Hulu, the online video service that primarily shows reruns from major broadcasters, is getting into the business of original programming.
In the first of several projects, the company teamed up with Morgan Spurlock, the documentary maker who criticized McDonald’s and fast-food lifestyles in “Super Size Me.” They are creating “A Day in the Life” — six half-hour episodes where filmmakers follow around famous people such as billionaire Richard Branson.
Hulu’s first foray into actual production follows a decision in March by another online video service, Netflix, to buy rights to “House of Cards.” Netflix Inc. ordered 26 hour-long episodes and plans to start showing them late next year.
Since its debut in 2008, Hulu has primarily shown reruns of TV programs provided by ABC, Fox and NBC, the broadcasters owned by Hulu’s media company parents • The Walt Disney Co., News Corp. and Comcast Corp. Providence Equity Partners is also a minority owner. The current owners have put Hulu up for sale.
Andy Forssell, Hulu’s senior vice president of content acquisition, said that Hulu isn’t turning into a competitor of its network-owning parents. Shows will have a smaller budget and will be tailored to Hulu’s online audience, he said.
“In most cases, it’s going to be something that came from the traditional network or studio partner, but … for whatever reason is not getting made,” Forssell said. “We can be the difference maker and get it done.”
Forssell distinguished Hulu’s strategy from Netflix’s. He said “House of Cards” would have been made anyway and probably would have found a home on TV even if Netflix hadn’t bought it. By contrast, Hulu is looking for things that don’t compete with traditional video distributors.
Financial terms of the Spurlock deal weren’t disclosed. Spurlock’s “Super Size Me” earned an Oscar nomination for best feature documentary in 2005. His filmography also includes this year’s release, “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold,” which delves into the world of product placement in films. (Spurlock directs commercials via Saville Productions.)
Forssell declined to comment on whether Hulu’s decision to move into original programming was related to why it is now up for sale, but he said the discussion about making its own shows began about a year ago.
It was only last month that Hulu began a process to sell itself after an unsolicited takeover offer from an undisclosed bidder prompted its board to consider seeking other offers. Since then, companies including Google Inc., Apple Inc. and Yahoo Inc. have had discussions with Hulu.
Hulu has become one of the biggest purveyors of television shows and movies on the Internet through its free site and via an $8-per-month subscription plan that gives users a deeper library of back episodes. The free site is available on computers. The subscription plan allows for viewing over a wide array of Internet-connected devices such as TVs, game consoles and mobile phones.
In February, CEO Jason Kilar said Hulu will have 1 million paying customers by the end of the year and generate nearly $500 million in revenue, up from $263 million in 2010. He has said the company is profitable.
SUPERLATIVE Signs Director Claudia Abend For Spots and Branded Content
Latin American director/editor and documentary filmmaker Claudia Abend has joined SUPERLATIVE for her first U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content.
Abend's empathetic docu-style POV has garnered several international awards for the documentary films Hit (2008) and The Flower of Life (2018). Her spotmaking credits include such brands as Procter & Gamble, Nestle and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. SUPERLATIVE has already worked with Abend, together producing a new ad campaign for digital agency Tinuiti and The Honest Company, a consumer goods corporation featuring eco-minded products.
“We found Claudia through her poignant documentaries on the festival circuit,” said SUPERLATIVE creative manager Stefan Dezil. “We are excited about her textured narratives, emotional storytelling, and her powerhouse long-form storytelling abilities, currently on her third feature film. As SUPERLATIVE continues to build our brand after premiering our latest films at Sundance and SXSW, Claudia is the kind of multidimensional artist we are excited to partner with on branded content and beyond. Fluent in English and Spanish, her reel shows real prowess with infants, food and skin products, families both young and old. Great visual storytelling and inspirational doc work.”
Abend began her career in her native Uruguay, studying film and editing in college. “My dad would show me films like Citizen Kane,” she said. “I love cinema and became an editor. It was here that I learned all about communicating human emotion.”
From the get-go, Abend hit it big as a documentary director, teaming with Adrianna Loeff on Hit, a movie chronicling pop artists of Uruguayan music. Abend took home a Best Editing... Read More