I believe that professionally created web content should not necessarily be used as a stepping stone toward more traditional platforms (I am speaking of the individual production itself – not the artist). Many of my thoughts regarding this issue are posted here: http://blog.sceneclips.com/new-media/creating-web-content-for-tv-and-film.

Regarding online video portals profiting – they don’t. Sure, they draw ad revenues – but these revenues do not come close to covering the costs of operation. Believe me, the space is dying – they are looking for viable business models faster than the content creators themselves. I own a nice chunk of Google stock, and with every quarterly conference call, one of the most popular questions is when/how are you going to monetize your YouTube acquisition. Streaming video is very expensive – especially when you are streaming it for free.

That however is not to say that companies do not exploit content creators – many do… But artists are smart, and for those companies that do not offer their consumer value, this exploitation will come back to bite them in the ass.

Bottom line, It is difficult to provide the answer that you are looking for because in a few months that answer could drastically change. Keeping in tune and adapting to a rapidly changing industry is the best that you can do.

Theoretically, I agree that web content is a great marketing tool, except I don’t know of one web filmmaker who has broken out onto the main screen to attract more than the friends and family members already supporting them. Do you? I ask this sincerely, because if I’m wrong I’d like to know.

I suspect we have been bamboozeled into thinking we’re getting more out of it than we are. Meanwhile, the web sites quietly profit from our foot traffic. It’s sort of like wearing a T-shirt with a logo on it. People are actually paying for a shirt to advertise the designer’s brand because they think it makes them look cool. It’s marketing genius on the designer’s end.

By investing in creating web content, aren’t filmmakers in essence, really just doing the same thing? Paying to support a company that’s really exploiting them in order to be perceived as cool?

Is there a career in creating web content? I believe that there is. However, I believe that the web’s core competency for filmmakers lies in brand building.

Anybody with a mini DV camera and half a brain can make a web short and post it on some google-able website, but then what? Is there really a career in creating web content?