Innovation During the Writers' Strike

As I mentioned in my past blog’s about the writers’ strike, there is an opportunity to be innovative in the way television is brought to the masses.

 

While writers, producers and soon-to-be actors are on strike and unwilling to produce new programming, we the general public now have the opportunity to partake in new forms of entertainment.  The longer the strike goes on the more these new innovations will develop and weaken standard television programming as we know it today.

 

3 fill “Void” with Biggies (Hollywood Reporter, 12/21/07) – Today’s Hollywood Reporter is bringing a story of three writers who have signed a revenue-sharing agreement with Biggies to create web-based programming called “The Void”.  This reason this story is important is we’ve gotten rid of the corporate studio and writers union and now all parties involved in this project have agreed upon a way to create and be compensated for work.

 

Writers’ strike sends TV pilots into tailspin (Reuters, 12/20/07) – Reuter reports about the change to the face of the traditional television season.  The television season is from September to August.  With the strike the networks are now forced to change the time table of the season.  Or better yet, to get rid of the season timetable all together.  Why does there need to be a season?  The general public does not demand it.  You can thank cable for providing programming year round and now the networks should start looking at this model.  “Hey Networks, your television models are now declared useless.”  Give me quality programming year round.

The Shortened TV Season

Let me first state that I’m for the most part on the side of the Writers in the strike.  A lot of their work will earn money that they will not see.

 

I’m reading the LA times today and I find it interesting that the Producers have hired Mark Fabiani and Chris Lehane as advisors.  These two joker were former aides to Clinton and Gore and they are pretty nasty when it comes to attacking political adversaries.  They took a dig up as much dirt on your opponent and spin it as bad as you can approach.

 

Hollywood writers are for the most part liberal Democrats.  All I can say to the liberals have fun as your being pelted by your own.  The LA Times suggest the writers hire some GOP advisors.

 

I’m just frustrated that my favorite shows have gotten interesting and there will be no resolution for a long time.  Rather than people figuring out a solution its institutions – corporation vs. union.

 

The conservative in me just says that everyone involved in a production should just negotiate individually rather than resting on industry deals.  The internet seems to be the big sticking issue, the problem here is that the revenue model for the internet is not yet established.  No one really knows if money can be made from downloads and streaming content.  Sure you can advertise, but just how effective it that.

 

Are people really going to flock to the internet for on demand programming?  I’m not convinced that people are willing to do this.  Yet we’re trying to come to a final decision on this new medium.

 

They way entertainment is being distributed today is still up in the air.  All the strike is doing right now is weakening the tradition method, network television and studio productions.  If the strike goes on, no one is going to win except for those who are innovative.  This strike is going to make amateurs a lot of money.