212 !!Chapter 12
instance, some programs are 8 minutes or shorter. The producers experi-
ment with various lengths; they have to develop a format that will keep the
attention of the audience so that the audience watches the new episodes.
Some of the programs show commercials prior to the program. The
viewer cannot bypass the commercials, thereby assuring the advertisers
that their commercials will be watched. Since the production costs of the
programs are much less than the production costs of television programs,
the advertising rates are less, and the advertiser can reach their target audi-
ence. The advertiser has the opportunity to learn more about their target
audience since the websites are interactive. The viewers might respond to
questions or click on links that provide the advertisers with a more accu-
rate profile of their demographic. This information helps advertisers
design advertising that appeals to their target audience. The following are
some of the made-for-the-Internet programs:
Prom Queenis a made-for-the-Internet teen soap opera, produced by
the former chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Company, Michael
Eisner. The series has 80 short-form episodes. The filmHairspraywas a
major sponsor. The episodes are scored with original music. The viewers
can interact via video blogs, comments, profiles, and so on. The first sea-
son of the program was shown between April 1 and June 20, 2007, and
received 15 million views. Because of this success, a spin-off,Prom Queen:
Summer Heat, debuted on August 27, 2007.
Afterworld, an animated show created by Electric Farm Entertainment
that runs 2 to 3 minutes per episode, has 130 episodes and cost $3 million
to produce. Companies are investing large sums to produce high-quality
programming. This program also has original underscoring.
Funny or Die, cofounded by Will Farrell, is a comedy video-based web-
site. Many popular comedians and new comedians contribute to this site.
Some of the videos have been viewed by millions of viewers. They are all
short form.
Quarterlife,anInternetseries,wascreatedbythehighlysuccessful
team of Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick. Some of their projects
includeBlood Diamond,Legends of the Fall, andMy So-Called Life. Creators
with their achievements elevate the credibility of Internet entertainment.
Advertisers are supporting this new format because the programs are
reaching the younger generation who can afford to purchase their prod-
ucts. This format offers new opportunities for composers to write both
commercials and underscoring for Web-based programming.
The television networks are showing entire episodes of their successful
programs on the web, the day after they are broadcast in prime time. There
was concern by the networks that this practice would decrease the number
of viewers, but the opposite occurred: the number of viewers increased.
Viewers miss episodes or do not record them. This affords them the
opportunity to see the programs.
Broadcast television generates approximately $60 billion in advertising