The other day I saw a Veo 7 Twision programme, made for and by tweeps, and frankly I had a great time. The content was fairly good and in line with tweeps’ concerns and interests. We tweeps are very prone to criticizing anything we don’t like and that could be improved, and the programme still has room for improvement; which is normal as we are just starting out. But for me, the positive points outweigh the negative ones by a long way.

Here’s the link to the programme, for those of you who didn’t see it live.

I’ve been told that I’m wasting my time and energy talking about this project; but I just love the fact that there is an initiative like this in Spain, where we are the pioneers for once. Taking part in it live was a priceless experience.

What got to me the most though was not the actual content of the programme (which was very interesting of course); the quality will get better over time if they capitalize on our feedback via our comments; the programme has a striking agility and freshness that is truly surprising.

No, the most important thing for me was what was happening among the tweeps that were participating in the programme. Firstly, we all observed and commented with the same curiosity, attention and perplexity of a new-born baby, whose surroundings are completely new and unfamiliar. We could tell, for the first time, how the audience was reacting. It was like being in a virtual theatre where all of us could talk to each other, almost telepathically, but both on-stage and in the audience. This is not just television, with a couch-potato audience slumped on the sofa just watching the box. And neither is it just the Internet, with all its good points. This is an attempt to improve both these universes. The spectators (and I include myself here) both paid attention to the screen AND actively participated. And we’re still commenting on the programme now (days after the event) in anticipation of the next one (in a week’s time). It’s fantastic!

There have been a few similar experiences tried on TV, but the interaction and/or audience participation was much more limited, and I personally have never participated because the format just didn’t appeal to me. There’s absolutely no comparison, … it’s like comparing God with the Devil.

We’ve all lived through startups and learning experiences many times before. It happened with the birth of the Internet, and with WebPages. It happened with online newspapers, which started out being an exact digital copy of the printed versions, and which later morphed and improved. It happened a long time ago with the transition from silent movies to sound – at that time sound was considered just another feature, not any more important than say, the decor.

It’s the passage of time, thinking, testing, making a lot of mistakes and analyzing those mistakes that allowed the Internet (and silent movies) to evolve as they have done.

I hope this also happens to this Veo 7 programme. The type of feedback that is possible now thanks to Web 2.0 will allow it to evolve even faster. I assume that the people responsible for the programme already know exactly where they failed and what to improve. Another thing entirely is to find the right solution, but they have my vote of confidence; I will certainly participate in the next programme and get as many of my contacts to join me there too, so we can all actively enjoy a truly gratifying experience together.

One of the most frequent complaints from tweeps is that there was too much conventional publicity in the programme. And they’re right! Maybe this is inevitable at this point in time, when the producers are still looking for the optimum streams of income. One thing is very clear to me, though: if the product is to be top quality, then it has to be profitable for those who make it, but without lowering the interest level for those who watch it. A tough and interesting challenge!

Un mensaje para los potenciales anunciantes. No conozco cuáles son las tarifas publicitarias del soporte, pero creo que la oportunidad es única para aquellos anunciantes que sepan ver la rentabilidad de esponsorizar un evento de las características de Twisión. Yo, si fuera anunciante no lo dudaría. Apostaría por Twisión. Porque esto es algo único, diferente, y con visos de crecer rápidamente. Señores anunciantes: ¿No quieren ustedes diferenciarse, estar cerca, captar la atención de sus usuarios, dar una imagen de estar a la última? Este es el medio.

Lastly, a message for possible advertisers: I don’t know what the rates are for this platform, but I think this is a unique opportunity for those advertisers who can see the potential and profitability of sponsoring an event like Twision’s. If I were an advertiser, I’d have no doubts. I’d go with Twision, because they’re unique and different and with the possibility of growing rapidly. Advertisers: “Don’t you want to differentiate yourselves, be close to, capture the attention of your users, and promote your image of being at the cutting edge?” This is the medium.

This post in Spanish: Twision, una nueva forma de comunicar en Veo7