After sixty years in hibernation, the TV guide is finally awakening to innovation. The static grid of shows and airing times that granny loved getting in the mail each week is crumbling under the strain of hundreds of linear channels, DVR, VOD and over-the-top internet streaming services and a new generation of consumers who expect a fast, personalized discovery experience. Providers can feel the winds of change brewing and are investing top talent to develop the next generation of guides. The following are 10 challenges and opportunities the industry must master if it wants to continue to keep customers happy.

1) The Couch Potato is Here to Stay

This is not an insult, simply a fact. When we sit down in front of the TV we want to watch something good and we expect it to be easy to find. After all, we’re not in the mood to work. Users want the act of finding something to watch to be as effortless and enjoyable as watching it is.

2) The Paradox of Choice Requires Personalization

Too much choice is overwhelming and is a barrier to consumption. The guide must give quality, personalized recommendations to help users overcome the fear of regret and so the guide becomes your best salesperson.

3) Content Selection is Meaning Driven

What do you want to know about a movie before you decide to watch it? Basic metadata isn’t much help. A rich, human description of the mood, style and plot elements gives us a real feeling for the movie and allows us to overcome the fear of regret and decide if we want to see it.

4) Future-proof the guide for an on-demand world

On-demand video is growing fast and now is the time to future-proof the guide. Service providers that don’t move quickly are at risk of choking future consumption with an antiquated guide.

5) Building Trust Between Man and Machine

Trust is what fuels recommendations to spur action. How can humans learn to trust machine-made recommendations? A discovery engine must be able to explain, in human terms, everything it does.

6) There is No Such Thing as ‘Average Taste’

Our tastes are as distinct and varied as we are. Sometimes I enjoy a witty humorous movie about couple relations, other times I’m in the mood for stylized, exciting movies about space travel and saving the world with androids and alien. You can’t average out things like ‘aliens’ and ‘couple relations’ to get a mathematical estimation of my taste. Yet this is exactly what most so-called ‘personalized discovery’ engines do; bunch everything a user likes together. If we are going to deliver a truly personalized experience that will help consumers find content they will enjoy, first we must recognize that each individual is unique and his or her tastes include several distinct types of content.

7) Keeping Content Fresh is a Challenge

Movies and TV are special, that’s why we love them so much. But that’s also why finding and choosing the right content is such a difficult process. We expect endless fresh programming, to fit our specific preferences and to match the exact mood we’re in at that moment. If the guide fails to lead users quickly to content that suits their taste and mood, they will blame the provider and come to the conclusion that there is ‘nothing good to watch’.

8) Humans seek meaning, not data

We have all been trained by web browsers to think in keywords, but human communication is more than a collection of key words wound into a Boolean string. Just try asking Google to recommend a ‘ feel good witty movie about couple relations’ – you won’t get useful results. The next generation of guides needs to speak in casual human language and deliver relevant and accurate results.

9) ‘Lingua Franca’ of Video Content

The only way guides will be able to communicate with users in a meaningful language is by adopting a normalized unified language or ‘Lingua Franca’ for describing entertainment content. This Lingua Franca will allow the breadth of entertainment content to be described in a single descriptive language irrespective of the producer, director or script writers. From the consumer perspective, all content can be understood in the same natural metaphor.

10) Separating the Social Wheat from the Chafe

Our entire industry seems caught up in the latest Social TV buzz. All the tweets, updates, ‘likes’ and ‘+’s have created massive amounts of TV and movie related social media data. But this kind of random chatter doesn’t drive consumption and it doesn’t enhance the television experience. Why? Because most of your friends don’t share your taste in TV and movies. If Social TV is going to truly enhance the discovery experience, we must be able to identify those few friends that have similar tastes and use them as a source of high quality social recommendations. THAT is social TV.

*An abbreviated version of this article first appeared in Multichannel Magazine

Technorati Tags: Next Generation TV Guide, Next Generation, TV Guide, Social TV, DVR, VOD, Linear channels, on demand, personalized discovery, personalized tv, couch potato, paradox of choice, content, video content, TV, movies, future proof, on-demand, recommendations, movie recommendations, Lingua Franca, Yosi Glick, Jinni, discovery engine

Popularity: 1% [?]

On August 6th 1945, the first nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, because no word of surrender came out of Japan, a second bomb was dropped, this time on the port city of Nagasaki. Japan surrendered six days later and World War II ended. About 200,000 people were killed in these bombings, mostly civilians. The debate still rages today over how necessary these attacks really were (especially the second one) in forcing Japan to surrender. The fact that “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” are the only atomic bombs ever used in combat shows how reluctant countries are to face the moral implication of causing such mass destruction. Film and TV makers have found the subject of nuclear bombs a fertile ground for many kinds of scenarios; treating it from four main perspectives:

The Comic/Satiric Approach:

1. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, 1964

Stanley Kubrick’s Cold War offbeat masterpiece still stands as the greatest anti war movie of all time. Peter Sellers, in multiple roles, George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden expose the machismo involved in making decisions of this magnitude and force us to question the sanity of such decision makers.

2. The Simpsons, 1989 - ?

Although past its prime, Matt Groening’s masterpiece TV series is still one of the most important in TV history - animated or otherwise. This eccentric family has entertained us in a witty and clever way for more than two decades, while still delivering a biting critique of the social decay surrounding us. Homer’s workplace, Springfield’s power plant, owned by Montgomery Burns, is a constant criticism of the use of nuclear energy and the distrust we should have with the people who pull the strings.

The Action Approach:

3. True Lies, 1994

This could fit in the first category, but for lack of social criticism I’ll put it in the action section. Here, Arnold Schwarzenegger is trying to find four nuclear warheads that have disappeared from a former Soviet Republic. Disregarding the representation of Arabs as sort of hillbillies, this movie is great fun, cementing Schwarzenegger’s status as one of the greatest comedic actors of our time (maybe I’m exaggerating). Classic lines, Eliza Dushku as the rebellious daughter, and a great fighting scene atop of a fighter plane make for a great action comedy.

4. X-Men: First Class, 2011

I usually don’t like prequels. They often don’t mesh well with the movie or series they’re perquelling. But this one is different. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender play the younger Professor X and Magneto during the Cuban missile crisis. The intrigue between the mutants begins as one faction tries to force a nuclear war in order to wipe out the human race, while Professor X and his crew try to stop it. Great action and Special Effects. (For what really happened at this pivotal moment in history see The Kennedys below)

5. Fist of the North Star, 1986

Let’s imagine what the world would be like after a nuclear holocaust. Actually you don’t have to, thanks to this based on comics Anime film. In the backdrop of an anarchic society we find the lone wolf Ken, a martial arts warrior defeated by a former friend who wanders aimlessly in the wilderness. That is until he saves a couple of kids and suddenly finds new purpose in life. It’s bleak and rough, but with great martial arts fights.

The Artistic Approach:

6. Until the End of the World, 1991

Wim Wenders‘ sci-fi adventure is set in a world facing an imminent nuclear threat as an Indian nuclear satellite is about to plummet towards earth. An odd character is traveling on the road with a camera that captures emotions and memories with the images. It’s a very long film, but Wenders is a master of on the road movies, and knows how to make them captivating.

7. Hiroshima Mon Amour, 1959

Early Alain Resnais works show his fascination with the concept of memory. In many of his films we experience this through the conflict between two different people’s memories, blurring the edges between memory and so called reality. In this piece two lovers talk about the bombing of Hiroshima. He is Japanese, and she is French. He speaks first hand while she is tells of the events from the perspective of occupied France. This atmospheric piece is an essential watch for movie lovers.

The Historical Approach:

8. Silkwood, 1983

Mike Nicols’ film tells the true story of a nuclear plant whistleblower that died in a mysterious car accident after wanting to expose negligence that caused several of her co-workers to become ill with radiation sickness. It is relevant to the problems and dangers we face today with nuclear energy. Meryl Streep, Cher and Kurt Russell round out a great cast with a story that is touching while not being too emotional.

9. The Fog of War, 2003

Since one of Errol Morris’ movies (The Thin Blue Line) helped release a man wrongfully convicted of murder, he has been lauded as one of the most important documentary filmmakers of all time. The Fog of War is a biography of Robert S. McNamara, secretary of defense under JFK, through out the Vietnam War and during the Cold War where the threat of nuclear war was very real. Here you get the most sincere account of one of the most controversial figures in US government history, mainly because he speaks freely about his life and ideology. A captivating and thought provoking piece.

10. The Kennedys, 2011 - ?

In this miniseries the History Channel depicts one of the most powerful political families in US history. The cast is very good (even Katie Holmes is acceptable), and it seems to disregard the myth behind John F. Kennedy (Greg Kinnear), focusing instead more on father Joseph Kennedy as the dominant force of the family. It’s a captivating watch.

Technorati Tags:  Bomb, Nuclear Bomb, Nuclear Threat, Japan, Movies, TV shows, World War 2, morality, destruction, Dr. Strangelove or How I learned to stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Cold War, The Simpsons, power plant, True Lies, Arnold Schwarzenegger, X-Men: First Class, Fist of the North Star, Until the End of the World, Wim Wenders, Hiroshima Mon Amour, Alain Resnais, Silkwood, Mike Nichols, Meryl Streep, Kurt Russel, The Fog of War, Robert McNamara, Errol Morris, The Thin Blue Line, Vietnam War, The Kennedys, John F Kennedy,

Popularity: 2% [?]

While you’re waiting impatiently for Zack and Miri Make a Porno to open in theaters this Friday, let’s talk about director Kevin Smith. In the style of many geniuses before him, Smith dropped out of film school, worked as a video store clerk, and sold his comic book collection to make his first movie, Clerks, on a budget of $27,000. Flush with $3 million at the box office and critical acclaim, Smith went on to make Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl, and  Clerks 2. What do nearly all these movies have in common? Slackers. So in honor of KS’s favorite character type, here’s our list of top cinematic slackers. Grab that dirty clothing off the floor, collapse on your ratty couch, stuff stale cheetos in your face, and get inspired…

1. The Big Lebowski, 1998

Jeff Lebowski, known as the Dude, is a cheerful burnout whose world turns upside down when he’s mistaken for a millionaire with the same name - and finds himself in the LA underworld. The plot is frenetic, the dialogue is hilariously absurd, and the soundtrack and acting are unexpectedly stellar.

2. Clerks, 1994

Chronicling a day in the life of a Quick Stop clerk, Clerks captures the hilarity of the humdrum even as it raises slackerdom to existential proportions. From behind his counter, Dante Hicks tries to bring some order to the crazy customers, his mixed-up love life, and his incorrigible friend and fellow clerk Randal.

3. Knocked up, 2007

Lazy, immature 23-year-old Ben sporadically works on a pseudo-porn website in between smoking up with his roommates - until a one-night stand with Alison, a glamorous career woman, leads to accidental pregnancy. The parents-to-be have practically nothing in common, but they decide to keep the baby and give their relationship a chance.

4. Clerks 2, 2006

In this funny, very raunchy sequel to Clerks, it’s been more than 10 years but Dante Hicks and Randal Graves are still working at the same Quick Stop video and convenience store in New Jersey – until it burns down and they find jobs at Mooby’s, a nearby fast-food joint. The film features cameos from Jason Lee and Ben Affleck and a soundtrack ranging from Smashing Pumpkins to Alanis Morissette.

5. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, 2001

Kevin Smith’s fifth and final installment in his New Jersey Chronicles is a chance for scene-stealing stoner Jay and his taciturn sidekick Silent Bob to carry their own movie. It’s a lovingly crude comedy rife with celebrity cameos, slapstick movie spoofs, and clever jabs at Hollywood.

6. Dazed and Confused, 1993

Stoners, jocks, and snobby sorority girls wait for classes to end with drugs and parties. Richard Linklater’s movie is a comic, nostalgic cross-clique look at high school, with a painfully familiar and unforgettable cast of characters.

7. Billy Madison, 1995

To gain control of his family’s billion dollar business, a slacker must go back to school and get through grades 1-12 again in 6 months. The fact that he’s a hopeless goof who failed it all the first time doesn’t help.

8. Mallrats, 1995

When a couple of well-meaning slackers lose their girlfriends, they set about trying to reclaim their pride - and their women - in the most obvious place: the mall. The film marked Jason Lee’s debut as a leading man, and though it failed in theaters, it became a cult classic on video.

9. Big Daddy, 1999

Adam Sandler stars as Sonny Koufax, a perpetual adolescent whose girlfriend gives him an ultimatum: take some responsibility or kiss her goodbye. Magically, his roommate’s child turns up on his doorstep, and Sonny decides to care for the child and prove his maturity.

10. Slacker, 1991

Texan filmmaker Richard Linklater’s debut indie feature takes an original approach to narrative, creating an entirely new form of cinema in the process. Shot at a leisurely pace with a style similar to Robert Bresson, Slacker follows the unmotivated inhabitants of Austin, Texas over one day as they waste their time talking about politics, philosophy, and pop culture.

Want more? Search on Jinni for –
Slacker * Buddies * Stoners * Dropout * Indie * Life turned upside down

Popularity: 8% [?]

It seems likely that in an economic downturn, we’ll buy fewer theater tickets. Instead, we’ll rent more DVDs and continue to watch more online, free as well as pay-to-stream or pay-to-download. We expect that smarter tools for choosing what to watch will be especially important in huge DVD and online catalogues.

But what will we watch? These kinds of things are hard to predict, but here are a few highlights of what Americans enjoyed during hard economic times in the past.

1929: Stock markets crashed worldwide and the U.S. entered the Great Depression.
Top-grossing movie (courtesy of The Numbers): The Broadway Melody

The Broadway Melody had many firsts: MGM’s first musical film, one of the first musicals with a color sequence, and the first sound film to win Best Picture at the Oscars. A backstage show biz love triangle starring two sisters, it’s a light melodrama with plenty of Broadway clichés.

1973: Quadrupling of oil prices by OPEC alongside government spending on the Vietnam War led to stagflation.
Top-grossing movie: The Exorcist

What are those noises in the attic? A young girl is possessed and her desperate mother enlists the help of two priests to exorcise the demon… Very graphic for its time, it was dismissed by Rolling Stone as “nothing more than a religious porn film” – but terrified audiences made it one of the top-grossing horror films of all time.

1987: Black Monday (October 19 1987) was the largest one-day percentage decline in stock market history.
Top-grossing movie: 3 Men and a Baby

Three bachelors find themselves forced to take care of a baby left by one of their girlfriends. With the tagline “They changed her diapers. She changed their lives,” this goofy, feel-good movie was a big hit.

1990: The early 90s recession began as industrial production and manufacturing-trade sales fell off.
Top-grossing movie: Home Alone

An eight year-old is accidentally left behind when his family leaves for Christmas vacation, and has to defend his home against bumbling burglars. A feel-good family classic. Those who remember the early 90s recession also remember Macaulay Culkin back when he was young and cute.

2001: The collapse of the Dot com bubble, along with 9/11 and corporate scandal, led to economic contraction.
Top-grossing movie: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

The first movie about the boy magician, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the fight against Voldemort and the forces of evil. The books became an international obsession among children and adults alike, and the movies stuck close to the original stories and rode the wave to box office success.

There are some notably similar themes among these hits, based on our Movie Genome.

Young heroes * In danger * Feel good * Goofy heroes * Good vs. evil * Sibling relations * Friendship * Lighthearted * Supernatural ability * Mother and daughter
- Inspired? You can search any or several of these on Jinni.

What’s your favorite in this list? And what types of movies do you predict people will choose in the current financial crisis?

Popularity: 13% [?]

Jinni is an alternative spelling of genie, which puts us in pretty distinguished company, cinematically speaking. Here’s a rundown of genies through the ages, with the help of four favorite and one not-so-favorite films.

1. Aladdin (1992)

Probably the best-known genie movie nowadays, Aladdin is a classic Disney fairytale about a young street urchin who falls in love with the princess - and finds a Genie who makes his dreams come true. Genie, mighty but kind (and fond of singing) at last gains freedom from the lamp.

2. I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970)

Who can forget the favorite 60s TV series I Dream of Jeannie? Starring Barbara Eden as a genie found in space by an astronaut, the show was so successful that more than 20 years later a direct to TV film was made. A modern version of the series is supposed to be released in 2010.

3. The Thief of Baghdad (1940)

Genies are not always nice! This fantasy adventure movie is a combination of several middle-eastern folktales from the book One Thousand and One Nights. Ali Baba, Aladdin and Sinbad all mix here into one story, where the hero has to outwit the genie to get his wishes.

4. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

Kids, you can be a genie too! Sinbad and his men set out to retrieve a lost genie lamp. The genie is a young boy who reluctantly helps an evil wizard. An interesting historical note: this was the first full-color film to use stop motion animation effects.

5. Kazaam (1996)

Beware, not all genie movies are fun to watch! This one was rated 94 in IMDb’s Bottom 100 with a terrible score of 2.3/10. It features legendary basketball player Shaquille O’Neal as a genie helping a young boy avoid the local neighborhood gang. But even Shaq and his skills couldn’t save this flick.

Inspired? Search on Jinni for -
Genies * Curses, spells and rituals * Wizard * Classic fairytales * Young hero * Falling in love * Wish come true * Based on a folktale * Stop motion * (or any combination)

Popularity: 14% [?]