The Vision: Beyond Television
For a man that is far more comfortable talking about his team than himself, Cameron Death has a work history that would make even the most charismatic tech guru weep into their kale smoothie.
After almost a decade at the headquarters of the company that built the foundation of the tech revolution, Microsoft, he crossed over to the next frontier and built from the ground up NBC’s very first digital studio. His US achievements have been lauded by The New York Times, TV Week and Advertising Age, to name but a few. But while his accent and his CV have been built in the US, Cameron is a New Zealander returned home and he’s now helping other talented Kiwis find the spotlight and share our stories through cutting-edge platforms like WatchMe under the umbrella of New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME)’s Vision department. Not bad for a Kiwi whose last job here was at a café that no longer exists.Even if you look at WatchMe – which is the tip of the iceberg in terms of what you are involved in overall at NZME, but even there – there is a growing diversity in the types of content you are creating, from comedy in various forms, to news, to the sports side of things. Across everything that you are involved in, is there one area for which you have a particular fondness – do you have a favourite child? I grew up solving marketing issues for advertising clients. And so whenever I’m able to be in that mode, I feel that’s the place where I know best. Whether we’re creating a show for an advertiser or pitching through to an advertiser, that’s the combination of left brain and right brain that I love the most. But this job’s perfect, because I’ve been able to learn the news business from some of the best people in the field. And I’ve been able to learn comedy in a whole different way as well. But it’s in that pitch and that business mindset around advertising and marketing problems where I feel best.
Even if you look at WatchMe – which is the tip of the iceberg in terms of what you are involved in overall at NZME, but even there – there is a growing diversity in the types of content you are creating, from comedy in various forms, to news, to the sports side of things. Across everything that you are involved in, is there one area for which you have a particular fondness – do you have a favourite child?
I grew up solving marketing issues for advertising clients. And so whenever I’m able to be in that mode, I feel that’s the place where I know best. Whether we’re creating a show for an advertiser or pitching through to an advertiser, that’s the combination of left brain and right brain that I love the most. But this job’s perfect, because I’ve been able to learn the news business from some of the best people in the field. And I’ve been able to learn comedy in a whole different way as well. But it’s in that pitch and that business mindset around advertising and marketing problems where I feel best.
Is it fair to say that things have changed along the way, from the early concepts of marketing and advertising to concepts like native content?
In some ways, yes. But I think in other ways we’ve come full circle too, [to] where brands are looking to create content, sponsor content, and be aligned with content. Which is no different from how soap operas in the US started. When TV first started, it was the Texaco Star Theatre in the US that was a Texaco-built production that wouldn’t have existed if not for that brand. And those are the conversations we’re getting into with advertisers now. Which is how can they be part of the content, and a meaningful producer of content, versus just a badging exercise or just a media exercise. Obviously, there’s a lot that is different. Digital has changed everything, and the accountability that comes with that and the ability to target reach, which is something the mass media has had trouble with in the past – that’s different. But the fundamentals are still the same, the fundamentals of ‘how do I influence consumer preference?’ – Procter & Gamble calls it that last moment of truth, right? When you’re at the supermarket shelf and you choose one product over another.
So that’s still what we’re trying to do here and solve. Whether it be through content, traditional marketing or those things coming together. That ability to enact that last moment of truth.
As a snapshot of that media evolution, WatchMe as a thing is still very young in the scheme of things.
A tiny start-up.
Even in that 18 months, do you feel like you as a person have evolved?
I’ve been back from the States for 2½ years now and I think I came from a big market where there was a lot of money and a lot of people doing big, shiny, bright things that millions of people would see. And I came here and it’s a market the size of Detroit. And we were like: “Wow, is there going to be that innovation? Is there going to be that ability to tell great stories, to do interesting, innovative things?” I think, for me, the mindset that’s changed is that it’s actually easier here. We have more creativity and more opportunity to do that here in a smaller market and actually make an impact and cut through, than you do in that massive market there. So, for me, that was the mindset shift. I was nervous about coming and doing something small. But because we are smaller, you actually can have a much bigger impact than you could in the US especially.
And things are growing here Vision is dozens of people now, so from a corporate standpoint, we’re investing heavily in the people and resources.
In terms of the structure that you oversee, what are the divisions?
Vision is the video production arm of NZME, so within that I’ve got a news team, and their main product is Focus, which is a news show. We come in every day at 6am, and we don’t know what that news agenda’s going to look like, but by the end of the day, we’ve usually bedded in 18 to 20 video news segments that didn’t exist in the morning. We’ve worked closely with our reporters and people on the ground here to then create news segments; either shot here or in the field and I’ve got an amazing team on that.
WatchMe is the other big piece. Video on demand is now stretching from being young male-oriented, to a much broader [audience]. And stretching from comedy into entertainment and, ultimately, into drama over the course of a year.
About a year ago, we launched a commercial division. I have a team who just solves our advertisers’ needs, and is now creating TVCs and campaigns for some of New Zealand’s top advertisers using those same resources that we use to tell great stories for our viewers as well.
And then I’ve got other new video initiatives, where we’re experimenting and trying a bunch of stuff. We’ve just piloted a travel show that we have now ordered a series for, plus we’re just shooting an interesting new business show that will be rolling out over the coming weeks. That’s kind of an incubation experimentation piece.
And then the last piece of Vision, overall, which is really amazing, is that we’ve become the video arm for our own brands. So, when The Herald rebrands or Flava rebrands or Newstalk ZB needs a TVC, my internal customers become the customers as well. So those are the main pillars… and then we’ve got production resources to flex out across all of those.
Do you have a vision for where Vision will be in five years’ time?
I want us to be integral to every part of the content experience within NZME. I want us to be adding value to every story. Because that’s what we do, right? Tell stories. I want us to be helping tell great stories to The Herald readers, just as much as we can to Fletch, Vaughan and Megan fans on ZM. I want us to have video as a cornerstone of all of that, and have us creating amazing content that millions and millions of people are engaging with.
That’s the sort ‘pie in the sky’ view. I want WatchMe to expand beyond entertainment and sports even further. We’ll become a centre point for viewers’ viewing behaviour. So that when they go home at night and they’re turning on Netflix, I want them to fire up WatchMe beforehand, hopefully. And find great Kiwi content there that appeals to them.
And then, on the commercial side, we’ve only just started scratching the surface of how we partner with ad agencies and brands to take that storytelling knowledge, to help them tell stories to our viewers as well. And so, if I’m working with the top 20 brands right now, over time I want that to be the top 100.
There’s an incredible shift towards on-demand in terms of viewership; do you feel like you are part of the drive in the change of behaviour?
I think viewers are driving the shift and demanding that we service that. Consumers are telling us they want to consume content differently to how it has traditionally been done on free-to-air. And now we’re all trying to work out what that looks like. But I do believe there’s space for all of us to play.
There’s still a lot of people – they may not be you and me – who love to go home and make sure they’re there on time for the 6 o’clock news. And Friday night’s Country Calendar night. And that’s not going to change overnight. But we’ve got a large chunk of the population asking for something different. And that’s what NZME is trying to serve – across video, news, sports and entertainment.
And in terms of this eco-system where someone comes home and they watch a bit of WatchMe, say, before watching Netflix, do you have in mind a point of difference or a way that you slot in with this Netflix experience? Obviously, there is a difference in terms of more bite-sized, episodic content, with more of a spotlight on New Zealand and our New Zealand creative talent but is that the thing you are focusing on?
As Kiwis, we want to see ourselves on screen and I respect that; that’s what the free-to-air broadcasters have done since 1960, but I think what we have the ability to is meet that need and take on the role of being with our audience throughout the day and changing mode to mode throughout the day.
I want you to wake up, log onto Facebook and see a video from the Focus team that brings you up to speed on what happened overnight. When you’ve got five minutes before a meeting or on your lunch break, I want you to log on to WatchMe and catch up on something light and a little more frivolous, perhaps. I want you to be on the bus and using your device to access our music content. Each day, you’re brought up to speed, I want NZME to be part of that. I think we’re only just starting and I’m not naive enough to think that we’ve cracked that, but when you’re seeing things like NZH Focus getting streamed over 2.5 million times in a recent week, I think we’re onto something of what consumers are looking for. And now we’ve just got to keep honing that.
And in terms of tapping into that thing that viewers are wanting, have you been surprised by any of the insights from a data point of view, in terms of audience behaviour?
It always surprises me that we as content creators think the most expensive content is going to be the content that everyone gravitates towards, but smart, interesting, entertaining content doesn’t have to cost millions per episode. And I think we’ve seen that through the content we’ve tried here. We have tiers of production and some of our amazing stuff that’s of a lower expense to create has actually found an audience faster than some of the stuff that’s more expensive.That’s always a surprise to me.
I would be very wealthy if I knew the formula to making hits.
Are there clues though? Do you get a sense about what’s going to resonate with an audience?
When you’re doing short-form animated comedy based on stories of people’s online dating fumbles, and you’re doing high-end drama based on a sex worker-turned comedian, it’s hard to then put those together and go: “Okay these are the things that we should do that are repeatable, what we should continue to do.”
It’s not rocket science, but it is respecting our viewers’ time, so that we’re giving them something they can consume in the amount of time they want to devote to us. [It’s about] not being precious about where they watch it, so it’s being able to distribute that content widely across every device everywhere.
It’s being authentic from an advertising standpoint. Our viewers are really, really smart. So not insulting that intelligence by giving them crappy brand experiences or shitty product placement is key; [we need to] respecting the viewer. Those are the common things that we do, but right now, we’re very much in experimentation mode.
I’m also lucky enough to have a team who is in a demographic that I may not be in. I’m lucky enough to be able to trust their instincts, and trust their creativity and their ability to tell a story that’ll resonate with their peers. Versus what some old white guy is telling them to do.
In terms of being someone who’s really instrumental in helping drive this content evolution and how we are creating and consuming our stories, it seems like you were made for this role with your time at Microsoft and then NBC. Was this part of a grand plan to come back to New Zealand and do something like this?
Oh yeah, it’s all perfectly planned that [laughs]. No. I mean, I’ve had amazing opportunities that I’ve prepared myself for, but I’ve been really lucky throughout my career. And they have interestingly fitted into place. And, hand on heart, I’m in the best job for me in New Zealand right now because of all those things coming together. No question about that. But there wasn’t some plan.
I came back here 2½ years ago. I was about to take a big job in Boston but my mum got sick and then my brother died unexpectedly. And I kinda went: “Wait a minute, maybe this is the universe trying to tell me something.” So my partner and I packed up and moved here… got off the plane with two duffel bags each, without any professional contacts or anything, no idea of the market, no network. I literally knew nobody in business.
The last job I had here was at a café while I was in Wellington College, so I had no network to speak of. That place doesn’t even exist any more. So coming back here certainly wasn’t a professional decision, it was a personal decision that just has happened to turn into the most really cool professional opportunity.
What do you think are some of the factors behind your career success? Is it about seizing the opportunity?
My philosophy is to be disarmingly humble. So, no matter what you’ve done career-wise, come in as if you know nothing and start and build that up and gain that trust internally. And I think that’s what’s allowed me to succeed at a big tech company and at a big media company in the US… and now with the big media company here. It’s not about coming in with what I’ve done before, it’s about coming in and actually creating and letting the work speak for itself. I think there’s a humility you have to have. Especially when you’re surrounded by a ton of great experts. I would’ve failed if I walked into NBC and told them how to create content. They’re NBC. I would’ve failed if I walked in here and told them how to create news. It’s NZME. But I can show them how to do it a different way and make a profitable business out of it.
There’s obviously a difference between the way that New Zealanders and Americans operate; did that come into play for you?
I think it’s my Kiwi blood that allowed me to do that successfully in the US, and I think it’s my Kiwi blood that makes me fortunate enough to know how to operate here. But an American who had never set foot here may not know how to do it. So, I guess I’ve got the drive of the US and a career in the US, but the ability to do it in a New Zealand environment.
In terms of that, in the psychology regarding the content side of things, do you get the sense that our cultural cringe is changing?
I think we’re proud of what we’re producing. We don’t take ourselves so seriously enough to hold ourselves up on a pedestal that we don’t belong on. We’re not afraid to take the piss out of ourselves and I think we’re not afraid to expose that to the world. And I think that makes us unique and interesting, rather than boastful and arrogant.
Does it feel sometimes that you are facing a battle in regards to the perception of digital content in a world of influencers, bloggers, YouTubers and videographers? Is there the sense we don’t value the work, talent and craft that goes into some video content because the barriers to entry have so diminished?
I do think that content serves a purpose and the viewers are electing to gravitate towards that content. But I do find it curious that a make-up tutorial online can have 300 million views, yet a beautiful piece of content that a director may have made as a passion project won’t have 1000 views and it sort of doesn’t see the light of day. I find that curious. But I think there’s room for us all to play in there. And I think as someone who grew up in the digital world, we almost trained people to expect less from digital. We trained people to think it was all about cats on the skateboards and make-up tutorials. And now we’re coming to a place where Netflix and some of the other studios have elevated this digital experience, you can expect more now. We can expect things like Stand Up Girl, or the sorts of shows that we’re releasing this year. It’s going to take time for consumers to change that mindset to expect more from online.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
This is personal and professional, but it’s the absolute importance of being resilient. We’re all going to get knocked down. I created the digital studio at NBC. Then Comcast came in and shut it down overnight and I had to lay off more of my friends than anyone would ever want to. But you’ve got to get right back up. On a personal level as well, you’ve just got to dust yourself off. Personally, we’ve all got our stories, and professionally we’ve all got our stories. But it’s that resilience that will set you apart. And it’s that belief for me that it’s all going to work out okay. I don’t know what the exact quote is, but it’s about the power and the importance of resilience.
