As creator of "L.A. Law" and "Hill Street Blues," Steven Bochco packed lots of drama into 60 minutes. Now he's trying to entertain in closer to 60 seconds.
Bochco is joining the masses of wannabe online video moguls with "Cafe Confidential," an Internet series that's all about brevity and punch. The 44-clip collection, which premieres today on video site Metacafe, features people in their teens or 20s telling lighthearted, semi-confessional stories.
"The Internet is at its best when it distracts its users," Bochco said. "You're waiting at the bus stop, you're in between classes, you have 20 minutes -- so you go online and you have some fun."
The legal fight Viacom Inc. launched against Google Inc.'s YouTube last week highlighted the fear and loathing the Internet has generated in some corners of Hollywood.
But Bochco, former Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Michael Eisner and former MTV Networks President Herb Scannell represent a new wave of venturesome Hollywood players diving into the new medium. Eisner has invested in video-sharing site Veoh Networks Inc. and online-video studio Vuguru, and Scannell's Next New Networks is creating Web TV channels.
These creators aren't turning only to YouTube, the leading video site that Viacom has sued for letting users post copyrighted shows and movies. They're partnering with online outfits such as Metacafe Inc. and Revver Inc. -- or starting their own.
"If you spend your life chasing your consumers and filing lawsuits, that's a fool's errand," Bochco said. "At the end of the day, the consumer always wins. So, do you want to be right and spend five years and millions of dollars in legal fees to prove it? Or do you want to be successful?"
Bochco decided last fall to try his hand at online entertainment. And Palo Alto-based Metacafe wanted to augment its amateur videos with professional work, which advertisers prefer.
After a few conversations, Metacafe agreed to underwrite the cost of Bochco's project and split the advertising revenue with him. They would not disclose the financial terms.
Spending on Internet video advertising is expected to reach $775 million this year and grow to $2.9 billion by 2010, according to research firm EMarketer Inc. That's a fraction of the roughly $67 billion spent on TV ads.
That hasn't deterred Bochco, who saw the project as a way to create entertainment outside the confines of traditional Hollywood.
