The original NAB Show will take place in Las Vegas April 18th-21st of this year. This event is more than glitz and glam. It is an opportunity to see where the television and radio industries are headed and where they are now. A quote on NAB's website reads:
"The media and entertainment industry has become unleashed. Dynamic innovation and cutting-edge technologies are shattering the boundaries of content and opening up limitless opportunities. NAB Show® is the only place to break free from conventional thinking and open your mind."
Having attended NAB Show New York this past November, I found this to be true. My question is this, if "...cutting edge technologies are shattering the boundaries of content and opening up limitless opportunities" as quoted above, how does this affect screen, TV writers and playwrights? In the transition between film, tape and digital media how has writing changed? This is a serious question for writers and educators.
At NAB New York Sony Pictures Chairman Steve Mosko stated that everything rests on strong storytelling. I wish he would record this so it could be played for every studio, production company, school and writer! For better or worse the world has changed but it all rests on the ability to tell a story with depth, layers and strong characters. Yet writers seem to be at the bottom layer of all this.
It has been established that mobile is the number one screen these days. Then we have note pads, computers, TV and movie theaters. So yes writers now more than ever must consider the platform where their work will be shown. For instance long shots and great panoramic views don't show on a flat mobile screen and will loose effect on a note pad. In a conversation with Michael Uslan (producer of several Batman movies and animated series) a few years ago about releasing movies direct to Video on Demand he said he loved the idea but he would never want any Batman movie released that way because you need a big screen to capture the tone and excitement of the movies.
Writers have always had to consider how their movies would be released but now its critical. An instructor at the college where I worked as an Adjunct wanted to know why screenwriting could not be taught in just one semester since technology now leans to short stories. My response was once you learn how to build a house you would be able to build one of any size but first you needed to learn everything involved in building a house. Its the same thing with storytelling. Once you understand the craft you can tell stories destined for any screen. However, you must understand the possibilities and limitations of each platform.
So writers should be flooding NAB with a hunger to understand these diverse technologies so you can adapt. Attention spans are shrinking at the speed of light so on small screens how can you break your stories up into little segments? Now here's the other consideration.
How will content distributors and producers open doors so great writers without Hollywood credentials can bring content to help your money tree grow? Everyone talks about the democracy of the Internet for "unknown" writers and producers. Its true and eventually a small number are able to monetize their efforts. However, that should not be the only way. If conventional thinking is going to be overturned then overturn the barriers that prevents writers from being considered. Many industry people constantly say there is a lack of good writers. Is that true or is it that the moats, walls, electrified fences, guard dogs and security people make it extremely difficult for writer's works to be seen?
I will be at NAB Show 2016 and hope to see you there.
From Me to You. Hisani P. DuBose