Screenwriters, TV Writers, Playwrights and New Technologies

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 

Content, Advertising and Screens!

                                                                                                                         
The  new year makes last year's conversations even more pressing in many cases.  One of the issues of great importance to content creators, advertisers, distributors and audiences that was covered in depth at the NAB Show New York Expo and Conference that took place at the Javits Center last November was the convergence of content, advertising and the growing number of screens. There were several outstanding speakers and panels but for the sake of brevity I will focus on the Keynote delivered by Brandon Berger of Ogilvy and Mather.

He listed ten things that must be considered in the present entertainment/advertising business today:

1. Mobil is the main screen - Its not to say that mobile is the winner in our cross-screen world but it is causing a disruption in how movies and other content are distributed and created.  Its more important than ever for content creators to consider how their products will be watched. According to an article in the Hollywood Reporter by Paul Bond (12/30/15), "Major Hollywood conglomerates lost nearly $50 billion in market value amid fears about changing TV viewing habits, with four of the big seven companies' stocks falling, while shares of Netflix and Amazon more than doubled."
2. There is a democratization of distribution - This is true in one sense however, many content creators do not get compensated for their original work.  Independents who post their content on the Internet or streaming services generally don't have the large advertising budgets to make sure their products stand out in the crowd.
3. Competition is redefined - Now we have theatrical release, streaming, broadcast TV, cable TV and of course cell phones, notepads and computers.  For example, according to Mr. Berger people are watching 2 hours and 57 minutes of content on cell phones, per day.
4. He encourages distributors to allow their content to find its way to cross-platforms.
5. Form defines the function - This goes back to knowing on what screens your content will be viewed.
6. Storytelling is a survival skill, its the most important thing! - This is very close to my heart as a content creator.  So much emphasis is being placed on technology now and expanded media, that storytelling stands the risk of being second class instead of the foundation of it all.
7. Interrupting is rude - Commercials are everywhere. When VOD was beginning to take off everywhere you turned (or read) there were conversations regarding how to monetize this new avenue of distribution.  Unfortunately they figured it out. Now that viewers are rebelling by skipping these dreaded commercial interruptions, advertisers are looking closer at storytelling within stories.
8. Data is the new currency that tells us how and where people are viewing content.
9. Scarcity - Actually I didn't take good notes for this topic but it has to do with audiences being alienated.
10. Speed is everything - We are in an instant world and that is how we want our content for viewing.

These are items of importance that we must keep in mind.  I really enjoyed the discussions on integrating advertising with content.  We have moved from product placement, to branded entertainment, now product integration.  As a writer/producer I see product integration as a way to raise capital for my works.  In doing this its very important to seamlessly integrate a product (s) without compromising the story.  Its been proven that products that become active parts of the story create emotional ties with consumers without interrupting their viewing experience.

So why aren't advertisers searching for talented screenwriters? Can you afford the top Hollywood writers? 

On another note, the Garden State Film Festival, one of the biggest and most professional in New Jersey takes place in Atlantic City March 31st-April 3rd this year: www.gsff.org  I have the honor of facilitating a panel on Film To Video that will examine the transition that's taking place in movie making.  I am also in the process of developing an installation of the same name that will be on the premises for the duration of the festival.  This is a great, reasonably priced festival that's a great deal of fun and headquartered at the Resorts Casino Hotel.

From me to you!

sevgenprod@gmail.com