Sam Reich, Head of Original Videos for CollegeHumor (INTERVIEW) Edit

For those of you that don’t know CollegeHumor, it’s definitely time to get acquainted. Launched in 1999, CollegeHumor was created to share viral videos that mock modern life. Sam Reich joined as the head of CollegeHumor Originals, and leads the creation of all the sites original videos.

After being nominated for several Webby Awards, it’s clear CollegeHumor isn’t going to stop poking fun just yet, and Sam Reich talked to us about the role trend spotting has played and will continue to play in the site’s video creations.

9 Questions with Sam Reich

1. How did you get involved with CollegeHumor and what motivates you to continue?

I founded a comedy group called Dutch West that was making funny online videos a year before YouTube. CollegeHumor saw some of our videos and thought I would be a good person to found their original content department. Back then it was just me holding the boom and directing the actors while Vincent Peone, a fellow Dutch West member, held the camera.  We shot the first Street Fighter video that way.  Now we’re a team of twenty-five. 

I love being one of the first to work in this medium and helping set the standard for quality.  The internet right now is like cable television in the 90s: lots of really low-quality stuff with a few exceptions.  We’re positioning ourselves to be to the internet what Comedy Central was to cable.  The work may be a little bit more gritty and less glamorous than film or television, but we’re at the tip of a rising iceburg.

I’m also hoping Barry Diller will adopt me.

2. How significant are the topics of cool hunting and trend spotting to CollegeHumor?

We go on Digg, Google Trends, Twitter Search, etc., to find topics for videos.  Then we’ll go into the writer’s room and riff on them.  We have the best editorial staff on the planet.  They’ve been creating online video since the very beginning and know how to please their audience. 

It’s sometimes hard to differentiate between a lasting and passing trend.  One good test is, where are you hearing about it?  Blogs?  Emails?  Around the office?  On the street?  Other parody videos?  You can grade a trend 1-5 depending on how many venues you heard about it in.  If your parents told you about it, subtract one.

3. What is the best way to create an infectious idea, product or service?

Be able to summarize it in a single, compelling sentence.  In Hollywood they call this a “log line,” but I’ve found it applicable to every good idea.

4. What is the key to innovation?

Good ideas come from relaxed conversations, so having a relaxed atmosphere, as well as not being rigid about creative deadlines, is very helpful.

Also, in order so that too few people don’t feel burdened with too much creative responsibility, it’s good to encourage everyone you work with to be creative.  Some of our best ideas have come from completely unexpected sources.  I’m looking at you, Fresh Direct delivery guy.  Thanks for “Web Site Story.”

5. What is the most important trend you see in your industry?

A waning interest in UGC.  Gone is the day when monkey videos could support a whole website.  Original videos used to be 1/50th of our inventory and 1/30th of our views; now they’re 1/5th of our inventory and 1/2 of our views.  We’ve crept up production as the demand for original video has increased and our traffic has never been better.

6. What are your ambitions for CollegeHumor?

We just announced a new production company called Notional, which will be responsible for developing TV and film projects with powerful Internet presences.  I’m excited about it.  There’s no other production company with so much experience in both new and traditional media.

7. How do you reset yourself to be creative? Do you have any rituals?

Baths.

8. Professionally, what do you want to be doing in 10 years?

Making movies.  Unprofessionally, I want to show up late for meetings.

9. What are your most important hobbies?

Surfing the web.  We make our videos for Internet fantatics, so it’s important to approach our audience as one.