When was the last time you watched a TV show during its designated time slot?I can't remember the last time I actually sat down and watched a show, annoying commercials and all. Balancing school, a job and extra-curricular activities doesn't leave much time for vegging out. But iTunes, YouTube and network websites all allow me to catch up on my favorite shows anytime I want. Here's a new idea: TV just for the web. Well, maybe it's not brand new. Blogs, mini-episodes, character profiles and serial shows created just for online viewing have existed for a few years, but none have ever caught on quite like Gossip Girl. So, the creator of everyone's favorite Upper East Side drama, Josh Schwartz, has decided to bring "Rockville, CA" to a computer screen near you. This NYTimes article explains why Schwartz believes this may be the next big thing.
The show, which focuses on a music blogger (so 2009) and a music executive, aims to tell the story of kids going to the fictional Rockville Club in LA. Why? Because the original idea, which focused on a record label, doesn't work well in a time when records and CDs barely exist. Schwartz is hoping to increase the online presence of the show by connecting to iTunes, band interviews and the Myspace pages of bands who perform on the show (in the vein of "The OC," his other hit).
One of the most interesting parts of creating a show that airs in short (think five to seven minute) episodes is how the time limit changes the story structure. How much action can really happen in that amount of time? How will the characters develop? Is there room for the traditional structure of a beginning, middle and end? Obviously Schwartz and TheWB.com (which actually has a ton of these just-for-the-web "web originals" available on their website) are putting the show online in order to try new marketing and advertising techniques, but I will be curious to see how the actual storytelling is affected. Schwartz recognizes the challenge himself: “It’s not like you’re doing an hourlong soap where people are dying,” he said. “It’s smaller. Part of the excitement of doing it was figuring out how to tell stories in this format. It’s less incident-driven and more observational.”
Images:
1.http://www.thewb.com/shows/photos/
2.http://www.jackbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/gossip-girl-season-2-episode-13.jpg
3.http://www.thewb.com/shows/photos/
Emily,
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought about it until you posted it, but I also barely watch tv at home and yet seem to be able to keep up with all my favorite shows just fine (I'm a gossip girl fan myself). I think the point you make about webisodes is a good one. How will a shorter structure change stories? One of my favorite webisodes, called Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog was made during the Writer's Strike and follows Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) in his quest to join the Evil League of Evil. It was produced in about 12 minute segments, but since I never saw when it aired originally (online) I watched the whole thing at once. I tended to like this better, since I saw the story resolve itself in 45 minutes. Maybe I'm too "Old Media" to really appreciate very short episodes of anything... but maybe people in the future won't be. Anyway, I thought your post was very relevant. See you in class—Stephanie
In an effort to relax, I do tend to veg out in front of the TV especially when I'm eating (so I don't feel like I'm not doing anything).
ReplyDeleteI especially tune in to Comedy Central to laugh a little and escape from my hectic life.
Technically, there are many attempts at TV for the internet.
Some of them are actually public television shows broadcast live on the internet, but others pull together online video clips in the form of channels like joost and miro.
Obviously, they have not been all that successful since their viewership is relatively low.
There have been a few successes like lonelygirl15 from YouTube and Quarterlife which have set the bar for internet shows.
Both series have ended.
I really want to find the next big internet series because what's better than combining my two biggest indulgences: internet and TV.
This is definitely an interesting look to the future. I completely agree that almost every TV show I watch is online because I always have too much homework to do. However, there are two things that I only watch on TV: cable news (because it's too entertaining) and reruns of shows that I don't want to watch. I love House, but I'd rather not watch the same episode three times.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of interactive TV channels Al Gore tried a version of this a few years ago. He launched a TV channel where users online determined which 5-10 minute long clips would be played on TV. That was the entire channel. I'm not sure if it's still around, but it is an interesting precursor to the future of web TV.