Stuff, the gadget bible, is offering £20,000 to a creative type who can spread its techie wisdom over the Web by hosting and presenting its internet TV show.
Anyone who uploads a short clip to YouTube of their review of any gadget stands to win a 6-month contract at Stuff.tv, worth £10,000, plus £10,000 in hi-tech goodies.
Content must be original and non-offensive, but presented in a thought-provoking way that is entertaining enough to swell the show’s 40,000-strong weekly audience.
Entrants do not need to be broadcast experts, though Stuff told FreelanceUK they should have natural talent, authentic presentation skills and a freelance mindset.
They said the winner will bag further TV presenting gigs or appearances, thanks to Presenters Inc, a mentoring, training and placement firm that will support them on-set.
For being the current face of Stuff, its editor-in-chief Tom Dunmore has already been on mainstream media, having appeared on The Gadget Show, BBC Breakfast and Sky News.
He said that the competition, Show Us Your Stuff, was a great opportunity for budding TV anchors, while for creative freelancers, particularly journalists, it was a sure sign of the times.
“It’s really important that all journalists are comfortable in front of a microphone or camera, because the boundaries between print, digital and broadcast are becoming so blurry.”
Evidencing his claim, Dunmore said he sends out his print journalists with laptops and 3G cards, while making sure his online journalists have video-cameras and notepads.
“The opportunities [here] for journalists are summed up generally by the phrase -'this is the way the world is going,'” agreed Presenters’ co-founder Jonus Hurst, pointing to the competition.
“More and more companies and brands are realising that they must use new media formats. It is fairly obvious that the written word is on the decline, sadly, and visual journalism is taking over.”
One brand leading the takeover is CNN, which yesterday counted 125,000 iReporters – freelance civilian reporters, who upload their eye-witness photos and videos to CNN from around the globe.
“In the world of technology, web video is very hot,” testified Hurst, “and the big brands are desperate to be seen on Stuff TV. So we get to do a lot of cool stuff, from flying with Red Bull stunt pilots to driving tanks.”
He said that many journalists without TV experience are initially scared by the camera, but once coached in the “art of presenting” they normally enjoy themselves.
Chiefly this is because a journalist trained in presenting to an online audience learns they can get their “words out there far quicker than traditional methods.”
Pay for presenters of online TV, vblogs and videocasts would not normally spur someone into the industry, Hurst said, but this role, offering £20,000 in prizes, could lead to "bigger TV opportunities."
“It’s hard work, but it’s also incredibly exciting,” Dunmore reflected. “The internet means you get immediate feedback from your readers and views, and the more recognised you become the more you’ll be asked to comment on the BBC and Sky News…[and] we have a few fans online who turn up to our live shows, but I wouldn’t promise instant, worldwide fame!”
Aug 15, 2008
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