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This week on Diaspora.nz ... on my last trip to NYC 🗽🇺🇸 I sat down with Georgia Rippin, founder at Kold Open. We had an awesome conversation, wide ranging across:
— what it takes to break into film & media ... in her case, sneaking into studio mailrooms with Whittaker's chocolate wrapped in a CV (no really, it worked lol)
— the enduring art of story telling, how it's form continues to evolve ... specifically: where "mid-form video" (10-20 minute episodic content) sits in a unique sweet spot between TikTok and Netflix, why platforms like YouTube fail to serve this niche effectively.
— some unique insights (for me, at least) into how legacy media studios handle IP rights, particularly around AI-driven use of creators’ images and voices... where the opportunities lie (dynamic, generative product placement - look it up 👀).
— an unexpected trend .. what's old is new again! FAST channels (i.e. Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) .. aka traditional TV 📺 are apparently growing like crazy, offering viewers free access to curated content, monetized through ads, as an antidote to costly and fragmented subscription services... Essentially reviving the cable TV experience.
Diaspora(dot) nz pod exists to help surface the stories of crazy, ambitious kiwis doing cool things around the world... and Georgia is a 🎯.
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Time Stamps
00:00 – Intro
02:16 – From legal briefs to scripts: Why she picked New York over LA
04:18 – Mid-form explained: How shows like Workaholics and It’s Always Sunny began
08:01 – Why YouTube’s algorithm hurts episodic creators—and how Kold Open fixes it
10:20 – Cracking the first big studio deal: Lessons in hustle, grit, and chocolate bribes
14:19 – Being ‘productively naïve’: Georgia on forging a path without industry connections
18:07 – AI’s silver lining for indies: New tools that help with coloring, sound, and distribution
25:37 – Rise of FAST channels: Why “free TV” is the next frontier for content creators
31:53 – The founder journey: Building a startup in NYC and hitting sustainable revenue
35:54 – AI-driven ad placement: Adding a digital Pepsi cup post-production (and getting paid)
40:48 – Advice for aspiring Kiwi creators: Collaboration, comedic storytelling, and never giving up
Resources
- Kold Open – Georgia’s mid-form platform: https://www.koldopen.com
- Georgia Rippin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-rippin/
- Viva La Dirt League (NZ’s comedy YouTubers mentioned): https://www.youtube.com/c/VivaLaDirtLeague
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