Time was when the TV-movie production scene was dominated by the “major” film studios and TV networks.
Each dominant organization had a stable of contract talents, whose respective legions of fans felt obliged to patronize their starrers, thus enhancing the studios’ power and cachet.
The setup was fine and dandy for the entrenched power players involved, but less influential producers and the viewing public were sometimes left out.
Viewers had to adjust their schedules and viewing preferences to suit the studios and networks’ plans.
After a while, with the entry of more competitive new players and many amazing technological innovations, viewers finally realized that they had been led through the nose for far too long.
And since their patronage was what made show biz’s motor run, oh, so profitably for the networks and studios, they should be followed!
Thus came the once improbable move for viewers to create their own TV schedules—and the content providers had no choice but to come up with “streaming” services that enable viewers to watch shows whenever they wanted—on diverse viewing “platforms” that liberated them from patronizing TV only when they were at home.
These days, TV content can be accessed on the run, depending on the viewer’s availability, and shows and TV outfits that fail to join the new “main-stream” end up in the financial lurch.
The rules of the show biz game have changed in the movies, as well, with new, well-connected and vigorously competitive producers shaking up the box office by way of sleeper hits that disdain old stories and storytelling styles, and connect with millennials in ways that they understand better, and prefer.
New players
Competition is being shaken up on TV, as well, with competitive and innovative new players rewiring and rewriting old-fashioned scenarios for competition and success.
At the recent Emmy Awards, for instance, the best drama category was dominated by new series, dislodging old favorites that used to predictably lord it over the industry awards’ deliberations and decisions.
The new finds included shows like Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and “The Crown,” Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” NBC’s “This Is Us,” and HBO’s “Westworld.”
Other fave shows by new players include “Big Little Lies” by HBO, “Feud” by FX, “Alias Grace” by Netflix, “I Love Dick” by Amazon, and “Witness World Wide” on YouTube.
On the local TV scene, “streaming” and other connectivity innovations are also being initiated—perhaps more tentatively, but with the same expectations of success.
After all, Filipinos are famously antsy to get connected and “liberated,” so things are looking up, despite some technological glitches.
Ditto for the local movie scene, in which some mainstream players have been upstaged by indie productions that have turned out to be “sleeper” hits at the box office.
With some traditional rules and practices now proven to no longer apply, the field is open to innovation, as never before!
But, “new” is definitely not a sure thing, and the show biz scene is still ultimately a crap shoot—so, players of whatever age and rage are strongly advised to give each and every gambit—their very best and most savvily considered shot!