William Hurt, who won).
True to form, the movie has made a dramatic but hardly sudden reappearance, debuting as an exclusive Amazon Unbox download.
The Hector Babenco film — about a storytelling cross-dresser (Hurt) and his straight cell mate (Raul Julia) — goes for $2.99 as a movie download rental 
Amazon also has the exclusive on the DVD and Blu-ray
“Kiss of the Spider Woman” was based on the 1976 novel “El Beso de la Mujer Arana” by Manuel Puig.
The Unbox exclusive looks like it points in a good direction for Amazon’s underperforming download movie service to follow. Of course there are only so many MIA videos out there that anyone cares about. But Amazon’s Unbox just found a good one.
Mobile video ready to break out, VCs say
Venture capitalists have the hots for mobile video. 90% of the pro investors believe mass adoption of the mobile video will occur within five years, while 60% look for a three-year time frame, according to a study by KPMG.
The tax and audit specialist’s poll of 300 venture capitalists, corporate executives and investment bankers found that 52% expect VC investment in digital content creation to increase over the next two years. 25% said investment will increase by more than 20%.
Asked whether that investment would support user-generated content or professional offerings, respondents were evenly split.
Your freshly canned statement comes from Packy Kelly, KPMG’s man in Silicon Valley:
“Digital entertainment is such a vast and constantly evolving sector, and has had a tremendous impact on consumer habits. Investors will continue to seek opportunities to invest in those companies that are at the cutting edge of the disruptive technologies that are driving the evolution in how people communicate and access the information and content they are interested in.”
The most likely channel for VC funding ran through mobile, with social media, gaming and video the entertainment applications of choice.
Meanwhile … Steve Jobs seems to hate Adobe Flash, but Silicon Alley Insider makes the case that its video and animation player still could find its way onto the 3G iPhone.
‘Daily Show,’ ‘Colbert’ report to Hulu
“The Daily Show,” the “most trusted name in fake news,” is just in to Hulu.
Jon Stewart’s long-running Comedy Central spoof on politics and current events joined the NBC Universal-News Corp. streaming video site today, with last night’s show front and center.
Complete episodes available for online viewing today on Hulu date back a month, to May 12.
Tagging along, as always, is “The Colbert Report,” a spoof of dumb-ass cable news commentators such as those found on News Corp.’s Fox News Network. Stephen Colbert developed his right-wing putz character on Stewart’s show.
Content provider Viacom says the “Daily Show” streams are tests, with other content apparently to follow. The shows now are available in full on comedycentral.com, which previously offered only clips, to the displeasure of legions.
Erik Flannigan, executive vice president of digital media at MTV Networks, told Reuters that the Hulu placement is a public service, sort of.
“Hulu in many ways may put the shows in front of some people who might be more casual viewers but who might be interested in what’s going on with the elections,” Flannigan said. Sounds ridiculous, but something like 20% of young adults have cited “The Daily Show” as their source for election news. (Reread paragraph for chilling confirmation of what you think you just read.)
“Daily Show” and “Colbert” were bitstream staples, which will remain the case for overseas fans. The episodes are available only to U.S. viewers.
Feel free to bombard your “I don’t get it” friends with emailed “Daily Show” clips. (Except me. Please.) Hulu is breaking out highlights that can be embedded and emailed.
For the streaming video site, it looks like the killer ap has arrived.
Remember way back when, when the online video elite all laughed at big media’s Hulu and its stupid name? Ho. Ho. Ho.
iTunes Store movies: new foreign policy
The iTunes Store finally has opened for movie sales and rentals in Canada and the United Kingdom. The moves follow the U.S. expansion into online rentals by a month.
Movie availability lags behind the U.S. in most cases. The movies go up day and date with the DVD release, as in the States. You’ll need a credit card that’s valid in the country of rental/purchase. That means no poaching of local fare, in any direction.
And so the featured movie in Canada is “Juno” and in the U.K. it’s “Darjeeling Limited.” In the U.S. this week, we get “Semi-Pro” and “Meet the Spartans.” That’ll show ‘em.
In Canada, about 1,200 titles are up for sale or rental. iTunes movies are available at CAN$9.99 for catalog title purchases, CAN$14.99 for recent releases and CAN$19.99 for new releases. iTunes Movie Rentals are CAN$3.99 for library titles and CAN$4.99 for new releases. High definition rental versions are priced at a dollar more.
Participating studios for iTunes Canada are 20th Century Fox, the Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, MGM Studios Inc., Sony Pictures Television International and Lionsgate and Maple Pictures.
In Britain, about 700 titles are available for starters. The U.K. pricing structure has iTunes movies available at £6.99 for catalog titles and £10.99 for new releases. Rentals are £2.49 for library title rentals and £3.49 for new releases. High definition versions are a pound more.
Participating studios for the U.K. iTunes Store are 20th Century Fox, the Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Entertainment, MGM Studios Inc., Sony Pictures Television International and Lionsgate UK.
Predictably, the expansion offers no end-run around release windows for U.K. customers, who usually get titles months after the region 1 U.S. market (following theatrical patterns).
Meanwhile, over in France, l’iTunes Store now offers TV fare from the country’s networks including TF1, France Télévisions, Arté, Mediatoon’s Dargaud TV and Dupuis TV, along with U.S. shows from Disney and MTV Networks. Unfortunately for U.S. viewers with an appreciation for nudity in primetime fare, you can’t get there from here. Mon Dieu!
Apple said 25 series with about 450 episiodes are available in France. Television shows are priced at €1.49, €1.99 and €2.49 per episode.
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