When the concept of branded entertainment first entered into the ad world's vernacular, it arrived with the subtext that it was the natural progression from the traditional 30-second spot. Many companies approached the transition from short to longform as a simple issue of scale; budgets would be bigger, copywriters would write longer scripts, directors would shoot more material. Simple - they'd be just like commercials, only longer.

But as mediocre branded entertainment projects pile up one by one, we're forced to re-examine the logic that begat them. Given that a good seven-minute film and a good commercial need to be handled in completely different ways, is it realistic to expect directors, copywriters and producers to make the transition seamlessly? Is the commercial world's compressed production timeframe a welcoming environment in which to make compelling longform content? And, perhaps most importantly, is it realistic to assume that the commercial industry can compete against the comparatively big-budget output of television and film for the audience's attention? In the hopes of cracking some of the production issues circling branded entertainment, we talked to a trio of executives from production companies who have been particularly proactive on the longform front.

"Because our background is film, it's not too much of a step for us," says Jules Daly, president of RSA Films. "Maybe sometimes it is for some of the young directors, but their enthusiasm and passion for doing something longer than the standard length commercial is so huge that they just embrace it. To date, it's been less of a challenge and more [about] excitement in terms of the directors' involvement."

But is enthusiasm and excitement enough to bridge the gap between the two disciplines? Some feel that shortform commercials provide a good training ground for longform material, but Anonymous Content's Dave Morrison looks at them as two entirely different entities. "My first job in this business was repping Martin Scorsese for commercials," he says. "Great filmmaker, but have you seen his commercials? You need people who know how to move seamlessly through both worlds, who know how to entertain people in a longer format as well as what's good for the brand. To think that a commercial director who spent his whole career doing 30- or 60-second spots has the tool chest for other mediums might be naïve."

While Daly agrees that the learning curve can sometimes be steep and the financial constraints challenging, she says branded entertainment provides a tremendous venue for production companies to further invest in their talent. "I've definitely found that it's something we have to work a little bit harder at, but it's worth it because you're either building the director's reel with some longer form or sometimes you have a relationship with somebody and you want to make it happen."

Morrison, who executive produced 2001's landmark BMWFilms series, contends that the different pace and infrastructure of the commercial world isn't always conducive to the production of quality branded entertainment. "The theory with BMW was to make it as good as the movies, because that's what the audience is used to," he says. "They're a sophisticated audience and you have to give them a reason to watch, [but] it can take a lot more money and time to produce [something like that]. We're not talking about financial quarters, we're basically talking about a movie, which can take almost a year. The problem is a lot of brand managers aren't even there for a year, so they'll try and do it on the cheap or have some film student do something that they'll sponsor with a car in it or something. Those are all just quick fixes that make them look like they're actually addressing [branded entertainment]. The reason that a lot of this stuff is bad is because they're not throwing any real commitment behind it. The only way to do that takes a lot more money and a lot more time than a lot of the clients are used to."

While @radical.media's Frank Scherma acknowledges that a lot of branded content projects operate on hugely compressed timeframes, he doesn't necessarily see that as a roadblock to success. If anything, he says, it just means you have to be savvier about the people you recruit. "It's all about being smart," he says. "What great producers and great production companies do is bring the right team of people around for the right projects. So that's really the most important thing that we as a company can do in this arena - to look at the project overall and understand it."

That understanding, says Scherma, is what guarantees that the commercial production industry will continue to have equity in the world of branded entertainment for years to come. "A lot of times clients look at people in Hollywood and think 'Let's go produce something because they know how to get a television show on the air'," Scherma says. "But they don't understand the brand, not like an advertising agency does. They don't have a history like we do with advertising agencies and brands that matter to us. It really matters to us that it works for the brand because that's what our business is."

For his part, Morrison isn't as sure that the traditional methods of branding will carry over to longform content. "To BMW's credit, they were like 'destroy cars, do whatever you have to do'," he recalls. "I remember being on the set and Ang Lee says to the client 'I want to make your car look good' and the client goes 'don't worry about our car, just make the stories great!' And it paid off for them. In the end, it was the best branding for them, because now people say 'BMW Films' and in those two words, you're branding."