A new Web video series wants to be a never-ending Internet show where participants can direct the next person in the video chain to do whatever they want. First in Action, debuting New Year's Day, could be a trailblazer in a new genre of online video.
Digital Journal — On New Year’s Day, First in Action will debut an entertainment model that could change how people watch and participate in Web shows. Dubbing itself a never-ending Internet show, First in Action features video clips which ask the audience to do a certain activity in the following clip. The audience is invited to submit their video starring that activity, and the first to do so has their video uploaded on the
site.
Every clip has two parts: at the beginning, someone follows the direction that was given in the previous video. At the end, he or she offers an idea for the next video. So someone could say at the end of a clip, “Dance like Grace Kelly in front of strangers on the street.” The first person to submit a video to First in Action featuring that dance can then end the clip with another challenge, like “Score a soccer goal.”
There is no finality to First in Action, nor is there a common theme or plot running through all the videos. It’s a random show which wants to be entertaining and participatory; it takes the YouTube model (film yourself doing anything) one step further and lets directors challenge other directors to activities that could make great Web-TV.
To learn more about this innovative concept, DigitalJournal.com spoke with David Hissami, founder & CEO of The Whoa Show, the company behind First in Action. Hissami, a 23-year-old based in San Clemente, California, revealed his inspiration for the show, its main appeal, and why he’s confident First in Action will carve a new space in the online entertainment industry.
How did you come up with the idea for The Whoa Show? What inspired you?
After taking a film production class in college, I bought a Canon GL2. I was hoping to have fun with the camera, but I was able to only make so many silly movies with friends and shoot random things with it before getting bored. I knew the video camera needed "something" to be more exciting to more people. The Whoa Show, by creating exciting activities around it, will be that "something".
Explain the entertainment value in watching people do things they've been directed to do. What if the actions are mundane and boring? How do you plan to make the actions interesting?
The main entertainment value of the show is not in watching the shows, but participating in them. That said, watching First in Action will be entertaining because it is real and unpredictable. There is also, of course, the thrill in knowing that you can jump in on the action at any time. And who knows when you'll see a friend or family member on the show?
In First in Action, aside from certain restrictions (for example, "directions" cannot be unrealistic, dangerous, or involve nudity), the audience is in control. Most people don't want to be seen as mundane and boring, so that is not a concern.
Dubbing itself a never-ending Internet show, First in Action features video clips which ask the audience to do a certain activity. The first person to uploads a video of the first activity will be featured on the site.
What do you find is the main appeal of First in Action?
The main appeal is the high level of audience involvement and participation. At a time when the video world is just starting to flirt with 'interactivity', we are going to transform it with 'activity'.
What makes The Whoa Show's activities unique is that they take place in real life. Our shows invite the audience on a journey that carries them away from the computer. (This assumes, of course, that the show is based on the web platform.) We will only create high-concept shows that serve to excite the audience and literally make them go, "Whoa!"
Exactly when will the show go live? What time? Can anyone, even non-Americans, access the content free?
First in Action will go live on New Year's Day, and can be viewed at
The Whoa Show's site or elsewhere on the web from the First in Action widget, which automatically updates with the latest clip from the show. The content will be free, and can be accessed by just about anyone with a broadband connection.
We have yet to decide the exact time the show will go live.
What do you, personally, hope to gain out of this project? Is this a viable business you're creating or something fun for now?
As Cirque du Soleil did with the circus, and Pixar did with animation, The Whoa Show is introducing a new formula to the video show. And like the other two companies, we plan to dominate the very space that our entertainment model will create.
To catch all the action on New Year's Day, go to www.whoashow.com
