Have you been watching American Idol as I suggested in my last post? We've had the usual run of terrible performances mixed with people rising to the occasion and outperforming expectations. Once again it's the number one show on television, even if ratings are down from last year. How do they do it? The answer is two words -- High Stakes.
Each performance on American Idol can literally break, if not make, the performer's career chances. It doesn't matter how much you've performed before, or even how you performed during the dress rehearsal. It comes down to your three minutes of singing, with millions of people watching. If you survive, you go on. Those are high stakes -- and people watch.
It's the same reason why there are so many police and doctor dramas on television. In these occupations the stakes are life or death -- at least during their hour on television.
When you're creating your program, make the stakes as high as possible. Even if the stakes aren't literally life and death, it must feel that way to the character. Look at this year's Oscar winning film, The King's Speech, for a great example of how to make something that isn't life or death (stuttering) feel like it is.
As always, feel free to send me any comments you have.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
What Are You Watching?
In his book On Writing, Stephen King said the two most important things an aspiring writer can do are: 1)Read a Lot, and 2)Write a Lot. If you're an aspiring television or content producer, the same advice applies: 1)watch a lot of content; 2)Create a lot.
What shows are you watching? If you want to create a content for a specific medium, whether it's movies, television, or a web site, you need to be familiar with the other content that's already successful. You don't need to imitate that contentbut you do need to understand what elements make a piece of content successful. If you can incorporate the successful elements into your own story, you will go a long way toward making your story succeed.
That's also important if you want to sell your content. When I was in network programming, nothing made me more upset than a producer who proposed a program idea we already had on air. Clearly, they weren't watching.
So watch your favortie shows. And watch the shows you don't like, but are popular. Don't watch just to enjoy them -- watch critically. Analyze why a show is successful. Learn from its successes and its mistakes. Remember almost nothing that you create will be perfect the first time. Apply the lessons you learned from other content in the revisions. Your work is important to you; it's worth putting in the time necessary to make it as good as possible.
What shows are you watching? If you want to create a content for a specific medium, whether it's movies, television, or a web site, you need to be familiar with the other content that's already successful. You don't need to imitate that contentbut you do need to understand what elements make a piece of content successful. If you can incorporate the successful elements into your own story, you will go a long way toward making your story succeed.
That's also important if you want to sell your content. When I was in network programming, nothing made me more upset than a producer who proposed a program idea we already had on air. Clearly, they weren't watching.
So watch your favortie shows. And watch the shows you don't like, but are popular. Don't watch just to enjoy them -- watch critically. Analyze why a show is successful. Learn from its successes and its mistakes. Remember almost nothing that you create will be perfect the first time. Apply the lessons you learned from other content in the revisions. Your work is important to you; it's worth putting in the time necessary to make it as good as possible.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The New American Idol
Let me state right at the top that I'm a fan of American Idol. I enjoy watching the auditions -- they remind me of some of the auditions I had to sit through while I was a theatre director. I love Hollywood Week -- the pressure to perform is so intense it raises the stakes to amazing heights. The competition shows are almost a relief by comparison, but it's always fascinating to watch the personalities emerge and watch the performers grow. And who cares if the Idol winner has a great career afterwards or not? It still makes great television.
Why didn't Fox just let it go after last year's lackluster performance (by Idol standards)? Simple. The show remains a formidable force on broadcast. Even if it's only the number two show on broadcast, it's tremendously profitable for Fox. It's a great platform to promote their other shows. Trust me, when you're head of programming for a major network, you will do whatever you can to save your #1 show. What surprised me is how well the show's producers managed it.
This year on American Idol is mainly an exercise in making the show seem different while actually changing as little as possible. Yes, we have two new celebrity judges, but that just restores the total number to the original three. Jennifer Lopez has many of the same qualities as Paula Abdul, without the craziness. Randy has moved to Simon's old seat, but it appears that both he and Steven Tyler are trying to bring a little of Simon to the show. They've moved the first show to Wednesday from Tuesday.
And it's working. Last week both American Idol shows were the #1 and #2 highest rated regular programs (the Grammy Awards was the highest rated). Steven, Randy and JLo are making me forget Simon Cowell -- at least the Simon of last season who was clearly bored by the proceedings. They have managed to re-invigorate the show without re-inventing the format. If you think that's easy, then you have never produced television.
If you want to produce television, you should study why American Idol is such a success. The lessons we can learn from it can help us no matter what type of show we're producing. Watch the show for a couple of weeks and I'll write about those lessons in a later post.
Why didn't Fox just let it go after last year's lackluster performance (by Idol standards)? Simple. The show remains a formidable force on broadcast. Even if it's only the number two show on broadcast, it's tremendously profitable for Fox. It's a great platform to promote their other shows. Trust me, when you're head of programming for a major network, you will do whatever you can to save your #1 show. What surprised me is how well the show's producers managed it.
This year on American Idol is mainly an exercise in making the show seem different while actually changing as little as possible. Yes, we have two new celebrity judges, but that just restores the total number to the original three. Jennifer Lopez has many of the same qualities as Paula Abdul, without the craziness. Randy has moved to Simon's old seat, but it appears that both he and Steven Tyler are trying to bring a little of Simon to the show. They've moved the first show to Wednesday from Tuesday.
And it's working. Last week both American Idol shows were the #1 and #2 highest rated regular programs (the Grammy Awards was the highest rated). Steven, Randy and JLo are making me forget Simon Cowell -- at least the Simon of last season who was clearly bored by the proceedings. They have managed to re-invigorate the show without re-inventing the format. If you think that's easy, then you have never produced television.
If you want to produce television, you should study why American Idol is such a success. The lessons we can learn from it can help us no matter what type of show we're producing. Watch the show for a couple of weeks and I'll write about those lessons in a later post.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Unique Ideas
I can't count the number of times that people not in the television business have said to me, "I have a great idea. It's like nothing else on television."
In my experience, that's very rarely the case. There are very few unique ideas. If you have an idea, it's very likely that someone else had a similar idea. The difference is in the way you execute the idea. There are many steps between the conception of an idea and a finished television program are movie. There's writing, casting, filming, production, and post-production. All of them have to work well together for the final product to work. If one of them goes wrong, your project could fail.
A successful producer or director can shepherd a project through all of these steps, keeping its essential integrity and telling the story clearly and compellingly. The people at the top of the profession -- a James Cameron, for example -- make millions of dollars because they've demonstrated that ability in projects that earned hundreds of millions of dollars. And in some cases they can spend years on a project and it can still fail to find an audience.
So if you have an idea, that's great. Remember that the idea is only as good as its execution, and spend time developing it the best way possible.
In my experience, that's very rarely the case. There are very few unique ideas. If you have an idea, it's very likely that someone else had a similar idea. The difference is in the way you execute the idea. There are many steps between the conception of an idea and a finished television program are movie. There's writing, casting, filming, production, and post-production. All of them have to work well together for the final product to work. If one of them goes wrong, your project could fail.
A successful producer or director can shepherd a project through all of these steps, keeping its essential integrity and telling the story clearly and compellingly. The people at the top of the profession -- a James Cameron, for example -- make millions of dollars because they've demonstrated that ability in projects that earned hundreds of millions of dollars. And in some cases they can spend years on a project and it can still fail to find an audience.
So if you have an idea, that's great. Remember that the idea is only as good as its execution, and spend time developing it the best way possible.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Use Your Life Stories
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!
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!
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)