Creative Constipation
I was at the Video on the Net conference today in San Jose, and by far the best comment of the day was made from the audience. It was during a panel on monetizing video, but in reaction to a previous panel that focused on the partnership between Silicon Valley and Hollywood.
The Hollywood/Silicon Valley panel went over and over again about digital rights and content clearance: the same talk we’ve heard from Hollywood for years. While the panelists were clearly in favor of greater distribution for digital video, and recognized the huge growth potential, they couldn’t get away from the typical Hollywood “this is a threat” culture they have been steeped in. It’s all about protect and defend, not nurture and grow.
The comment from the audience (paraphrased): It sounds like Hollywood is so wrapped up in rights and clearance, they are suffering from “creative constipation.”
Meaning they’re so constipated about rights and clearance, they’re not being creative about ways to exploit new technologies and provide better entertainment. Is that the difference between a media company and an entertainment company?