The Holiday Season is a quiet time in the world of television. Most of the network development and programming people take time off; offices are quiet and people spend time with their families. Maybe you are spending time with your family, too. That's wonderful. Enjoy your time with them. I have a great suggestion that will help you make the most of your time together and help you develop great content for your projects:
Ask your family to tell you their stories.
Ask your parents and grandparents about how things were when they were younger. See if your parents, sisters, brothers, or cousins have stories about you when you were younger. Ask why your relatives decided to follow their career path, or how they came to live in the town you're visiting. Tell them some stories about you.
You'll have a great time sharing memories with each other. And, as a side benefit, you might have the material you need to start your next project. Your family's stories are unique -- and because you know these people intimately you are the best person to know which of these stories might spark a content idea that other people will want to watch. The most authentic, compelling material always is rooted in people's real behavior. So listen and share stories during this holiday season, and see what material you can create from it. Use Your Life Story, and Your Family's Story, to make great content.
Have a Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Programming lessons from the Beatles
More than 40 years after their U.S. debut in 1964 the Beatles remain one of the world's most popular rock groups. Itunes announced with great fanfare their agreement to finally sell Beatles tunes in the istore. New books about them are published every year. What can we learn from the Beatles' success that will help us make more compelling content?
First we have to work. Before they became famous the Beatles played everywhere and anywhere in and around Liverpool and the U.K. The first time they went to Hamburg for an extended set they literally lived in a toilet behind the screen of a movie theatre. After many years and countless hours spent working on their music, writing their own songs, and polishing their stage act they finally received the recognition they deserved. Yes, they were talented, but they were willing to put in the time to get better. How much time are you willing to put into your work?
Lots of different artists influenced the Beatles. For example, they named their group in homage to Buddy Holly and the Crickets. The Beatles' stage act also included songs from many U.S. artists -- the Shirelles, Smokey Robinson, Arthur Alexander, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and more. But when you listen to the Beatles' cover recordings it's clear that no matter who originated the songs, the Beatles made them uniquely theirs. Are you creating original material, or are you copying other people that are successful?
So two very important lessons from the Beatles:
1. Work Hard. Put the time in to keep refining your material and make it better.
2. Be Original. Make sure your work is uniquely yours.
There's more lessons to learn which I'll post in a future blog. For now I'm going to listen to the remastered CD box set of Beatle albums I got last year.
First we have to work. Before they became famous the Beatles played everywhere and anywhere in and around Liverpool and the U.K. The first time they went to Hamburg for an extended set they literally lived in a toilet behind the screen of a movie theatre. After many years and countless hours spent working on their music, writing their own songs, and polishing their stage act they finally received the recognition they deserved. Yes, they were talented, but they were willing to put in the time to get better. How much time are you willing to put into your work?
Lots of different artists influenced the Beatles. For example, they named their group in homage to Buddy Holly and the Crickets. The Beatles' stage act also included songs from many U.S. artists -- the Shirelles, Smokey Robinson, Arthur Alexander, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and more. But when you listen to the Beatles' cover recordings it's clear that no matter who originated the songs, the Beatles made them uniquely theirs. Are you creating original material, or are you copying other people that are successful?
So two very important lessons from the Beatles:
1. Work Hard. Put the time in to keep refining your material and make it better.
2. Be Original. Make sure your work is uniquely yours.
There's more lessons to learn which I'll post in a future blog. For now I'm going to listen to the remastered CD box set of Beatle albums I got last year.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Time for Variety Shows
I saw the Nielsen ratings for last Saturday night (11/27/2010) and was surprised to see Sabado Gigante, the long-running variety show on spanish-language channel Univision, rating 1.2 for the night. That puts this warhorse in a strong fifth place amongst broadcast networks -- only .4 of a ratings point behind Fox. This is particularly interesting when you remember that Sabado Gigante (Big Saturday) is performed entirely in Spanish. Yet the show beat some English language networks (Ion, and others) in the ratings.
I must confess to being a fan for many years of Sabado Gigante and Don Francisco. I can enjoy the show even though my Spanish skills stalled at the high school level. It's always clear what's going on, even if you don't speak the language. If you don't like the current act, just wait five minutes. There's bound to be soneone on that you do like.
These high ratings demonstrate the importance of the Spanish speaking audience. But I think they also show that the time might be ripe to revive Variety shows on network television. When I was growing up, the Ed Sullivan show was the most popular, but other highly-viewed Variety shows included The Dean Martin show, the Sonny and Cher show, the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and Laugh-In, among others. Audiences enjoyed the ecapist entertainment of songs, jokes, sketches, and novelty acts. I think today's economic circumstances provide the environment where a good variety show can flourish.
Don't beleive me? The two most popular weekly network series are variety shows. American Idol showcases a variety of musical acts and Dancing with the Stars shows a variety of dance acts. I wouldn't be surprised if the broadcast networks' development slates include new takes on the tried and true variety format. If they don't already, maybe the time is right for you to create one.
I must confess to being a fan for many years of Sabado Gigante and Don Francisco. I can enjoy the show even though my Spanish skills stalled at the high school level. It's always clear what's going on, even if you don't speak the language. If you don't like the current act, just wait five minutes. There's bound to be soneone on that you do like.
These high ratings demonstrate the importance of the Spanish speaking audience. But I think they also show that the time might be ripe to revive Variety shows on network television. When I was growing up, the Ed Sullivan show was the most popular, but other highly-viewed Variety shows included The Dean Martin show, the Sonny and Cher show, the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and Laugh-In, among others. Audiences enjoyed the ecapist entertainment of songs, jokes, sketches, and novelty acts. I think today's economic circumstances provide the environment where a good variety show can flourish.
Don't beleive me? The two most popular weekly network series are variety shows. American Idol showcases a variety of musical acts and Dancing with the Stars shows a variety of dance acts. I wouldn't be surprised if the broadcast networks' development slates include new takes on the tried and true variety format. If they don't already, maybe the time is right for you to create one.
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