User:VidBlogger Nation
VidBlogger Nation, is the first national social TV network. The network features self-portraits by hometown tastemakers who share the stories of people, places and things in their city from a first-person perspective. VidBlogger Nation launched out in 10 key markets, including Philadelphia, New Jersey, New England, Atlanta, South Florida, Michigan, Denver, Portland (Oregon), Sacramento, and San Francisco. Each market is anchored by local talent that maintains a strong Facebook and Twitter followings, in addition to personal blogs and vlogs and fan sites.
Created by renowned participatory media director-producer Marc Scarpa in partnership with Comcast On Demand Local, VidBlogger Nation is shot on location by the local vidbloggers, both male and female in the 18-40 age range. The VidBlogger Nation programming consists of colorful three-to-five-minute episodes on topics ranging from ‘Naked Cocktails’ (a look at best non-alcoholic bars and happy hours) and ‘Awesome Wi-Fi’ (where to go for the best free wi-fi) to ‘Haunted Places’ (visiting sites supposedly haunted by local spirits) and ‘Music Mania’ (a review of the vidblogger’s favorite music). The vidbloggers create, shoot and edit their pieces in their own unique style and these are available on Comcast's Xfinity On Demand as local and national segments.
The first-person narrative of the VidBlogger Nation pieces captures idiosyncratic moments in the local markets that relate to the bloggers’ personalities. The resulting product is an essay that is diaristic without becoming a travelogue or a news documentary. Story concepts originate from both SimplyNew and the local talent. “We wanted to create a social TV look-and-feel that emanated from the web, with a style that fit the locale of the vidblogger’s world, and enabled them to be natural hosts for stories that were authentic to them,” said Scarpa. “As television moves toward an all-IP universe, the grammar of what we watch on TV will have more to do with an emerging, and immersive, web presence. Vidblogger Nation is the first step toward blurring the boundaries between web TV and cable TV.”
The VidBlogger Nation roll-out initially included three full seasons for each market, or 360 episodes created and aired over 90 days. Both Comcast On Demand Local and SimplyNew Studios will consider further markets after the initial run concludes.
SimplyNew began casting for VidBlogger Nation through an outreach program in late 2010, and narrowed the talent down to 15 before making final decisions in August, 2011. The first season began airing on September 5, 2011.
The VidBlogger Nation network talent includes:
* Zennie Abraham, Atlanta, Georgia * Sarah Austin, San Francisco, California * Jessica Berry, Philadelphia * Jen Friel, New England * Rocco Leo Gaglioti, New Jersey * Sacha Heppell, Denver, Colorado * Jenny Scordamaglia, South Florida * Ann Spade, Sacramento, California * Tony Thomas, Portland, Oregon * Jeffrey Wisenbaugh, Michigan