My Guardian column this week (registration-free link here) goes through the details on how we can all make, distribute, and market TV now and concludes:
So there is one last pesky issue standing between me and monomaniacal populist video triumphalism – quality. The truth is, of course, that most of what I’ve seen on YouTube et al sucks. But that is just what makes this new media vista so intriguing: even though video is easy, it’s still harder than text. A thousand monkeys may end up typing Shakespeare, but they won’t film The Godfather. So I am coming to believe that the medium itself will be a filter for talent and substance. Since you have to work harder to make it, you’ll make sure you have something worth the effort. And the difference between good and bad is more immediately apparent in video than text. So I see great opportunities to make good video. And now that I have the means of production, distribution and marketing, I need to concentrate on the fun part: having something to say and saying it well.
