Female Webisode Producer Shares Insider Tips with Millennials

Online, April 7, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Leave it to a Millennial to figure out how to monetize new media, and leave it to a 21 year old beauty to make the process look "off the hook"! Producer/Host, Britt Hysen, went from college blogger to new media producer after attending NATPE 2010 (National Association of Television Programming Executives)earlier this year. By simply combining three digital tools- a 12.2 megapixel digital camera that fit into her pocket, a small laptop, and a basic video editing program- Hysen launched Behind the Scene with Britt Hysen directly from the conference floor. "David Zaslav from Discovery Communications told the audience at the opening session to create quality content and upload it to YouTube, so I figured I was ahead of the game," the tenacious undergrad explained. "I'm sure he (Zaslav) had no idea I was recording him and just minutes away from uploading his advice to YouTube!"

After having her official game plan endorsed by Zaslav at the beginning of the conference, Hysen was determined to pursue a subject matter near and dear to her heart. Namely, how women in entertainment achieve their success, and what challenges they face as females in the business. While the men at NATPE 2010 noticeably out numbered their female counterparts on the panels and in the sessions 3 to 1, there were plenty of women experts from which to interrogate starting with Katie Jacobs, creator of House, M.D. Much to Hysen's surprise, Jacobs denied ever having problems with her gender in either being hired or doing the hiring. "I didn't let her off so easy," Hysen declared. "I repeated the question several times each time using slightly different words, but she insisted gender bias was never an issue for her." Judge Judy offered realistic and practical career advice regarding anyone breaking into the business. "She told us to stay in school, get our degrees, and have a backup plan just in case." Hysen conceded, "Judy drove home the importance of a good education, and you can't argue with that". At the end of the second day, however, Hysen finally received the validation she sought. The session pertained to webisodes, and the ratio of males to females was actually even with Actress/Producers Justine Bateman and Illeana Douglas among the panelists. Both women confirmed Hysen's suspicion regarding gender bias in network and cable broadcast, but insisted they were not experiencing the same difficulties in new media. "Illeana said the networks wouldn't even speak to her," Hysen reported, "so she went directly to sponsors and pitched her show as a webisode. She made a deal with IKEA, and said it's been a great partnership." Bateman's story was similar. "I love pitching to brands," the well known actress turned new media producer admitted. "They're happy to meet with me, and very receptive." But the defining moment for women in entertainment was when Felicia Day, Producer/Writer of The Guild accepted the first NATPE 2010 Digital Luminary Award for Original Web Content. Hysen radiated with optimism, "Felicia's win was historical. Add that to Bigelow's Oscar and Illeana & Justine's sponsored webisodes, and a new door is being opened for women in entertainment. The ceiling still exists, but we're all chipping out chunks." And that is exactly what Hysen intends to do with her Gen Y blog, Pro-series podcasts, and Behind the Scene with Britt Hysen, a webisode that delves into the current art culture and the professionals responsible for it. "My show explores the world under the umbrella of art," Hysen beamed, "while proving it's possible to actually earn a living doing what you love!"

In-depth advice from media leaders at NATPE 2010, veteran TV/Film editor, Michael Stern (90210, Battlestar Galactica, X-Files), and The DoLaB, Los Angeles live-event producers known for unparalleled art installations, can be viewed on Hysen's official website, www.SceneWithBritt.com. Series episodes, including pertinent interviews with Social Media consultant, David Bloom, 3-D producer with I.E. Effects, Sarah Bavero, and Marketing Manager for online video platform Twistage, Dru Johnston are available on Hysen's channel on YouTube: Britt Hysen.