TV Formats for the Mobile Generation

Last summer we looked at changing video strategies and now, as US audiences move away from traditional TV and spend more time on mobile devices, Californian media executives are turning to new new formats.

These changing viewing habits give the opportunity to attract new, younger audiences through new formats developed specifically for the mobile phone. Here are a few creative examples that I’ve been impressed by recently:

• Mosaic: Created by Director Steven Soderbergh is effectively an interactive movie where the viewer can choose which perspective they see.
• Hooked is a mobile app that plays out stories through text messages. It is a freemium model that is also available on Snapchat.
• Highly Gifted is an animated series by the cartoonist Lehrer Boys. It has been bought by Snapchat and is designed in portrait often using split screen viewing.

Why it matters: Directors are no longer limited to a strict format so are getting more creative with new ways to tell stories and interact with viewers.