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Lady Gaga - Source: Reuters -
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It was less than 10 years ago. I remember sitting in a lecture theatre, struggling to stay conscious, when the lecturer said something that caught my attention.
"One day, there won't be programmed television. We'll just choose what to watch from a giant online database."
It seemed ridiculous at the time, like something out of The Jetsons. And while it is not entirely a reality yet, more and more evidence suggests it is but years away.
This week, Tahuna Breaks launched their new music video Giddy Up. I can't link to it here because, well, it is not what one might call "TVNZ appropriate".
An X-rated spoof of the Pointer Sisters' classic Sesame Street song - Pinball Number Count - the video essentially features a lone sperm, making its way through a phallic-laden pinball machine.
There is no question it would ever be played on mainstream television. The band knew this but continued with the video anyway - hoping to make it a viral hit.
Three days after release, it has been viewed 2,214 times. It remains to be seen just how successful their campaign will be.
But it marks a significant change in bands' attitudes. Gone are the days when bands would give their right arm to premiere their video on MTV. (Even Lady Gaga shunned the music station in favour of E! when she released her latest hit Telephone.)
Tahuna Breaks is a successful local funk band who would be guaranteed airplay in New Zealand with any video suitable for broadcast.
Yet they made the calculated decision to make and release a NSFW video - rather than get lost in the blaring, background noise that is music television.
Plus, there is always the small chance that the video will go global - a la Savage and Swing - and open the door for bigger things.
Just this week another local, online venture earned international accolades, when Reservoir Hill won an International Emmy Award - the first for New Zealand.
The series was launched last year and featured weekly online-only instalments.
At the time, it was a risky venture. It's one thing to catch up on your favourite shows online - but another entirely to draw viewers to a brand new series, with no mainstream following.
But as Reservoir Hill has shown, quality online content can reach more people, in more places, than any local broadcast.
Time will tell if Tahuna Breaks manage to catch that wave. But one thing is certain, even the Jetsons would be impressed.
Read more of Joanna Hunkin's blogs.
