BY BILLY HULKOWER
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK ROBERT HALPER
internet fever has swept los anqeles.
Across the City ot Angels, Internet
entertainment companies are sprout
ing from garages, emerging via venture
capital funding, and forming as new
subsidiaries of studio giants like
Warner Brothers and DreamWorks. In
January, anyone in the film and televi
sion industries who had previously
ignored the Internet boom was shaken
awake when Internet giant AOL pur
chased the world’s largest entertain
ment conglomerate, Time Warner. So,
why should you catch the fever?
Creative roles in Hollywood have
long been among the most sought
after jobs—and some of the hardest to
land. With the high production costs
of today’s blockbusters, executives at
major studios are wary of hiring indi
viduals without a proven track record.
Recent college graduates can work for
years as assistants, waiting to someday
crack Hollywood’s gilded doors ajar.
But behold! Sweeping changes in
technology create new needs. In the
1950s, it was television that allowed
hundreds of young writers, directors,
and editors to get the breaks they’d
longed for. In the ’80s, the emergence
of direct-to-video entertainment,
music videos, and cable television
offered new openings to eager film
school graduates. And today, Internet
entertainment represents the latest
Hollywood shake-up. With hundreds
of companies out to make their name,
aspiring artists and writers have a gold
en opportunity to hone skills, build
contacts, and strut their natural talent.
when randi barnes set
out for Hollywood, she planned to
work in television and do some writ
ing on the side—preparation for her
long-term goal of writing and direct
ing independent films. But Barnes,
24, is now situated directly in the
midst of Hollywood’s new-media
boom as manager of creative affairs at
IceBox.com, a web site that offers off
beat animated comedies. By ditching
the traditional media track, Barnes