Blowtorch hopes to catch fire

Blowtorch Entertainment came on the scene this fall armed with more than $50 million in initial funding and a goal to create a media company for a young-adult audience. The founders joined up based on the belief that the media consumption behaviors of young adults require new rules for media creation, distribution and audience engagement.

Unlike traditional user-generated media, Blowtorch aims to balance professional-grade production with user participation. Before its Web site has even gone live, the company has already negotiated for its films to be shown in select theaters nationwide and to be sold on DVD, TV and video-on-demand outlets.

Observers are waiting anxiously to see if the combination of big ambition and big money will lead to booming success or blowout for Blowtorch. Steve Weinswig, media group president for Blowtorch, spoke with Associate Editor Sarah Reedy about why he's confident it will be the former.

On the inspiration for the company:

Kelly Rodriques, the CEO, was inspired while on a trip to China, where he observed an entirely new wave of media consumption patterns among 18- to 24-year-olds. It led to further thoughts about balancing user-influenced and professional-grade entertainment, and about creating a new media brand that could satisfy these new consumption patterns and create a platform for marketers to engage with this audience.

On Blowtorch's audience:

The young-adult market has always had a higher speed of adoption compared to other demographics. And today's 18- to 24-year-old has grown up online, mashing, sharing and critiquing content. So they are not restrained by having to switch, adopt or learn new models.

On the company's business model:

Revenue will come from ticket sales, distribution and sponsorship, [and] promotion and advertising led by large brand partners.

On Blowtorch's mission statement:

To be the go-to media brand for 18- to 24-year-olds that engages, inspires and transcends distribution, content development and channel restrictions. Once Blowtorch is the go-to media brand, it will serve as a platform for marketers to engage with this young-adult audience.

On relinquishing control to the users:

Users and user participation is an integral part of Blowtorch's future. They will have the opportunity to influence content through voting on a selection of pre-casted actors, soundtracks and other elements of Blowtorch's films. They can also submit their own ideas for scripts of short films used in Blowtorch's pre-show. Given this level of user influence, Blowtorch understands that there has to be an element of professional production and editing, and that balancing this professional-grade finishing with user-generated content will create materials that are wholly different than any of the UGC sites or traditional media available today.

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