Watch this trailer:
Looks like an awesome movie, doesn’t it?
But it’s not a movie.
Okay, a fantastic TV show.
Not a TV show either.
What is it?
It’s a web series. And by the looks of it, the most audacious one yet.
I started tracking scripted web series early on in this blog — for example here, here, and here. But my interest in them tapered off for a variety of reasons, mostly because on a purely quality basis, they suffered in comparison to TV and movies. And almost all of that had to do with funding. The economic model for making money on web series apparently hadn’t matured enough for studios or venture capitalists to justify significant budgets to projects. And while there is a certain amount of creativity that arises from flying by the seat of your pants, that can only take you so far in terms of how something looks and feels on a screen.
But along comes “H+”. From Seriable:
If this Bryan Singer-produced web series is successful, as I predict it will be, there will be a major increase of professionally produced web series’ in the next year. I would guess that the web series may even start to compete with the online viewing of regular TV shows, as a smaller format may be appealing to those who are at work, or don’t have enough time to fully commit to an hour of viewing.
Here’s the synopsis:
“H+” takes viewers on a journey into an apocalyptic future where technology has begun to spiral out of control…. a future where 33% of the world’s population has retired its cell phones and laptops in favor of a stunning new device – an implanted computer system called H+. This tiny tool allows the user’s own mind and nervous system to be connected to the Internet 24 hours a day.
But something else is coming… something dark and vicious… and within seconds, billions of people will be dead… opening the door to radical changes in the political and social landscape of the planet — prompting survivors to make sense of what went wrong.
Three things:
* Bryan Singer: The director of X-Men, X2, and Superman Returns is involved as a producer.
* Warner Bros.: At the very end of the trailer in the credits, you see the Warner Bros. logo. Not some unknown prod co, but a major studio involved as a marketing, distribution, and perhaps most importantly funding entity.
* This quote: “…a smaller format may be appealing to those who are at work, or don’t have enough time to fully commit to an hour of viewing.”
In our current cultural universe, all roads do seem to be pointing toward shrinking attention span syndrome, ironically veering toward the old days of movie serials:
As usual, I have no dog in this hunt, no connection whatsoever to this project except for one long-standing and abiding interest: The growth of new media markets that can become a source of jobs for writers. So if only for that reason, I hope “H+” is a smashing success.
What do you think of the trailer? Would you watch this series? What do you think about the current state of web series?
I’m torn about how I feel about projects like this for one very important reason – they are affordable enough to make most of us into filmmakers. Distribution is easy. The same social networks the studios use are available to anyone else to use on a level playing field (for now)
Agent and managers will give you access to talent if you’re making something. Everyone is seeking work.
Despite the fact that WB and other studios are playing in the digital sandbox it’s important to note that the major studio brands do not carry the weight they once did. The business of production is fractured and truly global now.
I know loads of out of work, highly skilled and trained cinematographers, production designers, line producers, actors, writers, etc. – all looking for something to do and there is no good reason to wait for a studio to notice your talents.
Take IRON SKY for example. It’s not perfect but it’s the closest thing to a grass roots event movie I know of and it’s got to rattle some of the studio heads that this new frontier is not their of personal fiefdom.
Ultimately Hollywood studios might leave production behind and instead make deals with indie production houses all around the world that can produce their own high quality content and market it at fractions of the cost. All the studios would control is classic distribution and the ability to create audiences for the products – and of course, glamor.
Most movies are privately funded now. So it’s already happening.
Will I watch this show? No.
Buffal_Nickel: I certainly agree with you in terms of indie filmmakers, web series producers, and generally content creators growing in influence, quality, revenues, etc. And there has been talk for years about studios moving not only out of production, but also development, and strictly moving into distribution and marketing.
But it never happens, and I’m not sure it ever will for two reasons, both starting with “con”: Content and Control. Check out this NYT article from 2 days ago. We all know how the studios have taken a major hit over declining DVD sales. Now along comes this:
“The mood has shifted from, ‘Oh, my God, our business models are broken and we’re going to be cannibalized’ to something resembling euphoria,” said Peter Guber, a former chairman of Columbia Pictures who is now chief executive of the Mandalay Entertainment Group, which has interests in movies, TV and sports. “Studios see a robust, accelerating online market.”
Serious Web-based buyers for movies and television shows are popping up all over. Netflix, the DVD-by-mail and streaming service, was already aggressively pursuing Hollywood content and making sizable payments for it. This month, in a clear challenge to Netflix, Verizon and Redbox said they would team up on a service to stream studio films on the Internet. Days later, Amazon completed a deal to buy episodes of Viacom-owned programs, including “Jersey Shore” and “SpongeBob SquarePants,” as it prepares to introduce a stand-alone streaming service that also will compete with Netflix.
Hollywood also anticipates that YouTube and Google will soon expand their movie and television service beyond rentals to include sales. Steadily ramping up their offerings are Walmart’s Vudu, Best Buy’s CinemaNow, Apple’s iTunes and Hulu. And that is just in North America. The competition for online movie and television rights is also heating up in places like Brazil, where NetMovies Entertainment has a deal to stream material owned by the Walt Disney Company.
Whatever they do, they will own content. Content they can get revenue from over multiple streams, repurpose, repackage, and remake, add to their libraries, merchandise, and so forth.
And I’ve been around long enough to see this dance studios will do from time to time, where they go from “just bring us a damn package” to the other extreme, “we want to develop it from the get-go.” I think that latter instinct is about wanting to be in control of the content.
So will the major studios cut “deals with indie production house all around the world that can produce their own high quality content and market it at fractions of the cost”? Perhaps. But the studios have an insatiable appetite for content. And I think there is some sort of concurrent dynamic associated with that which keeps bringing them back to wanting to control as much of that process as possible.
We shall see!
In the meantime, here’s to all the indie content creators. May you wave your freak flag high, kick some creative ass, and stretch narrative boundaries when the Muses speak to you!
The audience at large no longer cares where the content comes from.
That has to be one of the most significant changes in the way content is valued by owners and creators.
Video games (now rich in storytelling) earn more money than movies.
So going back to your original post I think it’s true that more than ever good writing is needed because the opportunities to get content produced are more plentiful than ever.
When just about anybody can create content only the skillfully told story will ever make something stand out. Hollywood knows how to market a bomb into financial success but the individual creator needs to bring his A game.
It makes you wonder what someone like Truffaut would be like if he were coming up in this new media frontier.
No doubt he’d have his own website.
Truffaut would kick ass in today’s environment. And so would Cassavetes.