television - do the corps have a future??? by wytchcroft

TALK STORY

television - do the corps have a future???

POSTED BY: WYTCHCROFT
UPDATED: Monday, November 19, 2007 14:29
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VIEWED: 2481
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Sunday, November 11, 2007 10:35 AM

this is not a pro / anti tv debate thing...

but i'm simply interested in peoples views - given the new media avialable through the internet / dvds etc... how DO people see the executives/networks developing???

i watch many 20th century fox shows - via dvd.
do i watch fox on tv??? nope.

if it wern't for the internet Drive and Veronica Mars mighta slipped my radar.

i watch more fan vids, amateur films, pod casts, web casts, my space and you tube stuff than i do tv.

old shows i access via download.

the writers strike is one reaction to these developments. i know you can pay for downloads - but the stuff has to be paid for and FOUND - hello, Drive episodes 5 and 6. Hello Trash, The Message, Heart of Gold.... (till the shiny dvd set).

we are not (ahem) over fond of fox (though its routine cancellation of my fave shows is really NOT the reason to get to mad at a mega-corp... but save that for them as like arguement threads.

TOPIC: Do Fox and Universal and whoever - all the rest - actually have a future??? if so in what FORM??
will small 'outsider' products become as wattched as mainstream tv????
how do people watch entertainment now???

Buffy was probably the last show i actually watched same time, same week with friends or family.

My current fave show is BSG - but i watch that through the web or on dvd as often as on tv...

(firefly got axed - angel 5 got shunted about)

what about you 'coats?

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Sunday, November 11, 2007 10:46 AM

FILLIANGIRL4136

Quote:
Originally posted by wytchcroft:
TOPIC: Do Fox and Universal and whoever - all the rest - actually have a future??? if so in what FORM??

I honestly believe that they do have a future for one reason only: MONEY.

In order to produce and create the shows that you mention BSG, Buffy, Firefly, etc..., it cost a lot of money to create these shows. I am not saying that I support how the production companies are treating their writers and actors in terms of paying them of online and dvd sales, but it does cost Billions of dollars to create the worlds's tv and cinema entertainment.

I think if the CEOs are really smart they will listen to the writers because they are the ones that pull the material out of thin air for them to produce and make billions on.

I am a big supporter of paying for the material that I download online because once the strike is over the writers (and SAG members next summer) will be recieving their share of profits for the creative work that they create.

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Sunday, November 11, 2007 10:57 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

For me it is DVDs. I don't own a TV anymore I just buy a dvd I like the look of and watch things on my Mini Mac. Presently doing this with SUPERNATURAL.

As for the future of Networks. I would hazard a guess and say they'll try any devious trick they can to have some kind of control over the internet. Much like iTunes is doing with music. How and when... who knows. I imagine they'll always be ways of watching things via the internet without paying. But they'll do their utmost to try and regulate it.

As for how peeps will view things; I wonder why some upstart hasn't already come up with an all in one encompassing media centre to go in the family front room/lounge. Y'know a place where the entire family can download 'live' their favourite shows through their wireless broadband, connected to a 10:1 plasma screen, where they can also go online and order their pizza toppings in between the ads, snap in their iPod/iphone in a designated slot to save the show for later viewing while going to work on the bus. With requisite wireless functions so that the kids can do their homework, or at least download their homework and email it into the school safely out of the dogs reach.....

Buffy was the last show I watched on TV as it aired too.

www.cirqus.com

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Sunday, November 11, 2007 11:35 AM

WYTCHCROFT

bump

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Sunday, November 11, 2007 7:42 PM

WYTCHCROFT

last bumps starting here!

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Sunday, November 11, 2007 8:49 PM

REGINAROADIE

I think what we're seeing now is the first steps of a paradigm shift. The old ways of doing business are dying out, or at the very least evolving. This is the first year that networks are implementing DVR data in terms of their shows and who watches them. And shows like GOSSIP GIRL that doesn't have huge ratings, are being held onto because a lot of people DVR that piece of crap. If DVR was out when FIREFLY was on the air, and they saw that more people were DVRing the show than watching it during it's initial broadcast, then maybe it could have lasted longer than it did.

And it's not just tv. Entertainment Weekly did a great cover story on how in one week, Radiohead put their latest album online and told their fans that they could set the price to download the album and Madonna walked away from Warner Records to sign with this new company that's never even sold a single album to be in charge of EVERY aspect of her career (album sales, world tours, merchandising, EVERYTHING). Basically, these two events signaled a new way of running the music industry, where you don't need a huge record label to make you a star, and that by catering to the fans directly, they would insure their prolonged careers.

I think what is happening is that the corps are realizing that they're basically middle men, and it's gotten to the point where they may not be needed in that capacity. Yes, they still will be needed in terms of getting talent together and maybe as a brand name recognition. But they won't be the be all/end all that they once were.

I think what a lot of people are predicting will come true. That tv and the internet will meld together into a Cortex like thing. And that movie theaters will never go away, but that you can have the option of seeing BEOWULF either online or in the theater on Friday.

Personally, I'd rather put up with the so called "hassles" of moviegoing just to have the communal experience of sitting in a crowded theater with the lights down to see something on a towering screen. We've been doing this since we were cavemen. Why should we stop now?

And, I support the writers 100% of the way. Give them what's due to them, and then they'll get back to work on THE OFFICE. I want more OFFICE and for HEROES not to be over in three weeks and for 24 and LOST to start up next year.

**************************************************
"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

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Sunday, November 11, 2007 8:55 PM

TPAGE

I'd just like to say that it doesn't take millions of dollars to create a TV show or film. Sure, it helps. Sure, the quality might be a little better. But not necessary. Were there shows before the age of blockbusters? Yep.

I think a lot of shows could be made with a much smaller budget if they didn't have the money to work with, but they do so why cut costs...

I understand this might not be true for every show but in general terms for the industry I'd say it's absolutely true.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

And if someday on some little piss-ant moon/My hand is a little too slow, or my aim a little bit off/At least I’ll go down fighting, not lying abed surrounded by quacks - "Sir Warrick" by Geezer

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Monday, November 12, 2007 1:54 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK

I don't believe they have a future. At least, if any of them do survive it will be due to their ability to adapt to a playing field which will be much more level for your average Joe writer/actor/producer/director to play on.

There are several reasons for this, but by far the largest one is that the tools necessary for recording acting and action are becoming exponentially cheaper and the technology to make killer special effects is also becoming so cheap and user friendly that soon your grandparents could learn how to use it and pay for it with one of their measly social security checks.

Couple that with the fact that your everyday person is just really getting tired of all of their corporate bullshit and lawsuits and them claiming to protect the artist, when stellar examples like the current WGA strike point out what a line of crap that is. I just don't see how there is any way that these greedy mega-corporations can possibly continue on like they have.

Not to mention that there are tens or possibly hundreds of millions of people worldwide everyday who decide to download their TV shows off torrents now which come with the commercials pre-deleted rather than go out of their way to make sure they're at home every week at a certain time to watch 40 mintues of show and 20 minutes of commercials.

Plus, while everyone is feeling sorry for the writers now, there are thousands and thousands of "below the line" employees who are now jobless as well. These are people who get paid only half the salary as the least paid writers in showbusiness. Your grips and assistants and set designers and wardrobe people and such. Considering the state of the economy today as it is, many of these people may be in serious jepoardy of losing their homes and probably their marriages as well if they have one.

I would think that people can only get burned so many times by the greedy that they come together and overthrow the beast. The mega-production-studio model is a dinosaur and a VERY large one at that. It's almost extinct now. Something like that doesn't go down without a fight. But you know what they say about the bigger they are.... We've got some very interesting times ahead of us.

Brave new world, here we come..... :)

"A government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned." http://www.myspace.com/6ixstringjack

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Thursday, November 15, 2007 1:47 AM

WYTCHCROFT

interesting views (thanks for posting) - any more?

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Thursday, November 15, 2007 4:45 AM

JONGSSTRAW

I don't watch any network TV "shows" except Sports & News. I like watching sports on a large screen TV, as well as HBO's uncut movies and TV series. I don't like watching anything on a small computer screen.

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Monday, November 19, 2007 2:29 PM

TRAVELER

I have noticed my TV viewing has gone down. I used to be glued to the TV during prime time and now I would say it is reduced quit a bit. I find myself watching DVD's or I am on my computer more often than watching TV. But am I the exception or the rule? A new generation is coming along and they are more computer savvy than me so I would expect they are in front of the computer screen than the TV screen.

http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731
Traveler

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