Christopher Webster [Cathode Ray Mission 08.26.13] drama



I am fascinated by the state of the entertainment industry right now. Everyone knows things are changing and everyone claims they know where the industry is heading, but really no one has a clue. And though Kevin Spacey makes an impassioned plea for giving greedy viewers everything all the time for nothing in return of some tweets, I wonder if it's pie in the sky on some level.

Okay, traditional TV is not dying like people say in fact many networks are still raking in record topping ad dollars. The DVD market is drying up, but only in light of how much less it is then the late nineties DVD boom, which, let's face it, was insane and couldn't have lasted forever. Netflix seems like the future up front, but as they acquire and produce HBO level shows, who knows if it's sustainable yet (I think it might be). And then there's this Kickstater thing which honestly baffles me. Why are people more willing to give money to a production up front, than pay less money for a film that comes to them completed? What the fuck is happening?


Here's what Kevin Spacey has to say.

What are your opinions?

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Jeff (8 years ago) Reply

Cool...I see it as an issue of the 'execs' suffering from a 'flat earth' view that there is not enough profit in common sense.
I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly pilots and am amazed at how wrong I've been when thinking one should last and not see it renewed (Under the Dome is an exception..lol)

chuc k (8 years ago) Reply

OK can we make this speech the rallying cry for 'consumers' of 'entertainment'?
I know it's kind of naive, but the creators of entertainment need to re-assess why they picked up pens or cameras to begin with. Do you want to tell a story or do you want to get rich?

donc48 (8 years ago) Reply

I think KS is right on a number of levels. People want stories they want people they can root for and against. I can't tell you how many podcasts I heard people bitching about season three of the Walking Dead, but many still came back because they cared about the group and they hoped things would get better. With Netflix, Hulu plus, Amazon, and various cable stations making their own programing things will only get better. House of Cards, Breaking Bad, Booth on the Left (On Hulu Plus) are great shows and there will more coming because those firms want as may eye balls watching their products as possible, it's about money.

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