Is the Web the New Hollywood?

Take Jeff Macpherson, the indie filmmaker in Vancouver who started Tiki Bar with his friends. He's getting plenty of attention from Hollywood types, but instead of trying to parlay Tiki Bar into a gig in big-budget TV or movies, Macpherson wants to raise money to create a series of similar shows for the Web. 'This is the beginning of something big,' Macpherson says. As people spend a growing portion of their lives online, some would-be movie moguls view Internet TV as an end in itself. Some are even finding that they can make money doing it...

The Internet is turning into a breeding ground not just for shows, but also entire networks. ManiaTV, a startup launched 17 months ago to be the MTV for the online set, broadcasts its own live show over the Internet and offers on-demand videos about music and videos. It draws 2 million visitors a month.

KEEP IT SHORT. But as marketing evolves, it will need to adapt to its new environment, ad experts warn. "I don't think that just transposing the 30-second-spot model works in this space," says Mohan Renganathan, associate group director in New York City for ad agency MediaVest Worldwide. "Video over the Web is more about getting content you're interested in seeing that you have searched for."

BusinessWeek: Is the Web the New Hollywood?