The last bet of Jeffrey Katzenberg, former CEO of Disney and one of the most important figures in Hollywood, is Quibi . A new video platform designed to be consumed only and exclusively from the mobile phone and whose contents take between seven and ten minutes. Of course, do not think that everything is amateurish. On the contrary, the bet is very high. It will come out well?
Little bites, big stories
About the existence of Quibi, whose name comes from Quick Bites (small bites) , we had already heard. We knew that it would be an exclusive content platform to consume from the mobile phone. What’s more, thanks to that, it would have a series of characteristics that would give more sense to that decision and the environment’s tightness.
Well Quibi arrived and we could say that almost by surprise to everyone. Because initially it was expected only for the United States, but it has not been like that and from Spain you can also download and start enjoying or, at least, browsing. But before talking about the content, let’s talk about who is behind it.
Jeffrey Katzenberg , former CEO of Disney between 1984 and 1994; and Meg Whitman , former HP director, are the two main figures at the helm of the project. And they may not sound much to you, but in Katzenberg’s case we can say that he is one of the Hollywood heavyweights. Thanks to that they obtained a financing of more than a billion dollars to produce high quality content. Because that is Quibi’s bet, small video bites to tell great stories.
Well-known faces also participate in these stories, with actors such as Sophie Turner, Liam Hemsworth, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer López or LeBron James among many others. Not forgetting the proposals of directors like Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro or Ridley Scott that will come later.
The value of Quibi: the content
We don’t like to use these kinds of definitions, but this may be better understood. Because together with a very high production quality are added a series of details that could only be obtained from a mobile phone.
The first is that the content can be played both horizontally and vertically . When we do it vertically, what it really does is trim the sides. This in some shows is not a problem because the point of interest is centered, but in others you lose information. Even so, with this decision they break that controversy of horizontal or vertical video and it is the user who chooses how to see it. But yes, always taking full advantage of the screen of your terminal.
The second interesting point is related to duration. Between about seven and ten minutes is how long these, say, chapters or small movies last. The reasons are several, on the one hand there is the focus of being small bites of great stories and on the other, a way of favoring the user to consume them by having the idea that it will only take you ten minutes to see it. Nothing to sit during the usual fifty minutes of most current series or the two hours of a movie.
Therefore, this approach of offering well-structured content in small doses is one of the main attractions of the platform. Much more than being able to see them vertically, although there are more interesting details such as the restriction that the next horror series that Spielberg will premiere exclusively in Quibi will have: you will only be able to see it after sunset.
Exactly, the application will not allow you to see each quibi if, thanks to the data provided by your smartphone, it does not detect that the sun has already set. Why? Well, because we are talking about a series of terror and so that the atmosphere is more proper, nothing better than seeing it at night.
Regarding the interface , the application shows a first screen with recommended content for you that you will switch to cards in a vertical carousel. Then, at the bottom you will see four icons that take you to that initial screen, to a search engine, to the content you follow so as not to miss new chapters (quibis) and downloads. Because yes, you can download them to see when you have no connection.
When you enter the search engine, the interface is very similar to other platforms, with sections where they show recently added content, daily news, etc. And when accessing each program you have options to follow it, receive notifications when there are new chapters, information about the director and actors, etc. More or less the same as we are used to seeing in other proposals, but with the difference of being an application that works quite well thanks to the only mobile approach with which it arrives.
In summary, with a high quality content (in English but with Spanish subtitles) that has little or nothing to envy to original productions of Net-flix or H-BO for example and with the same freshness that can be seen on platforms such as Instagram and their live shows. vertically make Quibi’s bet interesting and very eye-catching. But equally it will not be easy.
The big challenge
So far Quibi’s proposal is interesting, both for the content and the implementation of the format. It is necessary to think that from next year they expect that there will be a total of 175 titles and 8,500 quibis (chapters that make up each production). That is, material to spare where high-level productions will be mixed with others that will maintain a standard, but will be faster to produce with a lot of Lifestyle content, news, etc., and will help to always have something new to see every week.
However, the platform has a complicated challenge: convincing the user to pay. Because Quibi is very well right now, you register and you have 90 days (for a limited time) to enjoy everything there is and they will publish it. But after that free trial period the service would cost 8.99 euros per month . And of course, with so many other subscription services what will you do. Will you stop paying Net-flix to watch Quibi, will you add that fee to that of Disney +, Spotify and many other services that you pay monthly?
That will be a problem, although for lack of money right now it will not be and its managers may have made the calculations to amortize the investment. For example, with the option that they will offer in the United States. And is that there, Quibi will be priced at only $ 5 a month if you agree to see some ads in return. Could that reach the rest of the countries? It seems complicated, but over time it should not be impossible.
What is clear is that not everyone can or is willing to pay for one service and another and another. So this ad resource could be an option that is gradually spreading more, as even Amazon recently did with Music Unlimited.
We will see what happens, but for now Quibi comes with very good ideas , with a very fresh approach that mixes the best of the great streaming video services with details and freshness that have made other platforms like Instagram and their stories or the YouTube itself with those contents that you easily consume during the 10 or 15 minutes of commuting to work, class or while you collect food dishes.
What to see in Quibi
And now, if Quibi attracted you and you want to take advantage of the 90-day trial , here are some suggestions of the best content that you can see right now. Logically there is much more , like Speedrun (news about the world of video games), but it is always good to start with something.
Survive
With Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) as the main attraction, this production places us in the role of a woman who must survive in nature after an accident on the plane she was traveling on. Something that will not be easy despite being accompanied. It may be one of the best productions out there right now.
Most dangerous game
With Liam Hemsworth and Christoph Waltz in the role he best plays, this series is a kind of remake of those other movies where humans hunt other humans as a game. The same does not surprise you from the first minute, but the level is good.
When the Streetlights Go on
Series where a murder of a girl shakes a small community in the United States and a group of young people, including the victim’s own sister, who must fight to find normalcy again while the case is investigated.
Shape of pasta
If you like cooking shows and pasta in particular, this is your series. A tour of the kitchen that among other things will make you want to eat pasta. The production is on par with similar programs, well conducted, with rhythm and very good image quality.
Thanks a million
With Jennifer López as a prominent face, along with nine other celebrities such as Kevin Hart, Kristen Bell or Nick Jonas among others, they will have to promote a chain of favors. To do this, they will give $ 100,000 to a person who marks them and these, in turn, will have to pass half of that money to another person. Again, that one will have to repeat the process with half the amount received and complete a chain of favors. Yes, it has a very American touch, but there is always something striking in these proposals.
Prodigy
The popular footballer Megan Rapinoe will show prodigies of the sport, both female and male, where the aspirations of the platform are clearly demonstrated by offering very carefully visual content. Because if the material is also interesting in this case, others may not like it. But this series in question we think is worth it if you like sports.
Punk’d
You may remember that prank show where Ashton Kutchner teased other celebrities. Well this is the same only as Chance The Rapper as ringmaster. Produced by MTV again and with the same thug touch, if you like the theme you might like it.