So, eventually, I have to join the world of the info/entertainment and like every self-respecting entertainment blogger, some things have to be said about the WGA strike, and the rumored upcoming SAG strike.
When the writer's strike hit, I read up a bunch on who was walking out, what the producers were doing, and so on; seemed interesting to me to see which show producers actually cared about their shit and which didn't. I read about Jon Stewart's production company paying his striking writers for two weeks, which warmed my heart, and then unsurprisingly reading recently about Ellen DeGeneres crossing the picket line. So, even though there's support and opposition from virtually every angle of the entertainment business, the strike doesn't look like it'll be resolved any time soon, and most shows have halted production.
Being a film student, and one who actively doesn't really watch TV as it is, but rather electronically obtains it (disclaimer: no I don't), I wondered how much networks are going to be hurt by piling in reruns of shows; during the winter months, people tend to watch more TV as it is, so if they start to lose that audience, I can see how advertising money will start to go out the door, and ultimately they'll cave to the demands. Good for writers, bad for networks.
Although, there's another route this strike could take. If both sides stand firm and there isn't much progress made after a few months, you could see a massive revolution in how entertainment is produced. I understand that the union-side of work is important - but if networks find out they can pluck talent cheaply from other sources, they'll do it. Imagine a world where some small comedy troupes get their chance - everyone's seen creative videos on YouTube from people you've never heard of. If the networks start offering money, you can see a ton of new, creative, taking-a-chance kind of shows, with more freedom to the artists - at the same time, you'll see less crap shows, like pointless, high-budget reality shows that harp on the same theme endlessly, or Sitcoms that suck.
Even imagine ads; if they start losing money from the strike they could hold competitions for ads - small crews, small money, lots of creativity.
In my experience, what the industry/networks lack is a kind of balls. If something works it'll take a catastrophe to change plans; reality shows are a great example. But there's talent out there that would do anything to get into the industry; by basically giving them the equipment budget, which could even be as low as 20,000, and giving a cut of the profits, you'll ensure quality television, and it makes taking a chance more financially viable.
It's a very interesting strike, from an outsider's perspective. Of course, the strike could end in a week and all could back to normal in the business.
Let's just hope this strike brings changes - not just for the writers and producers, but for the audience that wants to be entertained.
-Mark
Showing posts with label Hollywood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hollywood. Show all posts
Monday, November 12, 2007
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
The Death of Hollywood
Okay, so this is a little off-topic, but I've been hearing a whole lot recently on how Hollywood is losing money, and I thought I'd weigh in.. I originally posted this here.
What happens when Hollywood runs out of ideas? What if they already have?
Like most people, I enjoy watching movies - and growing up I've seen some great ones, and some terrible ones. Now, old enough to really think about movies, I've began to notice a trend that's ultimately made me depressed:
Where's all the originality gone?
Hollywood as an industry has been in business since the early 1920's, and they've endured some hard times and some good times. There was the Breen code from 33-52, the cinepheliacs of the 70's, and the digital onslaught that came into prominence in the 90's - and all the while, Hollywood has been behind or making some of the most successful movies of every living generation.
But now, much like in the 70's, Hollywood is suffering a crisis in audience turnout. And much like the 70's, it almost comes down to the same problem: People are bored with watching the same movies over and over. Luckily, the 70's found a way to get out of their recession because there was fresh filmmakers like Scorcese, Coppola, Spielberg, and Lucas that had new ideas and different talents to offer the industry.
But that was 30 years ago, and this is today. Almost every conceivable genre has been done or attempted, so there's nothing really new that film can offer audiences in terms of genre - but that will one day change, as the technology increases. I call the last one coming into prevalence was the full-length CGI films, starting with Shrek, and being followed with movies like Cars, Over the Hedge, Ice Age, and so on. And while there's some substance there, for the most part those films will appeal to the child audience, which is not the bulk of the market Hollywood is really concerned with.
It's the young 20-somethings that they're trying to catch, and it's just not happening anymore. And with the 'threat' of piracy taking away their business, Hollywood is getting desperate for cash. But I say that it's not piracy that threatens to do them in - it's their own lack of originality.
Think of the past year - there's only been 1 or 2 really memorable films that have come out, ones that are worth watching again and again and talking about over and over. All the others are easily forgettable, and rightfully so. Myself, I can only think of one film that I really enjoyed and wouldn't forget for anything. All the others that immediately spring to mind are either from the previous year, or foreign.
The film I remember clearly is M. Night Shayamalan's film, Lady in the Water. I know, I know. It got bad reviews, and most people hated it - not myself. I loved it on many levels, but I can respect it and it stands out because it's been so vastly different than anything else that came out this year. And although it's not my favourite film, it's up there.
But beyond that, Hollywood simply isn't willing to take risks on films. There's undoubtedly fantastic ideas for films that are just waiting to be approved for financing, but will never see the light of the camera lens. Why? What happened?
Sequels happened, for one. Now more than ever when we go to the theatre we are convoluted with the same theme played out over and over, such as in the case with Saw 3, X-Men 3 (and now coming with TWO more sequel/prequels), Open Water 2, Pirates of the Caribbean 2, The Butterfly Effect 2, and so on. It's the same formula, every time: There's a good idea in the original (Saw, X-Men, Pirates of the Caribbean) and suddenly Hollywood's desperate attempt to cash in commences. I can handle the marketing, the action figures, the weird/interesting paraphernalia, and the usually bad trailers - but honestly, I don't want to go see it happen again, unless the movie was specifically designed to be more than one (like Lord of the Rings, which even then had some shortcomings in the sequels). It's because usually the sequels are trash, just good graphics with an awful storyline. I don't want to drop 10 more dollars on a bad sequel - not when I could just download it, for example.
That brings me to my next point. Downloading and sharing movies has gained momentum like wildfire over the last few years, causing Hollywood execs to sweat - and now they're pouring money into anti-piracy campaigns and ridiculous lawsuits. While it's important to keep things in perspective there, it's not the only thing Hollywood should focus on - what about developing new filmmakers? What about taking some risks that put them back in the fast lane in the 70's? The focus is no longer on making a quality product - it's just protecting their cashflow - god forbid they ever lose a small amount of money amiss their (still) gigantic profit margin. But what else?
Ads and inflation of prices. Ads are annoying as hell - when I go to the theatre, I don't want to sit through 15, 20, sometimes 30 minutes of ads before the film starts. I can handle the previews for new movies - after all, that's clever marketing to an appropriate audience - and those are at least generating justifiable hype. But what do I care about shoes, or Coke, or other crap? I already shelled out 10 bucks for the ticket, if I want to keep going and watching movies I can't afford to keep buying all the stuff they hawk on me before the film. Besides, if you're a purist like me, there's no damn way you're getting up until that film's over. Cause you know you'll miss the best part. Besides, I paid money, and I'm going to get the best bang for my buck. I didn't pay to see the concession stand lines. This is the same reason I've never walked out of a film or fell asleep during one. I didn't pay 10 bucks for a nap or a drive home. No matter how torturous the movie is, I'll be there through the end crawl. And of course, price is a huge factor. Gone are the days you could pay 4 bucks and watch a film. Now it's 8-10 bucks minimum (except at small independent theatres). Why pay that much when you can watch it for free at home? And DVDs... unless you know where to look, some solo DVDs top out at 40 bucks or more - and the majority still takes a 20 out of your wallet. And don't get me started on Box sets (hence, the sequel marketing). And director's cuts, extended editions, special editions, blah blah blah. None are worth it unless the film is fantastic.
I'm sure by now I sound like a hateful person - but no. In fact, it's my aspirations to work in the industry making films, but I'm still just in the beginning (film school). But even here, we're being watered down to be inserted into the industry with little resistance to its setup. And while many fall with ease, there's a few of us that resist. I resist because I believe the industry needs to be rejuvenated. When people start refusing to make such crap movies that have been done over and over, there's a chance for change.
The only question is how far will the industry fall before it starts to realize what it needs is fresh ideas? The industry is notorious for not changing anything until they absolutely have to. So until then, prepare to see a ton of bad movies, poorly conceived sequels, and Hollywood wondering how piracy is ruining their industry still.
-Mark Drewe, student filmmaker
What happens when Hollywood runs out of ideas? What if they already have?
Like most people, I enjoy watching movies - and growing up I've seen some great ones, and some terrible ones. Now, old enough to really think about movies, I've began to notice a trend that's ultimately made me depressed:
Where's all the originality gone?
Hollywood as an industry has been in business since the early 1920's, and they've endured some hard times and some good times. There was the Breen code from 33-52, the cinepheliacs of the 70's, and the digital onslaught that came into prominence in the 90's - and all the while, Hollywood has been behind or making some of the most successful movies of every living generation.
But now, much like in the 70's, Hollywood is suffering a crisis in audience turnout. And much like the 70's, it almost comes down to the same problem: People are bored with watching the same movies over and over. Luckily, the 70's found a way to get out of their recession because there was fresh filmmakers like Scorcese, Coppola, Spielberg, and Lucas that had new ideas and different talents to offer the industry.
But that was 30 years ago, and this is today. Almost every conceivable genre has been done or attempted, so there's nothing really new that film can offer audiences in terms of genre - but that will one day change, as the technology increases. I call the last one coming into prevalence was the full-length CGI films, starting with Shrek, and being followed with movies like Cars, Over the Hedge, Ice Age, and so on. And while there's some substance there, for the most part those films will appeal to the child audience, which is not the bulk of the market Hollywood is really concerned with.
It's the young 20-somethings that they're trying to catch, and it's just not happening anymore. And with the 'threat' of piracy taking away their business, Hollywood is getting desperate for cash. But I say that it's not piracy that threatens to do them in - it's their own lack of originality.
Think of the past year - there's only been 1 or 2 really memorable films that have come out, ones that are worth watching again and again and talking about over and over. All the others are easily forgettable, and rightfully so. Myself, I can only think of one film that I really enjoyed and wouldn't forget for anything. All the others that immediately spring to mind are either from the previous year, or foreign.
The film I remember clearly is M. Night Shayamalan's film, Lady in the Water. I know, I know. It got bad reviews, and most people hated it - not myself. I loved it on many levels, but I can respect it and it stands out because it's been so vastly different than anything else that came out this year. And although it's not my favourite film, it's up there.
But beyond that, Hollywood simply isn't willing to take risks on films. There's undoubtedly fantastic ideas for films that are just waiting to be approved for financing, but will never see the light of the camera lens. Why? What happened?
Sequels happened, for one. Now more than ever when we go to the theatre we are convoluted with the same theme played out over and over, such as in the case with Saw 3, X-Men 3 (and now coming with TWO more sequel/prequels), Open Water 2, Pirates of the Caribbean 2, The Butterfly Effect 2, and so on. It's the same formula, every time: There's a good idea in the original (Saw, X-Men, Pirates of the Caribbean) and suddenly Hollywood's desperate attempt to cash in commences. I can handle the marketing, the action figures, the weird/interesting paraphernalia, and the usually bad trailers - but honestly, I don't want to go see it happen again, unless the movie was specifically designed to be more than one (like Lord of the Rings, which even then had some shortcomings in the sequels). It's because usually the sequels are trash, just good graphics with an awful storyline. I don't want to drop 10 more dollars on a bad sequel - not when I could just download it, for example.
That brings me to my next point. Downloading and sharing movies has gained momentum like wildfire over the last few years, causing Hollywood execs to sweat - and now they're pouring money into anti-piracy campaigns and ridiculous lawsuits. While it's important to keep things in perspective there, it's not the only thing Hollywood should focus on - what about developing new filmmakers? What about taking some risks that put them back in the fast lane in the 70's? The focus is no longer on making a quality product - it's just protecting their cashflow - god forbid they ever lose a small amount of money amiss their (still) gigantic profit margin. But what else?
Ads and inflation of prices. Ads are annoying as hell - when I go to the theatre, I don't want to sit through 15, 20, sometimes 30 minutes of ads before the film starts. I can handle the previews for new movies - after all, that's clever marketing to an appropriate audience - and those are at least generating justifiable hype. But what do I care about shoes, or Coke, or other crap? I already shelled out 10 bucks for the ticket, if I want to keep going and watching movies I can't afford to keep buying all the stuff they hawk on me before the film. Besides, if you're a purist like me, there's no damn way you're getting up until that film's over. Cause you know you'll miss the best part. Besides, I paid money, and I'm going to get the best bang for my buck. I didn't pay to see the concession stand lines. This is the same reason I've never walked out of a film or fell asleep during one. I didn't pay 10 bucks for a nap or a drive home. No matter how torturous the movie is, I'll be there through the end crawl. And of course, price is a huge factor. Gone are the days you could pay 4 bucks and watch a film. Now it's 8-10 bucks minimum (except at small independent theatres). Why pay that much when you can watch it for free at home? And DVDs... unless you know where to look, some solo DVDs top out at 40 bucks or more - and the majority still takes a 20 out of your wallet. And don't get me started on Box sets (hence, the sequel marketing). And director's cuts, extended editions, special editions, blah blah blah. None are worth it unless the film is fantastic.
I'm sure by now I sound like a hateful person - but no. In fact, it's my aspirations to work in the industry making films, but I'm still just in the beginning (film school). But even here, we're being watered down to be inserted into the industry with little resistance to its setup. And while many fall with ease, there's a few of us that resist. I resist because I believe the industry needs to be rejuvenated. When people start refusing to make such crap movies that have been done over and over, there's a chance for change.
The only question is how far will the industry fall before it starts to realize what it needs is fresh ideas? The industry is notorious for not changing anything until they absolutely have to. So until then, prepare to see a ton of bad movies, poorly conceived sequels, and Hollywood wondering how piracy is ruining their industry still.
-Mark Drewe, student filmmaker
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